When we knew that we were not going to need to have all of our students in Dr Arroyo to do summer groups we decided to leave them in the locations that they were working in and that had shown tremendous growth during their outreach.  So right now we have students in Dr Arroyo working, some in El Higo at the orphanage site, and the rest on the island.  I am in El Higo today with all the summer staff who are visiting the area for the first time.  Tomorrow, we leave early for the island and will take the students that are here with us.  After three nights on the island we return with all the students there and head to Alamo and then everyone returns north to either La Haciendita or Dr Arroyo.  When we get there we will put on two youth camps, one in each location, at the same time.  The students and staff will provide the ministry and preaching.  Then we have two family groups coming and finish out with our pastors convention, student debrief, and missionary meetings.  Carolyn and I return to the States the middle of August, the summer staff head home, the students to their home churches and the missionaries back to each of their ministry locations or to the States to visit their supporters.  Even though we have fewer groups this summer, it still seems like we are very busy.

This is the first time that we have taken our summer staff to any of the more primitive locations that we work in.  They are used to the comfortable surroundings of Dr Arroyo.  I was a little concerned when we arrived at the orphanage site last night and they realized there was no running water, no cool mountain evenings, electricity provided only for a few hours by generator, and their beds were hammocks.  Joel explained to them how to flush the toilets, how to take a shower with a bucket and a cup and how to sleep in a hammock.  This morning everyone was smiling, everyone slept great and not a single person complained.  The students prepared a breakfast of hot cakes and coffee.  Then, while I met with the couple that will be the directors for the orphanage, Joel led the students in worship and a devotion.  Afterward, we went to work cleaning, building benches for two of the churches there and digging a footing for the electrical service we will be putting in.  The temperatures were well over one hundred and the humidity over 90% but everyone worked hard.  After a lunch of pasta, beans, and fresh fruit they finished their work and Joel and I headed to one of the churches over an hour away to meet with the congregation.

We sat with the pastor and a few members for over an hour while the rest of the members walked several miles to get to the church.  Then we met for over an hour while each of the members expressed their ideas.  It was one of the poorest villages I have been to in the area but what a privilege to meet with such humble and sweet members of the Family of God

We returned to the orphanage site after the meeting, just in time to head to another village for supper with the church.  As we sat around after the great meal, visiting and laughing, one member of the team called it to our attention that seven different languages and dialects were represented by the members of our mission team.  In addition, several very different cultures and several different church backgrounds were represented by our team members.  What a unique ministry Dayspring has become.

As I close this letter, let me express our gratitude for your support and prayers.   In the coming months we will need to have several work teams come to the orphanage site to be ready to open by the first of next year.  Everything is ready except for the building and they tell me that every week there are kids that need our help.  Please pray for the finances for this project.  If you are able to come this fall to help out, please give us a call and we can put you together with a team. 

In His service,

 Roger