For nearly a decade the Badgley family has been on a journey to reach the Shuar tribe of Ecuador and Peru with the gospel of Jesus Christ. It started when Russ and Sarah took a “Perspectives on the Christian World Movement” course and did a research project on an unreached people group. The group they studied was the Shuar. At that point they began to sense that the Lord wanted them to do something about the Shuar’s need for the gospel.

It wasn’t long until the Badgleys arrived to Greenleaf Friends Church in Southern Idaho and then soon afterwards began talking with EFM. Eventually the Badgleys moved to the southeastern part of Ecuador where they have been pioneering a new field for EFM. In a relatively short amount of time they have been able to establish relationships with the Body of Christ in Ecuador and get a much closer look at the realities of life for the Shuar. The need for the gospel is truly there. So is the opportunity for making disciples of Jesus Christ.

As you know, this journey has been a rough one for the Badgley family. There have been health challenges that have led to bouncing back and forth between Ecuador and the U.S. Until recently they did not feel released from a sense of call to live and minister in Ecuador. That release has now come after a period of seeking the Lord’s direction together.

The Badgleys will be relocating to the Pacific Northwest before the end of 2019. They will be stepping down from their roles as missionaries with EFM and looking for ways to serve the Lord through their professions. EFM is committed to helping them with their relocation which includes leaving Ecuador well, processing what the family has been through during the last few years as well as what they will go through as they adjust to living in the U.S, and also doing what we can to help them with some of their needs while they get settled in their new location (which is yet to be determined).

You have faithfully journeyed with the Badgleys through your prayers, giving, and encouragement. We ask that you continue to stand with them indefinitely through your prayers and encouragement and financially through March of 2020 in order to help cover the costs of relocation and missionary care.

This change of direction does not mean that the Badgleys’ journey with Ecuador and the Shuar is over. They want to be a part of helping whoever takes their place to pick up where they are leaving off. They also want to find ways through their professions to contribute to these efforts. So please pray that they will have eyes to see how the Lord wants them to do this. Pray also that the Lord of the harvest will send more workers to reach the Shuar. Thank you for praying.

Your fellow servant in Christ,

Dan Cammack

Executive Director of EFM

The post November 2019 Badgley Update first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

Our family arrived in Quito early morning of the 4th of July after spending several days in Idaho and Washington with churches, family and friends. After staying a night in Quito, we collected our vehicle from an organization that safely stored it for us, and in the early evening, headed southerly toward Macas. We had a short-term housing arrangement awaiting us.

Our travels were not uneventful however. Before we left the U.S., Russell ended up with a broken nose (church softball), Sarah with a kidney infection, and once arriving in Ecuador we encountered a landslide late in the evening that forced a retracing of travel and rerouting, costing us about 3 extra hours and an overnight stay in a hostel. Despite these bumps, we made it safe and sound!

Since arriving in Macas, we’ve been enjoying reuniting with friends and acquaintances one-by-one. It’s been fun to see people’s reaction to Matthew’s growth and express their love and care for him, and yet they always ask where the rest of the kids are and want to see them as well.

Joseph and Ruth hit the ground running and have been volunteering at a local school with vacation Bible school and English camps. They’re partnering with several short-term mission groups from the states who come each year. Emma has resumed training with her basketball team in Macas. She has one to two months of strength training to complete before she starts modified regular practice.

Russell and I have spent much time searching for housing and getting the kids needs met, as well as providing rides to the kids as they volunteer and have evening activities with the short-term mission groups.

We’re thankful to have found a nice, comfortable and affordable house in town, near our language route areas, and in only one week into our time here. The landlord offered it up to us for the same price as several of the three bedroom apartments have been asking, and without carrying the risk of structural integrity issues during a time of heightened earthquakes here. The house also has a yard area for the baby and Emma’s dog. God has blessed us for sure.

During our host church’s men’s group, Russ mentioned moving to our new place in a few days, and six or so men volunteered to move us. They brought a pickup and a large commercial truck and got the job done in a day. Gotta love South American hospitality and relationships!

Joe and Ruth are thinking they’ll resume basketball and swimming once school begins.

Matthew Health Update

Six months of good health, without any paralysis issues! Sometimes it’s hard to process those words: “our baby” and “paralysis events.” His neurologist initially thought he possibly had a genetic condition and would severely decline in the months to come. We’ve seen great progress and normal development in in Matthew. Additionally, we recently learned that when Matthew had his lip tie cut as a newborn, he was severely overdosed with lidocaine. The words we were told were “near euthanasia.” It seems his brain may have needed time to bounce back and “rewire” from that damage. But God has been good to us to spare and restore our boy, and we are grateful for your prayers in this matter. Thank you for your ongoing prayers.

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The post August 2019 Prayer Letter first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

Russell, Sarah, Emma, Joe, Ruth, and Matthew Badgley have been experiencing “trials of many kinds” over the past ten months. Here is a description of it in their own words:

“…this season has been really difficult for us. If Matthew’s health situation were not enough stress, we’ve had…huge transitions, Emma’s severe kidney infection and recovery, Matthew’s premature labor threats and birth, his dangerous apnea, Ruth’s state of shock after falling from high in a tree, Matthew’s collapse after oral anesthesia to treat a lip tie, his unconscious spells, paralysis and sleep disorder, and, finally, Emma’s meniscus tear, ACL rupture and corrective surgery, recovery and ongoing therapy.”

The “pure joy” mentioned in James 1:2 seems pretty daunting in the face of such trials. And yet, if gratefulness is a part of joy, then the Badgleys have a lot going for them. Here are some more of their words:

“We feel like we’ve been getting good care so far from Portland’s Doernbecher’s Children’s Hospital. They have an excellent children’s phlebotomist who has been getting Matthew’s blood on the first try each time, and the neurologist seems very familiar with the type of genetic disorder that they’re considering as a diagnosis. The diagnostic process takes some time and a series of imaging. Fortunately, our new neurologist recommended no sedation for baby both due to his history of troubles with it, and the incompatibility with the condition that they feel he may be dealing with.

We are thankful to the many hosts we’ve had over the recent months…we are also grateful for a house sitting option that opened up for us which allows our family to have a house to ourselves for a while.”

The “recent months” they refer to started in August of last year. The first stop in this long journey was Quito, Ecuador. Then they were referred to a children’s hospital in Houston, Texas, where they spent about three months. Then they moved out to Oregon where they are currently stationed.

EFM is committed to taking care of its missionaries and has some basic policies in place to help guide us in times of extended illness. We are giving the Badgley family paid time off while they pursue a diagnosis for Matthew. It is taking longer than anyone imagined to get the diagnosis. We are hoping and praying that one will be identified in the next three to five months (if the Lord doesn’t heal him first!).

As you can imagine, it is taking most of Russ and Sarah’s time and energy just to make and keep medical appointments and take care of the family. The Badgleys are located just south of Roseburg, Oregon, where they were when Sarah was recovering from her illness a couple of years ago. This is the area that Russ is from. The children are currently enrolled in school. Steps are being taken to make sure the family is cared for by a network of supporters both near and far. Their friends in Ecuador continue to be as supportive as they can be and we have all been very grateful for their help in many practical matters.

How can you be praying for the Badgleys in the weeks to come? This is their recommendation: “Please continue to pray for Matthew’s well-being, healing and/or a diagnosis, and for the whole family over all as this has been a lot of wear and tear on each of us, though especially hard on some of us.”

Both Badgleys and EFM are grateful to you for standing with them in prayer and also through your ongoing financial support. We will do what we can to keep you updated as this journey continues.

Your fellow servant in Christ,

Dan Cammack

Executive Director of EFM

The post February 2019 Badgley Family Update first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

During a trip to purchase a car in the town of Riobamba, I went into labor again. Every one to three days, in the wee hours of the morning, I was back in the hospital and on labor-stopping medication. After two days in a hospital in Riobamba, I was transported to a more advanced hospital in Quito. After two weeks of troubles, delayed labor, and steroids to mature baby’s lungs, our sweet Matthew was born at 34 weeks gestation. While he is the delight of his parents and siblings, he had a rough start after discharge. At 6 days old he began having problems with low oxygen and apnea. After three nights of hospitalization in the NICU, he was sent home with oxygen. We used an oxygen monitor that our dear friend and her family sent us and daily caught an apnea or low oxygen event in the first several weeks. We are glad to report we are seeing a good recovery in Matthew and only have evening and night colic to work through now. In the mix of all this, two days after we arrived home, Ruth fell from high up in a tree at our neighbor’s house and was hospitalized in the government hospital here in Macas. We are thankful to God that she came away from it without broken bones or internal injuries.

After returning home from Quito, we worked on our car search again. Finally, we were able to find the right car for the long-term needs of our family and ministry. It is a four-wheel drive 2008 Land Cruiser Prado with seat belts for 8 persons. It is very clean and in good shape and should last us a long time.

We are now trying to settle into a routine with a newborn as the older kids are finishing their homeschooling for the year. Thank you all for your prayers and support through this time.

The Badgelys

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The post July 2018 Prayer Letter first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.