Christmas Activities

This month we have held Christmas activities for the children in Travesía village as well as for the children at the church in Manta. Over 20 adults volunteered time at these programs. We are very thankful for those who serve in ministries to children. Men's and women's groups also had Christmas activities with very good participation.

Still Here

Tons happening--very little time for blogging and usually no internet service.
I'll recap some of what's been going on in this post and then I will try to add some more in the next few days. I intend to get back to posting at least once per week as was my original intention.

First, our church had a number of Christmas activities. The ladies had a luncheon event. The Travesía ministry had a meal and gave out gifts in the village. We had a Sunday School program and the kids did a great job. The children's ministry workers had a Christmas party for more than 70 kids and 30 adults.
Joy, Teddy and I made a trip to the States. We got to be with our family for the holidays and got ready for Lexi's wedding (which was beautiful). I hope to get a few pictures from the wedding on the site. We had a marvelous time with friends in the Orlando, FL area and from around the country. We were able to visit supporting churches in Florida while we were there. Friends even took us to Disney's Animal Kingdom. An awesome time!
Our dear friend Pastor Loyal Carlson had heart by-pass surgery and had a rough time of recovery. We got to spend time with him. Pray that he will continue to recover. When he was well enough, Pastor Carlson took Teddy fishing. That was a great treat.
Back in Ecuador, the church went through a roller-coaster of emotions and had to pull together to minister to one-another. Zonia Marriott when to the presence of the Lord. We have asked prayer for Zonia many times. We are grateful for her testimony of joy and patience. That same week, Zonia's daughter Melanea gave birth to a son named Aaron. Luis and Melanea are very special to us. The church held a funeral with praise and preaching, and then helped welcome Aaron.
We returned to Manta on January 16. There are lots of things going on. We'll be keeping you posted. Later this week I want to get a few pictures posted as well.

Summer Mission Teams

Summer is the season for church mission trips and other very short-term mission teams. In an exciting twist we enjoyed having two of them involved in our work at very nearly the same time. First, a medical team from ABWE was making a tour of Ecuador, and our sister church in Sangolquí (near Quito) was kind enough to send them our way to do a weekend clinic at the Travesía village mission. The visiting physicians and nurses saw well over 100 patients and helped to enhance the connection between the local population and those from the Manta church who minister in Travesía each weekend. They attempted to share the Gospel of Christ very simply with each patient. That same weekend a group from Capitol City Baptist Church in Lansing, MI arrived. Pastor Daryl Franzel and 16 other people from the church worked with us for a full week. Among the many ways they blessed our church and community was in building six tables for use in our Sunday School. The picture shows some of the younger children putting the tables to work as they fingerpaint. We are thankful for the service rendered by both groups. They were a blessing.

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.

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.

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.