Thank God for Our Partner Churches!

Several days ago a young woman from All Nations Baptist Church in Woodhaven, NY e-mailed to say that they would be holding an international festival to emphasize missions. She and some friends had offered to represent Ecuador, and she was asking me if it would be okay to use information from our prayer letters and websites. "What a great idea! Absolutely! You may use anything you find. Check our newest website, anzalonesinecuador.com " As you can see in the photo they did a great job of presenting Ecuador, and representing the Anzalone family. They had attractive decorations, photos, maps, information, and even food from Ecuador.

This reminds me of the many ways our partner churches assist us. Obviously, one important way is by sending monthly offerings to support our family and ministry. These monthly offerings are sent by individual churches to Baptist Bible Fellowship International (PO Box 191, Springfield, MO 65801). All funds sent to us through BBFI are credited to our account each month. None is held for office costs or other purposes without our consent. These same churches often add additional amounts for special projects or unusual needs. (Contact us by email anztony@gmail.com if you would like more information about giving for our ministry in Ecuador. There is an online donation option. Donate through BBFI)

The churches that support us, have become partners in ministry with us, so their involvement goes beyond sending money. Their prayers for us and for our ministry is very important. Some churches have prayer groups assigned to pray for us regularly. Others have designated individuals who correspond with us about our prayer needs. Some of our partner churches follow our blog, Facebook account (facebook.com/AnzPrayer), Twitter (twitter.com/AnzPrayer), or anzalonesinecuador.com to stay up-to-date on our daily activities and needs.

Some churches make a regular practice of writing to us, informing us of their activities, and inviting closer communication with them. This is often a blessing, giving us an opportunity to know each other better.

When we're on furlough, as we have been for the last several months, we get to visit some of our ministry partners, but not all of them. In many cases, the time of our visit is short, and our entire family can't always be present, but that doesn't mean that we can't be faithful partners to one another, and enjoy a fruitful ministry relationship.

We're thankful for our faithful partner churches!

Easter Sunday in Manta

Our dear friend, missionary Jeff Davoll, was invited to speak at Iglesia Bíblica Bautista de Manta, on Easter Sunday. He shared this picture with us, and said there was a full house! We're happy to hear a good report and to see some of our dear brothers and sisters in the photo. It is reassuring to know that the church belongs to Jesus Christ and he is building it whether we are there or in the USA.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Have a very happy Thanksgiving holiday! We have a lot to be thankful for.

Here is a link to our latest prayer report in which we give thanks for great things God has done for us.

Anzalone Prayer Report Nov 2016

A Sunday Send-off

On Sunday (October 23) our church in Manta gave us a great send-off before our trip to the USA. In the morning several church ministry groups made presentations, special music, and skits. The church presented us with some very special gifts of remembrance and expressed appreciation for our ministry in starting the church in 2005 and leading it until the present time.
In the evening a delegation of people from the church were at the airport to see us off with many blessings and warm embraces.
We will be spending some time in the USA visiting ministry partners and planning the next stage of our work in Ecuador. We ask for God's guidance and wisdom for the next steps of our journey. We also pray for God to bless the ministry of Iglesia Bíblica Bautista de Manta under the leadership of Pastor Darwin Moreira.

Gratitude Sunday at IBB Manta

October 9 was our Domingo de Gratitud, gratitude Sunday. We had an awesome time of prayer, testimony, and meditation on several Bible passages that express gratitude.
Everyone had an opportunity to write about their gratitude to God for those who have helped our church, our city, and Ecuador after the April earthquake.

Gratitude Sunday at IBB Manta

Gratitude Sunday at IBB Manta 2

Pastor Tim and Megan Duggins

In May Pastor Tim Duggins of Mountain View Chapel of Stanardsville, VA came for a visit with his daughter Megan. Tim and Megan were blessings in many ways during their stay. They collaborated in several sessions on the Christian home. The teaching was of great benefit to our church. Tim taught leadership principles on two Thursday nights. They joined in a number of ministry opportunities including a visit to a local medical clinic to distribute Bolsas de Bendición (women's ministry gives small diaper bags to moms of newborns). Mountain View Chapel is one of our very committed partner churches. We're thankful that they would send Tim and Megan to encourage us.

Six Weeks in USA

Winter weather! Family flu! Renewed relationships! Faithful fellowship!
Those phrases summarize our six weeks of travel in the USA from February 4 to March 18.

The weather was a big change for us, as you might imagine. Snow, ice, freezing rain, sub-zero temperatures are not part of our daily life in Manta. We had sweaters, coats, and jackets in storage, and friends even had some of our clothing waiting for us in a duffle bag when we arrived. The winter weather made interstate travel slow and treacherous sometimes (stopped completely for about 2 hours in Kentucky), but we traveled with God's care and protection everywhere we went, back and forth through 9 states. A family in Virginia had generously loaned us their family mini-van. It was a perfect vehicle for us, very reliable; and we were extremely grateful that by God's grace we were able to return it without incident.

Carla and Teddy started getting sick early in the trip with sniffles, coughing, headache, and general yuckiness. Their symptoms seemed to hang on for a few weeks. Then Tony and Joy were hit hard. Joy had an especially awful case, even had to miss church one Sunday and go to an urgent care clinic in Michigan. Eventually back in Tennessee, Carla and Teddy were getting well, and Tony, Joy, and Matthew went to our family doctor. We are almost well now.

We were blessed to visit with family and friends in Virginia, Tennessee, Missouri, Kansas, Michigan, and Ohio. Renewing these precious relationships is very important to us. We got to spend time with our kids and grandkids! What a blessing! We had the privilege of ministering in 3 churches in Tennessee, including a couple that we believe will be new partners for our work in Ecuador. We visited one of our partner churches in the Kansas City area that will be sending a missions team to Ecuador this summer. In Michigan we had the rare privilege of ministering in our sending church, Great Lakes Baptist Temple, during the annual missions conference. The people at Great Lakes are very special to us, and it was a joy to have fellowship with them. Lastly, we got to spend time with Mountain View Chapel near Charlottesville, VA. The amazing church family of MVC has been God's special instruments of grace in our lives, and we love them dearly.

While in Charlottesville, Carla had a follow-up cardio appointment at University of Virginia Hospital Medical Center. After her basic tests and imaging were completed, her cardiologist smiled and said, "I don't think I'll need to see Carla for two years."  Her heart is working beautifully. She still has a small amount of pulmonary valve stenosis, but right now that is not causing any problems. The doctor said that it may never cause her any difficulty, and he does not expect her to need major surgery in the future! We are amazed and grateful to God, and to many of you for your prayers on behalf of Carla.

On Wednesday, March 18 we flew back to Guayaquil, Ecuador via Panama City, and by Thursday afternoon we were at home in Manta. Thanks for praying for us, and please keep praying as we get back into our active ministry here.

Pete and Sonya Wright visited us from West Park Baptist Church in Knoxville, TN. Pete and Sonya are long-time friends, and had previously been missionaries in Chile. West Park is one of our key partners in ministry. We are very thankful for their involvement. Our church presented them with a small plaque in recognition of their partnership in 10 years of ministry with us in Iglesia Bíblica Bautista de Manta.

Libertad wanted to make public testimony of her faith in Christ as her Savior. She is a changed person, a disciple of Jesus Christ! We thank God for her and many others who show Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection by baptism.

Prayer Report October 2014

October 2014

Here are seven encouraging items from our ministry:

1) Joy and I received permanent residency visas. This will save us time and money since we won’t have to renew missionary visas annually, plus it make our presence in Ecuador less dependent on bureaucratic whims from year to year.

2) We taught a couple of exciting Bible study series as part of the Thursday night Leadership Training courses at the church in Manta. Both the men’s and the women’s groups were very faithful in attendance and in getting homework done each week. Some have even taken the course material to teach others what they learned.

3) One of the men who was baptized in April came to follow Jesus through the testimony and influence of his young daughter and his wife. Now he is sharing his faith in Christ with others at work, in their neighborhood, and among their relatives. He consistently brings people to church, usually filling his pick-up truck, some have become believers, and he is teaching them discipleship lessons.

4) Three young women were baptized in August. It is very encouraging to see new believers following Jesus and being identified as His disciples. One of those baptized is a teenager from the Montañita Verde Children’s Home.

5) The church has been growing in giving and generosity. One project has been the support of orphaned and needy children in Uganda in partnership with a church in Virginia and another in Kampala. The people of our church in Manta have given three and four times as much as our original commitment each month. Tithes and other offerings have increased along with that special project.

6) Volunteers have been working on the church building. The pastoral office area is nearly done. Volunteers have prepared walls and painted Sunday School classrooms. They have also been working on a second nursery area. Recently the men have been learning to make windows. There are lots of windows needed around the building so this will be a big help.

7) One Saturday afternoon we held a teacher-training seminar for the children’s ministry workers. Over 20 people came including four new volunteers. Plans are underway to reorganize and expand to be able to minister more effectively to the growing number of children.

Thank you for encouraging us. We hope that you’re encouraged too!

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April 2014 Prayer Report

You can read our most recent Prayer Report and download it in PDF format with this link:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_rLHp1GThOCOHBDWkJmeGxVbUE/edit?usp=sharing

Iglesia Bíblica Bautista de Manta 2014

In February the church we began planting in 2005 celebrated its 9th anniversary. God has done amazing things in this congregation! We're so proud of the leadership team, all of the membership, and the many people who attend and serve week-in and week-out because of the way they live as a vibrant, church family of growing disciples. Our basic goals of "knowing, growing, walking, and working" with Jesus Christ to glorify God are still the basic recipe for our church life and ministry. We are thankful for the hundreds of people who have partnered with us in prayer and support through the years, and the USA churches who are behind us as support partners. The best is yet to come!

Praise and Prayer

Here is link to our latest prayer report with a list of reasons to praise God for what he is doing, and a list of prayer requests for the present and near future.
February 2014 Prayer Report

Carla's Surgery

One big purpose reason for this time in the States is for Carla to have her heart repaired. On October 8 she had open heart surgery at University of Virginia Medical Center in Charlottesville, Virginia. This picture with the surgeons was taken about 72 hours after surgery. She has been progressing toward being able to leave the hospital. She has several weeks of recuperation ahead. God has been good in working through the prayers of his people.

Date for Carla's Surgery

Please be praying for our daughter Carla, age 9. She will be having open-heart surgery to repair an atrial septal defect on October 8. She will be at U Va Medical Center in Charlottesville, VA. We are very thankful for the doctors that God has provided for Carla. We also have strong local support from the Mountain View Chapel church family that has been extremely generous in taking care of us while we are in the Charlottesville area. We are greatly blessed by our extended family and our wide-ranging team of supporters who hold us before God's throne in prayer.

Evangelist David Proaño

On Sunday, June 30, Evangelist David Proaño was our guest. He and his family are missionary-evangelists with Open Air Campaigners. They do a great job of presenting the Gospel in unique ways all over Ecuador and in other countries of South America. His excellent sermon focused on the true Gospel in comparison with the confusing and erroneous messages of the world's religions. Here is one great point he made: Religion is summed up in the instruction, DO! by men trying to reach and please God; the Gospel is the Good News, DONE! by Christ on the Cross. We are thankful that our church is able to have a part in the financial support of missionaries like the Proaño family.

Appreciating the Church Leadership Team

On Sunday, June 9, 2013, we continued our emphasis on gratitude for the year 2013 by expressing our thanks to the church's leadership team. There are seven married couples who work closely with Joy and me to implement the vision of the church in a variety of ministries. We believe that leadership comes through service and example. The men on the leadership team serve as the deacons and are elected by the church membership based on the qualities and characteristics required of deacons in the New Testament. We are thankful for the way these men and women work together to serve Jesus by serving in our local church.