Regular Update

Hey, I just thought I'd give you a small update to how work is going here in Cuenca now that my time is running short. I am still leading the small youth group here in Totoracocha but will begin training this week with a possible leader for them! That is a huge praise...a huge answer to prayer. My hope is to gradually hand over responsibility for the next three weeks and then that she can lead the last two meetings of May by herself while I am traveling around Ecuador. Then I can hopefully come back and observe my last three weeks in June and just offer guidance and further training. So please be in prayer for this future leader and that she will be open to the Spirit's leading in her life.

Also, the house church I have been working with for the whole time I've been here had a couple of rough months where the church was really struggling. But now it seems as if the church is back on track. We have discipleship meetings every Monday, I disciple the church leaders every Thursday, and they have their church meeting Friday nights and it seems like the momentum is back behind this church and that the members are eager and ready to hear God's word and grow. It is a great blessing to see this church start to take back off so please be in prayer that the leaders be encouraged by their church and by us, the other leaders.

Thanks for all your prayers and support. It has been a crazy time here in Ecuador and I can't believe that I only have 2 months left!

Health and Baños

Hey Everyone. To start out I want to let you all know that I am feeling a lot better health-wise so it sounds like the Doctor hit the nail on the head and we have the problem taken care of, thanks to God's provision. I guess living here and being where healthcare isn't what you are used to it makes me realize how we really are dependent on God, regardless of the medicine.

But moving along, I just got back a week ago from a great trip to Baños, Ecuador. Once again, I can tell that God was with me on this trip! So here goes story time...

I left here a week from this past Sunday to go to Pallatanga where BJ and Andi live. To go there requires I take two buses, one to a place called El Triunfo (not the best town in Ecuador) and catch a bus from there to Pallatanga. Well, the trip started out rough when the bus I was on had engine problem on the way. We stopped and they fiddled with the engine for about 30 minutes. Then we started off again, thinking all was well. Well, not far down the road we hit a landslide, so there goes about another hour waiting. And we sat there so long waiting for the landslide to be cleared that another bus from the Alianza group of buses pulled up behind us going to the same destination, and seeing that my bus had just over 10 passengers, they saw fit to make us sacrifice our seats and go stand on the other bus and them return home. Not sure if that decision was made for the engine or for the money, but either way I ended up standing for about an hour on the other bus.

Well with time, we finally got to El Triunfo, a very hot and humid town in the coastal plain, known for being one of the rougher cities. So I did as always and got off the bus, crossed the road, and started looking for buses headed to Ambato or Riobamba since they pass through Pallatanga. The first bus to pass was Full (and that is saying something in Ecuador) and the second bus stopped and I got seat (which is also saying something in Ecuador) and we took off. The trip seemed to be going as normal, we were making good time and got to Bucay (last city before Pallatanga) in what felt like a record time. It wasn't long after that that I felt the hand of the man sitting next to me on my leg. I think he saw me notice and tried to act as if he was just scratching his leg but it was too late...I checked my pocket and my wallet was gone! My first instict was to ask the guy, "Donde está mi billetera" aka "Where is my wallet" but I figured that wouldn't be the best course of action. But the man was acting VERY suspicious after he realized that I realized something was missing! But I decided to hope that he was indeed getting off the bus after me and praise be to God he was. We crossed the bridge into Pallatanga, the sign that the camp is close, and so I got my stuff and went to the drivers cabin and told one of the ayudantes that I thought I had been robbed but didn't want to accuse the man next to me by myself. One of them went back and requested that the man change seats and began to search the seat. Thankfully he found my wallet on the floor with everything in it. They said that it must have just fallen out but I don't think that is the case...it would have had to fallen out then squeezed through the 3 inch cushion to the floor, the cushion I had trouble getting my hand through when I was searching myself, So i think the guy abandoned ship when he saw me talking to the ayudantes (helpers, aka the guys who collect fares on buses). Then I started talking with one of the guys in the front while I was waiting to get to the camp and he asked if I was evangelical (since I was going to the evangelical camp) and I said yes and he said, "Parece que Dios está cuidándole" (Looks like God is taking care of you). I said sure does (in spanish of course), thanked them for all their help then got off with a huge sigh of relief.

Well, then we took off the next morning to Baños for our monthly debriefing/speak English trip. Baños is a popular tourist town, located in the shadow of the Tungurahua Volcano, yup, the most active volcano in Ecuador. On the way in you pass through an area where the road was utterly destroyed, I think in the 2006 eruption. You can look up the mountain and see the dried lava flow going all the way up to the peak (too bad it was cloudy and I couldn't see that high). Baños is also a gateway town to the Orient, aka the Jungle areas of Ecuador. So it was a very enjoyable and relaxing trip. Activities including biking down towards the jungle on the main road passing by at least 6 or 7 waterfalls on the way. We also drove down to Shell, Ecuador and saw the Nate Saint house and the airstrip that he used when trying to reach the Waodoni people of the Amazon. Of course Shell is a lot larger of a town then it was in those days. We also rented all terrain vehicles and went up stream on a dirt road just to try to see the river and the lava flows of Tungurahau. All in all a well needed rest and relaxation trip, but the fun is not over...

My returning home story is nowhere near as interesting as being pickpocketed but still interesting in it's own right. The bus ride was taking far longer than it should from Riobamba to Cuenca since the bus driver was of course trying to get enough passengers to fill up his bus for the trip, so I was already tired and hungry (sour gummies aren't very filling). But we were maybe an hour outside of Cuenca when a couple of guys started causing a fuss in the back with the ayudante on the bus. I could tell some people were trying to get away with cheaper fares and stuff with him since he was so young (appeared to be the bus drivers son). Well this guy was screaming a lot and I couldn't understand what he was saying and then the kid tried to get him of the bus. Then he mumbled something and went back to his seat so I thought it was all over. Well then we got stopped about 30 minutes outside of Cuenca by a police officer. He got on with his large intimidating gun and yelled, "Los cuatro en el fondo, ¡Vengan!", (The four in the back, COME!). So they did, and we left...So I have no idea what they did or why they were causing the fus, but it ended up in them being arrested...which I am assuming isn't a fun experience.

But after that we got to the terminal in Cuenca, a guy approached me saying it looked like I was in need of a hotel room and I thanks but I live here. I wondered briefly trying to decide if I wanted to eat in the terminal but decided against it, caught a cab, went home, ate some crackers and went to bed...all in all a VERY eventful and enjoyable trip. So thanks again for your prayers that got me there and back safely, even if you didn't know you were praying to keep me safe from pickpockets and volcanoes!

Now I'm back in Cuenca and not able to believe how little time I have left here. With one more trip when Karla comes to visit and with a week to move back to Quito before flying home I only have 8 weeks of work left, and in that time I am still trying to figure out how to leave so that what I have begun doesn't end and that all the work I was doing for Patricio doesn't just get dumped back on him. So please be praying that God will provide the people who are ready and willing to serve in these capacities. Thanks for all the support and prayer! Below are some links to new pictures!

Pictures from Camping in Cajas about a month ago

Pictures from the Baños trip

Photos

Hey everyone,
I've posted some new photos today. These are just some pics from around Cuenca, my home away from home, and from a retreat the church had on Good Friday.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2010612&l=d1584&id=105600748

Thanks for all your prayers

Thanks for your blind prayer!

I realize that it has been a long time since I blogged so sorry but thanks for your prayers anyway, since they are being felt in my life here. For starters, I delivered my first ever real sermon in Spanish this last Sunday. I say real because when I preached to the churches I work with it always takes more the form of a small group Bible Study since they are house churches. But this past Sunday I was asked to preach at a local church that I had been attending since we don't have meetings Sunday mornings with the house churches. The sermon went really well. I think they were able to understand gringo boy's accent and all! But I spoke about our relationship to Christ being more like a marriage than a lawyer. So many times we think of things as if God is mad at us but Jesus steps and and takes the wrath for us. And that is part of it that there is a holy wrath directed against our sinfulness (not so much that God is mad at us but that God is just) and Jesus stepped in line of that wrath to save us. But if we think of it as a marriage it isn't what ought I do to avoid punishment but what can I do so that Jesus feels loved. Morality takes on a whole new light that way. And Jesus did talk about himself as a bridegroom and Paul did call the church the bride of Christ, so it isn't a new idea, but one that may be a little neglected. But anyway....that was the message.

Also the youth meetings are heading forward. From the time they started to now it's been rough. First meeting saw 4 people, then 2, then 1, then 0, then 2, and the last was up to 6 (but with two visitors who won't probably come back since they were too young and it was just that they were in the care of two of the other kids for the day). It's going well and I'm enjoying working with them but the pressure is on to begin training a leader to take over when I leave in late June. Ideally they will be able to take over in late May so that I can be there to help if things go wrong. So please be praying that God will raise up and prepare someone for this job.

Lastly I want to ask for prayer for my health. It feels like I've been sick ever since I first got here to Ecuador for the past few weeks (maybe almost two months now) I've had a lot of stomach problems. I was going to one doctor who just always gave me a new pill so I stopped going to him and have gone to another doctor. We discovered that according my test results I have no parasites but I had blood in my stool. So we're going with the lesser treatment now hoping it works which is a pill for amoebas. Even though they didn't show up they could be there (especially since I had them earlier). When I had them the first time they may have burroughed into the intestinal wall before I took that pill and therefore weren't entirely killed and are now causing the blood and general stomach junk! So I have to take this medication for a week and see if that clears up everything. If not, we'd probably be left with looking at a colonoscopy or Lower GI or something of that sort. I've never hoped I had amoebas in my life until now!!! But just be praying that either A.) the medication works and i get better or that B.) we can find out what is really going on here.

Thanks for all your prayer and support.

Prayer Requests and Photos

So the rainy season is still taking it's toll. 15 people were killed yesterday in landslide in the Manabí province. We still have about 2 months of rain left so please be praying for the safety of the Ecuadorian people and the missionaries on the field. Thanks.

In happier news though, I have two new photo albums to share.

Baptisms

Trip to the Jungle.

Medical Mission and Ecuador Overall

Well I just recently got back from a week on the outskirts of the Jungle in a few towns called Yacuambi, Yanzatza, and Guaysimi. I was there for a week translating for a group of Canadian and US medical professionals. It was one of my best experiences here in a long time. These places in Ecuador are characterized as being sparsely populated, indigenous communities. The indigenous we interacted the most with were the Saraguro who are one of the many Quichua speaking groups in the country (however they all, in this area, knew Spanish as well). So for my trip, I took a bus to a town called Saraguro which is about 4 hours south of Cuenca (and yes, it is also populated by Saraguro indigenous). There I met up with one of the other translators and the Dentist, a saraguran himself, who would be working with us. We all then got into his Pickup truck and took off for the jungle. Well, on the way it was a quite eventful trip.

So on the way to this jungle area you weave through the mountains, and need I say again this is the worst rainy season in 25 years. So we were on our way and before we know it we come to a line of traffic, what's wrong? The road is blocked by a recent mud slide. So Luis (the dentist) drove up to the front of the pack and sure enough the road was blocked. So everyone is just sitting there waiting for a land mover that may or may not come, luckily one was waiting in the pack and got tired of waiting so he took it off the truck and cleared the slide. But that is not the end of the story. While he is up there cleaning, people who were standing on top of the slide start screaming and point over our heads...at what you may ask? Another landslide starting about 3 car lengths behind us! So everyone takes off running for the front of the pack, nearer to the first landslide. There were people getting in their cars and bus drivers taking off and you´ve never seen so many cars fleeing for a very small place, and no on wrecking. Thankfully, the slide was small and didn't even make it to the road. Needless to say we were all thankful when the road was cleared and we were maybe the 3rd people through. So then we arrived in Loja (a rather large city) and we stopped and got lunch at the terminal at a fast-food-like chicken place. Then we took off towards Zamora, the last city before we got really rural. So we didn't even get our of Loja before we encountered another line of traffic, but this time with a slide so big there wouldn't be passage for days. Luckily someone ahead of us knew a back way through Loja to bypass it all and he led us through. Then after that we arrived no problem, except for the fact that we got to Yacuambi at 10ish at night...in total...12 hour journey from Cuenca.

So there we finally were, home at last, cockroaches and all. So the short term team got the 'nice' hotel...I was put in the worst one with the national pastors who were with us. Needless to say I heard something walking in the wall, there was one bathroom for everyone, with cold water, and the only sink was the outdoor, concrete, laundry sink. But hey, I had a room to myself!!! (except some strange bug that stung me when I got into bed the second night!)

So the work was tiring, mentally, but good. I translated for one of the triage stations where we took vital signs and tried to figure out the main complaint of the people so the doctor didn't have too. In total for the week we saw 600 people...and we only had two triage stations...meaning I saw about 300 people in 3 and 1/2 days of work! It was sad though, you would see some people who would come in making up symptoms just to see a doctor, afraid we would deny them access. Others would come in with really serious conditions. Diabetics with numbness and swelling of their feet, high blood pressure patients (170/100) with no medicine, kids with asthma that they thought was a cold, etc. etc. The medical care for these people was so lacking, and a one week clinic won't change that. But now we just have to pray for these people, that something may be able to change in their care and their lives. Of course the gospel message was a part of this week, so now our two ECC workers in that area have a lot of follow up work to do in a region that really has no churches.

So moving on, that was more or less the week I had, tiring but fulfilling. I learned a lot of medican spanish (like it or not!!!!) The trip back was uneventful (praise God!)

But so in the news lately undoubtedly you´ve heard a lot (or at least something) about Ecuador, Colombia and a very scary week for us here. Luckily we were in the jungle and really didn't know the gravity of it all. We had our own struggly between the mayors of Yacuambi. So trying to keep this story short, the old mayor was arrested a year ago and put in jail. He left the town in the care of the vice mayor. Well old mayors prison term ended while we there and he came back wanting his job but new mayor (vice mayor) said take a hike, it's mine. The people were divided so there was a large demonstration in front of the town hall and police had to be called in to keep it peaceful. But it was quite interesting walking through town and seeing the Schwara (sp?) indigenous holding their spears and blocking the town hall entrance!

But back to national news. As you may have heard it sounds like everything may be behind us with the meeting in Santo Domingo. The accord has been signed but I personally am still slightly unsure of how strong that is, especially as long as FARC rebel groups remain in the north of Ecuador. So please continue to pray for this and that peace will continue to be known in this area of the world.

So now I´m just back to work as normal. The Youth Group for the church is underway and my goal is to hand off leadership to that in May, so please be in prayer that that can happen, that the right person be called, and that this ministry doesn't end when I leave.

Thanks for all the prayers and support.

More Prayer Requests

Hey everyone,

Well it seems time to give some more prayer requests from the field. So here goes. 1.) The weather here is terrible. Thanks to a La niña year, the rainy season here in Ecuador is unreal according to word of mouth here worst in 15 years and according to CNN worst in 25 years (Read the story here). Flooding is at a new level on the coast with thousands of people displaced from their houses and of the three roads connecting Cuenca to the coast only one is open. One is covered with Landslides and large boulders. Another the bridges are either covered with water or nonexistent and on the one that's open it is one lane in places where they have cut pathways for the vehicles through the mud. The thing is is that this amount of flooding and landslides is unusually high for the end of the rainy season and we're only about 2 months into it and have 2 more to go. SO pleas be praying for this situation.

Another prayer request is a praise and a request. We're getting ready to start a cell group for adolescents here in Cuenca and that will be my main job for my last 4 months here (who can believe I'm already over halfway done!?!?!) This group will be under my supervision and I will directly lead it for the next 2 months and then hand it over and observe and help the new leader the last two months...at least that's the hope. Be praying that it all goes well and that we can begin to help the adolescents here.

Thanks for all your prayer and support. Just so You all know some of the upcoming events, tomorrow (Sunday) we're having 4 baptisms so that is a praise and the first week of March I should be going to the Jungle to help translate for a Medical Team, so be praying for my spanish!!!! Thanks to everyone!!!

More Pictures

Hey everyone,
Here are some more photos from time here.

Thanks everyone,
Blake

http://mhc.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2009874&l=1115a&id=105600748

Retreat for Carnaval

So in pure Ecuadorian Evangelical form, our church left town yesterday since it was the 'first day' of Carnaval. Often times churches have special retreats to escape the insanity of the city and it just so happened that it was the same Sunday as our Grand Celebration. So we went out Via Machala (towards the coast) just past a place called Yunguilla (where there is a huge eXtreme Sports complex.) All I can say is that it was an amazing Sunday. First of all it was great getting to know some of the church members a lot better. It´s amazing when my knowledge of the language and knowledge of the people coincide enough to be able to joke around and really have a good time. It was also fun seeing the kids enjoying the innocent parts of Carnaval, running around with water guns spraying each other and occassionaly hitting the unsuspecting adult! We all piled into three cars and one truck (thirty people) and the whole being a gringo thing paid off! It was women, children and gringo in the cars, everyone else in the back of the truck. SO I rode in a car with a family I´d met before but really didn´t know all that well. So it was nice to get to see them in their environment and how they interacted and all.

When time came for the Celebration we had a special prayer time where we broke off into different groups. It was a good time to get to know some of the members that don´t come as faithfully or who live farther away so as to prevent their participation in a lot of stuff. After that we met together and had a game to learn everyones names. It was where you had to same the name of everyone in front of you. If you think that is hard in english...try it in spanish! Then we just had a time of sharing, if God had done anything in someones life through the week they were invited to share. Then it was my turn. First I taught them a new song, one I had translated by request of patricio. He told me that a lot of the Christian music here is really shallow in it´s meanings and theology and I had shared one song before and so he asked me to translate a few songs and teach them to the church. So yesterday I taught Third Day´s Give. After that it was message time. It went so well. Since it was a 30 person group and we always try to go for interactive teaching it looked more like a Bible study, just with me asking questions prodding people along to the point I was trying to make. The message was on Matt. 23-23.24. I was talking about how God´s view of the Christian life is one that is balanced between acts of self righteousness (giving the tenth) and acts of Justice and mercy to those around us. I wasn´t sure how that message would work, especially among a people who, while wealthier than many Ecuadorians, sometimes just barely make ends meet. But I knew that it was a message from the Bible, a message of how the church should be different from the rest of society. So I shared, and they were so responsive. I think I was partially just thrilled that my Spanish didn´t get in the way and that now I know that, even with miles and miles of grammatical errors, God can still speak through me.

After the message we went on to play some games, and that was a good time to let down the guard and get to know a lot of the people better as we bobbed for limes, and tried to blow a plastic cup down a string (which i may say, I was the only person who didn´t need to stand on something to get to the cup! Go gringo height!!!)

So, now for a couple prayer requests. I forgot to mention that the AIEE (Association of Evangelical Churches of Ecuador) had their annual meeting and as prooves true for many church organizations, arguing was a large portion of the meeting from what I hear. It seems that in Ecuador, and much of latin america (and in a lot of the human race for that matter), power struggles often get in the way of ministry and of being church. So please be in prayer that the AIEE can come together, forget differences, and work together for Christ of the better of Ecuador and the spreading of Christ´s love and salvation.

Also, be praying for new missionaries on the feild. We have two new missionary families here in Cuenca, studying spanish. It was such a blessing the other day to have lunch with them all. And the best part was hearing all the accents. There were people from various parts of the US, national born Ecuadorians, a man from Scotland, and a family from New Zealand. It makes me wonder if we´ll get to keep our accents in God's kingdom, if so, that may have just been a small glimpse of what it may sound like.

Thanks for all your prayers and support. None of this would be possible without your help!

One more prayer request

So as some of you know, there is an assembly right now in Ecuador to rewrite the constitution. Well, it has come out that there is a part of the new constitution that is on the table that, at this present time, says that it will create a sort of Department of Religion. And if the current wording stays in the constitution, this departments job will be to "control" the churches of Ecuador. There is a special committee put together to look over and edit this, but if the committee has been chosen by the assembly, who knows if they will change it. The committee is made up representatively of the religious groups but for some reason excluded the AIEE (the Association of Evangelical Churches of Ecuador). There are other evangelical groups such as the Methodist but there aren´t many Methodist churches in Ecuador. So no one knows why the AIEE was left off the list. But anyway, the AIEE has made a formal request to this committee asking that the wording be changed so this group is not in place in order to "control" churches.

So the prayer is that this will happen, that it will not be a department to control churches but instead one that will help churches. So please be in prayer. if this passes it would have the ability to greatly change the face of religion and mission work in Ecuador. Thanks.

House Churches and Carnaval

Well, it's that time of year here in Ecuador. Almost all of Latin America is gearing up for a celebration called Carnaval. This celebration is the same as Mardis Gras in New Orleans. It's supposedly the last day of reverly before Ash Wednesday. Except in true Latin American fashion they are milking it for all it's worth. It starts out innocent enough with kids fighting each other with water guns and water balloons. Then it goes to water balloons being hurled at passing cars and buses. Then it excalates more to anyone who ventures out of they're house coming back in as if they'd spent the day in the pool. Then in some places, normally not the cities, the people get really mean by throwing balloons filled with urine and paint. Then the nights are charactarized by parties lasting to the wee hours of the morning. And the most of it is still to come. We still haven't got to the everyman for himself stage yet...but that comes for the next 4 days.

So all of that is going on while the work at the church continues. Patricio and I are trying to keep praying about where to start our new group so that is still a large prayer request. We are now thinking of finding a place where there are a lot of kids and starting the church that way. Reaching out to the kids will be great for the kids of course but will also gain trust with the parents which in Cuenca is sometimes hard to come by. The other churches are still going along. We had an encouraging grand celebration this past Sunday. It was just two of the house churches meeting together but we had about 20 people show up which is amazing. So that is a huge praise and thanksgiving. This Sunday the church will be taking a retreat out of the city (to escape Carnaval for a day) and to have our grand celebration with all three churches. Pray that that goes well, especially seeing that I'll be giving my first sermon in Spanish. Eeeek. And also be praying for the new group start and for the people of Ecuador these next few days, that they will be kept safe and out of real harm during these celebrations.

Thanks for all of your prayer and support!!!!! God Bless.

Sorry for the Delay

Hello everyone! Sorry it's been so long since I last updated my blog. So much has happened since that last update but I just haven't had a lot of time to sit down and think through it and then to write something here about it. So I'll try to catch you all up as to what is going on here in Cuenca, Ecuador.

First of all, I had a great trip home for Christmas. That week really flew by and it was hard to leave again but it was good getting to see everyone (and for those of you I didn't get to see...sorry). It was nice to be in a culture that I understand and a language that I can speak without thinking too much. But now I'm back and it's going as strong as ever here.

The Sunday after I got back there was a Renovacion de Votos (a Marriage Vow Renewal Ceremony) at a local church here in Cuenca called Dios es Amor Verdadero (God is True Love). In classic fashion I forgot to take my camera but it was a beautiful service. The idea of Marriage here in Ecuador is, sadly, very corrupted. Most men have a wife and at least one mistress. It's common for teenagers to be pregnant very young and it is normally older men marrying younger women. Marriages oftentimes don't last and if they do last it is often not because of love, but because of not being in bad relations with the Catholic Church. So needless to say, in this country especially, it was a beautiful service to watch 5 middle-aged to elderly couples renew their vows to one another. It was also beautiful to see the church, filled with some younger married couples, join together and celebrate this event. It may be a small sign that the kingdom of God is beginning to break through in certain ways in this country, in this world. Out of a city of almost 500,000, five couples may not sound like a lot, but it is a beginning.

Other than that work has been going as usual. The church leaders have received a little more freedom as they try to start their own house churches. So that is a large prayer request. Also that Patricio and I are starting to pray about where God would like for the next church plant to be. We are praying that God will give us the eyes to see where his harvest is ready, where his Spirit is at work, so that we can take part in that work and hopefully start the work of planting a new church, all the while encouraging and helping these other plants as they try to go forward in their work.

That's really all that has been going on lately. We've had leader retreats, and church planting workshops, but the real work is in trying to encourage and motivate these new churches to take root and be the body of Christ here in Cuenca. Another prayer request I will put out there is a volcano here in Ecuador is possibly on the verge of a major eruption. Yesterday volcano Tungurahua was registering 4.7 major explosions every hour and had a hightened siesmic activity report. Today it is more tranquil, but as far as I know there is still a voluntary evacuation in effect for the areas around the volcano. I, here, am well within saftey. But there are some towns right near the volcano that would be utterly devastated and from what I've heard they are very superstitious people to where they may not heed warnings because they have given an offering to the virgen and she will save them. So be praying for those people, that they will heed the warnings if necessary, but ultimatly pray that they will be spared this disaster.

Thanks for all your support and prayer. Sorry that it has been such a long time since I last posted.