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

Update - Volcán Tungurahua

Dear Prayer Warriors,

Due to the recent inquires we have received regarding the news of the latest volcanic activity here in Ecuador, we wanted to send out a brief update to let you know what has been going on. It has indeed been in the news here. Beginning last Friday, the Tungurahua volcano spewed ash, gas and molten rock driving thousands of evacuated villagers into nearby schools and churches in search of refuge. Tungurahua is located about 80 or so miles south of Quito, and has been increasingly active since May. The images that we have seen on TV remind us of the images from Mt. St. Helen.

The eruptions have not effected us, however we may see results of the fallout next week when we travel south to OMS’ Camp Pallatanga for our annual retreat. If you would like to read more about the recent devastation, click on the following link and select your choice of news:

http://news.google.com/nwshp?hl=en&tab=wn&q=Tungurahua

We thank you for your prayers and concerns. According to the news, up to 100,000 people have lost their homes. They have lost their livestock and their land. Please pray for these people. They have worked so hard to obtain so little, and now it is gone.

Blessings to You!
Doug & Cindy

Update 07/14/06

Dear Prayer Warriors,

Thank you for your emails, calls via GoogleTalk, & attempts to send things. We feel so loved and supported. It does our hearts & days so good to hear your voices and read your emails. We thank the Lord everyday for you and your willingness to help us serve in Quito, Ecuador! We love it here!

We are settled in our new home but do not feel quite settled into this big city. We did venture out to the grocery store unescorted and via taxi. IT WORKED!! We did it! For those of you paying $3.00+ for gas, we paid $3.00 round trip for the taxi to go to the store. Worth every penny as he drove us to the door, we didn't have to pay to park, we didn't have to drive in the chaos or learn how to get there. The taxis were waiting outside the grocery store when we were done. He drove us home and helped unload the groceries. WHAT A WAY TO GO!!

Last Saturday, our family had the privilege of assisting a team from the church of Betel with removing the existing 6,000 square foot of roof from the OMS guest house. The guys all helped with the roof and Cindy helped Kelly in preparing an Ecuadorian meal for all the workers. She's getting the recipes for when you all come to visit. It was a beautiful time of bonding with our fellow missionaries, the Chambers. It felt so good to be helping again. After the roof was removed, the tar paper had to be removed which allowed tons of dirt to pour through the cracks in the ceiling. We actually spent more time cleaning the inside of the house, than removing the roof.

The past two Sundays we have attended church at the Iglesia Biblical Familiar, but we are finding it difficult to be fed spiritually when can't understand what they are saying ~ especially for our boys. However, we did get to see people stepping into the offering plate. No words were necessary to understand that these people were offering themselves completely to the Lord. For a change, tomorrow we plan to attend the English Fellowship Church which is English speaking. We pray that this will fill the voids that each one of us has, as our desire is to step into the offering plate everyday.

We started language training on Tuesday morning with Luis, our non-English speaking teacher. He will be tutoring us for 3-4 hours each morning for 5 days a week. Our first lesson went very well as we learned the alphabet, spelled words and listened for sounds. Our second lesson moved quite rapidly. It is amazing how much we are understanding when he is talking!!!! We listened to him for 3 hours on Thursday and again on Friday. Both days we were able to understand the majority of what he was saying. Praise God!!

Our afternoons this week have been filled with more bonding time with the Chambers Family as we attempt to paint 291 corrugated tile sheet for their roof (actually called "eternit"). It has been a great time of fellowship, while enjoying the beautiful, warm, but non-humid weather.

Blessings to You!
Doug & Cindy

Update 07/05/06

Dear Prayer Warriers,

We hope you had a wonderful 4th of July. It was definitely a different type of Independence Day for us. It was a typical day here in Ecuador, however, we were invited to the Chamber’s house for a cookout and dinner on their roof.



We did not see fireworks when it turned dark, however we had a wonderful view of Volcán Cayambe:






And Volcán Antisana
(hope we have these names correct).







Around 9:30 in the evening, some neighbors let off fireworks for someone's birthday. We were thrilled as we had a little taste of American celebration.

Blessings to You!
Doug & Cindy

Update 07/02/06 - From Ecuador!

Dear Prayer Warriors,

We have arrived in Quito, Ecuador! We wouldn't be here without you. Thank you for sending us. Sorry for not getting an update out earlier, and for not responding to the many emails that we have received. Our internet was just installed last night. This update will give you a brief idea of what we have experienced since our arrival.

Quito, Ecuador welcomed us with a weight loss program. Due to the summer embargo limitations, we had to shed 160 pounds of our "stuff" before we could board the plane in Chicago. The boys traveled very well and enjoyed the flights hoping for more turbulence.

Our first day was spent with fellow missionaries/ neighbors at the OMS quest house. We experienced some cultural things as we journeyed out to eat lunch (Taco Bell) and run some errands because we didn't have any keys to get into our new home. We did try a new fruit, the granadilla. Not the most eye appealing but had very good flavor.


Jonathan found out that there are scorpions here and spent most of the day looking for one. With no success, he made a plan B. Asking the street guard to help him find one. He memorized his request in Spanish and told the guard that he would like a scorpion and would pay 50 cents for one. He hasn't received one to date!

On Thursday, we went by the house again to see if the house help was around and thankfully, she was there. She let us in and showed us around our new home ~ complete with dog (Shadow) and cat (Pancho). We spent the afternoon unpacking our eight 50 pound bags. It didn't take long!!! This is more house than we will ever need. Please plan to visit during the next 7 months as we will have plenty of room for you. Quite a change from our upstairs apartment in Gibson City.

Next, off to the grocery store to stock the frig and cabinets. We cannot adequately express the feelings of incompetence that we felt walking up and down isles while being escorted by Kelly (OMS missionary). She had to drive us there. The grocery store is actually part of a mall in which you park in an underground parking. She had to explain everything! She had to read labels to us because we couldn't read them ourselves. We never thought that buying soap would be so mind boggling ~ we arrived home with 8 different bars and realized that not one of them was a deodorant soap. Not to mention the roads and hair-raising traffic to and from. Thankfully, we were not driving.

Friday we spent the day cleaning and listening to the different trucks going by selling things that we may need. The trucks selling propane gas rides up and down the streets beeping, the fruit trucks actually has a loud speaker (not that we would know what they were saying) and we have yet to catch a water truck.

Today - Sunday we attended the Family Bible Church (the actual name is in Spanish). It was a great service and the pastor spoke on tithes and offerings. No, it is not a bilingual service.... all in Spanish. Everyone was very friendly. After church we went out for lunch to a Mongolian restaurant with the other local missionaries and local OMS ECC coordinators. After the meal, the waitress all treated us to a complimentary Halls throat lozenge.... no reflection on the food. Each day, we are quickly reminded of just how much we have to learn. This week we are working towards figuring out how to pay the rent and telephone bill. We also hope to begin our language training very soon.

During our first 5 days, it has been easy to wonder if we are just in way over our heads. However, one passage that the pastor shared today, which spoke to us was: Philippians 4:13 & 19 - "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." and "And my God will meet all your needs according to his riches in Christ Jesus." What a wonderful reminder. We are here to serve Him, and He will provide, just as he has in the past.

Thank you for your prayers and support!

Blessings to You!
Doug & Cindy

Update 06/20/06 - One Week and Counting

Dear Prayer Warriors,

"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!" 1 John 3:1a

Have you ever really paid close attention to the punctuation in the NIV bible? Not a very interesting topical study! However, we noticed today of the exclamation mark. It dawned on us that we don't really see many exclamation marks in the bible. Cindy loves exclamation marks and uses them so much that they may even loose their effectiveness and purpose. In God's holy, infallible, Spirit-filled Word, He knew right where to put the exclamation mark!

Thank you for your prayers!
We have our Visas! Last Wednesday we went to the Consulate of Ecuador on Michigan Ave. in downtown Chicago. In a small waiting room with about 30+ Ecuadorians, we submitted our pile of paperwork to a non-English speaking woman and waited and waited and waited. Three hours later with no questions asked, we received all of our visas to stay in Ecuador for two years. We will have to renew them while we are in Ecuador. As we were walking down Michigan Ave, God lavished his love on us, when who should we pass.... but Pastor Santana and friends from Iglesia Cristiana de Restauración (Restoration Christian Church in Bloomington).

We have a home! It's official ~ we will be house-sitting for 7 months. This will provide us with additional time to gather household necessities and look for a place to rent. What a beautiful provision from the hand of God, and yet He lavished His love on us when in a city of 2.5 million people (where we are acquainted with one family), He has placed the backyard of our new home against the backyard of theirs.

We have good health! Cindy has been having what appeared to be gallbladder attacks for the past 3 weeks. She's been to the doctor 3 times and had a HIDA scan yesterday. The doctor reported today that Cindy's gallbladder is fine and is treating her for a small ulcer that should be completely healed in 8 weeks. Doug has been attacked with lower back pain ~ a chronic condition that flares up occasionally. God has lavished His love on us in that these conditions have not debilitated us or kept us from moving forward.

We have good Spiritual food! We leave on Thursday for the World Outreach Conference (OMS Mission Conference) in Marion, Indiana. We have received such encouragement, fellowship, and a hunger for God's business through this conference. Next to being with family and friends, we can think of no other way to spend our last few days that would give us such desire to serve in a land that God has prepared for us and prepared us for. (thank you Chad & Wendy for those words)

We have family & friends! In the midst of such chaos, God has lavished His love on us through our family & friends. It's been weeks since Cindy cooked a dinner at home. We have had so many wonderful opportunities to visit and spend time with those that we love the most.

We have support! On Father's Day evening, we attended church service at the Iglesia Cristiana de Restauración in Bloomington with Pastor Santana and family. The Lord led us to this church almost two years ago and we have considered it a "stepping stone" in ministry. However, every time we go to "minister", we have been "ministered" to. God has lavished His love on us through this church. They blessed us greatly with their prayers and love. We have learned so much from them. Isn't it amazing how when you go to bless and encourage others, the Lord somehow turns that around and ends up blessing you a hundred times more? God is Great!

We have a Home Church! Cindy can't even think about this without the tears flowing down her face. God has lavished His love on us through the mission of the Gibson City Bible Church:

• Worship that uplifts the Name of Jesus Christ:
• Teaching of the Word and equipping of believers;
• Fellowship and caring for the body; and
• Outreach in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

We have Prayer Warriors! A dear friend of ours shared this morning, Col. 4:2 which says: "Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ....". That verse is such a wonderful reminder to us of how faithful and devoted you have all been in praying for us. We know that there is no way that we would be leaving for Ecuador in one week, if you had not been praying for us. We would not be mentally or spiritually prepared; We would not have the required finances; Doors would not have been opened. We cannot thank you enough for your faithful and devoted prayers. You are true Prayer Warriors.

Just another reminder that if you are in the area, we would love to have you join us during our Commissioning Service this Sunday at the Gibson City Bible Church. The service will begin at 10:20am. with a potluck dinner to follow at approximately 11:30. The church is located on the west side of town on Rt.47, just north of the Rt.47 and Rt. 9 intersection. http://www.gibsoncitybible.org/missionary.htm
Directions :http://www.gibsoncitybible.org/directions.htm

Blessings to You!
Doug & Cindy

Three Weeks and Counting

Dear Barnabas,

No, we didn't make a mistake in the salutation. As we ponder God's goodness in bringing us to this point, we thank Him for all the Barnabas' He has put in our path…. especially, these past two years. God has used you in a mighty way to change our lives. Your encouragement has come in
many forms and our lives have been forever changed by your commitment to the Lord's work. We can't thank you enough for your willingness to help us as we prepare to serve in Ecuador, for encouraging us to be obedient, and for friendship that has impacted eternity. Thank you, Thank you for your prayers. They have been very evident.

We recently had a wonderful opportunity to meet Dr. Manuel and his wife, Nellie from Cuenca, Ecuador and in all places ~ Forrest, IL. Forrest is small town (1,124) approx. 20 minutes from Gibson City. I t's amazing how God orchestrates these events in our lives to allow us to hear how He is working in Ecuador. This medical doctor and his family ministers in small villages bringing physical and spiritual health.

We had another wonderful opportunity when we delivered a donated van to a missionary family from Ecuador. We will be working with this family when they return from their Home Missionary Assignment. The family that purchased our van heard of the transportation need and donated their van to this family. We were blessed by being the ones to deliver the van.

Our departure is three weeks away and we can't help feeling that the "Honeymoon" is over. This time of preparation has been such a beautifully blessed time in our lives and although it's exciting to anticipate what the next few months will bring, it is also very difficult to say goodbye to our family, friends, and ministries that He has graciously lavished on us here in the states.

Last Friday, Doug completed his last day at State Farm. D oug said goodbye to the many friends that he has come to know during his nine years of employment there. Many of his friends have shown interest in our future ministries in Ecuador by becoming partners with us, and others requested to be kept informed through email updates. As a part of his last day, a food day was held in his honor and he received a card signed by employees with a cash offering that has been collected. Doug was also surprised to discover that he was being treated to a 24oz. Porterhouse steak. He had always wondered if he could actually consume a steak like that…..we won't say how he did. Doug was especially touched when his boss refrained from giving the typical goodbye handshake, and prayed for him instead. Doug was very blessed to have management that was extremely supportive towards his leaving the company to pursue full-time missions service.

This weekend we head to Fort Wayne, IN to celebrate the Graduation of our nephew Derek. This will also provide us with the opportunity to visit with both of Doug's sisters and their families. Next Wednesday, June 14, we are planning to appear before the Ecuadorian Consulate in downtown Chicago. Please pray that the documents we present for authorization will be acceptable, and they will grant us our required Visas. On June 22, 23, & 24 we will be attending the OMS World Outreach Conference at Indiana Wesleyan University.

Just another reminder that if you are in the area, we would love to have you join us during our Commissioning Service at the Gibson City Bible Church on June 25. The service will begin at 10:20am. with a potluck dinner to follow at approximately 11:30. The church is located on the west side of town on Rt.47, just north of the Rt.47 and Rt. 9 intersection. http://www.gibsoncitybible.org/missionary.htm
Directions: http://www.gibsoncitybible.org/directions.htm

Please pray as the Lord prepares a place for a to live in Quito. We received word today that there might be an opportunity to house sit for 7 months very close to the Alliance Academy. This would give us time to look for our own place and furnishings. Who knows, maybe we can become professional house sitters for 4 years????

Blessings to You!
Doug & Cindy

Update 05/11/06

Dear Prayer Warriors,

"May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed." Psalm 20:4

We are full of praises this week!! Our praises began with finding airline tickets to Quito, Ecuador with 1 stop for under $500.00 each. Our date to depart is June 27th from Chicago.

Our praises continued when we received word from the Alliance Academy that Cindy will be teaching first grade. She would have praised the Lord for any position, but He knows the desires of her heart and He blessed immensely.

We praise the Lord for 14 wonderful years with our son, David celebrating his birthday on May 16 and who will also be graduating from the 8th grade on May 26th. He's looking forward to running in the state track meet, getting his braces off, and flying to Quito.

We are preparing to appear before the Ecuadorian Consulate in Chicago to get our visas. There are many requirements that we are currently working on, please pray for us as we fulfill all these requirements and schedule our appointment for appearance.

Please mark your calendars for Sunday, June 25th and click here for the linked invitation to you. We know you all can't make it, but please know how thankful we are for your support and we look forward to how the Lord will continue to use our partnership for His glory in Ecuador.

Blessings to You!
Doug & Cindy

Update 05/01/06

Dear Prayer Warriors,

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

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

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

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

We Praise the Lord for:

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

Please pray for:

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

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

Blessings to You!
Doug & Cindy

Update 04/14/06

Dear Prayer Warriors,

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

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

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

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

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

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

We give Praise for:

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

Please pray for:

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

Have a joyous Easter weekend.
Blessings to You!

Doug & Cindy

Update 03/11/06

Dear Prayer Warriors,

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

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

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

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

OMS International
Box A
Greenwood, IN 46142

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

Blessings to You!
Doug & Cindy

Update 02/23/06

Dear Prayer Warriors,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Blessings to You!
Doug & Cindy

Update 01/31/06

Hola Prayer Warriors,

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

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

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

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

Our prayer requests are:

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

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

Blessings to You!
Doug & Cindy

Update 01/09/06

Dear Prayer Warriors,

Happy New Year ~ 2006!!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

We hope you all have a wonderful week.

Blessings to You!
Doug & Cindy

Christmas Letter 2005

Merry Christmas!

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

• Christmas Letter
  
• Christmas Photo

We hope you all have a Blessed Christmas!

Christmas Blessings to You!
Doug & Cindy

Update 12/20/05

Dear Prayer Warriors,

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

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

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

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

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

Christmas Blessings to You!
Doug & Cindy

Answered Prayer 12/01/05

Dear Prayer Warriors,

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

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

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

Blessings to You!

Doug & Cindy

Update 11/23/05

Dear Prayer Warriors,

Happy

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

We have much to be thankful for!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Blessings to You!
Doug & Cindy

Update 11/06/05

Dear Prayer Warriors,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Have a great week.

Blessings to You!
Doug & Cindy

Update 10/25/05

Dear Prayer Warriors,

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

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

We left the service...

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

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

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

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

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

Blessings to You!

Doug & Cindy