Update 12/03/06 - Basurero

Dear Prayer Warriors,

In case you were wondering, "Basurero" is the Ecuadorian name and Spanish word for "dump", a place where our trash is deposited. (You can click on any photo to view an enlarged image.) This past Saturday, we were blessed with the opportunity to help serve the 2000 to 3000 people that attended this year's 10th annual Christmas party in the Zámbiza Dump. The party was sponsored by the Mission Organization called "Extreme Response". We were scheduled to hand out snacks and Christmas gifts, however we were asked to run one of 46 carnival game booths for the children (and adults). It was an awesome opportunity to help the children (and adults) fish for prizes. It did not take long to connect all 1440 little fish to the clothespin on the line of the wooden poles, as well as the pounds of candy. This activity reminded us of the verses found in Matthew and Mark, in which Jesus tells Peter and his brother Andrew: "Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." Teams and volunteers came from many countries throughout the world to help with this ministry. It was great to see so many volunteers for many mission organizations and churches, all working together. We were blessed to have Mike Dragon join our family and help in the dump. Mike is a missionary with OMS visiting from the states here on other business, but willingly offered to help.

It was wonderful to see the children's smiles, as well as their parents. For many of those that attended, this is the only Christmas that they will receive or celebrate this year. In addition to the 46 carnival games that were offered, there were evangelists on hand sharing the Good News and eternal Hope of Jesus Christ.

There were also evangelistic movies being showed, and a Spanish-speaking Santa that the children could sit on his lap and have their photos taken with their family. Kids also had the opportunity to make crafts and enjoy live entertainment. At the end of the game activities, each attendee received lunch, a gift of for the adults, and astaple food items children's gift bag.

This was the largest ministry event that we have ever participated in, and was well organized. We can't begin to tell you how thankful we are for your prayer and financial support. For without you, we could not be here. It is such a blessing to serve the people of Ecuador in the name of Jesus, and to know that you are all an instrumental part of everything we do. THANK YOU!

With Christmas season now upon us, we have received some requests for our "snail mail" address. Our address is:

OMS International

Doug & Cindy Tankersley

CCNU Casilla 17-11-4860

Quito, Ecuador S.A.

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Blessings to You!

Doug & Cindy

(You can click on any photo below to view an enlarged image.)

Update 11/28/06

Dear Prayer Warriors,

As the special focus on Thanksgiving seems to fade into the Christmas hustle and bustle, we continue to be very thankful for so many things. Your prayers are at the top of our list! We feel answered prayers everyday!

Thank you so much for praying for Gerry Carnill and his family. We received news today that he was released after paying a sizable fine. We're not exactly sure how much the fine was, even though he was not at fault. But he is out, and we contribute his release to all the prayers being answered!! There were also two other accidents last weekend. One of the accidents was a head-on collision between two Ecuadorians. One of their cars slid into a missionary car. As the other two drivers discussed the game plan, the missionary was taken to jail and is still there today. Please pray for Mr. Bear!

Thanksgiving Day was quite unusual as Cindy and the boys attended school for a half-day. Cindy was finally able to see Isabel since school has started. We spent the afternoon with Isabel, and met her children for the first time. What a blessing! On Friday, we had the traditional Thanksgiving with our OMS Quito family at the guest house. We ate turkey with all the trimmings and had a wonderful time of fellowship.

This Saturday, our family plans to participate all day in the 10th annual Christmas party in Quito's city dump (Zambiza). We are scheduled to hand out snacks and Christmas gifts, and love on these precious people. This includes serving the people that live in the dump, and those that come to pillage through the trash in an attempt to survive each day. They are expecting attendance near 2000. Teams and volunteers are coming from all over to help with this ministry. When we first moved here, we introduced you to Alex and his sister. They stop by our house each trash day to pick up our recyclables and we provide a little treat. Recycling is how they make their living. The people that live in or near the dump, get the "leftovers" as they can't come into the city for varies reasons. We would greatly appreciate your prayers this Saturday. We also hope to have some photos to share in our next update.

We are currently looking for another place to live as our blessing of "house sitting" will come to an end on January 23rd. Please pray as we seek to be where God wants us. Our prayer is that we will be located where we can minister to those that live around us.

The last round of presidential elections were held this past Sunday. Raphael Correa will be the new president of Ecuador effective Jan. 15. This causes concerns for many Americans living in Ecuador. Our prayers have been and continue to be that he will receive salvation and lead this country in the glory and honor of Jesus Christ.

As the busy time of Christmas is upon us, we pray that we will all remember the true reason for the Christmas season. We are so very thankful that "...God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son (Jesus), so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16 NLT).

Blessings to You!
Doug & Cindy

Update 11/05/06

Dear Prayer Warriors,

"How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you." 1 Thessalonians 3:9

WE GOT IT!! WE GOT IT!! Actually, Doug got it. After four months, and tons of red tape (lots of learning for us), Doug has obtained an Ecuadorian driver's license. We praise the Lord for going before us. From blood work, to 4:30 in the morning taxi rides, to legal representation, to house rental contracts, to photo copies with notaries and more copies, to waiting in long lines ~ well, Doug can legally drive in Ecuador. Thank you for your prayers! However, we ask that you continue your prayers for safety as he is driving in this chaotic city. (You can click on any photo below, to view an enlarged image.)

As we continue to transition and adjust to another culture, another language, and a ministry that the Lord has prepared for us, we can only trust in God's calling on our lives. The transition, adjustment, and language learning seem mundane and routine and we feel that we can not report all that God is doing because we really don't know. So, we trust in His plan and call on our lives, knowing that He is always at work, always preparing His people for His will and using those with willing and obedient hearts, even though we may not be able to see it.

October was filled with many blessings and answered prayers. Our family has been safe and healthy, which is always one of our primary concern in Quito. We celebrated Cindy's birthday at the beginning of the month and went to the top of a mountain to look over the city. What a burden to look out and think that 97% of the population doesn't know Jesus in a personal way. For Cindy's birthday, we were also surprised to receive a visit from our language instructor and his family. They had brought a cake complete with candles. The following weekend, we attended a retreat for the staff of the Alliance Academy. We were blessed by getting to know our fellow workers and the call that the Lord has put on their lives. During the retreat, we had the opportunity to experience our first Ecuadorian Earthquake, however it was only 4.1 on the Richter scale. No major damage, but it felt like sitting on a boat as is crossed the waves of another boat.

Our OMS-Quito family has increased. We welcomed a young family from New Jersey: BJ and Andi Williamson along with their 6 month old, Elijah. They are working with an OMS Extreme Walker named Kalan who also recently arrived. We look forward to how the Lord will use this OMS-Quito team for His glory. We plan to begin our weekly OMS-Quito prayer meetings very soon. Please pray as we build new relationships and minister to one another.

We have been able to visit a few of the churches that Doug will be working with, and now that he has a license, we may be able to begin to expand our visits to the churches outside the city. A couple from one of the churches invited us to their school and ministry that the Lord has laid on their hearts. They are trying to provide a Christian Education to 20+ poverty stricken children. The language is still a huge barrier to our communication. Please pray for our learning.

Please pray for our upcoming presidential elections in Ecuador and the USA. In Ecuador, we are down to two candidates. Please pray that the right man will be selected, and that they would truely have a heart for the people's best interests. If our God can make a donkey talk, He can change the hearts of these men.

The boys have completed their first quarter of school and continue to do very well. David finished well in his soccer season. He was one of two players that received the Ideal team award during their tournament. His soccer season is over, but he has been requested to begin practicing with the varsity team to gain more experience. Jonathan has joined band, playing the clarinet and hoping to eventually play the saxophone. After three weeks, he can play Mary Had A Little Lamb and is beginning to work on Christmas songs. Jonathan is also continuing to work on improving his skateboarding skills. David and Jonathan are both involved in a CSO (Christian Service Outreach). David is working on the pre-surgery floor of a children's hospital ministering to kids and their families. Cindy and Jonathan are involved in the only English outreach ~ AWANA.

Blessings to You!
Doug & Cindy

Update 09/24/06

Dear Prayer Warriors,

"...Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have..." 1 Peter 3:15

September has flown by as we have all adjusted to the "Back to School" routine. The Lord is Good and we have much to testify about!!

Cindy is enjoying her 1st grade class and the many new experiences teaching in a multicultural environment. David made the JV soccer (futbol) team and has made 10 goals & 6 assists in five games. Jonathan is excited about beginning band and possibly playing the saxophone. Jonathan is also eating and breathing skateboards. He had virtually worn out his "board" that he brought from the states, but a $20 board sells for around $100 here. Needless to say, he'll be continuing to use what he has. Both the boys are adjusting very well to their new school, making many friends and finding their place in this big city. Doug has been reigned as the "Spanish" leader of the household as he continues to study each morning and works with his tutor each afternoon.... but he has a long way to go. Please pray that Doug will be able to retain what he is taught, and become fluent quickly. Thank you so much for your prayers for our family. They are very evident!! Other than the typical beginning of the school year colds, we have been very healthy and have been kept safe. Thanks to a healthier diet, between all of us we have shed about 40 or so pounds.

This weekend, we were blessed to participate and witness all that God did through the Franklin Graham Crusade in Quito - called "Festival de Esperanza" which means Festival of Hope. We were also blessed to worship to the singing of Marcos Witt. We attended Friday night's service where Dr. Graham delivered a powerful evangelistic message, and we praised the Lord as 5,000 or more people came forward to give their life to Christ. Reports from Saturday night's service indicated that the stadium was again packed with 50,000+ people. Many more came forward on Saturday. It was wonderful to see so many people willing to take a step of faith. We saw first hand, the monumental need that exists for discipleship and a home church for these 10,000+ people that gave their life to Christ. Please pray for those that came forward.

This coming week at the Alliance Academy, we have a Spiritual Emphasis Week in the elementary school. We have a team here from the state of Washington to present the program each day. Please pray for their health and safety while they are here. Many of our student's are Christians and need to be encouraged and challenged in their faith. Due to the changing status of the Alliance Academy to an International School, we also have a growing population of unbelievers. We see this as a wonderful opportunity to not only reach these students, but also their families who work in business, diplomatic, and embassy roles from around the world. Cindy has a student in her class that been uninterested in paying attention to the daily bible stories, until this past week. This week he shared with the class that his dad didn't like Jesus or the bible. Cindy told him that we would pray for him. Then he confessed that his mom and sister didn't like Jesus or the bible either. Please pray that this week will touch the lives of many children including this little fellow in Cindy's class, and will also have an impact on their families as well.

Some of you have been wondering if we have been able to get our Driver's Licenses. After three attempts with an Ecuadorian lawyer, Doug has still been unable. Each time it is for a different reason. The first time (Aug 3) it was for not having a Censo which is an Ecuadorian identification card. Doug didn't have it, because the government doesn't have the paper to issue them. The lawyer then notified Doug during the week of Sept 11 that he had heard that a Censo was not needed to get a license, since they are currently not issuing them. So off to the station. After waiting in line, they discovered that you do have to have a special certificate that indicates you tried to get a Censo, so off to another office. The following day they waited in line only to discover that Ecuador now views a US driver's license as worthless, and in order to get a license he must complete a 34 hour driving school that cost $170. This is the school for those that have never driven a car. No exceptions, even though Doug has been driving for almost 27 years. This may not not seem like a big deal, except the entire course is in Spanish. We are now currently working on obtaining an international driving permit from the US that will be good for one year. We hope to receive these by the end of October.

For those of you who are contributing financially to this ministry, we thank you. For those who have committed to giving through a pledge card but don't know how to begin, you should send your first donation to:

OMS International
PO Box A
Greenwood, IN 46142
Indicate: “#802314” in the memo line

OMS will receipt your first donation and provide you with an additional envelope for your next donation. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us through email.

As we begin the ministries that the Lord has prepared for us, we realize that we are not the only ones that are eternally thankful for your support in this ministry. We see many people that have been touched already by your obedience and willingness to partner with us. THANK YOU!!!!

Blessings to You!
Doug & Cindy

Update 08/21/06

Dear Prayer Warriors,

We are so thankful for this opportunity you have given us to serve Jesus in Quito. As our transition continues, we are thankful for good health and God's safety provision over our family. We contribute everything good in our lives, to God's wonderful grace in answering your prayers. We hope you realize how important you are to this ministry and how much we appreciate your commitment to us and the work the Lord has called us to.

Our daily Spanish lessons continue to occupy most of our time. Luis, our instructor decided it was time to take a "field trip" with him and his son. He took us to Saquisili which is a small town south of Quito near Latacunga. It gave us an opportunity to see some of the Ecuadorian culture outside Quito, and also provided us with the opportunity to practice our Spanish. Each week they host multiple markets and sell livestock on Thursdays. The people there work very hard to make a living. With approximately only 3.8% of Ecuadorians being evangelical Christians, they have little hope towards their eternity. Their only hope is to sell some goods or items each day so that they can survive day-to-day. We have included a few photos to give you a feel for what the markets were like. (You can click on any photo to view an enlarged image.)

The volcano "Tungurahua" erupted again the morning we left for the markets, destroying some villages. As we traveled, the sky was filled with ash, and we passed many vehicles going north that were covered with ash. Click the link for more news: http://news.google.com/nwshp?hl=en&tab=wn&q=Tungurahua.

Last Saturday, Luis invited us to spend the day with his family in South Quito (quite different from where we live in North Quito). We were invited to his mom's house for an incredible Ecuadorian meal: mote, frittatas, choclo, plantains, papas, and fruit juices. It was a day of Spanish and Ecuadorian culture!!

Two weeks ago, we also enlarged our family. Our newest addition is a Golden Retriever puppy named Sam. They sell dogs every Saturday under a bridge not too far from where we live. We're hoping that by the time we need to relocate a new house in January, he'll be big enough to protect it. He's quickly made friends with Shadow and Pancho (the cat), so leaving may be a difficult time for him. You'll notice in the photo that Sam is wearing a Superman cape that Jonathan created on his sewing machine...... Super Sam!

The 2006-2007 school year for the Alliance Academy begins August 31. New hire teachers report on August 25th for their first day. Cindy has been studying Spanish in the mornings and then walks down to school for afternoons of preparations. To date, she has 11 students: one from Hong-Kong, one from Korea, three from the USA, and six Ecuadorians. It is an exciting time for her as she begins her ministry here in Ecuador. We also met Jonathan's teacher who is originally from Danville, IL. She has served at the Alliance for 28+ years. Please pray for Cindy, David & Jonathan as they adapt to this new school, new friends, and new schedules. Doug will be continuing his daily language studies. Please pray for him in that he can retain and become proficient in this language quickly. He is unable to begin his ministry until he can communicate proficiently in Spanish.

We still do not have our Driver's Licenses. In the end of July we went to the office where we are all required to receive our "Censo" which is an Ecuadorian identification card. We were told that they would not be issuing any more Censos until the end of August. Apperently, they ran out of forms to print the Censos on, and they are waiting for more to be printed. Well, we can't get a Driver's License (which is an all day process in itself) without having a Censo. Just recently, we heard that the date for Censos has been extended out into September. When the forms do come in, there will be a huge backlog with individuals needing Censos.

The Franklin Graham Crusade will be in Quito on Sept 21, 22, 23. Please pray for this outreach and the effects it will have on eternity. There are many ways in which we can get involved. Our prayer is that a revival will come upon this city and spread like wild fires. As we go about our day, we see hundreds of people and our hearts break knowing that over 96% are going to hell because they don't know Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior.

American Airlines is running their fall sale. You can travel through April 23, 2007 but you must book your flights by August 25, 2006. Check it out as there may be a great time and price for you to visit us in Quito. Our Mom's are joining us during the Christmas holidays. HURRAY!!!

Blessings to You!
Doug & Cindy

Update 07/30/06

Dear Prayer Warriors,

On Friday, July 21, we had the opportunity to experience some REAL Ecuadorian culture when we were invited to ride on a Chiva, which is not a female goat as the Spanish dictionary would translate it to be. The Chiva is a double decked, open, & brightly colored bus with a loud speaker on the front and back which blares Spanish music as it transports you through the city. With a whistle in one hand and a balloon in the other, you make as much noise as you want. The bystanders are enlightened for the moment in the midst of their everyday business as they wave and cheer with you. We were celebrating the final day of the ministry team from Texas that came to work on the guest house.

Tuesday morning, we experienced the bus station for the first time as we made our 5+ hour journey to Pallatanga for OMS missionary retreat. What a beautiful camp in the quietness of the Andes Mountains. We spent five days with fellow OMS Ecuador missionaries and a team from North Ireland who came to minister to us during this time. The week was definitely a mountain top experience as we sang praises every morning and evening, had daily devotions, prayer time, preaching from Philippians twice a day, fellowship, and food. It was all done in ENGLISH!! Jonathan was thrilled to have the opportunity to catch bugs and to play with some very young puppies.David enjoyed finding a nice bundle of bananas during a hike to the area water falls.

Many thanks to Emmanuel Baptist Church from North Ireland that sent a team that blessed us greatly as they obeyed what God called them to do which was to minister to missionaries that have been ministering to others for the past year. With every song, every message, every activity, and the sweet fellowship, we couldn’t stop thinking of you and how you all could do the very same ministry that they did. We’re praying that God will touch the hearts of those that He wants to be at next year’s retreat July 31 – August 4. Check your calendars as it may be YOU!!

We have a vehicle but no license to drive it. We should be getting our license, but it is a rather lengthy/complicated process, so it may be a while before we get to actually drive. We also have to take a written test in Spanish. We bought this vehicle from another OMS missionary leaving for Home Assignment. It was simple and blessed both parties. Doug is thrilled as he now has something to tinker with…. he just can’t drive it.

Cindy has been to the Alliance Academy and will begin preparing for the 2006-2007 school year this week. August 25th is the first day for new hires and the boys will begin on August 31st.

We are especially thankful for a couple from Forrest, Illinois who are bringing one of our suitcases when they land in Quito for a short-term ministry trip in southern Ecuador.

Thank you so much for your continued prayer support.

Blessings to You!
Doug & Cindy

Update 07/23/06

Dear Prayer Warriors,

During this update, we would like to introduce you to some of the people that the Lord has put into our lives. As we visit with these individuals, the verse from 1 Thes. 3:12 comes to mind: “May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.” Please pray for us as we build relationships and minister to one another.

The Chambers

Together we make up the OMS Quito team. The Chambers run the OMS guest house. This 17 bed, recently renovated guest house is available to guests and teams staying in the Quito area. This past week, they hosted their first "official" team of 15 from Texas. Since our arrival, they have taken us under their wing and have made our transition so easy. We have bonded quickly and with kindred spirits, we look forward to how the Lord will utilize our Quito team. We can't begin to imagine what it would be like to be here without them. We will begin attending churches throughout the Quito area. When Doug begins working with the national pastors, we will have information on the needs within these local churches. Working with MFMI and The Chambers, the needs will be filled with teams coming through MFMI and staying with the Chambers at the guest house. Isn't God amazing?

Isabel

A Christian Ecuadorian woman with a heart of service to missionaries. She has served missionaries for the past 15 years as house help, a very common practice in Ecuador. When we agreed to house sit, we also agreed to keep Isabel working. We soon found out that we were her only means of support as the family she served for 15 years went back to the states with no plans to return. We have recently found her another missionary home to work in beginning in August and last week we made it possible for her to talk with the family of 15 years via our computer. The Lord has been so gracious to put her into our lives. If it were not for her, we would not have electricity, water, and phone, and we would have been evicted because she is the one that knows where to pay the bills in this cash society. Isabel is married with two children. She spends an hour traveling each way on a bus to come to work. Please pray for Isabel.

Luís

We spend three hours every morning with Luis, our Spanish instructor. An Ecuadorian babe in Christ. As we learn the language, we are also learning much about the Ecuadorian culture and people through Luís' stories of family and friends. He has a wife and two sons. Last year, Luís tutored a family across the street, parked his car in the street, and it was stolen in 10 minutes. We now have him park his car within our locking gate/carport.

Brother & Sister

We met the boy during our first night in Ecuador. He came to the guest house looking for food. Kelly graciously packed him up a little bag of goodies and sent him on his way. A few days later, we saw the boy going through the trash, as it is picked up on Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays. Thinking he was looking for food, we invited him to our house so that we too could make him up a little goodie bag. Come to find out, he and his 11 brothers & sisters go through the trash looking for paper and plastic to recycle which is their way of living. They all ride the bus two hours into the city on trash days. We have now partnered with him in saving our plastics and paper, so that he won't have to go through our trash. He has since brought his sister and two cousins (5 & 2 years old) for some goodies. Please pray that we would know how to best minister to this family.

Other excitement

On Saturday morning, we observed our first hit-and-run. It was about 7:30 in the morning when we heard a loud crash and screaming coming from the street that runs by our house. Apparently, a car going down our street slowed down to cross a speed bump, and the SUV behind him did not slow. The vehicle hit the car in front of them so hard that it forced the car to jump the curb, cross the sidewalk, and smash into a brick wall. The SUV that hit the car then sped off with his hood buckled up. We believe the driver of the car that was hit, proceeded to hop into another truck, and they sped off in attempt to catch the driver that fled the scene. The car that was hit, was so badly damaged that it had to be loaded on a flat-bed truck.

Next Week

We are heading out on Tuesday, July 25 for 5 days to OMS' retreat camp in Pallatanga. This is OMS-Ecuador's more informal annual meeting than the annual Field Council, which is held in January and is all business meetings. Some of us will be taking the bus to the camp which is around 6 hours south of here. This will be a great time for us to meet the other OMS-Ecuador missionaries and get to know them. There is also a team from Ireland coming to minister to us. We plan to pick up a vehicle during that time... although we are not too sure that we are interested in driving around this area. It is quite mind-boggling and dangerous.

Blessings to You!
Doug & Cindy