Update 08/06/10

Dear Prayer Warriors,

Our last days in Ecuador were filled with much excitement. Cindy’s mom joined us for the final three weeks to celebrate David’s high school graduation activities and helped us prepare to return to the US. Cindy and the boys wrapped up another school year. Our farewells continued with our churches. We sold our car, dispersed the family pets to sitters, and set our sites for a year to the USA.
With only a couple of small glitches, we arrived in Gibson City on July 1. Our families (church, too) filled our cabinets with yummy American food and furnishings to get a house up and running and in no time we were settled into our cozy rental house. Our re-entry and transition can be described as being in a great fog between worlds. There has been some grieving of what we left behind, but also great joy in knowing what is ahead. Jonathan seems to be adjusting better than anyone. He is already thriving in the activities that he has longed for since our departure in 2006.

Many have asked what will we be doing for a year while we are in the States. During HMA (home ministry assignment) we will work on raising our support to return to Ecuador for another term (4 years in country, 1 year home). Doug plans to spend time preparing a Spanish sermon series on giving, as well as some additional general messages. We want to be very intentional about deepening our knowledge of God's Word since it has been very difficult to learn at this level in Spanish. Therefore, beginning August 22nd, we will begin attending a weekly study on the basics on Greek grammar and vocabulary. This will be held at the Gibson City Bible Church’s Drummer Creek Bible Institute. We also plan to attend as many family events possible and spend time renewing precious friendships as well as making new ones.

A going trend for many missionaries while on HMA is that their financial support levels begin to drop, as it is believed by many that they do not need the support while in the USA. Please pray that our support level would not drop during our time here in the states, and that we will be able to dedicate the majority of our time towards raising the additional support needed for us to return to Ecuador. If you have been a faithful ministry partner, please begin to pray about recommitting for another term. We are so thankful for our ministry team. We often recognize how incredibly blessed we are when many missionaries are greatly burdened with their lack of support.

We welcome any opportunity to share about our ministry in Ecuador as well as share about the great needs and how you can get involved through going, giving or praying. If your church, small group, or simply your family would like to know more about the ministries in Ecuador, please contact us at 217-784-2092.

David will head off to Greenville College on August 17 for soccer and freshman orientation. Jonathan will begin his freshman year at GCMS High School on August 24, and will begin football practice on August 11. Please pray for them during these transitional times.

We look forward to seeing you while we are in the USA.

Blessings to You!
Doug & Cindy

Update 05/26/10

Dear Prayer Warriors,

"(We) Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever!" (Psm. 107:1 amp)

Housing Needs

We must open this update, giving thanks for your prayers. In our last update, we asked for your prayers in locating a house to rent in Gibson City. The Lord answered our prayers when we received an email from a family in Forrest, Illinois. They do not know us, and we do not know them, however they heard from someone that we were in need of a house to rent. They contacted us and worked with our budget. We are very excited to now have a house to rent, with a yard, front porch, garage, and no bars on the windows! We are thrilled. The Lord is good!

Despedidas Continue

Since our last update, we have completed another five despedidas (formal saying goodbyes). The churches have been so generous in showing their appreciation for us with their many kind words and gifts. On May 16th, we had the privilege of participating in the cutting of the ribbon and inauguration service of the new church building in Sucre. It was a day filled with giving thanks, music, and huge meals consisting of the typical potatoes, cuy (guinea pig), choclo (corn) and homemade cheeses. This was also the date of David’s 18th birthday and he had the honor of having around 100 indigenous church members sing happy birthday to him.

Women's Retreat

Last weekend, 30+ ladies from the central district churches were treated to a 2 ½ day retreat held at the OMS Guesthouse here in Quito. This was a wonderful weekend for the ladies and for many, it was the first time they had ever attended or experienced anything like this. Activities included: crafts, bible teachings, counseling, praise & worship, Lord’s supper, talent show & tons of food and fun. Bonnie Shrode, Kelly Chambers and Cindy were in charge of leading and hosting, while Mike, Darryl and Doug ran things in the kitchen.

Soccer Season

The soccer season for this year has finally finished. Both David and Jonathan had good seasons and neither suffered an injury for which we are grateful. During the recent awards banquet, David received honors for Best Offense and MVP of varsity soccer team at the Alliance Academy again this year. David is planning to play soccer at Greenville College this fall and will be attending a soccer camp at Greenville in July.

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Mom's visit

Cindy's Mom - Patsy, will be arriving on June 9th and will be here to attend David's high school Baccalaureate and Graduation services. She will also be here to help with some various things around the house as we prepare to get ready to leave for furlough.

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David’s Senior Activities

This week, David has his Jr./Sr. Banquet (not called Prom here), Sr. trip to the coast at Mompiche on June 3 – 8, Sr. Open House and lunch on the 12th, Baccalaureate on the 13th, begins Ecuadorian driving school on the 14th, and has graduation on the 18th. He is excited about graduating and returning to the states, but knows that he is going to greatly miss his friends and this city.

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Upcoming Events

In addition to a couple more despedidas at churches to complete, home visits and meals, Alan Landes and his family from Indiana will be arriving on June 22. They will be helping Darryl and Kelly Chambers by managing the Guesthouse for a couple of weeks while the Chambers are out traveling with teams. Alan and Doug will also be working on final preparations as a team from his church will arrive here on July 6th. Alan and Doug will also be traveling to Latacunga on June 26th to share and encourage all of the new FLET theological students during their joint student meeting. Please begin praying for Alan, his family and team as they complete their final preparations before their arrival here.

Final Countdown

The time is spinning by and as we write this update, it is hard to believe that we will be back on U.S. soil in a little more than one month. As we complete our last month of service here in Ecuador for this term, we have a great deal to accomplish. We are busy making lists of what we need to pack, move, store, and complete prior to our departure. However we cannot complete the majority of the tasks until the last couple of weeks. Our last few weeks are also greatly packed with church activities, meetings, and graduation activities for David. This is going to be a very intense and stressful time. Please pray that we will be able to complete all of the tasks as needed before our departure.

(For Additional Photos, Click Here)

Blessings to You!

Doug & Cindy

Update 04/12/10

Dear Prayer Warriors,

Jehovah Jirah - The God Who Provides - "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." (James 1:17)

• Wedding Anniversay
We celebrated 23 years of marriage (with a meal of Sushi) on
March 21, and want to praise God for the gifts we have in each other. We are very blessed!

• Church Travels
Doug is continuing to progress along with all of the things that he needs to try to wrap up within his ministry prior to our leaving.

He continues with his visits to the central district churches to officially say goodbye for now, and is repeatedly touched by the small gifts, meals, special songs, and meals that he is receiving. However he still has 7 more churches to visit before we depart, and some additional meetings. He and Pastor Antonio have been busy in finalizing their central district church plans for 2011-2016 and had the opportunity to share these plans with the pastors last
Saturday. Doug is looking forward to sharing these plans with many of you this summer. This Wednesday, he will be flying to Guayaquil to attend a meeting between the OMS Field Committee and AIEE Church Association Committee. Please pray for unity and harmony within this meeting, and that Jesus Christ would be the only one glorified.

• Sucre Church - first Christian church
Things continue to progress with the construction of the new church building in Sucre. On March 25th, Doug had the opportunity to attend an evening church service in their almost completed building. It was wonderful to be worshiping in the only Christian church in the community. However, due to many years of religious traditions within Sucre, the majority of the
community would like to persecute the church rather than support it. Doug could feel the heavy oppression while there, and the church is not welcomed by the community. All during the service you could hear bells clanging, yelling and screaming, and many people in the streets. As he left to take some church members home, some of the residents were standing in the streets preferring to resist our exit. Please pray for the Christians in Sucre, for their safety, and for the hearts of the community to be softened. Doug heads back to Sucre on April 22 to deliver a pulpit, and again on May 16th for their formal church inauguration service.

• Surprise Visitors
We were provided with another opportunity to open our home again to Yiyoguaje family from the Cofan tribe of Zabalo for several days. As before, we were baffled at their willingness to

allow us to host them. Since they speak the Cofan language we felt quite limited in understanding their needs, desires, and ability to even communicate with them very well, but they feel comfortable and safe with us in the midst of the "city" jungle. The six of them also seemed quite comfortable sleeping in David's room on a queen bed and twin air bed mattress. Once again the Lord provided for this family through us. What a privilege it is to serve.

• Health Issues
During the month of March, Cindy battled with ongoing chest pain. After several appointments with doctors, a trip to ER and two EKG's, she found out that she is stressed. The Lord has provided healing but please pray that she would have wisdom and discernment with her commitments. It wouldn't hurt for her to learn the word, "NO". David's degenerative back disease has been flaring up these past couple of weeks. It has been painful, but doesn't seem to slow him down too much. He scored two more goals in soccer this afternoon. Please pray for his healing. Doug has been having dental work completed before our departure and he would appreciate your prayers during this "torturing" event.

• David's College Plans
David has made the decision to attend Greenville College in Greenville, IL. Thanks to a large sum of money from the school and federal government, David will be able to attend this small private Christian college and study criminal justice with a minor in youth ministry. There is good chance that he will be able to play soccer for them, and he has been receiving many calls from their coaches and players. We appreciate your prayers during this decision process. We are so thankful for how the Lord provided for his college needs.

• Women's Retreat
Bonnie, Kelly and Cindy will be hosting a 3-day women's retreat for our Central District churches at the OMS guesthouse on May 21, 22, & 23. Our theme is the "Fruit of the Spirit" and we are planning for 25-30+ women. Please pray for the preparations and the hearts of the women that the Lord will bring.

• Housing during our Furlough
When we were in need of housing in Quito, a city of 2.5 million, God provided a house in which the backyard was adjacent to the only family we knew. It was 8 blocks from school and it was furnished with everything we needed and more. We have no doubt that our faithful God, Jehovah Jirah will continue to provide for our housing needs. We would appreciate prayer for our need to locate a small, fairly maintenance free, and partially furnished house (meaning... stove, refrigerator, and washer/dryer if possible) in our hometown of Gibson City, IL. We plan to arrive in Gibson City around July 1st and will need the house for 1 year (if the Lord allows us to return to Ecuador by then).

• Scheduling in the USA
We are beginning to plan for our time in the states and schedule speaking events. If your church, small group, Sunday school class, or missions group would like us to share about our time in Ecuador, please contact us. We don't want to miss any opportunity to share of God's Amazing Work!

Blessings to You!
Doug & Cindy

Update 03/08/10

Dear Prayer Warriors,

Why is it when you are on a ride, screaming that you want to get off, they go faster? That is how we are feeling! We really don't want to "get off", we just want it to slow down a bit so that we can enjoy the ride. Please pray that we will persevere with wisdom and grace as we wrap-up our last 3 1/2 months here in Ecuador. We seem to be easily tired and stressed lately.

In February, Doug attended the annual national pastor assembly meetings, and also had the opportunity to help with church construction in Sucre. You may remember that Sucre is the small community where we had shared that they have recently received some persecutions in the area. However, they are continuing to move forward with new church construction, and we are looking forward to participating in their church dedication within the next month or so.



More photos of the church construction can he found by clicking here.

The boys are doing great! The Fall/Winter sport awards banquet brought awards for both: David received "Most Hustle" on the basketball court and Jonathan received "Best All Around" in volleyball. Both boys are now on the soccer field, however, they are not on the same team which means lots of bleacher time for us! Please continue to pray for them during the next 3 months. For David, as he relishes in each senior/annual event and as he makes the final decisions on college. Jonathan has been attending "skate" church. It has been a wonderful blessing for him. Pray that the Lord will use his leadership skills while he is attending this church.

Cindy has started her final Bible study on Heaven. It continues to be a beautiful privilege to teach God's word to these women. Please pray for her as she teaches on Wednesdays, and for someone to continue leading this group while she is gone on furlough. Her classroom continues to be a hub for mentoring teachers and praying with them. God has really grown this area in her life and she is so thankful for the close friendships she has developed over the past few years.

A small group of Ecuadorian pastors within the AAI have organized a three-session event utilizing the movie, Fireproof. In the first session we viewed the movie which was held on February 26. We appreciated your prayers as the invitations went out. We have received very encouraging feedback. One couple made the decision to divorce, however, after viewing the movie they have committed to the 40 day "Love Dare". The following 2 sessions will be group discussion, the first of which is this Friday, March 12. Please pray for these couples and pray for us as we help to encourage and support them.

The dangers of traveling continue to increase with traffic and uneducated drivers. One accident claimed 3 lives of a family of 4 from the Alliance Academy. The Landines family were Ecuadorian missionaries serving in southeast Asia. They had been home on furlough and had attended our school for the past 1 1/2 years. They left our school at the semester to return to their hometown to spend time with family before their return to Asia. On a weekend getaway, they were victims of a hit and run truck driver. The parents and their 8 year old son died in the accident leaving their 10 year old daughter, Alejandra. Please pray for her and the family. Please also remember to pray for us as we have much traveling to do in the months ahead. Pray for our 17-year old vehicle to run well and that Doug will be alert on the roads. Last weekend, we saw another deadly accident between a bus and the remains of a pickup as we traveled to Riobamba to meet with their church leaders, and this coming weekend we will be traveling to 5 churches for "despedidas" (saying farewell for now) as well as a special service for another group of church members that will begin their Theological (FLET) studies. Next week, Doug will be attending the Ecuador Field Council meeting, and the following week, we will be traveling to another church in the opposite direction.

This week we will begin attending a bible study course on the books of Hebrews and James that is being offered at the Alliance Academy. The course will run for nine Thursday evenings in March/April/May, for a total of eighteen hours of teaching and discussion. We are excited about the opportunity to attend bible teachings that will be offered in “English”.

In our last update, we reported that we have a couple to sublet our apartment here in Quito. We are so thankful that we do not have to add packing and storing all our belongings to our list of things to do. We would appreciate prayer for our need to locate a small, fairly maintenance free, and partially furnished house in our hometown of Gibson City, IL. We plan to arrive in Gibson City around July 1st and will need the house for 1 year (if the Lord allows us to return to Ecuador by then).

We are continually reminded of how blessed we have been to have had your support these past 3 1/2 years, and are reminded of the following verse: "From the fullness of His grace, we have all received one blessing after another." (John 1:12) Thank you for being such a vital part of our ministry!

Blessings to You!
Doug & Cindy

Update 01/26/10

Dear Prayer Warriors,

It has been a while since you received our last written update. Not because we haven’t had anything to share… just little time to share.

Some of the activities that have taken place since we last wrote include: attending national church association meetings in Cuenca and Guayaquil, multiple church visits and dinner invites, Central District Pastoral meetings, church anniversaries, preaching, Christmas concerts, basketball games, and a brief trip to the beach during the Christmas break.

Last week, we spent four days in our annual Field Council Meetings at our Camp Pallatanga. This is the meeting in which all of the different areas and ministries of OMS share what has been taking place over the past year as well as sharing plans for this year.

Two weeks ago we had the opportunity to attend an indigenous (Quechua) six-hour long wedding, in which we did not know the bride or groom. However, we were recognized multiple times and Doug was called forward to pray for the new couple. Later, he was called forward again and presented with a poncho as a reminder to pray for them (and the church) each time he wears the poncho.

This week Doug plans to visit churches in Riobamba and Sucre. Shortly before Christmas, one of our rural house churches in Sucre was broken into. A group broke in and threw everything out into the street, including the benches used for the church services, all items from the kitchen, and other personal belongings. This was definitely a move of opposition to the growing number of evangelical Christians that have been meeting there. On January 14, Doug had the opportunity to visit the church members to encourage them in their stance for Jesus. Doug was thrilled to see that the church had changed locations (houses) and had already begun building a church. Doug hopes to return in the next few days to help deliver some needed windows for the new church building. Please continue to lift up Pastor Rafael and the congregation as they face persecution. Ask the Lord for protection and wisdom as they make a bold stance for Christ in Sucre.

David has been busy with his basketball schedule, and Jonathan has begun attending a “Skate” church on Sunday afternoons. This is a ministry in which the theme of skateboarding is being used as an outreach to Ecuadorian youth. Spiritual Emphasis Week is February 8-12. One of Alliance Academy alums, Mateo Hess (Class of 1980), is bringing a ministry team for that week. Pray for them as they prepare. Pray for our student’s to be open and ready to respond as God leads.

We have been invited to assist in several marriage seminars targeting the parents of Alliance Academy first graders. The first seminar is February 26th. Please pray for Fabian & Levis Cortez (OMS national missionaries) as they prepare. Please pray for a good response to the invitation. Pray that couples would be receptive to biblical teachings on marriage.

Our preparations continue for our HMA (Home Ministry Assignment) beginning in July, 2010. We praise the Lord for providing a couple to house-sit our apartment while we are gone. We are also very thankful for the use of a vehicle, offered through Missionary Motors during our time in the states. Please pray for the financial aid needed for David’s college. As our time draws closer, we will keep you updated with additional needs during our time in the states.

As we close, we’ll share a quote that we read this week… “It isn’t our ministry, it’s His. It isn’t what we are doing for Him, but what He is doing through us.”

Thank you so much for your continued prayers for us. It is through your prayers… that we are enabled to see Jesus work through us.

Blessings to You!
Doug & Cindy

OMS International becomes: One Mission Society

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Dear Prayer Warriors,

We have some news to share....

OMS International becomes:

On January 5th, OMS launched a new name, tagline, logo and mission statement. These changes were designed to help One Mission Society better communicate what OMS has stood for since it’s inception in 1901 as The Oriental Missionary Society.

We are still OMS, but our name has changed to One Mission Society. Below you will see the new logo. For more than 100 years, OMS (formerly known as OMS International and The Oriental Missionary Society) has been united in one purpose…to see the Gospel of Jesus Christ spread throughout the world—to fulfill the Great Commission. This original purpose will not change, only the name.

One Mission Society continues to serve in more than 50 countries in partnership with national Christians to establish churches through evangelism, leadership training and other holistic ministries as they relate to and empower the ministry of the national church.

One Mission Society’s sole reason for existence as a mission organization remains steadfast―to see the Gospel of Jesus Christ spread throughout the world and to see God glorified in all that is said and done. This is the command of the Great Commission. This is our “One Mission.”

God has blessed OMS by using it as a tool in His hands for more than 100 years. Today, One Mission Society is seeing, on average, one person come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ every two minutes. In recent years, thousands of new churches have been planted and tens of thousands of people are actively participating in discipleship programs.

These are historic times to be involved in missions. As never before in the history of the Church, One Mission Society is poised to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth. Make no mistake; the task is huge. OMS recognizes that it is only a small part of the body of Christ and that it joins with many other individuals, churches and like-minded Great Commission organizations called and equipped together for One Mission, God’s mission. This is the unity in mission to which all Christians are called in Ephesians 4 by our one God and Father of all.

OMS was founded on the principle that the most effective way to share Christ is by training a nation’s people to lead and multiply their churches. That principle still fully applies today and is the basis of the dynamic four-fold focus: intentional evangelism, church planting, training leaders and strategic partnerships.

OMS currently has six international offices from which missionaries are recruited and sent out: Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the Untied States. Today, One Mission Society has 430 missionaries and is a member in good standing with the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability.

One Mission Society’s new mission statement:

By God’s grace, One Mission Society unites, inspires and equips Christians to make disciples of Jesus Christ, multiplying dynamic communities of believers around the world.

One Mission Society - Logo Explanation

The new logo is primarily a name trademark or a wordmark, with the O and the arrow symbol carrying distinct meaning beyond just the name. This meaning is explained below, which will help as we communicate these changes to others.

There are three points that we would like you to focus on when explaining the new OMS logo. They include:

1. The “O” represents the world. Historically, OMS has often had a globe to represent our worldwide focus. The O, with its specifically round shape, represents the world. The O also symbolizes the unity within the body of Christ. Together we are responding to God’s call on our lives. Finally, as the O shape and arrow are carried through in the logos of our ministries (eg. MFM and ECC, for now), this carries that idea of unity into our ministries; we are tied together by a similar look.
   
2. The arrow above the O is pointing toward God—our ONE LORD, helping us to live our ONE LIFE and fulfill our ONE CALLING. He is our sole reason to do what we do. The arrow also shows movement, upward and forward, showing that we are actively responding to His call to fulfill the Great Commission.
   
3. The color and font choice was also intentional. The use of all capital letters communicates a bold sense of urgency to respond to the call. The color red shows passion. It also helps to inspire action and stir emotion.
   

Blessings to You!
Doug & Cindy

Various Photos from 2009 - Merry Christmas!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Update 11/09/09

Dear Prayer Warriors,

"From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked." (Luke 12:48b) From every demand to each plea, we count it a privilege and honor to serve our Lord Jesus in Ecuador. We know that we have been given much and entrusted with much through your prayers and giving. Our constant prayer is that we will continually be good stewards of our gifts, money, and time.

We trust that many of you have been enjoying the changing colors of fall and are reminded that Thanksgiving and Christmas are soon approaching. We should be well into our cool and rainy season here, however we are experiencing sunny skies, warm temperatures, and no rain. We are enjoying the unseasonable weather, however due to the drought here, we are beginning to have our electricity cut for 3 to 4 hours each day, and heard that it may continue for the next 60 days. This makes it a bit difficult to navigate the city without stoplights, as well as preparing supper and the kids doing their homework with candle light.

David and Jonathan finished their volleyball seasons, and both of their teams had a great year. It was a joy to watch Jonathan participate in this sport and he was a starter for every game. David was able to play in his final game after having a had serious ankle sprain a couple of weeks ago when he had jumped up and came down on another player's shoe. Basketball practice begins this week and David is very excited about playing this year since he was unable to play last year due to his head injury. Jonathan has not decided if he will try-out.

As we become increasingly active in various ministries here in Ecuador, it has become impossible to share about them all, so we'll just share a few highlights:

In honor of Día del Pastor (Day of the Pastor), on October 24 we held our first Central District Pastor's retreat at the OMS Guesthouse. The 12 pastors from this district were invited to come and bring their families so that we could spoil them and devote some time to show our appreciation. We had around 46 attend and we provided snacks, a meal, music, games, gifts, and had a great time of fellowship. The following Sunday we celebrated Día del Pastor in our local church - Iglesia Bet-el. Doug and Pastor Antonio were honored with music, special dramas by the youth and children, and a gift. Doug was also invited back to the church later that week as the church's women ministry had prepared some special events in Honor of Día del Pastor including a Mariachi Band, music, testimonies, and a great meal. (Click here for related photos)

On November 1st, we were invited by Pastor Juan Manuel to help with the baptisms of 15 new believers from his church (Iglesia Filadelfia) located in Píllaro. We left on Saturday so that we could spend the night in Píllaro and join the other 180 people as we left early Sunday morning and traveled to Shell for the baptisms. We had a great day in Shell and Pastor Juan Manuel had the opportunity to preach the gospel in the public swimming area, and their worship team had the opportunity to sing for the Lord. Many interested bystanders were actively watching and listening, and some folks came to join in on the activities. We then stayed another night in Píllaro and traveled to Ambato on Monday with Pastor Juan Manuel, his wife, son, daughter and grand baby. We enjoyed a day of shopping, visiting, and eating lunch. It was great to spend some time with our brothers and sisters in Christ outside of the normal church setting. During this time, Doug was battling a severe cold and the traffic was terrible with 2 hour trips taking 6 1/2 hours. However, it was a blessed time and well worth our temporary discomforts. (Click here for related photos)

Cindy has welcomed a student teacher, Melissa Pena, to her classroom from California. Please pray for Melissa as she adjusts to Ecuador, her students, and seeks God's will & direction in her life. The classroom is is always a highlight to Cindy's week. However, being able to participate with Doug in the events described above has been such joy. Please play for her as she leads bible study each week on Wednesdays. This Wednesday will be quite sensitive, as she teaches James 2 on favoritism and prejudice in a culture that is based on socialism.

November 22 through the 29th, we will be participating in various church activities as Iglesia Bet-el celebrates their 30th anniversary. The last few church services have been packed with not enough room for everyone. There are currently discussions of testing two services on Sundays. It is a good problem to have, however we would appreciate your prayers for wisdom and discernment on how they should handle this situation. Over the next two months, Doug and Antonio (national AIEE District Superintendent) will be traveling in an attempt to visit all of the central district churches prior to the end of the year. Doug will be preaching during some of these visits and he would appreciate your prayers. Doug also has plans to begin a series of meetings with Antonio, as they begin planning a five-year evangelism plan that will utilize many of the district church members that are currently studying within the FLET theological courses.

Blessings to You!
Doug & Cindy

Update 10/02/09

Dear Prayer Warriors,

Wow, it is hard to believe that it is already October. We are expecting our rainy season to begin rolling in soon, but for now we are still enjoying our summer-like warm and dry season. It has been so dry here, that there have been many fires blazing out of control in the mountains.

It was an extremely busy and blessed month of September. School officially began on the 7th, so Cindy, David and Jonathan are busy and back to classes. Cindy has a class of 16 including 12 students that are ESL. She has also begun a new women’s bible study on the book of James. David and Jonathan both made the volleyball team (Varsity and J.V.) and are busy with evening practices and games. Both are doing well and are seeing a lot of playing time. On Wednesdays, David is again working with the CSO (Christian Service Outreach) called Guardians and is mentoring middle school boys. Please pray for David as he seeks to be used by God in the lives of these boys.

We were blessed to have Tom Sparrow here visiting and traveling with Doug over the past 3 weeks. Tom has been with OMS since 1974 and makes occasional trips to Ecuador to encourage, preach, and teach in various national OMS-AIEE affiliated churches. During Tom’s time here, they were able to visit 8 churches and make around a dozen visits with church members. It was great to see Tom catch up with some old friends and make new friends. Tom also had the opportunity to teach some very basic and needed “How to Study the Bible” classes in Ibarra and Riobamba. Click here to view photos related to Tom’s time here.

One day prior to church services, we were able to spend some time with our brothers and sisters from La Lindera. We piled (13) of us into our car (1993 Land Cruiser) and headed off to a park for a couple of hours to enjoy each other’s company and the beautiful Ecuadorian countryside.

We also enjoyed zip-lining, and watching a couple of the younger

church members corral a sheep (video). Meanwhile a few of the ladies stayed behind to prepare a great meal of soup, chicken, and potatoes for us.

On September 20, we had the opportunity to attend and participate in the AIEE’s 31^st anniversary celebration for the Central District churches. It is actually a time for the churches to all get together once a year, rather than an anniversary celebration.Psalm 133:1 was the theme…. “How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!” None of our churches are large enough, so the celebration was held in a theater in Salcedo where somewhere close to 400 attended. Doug was asked to participate quite a bit more this year with greeting to the churches, introductions, and scripture reading. Each church had an opportunity to perform a special and like last year, Cindy along with Kelly Chambers and Bonnie Shrode were asked to participate by singing. Their trio is known as the: "Princesses of the King". The crowd always loves them.

Towards the end of the month, Tom had the opportunity to preach in another one of the district’s local churches. This was a special time as the children, youth, and ladies performed specials in honor of our attendance. The evening was topped with a special remembrance of the persecutions that took place in the early 80’s against some of the believers. Those that had been persecuted during that time came forward and Tom was presented a special award of appreciation for his encouragement and assistance during those difficult times.

Please pray as we head to Pallatanga on Thursday to spend a couple of days with national pastors and their spouses for a retreat/seminar. We will also be celebrating Pastor Day on October 24 with a family day at the OMS guesthouse for our central district pastors and their families. We will be providing a meal and a goodie bag for each family as well as opportunity to play games and enjoy fellowship.

As always, thank you for your faithful support for us and our ministries. We are blessed to have you as partners in our ministry.

(We apologize for the unorganized look of our update. We are trying to crowd too many photos into a very small space.)

Blessings to You!

Doug and Cindy

Update 08/28/09

Dear Prayer Warriors,

Summer has come and gone so quickly.  Your prayers have sustained us, protected us, refreshed us, and allowed us to continue the work that God has called us to do here in Ecuador.  A lot has taken place during the last couple of months.  So, we'll try to provide a brief summary.

David found that working "in the real world" presented quite a few challenges, especially spiritual ones.  Please pray for him as he tries to seek ways to utilize this experience as a testimony to share with his friends.  He was greatly encouraged and spiritually blessed to spend a week traveling with his mentor in Northern California.  Thank you for your prayers as we know they protected him from so many things.  He is entering his senior year and we are beginning to search for colleges.  Please pray for direction & discernment for all of us as we select a college and seek scholarships to assist with the finances. 
 

Jonathan truly enjoyed his time in Gibson City, IL for a couple of weeks.  However, due to airline restrictions and unforeseeable issues, he was not able to utilize his scholarship to Camp Highlands.  Unknowingly, Jesus had other plans for him when he was able to assist with the setup and distribution of 130 wheelchairs with a short-term team from Houston, Texas.  He met many new friends this summer from short-term teams.  Thanks to electronic technology, he is able to keep in touch with many.  He will be starting 8th grade and can't seem to think of much outside girls and Gibson City.  Needless to say, he is very excited about our upcoming year of furlough in the States beginning next summer.

 
Thank you for your prayers for Cindy's mom and her broken heel.  Cindy arrived in Chicago the day her mom came home from the hospital (She had purchased her airline tickets 4 months prior to the accident).  God's timing is always perfect. Their time together was so precious.  Her mom has since healed quite quickly (thanks to your prayers) and has returned to work while undergoing routine physical therapy.  Cindy continued with Spanish classes this summer which went very well for 8 hour days of Spanish.  She's already been working in her classroom and anticipating the arrival of her 15 students.  Her Bible study will continue this Fall with the ladies as they study the book of James.  Her preparation has been refining her in some areas.
 

This past July was a busy time working with the churches.  Doug had the honor to participate in the baptisms of three new believers in Bet-el in south Quito, and in speaking during the first church service in Riobamba's new (but unfinished) church building. (click here for more photos)

 

It was great to see how much they had accomplished (If you are interested in bringing a team to help with further construction, please let us know).  

Later in July we had the blessing to help the team from Houston distribute wheel chairs in a Nursing home in Calderon and in two churches located in Píllaro and Santo Domingo.  It was wonderful to see so many happy and smiling faces on those that received the desperately needed chairs, as well as on the faces of those helping with the distribution and adjustments of each chair.  It was a blessing for all.  (Click here for more photos)  

Towards the end of July, we were asked to film the church of Píllaro's participation in their city's annual city anniversary celebration (Cantonización).  For the first time in the 158 years of history for this town, some of the Evangelical Christian churches participated in this event.  This was a huge milestone as the churches participated in the parade with a float, marching, dancing, performing music, and conducting an evangelical service in the local coliseum.  The churches have since received some strong criticism from local city officials, but it was wonderful to see Christ represented in this heavily oppressed community.  (Click here for more photos)

This summer, we have also had the opportunity to attend church picnics and visit many of the churches located within our central district.  Doug continues to make many church visits and Cindy has been busy building relationships with the women of the churches including teaching how to bake deserts and snacks.

In early August, we enjoyed four days with our Ecuador mission family at Camp Pallatanga for our annual retreat and meetings.  We had some great teachings through a Biblical dinner and a Biblical wedding feast with Jay McCarl. Jay walked us step by step through the rich significance of Biblical meals and their amazing spiritual application in modern everyday life. The Biblical Wedding brought fresh insight to our glorious future... that radiant day when the Bride is united with the Bridegroom for all eternity.  We highly recommend these dinners for their in-depth teaching. (Click here for more info)

On September 10, Tom Sparrow (with OMS) will arrive in Quito, and he will be visiting many of our central district churches and teaching on how to study the bible.  He and Doug will be traveling from the 11th to the 27th and visiting 8 churches.  Cindy began her first day of this school today, and the boys will begin on Sept. 7.  The sports calendar has changed a bit here, and David will beginning volleyball as soon as school starts.  We would appreciate your prayers during this very busy month of September. 

Just as we are repeatedly reminded in the scriptures to "Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever", we too are reminded to give thanks for YOU... for your faithfulness in prayer and and support for us.

Blessings to You!

Doug & Cindy