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