Youth Camp and Women's Retreat

Youth and youth ministry leaders worked hard in the weeks before camp to raise money and to be prepared for a great week at camp. They attended a camp organized by a group of churches in another region of Ecuador who were kind enough to invite our church. It was held at Campamento  Bautista El Prado near Santo Domingo. The young people from Manta had a great time! They grew in faith and unity. When they returned, they were so excited that they organized a two-day youth retreat at our church with even more young people participating. God is at work in IBB Manta's youth ministry.

Women from IBB Manta were invited to a women's retreat at Campamento Cristiano Emaús. 10 women from the church attended the three-day event. They were blessed by the fellowship and outstanding conference speakers. Their report included encouraging the church's women's ministry to invite the speakers for a conference at the church in the future. We are grateful to Iglesias Bautista Rey de Vida for inviting our church to participate in camps and retreats.

Youth Camp

We had a terrific youth retreat in March. Missionary Glenn McGhee was our speaker. Many of these young people are involved in some kind of ministry in our church. They had a great time at camp.

Retreat for Women in Ministry

This was the twelfth year for this retreat planned by missionary wives for the wives of pastors and other women involved in the ministry of local churches around Ecuador. This was the best attended of all! It was great to have Sharon Smith as a special speaker. With her husband Jim, she ministers to missionaries and churches through the BBFI Missionary Service Center. They returned to Ecuador, where they had served for 30 years, after a two-year absence.

Mission Team from Tennessee

Recently a team of 5 people from West Park Baptist Church in Knoxville ministered with us. Pastor Bill Gowder from the West Park staff, his wife Becky, Teresa, Kim, and Jeff were the team members. We also had a friend from a church in the Quito area come to help with translating. The team did evangelism with help from our church in a community where we would like to start a ministry in the future. On Friday and Saturday they led activities and teaching in a family retreat held at a nearby camp. The team did a terrific job.

Photos from Men's Retreat

Here are some pictures from the men's retreat I spoke at before Father's Day. The retreat was held at "El Prado" Baptist Camp near Santo Domingo. Seven men from our church in Manta were able to go with me.

Men's Retreat and Father's Day

Thursday through Saturday several men from our church and I had the privilege of joining about 50 other men from churches throughout our region for a men's retreat. The theme of the retreat was Be a True Champion. It was a blessing to the men both as a time for fellowship with other Christians and as a time for learning solid, biblical principles for the family. I'm sure we will see some good results in their homes, just as we did last year as a result of a similar retreat. Since the retreat involved missing a couple of work days, not all of the men could go. Some of our leaders had to miss it, but a number of our newer believers were able to go. I was one of the speakers, and my messages were about The Heart of a Champion. The other speaker talked about "Champions are not those who never fail, but those who never quit."

We had a good crowd for our Father's Day service, 109, the most we've ever had on Father's Day! I think there were 18 dads present. Lots of families don't get to come to church on this day, so we are glad for those who have learned to make every Sunday the Lord's Day. It is especially rewarding to see families that have gone through severe crisis, but are on the path to healing their homes make a special effort to be in church as an entire family! Please pray for God's blessings on them all.

Youth Retreat

The youth from our church had a great time and learned many valuable truths to apply in their lives when they enjoyed a weekend retreat at a nearby camp called "Los Cerros" (The Hills). Besides our church youth leaders, Luis and Melanea Mejía, three young Ecuadorian pastors colaborated for the music, games, preaching, and workshops. They all worked very hard on very little rest. We are very thankful.

Prayer Requests

I want to let you know about a few prayer requests for our ministry.
1) Joy and Teddy are in the States right now until March 30. Joy is completing follow-up appointments with her doctors and having a couple of tests done. Everything seems fine. Meanwhile, she is taking the opportunity to visit her parents and our kids and grandkids. Please pray for safety as they travel.
2) This weekend, March 12 to 14, we are having a youth retreat for our church teens and young adults. Please pray for a breakthrough in our youth for evangelism and service. This is an area where our church could grow a lot in the future. There will be a few unsaved kids at the retreat and we pray for their salvation. Pray for our pastor friends Patricio and Nikolay who will be teaching and preaching.
3) We will have Vacation Bible School for children from the 24th to 28th of March. We have a good team of teachers and a simple program planned for the kids. Pray that children will trust in Christ and will see godly Christlike examples to follow in our children's workers.

Women's Ministry Retreat

Joy was one of the organizers and teachers at a retreat for women in ministry from a number of churches around Ecuador. Pastors' wives, women's ministry leaders, children's ministy directors, youth workers, and others. It was a great time of fellowship and training. The retreat took place from June 25 to 27.

Men's Retreat

Last week some of the men went to a retreat where I was to be one of the speakers. It was a great time. There were only a handful of church groups invited so it wasn't big, but everyone enjoyed it. The teaching definitely made in impact on the men from Manta who should be able to apply it in their homes immediately. In fact, within a half-hour of arriving home, I got a call from one of the wives saying "Thank you" for what her husband had learned at the retreat, and on Sunday a father and son were baptized together.

Thanks to the Smiths for 30 Years of Ministry

Jim and Sharon Smith have been BBFI missionaries to Ecuador for more than 30 years. Now they are beginning a new phase of their ministry at the Baptist Bible Fellowship Mission Office in Springfield, MO. This month we who have had the privilege of being influenced by their lives had an opportunity to say, "Thank you," and to give them a good send-off. The photo shows Jim and Sharon along with their children Stacey and Zac. Joy took this picture after they had received the hugs and best wishes of a few hundred people at the end of a testimony service at the church they founded in Quito more than 25 years ago. Pastors and members of churches and ministries that have grown from that work were present as well.
I also had the opportunity to attend a retreat for pastors and church leaders a few days before the good-bye service. Jim was the conference teacher at the retreat. It was awesome to be able to share that time with three of the ministry leaders from our young church in Manta. I pray that they will be motivated to work faithfully for the Lord and to serve others just as Jim has done.

In Manta

The people of the church in Manta are picking up the slack in our absence: preaching, teaching, planning and directing services, workin in Travesía, etc. We are thankful that we have so many who are willing and able to serve in these ways.

The attendance this past Sunday was excellent: 86, near our recent average of 90.

Pray for the situation regarding the border with Colombia. Our people desire peace and good relations with our neighbors. Also pray for Manta and the Manabí province. The season of heavy rains continues. Even Manta, usually very dry, has experienced unusual amounts and severity of rainfall. Many homes have been destroyed and the general health of citizens is threatened because of flooding and disease. I know that they are grateful for your prayers on their behalf.

This week 10 young people from our church are attending camp at El Prado. Please pray for their safety in travel and for blessing in their lives.

Thank you.

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.