Baptism and Men's Fellowship

While we are in the States the ministry of Iglesia Bíblica Bautista de Manta is going strong under the leadership of Pastor Darwin Moreira and the great team of servant-leaders that God has put in place. One way we measure the health of the church body is in discipleship of new believers. Jefferson and his family came to the church a few months ago and soon became believers in Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Others in the church have encouraged them to learn to walk with Jesus as disciples and have led them in a period of Bible study to get started well in their Christian life. In this picture, the family was ready for baptism by Pastor Darwin.
Another core value of the church is fellowship. Here a group of the men are getting together on Sunday afternoon for some sports at the local beach. The church is a family that encourages one another.

Father's Day at Church

On Father's Day we had a breakfast for the men before the service. Thirty men attended. We showed a video of testimonies from several international soccer stars who are Christians. There were several visitors for the morning service and a good response to the message. It is always good to see families change as men live as followers of Christ.

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.

Painting the Building

Joy, Teddy, and I are still in the United States. We expect to return to Ecuador on November 2. Meanwhile, we received some pictures of some of the men painting the first floor of the building. We are very thankful for the work that they have been doing! There is still a lot to be done, but we are grateful for what has been accomplished so far.

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.

Ecua-Volley

What did the men do while the women were at a baby shower? First they spent a few hours working at the construction site. Twelve men put their hands and hearts into completing a task together. Then the fellowship continued with one of Ecuador's favorite sports--volleyball. In Ecuador volleyball is played with three on a side, a high net, and a soccer ball. There is no rotation. The competition is serious.

Sun and Sand Saturday

On Saturday we had a men's activity--football (soccer) and volleyball (ecua-volley) at the beach. When we schedule outings for the men's group, we never know how many men from the church will be able to get off of work in time or will remember the starting time. This was the best-attended men's activity so far. Sixteen showed up! Several of them were newcomers to the church. The team leaders did a good job of contacting the guys. We had a lot of fun, considering how many of us are somewhere over the proverbial hill. Ecuador has it's own style of volleyball. Each team has three men and they play with a soccer ball. It is not easy, and is especially tough on sand. The soccer was fun, and I even scored a goal! My first goal since elementary school! Besides the sports, we enjoyed ceviche, and had a short devotional time. It was a hot afternoon. Everyone was worn out by the time the sun went down. More than a few of the guys mentioned sore legs, backs, and shoulders on Sunday morning, but they also asked when we could do it again.

Women's Bible Studies and Men's Breakfast

This past Friday Joy started leading a new series of Bible Studies for women. There is always a good number of ladies interested in her study groups. This time she is offering an alternative schedule to be able to include more women and yet keep the groups relatively small. Each Friday she will be meeting with a group at 3:00 in the afternoon and with a second group at 7:00 PM. More than 30 are signed up for this six-lesson study.
We don't see as many men involved in Bible study groups, but we have had a solid group of 15 to 20 men participating in the 9:30 AM men's class on Sunday. Today we had a men's breakfast at our house and 10 came for fellowship and prayer. That is a good number, and we had a great time.

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.

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.

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.