Update 02/11/07

Dear Prayer Warriors:

Thank you so much for your support this past month. In the midst of Spanish lessons, teaching, basketball games, and more, we've spent the past couple of weeks getting our home organized and working through all the little quirks (cold showers for several days, our dog Sam living on the roof, etc.)

Our first OMS Field Council meetings went very well. It was a great time to learn all about the OMS Ecuador's work and plans for the future. During the meetings, Doug was appointed as the new Field Council Chairperson and will be leading this summer's Field Retreat and next spring's Field Council meetings. Is the Lord leading you to bring a team to Ecuador? If so, the OMS guest house is up and ready with the capacity of 24 guests.

David is doing well in school and is now co-captain and starting on the basketball team. It's been fun watching him score double digit points each game and he is averaging 19 points per game. He is now preparing for his first mission trip within the jungle. This is part of his Christian Service Outreach which is held every Wednesday night. He will leave on Saturday, February 17 and return on Tuesday, February 20th. They will work in a couple of villages doing VBS type programs and then travel down the river by canoe to another village to minister to the children. Please pray for his safety and for him to make an eternal difference in the lives that he touches.

Jonathan continues to make adjustments and the transitions are hard for him. We were hoping that the "new house" would help him feel like calling Ecuador his home. However, he continues to long for his home in Gibson City. Please pray that the Lord would change his heart and that he would realize the importance of obedience even when it makes us uncomfortable. Please also pray that he will be able to identify his role of ministry. We decided to get Jonathan out of the city and clean our lungs in Mindo. (They say it takes 5 hours to clean our lungs from what we breath everyday here in the city.) Mindo is two hours from Quito where you can cross a ravine in a crude looking open cable car 1750 feet above ground, to hike through the rainforest, swing from vines (ropes), jump from 40 foot cliffs (into the water below), visit butterfly gardens, and view waterfalls. What a blessing to spend some family time together. Check out our Blog for pictures ~ they are fantastic!!

Doug is eagerly anticipating his arrival in Gibson City on February 22. His schedule so far will be (updated 02/16):

• 02/24 - Gibson City Bible Church Missions Conference, 6 pm.
• 02/25 - Gibson City United Methodist Church, 8:45 am.
• 02/25 - Gibson City Bible Church Missions Conference, 10:20 am.
• 02/25 - Christian Bible Church in Cissna Park, 6:00 pm.
• 02/26 - Speak: Gibson City Bible Church Missions Conf., 6:45 pm.
• 02/28 - GCMS High School Fellowship of Christian Athl., 7:30 am.
• 02/28 - Gibson City Bible Church H.S. Youth Group, 7 pm.

Please pray for safe travels and a blessed time with family and friends. Pray that Doug can accurately testify to all that God has been doing since we've arrived in Quito.

Cindy has been greatly encouraged by the spiritual growth of one of her Korean students. Unlike the beginning of the year, Ryan is so excited to learn about the Bible and has even asked to pray for our lunch several times. Cindy also continues in a spiritually growing relationship with two Ecuadorian teachers. They are planning on meeting together for a bible study two days a week. Pray for Cindy as she will lead this study and seek opportunities to minister to these two ladies.

We also want to mention that we are blessed in how the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) from the Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley (GCMS) High School are working hard towards supporting our mission work here in Ecuador. They are planning to host a mini-camp, as well as motivational reinforcement to be held at the Gibson City Bible Church on Sunday, February 18 from 2-4 pm. They will have a guest speaker - Walt Ayers from Clayton, Ohio. Walt has been a coach and player, but his biggest claim to victory is his decision to accept Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. He now has victory over his life and cancer through Jesus Christ. He is a great motivational speaker, can talk to an audience at any level, bring a smile to someone's face, bring a tear to the eye, and motivate people to become better individuals. They will not be charging an admission fee, but will be collecting a love offering that will go towards supporting our mission work here in Ecuador. Some of the local businesses in Gibson City are helping to cover expenses for the guest speaker. Students and adults are welcome. We pray that you will consider attending this exciting event and help support the efforts of FCA.

Blessings to You!
Doug & Cindy

Update 01/13/07 - Happy New Year!

Happy New Year ~ 2007

Dear Prayer Warriors,

"They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness." Psalm 145:7

We have not only felt your prayers, but we have felt them in ABUNDANCE!!! Your outpouring support has been an overflowing abundance as well. Thank you so much for all the letters, pictures, and Christmas cards. We received many "extra" financial gifts as well ~ thank you for blessing us.

The time that we spent with our mothers was so precious and filled with good health, beautiful weather, and wonderful safety provisions ~ not to mention that they spoiled all of us rotten!!! We are grateful that our mothers were willing to step out of their comfort zones to spend time with us. We know it was a a bit stressful at times for them, but just the fact that they wanted to come and did come, means a great deal to us. We truly enjoyed our time with them, and the kids did too. Our mothers were able to see, smell, and taste what we experience everyday. It is now much more "real" to them, as we share what is going on.

Cindy's trip to Sao Paulo, Brazil was not at the best time (leaving a day before her Mom), but proved to be very beneficial in assisting her teaching in Christian Education. The three-day conference gave her an opportunity to meet teachers from South America teaching in Christian schools. God is doing amazing things all around the world and what a privilege it was to see and hear about all He is doing. The abundant blessing that Cindy received, was the desire to return to "little" Quito. Sao Paulo is approximately 25 million people. A city with a population larger than the entire country of Ecuador.

For those of you praying specifically for our new home ~ we found one!!! It happens to be three houses down from where we live now. It's a duplex with the landlords living below. We do have room for visitors!! We plan to move in sometime this week. We were originally scheduled to move in on Monday, January 15th. Cindy and the boys were scheduled to be in school, but the office of the President designated Monday, January 15 as a holiday in Quito due to the inauguration of President Elect Rafael Correa. However, today we received notice that the holiday has been cancelled and school will be held on Monday. The guest list for the inauguration includes the presidents from Iran, Venezuela, and Bolivia. Please be in prayer for our country.

The Alliance Academy is grieving the loss of one of their sophomore students. Giovanny was taking a shower on Thursday morning and was poisoned by carbon monoxide from a on-demand hot water unit called a "calefón". The high school population is approximately 150 students, and the entire school population is about 450. So you can understand how his death has affected everyone in one way or another. Please pray for Giovanny's family, as well as the staff and students at the Alliance Academy.

We will begin our annual OMS/Ecuador Field Council meetings on Tuesday night, beginning with supper and ending Saturday morning with breakfast. Please pray as we plan and prepare for what God will be doing this coming year. Pray for those that are traveling to Quito for the meetings.

Due to some surprisingly low prices in airfare and the need to raise the remaining 15% of our 5 year term, Doug will be returning to Gibson City, IL for the annual Missions Conference held at the Gibson City Bible Church on February 24-26. He will have a display and be able to share on what we have seen God doing in Quito Ecuador. If your church, small group, or missions committee would like him to visit, please let us know. He will arrive February 22 and return to Quito on March 4.

We pray that 2007 will be a year of abundant blessings in your lives. Thank you so much for sharing yourselves with us and being part of God's abundant blessings to us!

Finally, here are some sights that our Mom's had the opportunity to see:



________Alpacas ___________Patsy & Boys at 14,000 ft.


____Tradition Dancing__________Our Family with kids
_____at Equator________________collecting trash


Local Lunch Cusine



Blessings to You!

Doug & Cindy

Update 12/23/06 - Unexpected Miracles

Merry Christmas!!

Christmas has to be one of the most beautiful times of the year. When we were little, it was a beautiful time of excitement and anticipation believing that Santa would bring our most desired presents. As we grew a little older, it was a beautiful time of traditions and memories of Christmas past. As we celebrate each Christmas season, it is a beautiful time to know that God is a God of unexpected miracles. He is the same God today that He was when He sent His only Son to the world in a effort to bring to us the most indescribable gift. Our prayer is that you have received and accepted His most precious gift. God's gift was and continues to be an unexpected miracle and brings hope that unexpected miracles still exist today!

Our first round of Christmas cards were hand carried to the United States and mailed from OMS' headquarters (Mailing from Ecuador is not the most cost saving or secure way of sending our Christmas wishes). Inside the Christmas card, we sent a beautiful nativity scene ornament made out of the Tagua Nut from the tropical zones of Ecuador. However, despite wrapping these ornaments in bubble wrap and shipping them from Indiana, we have received many responses that they arrived in tiny pieces. We were extremely disappointed to hear of this and have decided not to attempt sending out any more. So here's a whole ornament for you:

This Christmas season, we have been busy handing out Navidades from our front gate. Navidades are small bags of goodies that people come by to receive during the week before Christmas. Kind of like extravagant "Trick or Treating". They come rain or shine, and despite very cool temperatures, you can see how one little girl was dressed. It has been a wonderful time of sharing and giving to these children that have so little.

We pray you all have a wonderful time of celebrating our Lord and Savior's birth.

Christmas Blessings to You!
Doug & Cindy

Update 12/17/06

Dear Prayer Warriors,

Our Christmas update is forthcoming, but we wanted to let you know of a few prayer requests. We eagerly awaiting the arrival of Cindy's mom, Patsy, on December 19 and Doug's mom, Janie, on December 28. Please pray for their safe arrival (bags, too), their health and safety while they are here, and a sweet time of fellowship. We are so thankful to have family here to celebrate the holidays - what a special blessing!

Cindy has also been given the opportunity to attend an ASCI Christian Education Conference in Sae Paulo, Brazil. She will leave on January 2 ( a day before her mom leaves) and will return on January 7. She will attend with her principal and two other teachers. The language is Portuguese and the currency is different. Please pray for her and the family while she is gone.

Blessings to You!
Doug & Cindy

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