Past Couple of Weeks

Let's catch up on a few things.
On the 10th through the 12th we enjoyed the visit of our friends Patricio, Sylvana, and Kyara. They are in the lower picture. They are from the city of Santo Domingo. They stayed with us for a couple of days of their vacation. They went to the beach even though it was rainy. They are a sweet family who love the Lord and are serving Him in a number of ways. We think Patricio would be a great pastor for the church in Portoviejo. Please join us in prayer about that.
On Friday the 13th we showed a movie at church, Fireproof. We had a group fo about 50 people for the movie and they loved it. We had planned an intermission at the halfway point for food and socializing, but the crowd didn't want a break. They were into the story. We have heard a number of comments regarding the impact people felt. They could really put themselves into what the characters were portraying. We pray that their are long-term results. Several have asked to borrow the DVD or asked how to get one.
The rest of that weekend we went to Santo Domingo. The top picture shows Joe and Sylvia Wells, our good friends and co-workers in that part of Ecuador. One of the churches from their ministry invited me to speak at a banquet and at their Sunday church service. We always enjoy staying at the Wells' house. Teddy has a wonderful time playing games and enjoying their attention.
Javier, Darwin, Juan, Wilda and others substituted for us in Manta that weekend and did a great job. We are blessed with good workers.
We had a good weekend in Manta (this 20th to 22nd) with our regular services and special study groups. There was a ladies ministry meeting at out house too. Of course we had church in Portoviejo on Sunday afternoon as well. This is a big holiday weekend in Ecuador that extends through Tuesday. On Thursday we will start a short vacation Bible school for kids.

Exit Pastor Eduardo

Sunday (Feb. 8) in Portoviejo the church said good-bye to Pastor Eduardo Guano and his family. Pastor Eduardo started the church 8 years ago and will be going to Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas. I will be serving as interim pastor in Portoviejo until a new national pastor is called by the church.

Anniversary in Manta

Cake, empanadas, and bocaditos were the menu after church in Manta. The church celebrated its 4th anniversary. In spite of pouring rain right up until church time (a rarity for us), we had a great crowd and an even better time. We recognized the 18 disciples who had been baptized during the past 12 months, and all of them were present! We had a little bit of special music from Joel and Mark, two young men who are visiting Ecuador from the USA and have been working with a team of evangelists who attend our church when they aren't on the road. The sermon was about a praying church from the book of Acts. Then we prayed. It was a terrific morning!

A Great Day

Sunday, February 1, was a great day! It was very busy and full of blessings. At least 90 attended the Sunday morning service and we had a few first-time visitors. The weather was hot, but beautiful. After the service a good-sized group went to the beach for our first baptism service of 2009. Seven people followed the example of Jesus in baptism. This was a victorious time for each of them, and they were happy, (as you can see in the picture below).

A little bit later, Joy and Teddy and I went to Portoviejo, the capital of Manabí province, which is located about 45 minutes away from Manta by car. We had our first meeting with the congregation there. We will be overseeing that ministry while they are in the process of seeking a new pastor. 15 people attended the meeting. Please pray with us about this opportunity.

In the evening we led the second of the new Bible studies that began this weekend. On Friday night 18 people attended the Freedom Class, and we had a great time there. Sunday night was How to Study the Bible for Yourself. 26 people attended (photo above). We had expected around 20; so we were very pleased with the interest in the course.

Portoviejo

Starting February 1, I will be assisting a church in the city of Portoviejo as they will be without a pastor. Portoviejo is about 45 minutes from Manta, and is the capital city of the Manabí province. This temporary responsibility will require some extra work, energy, and travel. Please pray with us about this.
This past Saturday, January 24, the church in Portoviejo dedicated a small building, the first stage of a two-stage building project. The congregation is excited to be getting into their own building after waiting eight years. The Ecuadorian pastor who started the church will be returning to his home area of Santo Domingo.
This coming weekend we will be starting two new Bible Study series in the Manta church and expect to have some baptisms as well. We will be celebrating the church's 4th anniversary in a couple of weeks. It will be fun to look back at what has been an eventful and fruitful 4 years of ministry here.

A Few Photos

The bridal party after the ceremony. Alexis and Jonathan Taylor are the happy couple in the center. Our other daughters Ashley and Amanda are left of Alexis.

Joy and I with Alexis before the wedding.

Uncle Teddy with Ioan (our grandson).

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.