I will not attempt to add all the information shared by the eNewsletter, but to supplement it by these pictures.
Please email me if you want to receive the eNewsletter as well. It is a more detailed text-only version of our adventures for the Lord in Ecuador.
Also, a sad note of warning that I am adding in 2005: Manuel Pumisacho, the pastor mentioned here and in other places, is a professional "confidence man" and is not to be trusted.
Tough times: We continue to face more and more struggles with deception and greed here. It is a land void of biblical integrity. Please pray for us in this regard. But I suppose if all was well here, we wouldn't have been sent! Also, Christmas has been a tough time to be away for the very first time from the States, family, church, and friends. Please visit our "Christmas page" as a special edition for you all to share in our times here!
Joyous times: We visited another Ecuadorian church with Joselito and his family. It is a 25 year old Baptist church named "Candelaria", is an Indigenous church in the Caleron area. (See pictures below)
I recently prayed for some signs from God to comfort my small quantity of faith, as I have been feeling a bit "beat up" lately. This past Sunday, God answered those prayers. I was headed for Mission San Carlos with Manuel, and something told me to prepare more than normal. So I was obedient to that feeling. On the way to church (I was following in a small pickup) Manuel's vehicle stopped running, and he had the two Ecudorians with him get into my truck to go on to church while he stayed with his.
So... I had to be the preacher for the day! It all became clear why God nudged me to prepare. I gave the message, shared a long prayer, and made a presentation to an elderly man with a large-letter bible (he could not read the regular size type).
The same day, the second affirmation: Sara Risser called and offered us her foundation's pickup truck to buy at a more than reasonable price! I had been praying about this possibility in particular, since we have been using it and it seemed to be a perfect fit for us. And I was praying for that exact price! It is not new by any means; it's dinged up, and it needs some other cosmetic work, but it is half the price we were expecting to pay this summer for a used vehicle!
This does present a problem in that we have not reached this $5000 mark yet in our vehicle fund raising. We are a little shy of half way, so if the Lord leads you to help with this, please send in a contribution and note that it is for "transportation fund". We will have to borrow from the little bit of reserve we have left; and facing a $6000 school bill in February, that will just about wipe our account out!
We also are blessed by the opportunity to take a couple of orphan girls who have no family to visit over the holidays. Their names are Maria and Stefania, and they are from the orphanage "Jardin de Eden". See more of them in our Christmas page. Last week, we went to the Orphanage for their Christmas program, and visited with them for a while.
Photos
Our newest church to visit, "Candelaria" Baptist Church" in Calderón. It is a smaller community north of Quito (about 30 minutes).
We went with Joselito and his family as his guests to this church. The pastor is a man named Pedro, here talking with Joselito.
Fist we went to Sunday school; kids in this classroom and adults in the sanctuary.
We then had church service, with a fascinating mixture of Indigenous people and a dog or two.
Here is a closeup of the drummer for the ladies choir, pictured at the top of the page (opening photo).
They had a special presentation of music by the kids, who have an orchestra of sorts, with guitars, electric pianos, electric bass, and drums.
Favorite Photos: here are some favorite pictures from after church. One old lady waiting outside, a snow cone vendor, and food vendors waiting outside for the people to come out of the service.
God Bless you all and keep you - please know that you are in our prayers!
Hasta Luego... Until next month!
