Dear Friends,
Yesterday we closed our time in Cuenca together. How bitter sweet to leave behind our new families in Christ. I reflected today that in Christ we draw close to people from different places and cultures that we would normally have less in common with. Thursday found the Paute team still evangalizing and doing follow up and discipleship. In the last minutes before we left Paute we were still trying to share to gospel and spend time in discipleship. The children completed a cross craft where they drew a cross and then filled it in with sins. Later they took a cross and covered their sins. We discussed how Jesus covered our sins and gives a new life.
The Bullcay and the Guadaleceo team were able to go visit a local radio station where they recorded a 15 minute spot to be played locally this weekend.
Thursday night all the groups gathered together and ate dinner with the pastors and their wives. It was wonderful to visit together and learn how God had been at work in the different communites where we had been.
Here are a few numbers from our trip.
There were 166 presentations of the gospel. 112 people prayed to receive Christ. 99 people attended cell groups. 257 children participated in the children´s ministry. 73 follow up visits were made for discipleship. 38 nationals were trained to share the gospel and disciple. And 5 new cell churches were established.
How great is our God. We are truly humbled by what God has accomplished.
Today found us catcing a morning flight from Cuenca to Guayaquil. We arrived in Guayaquil about 10 am and have spent the day along the river and in the markets playing tourist. In Guayaquil there is park where hundreds of iguanas live in and around the trees. It is an incredible sight to see and we hope to add the pictures of this adventure later. We will be home tomorrow late.
Can´t wait to see you all and share even more about our trip.
In Him
Amy
Friday, June 20, 2008
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Wednesday in Cuenca
Dear Friends,
We continue to feel your prayers as we share the truth and strength of the gospel of Jesus Christ. How amazing to truly carry out the great commission. The week has flown by and we can't believe that tomorrow is our last day on our campaign. Pray that our final day will be filled with more disciples and professions of faith.
John enjoyed the children's ministry today in Bullcay. Forty children attended and 38 professed Jesus as savior. How amazing to think that we have 38 new little brothers and sisters in Christ.
In Bullcay today they also were able to lead two people to Christ using the evangecube. We continue to marvel at the simple truth of the gospel. There are so few steps involved in God's plan of salvation, and yet how many of us try to complicate our repentance.
In Paute today we found the valley empty because it was market day. Feeling discouraged we headed into the afternoon where God had great surprises in store. Audie waited for people to show up for cell group and just when he decided that no one was coming, fruit. Some people came from a house we had visited and wanted to know what was happening and then were able to hear the gospel. Children's ministry works because one of the cell group visitor was a mother wondering what her child was doing with the children's group. She decided to go to cell group and then accepted Jesus as her savior.
How great is our God!
Another soccer (aka futbol) game took place today. Ecuador vs. Colombia. Some of us came back to the hotel early and made a visit to the mall in Cuenca. It looked like a little bit of America and we enjoyed our Burger King.
A few comforts of home do not compare to the real thing and being with all of you. However, we love our work so much we would gladly stay longer to see more fruit and forsake the comforts of home.
We hope you can enjoy some more pictures of our trip.
Please, pray for the strong completion of our work. Pray for the nationals who are going to take over the ministry and the new Christians in our family of God.
We covet your prayers!
Amy
We continue to feel your prayers as we share the truth and strength of the gospel of Jesus Christ. How amazing to truly carry out the great commission. The week has flown by and we can't believe that tomorrow is our last day on our campaign. Pray that our final day will be filled with more disciples and professions of faith.
John enjoyed the children's ministry today in Bullcay. Forty children attended and 38 professed Jesus as savior. How amazing to think that we have 38 new little brothers and sisters in Christ.
In Bullcay today they also were able to lead two people to Christ using the evangecube. We continue to marvel at the simple truth of the gospel. There are so few steps involved in God's plan of salvation, and yet how many of us try to complicate our repentance.
In Paute today we found the valley empty because it was market day. Feeling discouraged we headed into the afternoon where God had great surprises in store. Audie waited for people to show up for cell group and just when he decided that no one was coming, fruit. Some people came from a house we had visited and wanted to know what was happening and then were able to hear the gospel. Children's ministry works because one of the cell group visitor was a mother wondering what her child was doing with the children's group. She decided to go to cell group and then accepted Jesus as her savior.
How great is our God!
Another soccer (aka futbol) game took place today. Ecuador vs. Colombia. Some of us came back to the hotel early and made a visit to the mall in Cuenca. It looked like a little bit of America and we enjoyed our Burger King.
A few comforts of home do not compare to the real thing and being with all of you. However, we love our work so much we would gladly stay longer to see more fruit and forsake the comforts of home.
We hope you can enjoy some more pictures of our trip.
Please, pray for the strong completion of our work. Pray for the nationals who are going to take over the ministry and the new Christians in our family of God.
We covet your prayers!
Amy
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Tuesday (martes) in Cuenca
Hello Friends,
Thank you for your continued prayers. We can feel them here and ask that you continue to lift us up. Today has been busy and joyful.
The Paute team spent the day the day visiting new believers and discipling them. Liz was glad that she was able to travel up the mountain to Dug Dug and visit Rosa who she met last year and give her a Bible on CD. The catholic priests in Dug Dug have forbidden the people there to read the Bible. Liz was able to pray with Rosa and give her a Bible she could listen to since she cannot read the Bible for herself.
Amy was able to visit with Doris who she shared the gospel with yesterday. Doris prayed to accept Christ today and she began reading her Bible. Please, pray for this baby Christian who wants to understand who Jesus is in her life.
Marcus and Amy both found the children's ministry encouraging today. There were fewer children there today but the ones that were there were excited about learning about the Bible. When they left today most of the children could tell you what the colors symbolized. Yellow- the color of God who is pure and holy. Black - the color of sin which separates us from God. Red the color of the blood of Christ who died for forgiveness of sin. White the appearance of our hearts after we accept Christ and he purifies us and Green the color of growth as we grow closer to Christ.
How exciting to see the gospel of Christ in the eyes of a child.
M.J. shared that he was able to spend an hour sharing the gospel with a woman that is a Jehovah's witness and was glad to see that the truth of the gospel was affecting her even though she had many questions. Please pray for questions to be answered and for the salvation of this woman. Many people in Cuenca are Jehovah witnesses or have been affected by the lies of this cult. Please pray that people will understand the truth of the gospel and not the lies of the devil.
Many of our team tried cui (guinea pig) for the first time today. Amy has heard that it taste like chicken, but it does not. However, the joy of the experience adds to the laughter here and our days are filled with joy as we follow the great commission.
Thank you all for your prayers and support.
In His Steps
Amy
Thank you for your continued prayers. We can feel them here and ask that you continue to lift us up. Today has been busy and joyful.
The Paute team spent the day the day visiting new believers and discipling them. Liz was glad that she was able to travel up the mountain to Dug Dug and visit Rosa who she met last year and give her a Bible on CD. The catholic priests in Dug Dug have forbidden the people there to read the Bible. Liz was able to pray with Rosa and give her a Bible she could listen to since she cannot read the Bible for herself.
Amy was able to visit with Doris who she shared the gospel with yesterday. Doris prayed to accept Christ today and she began reading her Bible. Please, pray for this baby Christian who wants to understand who Jesus is in her life.
Marcus and Amy both found the children's ministry encouraging today. There were fewer children there today but the ones that were there were excited about learning about the Bible. When they left today most of the children could tell you what the colors symbolized. Yellow- the color of God who is pure and holy. Black - the color of sin which separates us from God. Red the color of the blood of Christ who died for forgiveness of sin. White the appearance of our hearts after we accept Christ and he purifies us and Green the color of growth as we grow closer to Christ.
How exciting to see the gospel of Christ in the eyes of a child.
M.J. shared that he was able to spend an hour sharing the gospel with a woman that is a Jehovah's witness and was glad to see that the truth of the gospel was affecting her even though she had many questions. Please pray for questions to be answered and for the salvation of this woman. Many people in Cuenca are Jehovah witnesses or have been affected by the lies of this cult. Please pray that people will understand the truth of the gospel and not the lies of the devil.
Many of our team tried cui (guinea pig) for the first time today. Amy has heard that it taste like chicken, but it does not. However, the joy of the experience adds to the laughter here and our days are filled with joy as we follow the great commission.
Thank you all for your prayers and support.
In His Steps
Amy
Monday, June 16, 2008
Monday in Cuenca
We continue to see hearts turning to Jesus. The teams got an early start today and went out to train their nationals in how to share the gospel and to lead a cell groups. Then each group spent the day evangelizing and discipling. The joy of the Lord is our strength even though we are very tired. The children's ministries were a big hit. Laura's group had 12 kids. John's had 28 and Amy and Marcus had more than 30 in there group. It is fun to see children respond enthusiastically about the truths in the Bible.
Laura was excited because it was her first day and she saw 2 people come to Christ.
Steve said that even though he dropped his evangicube in cow poop he got to share the gospel with a woman who said she only could talk for five minutes and 20 minutes later prayed to receive Christ. God is good.
Pray for us to have strength and energy as we continue. Pray for growth in the new believers. Pray for the nationals to be excited and take up the call to work in their cell groups with more and more believers.
Our hearts are with you in Alabama but here as well with our brothers and sisters in Christ.
In Him
Amy
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