Greetings to our family and friends!

We write to you with news of great change and opportunity for the Hewes family. Karen and Joe, hearing God’s call, have entered into missionary work with the Assemblies of God World Missions. We have accepted an assignment for missionary work in Quito, Ecuador. Joe will be using his 20-plus years of experience in television production and management to help build a Spanish-language, family-friendly television network called Unsión TV. Karen will be working with Unsión as well, and seek opportunities to work with children in Ecuador.

Unsión Television International will be based in Quito, Ecuador. Right now, Unsión consists of one television station. We will be working to establish Unsión as a television network delivered by satellite to North, Central, and South America. Unsión’s goal is to change lives by promoting the gospel message, and by providing spiritual and social counseling by telephone and the internet. In the first quarter of 2005, Unsión logged over 1,500 commitments to Christ.
Here are answers to some of the questions you are probably asking:

· While we have been hearing God whisper to us for more than two years, His call became clear in the past year. We want to devote ourselves completely to doing His work. Karen hopes to become involved in some aspect of children’s ministry.

· We have signed up for a one-year commitment, but we expect to stay longer.

· We will likely sell our house in Marlboro (although we are considering renting it out), as well as most of our possessions, since we will not bring much with us. Precious heirlooms and some furniture will remain in storage.

· Shari and Katie will be coming with us. They are reluctant to leave their friends, but are excited about opportunities for ministry in Ecuador. It is our hope that this experience will benefit the entire family. There is an English-language school in Quito they will attend.

· We do not know the language yet, but Karen has signed up for a Spanish class at the local community college beginning in the fall. Joe will take Spanish lessons at a language school in the city starting this summer. We will continue language lessons in Quito.

· This is not a paid position. All missionary associates are required to raise their own funds for living and travel expenses before going out into the field.

· We will not leave for Ecuador until our funds are raised. We have no idea how long this will take, but our pastor says it usually takes about a year.

We are writing to tell you of this great news, and also to ask you for your support. Most importantly, we ask you for your prayer support.

Certainly not everyone feels a call to go out into the missions field, but this is an opportunity for you to support those who do. We must raise a sizable sum of money, in the form of a lump-sum cash budget and a monthly pledge budget in order to support our family in Ecuador. It is especially difficult to raise the monthly pledge budget.

We hope that, as family and friends, our mission will be near and dear to you and that you prayerfully consider supporting us. This is an opportunity for you to partner with us to make a positive impact in the world. Our local church, family, and friends will make up the bulk of our financial support. Knowing that those we know and love are supporting us will make the journey to Ecuador that much more fulfilling. This is a partnership.

Please pray for us, and please consider partnering with us financially. There are several ways you can give:

· You can send a check made out to Assemblies of God World Missions. Make sure you put our account number on the check (2940526). A short note along with the check, designating the gift to our account number, would be helpful. The address is Assemblies of God World Missions, 1445 N. Boonville Ave., Springfield, MO 65802. They will send you a receipt;

· You can make the check out to Joe Hewes, send it to us, and we will send you a receipt;

· If you can support us with a monthly pledge, please contact us and we will send you the form to fill out.

Your pledge, in any amount, would be most appreciated. No donation is too small or unimportant. No matter how you choose to give, your gift is tax-deductible.

Karen and I have always found it hard to ask for money, but we believe that this is one good reason to do just that. We are confident in our call and our mission; we are excited about the opportunities ahead; we are grateful to those who can support us in prayer and in giving.

Please contact us if you have any questions. We would love to hear from you. You can follow our mission activities at our new website: www.hewesfamily.org.

Thank you and God bless you.