Wednesday, September 8, 2010

What is a CSO group?


One of the things we enjoy most here is the Wednesday afternoon Kids Club at the dump and we're excited that we're getting back to it this month. And we can't wait to meet our new high school students who will be a part of our Extreme Response CSO this year!

What is a CSO group, you might ask?

Well, today all of the CSO (Christian Service Outreach) opportunities will be presented to the high school students at Alliance Academy International. These are volunteer groups that do various service activities after school, usually on Wednesday afternoon. There are a total of 10 groups. For example, one group goes to the local children's hospital to visit the children and give them gifts and share about Jesus. Another group helps with Pan de Vida - a ministry to street people, providing them with a hot meal and other programs. There's a group dedicated to painting murals with a Christian message on the walls in the neighborhood. A couple of years ago, this group painted a beautiful mural depicting the story of Creation on the wall that surrounds the HCJB property in Quito. The Guardian group mentors middle school students. One group spends time praying during their lunch hour for persecuted Christians around the world.

And our Extreme Response CSO group plans and provides the Kids Club for the children at the dump every Wednesday afternoon. As you can see, the groups are varied and God is providing lots of avenues for these high schoolers to be involved in ministry!

We are asking that you please pray for the students today as they listen to the presentations by the various CSO groups and make decisions as to where they will be involved this year. This is a non-required extra-curricular activity for the students and it seems that there is almost 100% participation every year! The opportunities are huge!

And as you pray - please keep our CSO group in mind along with the following events:

1) Weds Sept 15 - 1st meeting, orientation at the dump

2) Fri/Sat Sept 17 and 18 - overnight retreat in Papallacta to do team building activities with our new group and to plan for this year's Kids Club

3) Weds Sept 22 - 1st Kids Club at the dump, starting our Bible story series on Experiencing the Life of Christ. Pray too for the moms who will come and be a part of their own Mom's Club.

2 comments:

annie said...

Is Alliance Academy a local school there? And the students are doing outreach? Thats cool! BTW- Your new pics are soooo cute! Isabella is gorgeous!!! :)

The Arteagas said...

yes, Anne - Alliance Academy was started by the Missionary Alliance mission years ago, it's now independent and still Christian - it has missionary kids from the US and Canada and other countries, plus students from Asia and Latin America. It's quite a cultural mix. And yes, it's awesome to see these high school students so involved in local outreach. Thanks for the comments on the photos! it seems like Isa has sure grown up alot since we were there!