Christmas Ministry in Travesia

On Sunday afternoon, December 12, after the church service in Manta, a ministry team from the church went to the village of Travesia where they serve each weekend. I was first to arrive at the cabin where the children gather. There were already more than 30 kids waiting. We all played games and sang songs. The crowd continued to grow after this photo was taken. The ministry team had prepared 30 packages of clothing for village families and had 200 bags of Christmas candy ready to distribute. They also gave a delicious meal to all who attended. I am very proud of the attitude and actions of service displayed by the people from our church who have made a commitment to this ministry.

Latest Addition: Grandson

On Friday, December 7, our first grandchild Ioan Michael Lewis was born to our daughter Amanda and son-in-law Mike in Uijongbu, S. Korea. We are so grateful for the blessing of this precious baby boy being added to our family. Just over 24 years ago, Joy and I experienced the wonder of Amanda's birth--our first child. What a sense of awesome responsibility and overwhelming emotion we felt! It is hard to believe that sweet little girl is now a mommy, and Joy and I are grandparents. Time does indeed fly, but its passing brings some worthwhile rewards. Rejoice and give thanks to God with us!

Believer's Baptism

The lady in pink is named Olfa. Here she is with her daughter and granddaughter. Olfa became a believer through a mass evangelism campaign sometime in the past, but she was not directed to a church that would teach her the Bible in a practical way so that she could grow as a Christ-follower. She got sucked into a crazy, money-grabbing religious cult that is very prevalent in South America. The first time she went to one of their services, they dunked her and started siphoning off her funds. After a few months of that her family encouraged her to seek out a real church. She came into contact with us through a local Christian radio station. They asked me to give her a visit. That was several months ago. Several weeks ago she mentioned that she would like to be baptized on purpose. This past Sunday, Olfa gave testimony of her faith in Christ. She understood why she was being baptized and gave a beautiful statement in words and actions of the joy of her new spiritual journey with the Lord.

On Sunday I started a new series of messages on intellectual and philosophical objections to Christianity. I am enjoying the preparation time studying apologetics. I hope that it is a blessing to the congregation and visitors as well. Please be praying with me about the series.

20 Days!

It doesn't seem possible that 20 days have passed since my last post. My "short" trip ended up being 3 days longer than I expected, and I have been behind ever since. The trip was successful in that I was able to make contact with a number of our supporting churches and pastors; I had the privilege of presenting our ministry and reporting to a few churches in their services; and enjoyed spending time with some of our family and friends.
Meanwhile, church attendances have been good the past few weeks, with more than 90 present on Sunday morning on average.
One Sunday morning we recognized the teens that have been most faithful in attendance, Bible reading, and Scripture memorization. We handed out four Bibles as prizes. The top boy and girl received an excellent Study Bible with notes, references, concordance, and dictionary. We are proud of the work these young people and others in their group have done in recent months. One of the youngsters, a 7th grader, sent me a note of thanks. In part, he said, "I never imagined I would have such a Bible in my hands so that I can learn more of God's Word to share with my family and friends."
We enjoyed American Thanksgiving with a house full of friends. The Mock family, missionaries from Cayambe, came to visit us for a few days. The Tignors from Portoviejo, an American friend who lives nearby were here for dinner as well. There are always many, many reasons to be thankful, and gratitude should be one of our prime motivations for service. "Thank God for his indescribable gift!" said Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians.
Today, Joy began a journey that will take her (by God's grace and blessing) to Uijongbu, South Korea, where our oldest daughter, Amanda, and her husband Mike await the birth of their first child and our first grandchild. I would love to be there too, but I am tremendously happy that Joy is able to go. She will be a blessing to Amanda. I look forward to seeing pictures and video.

A Quick Trip

Joy and Teddy recently returned from a trip to the United States. They enjoyed getting together with a large portion of our extended family. Joy had the privilege of speaking to a couple of churches about our ministry in Ecuador. Teddy had fun playing miniature golf, taking a boat ride, fishing, and getting lots of attention.
During the next several days I will make a trip to the States to visit some churches. I have been invited to speak in three churches from Thursday through Sunday. I have also arranged to meet with some good friends and area pastors in NJ, DE, MD, and PA. I am excited about the opportunity to share what is going on in our ministry in Manta, Ecuador.

As Busy as a Bee

After several of us spent a few hours one afternoon clearing a small corner of the property, one of the men decided to save us all a lot of time and blisters. He enlisted the help of a friend with a heavy equipment service. Okay, so we missed the joy of fellowship of men working together, but what would have taken us a couple of hundred man-hours, took just a few. All of the trash, debris, and dry brush is now ready to be carted off. There were a couple of delays because of angry swarms of yellow-jackets. The equipment operator had to abandon the driver's seat on one occassion, but he escaped with only one sting. We waited for about an hour for the insects to calm down. In spite of their ferocious activity they did not defeat the orange monster that had invaded their territory. Soon the driver could get back to his perch at the controls, and in no time the job was done.

Backwards or Forwards or Both

Young people's Bible study has seemed like a weak point in our current ministry. Recently we re-started it with a different emphasis and with the assistance of a young married couple in the church. I am really pleased with the changes made and with the results so far. The meetings emphasize daily devotions, church attendance, prayer, and scripture memorization. Since there isn't loud music, sports, constant outings, and "anything-but-Bible-study!"; it isn't all that appealing to a lot of kids. At my age, and with a thousand responsibilities, I can't deal with the entertainment aspects of youth ministry. Yet, we are seeing the kids who do attend consistently really blossom. Some of them are helping or teaching in the children's ministries on Sunday. Others have become regular attenders of the Sunday morning Bible studies and worship hour. More are reading the Bible on a daily basis. During the Saturday afternoon meetings we try to answer the questions they have that arise from the reading during the week and we talk to them about making application of the Scriptures. We want to allow God to influence their lives at home, school, work, and among peers.
A couple of weeks ago, I noticed that a couple of younger teens who come to church on Sunday AM with their parents hadn't come to the Saturday meetings. I suggested that they try it out. They didn't come the first time so I encouraged them again. They seemed very shy about it, and I remembered how hard it is for kids their age to break into a new peer group--the fear factor. I smiled and asked them to try it, "Please." Last Saturday they came. They quietly participated in the opening game time, smiling, saying a few words, and starting to come out of their shells. We all shared and learned their names. The challenge lately has been to learn the names of the books of the Bible in order. I joked with one of the regulars about whether or not she could say them backwards yet. Everyone laughed. On Sunday the new kids were at small group Bible Study and worship. "How'd you like it yesterday?" "It was good. We want to go all the time now." Big smiles from really shy kids. Yesterday I got a text message on my cellphone. "Pastor, it's me, J... I know all the books now. Backwards and forwards. I'll be saying them on Saturday.'' Awesome. I can deal with that.

A Time for Work and a Time for Rest

On Sunday we had 90 in church and had our first work day at the new property later in the afternoon. There is a lot of dried brush and trash on the lot. Clearing it gives us a chance to work as a congregation, have fellowship, and build a sense of teamwork and unity. I believe that holding regular "mingas" (an Ecuadorian term for community workdays) at the property and on the building as it goes up will be very positive. Several of the faithful men got together this time, and I expect the number will increase in future opportunities.
Work is a good thing. Too much work is not. God gives us the ability to work and to produce, but he also expects us to take a break. The principle of the sabbath involves both rest and worship. Step away from your labors and give thanks to God, remember who He is and what He has done. Refresh yourself and recharge. In our ministry I have seen people who struggle because they do not have the ability or the opportunity to work, to use their abilities, and to provide for their family's needs through their labors. God always comes through somehow to prove that he will not leave them or foresake them. Others struggle because they work too much. They are afraid of what might happen if they took a break, rested their bodies, and spent time nurturing their families or serving the needs of others. Could God supply if they acknowledged their need for sabbath rest? God has his ways of getting their attention.
What is your attitude toward work and rest?

Chicken?

This past Sunday (Oct. 7) we had a special time of fellowship after the morning service. We prepared and served lunch to everyone present who cared to stay. This is the first time we have done this at our church in Manta, but we hope that it becomes a frequent practice. A couple of the church members had been planning it for the past few weeks. They planned a menu and enlisted the help of several good cooks. They served rice, a delicious vegetable salad, and a very tasty chicken dish.
Because our rented space is spread over three stories there was some inconvenience in serving the meal. The kitchen is on the bottom floor and the large gathering area is on the top. Eight or ten of the men hustled up and down stairs with styrofoam containers. We don't have enough tables for everyone, so we just ate with our styro-plate on our laps. No one complained. It was great to see a high percentage of the adults work together on something like preparing and serving the meal. It will work out much better when God blesses us with a facility designed for church food and fellowship. Meanwhile, God has blessed us with people willing to serve in less-than-ideal conditions.
Many people were invited to visit the church because of the lunch and we had 115 people in attendance. We believe that the love and service were a good testimony to all.

Further Updates

On September 23, we enjoyed a beautiful sunny Sunday. After the morning service a group from the church gathered on the beach to baptize a young married couple. They gave testimony to how their lives have changed since they began to follow Jesus. They were happy to have the opportunity to provide a living symbol of Jesus's death, burial, and resurrection.

On September 30, Ecuador held nationwide elections to fill the 130 seats of an assembly to write a new constitution. It appears that an overwhelming majority of the representatives will be from the political alliance formed by President Rafael Correa. Many Ecuadorians hope that the nation can change its reputation of corruption, bad government, and instability. We pray that all things will work to open doors for further ministry and freedom for the Gospel.

Why'd He Do That?

As the father of a five-year-old boy, I've gotten used to fielding questions all that time, anywhere, and about anything? Teddy takes nothing for granted. Why did you do that? What is that? What does it do. Try watching a TV show or a movie with him: Who's he? Is he a good guy or a bad guy? What's going to happen next? When we read him Bible stories he questions as well. He wants to know if the characters and events made God happy or sad, and if the outcome was good or bad. Sometimes he questions God's reasoning, and he is skeptical of symbolism. His concrete mind isn't always ready to accept abstract concepts and metaphors. He has perfected his own sort of diagram to illustrate "the vine and branches" with all the pruning and fruit-bearing. Sometimes his relentless questioning is too much for Dad, but most of the time I am grateful for his lively and flexible intelligence. He is developing the ability to think and reason.

As a church-planting missionary who has spent many years helping to guide followers of Jesus, I continue to appreciate the wonder and excitement of those who seek and find, ask and receive, knock and discover an open door. In our discipleship ministry we can almost always identify those who are truly studying the lessons, reading the Bible, and trying to make sense of it. They seek the underlying truths and the practical applications. They ask questions. Their spiritual minds are developing like Teddy's is in the cognitive realm. Others read the Bible and prepare their lessons in a superficial way. They never ask questions and never seem all that interested in allowing Jesus and his Words to shape the course of their life. It's that first bunch who keep me going forward. I thank God for them.

Public Service

This year of political campaigning in Ecuador continues at a frantic pace. Right now more than 1,000 candidates are wrestling for seats on the assembly to write a new constitution for the country. The constitutional commitee will meet in Montecristi, a small town just 10 minutes from Manta.

We recently saw a terrific example of public service as the USNS Comfort spent a week in the port of Manta. Comfort is a hospital ship. The officers and crew colaborated with local doctors and hospitals to see thousands of patients and to do hundreds of surgeries during their stay. It was our privilege to thank some of the men and women of our US Navy for their outstanding service.

This past week we were invited to the home of a family that had made a couple of visits to our church services. They expressed great appreciation for the preaching and teaching of the Bible, and for the classes for all members of their family. We learned that the husband and wife are professional mourners, providing music and prayer at funeral services and masses. Both husband and wife confessed that they wanted to open their hearts to Christ and hope to learn more of God's word. They prayed, trusting Jesus as their Lord and Savior. They ask us to pray that the Lord will provide another way for them to earn their living.

It's Already September

Let's catch up on some things that happened in August:

Joy and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary.

Our daughter Ashley celebrated her 22nd birthday.

Joy's parents visited us for about 3 weeks. Joy's father, Rev. Ted Wille, preached a series of sermons on the subject of stewardship for our church.

The response to the stewardship messages was excellent. The congregation made a faith promise of over $300 per month for our building project, and over 20 people commited to tithe faithfully for the general needs of the church's ministry.

We started weekly youth Bible study. The young people are accepting the challenge to read and memorize the Bible. In the weekly meetings we answer questions about their daily reading and talk about applications to their life. Luis and Melanea are assisting me with this group.

We are thankful for the way God has provided the needed funds for the purchase of the land for a future church building. Thank you for your generous contributions and prayer support for this project.

A Place for the Family

Joy and I just started discipleship classes with Javier and Cecilia. They made a number of comments about how they are growing in Christ and how much they enjoy the church. They are attending Bible studies, Sunday services, small group meetings and even help in an outreach ministry. They both give testimony of a living faith in Christ, and how much their lives have changed for the better since they began to follow Jesus. Among other things, they talk about the church's ministry to their daughter Christina. She sings the songs learned in Sunday School and even repeats the Bible verses she is learning there. Mom and Dad have bought her a Children's Bible, and she insists that one of them read her a story from it each evening before bed. These are the building blocks of the church God is constructing in Manta.

Summer Slump

It's easy for me to forget to blog when I'm busy doing the business of ministry yet it doesn't seem like anything exciting is happening. In truth, there are lots of exciting, even miraculous things happening every day. The beauty of the Christian life is seeing God's involvement in the daily grind through the eye of faith. God is at work in the young man who wants to turn his life around and attends church and his discipleship meeting faithfully for five weeks. He is at work in the hearts of those who look for ways to share with those who are in greater need than they are. He is faithful to supply enough hours in the day and enough days in the week to accomplish every task, plus give us a little more strength so we can share a smile and a few minutes with an unexpected visitor. His hand is not still. He is busily engaged in the details.
Everything moves forward. We are growing closer to the deadline for the purchase of property for the Manta church. We are still about $8,000 short of the goal, but a bit more comes in each week. Seven of our supporting churches and three individuals or families have made contributions to our project fund. We are very thankful for their involvement.
At the beginning of August there will be a new rotation of Sunday School teachers. Joy has made plans for a small expansion of the teaching team. We are praying that all of the workers in this ministry will be faithful to such a big commitment.

No Gas

Tempers are running high around Ecuador these days because of a shortage in the production of LP gas. That is the basic cooking fuel in Ecuadorian homes, where it may also be used in appliances like water heaters and clothes dryers. The shortage has gone on for a couple of months and seems to be getting worse. The president blames the production companies, while the producers claim that the state-controled selling price is less than the cost of production. The price has been established without increase for at least five years. Vendors are trying to cash in on higher prices in neighboring countries and are selling it there illegally. People waiting in long lines are getting hot under the collar. I drive around with an empty tank in the trunk of my car just hoping to find a line to wait in. I may have to build a cooking fire. I wish I had paid closer attention in Cub Scouts.

Blue Ridge Group

A group from Blue Ridge Baptist Temple in Kansas City, including Pastor Bill Boren, ministered with us for five days toward the end of June. They did a great job, taking music and evangelism to elementary schools, parks, a children's home and the village of Travesía. They also participated in our regular church services. Their ministry was well-received and fruitful in opening doors for sharing the love of Christ with many in our community. Thank you, Blue Ridge Baptist!

Father's Day

We had a busy and exciting weekend. Saturday we celebrated our first wedding in Manta. A couple of young adults, Luis and Melanea, tied the knot. Luis is a relatively new Christian who came to Christ through the testimony of Melanea's family and our church. He has been baptized and met with me weekly for a while to learn the basics of Christian discipleship. Melanea has been a believer since childhood and grew up in church in another city. She has been a faithful part of our church, along with her mother and sister. Luis and Melanea spent a number of hours with Joy and me in recent months preparing for marriage. May God bless them with a happy, long-lasting union.
Also on Saturday, the Travesía ministry had a fruitful afternoon. They always have a good attendance of children, but the number of adults attending has steadily increased as well. The leaders are very excited because they are beginning to see evidence of understanding and belief among those who listen to the Bible studies. On Saturday, seven adults opened their hearts to God in prayer for salvation! Please pray for the men and women who minister in Travesía as they confront the challenge of teaching the Bible to these adults who, for the most part, do not read. Pray with us about an adult literacy program for this community.
On Sunday our church attendance was a bit lower than usual. On Father's Day in Manta, kids go to the beach with dad, and mom stays home to cook an extra-special dinner. However, we had 12 dads present for the morning service. That's twice as many as last year.
After church we met with around 25 people from the church at the property we are in the midst of purchasing. Most of them had not seen the property. They were very happy to consider the possibilities of such a fine location. We spent a short time there in prayer, asking God to make his plans and projects a reality through our lives.
Be praying this week for a group of servants from Blue Ridge Baptist Temple in Kansas City, MO who will be ministering with us in Manta. They will be here from Wednesday to Monday.

Progress on Land Purchase

In an earlier post we mentioned a small plot of land that we are raising money to buy for a church building in Manta. Last month we received a number of special offerings for the fund. Please continue to pray for this purchase. The opportunity and need are very great.

About Our Kids

Amanda and Mike: They serve in a Christian school in South Korea. They recently celebrated their first wedding anniversary and are expecting their first child. Please pray for Amanda since her pregnancy has been complicated early-on.
Ashley: Ashley has been working with us for the past 6 months--teaching Sunday School and helping to prepare our children's ministry curriculum. Now she must return to the States and will be getting ready for her Senior year of college. She is engaged to marry Shane Coston. He recently came to Ecuador and proposed to her.
Alexis: Alexis is visiting us for several weeks this summer. We are so happy she is here. Alexis just finished her first year of college and will be continuing her education with classes in art and design next school year. Lexi has a boyfriend who will be visiting Ecuador for a few weeks this summer.
Teddy: Teddy is having a great time being five! He is definitely ready to read, having learned the letters and their sounds. He is always telling us what letter things start with. He enjoys wrestling with the puppies and playing learning games on the computer.

Marco's Baptism

Here's a picture from the baptisms. Marco is a retired officer from the Ecuadorian air force. I have been meeting with him each week for discipleship lessons.

Three Adults Baptized

Last Sunday, May 27, three adults were baptized because of the ministry of the Iglesia Bíblica Bautista de Manta. We are very thankful for the two Marcos and one Bárbara who gave testimony to their faith in Christ through believer's baptism. God has been very good to us! Each of them gave a lovely verbal testimony about their walk with Christ, thanking those who have been instrumental in bringing them to personal commitment to follow Jesus. Each time we step into the waters of the great Pacific Ocean to observe this ordinance I give thanks to God for his work in creation and in the new creation of a life transformed.

Bible Institute in Quito

Last Tuesday afternoon Joy and I had the opportunity to travel to Quito to attend the 20th Anniversary service of the Baptist Bible Institute of Quito (Instituto Bíblico Bautista de Quito). BBFI missionaries Jim and Sharon Smith have done a marvelous job with the ministry of training pastors and other church ministry workers. Well over 300 students have taken classes and 34 have graduated; 10 of whom are currently pastoring churches. Joy and I enjoyed our time of fellowship with the Smiths, the students and the graduates who attended the service. We are grateful to have been invited to share our memories of the years we were part of the Bible Institute, and we are thankful for the opportunity to develop a similarly fruitful ministry in Manta.

Mother's Day

We had an exciting Mother's Day at the church in Manta. First at 9:30, there was a reception for all of the ladies. Joy served cinnamon rolls and mocha bars along with a devotional. There were more than 40 ladies present. Then in the service at 10:30, we had a small gift for each of the 35 moms present. We had a total of 99 in the service. Afterward we offered to take photos of each mother with her family. That will make a nice memento for many of them.

Prayer

Please pray for our son-in-law Mike Lewis. He just had emergency surgery for apendicitis. Mike and our daughter Mandie have been in South Korea for less than a year. Besides the illness and surgery, this is a new cultural experience. Since they are young newlyweds, this is a challenge they are facing together for the first time. Please pray for his recovery and recuperation.

As a native of southwestern Kansas, my heart goes out to the people of Greensburg. I remember visiting Greensburg's Big Well and giant meteorite. The stubborn grain elevator left standing reminds me of how, when traveling on the Great Plains as a child, I would look ahead to the grain elevator of the next town on the horizon, watching it grow closer and closer until I could read the town's name on the "huge" building and could look to the horizon for the next one. Knowing the character of Kansans, I fully expect the citizens of Greensburg to rebuild. I am praying for God to work as Comforter and Refresher.

As always, thanks for your prayers for us.

Retreat for Pastors' Wives

The Pastors' Wives' Retreat was held April 26 to 28, 2007. BBFI missionaries Lois Tignor, Sharon Smith, Sylvia Wells, and Joy planned the retreat and did the teaching this year as well. The theme centered on the names of God in the Bible and emphasized practical applications of the truths revealed in many of the divine titles found in Scripture. There were 45 ladies in attendance, the largest group at this annual event during its ten-year history. As usual, the lovely grounds of "El Prado Baptist Camp" was the site of the retreat. There was fun, food and fellowship in abundance, and it was a privilege to minister to the Lord's servants.

Property for Church Building

Our son Teddy is standing in front of the property where we believe God is opening doors for us to build a church building in Manta. We are praying that He will allow us to raise the money for the land and buildings. You can help us by contributing any size gift to the Baptist Bible Fellowship International's Project Offering Fund, designating your gift to the Anzalone's church building in Manta, Ecuador (C-3202-062). The address is Baptist Bible Fellowship, PO Box 191, Springfield MO 65801. All gifts through the Baptist Bible Fellowship are tax deductible and 100% of your gift will be applied to this project. E-mail us if you have any questions.

The Big Tuna

Last weekend we received a new addition to the art and culture of our city. I imagine that the giant tuna will be quite a tourist attraction. Seriously, all kinds of industry, business, and construction is going forward in our little city. Last week there were international meetings about commercial fishing and cross-continental transportation. Plans are underway to greatly expand the volume of the port and of the transportation system from Manta to other areas of South America and the world. We believe we have a part in taking the Gospel to the nations in and through the our town.

Referendum Passed

The public referendum calling for an assembly to draft a new constitution for Ecuador passed overwhelmingly last Sunday. Now there will be nominations, campaigning and election of delegates. The constitutional assembly will then have about 6 months to prepare a new constitution which will then have to be ratified by the citizens. It should be an interesting process. Please pray for stability and peace for this country during the coming months.

This week we have been shaken by the news of the killings at Virginia Tech University. Our hearts go out to the students and their families. As the parents of daughters in college, we pray for our girls each day that they are away from us. Seeing the faces of the slain students makes us aware that those could be our kids. May God grant grace and comfort to the parents.

After Easter

We hope you had a marvelous Easter Weekend. We were busy. We enjoyed having missionary friends from Quito staying in our home; and we had the privilege of entertaining more guests for lunches on Friday and Sunday.

Part of the ministry activity over the past week involved showing the "Jesus Film" in Travesía on Friday night. The setting was beautiful with a clear starry sky, cooling sea breeze, and sparkling surf. Once the movie started the crowd began to come. By the end of the film at least 70 people had arrived including several from the Manta church who are active in the ministy in Travesía. At the end of the video, missionary Cliff McGhee from Sangolquí (near Quito) gave a brief call to receive Christ as Savior, prompting responses from several. Nine people "came forward" to publicly make their profession of faith.

Please be praying for Ecuador during the coming days. On Sunday there will be a nation-wide vote on a public referendum calling for a constitutional assembly. The proposal involves rewriting the constitution to provide greater authority to the executive branch of government. Ecuador has had much political turmoil in the past decade, little economic or social stability, and people are reaching for whatever hope may be available. Please make this a matter of prayer. God knows the best course for this country to take in His plans for the evangelization of the nations.

Shoeboxes

Last Friday we received a couple of large boxes in the mail. They were filled with brand new sneakers in various children's and youth sizes. They were a gift from the youth group of Ocean State Baptist Church in Smithfield, RI for the children of a home for street kids run by a local charitable foundation in Manta. The Rhode Island youth had ministered in the home one afternoon last summer during their mission trip to Ecuador. In a letter accompanying the shoes they wrote:
"While in Ecuador, we went to an orphanage to perform our skits for the children there, hoping and praying that God would touch their hearts in a life-changing way. But in the end, God unexpectedly touched ours. While some of the guys played soccer with the kids, we noticed they had no shoes and it broke our hearts. Seeing this really opened our eyes to how spoiled we were; we knew most of us owned way more than five pairs of shoes. And as a youth group, we decided to save up money and buy shoes for the Ecuadorians who couldn't. We hope these shoes are a blessing."

A Time for Everything

Our recent Sunday School and church attendances haven't been anything to write home about. Only one Sunday in March even crossed the "average" threshold of the previous three months. It is easy to get down about that, but growth in attendance is only one part of our ministry. We have to remember that there are times of plowing, sowing, cultivating, and harvesting. "To everything there is a season."
We are thankful for the evidence of growth in many of the disciples. Darwin and Jessica are a young couple who are very involved in many aspects of the church, but the changes in their lives aren't just reflected during times with the congregation. They are conscious of being salt and light in their neighborhood by visiting the sick, raising funds for those in need, and promoting prayer in their community. Upon hearing of a young man in the neighborhood who was diagnosed with leukemia, they immediately grabbed their Bibles and went to visit him and his family. They spent time praying with him and reading the Bible, and the young man personally opened his heart to Jesus. Afterward the couple made the rounds in the neighborhood to collect money to help him go to Guayaquil for treatment. The youth said: "I was lonely and depressed. I didn't know there was anyone who cared about me. Now I know that you do and God does."
Remember there is a time for everything. Take the time to be involved in every season.

A Week in Quito

Last week we were in Quito visiting friends and shopping for a car. We enjoyed seeing how the work we were involved with during our years in Quito has developed. One of the projects in Mushuñan recently began using their first church building on some property that we helped raise money for several years ago. One of the young men we helped train is now the pastor of that work.

Our good friends and fellow BBFI missionaries Glenn and Sherri McGhee and Cliff and Neoma McGhee are doing a marvelous job with all of the ministries of Iglesia Bíblica Bautista in Sangolquí outside of Quito.