Second Floor

We are very happy that the second floor of the church building was poured today! We are very grateful for all the help we have received to make this possible. We will need a lot more help to finish the building. Our immediate plan is to do as much as we can to make at least part of the building usable by July.

Construction Continues

The church building continues to take shape. During the past couple of weeks work has gone into the steel and forms in preparation for pouring the second floor. We are excited about putting the first floor of the classroom building to use in the near future. We are thankful that the Lord is providing for this work through a couple of timely and generous contributions. We are very grateful.

Mother's Day

On the Saturday before Mother's Day, Joy and the other leaders of the women's ministry held an outreach and fellowship activity for the ladies. There was food, games, music, and a devotion time. Around 50 attended.

Then on Sunday we had more than 30 moms in attendance for the morning service. Each mother received a flower. We took pictures of each mother with her family.

Baptism

On Sunday two adults and a teen were baptized in a bright blue Pacific Ocean. Although it was a very hot day, it felt very cool to see these men make a public testimony of their faith in Jesus.

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.

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.

Floor Finished

Here is Teddy standing on the floor of the classroom building in progress. All it needs are walls, ceiling, windows, and doors!