Week 27

This week started with a trip to the circus! It was quite the experience to go to a traveling Brazilian circus in Ecuador. There were trapeze artists, lions, clowns and men that drove motorcycles in a metal globe.


The rest of the week was fairly normal. We had classes and our Wednesday ministry day during the week. Our children’s ministries have been going very well and they are a highlight of the week for our students and (hopefully) for the children as well.




Over the weekend groups spent time in Quito, went horseback riding on one of the local mountains and a group traveled to Tena (one of the towns in the jungle).

Prayer: Praise for Michael deciding to return to our community. Please continue to pray for his mother and her health. Continue to pray for the details related to the closure of CBC and selling all three properties owned by CBC.

Student Profiles (*These are the last two student profiles, we hope that you have enjoyed getting to know our students):

Name: Elle Sandquist
Age: 18
Home Town: Redwood City, CA
Hobbies: Cooking and eating, dance parties, shell collecting, being as Swedish as possible
Favorite thing about CBC: Wednesday ministries and living in a different culture
Future Plans: Attending North Park University in the fall


Name: Molly FitzPatrick
Age: 19
Home Town: Mason City, IA
Hobbies: Piano, stationary, reading mysteries, dance parties, journaling, sun bathing
Favorite thing about CBC: Playing with the kids on the mountain during our Wednesday ministry
Future Plans: Attending North Park University in the fall.


Blog Fan of the week: Kelly FitzPatrick (sister of Molly)
Thanks Kelly for your year of supporting CBC and our blog.

Photos: The circus; Mary, Cassie, Holly, and Micah enjoying the circus; Elle and Jake and some of the kids from their ministry site at La Montana; (random photo of the week) Caroline, Elin, Elle, Jenni, Karianne, and Molly having an random dance party in their room one night; Elle; Molly

Week 26

This week was much more low key than the last couple of weeks have been. We have had a lot of rain and spent a lot of time reading and chilling out with one another. This week we had a few visiting friends from North Park and they went with out students and did fun things over the weekend.


One group went to Mindo and stayed in the jungle and went on a waterfall hikes and hung out. Another group went on a train from Quito to the Cotopaxi park.



Prayer Requests: One of our students had to leave at the end of the week to be with his mother who has terminal cancer. Both he and the community are mourning his absence and the uncertainty of his return.

Student Profiles:
Name: Reid Englund
Age: 19
Home Town: Shoreview (Twin Cities), MN
Hobbies: Surfing, sports, and long walks on the beach
Favorite thing about CBC: The friends that I have made here
Future Plans: Attending North Park University in the fall.


Name: Karianne Gwinn
Age: 18
Home Town: El Cajon (San Diego), CA
Hobbies: Singing, sewing, hanging out with my family
Favorite thing about CBC: Laughing a lot with my friends
Future Plans: Attending Seattle Pacific University (probably) in the fall.



Photos: Laura and Ellen in Mindo getting ready to ride across that ravine in that basket; Shane, Dan, Elle, Micah, Cassie, Natalie, Kjel, Heidi, and Jake at Cotopaxi after riding the train; Natalie, Cassie, Heidi and Elle enjoying the view; Cassie and Reid skim-boarding on our lawn during one of the down pours we had this weekend; Reid; Karianne

Week 25

This week was basically just filled with preparations for Kids College. This weekend was Kids College (a retreat put on for fourth through sixth graders). Our theme this year was the journeys of Paul and the campus was turned into ancient Athens. The kids were put into “family” groups with two parents for each group. Through out the weekend the kids went to “secret” worship, played games in the Olympics, made candles and other crafts, watched Greek theater and much more. Over all the weekend went really well and the kids all enjoyed themselves.








We could use prayer for all of us to get back into real life after Kids College and continue to process the changes that have taken place in our community over the last few weeks.

Student Profiles:
Name: Tim Prikkel
Age: 19
Home Town: Rolling Meadows
Hobbies: music, woodworking, sports
Favorite thing about CBC: The closeness between the staff and students and their willingness to be an integral part of our lives here.
Future Plans: Attending North Park University in the fall.


Name: Mandy Hjelm
Age: 19
Home Town: Batavia, IL
Hobbies: watching soccer and making puppy chow
Favorite thing about CBC: The community at CBC and the culture here in Ecuador
Future Plans: Attending North Park University in the fall.


Photos: Reid and one of his students on one of the low-ropes course elements that the students put together; John (as Paul) telling stories to the children as Laura paints what he is telling; the cafeteria set up for eating family style and sitting on the floor as they might have done in Athens; Michael and some of the children during on the games; Karl and Elin's family group; Jake and Luke acting in the Greek theater production; Mary and Michael washing the feet of the children in their family during one of the worship sessions; Tim; Mandy

Week 24

As you have no doubt begun to hear, we have had some difficult circumstances come to our attention in the last few days resulting in the dismissal of 5 of our students. As you can imagine, this has been an extremely difficult decision and not one which was entered into lightly. The students have returned home and this has left a great hole in the community and also in the hearts of their friends here.

The one thing that has been filling all of our lives here at CBC (and has been greatly affected by the loss to our community) is preparations for Kids College. This Saturday was spent doing a work day and run through for the weekend. Next Friday through Sunday there will be around 80 fourth through sixth graders on campus living through the journeys of Paul.




We would appreciate all of your prayers for Kids College and the continuing adjustments that are being made within the community as we all cope with our loss.
*Note: If you are someone who faithfully checks this blog every weekend, know that it will not be coming out until early to mid week next week due to Kids College. Thanks for your faithfulness to our community!


Student Profiles:
Name: Peter Johnson
Age: 19
Home Town: Chaska, MN
Hobbies: Soccer and golf
Favorite thing about CBC: Going to our ministry site and working with kids each week
Future Plans: Attending North Park University in the fall


Name: Tess Calderbank
Age: 19
Home Town: Penticton, BC
Hobbies: Sewing, reading, writing
Favorite thing about CBC: Meeting new people and being in the Ecuadorian culture
Future Plans: Go home and work for the next year


Photos: Andrew, Elin and Caroline decorating the library to be the sleeping quarters for the boys; Anna and Laura helping to create a market place; Cassie, Greta and Kylene messing around; Jenni costuming Mandy; Kylene and Cassie working in the shop; Peter; Tess