Update 09/23/11

He (Jesus) told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." (Luke 10:2)

Dear Prayer Warriors,

Conferences & classes are on the October horizon for us. In central Illinois we see the farmers gathering the harvest, while we seem to be occupied with preparing for the harvest.

Doug will return to North Dakota when he and Kent Eller attend: STEERing Money into Missions. This conference will help us to better serve our farming community with their desires to give financially to God’s work around the world.

We welcome you to join us and many other missionaries at the Gibson City Bible Church Annual Missions Conference on October 14, 15, 16. Kent Eller will be our keynote speaker. We will also share briefly about our experience with our first short term team to Puyo, Ecuador.

Being prepared for a short-term mission trip is crucial to the success of ministry. If you have any interest in short term missions, this class is for you. Beginning October 23 at 6:00 at the Gibson City Bible Church, we will be leading a 6-week course on preparing for short-term mission service.

The Konstruction Kids project is underway as the kids are raising sponsorships for pre-tuned, solar radios for Haiti as a part of Resounding Hope. Our hearts were touched as two boys each brought in $60 of their own money to provide for a complete sponsorship. Would you prayerfully consider going on a trip to personally share the Gospel and present a Haitian with a radio that would allow them to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ?

Doug will be heading to Columbia at the end of October to begin the foundational work for evangelizing 4 million Columbians with a goal of planting 20,000 house churches in the next 5 years. Upon his return, we will be generating teams to assist in evangelizing. Would you consider this opportunity?

We are also looking into putting together a construction team to help finish a church in Riobamba, Ecuador during the month of February. Are you available during this time? We’d love to have a team in place by next month.

As you can read, we are well underway in our role as Regional Directors. We want to support you in your desire to serve in a short-term capacity. Please let us know how we can come alongside you.

On a personal note, the boys are off to a great start into their sophomore years: David in college, Jonathan in high school. Both are doing well and we thank you for your prayers on their behalf.

Blessings to You!
Doug & Cindy

Update 08/24/11

Dear Prayer Warriors,

They tell of the power of your awesome works – and I will proclaim your great deeds. They celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness. The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. (Psalm 145:6-8)

Scripture says that if we don’t cry out, the rocks will! We realize that you get tons of emails but we have to testify to the amazing goodness of Almighty God. Testifying brings encouragement and challenge to all those that hear as well as honor and glory to God.

Our short-term mission trip to Puyo, Ecuador far exceeded anything that we could have imagined. We left the US with intentions of serving alongside our Ecuadorian brothers and sisters during their first Vacation Bible School. We did that and it was wonderful to see 90-100 kids come to learn about Heroes of the Faith. Many seeds were planted into the hearts of those precious children and we know that God’s word will not return void.

As wonderful as that was.... it was NOT the highlight. The week prior to departure was filled with trials that tried to keep us from going, everything from childcare issues, to health issues, and even two cancelled flights. We knew without a doubt that we were to go, so we anticipated great blessings because of our perseverance. Even upon our arrival, we were met with more trials such as lost luggage, a van that had to be push started every time we got in, strep throat by a team member, and an exploding ceramic sink in the hotel.

We were welcomed to Puyo with a special church service. At that service, we met Rosa: A Christian Shuar woman expecting her 7th child when she, along with her children and a few other Shuar women, came to do a special presentation for our group. During the church service she shared her sadness of living with an alcoholic husband who, even that night, was out drunk in the streets. The group committed to pray for her during the week, and on Tuesday night during the evening service, we noticed that Alejandro, her husband, had come to church with her. He was quite uneasy, especially as we were so overjoyed to see him. He testified that he was searching for God and had a problem with alcohol. On Wednesday, we had the chance to go to the squatter home of Alejandro and Rosa to visit and pray with them. It was such a moving time as Alejandro dedicated his life to the Lord and then spoke a blessing over each of his children and over Rosa. At the Thursday night church service, we saw a completely transformed family. Alejandro was praising and rejoicing in what God had done while his wife beamed with such incredible hope and assurance of what God had done in their family.

What a blessing to be used by God even in a small way in the transformation of that family. On Friday, when we had our closing ceremony for VBS, Alejandro and his family came to do one more presentation for us, and as he led his family in praising the Lord through songs and dance, we all were moved to tears knowing that just like Zacchaeus, salvation had come to that house. Yes, we went to help with VBS, but oh how we were blessed to hear Alejandro share that if our team had not come, fulfilling the visions of our team that he had received prior to our arrival, he admitted that he would have never accepted the Lord.

Rosa has a vision to reach the Shuar community for Christ. Please pray for her and Alejandro as they seek to serve God in their community even though they are persecuted and ostracized for their beliefs in Jesus Christ. Pray also for Alejandro as he breaks the chains of alcoholism.

If you, your small group or your church has any interest in participating in a short-term mission trip, please let us know and we will be thrilled to help you in the process. The World is waiting. Are you willing?

Blessings to You!
Doug & Cindy

Update 07/16/11

Dear Prayer Warriors,

Our Home Ministry Assignment has come to an end for this term. It was quite a blur but as of July 1, we transferred to our new position with Men For Missions serving as Regional Directors in IL. We look forward to supporting churches and individuals in their desire to serve God through missions whether that is short term or long term.
We recently arrived in North Dakota to assist Faith Evangelical Church with a Vacation Bible School for a week. We have the privilege of sharing about God’s work in Ecuador on Sunday, July 16 as well as during the week as we share daily mission moments about Ecuador. Please pray for us as we share. Pray for the children during VBS.

We are only home for a few days before we lead our first short term mission team to Puyo, Ecuador to assist a Vacation Bible School from July 30 – August 7. We are a team of 9 and plan to join our Ecuadorian brothers and sisters to reach approximately 150 kids. Please pray for our final preparations, the remaining funds that are needed and for the children that are left behind: 8 children under 19 years old. Please pray for the Ecuadorian children that attend, too!

God’s divine orchestration continually amazes us. He takes a small group of couples from central Illinois & a 4th grade teacher from Oregon to form a team to serve in the outskirts of an Ecuadorian jungle. Then, He partners them with a small group of kids from North Dakota who desire to serve God through their offerings and prayers to insure materials and provisions for the Puyo team. We love our Boss and our ministry!!

Upon our return from Ecuador, we will attend a training session on evangelizing 4 million people in Columbia using the EvangeCube.

Our future updates will contain information on opportunities and needs that God could use you and or your church group to fill. For example:

• Constructing homes & radio distribution in Haiti
• Evangelizing in Columbia
• Church construction in Ecuador (November & February)
• Additional missionaries in Ecuador
  

Check out the MFM website for additional opportunities:
http://www.menformissions.org/go/current_opportunities.asp

A special thanks to those that have continually supported us and our ministries with your finances and prayers. We need you and appreciate you very much!

Blessings to You!
Doug & Cindy

Update 06/04/11

Dear Prayer Warriors,

It’s been awhile since our last update. We have been trying to bring three sources of email addresses into one. So if you get this email more than once, please let us know. We are still fine tuning.

We hit the ground running in Quito on May 18. Our Ecuador field missionaries had two days of very productive meetings in Cuenca. It was an honor to be a part of them, even though we will not have a full-time presence on the field for quite some time.

Our next little jaunt took us to Puyo, Ecuador which is about 6 hours south of Quito. We visited a church there and met with the leadership team to plan a VBS in August. We are preparing for 150 kids and need additional folks for our team. Please ask God if this is you.

Our return to Quito brought days of cleaning out closets, as well as nooks & crannies. Once again we found ourselves sorting, selling, packing and giving away 4 years of collections. We thought we learned our lesson the first time. Guess this is one way of sharing what God has given us.

Please pray for Jorge and Yolanda. They are our landlords and while they were in our home for our final walk through, Jorge picked up a gospel tract. It was like a needle in a haystack. He reached down and picked up a packet of tracts, took one out and told us that he was keeping it. WOW! We pray that our testimony over the past several years and this little piece of paper will somehow touch their hearts and transform their lives.

We have also enjoyed the sweet fellowship of our brothers and sisters here. Reconnecting with precious friends has been a joy. Hearing that we have made a real difference was something we didn’t expect but has been a real boost to our spirits and affirmed the call that God put on our lives several years ago.

We head out today to visit some of our remote indigenous churches in Yatchil, Píllaro, & Sucre. We have materials to present to them from the Konstruction Kids project and we look forward to sharing in the blessing. We are also excited to share that they will have new Liaisons to work alongside them. Darryl & Kelly Chambers have accepted the position of central district Liaisons. We have seen the fruit that comes from having a Liaison in an area. The Ecuador field has a need for 4 additional Liaisons. Pray and ask God if this is you. Please pray for the transition of Darryl and Kelly as well.

Our travels will continue through the week and into next weekend visiting several other churches. Again, bringing them gifts from Konstruction Kids and delivering the good news that they are not being abandoned, but will have other OMS missionaries working alongside them.

God continues to do amazing things in our lives and in Ecuador. However, a task that we once thought would be impossible, He is making possible: A change of heart. We loved serving in this country and coming alongside our Ecuadorian brothers and sisters with encouragement and support. But God is bringing closure to this amazing season of our lives and IT IS OKAY! We love serving Him and it doesn’t matter where. (It’s taken awhile to really believe that.) We look forward to returning and beginning our new roles with One Mission Society's ministry - Men for Missions.

Thanks so much standing with us with your encouraging support.

Blessings to You!
Doug & Cindy

Update 04/21/11

Dear Prayer Warriors,

Happy Easter. HE IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN INDEED! HALLELUJAH! AMEN (Luke 24:6)

Rejoice with us as we are so thankful for several new monthly supporters. Based on our average monthly giving, we are supported at 89%. We are still in need of several monthly donors to begin our next term of service. We are very thankful for those of you that faithfully support us and this ministry. We don’t tell you enough how much you are appreciated and needed in this ministry.

Our time at Fame Evangelical Church in Moweaqua, IL was like going home. We spent 3 Spirit led days encouraging and challenging each other as we were refreshed in the word and fellowship. We were so excited to share the pulpit with new laborers for the harvest. Please pray for the Poynters as they continue their funding for their first term of service in Spain. We are also thankful that this church has helped us to meet our need for a vehicle. God is so gracious to provide.

Although our new ministry as Regional Directors will not be fully underway until we return from Ecuador in June, we have had several opportunities to dabble in activities. One activity was an annual MFM Action Group dinner and Sunday service in Olney, IL. What an inspiring group of folks with a heart for missions. May God make these folks contagious!! Cindy was invited back to speak at their Women’s Banquet on May 7th. Please pray for her as she prepares and shares with the ladies.

Another exciting wedding anniversary has come and gone. We thank God for 24 blessed years. This year we celebrated by painting walls and eating pizza: a far cry from our 21st anniversary celebrated in the Amazon jungle. They just keep getting better and better!!

We are excitedly making preparations for our time in Ecuador and look forward to seeing fellow missionaries, as well as the Ecuadorians we have come to know and love. Please pray for the hearts of our Ecuadorian Pastors and church members. In January, Doug did advise the national Superintendent of our plans not to return for another term of service in Ecuador. However, he has been unwilling to tell the other Pastors nor his family, so they do not know that we will not be moving back this summer. They will be devastated when they first hear this news. Please pray for Doug to have wisdom and sensitivity as he prepares what he will be sharing with them. We don’t want to leave them discouraged or feeling abandoned, but rather understanding our obedience to God. While in Ecuador, our OMS Ecuador field will have a weekend retreat to evaluate OMS’ current strategy and discuss the field’s future direction. Please pray for good communications between the missionaries, and God ordained direction as we seek to better serve Him and the Ecuadorian people. We will also be emptying out our Apartment in Quito, determining which items we need to sell and which ones we would like to try to bring back.

The Konstruction Kids project in our local/sending church is concluding next week for the year. These children have raised over $1000 for our Ecuadorian pastors and some of the needs that they have within their churches. We have the privilege of presenting these pastors with the gifts that these children have provided. May God make these precious children and their love for giving contagious too!

David and Jonathan continue to flourish here. David received the honor of Dean’s List at Greenville College for his first semester and Jonathan is enjoying the freedoms that come with living in a small town. Please pray for summer work opportunities for both boys.

Our schedule for May/June looks like this:

• May 7 – Cindy speaks in Olney, IL


• May 16 – David’s Birthday


• May 17 – Leave for Ecuador


• May 21, 22 & 23 – Special Field Council meetings in Cuenca Ecuador


• May 29-June 8 – Doug and Cindy will be traveling and visiting 12-14 churches.


• June 6-10 – Jonathan on Mission trip to OMS headquarters


• June 12 – Jonathan’s Birthday


• June 15 – Return from Ecuador


• June 16-18 – Men For Missions Cabinet Meeting


• June 20-22 – One Mission Society’s 110th Anniversary Reunions

As always, your prayers sustain us, motivate us, and encourage us to move forth in proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ. Thank you for your crucial role in this ministry.

Easter Blessings to You!
Doug & Cindy

Update 3/10/11

Dear Prayer Warriors,

Camp Meetings? Have you heard of them? We thought we were going to a missions conference and ended up attending 58 services during a Camp Meeting in Avon Park, FL. God knew we needed far more than a missions conference. We needed support for our souls and spirits. What a refreshing time we had in prayer, bible study, fellowship and worship services. We had the opportunity to share while we were there, and received much needed financial support as well. We left Avon Park with our cups overflowing and ready to pour out into the lives of others. The drive to and from Florida was an added blessing as we were able to reconnect with dear friends from our past. All of them greatly blessed us. Thank you so much to the DuViers, Kucks, Jagoshs & McGuires.

We arrived home on a Tuesday, just in time to prepare for speaking at 3 services in the United Methodist Church on Saturday and Sunday. Your prayers strengthened and sustained us. After the Sunday service, a friend approached us with words of encouragement. We knew this lady was now the owner of her mother’s house, and that she was praying about selling it. Although it didn’t seem as the appropriate time, God impressed upon our hearts to mention our interest in seeing it. God was touching her heart at the same time, and we agreed to talk about it. On Monday night we went to see the house, and we are excited to announce that will be moving at the end of this month. Our new address will be: 605 W 9th Street, Gibson City. This house will provide the extra space that we need for our offices, as well as have space sufficient for small group meetings. This was exactly what we had been praying for. The Lord is so Good.... all the time.

Last Friday, we had the opportunity to share on the topic of Prayer, with the local high school FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) group. It always thrills us to see so many youth that desire to represent Christ in all that they do... Including sports. This past Sunday, we shared at the Gibson City Bible Church, which is our sending church. It was a beautiful service in which God poured out His blessing upon. We are so thankful to have opportunities to minister and serve in our home church.

We traveled to OMS headquarters on Tuesday to begin the process of transferring our missionary status. We are becoming increasingly excited as we learn more about our new roles as Regional Directors for Men For Missions, a ministry of OMS. We plan to start in this new role as soon as we complete our support raising, and return from our travels to Ecuador in June. If we can assist your church in the area of missions, please let us know.

While completing a recent mileage log, we realized that we have driven over 15,000 miles in the past 8 months. In May, we are required to return the van that we are currently leasing, and we will need to purchase a car. We will be looking for a cheap, dependable, used car that gets good gas mileage. Please pray for this need as we begin our search. We know the Lord has the perfect car for us, we just need to locate it. With our upcoming travels to Ecuador, camp meetings, vacation bible schools, missions meetings, and our mission’s 110th Anniversary celebrations, our months of May through July are rapidly filling up. We are excited to see how our new ministry will begin to unfold. We are also looking forward to beginning to promote short-term mission team opportunities to some of the 57 countries in which OMS serves.

Remainder of this month’s schedule:

• March 12 & 13 – Grace Church in Olney, IL (Home of the white squirrel)
• March 18, 19 & 20 – Fame Evangelical Church Mission Conference in Moweaqua, IL
• March 21 – Our 24th Wedding Anniversary
• March 25 – Moving Day

Thank you so much for your faithful prayers for us. You are all such a blessing to us.

Blessings to You!
Doug & Cindy

We don’t know what our future holds; but we do know who holds the future, and He is Jesus!

Update 01/23/11 - A New Ministry

Happy New Year – 2011!

We’d like to begin by thanking you for your continued financial support to us. We ended our year with a positive black balance and continue to be very thankful for generous supporters that enable us to minister and work as full-time missionaries. We want to thank you especially for your prayers during our Home Ministry Assignment. You have been faithful in so many ways.

We had a wonderful service at the First Presbyterian Church on Sunday, sharing about God’s work in Ecuador. Please pray that we will always be an accurate testimony to God’s work. Many times it seems that our vocabulary is so inadequate to describe all that we have seen.

Our schedule is filling up with speaking opportunities:

• February 3-13 – Avon Park Holiness Camp, Florida
• February 7 – Missionary Day @ Avon Park
• February 19 & 20 –United Methodist Church in Gibson City, IL
  
• March 6 – Gibson City Bible Church
  
• March 18 – 20 – Fame Evangelical Church Mission Conference, Moweaqua, IL
  

During the past 6-7 months, we have been diligently praying and seeking advice as we agonized over the thought of having to leave a ministry that we love due to family needs. As many of you know, Jonathan was dreading the thought of returning to Ecuador where he struggled in many areas of his life. Upon arriving in Illinois, he has earned honor roll each quarter, chosen very good friends, involved in a strong youth group, persevered through football and loves being in his hometown. Therefore, we have decided in prayer that family circumstances will keep us in the states until 2014, when we plan to return to Ecuador. Therefore, we are excited to announce our new ministry position with our same mission - OMS. We will be working as Regional Directors in Illinois with Men For Missions: a ministry of One Mission Society (http://www.menformissions.org). One of our main responsibilities will be to promote, lead, and provide follow up for short-term mission teams to some of the 52 countries in which OMS currently serves.

This new ministry excites us in several ways. First and foremost, it will allow us to continue our working relationship with the Central District pastors in Ecuador. Knowing firsthand the needs of the Ecuadorian churches, we will be able to partner those needs with the gifts & resources of short-term missionaries. OMS also encourages us to plan frequent trips back to Ecuador to continue communications and relations with the churches that we have been working with. We are also excited about God being able to broaden our perspective in seeing needs outside of Ecuador as we prepare and lead teams around the world. For many years, we have had a deep passion for short-term missions. It was on a short-term mission trip in 2001 that God called Doug to pursue full-time ministry in missions. Doug promoted a short-term mission program in our home church in 2002 which continues to be a thriving ministry today, sending youth and adults to serve around the world. Short-term missions has made a full circle in our lives both on and off the field of service. We are so grateful for this opportunity of ministry.

We are so thankful to be allowed to meet our families’ needs without sacrificing ministry and to have the privilege to serve in ministry without sacrificing our families’ needs. God is so good all the time. Proverbs 16:9 says “In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.” He knows the desires of our hearts. He knows what burdens us, and He always has a perfect plan for our lives if we seek and allow it. We’ve been reminded that we don’t always need to know where were headed, if we know God is leading. Thank you for standing in prayer with us during this time of decision waiting and making.

We are on home ministry assignment through June 2011 or until we are fully supported for our second term of service (5 years). Please pray that our financial support will not drop due to temporarily serving in a stateside ministry.

We will continue to schedule speaking opportunities. If we can share about God’s work in Ecuador or assist you in the area of short-term missions, please contact us.

Blessings to You!
Doug & Cindy

Update 12/09/10

Dear Prayer Warriors,

Greetings from bitter cold Central Illinois! We trust you had a thankful Thanksgiving and are enjoying and relishing in the advent season. It really is a wonderful time of the year – especially the music. Christmas music rings louder and truer every year!

We have had many opportunities to share about Ecuador these past couple of months. From our annual mission conference to youth groups to nursing homes, we’ve enjoyed sharing to anyone willing to listen. We do not have any presentations scheduled for December, but that is giving us time to minister in other ways. We hope to make many personal visits to our local supporters this month expressing our gratefulness. Pray that the weather will permit this goal.

Thank you for your prayers on behalf of our boys. David finished his soccer season and is doing much better transitioning into college life. Jonathan continues to thrive here in Gibson City, making honor roll and good friends. Please pray for both boys and their time behind the wheel. David received his license upon our arrival but doesn’t have much experience, and none on slick roads. Jonathan plans to begin Driver’s Ed in January. The snow and ice has us all a little on edge.

We have had several email contacts from our churches in Ecuador. It’s so good to hear how they are pressing onward in their work for Jesus. Doug has been able to send several official greetings to be read during various special church events. Please continue to pray for our national pastors and leaders in Ecuador. We are constantly looking for ways to encourage and support them during our time on furlough. We presented the need for leadership training scholarships during our annual mission conference at Gibson City Bible Church which helped to raised over $6,000 for Ecuadorian leaders. We are also currently working with a group of elementary children on Wednesday nights, encouraging them to help with the needs of our Ecuadorian pastors. During the month of September, these children raised money for Sunday School supplies for a pastor in Quito. In October, they raised money for a communion set for a pastor in Píllaro. In November, they raised money to help a pastor feed poor children in Latacunga. This month, they are raising money for Bibles in Yatchil. We are so thankful for the ways that we have been able to stay connected.

During January, we will direct all of our attention to support raising. For various reasons, we need to raise an additional $2400 per month in order to be fully funded and released to return to Ecuador. If you would like to host a small group to hear about our ministries in Ecuador, please let us know. We will be heading to Florida in February for a 10-day mission conference and would love to stop by if you are in that direction. We also hope to make a trip to North Carolina in the Spring and would love to connect if you are in this direction.

Have a very Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year, remembering that Jesus is the Reason for the Season!

Blessings to You!
Doug & Cindy

Update 10/22/10

Dear Prayer Warriors,

It is hard to believe that October is coming to a close and November will soon be here. As we witness first hand the changing of the season, we are reminded of the verse in Ecclesiastes 3 which says: seasons, "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:". It has been wonderful to enjoy the changing colors of Fall, and we are welcoming the cooler weather after a very hot and humid summer.

God has been so faithful and good to us and this ministry. During this season of thankfulness; we have much to report! This Fall, we got the boys settled into their respective schools and we have been warming the bleachers at many of their soccer/football games. Each of them have had a good season, and without injuries in which we are always grateful. David's season of college soccer is soon coming to a close, and Jonathan finished his first ever year of American Football.

Just when we were getting into a routine of focusing on ministry activities, we were grief stricken by the sudden death of Doug's dad. We are so thankful for your prayers during that time and how the Lord led each of you to pray, send a card, email, or call. We can see God's providential hand in orchestrating our presence here in Gibson City and recognize His perfect timing. We are so thankful that we were given several months to visit with Dad before his untimely death. We are also very thankful that we were here when he died. The presence of family and friends has been so crucial to the comforting that is needed during such sorrowful times.

We have been continually blessed with the outpouring of encouragement and support from you during our Home Ministry Assignment. It's been so nice to be living in an area where everywhere we turn, there seems to be someone from our ministry team. It's been wonderful to sit down to dinner with supporters/friends of this ministry. A couple of weeks ago, we spent an afternoon with several folks who just wanted to talk about the Lord, His word, and give testimony to His goodness in their lives. We sang and prayed together. We are convinced of the need to do things like that more often, and are continually reminded of the ministry needs that are located right here in our own country. We spent the last few days with some precious prayer warriors and missionary friends from Guatemala - again another wonderful time of acknowledging all that we see God doing in the lives of His children.

Tomorrow, Saturday, October 3 begins our annual missions conference at the Gibson City Bible Church. Please pray for God's anointing on the conference . The theme is: Is God Calling You? We look forward to seeing how people take a leap of faith to trust and obey what God is calling them to do for His kingdom. On November 3rd, we will be sharing with the Gibson City Bible church's high school youth, and then on the 7th we will be sharing for the first time at the Calvary Baptist Church in Chatsworth, IL.

We solicit your prayers for discernment in decision making for our future ministry. The call to serve God in full-time missions is still very loud and clear in our lives. Our desire is to commit to another five-year term of serving with One Mission Society in whatever opportunities that God opens up for us, and to be obedient to what He is calling us to do. We have been prayerfully seeking God's direction knowing that Jonathan greatly struggles with our return to Ecuador. We also have other family concerns at this time as well.

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 let us know.

Blessings to You!
Doug and Cindy

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