Thank you for your prayers, as Doug has returned from a great trip visiting the North coastal churches (Distrito Costa Norte) last weekend and earlier this week. This was the trip in which a group of prayer warriors from the U.S. came with plans to travel through the northern coastal district of Ecuador to visit 20 OMS-planted churches, praying for the pastors and over the church and neighborhood. Jerry and Clara Mattocks (OMS Prayer Champions of Ecuador) from Pennsylvania came along with Dick McLeish of OMS' Men for Missions International. Tom Stiles and Darryl Chambers of OMS Ecuador were also a part of this team. It was extremely hot and humid the entire time - much like your hottest and most miserable day in the US during July/August. They visited 14 churches.
Many of these churches were located deep within the swampy banana plantations and rice fields. They were unable to locate some of the churches and others were to far away to reach within their allotted time frame. Many of the churches were rather primitive and their needs were great. But, it was wonderful to see and hear of how they have been working and growing with so little. No bibles, books, study materials, or basic provisions such as benches to sit on. The team met with the pastors, some church members, visited with them and prayed for them. The team's arrival was extremely encouraging to those they visited and the locals were very sad to see them go. Be sure to check out the photos (below) of the churches from this area. These are not churches that are within the district that Doug is currently assigned to work with, and there is a need for another Missionary to work with these churches in the role of District Liaison. Perhaps the Lord is calling you? Please pray for a missionary to come and work with these churches.
Jerry and Clara have now returned to Pennsylvania and they are now in the process of updating their files and will be trying to recruit Prayer warriors for these churches and locating individuals, groups, or churches that would be willing to adopt one or more of these churches and begin praying for them regularly. Please join Jerry and Clara in prayer as they seek to find these individuals, as well as someone that is willing to coordinate prayer for the churches in this district (District Prayer Coordinator).
As Doug continues his language training, OMS recommends that we change instructors and types of instruction occasionally to experience different types of teaching methods, and get to hear other national's dialects and vocabulary. After listening to the pastors Doug visited, he realized it was time to make a change. So, yesterday, he visited a language school (Cristobol Colon) located in the central part of the city and took an hour-long placement exam. He will begin class next Monday and will have class daily from 10 to 1 (plus lots of homework). He will also be taking the bus back and forth (which takes about 30 - 45 minutes each way). He now has to inform his instructor whom he has been using for the past 8 months, telling him of the news that he will be changing. There has been a strong relationship built between them, so we are sure he will take it rather hard. (Update 03/23: Doug's language instructor took it rather well, and we will be working towards continuing to strengthen that relationship.)
This past Wednesday, we celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary, and this was actually our second anniversary celebration here in Ecuador. We were here with a short-term prayer team back in 2005. Cindy has been wanting to go to the Fondue restaurant located close to us in Plaza de las Americas. We took the kids last night and when we got there, there was a sign on the door that said "after two years, we have decided to take a vacation" and it was closed. It was rather humorous, since during Cindy's last birthday here in October, we went to a restaurant called "El Tartaro" and it too was closed for vacation. So last night, we ended up eating Mexican. She's still looking forward to the Fondue.
Blessings to You!
Doug & Cindy
(Click any photo below to view an enlarged image)
Iglesia Evangélica de Fe – San Juan; Pastor Alfonso
Shekinara de Dios – San Juan; Pastor Sra. Diana
Iglesia Maranatha – San Juan; Pastor Sra. Esmeraldas
Imperio Nación de Cristo – San Juan; Pastor Emiliano
Iglesia Rosa de Saron – San Juan; Pastor Emiliano
Iglesia Evangélica Jehová Shalom - San Juan; Pastor Sra. Herminia
Iglesia Evangélica Maria 2 - San Juan; Pastor Sra. Herminia
Iglesia Evangélica Jehová Shalom - San Juan; Pastor Sra. Herminia
Iglesia Evangélica Elim - San Juan; Pastor Sra. Lorena
Pan de Vida (De Fe 8) - San Juan; Pastor Guido
Iglesia Príncipe de Paz (De Fe 9) - San Juan; Pastor Pedro
Iglesia Evangélica Getsemaní - Ventanas; Pastor Carlos
Iglesia Evangélica Cristo Viene – Pueblo Viejo; Pastor Patricio
Iglesia Bíblica Confraternidad – Quevedo; Pastor Rolando (left)
Iglesia Monte de Horeb – Quevedo; Pastor Francisco
Pastor Rolando and Monte de Horeb Youth Leaders – Mónica & Mariana
View during the trip
