Update 05/01/06

Dear Prayer Warriors,

"This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us." 1 John 5:14

Thank you for your faithfulness in praying for us and the ministry the Lord has called us to in Ecuador. We trust the Lord is answering your prayers in accordance with His will.

Last Friday we received word from OMS headquarters that our account reflects 82% of our required funds for our initial five-year term. Along with that, OMS has signed a release for our clearance to prepare for departure! We are making plans and preparations for a departure around the last week of June. HALLELUJAH!!!! We are also now busy scrambling as we try to create lists of the many tasks we need to complete prior to departure. It is quickly becoming a rather extensive list.

In order to eliminate the possible need to return to the states prior to completing our full term, we still need to raise the remaining 18%. So, we have been asked to send out a final appeal to request support for our remaining financial needs. Please pray that the Lord would continue to touch the hearts of those He longs to become a part of our future ministry. Praise Jehovah Jireh ~ Our Provider for going before us and providing everything we have needed, as well as what we will need in the future.

We Praise the Lord for:

• The Easter Cantata that was held at our home church was such a beautiful time of worship - proclaiming the greatest story ever: The Gospel of Jesus and the power of His resurrection! Thank you so much for praying and we trust that God continues to use this message in the hearts of all who hear it.
  
• Our time sharing with Evangelical Covenant Church, Walnut Grove UMC & Bushnell UMC was a blessing! How privileged we have been to share our story. We praise the Lord for the opportunities He has provided in which we can proclaim His work in our lives. We pray that He is doing the same for you. Your story is amazing too and we'd love to hear it. Please share when you can.
  
• Our multicultural church family at Restoration Christian Church celebrated their 2nd anniversary last night. It's amazing to see so many nations worshipping and fellowshipping together, loving and serving the one true living God (possibly our little glimpse of heaven). This church has welcomed us over and over again making us one of their family. We are so thankful!

Please pray for:

• The appeal letters that we will soon be sending out, and that our remaining 18% will come in.
  
• Our preparations for departure.

This week, we will be finishing our semester of Spanish class. WOOOHOOOOO!!! (Okay, so maybe we are a little excited.) Our brains need a break from the formality of these grammar lessons! We are not the sharpest crayons in the box when it come to utilizing what we've learned. This was confirmed last night when we didn't have a clue about many of the topics shared by several Spanish speakers. Cindy even panicked as she tried to converse with a non-English speaking dinner guest. She could ask the question, "How are you?" but she couldn't understand any of his responses. We have a long way to go!! Doug says he's looking forward to being immersed... Cindy's just looking forward to splashing around.

Blessings to You!
Doug & Cindy

Update 04/14/06

Dear Prayer Warriors,

As we have been approaching towards Easter Sunday, we have repeatedly had this scripture ringing in our hearts: "Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise - the fruit of lips that confess His name." (Heb. 13:15) During this time of year, we are especially reminded of our "sacrifice of praise" and how it includes giving thanks to Christ for His sacrifice on the cross and how we need to tell others about it.

Thank you for your prayers as we attended our church’s annual Missions Conference in early March. After the conference, we headed south to Florida. What a beautiful site to see all the signs of Spring during a 14 hour drive. Our Floridian host and hostess were an answer to prayer in providing a place a refreshment and family time, especially when we received news that Cindy’s estranged dad died suddenly.

In the transition and preparations for serving in Ecuador, we have had to step down from the ministries that we were involved in here and there has been a real void in not serving within the church. However, recently we have been given several opportunities:

• One Sunday morning we shared about missions with a group of local Sunday School children.
• We have also finished up the work with our Wednesday night mission project: Konstruction Kids. They have raised over $1,400.00 for a church in Guatemala. Our final presentation was showing them pictures of the many cement blocks they helped to purchase, as well as photos of the church being built.
• Doug was asked to fill the Sunday night pulpit for our pastor who was out of town. It was his first opportunity to preach without the need for translators.
• Cindy has jumped at the opportunity to direct the drama for an Easter cantata.
  We can’t begin to tell you how thankful we are for these opportunities to serve the Lord.

Last Sunday, we visited Grace Bible Church in Cissna Park, IL. We shared with the Sunday School Class and were so greatly blessed by the mission work happening right there. HEY MFMI…… Grace Bible Church has a goal to send everyone in their congregation on a short- term mission trip. We saw so many hearts willing to serve and to be obedient to whatever God is calling them to do.

We won’t talk about Spanish classes in this update! But we are progressing.

We give Praise for:

• Jesus, and what He has done for us,
• Surfside Christian Retreat,
• Florida,Small ministry opportunities here,
• An awaiting ministry in Ecuador,
• Ministry partners (new and faithful),
• 80% of our funds are in!! Possible June departure!!

Please pray for:

• This Saturday and Sunday, we will be participating in our church’s Easter Cantata.
• Next Sunday, we will be speaking at Evangelical Covenant Church in Paxton, IL.
• Then on April 30 we will be speaking at the UMC in Bushnell, IL.
• The church - Iglesia Christiana de Restauración that we enjoy attending on Sunday evenings (when possible) will be celebrating their 2nd Anniversary and we would love to attend that celebration on the evening of April 30th.

Have a joyous Easter weekend.
Blessings to You!

Doug & Cindy

Update 03/11/06

Dear Prayer Warriors,

Our missions conference at the Gibson City Bible Church begins today Saturday, March 11 - Monday, March 13. Please pray:

1. For God's blessings on the entire conference and everyone who attends.
2. That our blinders will be removed and we can see all that God has for us.
3. That the Lord of the Harvest will send forth more labors.
4. That hearts will be burdened to pray.

This past Monday we were presented with an opportunity to head to a Christian retreat in Panama City Beach during Spring break. This was an answer to prayer as the owners were very generous to us. The owners are looking forward to sharing their testimony with us and we are looking forward to sharing what God has been doing in our lives as well. We've contacted the church where we will worship while we're there. Pray for the Lord to open doors in which we can possibly share on Wednesday, March 22. Please pray for our family time together. We will also celebrate our 19th anniversary on March 21st.

At Wednesday night church, Cindy received an inquire about Faith Promise Cards and we thought it would be beneficial to repeat the information. A faith promise card is a reflection of a commitment between you and the Lord in how He is leading you to become part of a ministry through your giving and prayers. The faith promise card should be sent in as soon as the commitment is made. The actual giving can begin whenever the Lord leads you to begin. Faith promise cards are immediately considered in our % funded. During the conversation, the supporter said that her card had been filled out for months and she didn't know when to send it in or when to begin. She was also concerned that her amount each month would be too small. There is no amount to small that God can't bless and multiply according to His will. If you are holding a completed faith promise card on behalf of our ministry, please send to:

OMS International
Box A
Greenwood, IN 46142

We continue to pray and plan for a June departure and can leave only when we have the remaining 35% in faith promises. Thank you in advance for how the Lord is leading you!

Blessings to You!
Doug & Cindy

Update 02/23/06

Dear Prayer Warriors,

When we're about God's business, He is about our business, isn't He? That doesn't sound very biblical does it? How about ~ John 15:4 "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me." Please pray that we abide in Him first ~ in all that we do.

Over the past 3 weeks, we had the opportunity to visit two of our supporting churches and we were greatly blessed by our worship & fellowship time together. Our desire was to hear the pastors preach and to be a part of their Sunday worship service. The Lord showered His love through these churches. Praise the Lord for those churches that have partnered with our ministry & the Lord's work in Ecuador.

Our Spanish is coming along. Cindy's analogy of learning Spanish up to this point was like playing in the pool before the actual swimming lessons. She just wanted to soak up what she could. Well, her analogy after 6 weeks is that she is all shriveled up and ready to get out of the pool. We are beginning to drive our kids nuts, as we are continuously practicing what we know. At this time, they aren't too interested in participating. Please pray for our ability to make sense of this language and be able to remember what we have already learned.

Our missions conference is March 11, 12, & 13th. The theme is Advancing Missions through Prayer (Colossians 4:2-4) Our desires, lives, and ministry are empowered by prayer and we believe it is no coincidence that this is the theme for this years conference. We continue to have a need to cover all 13 national churches in prayer. Please prayfully consider if you would like to adopt one of these churches.

Last Sunday night, Doug was asked to preach in the Hispanic church in Bloomington ~ Iglesia Cristiana Restauración (Restoration Christian Church). This is the church were we have attended various services and events, and have developed a special relationship with the Pastor and his family, and with many of those that attend. The Lord met us there! He answered prayers; He sent encouragement; He saved two young boys that came forward; He challenged hearts to obedience, and He blessed our time with these brothers and sisters. It was encouraging to see how so many come forward to receive prayer for becoming obedient servants for the Lord.

We received two handwritten letters this month that were great encouragement to us. The first traveled from the Field Committee meeting in Ecuador where many of our future fellow missionaries wrote a few words of encouragement. Praise the Lord that He is already binding us together for service unto Him. The second arrived from a man who sat behind us at the church where Doug preached. It was filled with encouraging words and scripture.
"Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing." 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Praise the Lord for an opportunity to intercede on behalf of a Spanish classmate. Rachelle slipped Cindy a piece of paper (note passing in class) asking us to pray for her. No specifics ~ just a request to pray. I trust that it was more than a final plea before our quiz today. Please join us as we pray that the Lord will meet Rachelle and she will recognize that He alone can supply all her needs.

We appreciate you all so much. Thank you for your faithfulness to this ministry.

Blessings to You!
Doug & Cindy

Update 01/31/06

Hola Prayer Warriors,

A challenge that came from Dr. Wesley Duewel during our Cross Training session last summer was:
"Is your prayer life adequate to become a missionary?"

You are so much a part of our vital prayer life, and we can't thank you enough for standing in the gaps for us. We truly believe that the success of God's work in our community and around the world is greatly affected by the outcries of His people.
"Call to Me, and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things which you do not know." Jeremiah 33:3

There were so many deposits into our spiritual account this month! Praise the Lord for His goodness, grace and abundance!

• Our Spanish class has met for 6 sessions and we now know enough to be dangerous. Our learning is coming and we contribute that to answered prayers. We are developing relationships within our class. We look forward to how the Lord will cultivate these relationships for His glory.
  
• We attended our first Quinceañera, which is a young Latina woman's celebration of her fifteenth birthday. What a great cultural opportunity the Lord provided. Doug has been invited to preach at the Hispanic church where this family attends. Please be in prayer for the message that he is to bring to this growing congregation in Bloomington, IL.
  
• We have had numerous glimpses of how God's children are being obedient to His will for their lives. What a beautiful way to encourage each other!! Praise the Lord for Susie, the India team, dinner guests at a recent wedding, Gavin, our children, and our church family.
  
• Our end of the year statements came in toward the middle of the month and we were abundantly blessed financially. Again, we contribute all of that to answered prayers. We are currently 61% funded for our initial five-year term and pray for the remainder to come in by this May.
  
• Our time with the Christian Bible Church in Cissna Park was a special blessing. They are welcoming us into their missionary family and we praise God for answering your prayers.
  
• Cindy has relished in her time at home. She is not one to "Be Still" (Psalm 46:10) and yet the Lord has given her the task of "Being Still" and abiding in Him for a time. This was confirmed last week when she received a precious reminder from headquarters with John 15. Jesus is spending his last few moments telling his disciples the secret to surviving tough times. Rather than telling them to get active and serve Him, Jesus tells them to seek Him and abide in Him. It's truly a beautiful time of preparation.
  
• We visited with one of our very first prayer warriors this past week and were greatly blessed and encouraged.

Our prayer requests are:

1. For our February, March, & April calendars - to begin filling up with sharing opportunities.
2. That our supporters realize their vitality to this ministry.
3. Additional new supporters to begin partnering with as we work towards being 100% funded.
4. That we would be able to say, "No" when needed.
5. Our Spanish classes will continue to make sense.
6. For our boys as they spiritually prepare for departure in June.

We have committed to praying specifically for you on Mondays. Please let us know how we can stand in the gaps for you!

Blessings to You!
Doug & Cindy

Update 01/09/06

Dear Prayer Warriors,

Happy New Year ~ 2006!!

What will 2006 bring for all of us? What will really matter in 2006? Where will our priorities be in 2006? How can we effect eternity in 2006? As we ponder with excitement a new year and yet wrestle with the unknown, we can rest assure that if we are God's children, all things work for the good who love the Lord (Romans 8:28).

Our New Year has started with a vision to obtain prayer support for all the pastors and their churches in Zone 3 of Ecuador where we will be serving. There are 14 churches that need to be adopted by groups of 3 or more. The requirement to have a group of 3 or more is to follow the model of Moses, Aaron, & Hur in Exodus 17:8. Families, prayer groups, Sunday School classes, women's fellowship..... any kind of group of 3 or more who are willing & committed to pray for one of these churches are ready to proceed with the adoption process. We are also in need of a district prayer leader. This is a person who will visit zone 3 in Ecuador and claim it for Christ. Return home to organize all the prayer requests from Zone 3 and make these requests known to prayer warriors who have been called to pray.

Our college Spanish classes begin tomorrow. We received our books and page 1 looks like an advanced Spanish class. Cindy is asking herself, "Where's the alphabet? Where's the beginning sound pictures? Where's the two word sentences?" Well, she's not in first grade anymore!! Please pray for the ability to learn and comprehend what is taught. We also desire to be a testimony in this college classroom. We will definitely be the minority (as we'll be the old fogies) and we pray for opportunities to minister as well as learn.

We will be sharing with Christian Bible Church in Cissna Park on Sunday evening. Their pastor and his flock are very excited about missions and what God is doing around the world. We have already been greatly encouraged by them and pray that this developing relationship will bring God honor and glory as we help each other serve in obedience.

We sent out 28 letters this past week, informing churches that we are not departing for Quito until June and would welcome opportunities to share. Please pray for God's divine intervention in opening doors for us to serve and share.

The commitments are coming in from our youth group and we praise God for how He is working through them. Keep them lifted up!

Please join us as we pray for Jonathan's 4th grade teacher, Mrs. Cox, who has been in the hospital since Thursday with undiagnosed tremors and the inability to walk without assistance. She has been struggling since last Spring with health issues and over Christmas break the health issues escalated to the point of hospitalization.

We hope you all have a wonderful week.

Blessings to You!
Doug & Cindy

Christmas Letter 2005

Merry Christmas!

For those of you that may be overseas or have not received our Christmas letter, please click the links below:

• Christmas Letter
  
• Christmas Photo

We hope you all have a Blessed Christmas!

Christmas Blessings to You!
Doug & Cindy

Update 12/20/05

Dear Prayer Warriors,

Merry Christmas!! Isn't this such a special time of year? The miraculous birth of Jesus brings a hope that God intervenes and things aren't always as they appear. We are so overwhelmed with thoughts of His sovereignty that we can't organize them enough to record them in this email. Rejoice with us as we praise God for His intervention in your life and ours with the most greatest gift of all ~ JESUS!

The month of December has been filled with Christmas preparations, Doug's 42nd birthday, David's basketball games, and wrapping up a teaching career in the public school system. We count it such a blessing that we can sit down at this computer to share our praises and prayer needs with people who have been called to care. May the Lord bless you for your faithfulness to Him.

So many of you were led to pray as Cindy finished her last days of teaching in Gibson City. Prayers were answered as Cindy battled her will for HIS. Isn't it odd, that the more qualified we are, the more likely we are to make mistakes because we think we can rely on our ability and do not need HIM. God is now able to reign in this situation and He doesn't make mistakes. Please pray for the kids, their new teacher, and the administration. Pray that the transition will be smooth.

This month, we shared with a missions committee in Cissna Park (35 miles away) and the Lord has opened the door for us to share with their congregation sometime in January. It is so evident that the Lord has been working in this church and we're thrilled to be a part of what He's doing there. We were also invited last Sunday to share with our high school youth. They have been led to join us and each one will be in prayer for the next couple of weeks as they discern their involvement in our ministry. They have already raised $865.00 from a spaghetti dinner, but want to join us with monthly prayer and financial support. We've had several people step forward in obedience to His leading to partner with us. We are so grateful, as it is a visual testimony to how God provides through His people. For them and for you, we offer thanks and praise for coming along side of us in this ministry and making it possible for us to serve.

For the past ten years, our family has been making ornaments to share with family and a few friends. This year, we made a salvation ornament that contains six colors and a mini card explaining the colors with correlating scripture. (Gold=God, Black=Sin, Red=Blood, Clear=Forgiveness, Green=Growth, Blue=Spirit) Please pray that God would go before these ornaments and that many will hear the Good News story through this little gift.

Christmas Blessings to You!
Doug & Cindy

Answered Prayer 12/01/05

Dear Prayer Warriors,

Just a quick note to Thank You for your prayers. God was abundant in answering them:

• The nurse had an amazing ability to give our immunization shots without you really knowing it. Jonathan couldn't believe that she was done!!
  
• We all received Yellow Fever, and the boys also received Hepatitis A. We still need Typhoid but the doctor thought that 3 shots were too many for the boy's bodies to handle.
  
• We are all feeling fine today and we praise the Lord for it. 25% may have a flu-like reaction (Symptoms may occur up to 5 days, so please pray as the Lord leads).
  
• We had the opportunity to share with our attending physician, why we are going to Ecuador ~ pray that seeds were planted!
  
• We enjoyed great "family" time after the appointment. We needed that during this busy holiday season.
  
• All enjoyed a good night's rest (and awoke to 1 1/2 inches of snow ~ Jonathan was thrilled).

We have been reminded... “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6

Blessings to You!

Doug & Cindy

Update 11/23/05

Dear Prayer Warriors,

Happy

Time with family & friends
Home
Answered prayers
New partners in ministry
Kids
Safety provisions
Good health
Irrevocable promises
Vital prayer warriors
Invitations to share of God's goodness
Neighbors
God's only Son, JESUS!

We have much to be thankful for!

We are thankful for you and for your prayers. We recently completed a marathon of sharing our call to seven different churches over the past six weeks. We knew that you were praying for us, as we could feel them. During that time, we were healthy and other than a couple of minor technical glitches, everything went very well. Two weeks ago, we had the privilege of sharing in a church (Upper Room) that is 15 miles from home. We saw some familiar faces, and it was wonderful to hear stories about how this small church is growing spiritually and in size. They were all a real blessing to us.

Our marathon was such a blessing, but it was also nice to return to our home church (GCBC) this past Sunday. It was wonderful to catch up on what's been taking place, and to visit and worship with some old friends. As we had mentioned in our last update, due to our travels we were unable to attend a Spaghetti Dinner hosted by the youth of the GCBC. During this dinner, donations were collected to raise money for our flights to Quito. This past Sunday, a couple of the youth presented our family with a box that contained $864. What a blessing!

As many of you know, we had been planning and preparing for a January departure. As we are currently supported at 54% for our five-year term, it is appearing more and more that next June will be more realistic. We know that the Lord's timing is perfect, and He will have us there when He wants us there.

In an effort to continue moving forward with our support raising and preparations for leaving, Cindy has resigned from teaching effective Jan. 2. We have also registered for a Spanish class at a nearby Community College. The classes are two days a week from January to May, and we are hopeful this will help to give us a jump start on Spanish and will help to speed our learning curve when we attend language school in Quito.

Please pray for all of us as we visit a Travel Clinic on Wednesday (Nov. 30). We will be receiving our Typhoid and Yellow Fever immunizations. According to a good missionary friend, the Yellow Fever can "have a quite a kick to it", and you can have flu-like symptoms for a few days.

We hope you all have a very blessed Thanksgiving. Most of all, we are thankful for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who died upon a cross, to redeem us from wickedness, and to take away our sins. During this time of thanksgiving, "May the God of hope fill you with joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the powers of the Holy Spirit." Rom 15:13

Blessings to You!
Doug & Cindy

Update 11/06/05

Dear Prayer Warriors,

Our month long travels outside Ford County have come to an end today as we arrived safely home from Cedarville, IL which is located near northwest of Rockford, IL.

Last weekend, we returned to southern Illinois where we attended the Ellen Moore United Methodist Church in Fairfield. We felt so at home in this church as we saw familiar OMS prayer cards on their mission’s board, the design of the church reminded us of a church that we attended years ago, and an elderly lady adopted us right away as her own. We are now partners in this ministry for God’s glory! Hallelujah!!

Our journey home from Fairfield created an opportunity to finally stop by the Cross at the Crossroads in Effingham. Look at the picture carefully, and you can see Cindy, David, & Jonathan standing at the foot of the 198' tall cross!! What an amazing site and testimony this cross is for the 50,000 people that drive by it each day. Surrounding the foot of the cross, are the Ten Commandments etched in marble stones. For more information, check out http://www.crossusa.org.

Our time spent this past Sunday at Emmanuel Evangelical Church in Cedarville was a time of rejoicing and refueling. We attended the youth service on Saturday night as we sadly missed our own youth from the Gibson City Bible Church who were hosting a spaghetti dinner (with entertainment) on our behalf to raise money for our flights to Quito. It’s always such a blessing to see the future of the church love the Lord and worship in their own way ~ LOUDLY!! As we observed the youth in Cedarville, worshipping and fellowshipping, Romans 12:2 came to mind in how we are reminded “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world” and how when the youth leave the security of the church, the challenges that they face in continuing to exemplify a Christ-like testimony. Have you prayed for your youth recently, or for your own kids?

Our blessings continued as we spoke Sunday morning for 40 minutes to their congregation of around 200 people, sharing of how the Lord is calling us to serve in Ecuador. We met several people who confirmed why the door was opened for us to speak at this church. Praise the Lord for His orchestration of this time together.

We are reminded again of the privilege we have in serving Jesus. We continue to be in awe of His mighty plan and work in our lives: Two ordinary, unworthy people, being entrusted with His message in reaching His children for His glory.

As we approach this Thanksgiving season, we are so thankful for prayers and thoughts on our behalf. You are the heartbeat of this ministry and without you and your support, our efforts would be fruitless.

Please pray as we share next Sunday at the Upper Room Church in Paxton, IL. We look forward to seeing some familiar faces at this church. Please pray for Cindy as she works towards securing a teaching position at the Alliance Academy in Quito for Fall 2006. She has a passion for younger children ~ pray that the Lord will use her in the area of her passion.

Have a great week.

Blessings to You!
Doug & Cindy

Update 10/25/05

Dear Prayer Warriors,

Last week, we lost a highly valued and treasured part of our ministry. A Godly man from our church who was committed to praying for us daily, has relocated his home to heaven. After speaking this past Sunday at Ebenezer UMC and Calhoun UMC (both near Olney, IL), we drove back home to attend his evening memorial service. Praise the Lord that we did, as his service was a blessing to us, and to all that attended.

Olney, is about 3 hours south of our town, and as some of you may be aware - home of the white squirrels. The church services at Ebenezer and Calhoun were such a blessing and a source of encouragement. They opened their doors and their hearts to us. Jonathan loved singing from the hymnals, as he's not used to that. These two churches share a pastor, and requested prayer for their upcoming revival. Remembering revivals from our time in the Baptist church, we sat and silently longed for a good ol' fashioned revival. The Lord answers silent prayers that are the deepest desires of our heart. The memorial service we attended for this precious servant of Christ was nothing short of a revival. We entered the memorial service exhausted and sorrowful of our loss...

We left the service...

• being blessed to have known this man of God,
• with our hearts full of joy that we know where our joy comes from,
• with a challenge to be more Christ-like,
• with a responsibility to reflect the one we serve ~ JESUS!!

We praise the Lord for Ron Hayes and the legacy he has left us!

Before we returned home from Olney, we were invited to lunch by a precious seasoned couple. The Lord touched their hearts to partner with us in ministry. Our time together was blessed as we could see how the Lord orchestrated our partnership for His glory. We praise the Lord for this sweet couple! Aside from not seeing a single white squirrel, we have several reasons to visit the Olney area again.

It has been interesting to reflect back over last week and how we lost our good friend - Ron. However, the Lord continues to bless us by placing new prayer warriors in our lives every week. We praise the Lord for you and your faithful prayers for us. We have felt them, and they are sustaining us during these busy and challenging days.

We are making preparations for sharing with Ellen Moore UMC in Fairfield, IL this Sunday. On November 5th, we have been asked to briefly share during our church's High School Youth Group's Spaghetti dinner. Then that night, we plan to make the four hour trip north to Cedarville IL, (west of Rockford), where we will be speaking on November 6. On November 13, we are planning to share in Paxton, Il at the Upper Room Church. We ask that you continue to pray for our time with these churches, our health, and for traveling mercies.

Blessings to You!

Doug & Cindy

Update 10/13/05

Dear Prayer Warriors,

God is the master gardener but He gives us the job of planting seeds, watering, fertilizing, and grooming. However, as the master gardener, He is the one responsible for the garden. He is in charge of the "blooming". Now, imagine His kingdom as this hillside and imagine the beautiful blooms as His children. Are we doing what it takes to help God's garden grow?

We had a wonderful weekend as we shared last Sunday morning in a local church and Angie Rouley opened our message with the song she wrote for us, "Nothing is Everything". Her testimony and gift of singing touched our hearts and blessed us greatly. She will be singing again this Sunday. Please pray for Angie as she ministers with us.

We are amazed at how God opens the doors to visit and share in some churches and closes the doors to others. Sunday afternoon we traveled 165 miles south to Centralia, IL. As we were on our way down south, we realized that this was the first church in which we were invited to speak, and had absolutely no ties. We knew no one there, and they did not know us. We were blessed that people would give up their Sunday evening to come and hear us share, when they did not have a clue who we were. Again, we don't know why the Lord opened the door to that church down south, but when the door is open, we want to be faithful and obediant. There was a small group that attended that evening, and some may think that it was not worth our time and travel, however there was a family there who were relatively new beleivers, but seeking God's will in their lives. They were very interested in missions, and consiering the possiblity of full-time missions. They were wide-eyed as they stayed after and asked us many questions. Again, we may not know why the Lord opens the doors to various opportunities to speak, we just need to be obediant and let Him do the rest.

As God's children, we don't know if we're planting a seed, watering one, fertilizing one, or grooming one. We just have to be obedient to God's directing on our lives and put our trust in the Gardener to make everything bloom.

This Sunday, we will be speaking in our local First Christian Church. Pray that we will be faithful assistant gardeners.

Thank you so much for your "info" response. We love praying for you as it's the least we can do for your faithfulness to our ministry. Please never hesitate to send us a request.

Blessings to You!
Doug & Cindy

Weekly Update 09/22/05

Dear Prayer Warriors,

Do you have six-panel doors in your house? If you don't know what they are, they have two small panels at the top, two long panels in the middle and two stubby panels on the bottom. Our apartment is full of six-panel doors! If you have ever seen a six panel door, you know that between the two top panels and the two middle panels form a cross. This apartment has been such an answer to prayer and it continues to bless us by showing us the cross everyday.

The Premier Open House was such a blessing with several opportunities to share about our preparations for Ecuador. We praise the Lord for this mission-minded family business.

The Central Regional Office of OMS International recently sent out available missionary letters on our behalf to around 20 churches. Doug has been working hard to make contact with the correct individuals at these churches, seeking opportunities for us to share about our call to full-time missions. While Doug was working at home on Tuesday, the power went off briefly causing him some unplanned rework due to what he lost on the computer. However, shortly after that, he received a call from a church in Fairfield, Illinois (who had received our information from OMS) inviting us to speak on Oct. 30. The interesting part to this, is that they were not indicated on the list we received from OMS, and we would not have known to call them. The Lord is Good! Doug made around 50 calls this week. Our Sundays for the month of October are quickly filing up. We have received invitations to speak at two local churches, and four more in Southern Illinois. We have one Sunday open in October, and are working to schedule a speaking engagement on that Sunday as well.

One of the many blessings we have in raising our own support is seeing God move & work through His people to ultimately glorify His son, Jesus Christ. One such blessing happened last Friday when Cindy had a "conference" with one of her student's parents. This parent was inspired to write and compose a song for our ministry and by Tuesday, it was complete. It is so BEAUTIFUL! We pray that there will be a way for all of you to hear what God did through her. This has also filled a need that we really didn't know we had, until several churches asked if we could share anything musical. Up to now, we had to say, "NO!" What a testimony of obedience!

As we seek additional opportunities to share, we think of Apostle Paul's words in Col 4:2-4 which remind us to devote ourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful....and petitioning prayer that God will open doors for us to share clearly about Christ, and our call to serve Him in Ecuador.

We pray you have a wonderful and blessed weekend.

Blessings to You!
Doug & Cindy
http://omsinternational.org/profile/oms/ecuador/dctankersley

Weekly Update 09/13/05

Dear Prayer Warriors,

Thank you so much for your prayers. They are so vital to our ministry. We have recently been reminded that we can not complete tasks as simple as making ministry phone calls, without being covered in prayer. Doug tried to make several calls last week, and received so much static on the line that he could vaguely hear the person on the other end. Doug has been working hard following tips and leads from those who are investing in our ministry and the Lord's work in Ecuador. God is faithful and He will supply the fruit. "Our labor in the Lord is not in vain" 1 Cor. 15:58

It's been a beautiful week as Cindy prayed with a precious friend as she surrendered her will - for God's will in her life. WHAT A BLESSING!! We were also very blessed when we received several sacrificial gifts this week. We also received words of encouragement from two prayer warriors that have enjoyed reading our updates. Praise the Lord for His outpouring of blessings and encouragement this week.

On Thursday night, Cindy has been invited to set up our Ecuadorian display at a Premier Jewelry Open House. Profits from the purchases will be donated to our ministry. Please pray for those that attend and that they will catch a glimpse of our heart's desire to serve Jesus and help reach the lost in Ecuador.

The Central Regional Director of OMS sent out 26 letters to churches in Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio on our behalf. Please pray that these letters reach the right people and that they will respond according to the Holy Spirit's leading.

We are scheduled to speak at a local church on October 9th. Please pray for our preparations, as well as the hearts of those that attend to be open to what God is doing in Ecuador. Another local church is meeting this week to discuss our presenting at their church. Please pray that if it is the Lord's will, we will be welcomed to speak.

Blessings to You!
Doug & Cindy
http://omsinternational.org/profile/oms/ecuador/dctankersley

Weekly Update 09/06/05

Dear Prayer Warriors,

Our prayer requests seem so insignificant in comparison to the devastation that we have all witnessed in the south this week. The media has shown us first hand the hopelessness and helplessness of so many poverty stricken Americans affected by Hurricane Katrina. It has been heart wrenching to watch precious human beings unable to meet their basic needs. We know that there are entire countries living like this everyday, and long for a reason to "hope" just as so many Americans have this week.

WE HAVE THE HOPE IN JESUS CHRIST!! He is God in the good times and bad times. Join us in praying for those affected by Hurricane Katrina. We pray for opportunities to serve Jesus in the midst of this catastrophe. We pray God's Holy word, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him and who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28

We praise our Lord who is trustworthy! We praise Him for another "wake-up" call for ourselves, America, and the world! He is so GRACIOUS! We praise Him, for an enormous opportunity to reach out and to be Christ to those who need Him. We praise Him for our call to Ecuador ~ a poverty stricken country that is also searching blindly for the hope that is readily available and waiting ~ Jesus.

The hymn writer's words continue to ring in our head, "Our hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus blood and righteousness..."
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/m/y/myhopeis.htm

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the powers of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13

Blessings to You!
Doug & Cindy
http://omsinternational.org/profile/oms/ecuador/dctankersley

Weekly Update 08/29/05

Hola, Prayer Warriors!

Cindy and the kids had their first full week of school, and are all back into the mode of completing homework. Jonathan had his first soccer game of the season, and David begins soccer practice this week. So, back into the world of soccer taking the kids back and forth to practices and watching games.

We are always amazed in seeing see how God directs our paths in ways that we cannot see until later in time. Sunday we were blessed with the opportunity to share the day with the members of Iglesia Cristiana de Restauracion (Restoration Christian Church) in Bloomington, IL. The day began when we met at 8:00 am. as a group in Bloomington, traveling down the interstate in a procession of 20+ cars (all with hazard lights flashing at 45 mph) on our way to Comlara Park. This was a special day of worship in the park pavilion followed by a baptism of 9 new believers in a nearby lake.

Pastor David shared a great message from Acts 2:38, and during the service we were invited to share about the importance of baptism and the significance it has for the believer. One of the those to be baptized included Maria, the wife of Felipe, a good friend of Doug's from work - who was the one that originally invited us to visit this church. It has been wonderful to see over the past few months how this church has been blessed and is growing in size and in Spirit. Following the baptism, we had a huge meal and we stuffed ourselves while having a great time of fellowship.

Our kids also had a great time, and "blended" quite well. As we were driving home, we discussed how it was amazing how God began a relationship between Felipe and Doug, which has led us to worship with this body of believers and to help us prepare for our transition to Ecuador.

Doug begins his new part-time schedule this week, and will now have Tuesdays and Thursdays to focus on building our support so that we can head to Ecuador. Please pray especially on these days as he make phone calls and visits. Pray that the Lord would go before us in all that we do, guiding our steps along the way.

Praise the Lord for a 6 year old who gave his "tooth" money to our ministry today. God blesses a cheerful giver. Here's a great web-site for kids who desire to tell others about Jesus: www.kidzplace.org.

Blessings to You!
Doug & Cindy
http://omsinternational.org/profile/oms/ecuador/dctankersley

Weekly Update 08/23/05

Dear Prayer Warriors,

Just a quick note to tell you "Thank You" for your prayers. Since we sent out our update this morning, the Lord answered our prayers as Doug received word this afternoon that his management approved his request to switch to working part-time. Doug will begin working 3 days a week, we will be able to continue our benefits, and he will now have the opportunity to focus 2 weekdays towards our support raising. We appreciate your faithfulness in praying for us.

Blessings to You!
Doug & Cindy

-----Original Message-----
From: Doug & Cindy Tankersley
Sent: Tuesday, August 23, 2005 7:12 AM
Subject: Weekly Update

August 22, 2005

Dear Prayer Warriors,

Thank you so much for your willingness to pray for us and our ministry. We have often prayed for the health and safety of missionaries when we didn't know how to specifically pray. We want to praise the Lord for keeping us healthy and safe. It's not something we take lightly but it is something that we often take for granted here in America. On foreign soil, it's a daily praise report for a healthy body and a His divine protection. Remember to pray for the health and safety of all overseas missionaries.

Praise Jesus for His presence at a small gathering on Saturday night. Three families sharing how Jesus is working in their lives and how He continues to lead them in service to HIM! Pray for Art and his family as they are farmers in central Illinois dealing with drought issues. Pray for Dave as he has accepted the leadership of a youth ministry. Pray for Josh as he serves the Lord through a youth band: Bullitproof ~ album to be recorded in September. Pray for Jenny as a spark for missions is being rekindled.

Doug has written and submitted a proposal for moving from full-time employment to part-time. This will give him two days each week to devote to our support ministry. Please pray that this would be accepted by upper-management if this is the Lord's will for us.

Praise the Lord for a great start to the school year!

OMS International has an updated version to their web-site. Check it out at: www.omsinternational.org

Have a great week!

Blessings to you,
Doug & Cindy

Weekly Update 08/16/05

Dear Prayer Warriors,

Who is the God we worship and serve? This summer, I have been in a bible study answering these questions. Here is the answer: God is holy, God is faithful, God is eternal, God is changeless, God is powerful, God is good, God is all-knowing, God is sovereign, God is ever present, and God is love. Throughout this study, these attributes of God convicted my heart, awestruck my mind, and empowered me to serve HIM!

Our trip to Goshen, Indiana (4+ hours one way) was flawless. The Lord was so good!! No traffic! No construction! Our time with the Men For Missions Council was precious, as this group is empowered to pray for missionaries around the world. We were greatly blessed by their prayers on our behalf. Rejoice with us for this group and the answers to their petitions.

It's been months, but Sunday night we were able to return to the Hispanic church in Bloomington ~ Resurrection Christian. We were encouraged as they were encouraged. In April, they celebrated their first anniversary. Their numbers have increased since May and they will have their first baptism service on Sunday, August 28. We pray that the Lord would allow us to be a part of this special event. We praise the Lord for this church and their outreach to the Hispanic population.

This week, we have been in preparations for the school year to start ~ August 19th. David will begin his 8th grade year and Jonathan will begin 4th. The administration has allowed me to teach until we leave for the field, so I am excited to touch the lives of 21 six year olds. Pray that we can all be testimonies of Christ to "our neighbors" in school.

We would love to move to Ecuador during our Christmas break if this is God's will for our departure. We are in need of prayer for direction and discernment as to when Doug should resign from his position at State Farm so that he can focus "full time" on our support raising ministry. We would ask for confirmation for a date and for doors to be open if this is His will for us.

"We love because He first loved us." 1 John 4:19. Thank you for loving us and standing in prayer for us!

Blessings to you,
Doug & Cindy

Weekly Update 08/07/05

This is more like a monthly update ~ our last update was July 4th. We recently completed our 3 weeks of cross cultural training at OMS headquarters in Greenwood, IN. Your prayers were answered!! We both received a certificate of completion. This was our last "pre-field" requirement to fulfill other than a lot of small details. We are now waiting on the Lord's timing for departure through our funds requirement. We are currently 35% funded and will be working towards 100% by December '05. We found out that we will need cash in our account to pay for one time expenses, i.e.) airline tickets, furnishings, vehicle, schooling, etc. If you were wondering when you should start your financial commitment, now would be a good time. Just send your first donation to:

OMS International
PO Box A
Greenwood, IN 46142
Memo line: Tankersley - 802314

They will receipt your payment with an envelope for your next payment. May the Lord bless your obedience in giving!!

We learned so much during our training and found that we have so much more to learn. Our boys didn't want to leave as they made many friendships with kids who are experiencing the same things that they are. We, too were blessed with new founded friendships! There were 16 adults that participated in 8 hours of training for 5.5 days a week, homework in the evenings, plus ethic church observations on Sundays. Of these 16, our group was from 5 different countries, preparing to serve in 8 different countries. We found that our training time together wasn't enough and we spent many hours together eating, playing, and worshipping together. The Lord blessed us greatly through these children of His!! Our training covered topics such as Interpersonal skills, preparing for transition, cultural competencies, inductive bible study methods, MK issues, mental & physical health, cultural stressors, prayer, family life, church planting movements, security contingency, and much, much, more.
We plan to speak at a Men For Missions council meeting in Goshen, IN on Monday night.

• Please pray for travel mercies as we make the 5 hour (one way) trip up and back on Monday.
• Pray that we would be a source of encouragement to them.
• Pray that our time together would be of one likeness: Serving Jesus!

"Home Sweet Home", "Home is Where the Heart Is", "There's no place like home", "My home is your home", "All the comforts of home" ~ I'm sure that you can think of other sayings about a place a refuge, a place of security, a place of love, a place of welcoming and a place of longing. We long to be at home with the Lord but until that day comes, He has given us earthly homes where His people gather. We praise the Lord for our church family and the home we have at the Gibson City Bible Church. Until we get to our new home in Quito Ecuador, it fells great to be HOME! It was also great to hear our Pastor preach today in English.
Have a great week and may Jesus bless you with a place to call HOME.

Blessings to you,

Cindy & Doug

Weekly Update 07/04/05

Dear Prayer Warriors,

Our praises begin as we praise and thank our heavenly Father for all the freedoms we have:

• We're thankful for the freedoms that we have as Americans.
• We're thankful for the freedoms that we have as American Christians.
• We're thankful for the freedoms that we have as American Christian Missionaries.

These freedoms didn't come without a price. We're thankful for those who went before us to pay the price, who counted the cost and moved forward anyway, who had a vision of freeing people in bondage and for the many who gave of their lives so that we can have these freedoms.

We have just returned from the OMS World Outreach Celebration where hundreds of people have one common vision ~ reaching the nations for Christ. Many were foreign field missionaries, many were homeland missionaries, many were youth, many were prayer warriors and many were seasoned saints. All were people willing to GO, DO and GIVE whatever God calls them to in order to further the Kingdom. Please pray for our son David, as we witnessed the Lord convicting his heart for a lost world.

Our commissioning service a beautiful and Holy time! It was another one of those indescribable moments. We praise God for this special time.

On Sunday 7/10, we leave for 3 weeks of cross cultural training at OMS headquarters in Greenwood, IN. We believe this may be our last pre-requisite before leaving for the field of Ecuador. We praise God for this year of preparations! However, we will wait on the Lord's perfect timing as He brings in our funds that will permit us to go. There are those that the Lord desires to be a part of His work in Ecuador with us ~ pray that we open our eyes to them.

• Please pray for Ecuador and the Lord's work in that country.
• Please pray for our ability to comprehend all that we will learn over the next 3 weeks in training.
• Pray for the Coates Family (Darryl & Tina) as they seek God's leading and directing in reaching the nations for Christ.

Just as Jesus is at the right hand of God interceding for His children, we thank you for interceding to Jesus on our behalf.

Blessings to you,
Doug and Cindy

Weekly Update 06/28/05

June 28, 2005

Dear Prayer Warriors,

A bouquet of Ecuadorian roses for you!

"Bloom Where You're Planted" ~ It's not a biblical quote but it does carry many spiritual connotations. I've thought much about this as we were presenting in Western Springs this weekend. We stayed with a family that shared their testimony of how God worked through their teenage son and brought an entire house to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Praise God for using Ben!! This family now has a desire to conquer their community for Christ. Ben is reading the Intercession Prayer Manual. Our presentation on Saturday night to our "camp family" was saturated with the Gospel and how the Lord has worked in our lives. Scripture tells us that God's word will not return void - Please pray for the Mills family as they "bloom where they are planted" and for those in Western Springs to have their spiritual blinders removed.

We leave on Thursday afternoon for the OMS World Outreach Celebration which will conclude on Sunday. Please pray for our time there. Last year we attended this conference with "curious" motives. It's amazing how the Lord works in a year as we now attend this conference with such "commitment" motives. We will be commissioned on Sunday ~ Please pray for our vision of service and ministry to be one with HIS! ~ For safe travels as well as good health while we're there, and that the Lord would secure ministry partners for us.

Blessings to You!
Doug & Cindy

Weekly Update 06/19/05

Dear Prayer Warriors,

Happy Father's Day to those of you who are fathers! I hope this finds you all celebrating Father's Day everyday as you praise, adore, worship, and bring glory to our Heavenly Father.

Our praises begin with God's divine intervention in our lives:

1. A couple from New Jersey without employment happens upon a house in the country of central Illinois. Two months later, we are all signing documents and leaving the mortgage company with smiles on our faces. We closed on the sale of our house this past Wednesday. Praise the Lord that we are one step closer to our ministry in Ecuador.
2. Our praises continue as we are so grateful for another opportunity to share the Lord's call on our lives with brothers and sisters from the United Methodist Church. How pleasing it must be for the Lord to see different denominations working together for His glory. I read earlier in the week that Jesus doesn't need a lawyer, He needs those willing to testify on his behalf. We pray that we were an accurate testimony.
3. We received a letter from OMS stating that we are eligible to be commissioned as missionaries. This sacred and special moment will take place on July 3 at Phillippe Performing Arts Center at Indiana Wesleyan University beginning at 9:30.
4. Praise the Lord for Jonathan and the 10 wonderful years the Lord has shared him with us. We celebrated Jonathan's birthday last Sunday. Thank you for your prayers concerning his transition. He is doing much better ~ finding many benefits to in-town living (Dollar General being #1, library #2).

This past week was spent preparing letters for raising our support. Please join us and pray that the Lord will touch the hearts of those He wishes to partner with us in our ministry and His work in Ecuador. Most missionaries have sending churches. These churches commit to their missionaries through prayer and financial support. We desire to have a sending community. The Lord has his hands on Gibson City and we want to take as many as we can with us to Ecuador!! We are having a blessed time as we receive the opportunity to share with our fellow community members. We receive many questions each week related to missions and our call, and strive to accurately eliminate misconceptions and misunderstandings.

Our family vacation for the past five years has been spent at Camp Highlands for Boys in Sayner, Wisconsin. On Saturday night (June 25), we will be sharing with a group from Western Springs, Illinois that also attend that camp and became a part of camp family. Please pray for our time together. Pray that the Lord would be glorified and honored by all we say and do.

Please pray for Vacation Bible School that will be taking place at the Gibson City United Methodist Church this week - That the Lord's word would go forth and that children would come to know Jesus as their personal Lord and savior.

Please note that last week we incorrectly indicated our zip code. Our correct zip code is 60936.

We hope you have a wonderful week!
Blessings to You!
Doug & Cindy

Weekly Update 06/10/05

June 9, 2005

We're here!! Today makes for the first week in our apartment.

Our new address is: 211 1/2 E. 10th Street, Gibson City, IL 60936 - phone # is 217-784-4183

Please pray for Jonathan as this transition has been difficult for him.

Our respite from moving came Thursday night as we shared with the WMU from the First Baptist Church. We praise the Lord for providing many prayer warriors through these women. Our respite continued Friday night as we joined a small (12 adults & 20+ kids) group from Eastview Christian Church in the home of some very dear friends. The Lord blessed our time together as we shared about our call, the ministry the Lord has given us and His work in Ecuador. Pray that the Lord will use these women and young families for His people in Gibson City, Bloomington and Ecuador.

I've participated in VBS this week and know of one little 6 year boy who has given his heart to the Lord. Please pray for Austin and his family. His mother loves the Lord but his father has fallen away. Austin will be with his dad on Saturday. Pray that Austin's love for Jesus will penetrate his father's heart.

We met a precious couple on Wednesday night in Forrest, IL. We heard much of God's faithfulness in Ecuador from them as they have ministered there over the years through short term mission trips. They served a 6 year term about 35/40 years ago. They are heading to Quito next week with another team. We look forward to how the Lord will cultivate this new friendship for His glory.

We are preparing to speak at the United Methodist Church on Sunday during the Sunday School hour. Pray for hearts to be open, satan to be bound and that the God's word on obedience and a relationship with Him would go forth. Continue to pray that we would be accurate testimonies to God's call on our lives.

What a powerful privilege and tool we have in prayer. Thank you for joining with us.
"… as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many." 2 Corinthians 1:11

Blessings to you,
Cindy for The Tankersleys

Weekly Update 06/02/05

June 2, 2005

Dear Prayer Warriors,

Throwing, sorting, wrapping, packing, moving, storing, selling ~ guess what we've been doing??? We received word that we will close on the house on June 15.

This had been an overwhelming experience!! Where in the world did we get all this "stuff"? As overwhelming as this may be ~ we can't imagine attempting any of this without prayer support. God has been so faithful! There is such a contentment and peace that overcomes us as we gaze around our "little" apartment. It must be from knowing that we are one step closer to the work He has for us in Ecuador.

Cindy wrapped up another school year last week. Thank you for your prayers ~ the Lord really used one little fellow to teach her about Christ's work in a humble spirit.

Tonight, we will be sharing with the Missionary Fellowship Union at the First Baptist Church in Gibson City. Tomorrow night we will be sharing with a small group from Eastview Christian Church in the home of Kevin and Vonda Rodgers. Please pray that we continue to be an accurate testimony to God's mighty work in our lives and that all we say and do would be pleasing to HIM!

We are praying for you, too! Please let us know how we can better pray for you.

Blessings to you,
Doug and Cindy

Weekly Update 05/24/05

May 24, 2005

Dear Prayer Warriors,

Like the weather in Central Illinois, this week has "blown" by. On Saturday, we headed to Assumption, IL to stay with our missionary cheerleaders: Verne and Janet Tankersley. (Verne is Doug's Dad's cousin) We worshipped with them at Fame Evangelical Church in Moweaqua. This church opened their doors and hearts to us.

During the Sunday School hour, Cindy spoke with the younger ones about her salvation and the power of prayer. Doug spoke to the older ones about his salvation, the Lord's path for his life and His perfect timing. We both spoke during the worship hour about the Lord's call on our lives, his mighty work this past year in our lives and the ministry He has made available to us in Ecuador. We concluded our time together with a potluck. We were greatly blessed and encouraged.

AMAZINGLY ~ There were so many connections with this church:

1. Generations of Tankersleys have attended this little country church ~ yet, it was our first time.
2. They are huge supporters of our mission board - OMS International, many OMS missionaries and missionaries that our church in Gibson City supports. (Dick & Lou Hohulin and Kent Eller)
3. They had a group from their church that teamed with a group from our church for a short term mission trip to Haiti two years ago.
4. We met Paul Jones, who was an integral part of a Penetration '79 church in Quito, Ecuador. Doug and I attended a church service there in March. If you remember our very first update ~ it was the church where we were greatly blessed. The Church of Bethal with a congregation of 100+. Praise the Lord for Paul Jones and the others that went before us to lay a foundation in Christ Jesus. Much fruit is evident in this church.

Our prayer requests this week are on behalf of these precious saints in Central Illinois. Join us as we pray for:
1. Holly as she is expecting and cramping at 30 weeks.
2. Bill P. as his heart has hardened due to the loss of his wife.
3. Chuck as he goes to the doctor on Thurs.
4. Brady B - a 6 year old diagnosed with leukemia.
5. Teresa - mother of 3, soon to be 4 and found she has a torn esophagus.
6. Pastor Tom as he is at a pastor's conference all week.
7. Candy has tests on Tuesday.
8. Bill's mom is still in hospital.
9. VBS planning
10. Fame Evangelical Church - that God will continue to use them in a mighty way.

These are all God's children who have asked us to pray. Thank you for standing in prayer with us.

Have a great week.
Blessings to you,
Doug and Cindy

Weekly Update 05/17/05

May 17, 2005

Dear Prayer Warriors,
Can you hear us singing? Okay ~ maybe it does sound a little more like shouting. None the less ~ we are praising the Lord!! So much goodness and grace has been showered upon us and we praise the Lord but we also thank you. God hears prayers!! God answers prayers!! We thank you for praying for us!!

Our praises begin:

1. A beautiful Mother's Day ~ both our mother's joined us for worship. What a blessing they are! A great weekend with Cindy's mom and a wonderful afternoon with Doug's mom.
2. We heard of a small upstairs apartment for rent. We went to check it out… 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, living room and kitchen. It's partially furnished (appliances, couch, chair, table, lamp and breakfast table) The rent is reasonable and there is no lease. The boys loved it!! They will learn much, living above someone else in town. We're sure it will prove to be a good transition to city life with 2.5 million people. Hee/hee!
3. All last week was spent preparing for the City-Wide Garage Sale on Saturday. We opened our house to church family and work friends on Monday and by Friday all the large items were gone. Saturday was another blessing as we had many buyers that lightened our load tremendously.
4. David ran in the State track meet on Saturday and placed 4th in the State in the 4x200m. (800 meter) relay. Hurray for David!!
5. We are now the parents of a teenager (maybe this should be on the prayer request) David turned 13 on May 16th. We are so thankful for him! He loves the Lord and seeks to honor him.
6. Our local FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) had a competition last week at the high school. The challenge was to all 8th hour classes: See who could raise the most money for the Tankersley's ministry in Ecuador. They made flyers with our prayer card and put them up all around school. One of the high schoolers met with Cindy to get information about the ministry in order to help their class obtain a substantial donation. In 4 days, the 8th hour classes at Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley High School raised $740.00 for our ministry. Cindy went over on Friday and spoke with a few of the 8th hour classes to thank them for their support and share about our ministry. It's truly AMAZING that all of this could be done in a public school. Cindy has also been invited to share at the last FCA meeting tomorrow morning.
   

The beginning of last week, satan tried to attack. We got some discouraging information from headquarters on our financials, as well as a call saying that we were unable to participate in the July cross training that we were planning to attend. We know God is in control and all of our faith is in HIM! If we weren't suppose to attend training in July ~ then we have to trust in God's perfect timing.

1. OMS called today and they have made special arrangements for us to attend the training in July. There wasn't enough room for us to stay in guest housing but a couple that have served 15 years in Ecuador offered for us to stay with them in their home on the OMS campus. God works through His people!
2. We had to have several tests in order to sell our house. Septic, being the one that was concerning to us as our house is 26 years old. IT PASSED!!

We have so much to be thankful for, including prayer warriors that stand in prayer for us.

This week we are preparing to speak at Fame Evangelical Church in Moweaqua on Sunday. Please pray that the Lord would prepare our hearts and go before us as we share of His call on our lives and the support we need in order to go to Ecuador. Cindy is also wrapping up another school year and would like to finish well.

As you pray for us, we are praying for you! Have a great week!

Blessings to you,
Doug and Cindy

Weekly Update (05/06/05) & MFMI Prayer Initiative in ECUADOR

May 9, 2004

Dear Prayer Warriors~

Below is an email that arrived on Saturday night. After we read it, we received another confirmation of our call to Ecuador. The confirmation turned to blessing as we were so thankful that God is allowing us to be a part of His work. The blessing was humbling as we can't believe that God would call us to be a part of His mighty work in Ecuador. We hold to the scripture found in Ephesians 2:10, "We are God's workmanship, created in Christ to do His work that He planned beforehand that we should do." This email has also challenged us to accept the invitations that Jerry gives to us in his email below.

Invitation #1 - Prayer Manual
Remember, when we were praising the Lord for our ABF Bible study on Prayer ~ guess what? We began invitation #1 four weeks ago.

Invitation #2 - adopting a church
Doug will be working with the central district churches. There are 13 churches in the central district. We met and prayed for five of them while we were in Quito. It's amazing to see God orchestrating events right before our very eyes.

Invitation #3 - District Prayer Leader
Our ABF prayed for a leader to rise up from the GCBC.

We can't explain it ~ but we are assured that it's GOD! May you be blessed and challenged as we were!

Blessings to You!
Doug & Cindy

-----Original Message-----
From: Jerry Mattocks
Sent: Saturday, May 07, 2005 9:27 AM
To: "Undisclosed-Recipient
Subject: The MFMI Prayer Initiative in ECUADOR

The MFMI Prayer Initiative in ECUADOR

Assisting those who DO pray for Ecuador
Enlisting those who WILL pray for Ecuador.

Operation Saturation in Haiti has been MFMI’s main project over the last five years. In addition to saturating Haiti with the Gospel through fixed-tuned, solar powered radios, Haiti has also been saturated with Tactical and Strategic prayer. God is moving in powerful ways in Haiti through the prayers of His people.

MFMI believes that God is asking us to implement the principles of tactical/strategic spiritual warfare prayer learned in Haiti in all the OMS countries. The plan for 2005 is to continue the prayer initiative in Haiti and target four additional countries. Ecuador is one of those four targeted countries. (The others are, Japan, Mozambique and Spain).

In April I accompanied an intercessory prayer team to Saraguro. As we visited and prayed with missionaries and national leaders from Guayaquil to Saraguro, I was encouraged and challenged by the universal acceptance and hunger for prayer support. I believe that only as we prevail against Satan’s strongholds in Ecuador, can the Gospel message be clearly heard and understood.

You have been receiving the Prayer Digest and faithfully praying for Ecuador and its needs. I THANK YOU!!! Keep Praying for Ecuador and remember that God is Sovereign, Satan is limited and God answers prayer! As the Ecuador prayer champion, I’d like to extend three invitations for you to become more involved in the Prayer Initiative. Please ask God how he would direct you to respond.

INVITATION #1: READ THE "LAYMAN’S GUIDE FOR SPIRITUAL WARFARE"

1. This manual documents the Prayer Strategy that was formulated by experience in Haiti and is being applied in Ecuador and beyond. Personally, It has challenged me to become more intentional in my own prayer life.
2. Available from MFMI Greenwood, contact: Dick McLeish, MFMI Prayer Director at: 317-881-6752

INVITATION #2: ADOPT A CHURCH

1. The AIEE (Associacion de Iglesias Evangelicas Ecuatorianas) has 91 member churches in five districts throughout Ecuador. These Evangelical churches are the fruit of OMS and ECC ministries, and many of the pastors are graduates of the OMS Seminaries in Guayaquil and Cuenca. The vision for the Ecuador Prayer Initiative includes enrolling prayer partners* for each of the Association churches. Partners* will "adopt" a church, and commit to pray for its pastor, congregation and ministry. Partners* can be a Church, MFM Council, cell group, Sunday School Class, family or etc.
2. (*Partner is minimum of three persons -. I.e. Moses, Aaron & Hur in Exodus 17 and prayer manual p. 1-14 )
3. Is God calling you to adopt an Ecuadorian Church and partner with them in prayer? Contact me for information so you can begin immediately.

INVITATION #3: Become a DISTRICT PRAYER LEADER

• The AIEE has five administrative districts that cover the entire country.

1. North Coastal – Costa Norte
2. South Coastal – Costa Sur
3. Central - Central
4. Southern - Austral
5. Eastern - Oriental

• To facilitate information flow, the Ecuador Prayer Initiative needs a DISTRICT PRAYER LEADER for each of these districts who will:

1. Visit Ecuador, survey their district and claim it for Christ.
2. Recruit intercessors and organize them into cells to pray for specific needs in each district.
3. Communicate warfare prayer information received from Ecuador to the prayer cells.

• If you feel God might be challenging you to be involved as a District Prayer Leader, please contact me for more information.
  
  THE THREE INVITATIONS ABOVE ARE BEING SENT TO EVERYONE, ARE THEY MEANT FOR YOU?

Please talk to God about it and respond according to His will.
Thanks for praying for Ecuador
Jerry Mattocks ,
Ecuador Prayer Champion

Weekly Update 05/02/05

May 2, 2005

Dear Prayer Warriors,
Amazing ~ This word has been repeated over and over again this week in our lives. God is AMAZING!! This week, we've been amazed at how God has spoken to people before we have. It's amazing to see His people being obedient on our behalves ~ but what's more amazing is that it isn't about us at all!! It's all about HIM!! His purposes in Gibson City and the world. We thank each of you for your participation in what God has led you to do ~ we are blessed by your obedience!!

Our praises begin as we thank the Lord for:

1. Konstruction Kids and their excitement for missions. Their financial giving to Guatemala this year was $1,002.00. Their prayer support continues.
2. Our opportunity to share with Restoration Christian Church in Bloomington. IT WAS AMAZING! We also had a dear Christian Brother attend with us.
3. The two adults that accepted Christ at Restoration Christian Church on Sunday night.
4. Friends in Christ who encourage us and care about us.
5. 20% of our required funds have been received, and are ready for ministry.

Our prayers begin as we ask the Lord to:

1. Encourage these new believers at Restoration Christian and their congregation. Bring people into their lives to disciple them.
2. Restore our health as Doug has been fighting a cold and fatigue, and Cindy is suffering from headaches.
3. Continue to go before us and open doors for us to share about His AMAZING grace.
4. Bless our mothers.
5. We have so much to do, it can be very overwhelming. But the Lord has been speaking to us through this passage: Isa. 41:13 ~ "For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, "Fear not, I will help you."

Have a joyful week. As you pray for us, we are praying for you!

Blessings to you!
Doug and Cindy

Weekly Update 04/25/05

April 25, 2005 (Revised)

Dear Prayer Warriors,

We recently received a reminder that we had not provided an update regarding Doug's sharing with his co-workers during the lunch hour last Tuesday (04/19) at State Farm. Doug had previously sent out a "Lunch & Discovery" invite to the roughly 125 employees in his particular building. They were invited to bring their lunch and hear about our recent Prayer Trip, see slides of Quito, Ecuador and surrounding areas. About 25 or so attended, and for most, this was the first time they have ever been exposed to missions. Those that attended continue to ask questions, and it provides Doug with excellent opportunities to share about our call to serve the Lord in Ecuador.

Blessings to You!
Doug & Cindy

-----Original Message-----
From: Doug & Cindy Tankersley
Sent: Monday, April 25, 2005 8:36 PM
Subject: Weekly Update

April 25,

Dear Prayers Warriors,

It's been a great week!! Your prayers have been felt as it should have been an exhausting week but the Lord has given us strength and stamina. These are truly amazing times. Our praises begin with:

1. David doing very well with his braces. He was sore for a couple of days but it didn't slow him down.
2. We signed a contract on Wednesday to sell our house. This Christian New Jersey couple is such a blessing!
3. Opportunity to pray with a co-worker.
4. ABF Bible study on prayer ~ WOW!
5. Participation in a 1 year celebration at the Restoration Christian Church on Sunday evening. (Bilingual church in Bloomington)

As we prepare for the week, we need God's leading in:

1. Our final week with Konstruction Kids ~ Wednesday night mission project.
2. Our preparations to present our calling and prayer trip to the Restoration Christian Church next Sunday evening. It will be interpreted.
3. Our ABF Bible Study on prayer.
4. The need for a home to rent.

Our financial support is coming in. Again ~ it's amazing to watch God work. Many of you are praying specifically for our funds to come in. They are being answered! We are 18.5% funded. We rejoice and trust in the ministry of support raising.

This week, the Lord touched Cindy's heart with something very special ~ she hasn't felt as though she was leaving Gibson City. This lack of "mourning" or feeling sad concerned her to some degree. She knew in her head that she is leaving soon and with all the things that remind her daily of her leaving, she has never felt a void coming on. Assurance came this week when she realized that she doesn't feel like she is leaving because she is taking so many of you with us. Thank you so much for your partnership.

As you pray for us, we pray for you! Please don't ever hesitate to reply to these emails and share your praises and prayers with us.

Blessings to you,
Doug and Cindy

Weekly Update 04/17/05

April 17,

Dear Prayer Warriors

Let us be the first to testify that the Lord is hearing your prayers. We have been so blessed this week. Our praises begin:

1. We shared with the FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) this past Sunday evening. The 12 teens listened attentively. Later in the week, we heard that the HS leaders had met and agreed to take us on as prayer partners and hold a bake sale in which the proceeds would go to our ministry. GO TEENS!!!
2. Tuesday night Cindy attended a Premiere Jewelry party. The Christian consultant felt the Lord leading her to start this business with a mission vision. Part of her profits will be used to partner in our ministry. The company itself is founded on biblical principals and supports missions.
3. On Thursday afternoon, Cindy had the opportunity to share with her co-workers. Many received clarity to her calling.
4. Saturday morning was spent with a New Jersey couple interested in buying our house ~ A totally God orchestrated event!
5. Sunday morning we began teaching a class on Intercession Prayer - 13 participants (so far)
6. Tonight was a special reflection as we shared our prayer trip to Quito with our church family. God is so FAITHFUL!!!!

As we look forward to the week… We pray that the Lord would:

1. Go before Doug as he shares with his co-workers on Tuesday beginning at 11:30
2. Guide us in the selling of our house.
3. Be with David as he gets his braces on his teeth. Tuesday
4. Heal Maggie Bruehl ~ Campus Crusade of Christ, from cancer in her spine.
5. Be present at three Premiere Jewelry parties this week.

Have a great week!
Blessings to you,
Doug and Cindy

PS - For many of you ~ this is your first update from us. It happens to be our 4th update. We apologize to you but we didn't have our "prayer warriors" contact list updated on this computer. If you would like the previous 3 updates, just let us know. We'd be happy to share as it's proof of God's goodness, faithfulness, and answers to your prayers.

Weekly Update 04/10/05

April 10

Hello Prayer Warriors,

If you are located in central Illinois, you know that we have enjoyed a beautiful Spring weekend. We rejoice that we have a SON that always shines!!

Our praises begin with the contacts that we've had this week. These were special times as we shared about God's goodness and faithfulness in each other's lives. We can now look forward to what God will do with our partnerships that we've made for HIS glory.

1. Praise the Lord for our Wednesday night contact that at 50+ years old, they are excited to be involved in missions. Hallelujah!!
2. Praise the Lord for a fairly new believer who came Friday night to look at Doug's motorcycle - stayed for dinner and 3 hours of fellowship. He said that was the best dinner he's had in a long time. (Not Cindy's cooking ~ He was spiritual fed and we were encouraged!)
3. Praise the Lord for Jonathan as he has been witnessing to the kids in his neighborhood.

On Thursday, Cindy will share with her colleagues at GCMS Elementary about her call to missions and ministry in Ecuador. Her principal is one our ministry partners and we are so thankful for that.

1. Pray for hearts to be opened
2. Pray for satan to be bound during that time.

We will join with our Quito prayer trip team and share about that trip Sunday evening, April 17th at GCBC (6pm).

1. Please pray for Kent Eller as he will be traveling from IN.
2. Pray that the we can give an accurate testimony to the Lord's work in and while we were in Quito.

We are so thankful to have you standing in prayer for us. Please know that we pray for you also.

Have a great week!!
Blessings to you,
Doug and Cindy

Weekly Update 04/03/05

April 3, 2005

Dear Prayer Warriors,

Hope this finds you all enjoying this beautiful day that the Lord has made. I enjoy sitting at the computer on Sunday looking back on the week and rejoicing in all that God has done. Thank you so much for your willingness to join us.

Our praises begin with:

1. The restoration of strength that the Lord provided mid-week from our travels to Ecuador. We worked harder than we realized! Hee/hee.

2. We have a couple wanting a contract on our house contingent upon the selling of their house.
They really wanted an inspection. Many of you prayed for that inspector and his work. The Lord brough Scott Dalbey from Master Spec in Champaign. We haven't met him but we will as we found out that he is a Christian. God is already orchestrating something as our paths have now crossed!! His report was extremely favorable and for that we are grateful and sing our praises. We see the lawyer tomorrow to draw up the contract.

3. We met with a new couple in our church this afternoon for lunch. We shared about missions and our desires to serve Him. They are very interested in joining with us as financial partners. We look forward to how the Lord will work in this for His glory.

Prayers for the week:
1. We have created a 13 page packet about us, our call and our future ministry in Ecuador. We will be sending that out to the churches in Gibson City this week and surrounding communities next week. Please pray that the Lord will go before us preparing the hearts of those we will be speaking with.

2. We are scheduled to speak to our local FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) next Sunday. Please pray now that the Lord will prepare us and give us the words to speak.

Have a great week.
Blessings to you,
Cindy and Doug

Mucho Gracias (Weekly Update 03/27/05)

Dear Prayer Warriors,

If a picture is worth a 1000 words, then an experience is worth 1000 pictures. I apologize in advance for the lengthy email but there is no other way...

Your prayers were answered!! God showed His faithfulness over and over again while we were in Quito, Ecuador. He kept us safe and healthy. He watched over our children and the children of our team members. He bound our team with unity. We all arrived home with a deeper dedication for praying.

Our week was richly scheduled…We met with 4 of the 13 pastors that Doug will be working with. We attended two church services and visited the school where Cindy will teach. We met with the national director of Ecuador for OMS as well as the national director of ECC (Every Community for Christ). We met with 3 of 7 eXtreme Walkers. eXtreme Walkers is a pilot program through OMS for young men (20-30 yrs). After listening to each person/group share about God's faithfulness in their ministry as well as the vision they have, we prayed for their specifics requests.

What a privilege is was to partner with these people in prayer!!! Our culminating prayer opportunity was when we were asked to stand in front of a congregation of about 100. The pastor asked for different groups to come for prayer. First, he asked for those who needed healing, then for those that needed work and physical things, then he asked for those desiring to serve in the church and finally he asked for the leadership of the church. We anointed each individual with oil and prayed for them individually. The entire congregation formed a circle around the interior of the church and prayed for us. We were then greeted by each member. They love to hug and kiss!!! There aren't enough words to adequately describe this experience.

God prevailed over satan's attacks:
*Saturday - Our plane was hit by lightening during take off from Indy.
*Tuesday - Visited a church in a very dangerous area of Quito. We had to be locked inside the church
*Wednesday - Cindy accidentally drank some of the local water.
*Friday - 1 hour of extreme turbulence
*Daily - Many meals were local cuisine.

We celebrated our 18th anniversary in Quito - our team presented us with an Ecuadorian "staple" - 24 roses. This team was and will continue to be a huge support to us as we are on the field. We are so thankful for them and our prayer warriors. Your prayers were very evident this past week.

As you can see, we have many reasons to be thankful and rejoice in the goodness of our Lord and Savior.

This week, we will begin making contacts with those that may be interested in partnering with us in ministry. Our prayer request is that the Lord will go before us preparing the hearts of those He is calling. We see support raising as opportunities to share how the Lord changed our hearts and share of the mighty work that the Lord is doing in our lives. Please pray that we all we say and do would be pleasing to HIM.

Have a great week!

Blessings to you,
Doug and Cindy

Cindy and Kerrie enjoy Fresh fish

OMS Missionaries - Mike and Bonnie Shrode