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San Jose Alto was originally a mission church of Candelaria Baptist Church. Located in Calderon, they have about 60 members and built their small church with their own money, building a little at a time over the years. Their main needs are basic literature materials, leadership training, and thirdly, a construction project for classrooms. This is one of the churches that has completed their training in "How to share your testimony and the Gospel".
Tishomingo Chapel Baptist Church in Corinth, MS has adopted San Jose as a "sister church", and is helping them with needed materials, prayer, and visited with a short term team in March 2005, 2006, 2007.As with the other churches in the Calderon area, over 2007 we gradually diminished our active discipleship to move on to other areas of need. San Jose Alto remains one the the strongest and most active of all the churches in the area due in part to our involvement there.
Inside the little church; a small but nice sanctuary.
The church was built by the members without outside funds. It is a modest but prettey building, on donated property.
There is a construction project behind the church in an open area between the sanctuary and the kitchen area. They plan to build two classrooms for Sunday school.
Pastor Pablo Lincango was ordained on January 29, 2005, and the same day the church was officially recognized as a church; changing their status from a mission of Candelaria Baptist Church. Tishomingo Chapel Baptist Church of Corinth, MS recently adopted San Jose Alto as a sister church, and the pastor and a few others will be visiting here in March to get acquainted.
Many local pastors were present, some missionaries, and a full house of spectators were on hand for this momentous occasion.
Pastor Pablo gave his emotional testimony during the program, was awarded his Ordination Certificate, as well a Study Bible from Pastor Pedro of the 'mother' church. There was the "laying on of hands" as a traditional part of Baptist ceremony.
Brother Edwardo, a deacon, holds the new church banner, presented as sign of the official Constitution of the Church. Here is Pastor Pablo's family, and a shot of me with the pastor. There was, of course, traditional music from a number of groups to celebrate, as well as a wonderful after-ceremony meal and fellowship time.
San Jose Alto had a celebration weekend September 18 and 19, 2005, with special music by different groups, special speakers, testimony sharing, and lots of good food and fellowship. We were there from 2pm to 11pm on Saturday, and Most of the day Sunday. Below are some photos and a few movies (taken with my digital camera) of the event.
Saturday, after Joselito gave a sermon and showed a video on the subject of "forgiveness", we presented the church with Bibles and tracts, and cassette tapes for those who cannot read. We also presented pastor Pablo (center) and some of the church leaders with Sunday School books.
The little church was packed Saturday night with lots of folks.
There were many different groups of musicians who performed, including two traditionally dressed groups of women and men. The men also played traditional instruments as well.
Sunday, during the service, numbers of people gave tearful testimonies of how God changed their lives, families sang, kids sang, and all worshipped the Lord.
After church there was a big picnic of sorts, where we ate tradional food, and then had a big anniversary cake cutting ceremony by the pastor. Here is a shot of the congregation around the cake.
Here are a few interesting shots of the people. this lady has her baby on her back in the traditional way of the Quichua people. The ladies in the kitchen were busy feeding about 100 people. A closeup of the traditional type of shoes the indigenous wear.
Here is a movie of the congregation singing "Let us give thanks to the Lord" around their celebration cake after Sunday service. med is 1.5mb - large is 2.1mb One Group of Quichua ladies in their traditional clothes sang these two songs, one a more traditional song of the Quichua, and the other, a popular Evangelical song in Spanish.
One Group of Quichua young men in their traditional ponchos performed these two songs with traditional musical instruments as well. One (5.7mb) is in the Quichua language, and the second in Spanish (3.2mb).