Update 08/21/12

Dear Prayer Warriors,

Oh, we have so much to share and such little space to share it…

Kids in Missions
Thank you for praying for our first missions kid’s camp.  We spent an hour a day for a week teaching about the needs around the world.  It was beautiful to see how God touched the hearts of these kids with ways to be His hands and feet around the world.  One young guy was so grieved by the idea of human trafficking that he was able to begin praying for those children.  Another gal was moved to begin a sponsorship for bringing Hope to Haiti through Resounding Hope.  Please pray for those that attended the camp.  Pray that God will continue to show them ways to be utilized for His kingdom.

The Konstruction Kids will begin their new project on September 12.  Please pray for them as they raise funds to feed 6 hungry children in Medellin, Colombia. 

If you are in the area and want ideas and tools to help children catch a vision for missions around the world, please join us on September 15 from 9:00 – 12:00 at the Gibson City Bible Church for an interactive workshop.  This is NOT a boring lecture, but a fun, interactive workshop designed to energize parents and children’s workers to connect their kids with God’s heart for a lost world. 

Reaching the lost in Antioquia, Colombia
Doug was recently a part of a small evangelism team that traveled to Medellin, Colombia to participate in helping towards the goal of planting 28,000 house churches within the department of Antioquia in five years.  The team partnered with local Colombian church members and utilized the Evangecube to share the gospel door-to-door in 4 different communities.  The Lord was in control of our time there, as He open some amazing doors.  Our team even had the opportunity to share Jesus within the City Council of Amagá, and to the local hospital administrative staff.  The Lord has been plowing ground in Colombia, and the harvest is ripe.  199 people prayed to receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.  Thank you so much for your prayers.

Not A Fan

Christ’s great commission calls us to go unto all the world making disciples. OMS defines disciples as obedient followers of Jesus.  We will begin the not a fan DVD study again for a group of couples in our home.  This study confirms our obedience as followers or challenges us to move from just being a fan of Jesus to being a completely, committed, follower.  Please pray for us as we lead this group beginning September 9 and for those attending. 

Revival
Last Friday began 5 weeks of Friday Revival meetings at Grace Evangelical Church in Olney, Illinois.  We will be the speaking evangelists for September 14. Please pray for those who will attend, that they will be challenged to deepen their personal commitment to Jesus, and for those that need Him as their Savor.

Going Back to College
We have been invited to represent One Mission Society at Greenville College the week of October 1.  Please pray that we will connect with those whom God has already prepared and help them to achieve the vision that God has laid on their hearts. 

Family Matters
We now have 2 juniors:  David is a junior at Greenville College.  Please pray for an internship for him.  His pod of 7 men in the dorm is called the Oasis.  Please pray that this place will be filled with things that are holy and honorable to God.  Jonathan is a junior at Gibson City High School.  Pray for him as he juggles school, work, and sports.  Pray that God will strengthen both of our guys to be the men that He intends for them to be. 

Stateside to Serve
We are here to come alongside individuals and churches to connect them with the needs around the world as well as help them to proceed with the vision that God has given them for the lost.  We welcome each and every opportunity that the Lord gives us and we pray for them and ask that you join us in praying for them as well.

Financial Support
We are getting ready to take a big hit on our support account as we pay our medical insurance for the year.  Please pray that God will provide for this need. 

Thank you for standing with us in prayer.  The ministries described above would not have come to fruition with them.

Blessings to You!
Doug & Cindy

Update 07/09/12

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.”

Matthew 6:19-20

Dear Prayer Warriors,

On June 10th, our team of 13 arrived in Ibarra, Ecuador to do some light construction and provide assistance and supplies for their Vacation Bible School. We averaged about 65 kids each day, which was about double of what the church had received in the past. One morning, we had the opportunity to share the Gospel to 480 children in a local public school. Our Youth Pastor utilized magic tricks to capture the children’s attention while presenting the Good News of Jesus Christ. Please pray that God’s word will not return void. One of our greatest surprises was that we ministered to a large group of Colombians who live in Ibarra. We worked alongside them, attended their cell groups, ate in their homes, and even played a game of soccer and basketball. There is always a storehouse of treasures on short-term mission trips. You are welcome to join us on July 22 as the team shares and testifies to all the treasures that God showed our team in Ibarra, Ecuador. Photos for this trip can be viewed at: http://tinyurl.com/7ec935f
 

Our preparations continue for serving at Epworth Nazarene Youth Camp. We will be providing the Missions emphasis to the youth program each day. Please pray for us on July 11-14 as we lead these young folks in missions. Our treasures await…

Please pray for Doug as his small group of 5 travels to Medellin, Colombia on July 21. The group will be partnering with the local Colombian church and evangelizing door to door. The team also plans to continue building the foundational groundwork for our newest project: Saturation Antioquia, which includes planting 20,000 house churches within the next 5 years.

David ministered as a cabin counselor this past week to a group of First Nation children in Copper Island, British Colombia. We thank those of you that supported his trip through your prayers and finances. He has returned with many stories about how the kids heard about Christ, and how he was challenged to be a light for Jesus to those in his cabin.

Finally, we ask you to please pray for our monthly giving. Our giving last month was down substantially. We are asking God to provide additional monthly donors. We praise God for the donors that continue to sacrificially support us. We continue to be greatly blessed.

Blessings to You!
Doug & Cindy

Update 05/30/12

Dear Prayer Warriors,

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:5

"But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us." 2 Corinthians 4:7

Prayers
You are called prayer warriors for a reason. This update is for that very purpose. We cannot succeed in ministry without abiding in Jesus and relying on your prayers. Your prayers have protected us, strengthened us, provided for us, given us wisdom, kept us safe and allowed God’s work to go forth through these vessels of clay. We don’t begin to try and understand it, we simply relish in it. Thank you for standing with us. We could not do ministry without YOU!

FPC
We finished our 7-week Sunday school commitment with the First Presbyterian Church. What a joy to get to know these folks better. In the past, they have welcomed us to share and give updates about our ministries, but this was a beautiful time to study God’s word together and hear what God is doing in each of our lives. We used the curriculum called, “not a fan” by Kyle Idleman. We HIGHLY recommend this DVD series.

Discipleship
Christ’s great commission calls us to go unto all the world making disciples. OMS defines disciples as obedient followers of Jesus. The making of disciples involves evangelism, teaching, training and mentoring. We are thrilled to be able to be a part of this even while living here in Gibson City. Doug has been leading and discipling a group of men for the past 11 weeks in our home, utilizing the “I Am Second” format. Cindy has been discipling several women each week since last Fall as she teaches them from God’s word. She covers them in prayer as she encourages them with specific ways to apply God’s word to their lives.

Vacation Bible School in Gibson City, Illinois and Ibarra, Ecuador
June 4-8 we are participating in VBS at our home church in Gibson City and the following week we are leading a short-term team into Ibarra, Ecuador to bring a VBS to Ecuadorian children. The Gibson City kids are raising funds each day to purchase VBS supplies for the Ibarra kids. Please pray for the kids, workers, teachers and our team as we make our final preparations to go to serve.

Copper Island
Thank you for your prayers and support for David as he serves on his “first” short-term mission trip. He will be serving as a counselor to first nation children at a camp in British Columbia. We are rejoicing and praising God that he is almost fully funded to go!

Epworth Holiness Camp - July 9-15
Our willingness to go wherever God leads is taking us to Epworth, IL this summer for a week of revival and holiness camp. We are representing missionaries and the work that God is doing through them. Please pray for our preparations.

Need Teams
We have an immediate need of 1-2 people to join Doug on a groundbreaking evangelism trip to Colombia on July 21-28. Saturation Antioquia is a project with a goal to plant 20,000 churches in Colombia. This project is one of our priorities for the next 3 years. If you can’t join this team, please prayerfully consider joining a team in the future.

One of our churches has raised over $5000 for pre-tuned, solar radios to be distributed to Haiti. We are looking for teams that we willing to distribute these radios to the door of a Haitian and give them the Resounding Hope of Jesus Christ.

Our desire is to assist in your obedience to all that God is calling you to do! Let us know how we can do that.

Blessings to You!
Doug & Cindy

Update 04/12/12

Dear Prayer Warriors,

It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. 1 Corinthians 3:7

WOW!! Spring is a time of incredible growing. The Midwest is about a month ahead of growing schedule. Trees and bushes have already bloomed and leaves are bursting forth. However, that is not the only thing that is growing. We are witnessing amazing growth spurts in our ministries as well. Take a look:

We had great and productive Men For Missions (MFM) staff meetings. We took time to look at the projects and goals for the next 3 years. It was during this time that God answered our prayer for contentment in this ministry. Men For Mission staff is growing as well as the ministries of MFM.

This Sunday we plan to grow in the knowledge of God’s word as we lead Sunday School at the local First Presbyterian Church for the next 7 weeks. Please pray for us as we lead.

Our Ibarra, Ecuador team has blossomed. We are a team of 11. Seven of our team members are graduating high school seniors or currently in college. We begin our weekly preparation classes this week. Please pray for our team. We will depart on June 9 to lead a Vacation Bible School, share testimonies, encourage small remote house churches, and complete various small maintenance jobs at the church.

God is really growing and preparing David for ministry. He has always loved kids but now God is preparing him to minister to First Nation Kids on Copper Island, British Colombia for a week this summer. Please pray for his funding. If you would like more information on joining his support team, please let us know.

Jonathan’s growth spurt has come through his maturity. We praise for Lord for providing him with an after school job at County Market, our local grocery store. He is really stepping up to the responsibilities in life.

Even though our mentees are babes in Christ, they are growing rapidly. Two women that Cindy mentors were baptized on Easter Sunday. One of the men from Doug’s bible study was baptized as well. The husband and wife shared their powerful testimony and we rejoiced with them as they expressed outwardly of their inward transformation. Please pray for these new believers and ask God to continue to GROW them more and more into His likeness.

We need to ask God to grow our ministry teams to supply the needs that we have. Doug is leading a team to Colombia to do evangelism from July 21-28. We are also building teams to distribute pre-tuned, solar-powered radios in Haiti as well as build houses in Haiti. If you have a desire to be a part of any of these teams, please let us know.

We rejoice as God has also grown our financial support team as an additional family has come on board. We are grateful for those of you that have so faithfully supported our ministries. May God continue to reveal to you the important part that you have in GROWING His kingdom!

Blessings to You!
Doug & Cindy

Resounding Hope

Resounding Hope

Update 02/17/12

Dear Prayer Warriors,

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10)

Funding

January was a time set aside to focus on funding.  We asked for your prayers and your finances, and God continues to provide.  He has met one-third of our unmet needs for 2012.  We are rejoicing and will continue to work on raising the funds for the remaining needs.

Antonio’s visit

Thank you for your prayers during the visit of our Ecuadorian pastor, Antonio.  Just last week, he arrived safely back in Quito.  God provided for his every need, as well as broadening his world perspective in so many ways.  Please read our past Blog entry: “01/26/12 (Pastor Antonio's Visit)”, for a link to some photos from his visit.

Equip Conference ~ Peoria, IL

Next week, we will be presenting and participating in the Equip Conference in Peoria, IL with several other OMS missionaries.  We will be teaching a seminar on how to plan a short-term mission trip.  The workshop will help with the planning of a short-term mission trip for the local church.  It will include details from start to finish.

Doug’s Opportunities

On Wednesday, February 22^nd, Doug will begin an “I Am Second” group in our home.  He will be facilitating a small group of men for 6 weeks.  Please pray for a bonding between these men.

On March 10, Doug will be the speaker at the Men for Missions - Southeastern Illinois Annual Dinner in Olney.  He would appreciate your prayers as he challenges men and women to prayerfully consider in how they can participate in some upcoming short-term mission trips.

Cindy’s Opportunities

There are 3 more weeks of teaching Survival Spanish at Heritage Preparatory Academy.  This has opened another opportunity for us to minister to the team of 40 that will be going to Guatemala to serve short term in July.  We will be leading them in a 6-week preparation course to serve on this short-term mission trip.  Please pray as we prepare a curriculum for them.    

She is currently leading 4 discipleship/mentoring classes each week.  Please pray that God will continue to equip her with all she needs to lead these women with the truth from God’s word. 

Invitation to not a fan

If you reside in Gibson City or the surrounding area, we invite you to join us at the First Presbyterian Church beginning April 15^th as we lead a 7-week series on not a fan by Kyle Idleman.  This has been one of our favorite books this year.  It challenges us to be a committed follower of Jesus Christ. 

Konstruction Kids & Resounding Hope

We are very excited about the progress that Konstruction Kids are making towards bringing Hope to Haiti through Resounding Hope by helping raise funds to sponsor solar-powered radios tuned to Radio 4VEH.  They have been recognized on the Resounding Hope website as a Hoperaiser.  Please check out what it means to be a Hope Raiser.  If you have any interest in bringing Hope to Haiti, please contact us.

The Boys

Please pray for David this semester.  He is carrying a heavy academic load and also doing some class work in a nearby youth detention center.  He is also seeking direction on a ministry opportunity this summer that includes working with First Nation kids in British Colombia.  Please pray for confirmation as well as financial provisions. 

Jonathan has completed his wrestling season.  One of his goals was to finish the season.  We are encouraged by his perseverance and determination.  He is now job hunting.  Please pray for employment opportunities for him.

We are so thankful for every opportunity that the Lord gives us to serve.  We are especially thankful for those that pray and give and enable us to serve.  May God richly bless each one of you. 

Blessings to You!
Doug & Cindy

Update 01/26/12 (Pastor Antonio's Visit)

Dear Prayer Warriors,

Antonio Preparing for the Cold

This just a quick update to thank you for your prayers while Pastor Antonio was here from Ecuador.  We were all greatly blessed to have him here staying with us, to be able to take him to Visit OVID Community Church in Anderson, Indiana and to our OMS headquarters in Greenwood, IN.  There was so much that was new to him, and he continually admitted that could not grasp all that he was seeing and learning.  His preaching at OVID included sharing his testimony in how after serving for 33 years with missionaries from the USA, he was finally blessed by God to come and see this country that he has heard about.  He gives God all the Glory, and so do we.  You can click this link, to view a few of the photos that were taken.

Blessings to You!
Doug & Cindy

Update 01/20/12

Dear Prayer Warriors,

"This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift." (2 Corinthians 9:12-15)

This is a very quick & brief praise report!

We are so grateful to those that have prayed and given to our financial support this month. Already, we have received funds to lower our monthly need from $1500 to $1000 for 2012. We have also added a new ministry partner as well, and we praise God for all of it.

We shared from the pulpit at the First Presbyterian Church in Gibson City on January 8th. We were greatly encouraged by their response to the resources that we offer to churches and look forward to working with them.

He arrives today! We are very excited to be able to host our Ecuadorian pastor, Antonio Zabala for a week. He was not only our pastor in Ecuador, but is also one of our best friends. This is his first time to the US. Please pray for our time together. Pray that God will provide for all of his needs while in the US. Doug and Antonio will be traveling to Indiana to visit Ovid Community Church and One Mission Society. Please pray for their travels. 

Cindy has been teaching survival Spanish to a small group going on a short-term mission trip to Guatemala. It’s been great getting back in the classroom. She continues to mentor several women and is seeing incredible spiritual growth in some of them. It is evident that God is at work, so we praise him.

David will return to college on January 27, to begin his 4th semester at Greenville College. After a 6-week break from school and working here for the city, he is ready to get back.

Our hearts are overflowing with thankfulness.

Blessings to You!
Doug & Cindy

Update 01/20/12

Dear Prayer Warriors,

"This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift." (2 Corinthians 9:12-15)

This is a very quick & brief praise report!

We are so grateful to those that have prayed and given to our financial support this month. Already, we have received funds to lower our monthly need from $1500 to $1000 for 2012. We have also added a new ministry partner as well, and we praise God for all of it.

We shared from the pulpit at the First Presbyterian Church in Gibson City on January 8th. We were greatly encouraged by their response to the resources that we offer to churches and look forward to working with them.

He arrives today! We are very excited to be able to host our Ecuadorian pastor, Antonio Zabala for a week. He was not only our pastor in Ecuador, but is also one of our best friends. This is his first time to the US. Please pray for our time together. Pray that God will provide for all of his needs while in the US. Doug and Antonio will be traveling to Indiana to visit Ovid Community Church and One Mission Society. Please pray for their travels.

Cindy has been teaching survival Spanish to a small group going on a short-term mission trip to Guatemala. It’s been great getting back in the classroom. She continues to mentor several women and is seeing incredible spiritual growth in some of them. It is evident that God is at work, so we praise him.

David will return to college on January 27, to begin his 4th semester at Greenville College. After a 6-week break from school and working here for the city, he is ready to get back.

Our hearts are overflowing with thankfulness.

Blessings to You!
Doug & Cindy

 

Dear Prayer Warriors,

2 Corinthians 9:12-15

"This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.  Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else.  And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you.  Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift."

This is a very quick & brief praise report! 

We are so grateful to those that have prayed and given to our financial support this month.  Already, we have received funds to lower our monthly need from $1500 to $1000 for 2012.  We have also added a new ministry partner as well, and we praise God for all of it. 

We shared from the pulpit at the First Presbyterian Church in Gibson City on January 8^th.  We were greatly encouraged by their response to the resources that we offer to churches and look forward to working with them. 

He arrives today!  We are very excited to be able to host our Ecuadorian pastor, Antonio Zabala for a week.  He was not only our pastor in Ecuador, but is also one of our best friends.  This is his first time to the US.  Please pray for our time together.  Pray that God will provide for all of his needs while in the US.  Doug and Antonio will be traveling to Indiana to visit Ovid Community Church and One Mission Society.  Please pray for their travels. 

Cindy has been teaching survival Spanish to a small group going on a short-term mission trip to Guatemala.  It’s been great getting back in the classroom.  She continues to mentor several women and is seeing incredible spiritual growth in some of them.  It is evident that God is at work, so we praise him.

David will return to college on January 27, to begin his 4^th semester at Greenville College.  After a 6-week break from school and working here for the city, he is ready to get back. 

Our hearts are overflowing with thankfulness.

Blessings to You!
Doug & Cindy
Email: tank87@pobox.com
Our Blog: http://tankersleys.blogspot.com
OMS: http://www.onemissionsociety.org/donatetoyourmissionarynow/details/59/ctankersley

Update 01/02/12 - Happy New Year!

Dear Prayer Warriors,

God's work, done God's way, will never lack God's supply.
-Hudson Taylor

This update is all about finances. We are truly blessed by being involved in a faith-based ministry as it brings more believers working towards the goal of growing God’s kingdom together. As we seek to raise funds for our ongoing ministry needs, we definitely need your intentional prayers.

We currently need an additional $1,500 per month to bring our support account to be 100% funded. We will be focused on fund raising during the month of January and would greatly appreciate you standing with us in prayer.

We arrived on the field of Ecuador in 2006 with a healthy black balance but we were only funded at 80%. While on the field, we maintained our black balance as we received funds each month to pay for our monthly expenses. In July 2010, we arrived home for furlough ready to raise our support for another 5-year term. However, our furlough was spent needing to change our ministry direction since returning to Ecuador was not an option.

Now with increased expenses being in a stateside ministry as well as several monthly supporters needing to drop their support, we find ourselves quickly depleting our black balance and not having enough support to meet our monthly needs. It was our hope that year-end giving would help to bring our balance up, but that didn’t happen as it has in the past.

Please pray that the Lord of the harvest will:

1. Open individual hearts to give to our ministry.
2. Help us to be good stewards of the funds entrusted to our ministry.
3. Help us to locate additional supporters to join our ministry.

We have an incredible support team. Many of you already commit financially to our ministry monthly, but many do not. Many of you commit to pray for our ministry, but many do not. We would ask that you would commit to do both if you are not already.

Our ministry as Regional Directors is growing rapidly and we would prefer not to be burdened with finances. We recognize our responsibility and will use the month of January to be diligent to raise our needed support, but we also recognize that we can’t do it alone.

To Join our financial support team, please contact us at: tank87 @ pobox.com.

To give online, click this link: http://www.menformissions.org/give/support_our_staff.asp#dougTankersley

New Year's Blessings to You!
Doug & Cindy

Update 12/22/11 - Merry Christmas

Jesus ~ There’s Just Something About That Name

Merry Christmas 2011!

It’s always an exciting time of the year when we receive your cards, pictures and letters of how God is working in your lives. Oh, some may never mention His name, but we can recognize His handiwork and we rejoice. The Bible tells us that every good and perfect gift is from above and we thank God for all that He has done in your family and ours.

If we can testify to nothing more than God’s Son, Jesus, being born of a virgin to die on a cross for our sins and to be raised on the third day – having power over death so that we can have eternal life with almighty God – we know that it would be enough. However, our God is an abundant God that has poured out His love and goodness on us.

We, too, want to testify of His abundant goodness in our lives. We continue to serve in full time ministry as Regional Directors for Men For Missions, a ministry that we are growing to love more and more each day. God is using us to come alongside folks to expand their mission vision as well as prepare them for the direction that God is leading them. We have ministered to the countries of Ecuador, Colombia, Haiti and the USA this year. We are looking forward to serving in these countries this coming year as well.

We have also had the privilege of getting involved in many ways in our sending/home church. Doug is beginning a men’s small group, Cindy is discipling several women on a one to one basis. We have been able to connect the young kids with needs in Haiti and are preparing the college kids for a trip to Ecuador.

David and Jonathan are doing well. David is a sophomore at Greenville College. He is now a proud owner of a 1979 Honda Twin Star. Jonathan is a sophomore in high school and received his driver’s license in October. Jonathan played football again this year and is now getting his first experience on the wrestling mat.

We thank God for each one of you and ask that He continues to shower His abundant goodness on you and your family.

Christmas Blessings to you,
Doug, Cindy, David & Jonathan

Update 11/10/11 - Barranquilla, Colombia

Dear Prayer Warriors,

Thank you for your prayers for while our team of 58 North Americans and close to 200 Colombians, partnered together to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with Colombians located in Barranquilla. We had an awesome and fruitful time evangelizing and disciplining new believers. The fields in this area are so very ripe for the harvest, and the people are so open and hungry to hear about the saving grace of Jesus Christ. I had the opportunity to join this team which was being led by the mission: e3 Partners. This was a great opportunity for me to learn more about their mission organization, as our mission (One Mission Society) continues to determine how we might be able to partner with e3, as OMS has a goal to plant 20,000 house churches in the next 5 years within the state of Antioquia, Colombia

Some of the details from last week's trip includes:

• People Hearing the Gospel – 2,148; Professions of Faith in Christ – 1,578
• Churches Plants in 12 Communities; Churches Strengthened in Church Planting - 12
• DeafGo Ministry Team - Amazing work among deaf communities!
• Yo Soy Segundo/I am Second (Disciple) Groups – 70
• Medical Patients Treated in 4 Barrios – 517
• Dental Patients Treated in 4 Barrios – 40
• Community Transformation Training – 4 Barrios (Mesolandia/La Paz/La Chinita/Ferry)
• North Americans – 56 team members mobilized
• Colombians from Cali, Colombia – 2
• Colombians from Barranquilla region including translators – 150 to 175 estimated

On a personal note, I was blessed with the privilege of personally sharing the gospel house to house, and leading 16 to the Lord with professions of faith while many more listened. Romans 10:17 reminds us that faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. Isaiah 55:11 also reminds us that the Word of God will not return void. Seeds were definitely planted!

Thank you again for sustaining me and the others with your prayers. It is an honor to be able to serve the Lord in this capacity!

Photos can seen by clicking this link: Barranquilla

Blessings to You!
Doug

Update 10/27/11

Dear Prayer Warriors,

Philippians 4:1-12
I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.

Wow! What an incredible month of missions! Conferences and classes were so rich leaving us with a dire urgency to reach the world for Christ. We know the need is great! We know the command is clear! We know that God has a plan for our lives as well as yours, which is why contentment can be so hard for us to find in the small town of Gibson City, IL. Please pray for us as we continue to move forth in faith and trust that God has us in Gibson City for such a time as this, to spread the Gospel to those that do not know him and encourage others to reach the world for Christ.

We launched our short-term missions series last Sunday. We are teaching a 6-week course on preparing for short-term ministry, and it is not too late to join us on Sunday evenings at 6pm in the Gibson City Bible church. Please continue to pray for us as we lead this class.

Doug travels to Barranquilla, Columbia on Saturday with a group of 50+ folks to participate in a church establishing ministry that will be taking place simultaneously in up to 16 different communities. The group includes a Medical & Dental ministry, Prayer Team, Children’s Ministry Workers Training, Leadership Training, Evangelism/I Am second Discipleship/Church Planting, Community Transformation Team, Deaf Team, and Praise Team. Doug will be focused on training and exposure to the e3 church establishing model to potentially replicate in One Mission Society’s existing work in Columbia and in other countries. As you can imagine, the logistics for a team of this size and complexity will need prayer. Please pray for the logistics of this team, partnership with our Columbian brothers and sisters, and that many will hear and receive Jesus Christ as their Savior.

Cindy has been discipling several women. They have been in God’s word, praying with each other and applying God’s way in their daily life. Please pray for these women. She is also preparing a curriculum that she will use while teaching a 9-week “Survival Spanish” course at a local Christian school, as they prepare to serve in Guatemala this summer.

Jonathan went from the frying pan right into the fire: Escaping a football season without injury to becoming a licensed driver. We can’t decide which one is distressing. He will be attending an area church’s Freedom Fall Getaway for youth on November 11-12. Please pray that God will speak clearly to him.

We are still in need of generating a church construction team to travel to Riobamba, Ecuador in February 2012. If you have an interest, please let us know.

The month of November will be focused on beginning to contact churches in the state of IL and seeking ways that we can support them in their desire and work to reach the world for Jesus Christ. Please pray for open doors.

As we enter into this time of Thanksgiving, our hearts remain forever grateful for your continued prayer and financial support. May God greatly bless you for your active part in this ministry.

Blessings to You!
Doug & Cindy

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