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.

Videos from the Last Five Years

Not long ago I was getting some information together for a supporting church to use in their mission conference and I was looking for video material. It blessed me to watch some of the video evidence of how our ministry has developed over the past five years. I hope you'll watch some of these.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cUS-MvWK_Y   This year's presentation video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzHSeKYvJrc Samples of Sunday morning Bible Study at the Manta Church

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwKBT-gAye4 Sample of worship time in Manta, Ecuador

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9RdY6955gM Come and See invitation to a church in Virginia

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juD9juFlV80  a VBS class

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2HkRTdGijs children singing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1zpiKxq4sQ 2009 Gracias! entering first stage of building program in Manta

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xroe0s3iG0Y 2008 20 years of ministry Anzalone family in Ecuador

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_rLHp1GThOCRW1IT3ZhOTBPVVE/edit?usp=sharing First part of Manta church history 2005-2008

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_rLHp1GThOCNkhyTUUwZ0paOUU/edit?usp=sharing Second part of Manta church history 2009-2011

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_rLHp1GThOCUTR1YjF0bTM1dmc/edit?usp=sharing Third part of Manta church history 2012

Seventh Anniversary Services

We celebrated the Seventh Anniversary of the beginning of this congregation on February 5, 2012. The morning service was very exciting, and we had a record attendance of over 200. Then on Sunday evening we had another terrific attendance of around 210 with many, many visitors. We are very thankful for all God has done through this church in Manta, Ecuador since 2005.

Auditorium Space Put to Use

Now that our auditorium has a roof we can use it on Sunday mornings. Walls have been built to create the new classrooms on the second floor of the education building (dividing the space we were using for Sunday services). Now each Sunday School and Bible Study group has a large meeting space and room to grow. The photo shows our 11:00 service, and you can see that we have room to grow there as well! God has been very good to us.

A Full House

We are thankful for the growth in our church over the past year. The past several weeks we have consistently seen a full house. The temporary auditorium holds 90 to 110 people each Sunday. The classrooms are full, and even the nursery is full. That's why we need to get the auditorium built soon. Please be praying with us about that.

A Few More Pictures

Here are a few more pictures from July 11th, the Sunday after our family retreat. We had a full house with 165 in attendance--our highest Sunday morning attendance ever! Going back to the last Sunday in June we have had 125 or more four Sunday's in a row. 130 were in the Sunday morning service today, with 9 first-time visitors. We really need to get started on building the auditorium. This week we plan to buy the steel and cement for getting it started.

Womens Ministry and Mother's Day

Joy and the women's ministry held a special activity for all of the women of the church and their invited guests. It looked and sounded like they had a great time playing games, singing, and doing a craft. Wilda, one of the ministry leaders, gave a devotion along the theme of building your home on the Lord. The women really enjoy these times of fellowship. On Sunday, we had over 100 people in attendance, with over 30 mothers present.
Overall, our church attendance has been excellent lately. We dipped below 100 a couple of times at the end of school vacations (that's the end of March around here), but aside from those days we have seen the attendance average over 120 for the past few months. Our next milestone for attendance average will be the 140 range, and then we will really need the new auditorium. Please be praying with us about that!

More Space

Our increasing attendance on Sunday mornings means that we need more classroom space for children and more general meeting space. We are building a temporary auditorium on the second floor of the educational building. This space will eventually be used for three classrooms. Using this area for general church services will open up two more classroom areas downstairs for use by the Sunday School. We are grateful that the Lord has provided what we need for these spaces and we believe that he will provide what we need to finish them out properly. Our constant numerical growth is a wonderful blessing and a challenge.
The man who pushes the ice cream wagon arrives each Sunday around the end of the service. He does a brisk business as people hang around after church and visit.

Baptisms

What a great day! We had 135 in church and then a big crowd went to the beach for baptisms. Nine believers made the first step of discipleship, following the example of the Lord Jesus. This is always very exciting for me personally and for our church family generally. The group included a young married couple, four people from one family, a couple of boys, two teenaged girls, and two men for whom we have been praying for quite some time. Each one gave a clear statement of faith in Christ and shared a few words of testimony, encouragement to others, or gratitude to the Lord and those who have helped them come this far.

Construction Continues

We are not yet finished working on the first floor of the educational building, but with attendance well over 100 each Sunday, we already need to add space. You can see that work on the sidewalk is underway. Also a temporary metal roof is being built on the second floor. We will add perimeter walls to that area to make a larger meeting place for services. We should be able to seat around 135 in that area as opposed to the capacity of 90 in the classroom area we are now using. We will also have more room for children's classes since all of the first floor classroom space will be available for the kids. We should then have total capacity of 180 to 200. This is Stage 1.5 of the building project.

First Sunday

How great is that! Our church moved out of the rented house and moved into the unfinished first floor of the educational building! 117 attended the first Sunday service. There is still a lot to do to finish this classroom building and then to build the auditorium, but we are looking forward to seeing the progress each week. The church can put the rent money into the construction fund. If you would like to help, just let us know by e-mail or comment. We'll let you know how you can contribute.

Still Moving Forward

There are so many good things going on around our church that sometimes we don't notice all of the progress. Overall attendance has been increasing steadily. Now the Sunday attendance is over 100 more often than not. We always have new believers and others interested in personal Bible study and discipleship classes. The Thursday night Bible institute class, Escuela de Liderazgo Bíblico, just started a new cycle of classes with 17 students. The ministry/leadership team has been working well together for several months. We have about 20 people involved in teaching children's classes. The church's monthly budget and giving have increased dramatically over last year. Wow! God has been good.
Yet there have been challenges. A number of people have been hospitalized lately with illness and injuries. One man in the church was involved in a terrible auto accident that resulted in some legal troubles. The financial crunch has hit families in the congregation at all economic levels. Several are out of work or are underemployed. Crime has increased in Manta and has touched some of our church families. We are making the best of limited space and limited resources. However, we realize that each of these challenges is an opportunity for God to work and to be worshipped.
Thank you for your prayers and partnership in our ministry.

Not All Things Seem Good

In the past couple of months we have had at least our share of the flu. One week in particular the germs passed from Teddy, to Joy, to me and sent us each to bed in turn. It is no fun to be sick, to feel weak, and to have to be still.
Lately, one of the men in our church who had seen some tremendous changes in his life has struggled to stay free from the grasp of drug use. He has had a few set-backs. His wife is battling despair and fear that he is on another downward spiral.
Two of the couples who were important parts of the beginning of our church in Manta have been notably absent from the unity and fellowship with the rest of the congregation. The church continues to change and grow, and maybe that's an excuse from their point of view, but it is painful for me to see some of those who worked and contributed to the first steps in starting this church missing out on the joyful results and the excitement about the future.
All of these things seem negative in themselves, but I believe in the power of prayer and in the promise that all things, even those that seen bad, work out for good through God's providence. We count on your prayers for each of these concerns.

Family and Friends

At the end of June we got together with family and friends for our daughter Ashley's wedding. She and Shane Coston tied the knot in Knoxville, TN. I don't have pictures of the wedding to share yet, but may get them uploaded soon. This picture shows our family where we gathered a few days before the wedding in Pigeon Forge, TN. Left to right: Ashley, Shane, Lexi, Tony, Teddy, Joy, Johnny, Mike, Ioan, Amanda.
It was neat to spend time with our daughters, sons-in-law (present and future), parents, friends, brothers and sisters in faith for such a special time.
By now, July 13, we have been back in Ecuador for 5 days and are getting our feet on the ground. Today was our first Sunday back. It was awesome. We got to see the new apartments the church has rented for meetings. The building is slightly larger than our previous space, is more nicely finished, and costs considerably less each month.
We also got to meet several new friends who recently began attending the church. Some are brand new believers, and others who have gotten more deeply involved in the work during our absence.
Today a special lunch was prepared for everyone who came to church so that we would have lots of time for fellowship and conversation. We had a great time. I heard that there were 112 people present! God is good, and He is great!

Church Needs to Move

Please pray for an urgent need of our congregation in Manta. We have met at the same building for over three years, but the owner has asked for us to find another location. We have been good tenants, paying the rent and utilities promptly, cleaning and maintaining the appearance of the two apartments and terrace. However, the landlord has been showing signs of wanting us to move for the past several months. The church has decided to find another meeting place as soon as possible and to vacate the building as the owner has requested. I am proud of them for not "fighting for their rights" and being willing to trust God for a suitable location. Please pray that God will quickly lead them to another site, and that the leaders will continue to grow in grace and wisdom during our absence.
Also be praying that this will create a greater urgency to build on the property that God has provided us. Joy and Teddy and I will be traveling for about five more weeks, visiting churches in the USA and attempting to raise funds for the building project. Please continue to pray that God will open doors and supply all of our needs. He has no shortage of resources and uses many channels to bless us for his own purposes and eternal glory.

Super-Duper Sunday

Sunday was a big day in our ministry. I know that in a week with the Super Bowl and Super Tuesday our excitement may not seem like a big deal to you, but we felt great about it. On Sunday, February 3, we celebrated the third birthday of our congregation. We had our first Sunday service on the first Sunday of February 2005. There were about 30 people there. Our average attendance is now over 90 so we have grown considerably. This years anniversary was during the biggest holiday weekend of the year in Ecuador, yet the terrace was full for the morning service. You can see a large portion of the crowd in the photo.

On Sunday evening we had an activity in the local park. God answered our prayers and the heavy rains we had most of the weekend ceased as it grew dark. We showed an exciting, evangelistic film, gave away copies of the Gospel of John, and even had an evangelistic Bible study with those who were interested. We can estimate that around 200 watched at least some of the film, and over 70 participated in the Bible study. We are praying that there will be lasting fruit from the event.

By the time I got home, the Super Bowl had long been over, but I had the foresight to tape it. Even though I was tired, I stayed up and watched it. I have been a Giants fan since back in the late 1970's; so I had one more thing to be happy about. It was a Super-Duper Day!

Sometimes Growth is Painful

Teddy is smiling a day or so after losing his two top-front teeth. That's part of growing up. There was some discomfort involved in the teeth being loose, and even more discomfort in pulling them (which he insisted on doing himself when he was good and ready). Now getting along without those teeth is a little bit awkward, but it will be worth it when those nice, strong, full-size teeth make their appearance.
Our church will celebrate its third birthday this coming weekend. We will enjoy looking back at how we started out and thinking of how much we've grown. Right now, our growth is a little bit awkward. We don't always have enough space or an adequate facility for all of the service we would like to offer and for the goals we would like to accomplish. Just this past Sunday we had over 90 again for the Sunday AM service. We've gotten used to handling 90 even though it means that latecomers have to hunt for a seat and don't always find one that offers a good view. We had over 20 men in the 9:30 AM Bible Study. That group meets in the small area off of the apartment's kitchen. That space is just about the size of a breakfast nook where a little dinette set would fit! That's uncomfortable, but it is part of growth.
We will face some more discomfort and awkwardness while we are building and before the full facility is ready, but it will be worth it. Some of the struggles will help our people to grow in their attitudes of service and responsibility. There will be opportunities to learn flexibility and patience. All of those things are good even though they come by way of inconvenience and trial.
Sure it hurts to yank out those wiggly baby teeth, but being able to bite into a crisp and juicy apple make it all worth it.

Ten Visitors

Last Sunday, January 13, we had a good-sized group in attendance for the Sunday morning service. The final count was exactly 100. That's an excellent crowd that nearly maximizes our available space. There were ten first-time visitors among the adults and teens. It was great to see the terrace filled to capacity. We are thankful for the numerical growth our church experienced in 2007 although it was a modest increase of 10%. If we continue to grow at even a moderate rate our new church building will be a necessity before we know it. Please be praying with us as we prepare the congregation to reach out to more people and to do so as ministering servants. Also pray with us about our building project: planning, funding, and construction.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch ...

We were absent from the church in Manta for two Sundays, but everyone pitched in so that regular services continued as usual. We are happy to have many people who are willing to do their part and are consistently involved in the ministry. Sunday School, village ministry, youth meeting, adult Bible studies, and Sunday services were all taken care of. I am truly grateful for the privilege we have of working alongside fine Ecuadorian Christians who are willing to use their gifts in service. We are all imperfect but redeemed; and we were unworthy and unusable, but we are now of great worth and very useful. There is a neat illustration of this in the little New Testament letter to Philemon where Paul describes the servant Onesimus, whose name means useful: "He was useless to you, but now he is useful both to you and to me."

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.