Hines Sight Now

Big Blue is Back Up!

2011-12-05T07:12:00.001-08:00

TeamVisit—A team of three people arrived November 26 and willdepart December 6. The team is fromEastern NY/New England district. Membersare Pastor Paul and Susan James and Pastor John Gillette.

Guayaquil—OnNov. 27, the NY team visited our churches in Guayaquil and the followingafternoon and evening we met with a group of 18 Guayaquil leaders for trainingand dinner together. It was a verypositive time.

JuvenileCorrectional Center—Team coordinator, Paco Chiles, gave aglowing report that 21 inmates stood to their feet during an invitation onFriday, indicating they wished to accept Christ. This included two of the adult prison counselors. Paco beamed as he told us of Luis, “the mosthard-hearted of them all” being the first to stand to receive Christ. Thisbrings our total number of salvations to 82 since May.

Lighthouse—Thebig blue tent was erected last Saturday and we now have space for about 150people. We had simply outgrown the availablespace in the RMC. Yesterday’s service was a celebration of the “new” facility,now placed over a nice concrete slab. Four seekers came forward following PaulJames’ message. One needed freedom fromdemonic oppression and the other three were first-time salvations. Three first-time visitors were there too. Whata great day. Attendance averages forOctober and November were in the 80’s!

International Conference

2011-11-14T06:54:00.001-08:00

Guayaquil—PastorNino Medina will be our delegate to the International Conference of theWesleyan Church, which will be held in Panama City, Panama in January of 2012.

Our five Bible institute students are nearing the endof their school year. Four of them willcomplete their second year of studies, while one completes the first year.

Cuenca—Itwas a busy week at the Lighthouse. Hereare some highlights:

· Hugo called and the Wuertz counseled andprayed with him.

· Extra time was spent walking some of ourpeople through inter-personal conflicts

· All-church meeting to discuss needed spacefor worship and plans for membership classes. Twenty-two people signed up.

· Planned upcoming baptism for next Sunday—2-6will be baptized.

· Great day Sunday—powerful worship, 4seekers, 79 attended.

Worshipspace—In our all-church meeting Friday, the advisory boardpresented a plan to meet our immediate need for space. There was consensus to pour a concrete slabright in front of the west wing of the RMC. We will erect the tent on that slaband install adequate light for nighttime activities and also install electricaloutlets. We will set up the woodenplatforms made by the last Kansas team and erect an attractive backdrop to givea better feel. Our budget for theproject is $1200. We will take $400 fromour current church funds. A brother fromthe church has agreed to donate the $800 needed to complete the project. All monies for the project will come from thelocal church giving. When the tent is removed, at some future point, the slabwith serve as a patio for the RMC.

Lighthouse Bible Day

2011-11-01T04:18:00.000-07:00

GUAYAQUIL--Lydia and I had a very good meeting with our pastors in Guayaquil last Thursday. Seven of the eight leaders who had “book reports” due turned their’s in. Both lead pastors turned in statistical and financial reports. We are working to complete the Guayaquil Reform and Restoration Plan by November 30. I introduced the basic ideas for the new Plan Guayas and I believe it was well received.

ICW LIGHTHOUSE—We had a great Bible Day yesterday reaching a new record attendance of 92! The special celebration featured special music, a hog roast, Bible Bowl competition, coffee and cake and a movie about the life and death of John Hus. It was a wonderful day.

SHEREE WUERTZ—Please pray extra for Sheree as she is suffering from pneumonia. She has some water on one lung and is quite weak. Sheree carries a continuously heavy load of family counseling, youth leadership and being a mom to two very active boys. Pray for her quick recovery.

Babies and Bibles!

2011-10-24T08:54:00.000-07:00

Lighthouse—Our fourth Sunday of Bible Month was really good. We had six or seven people there for the
first time, most of them family of parents who were dedicating children. I dedicated two boys and one girl. Child dedications are a much bigger deal in
Latin America since many compare it to the first communion or confirmation done
by the Catholic Church. Attendance was 70.

Next Sunday
is THE Bible day and we will have a full day of activities. We are expecting a record number of people.

Missionary Team—Two of our missionary-elect couples
are expected to receive financial clearance by November 1. They are Jim and Lori Rice and Isaac and Amy
Thompson. They should be starting
language school in Costa Rica the first days of January 2012, and arrive in
Ecuador in January of 2013.

Guayaquil—Pray for the completion of the
Guayaquil Reform and Restoration Plan which winds up the end of November. At that time we will launch the new Plan
Guayas Phase I which defines our
strategy and goal-setting for that area through January of 2013.

Forward, march!

2011-10-20T10:11:00.001-07:00

Guayaquil—Tom and Lydia will be traveling to Guayaquil October 27 and 28 to work with our pastors on our new Plan Guayas. As a result of many changes, Guayaquil has gone through a time of uncertainty. Some leaders who had been relegated to the shadows of former pastors have stepped up to the plate to become front-line leaders. Some members who were vacillating after the pastoral shift discovered that they were not in harmony with Wesleyan doctrines and ministry philosophies and have chosen to go their own way. All of this is part of an expected sifting process that has been essential to rebuilding the ministry in Guayaquil. Throughout the process, we have seen three leadership couples hold on to hope for a better day for Guayaquil. I believe we are at the doorstep of that better day.

Here is the basic Plan Guayas strategy that will be presented in our Guayaquil pastor’s meeting next Thursday:

1) Clarifying the status of our existing congregations and preaching points—currently there are two congregations in function—Fortin and Altar Cristiano

2) Focus on training: As four Bible institute students are about to complete their second year, they will be encouraged to focus half of their time on their studies, which will include some specifically Wesleyan courses such as Wesleyan history, doctrine of holiness and Discipline. The other half of available time they will spend on church ministries. The four students that will graduate in January of 2013 are Pilar and Nino Medina, and Juan Carlos and Diana Cruz. We currently have one other student in Guayaquil, who is Hilda Rodriguez, the sister of Pilar. She is in her first year of studies.

3) Focus on bringing our two Guayaquil churches to a better state of health. Primary emphases will be building local leadership, discipleship and Wesleyan doctrine, and stewardship. Special effort will be made to create a fellowship bond between these two churches through combined activities and mutual prayer support.

4) During the next fourteen months the Phase I period of the Plan Guayas will hopefully bring stability and health to our existing work and provide three well-trained pastoral couples to lead us into Phase II.

5) Phase II of Plan Guayas, although still evolving in detail, will include the following:
a) Plans for our next church plant/mission in the Guayas area
b) Stationing of two to three missionary units (likely Hines, Rice and Beck) in the Guayas area.
c) Pairing of missionaries with local Ecuadorian leaders for mentoring and coaching
d) Launching of one to two paired (missionary and national) teams for the establishing of new churches.

6) Phase III of Plan Guayas would likely be the planting of new churches in other areas of the country. In consideration are: Manta, Loja, Machala, Esmeraldas and Quito. However, before launching out into other areas, I feel it is necessary to have good stability (not perfection) in the Cuenca and Guayas areas.

Lighthouse, Racar—Attendance continues to grow and two women accepted Christ last Sunday. November 13, will see us “gathered at the river” to celebrate the baptism of about 6 to 8 new believers. Our total of new salvations stands at 56 since May. We now have an provisional advisory board which will meet for the first time next Saturday. Following our November baptisms I will be starting a membership class and our hope is to receive at least ten provisional members who would likely become full members by January of 2012. These will be the charter member of the Lighthouse. By that time we would expect to have a minimum of 12 full members and the church could reach “organized” status.

Bible month at the Lighthouse has been a great success. We are planning a big day on Sunday October 30, with preaching on the theme “This Bible is YOURS”, the idea being that it is God’s gift to each of us personally, and we must know it, use it, feed on it, believe it and share it. We then will have a hog roast, (Glad we are living in the New Testament era where pigs are OK!) Bible collection display and sales of new Bibles, which will be followed by a Bible Bowl type competition. We will break for recreation then have a snack time to cap off the month.

Next month’s theme will be “The Church”. We will draw heavily on Rick Warren’s Purpose Driven Church.

Lighthouse building—About the time we started building the Racar Ministry Center, the Vida Nueva congregation dissolved due to a pastoral failure and the future was very uncertain. We continued on track with the RMC facility so serve as ministry center at the national level, for gatherings and training events for our national leaders, housing for a missionary family, center for sports outreach and a meeting place for a future congregation. It is a multi-purpose building that is currently hosting a growing congregation of as many as 90 people each Sunday. We are clearly outgrowing the meeting room space, and on Saturday I will present a plan to expand this center to include a larger worship area.

This plan will have at least two phases. The first will be to pour a concrete slab directly in front of the RMC building. On that slab we will once again erect the blue tent, equipping it with adequate lighting for night activities, provisional wiring for electrical outlets, an elevated platform, including a nicely decorated backdrop to reduce the “tent-ish” look and to help the audience have a more pleasant ambiance, and more chairs to accommodate everyone. Cost for this new setup should be at the $1000 mark, and I believe our local congregation can raise all of it. This new setup will allow us to grow to about 160 people before we would have to have a larger facility. By that time, my hope is that this congregation will build a new multi-purpose facility (gym-size) adjacent to the RMC. This too should be financed primarily by the local church. This is an exciting day for the Lighthouse and for all of us who have invested over the last 11 years in Ecuador.

Prayer for the battle—One reason our team is so encouraged is that the battle is hotter than ever. The last three weeks has been filled with challenges including an attempted suicide, cases of family violence, rampages by those addicted to alcohol and drugs, verbal attacks and insults by a powerful witch, and some other things we can’t even talk about because of security reasons. Pray we will not grow weary. God has called me to more prayer time during these days. Will you join me?

We are expecting great things!

Tom

We are growing!

2011-09-19T16:00:00.000-07:00

Lighthouse—Last Sunday bought us a record crowd of 89 people for our Sunday service. New people are coming almost every Sunday. All seats were full and some were standing. God’s presence was very near and we reveled in the wonderful communion of His saints worshipping Him together. Tom preached on “The Illusion of Neutrality” and the people were challenged to make their “yes” decision for Christ. At the close, four seekers came forward. One was a first-time guest. Another young lady gave her heart to Jesus. This brings our salvation total since May to 52!

Baptism classes got underway last Sunday and we are expecting 8 to 12 candidates. I love walking through this experience with new believers. Can’t wait.

RMC Lighthouse—This new center is really looking good these days. Roofing is going on and we are only weeks away from being able to use most of this new facility. I will try to have a picture for you next week.

Correctional Center—Paco Chiles (isn’t that a great name!) who recently got back to the Lord, is leading a new ministry in the Cuenca Juvenile Correctional Center. Last week, our youth decided to join him in this new work. Four guys and gals accompanied Paco. This ministry seems to be getting a good response. One of the guards asked to have his picture taken with 6-foot plus, blonde-haired gringo Jordan McGrady (who has the nickname “El Leon”—the Lion, due to his blonde mane!)

Ladies’ prison anniversary—Tomorrow, Lydia and her team will go to the prison for their first year celebration. There will be food, pictures, tons of used clothing to distribute and lots of fun. Pray that throughout the whole celebration the inmates will sense how much they are loved by the prison team and by their waiting Savior, Jesus.

New Ladies’ Bible study—Launching just last Thursday, the new ladies’ morning Bible study (targets moms with kids in school and work-at-home women) got off to a good start with eight women in attendance. One of our new converts who was led to the Lord in her home, but does not attend ICW services because of a violent husband, went to the Bible study and brought her sister-in-law, who does not know the Lord yet.

Jenny Quezada (Prieto)—Tom’s new administrative assistant, Jenny, is doing an amazing job in her first two weeks. A myriad of backlogged work that had been shelved due to time constraints is finally getting done. It’s a huge blessing to have Jenny’s skills and amazing energy working for the Mission.

New Ministries Emerge in Cuenca...

2011-09-12T12:56:00.000-07:00

Avilés Family (Josy on the far left)

ICW “El Faro” (Lighthouse)—We had a great service on Sunday with good attendance in the Bible Class studying The Purpose Driven Life, and 72 in attendance in worship. Singing was vibrant and the message on “Leaving your past behind” was met with unusually rapt attention. At the close, one teen came forward to accept Christ. When I asked the young lady what she needed from the Lord, she said, “I have been raised in a Christian family and have always been in church, but I have never taken the step of accepting Christ into my life personally.” Carla Campoverde led in a prayer for salvation and Josy’s parents, Danilo and Elizabeth Aviles were invited by Tom to join their daughter.

New Bible study launches this week--There is a new ladies’ Bible study starting this Thursday, led by Lydia. This is focused on women who have kids in school in the morning and/or who work only at home.

JIBACAM—The missionary board for Latin America is called JIBACAM. They will be holding their conference in Medellin, Colombia on October 3-7. Representatives from Ecuador will be Pastor Juan Carlos Cruz and wife, Diana along with Tom Hines. This will be a great opportunity for Juan Carlos and Diana to meet other Wesleyan leaders from around Latin America.

RMC—Now the “Lighthouse”, the Racar Ministry Center building is coming along slowly but steadily. This week the contractors are to begin sheeting the roof. This will be a great step toward the building becoming functional. Water filtration has kept the second floor from being used up until now. Pray for safety as well as good progress for our work crews.

Correctional Center—A new ministry started two weeks ago in Cuenca’s juvenile correctional center by a new ICW convert has produced seven new salvations. I joked with Paco (the leader) and asked him if the seven he reported were the same one’s that had accepted last week! He assured me there were five the week before and seven different guys this last week, bringing the total to 12. This brings our total of new salvations to 51 since I challenged the church to evangelize back in May of this year. PTL!

Blessings,

Tom

Gotcha, Hugo

2011-08-30T09:34:00.000-07:00

HUGO'S FAMILY

Pastor Gustavo Viejo’s family—Walter, the brother of Gustavo, is hospitalized in Guayaquil with major infection and complications from a terminal illness. He has regained consciousness but expects to be hospitalized for at least a month. Gustavo was able to lead his brother to the Lord. Pray for this family as they move through this crisis.

SEMBEC—Several people from ICW Racar are considering studying in the SEMBEC Bible Institute in Cuenca. We will let you know who signs up.

ICW Racar—God continues to do wonderful things at ICW. Attendance was 65 on Sunday. Although many (especially the new converts) are struggling with recovery from addictions and consequences of their bad decisions of the past, God is moving, and they are growing. Forty-four people have come to Christ since May. Although a majority of these are incarcerated, they are continuing to attend the services in the prisons. Almost all of the ones who have been saved in the church or saved in their homes are coming to services regularly. Six of them have attended Monday night discipleship class for five weeks in a row.

All is not hunky-dory at ICW, but people are trying. We still need more commitment on the part of our local leaders. Many marriages are not healthy. Although many are very generous, regular stewardship through tithing and regular offerings is quite weak. But helping people find their answers in Christ, and grow spiritually is what we do, right?

Discipleship Class--Last night’s discipleship group in the home of a new convert drew eleven adults and their seven children. Five of the adults are planning to be baptized soon. One family walked a mile and half down a muddy, dark road with their two girls 10 and 6, along with dad and a pregnant mom. They came knowing they might have to walk back home.

Hugo—Hugo is the husband of one of our new converts. He actually prayed to be saved some six weeks ago, came to church once, then dropped back out of the scene. We have been praying much for Hugo. On Monday nights we hold the discipleship class in his home, but he stays away until he sees our car leave his house. He then comes home. Last night was a classic! Lydia drove some of our folks home from the home meeting and I stayed behind to talk with a couple who is starting an outreach in the juvenile detention center. Hugo thought everyone was gone. I was over in a corner talking with the other couple when Hugo came through the front door. His little two-year-old ran to him yelling “Daddy, Daddy, Daddy”. Hugo picked up his son and hugged him. He then looked to his left and saw me sitting in his living room. The look on his face was absolutely priceless! He stopped dead in his tracks—totally motionless. A blank stare was on his face and he was speechless. But only for a second. He quickly moved toward me and I stood to greet him. He was very friendly and sat down across from me. He said, “Pastor, it is not a mistake that you are here. I was waiting to come home so as to avoid seeing you, but I got caught!” Laughter broke out all around the room. The tension was broken. He began to pour out his heart in a way that took me by surprise. He told me he wanted to do right, but every time he tried, something inside him says, “NO, NO,NO.” He told me how he has messed up his life and hates himself for doing the things he is doing. (cocaine, alcohol, womanizing). “I become so depressed,” he said, “that I sometimes want to”…..(he drew his finger across his throat as if to take his own life.) I explained that we can only serve one master—God our loving father, or Satan the hater of our soul. I explained that God will never force us to serve him against our will, but Satan will do everything he can to force us and manipulate our lives to turn against God. It is his attempted revenge against God—stealing our souls. Nothing hurts our Father any more. We have a saying here: “The devil gives really lousy pay to those who are his best workers.” I urged Hugo to take a stand like a man and make his own decision about whom he will serve. I encouraged him to confess his sin, admit he had failed God, but to accept the mercy and forgiveness that his Father wants so much to give him.

As Hugo reflected, he said, “I have always believed that there is a purpose for my life.” I affirmed that and asked to pray with him. He gave me the go ahead. It was beautiful to see how his wife almost ran from her chair to sit right next him for the prayer time. His four children gather around him, as well as his two sisters and brother-in-law. God moved on Hugo’s heart and when the “amen” was said, his face was lit up with a smile. The sad, drawn expression on his face was gone—replaced by hope and peace.

I don’t have too much experience with God speaking in dreams, but Hugo told me that even though we had never met until last night, that I had spoken to him in dreams. That is, he had seen me in his dreams and that I had been able to minister to him before I ever met him. Only God knows how to speak like that.

As we prayed for Hugo, we prayed that every chain that has him bound will be broken, and we prayed that every spirit that is against God’s Spirit to be cast out of that house and that His peace, protection and provision be over that home and family. Please pray along with us.

Praying for no work—what?—Lydia made some Saturday-night calls to some of the ICW folks who didn’t make it to church last Sunday. As she spoke to one husband, he informed her that he would not be there because he was expecting to have an extra job that day. When that husband doesn’t come, the mom and four kids don’t either. Lydia just encouraged him to bring his family the following Sunday. When she told me about the conversation, half joking, I said, “Well, we’ll just pray he loses that job!” Sunday morning we were singing when in walked this same family of six—including the husband. After service he said, “I went to talk to the boss at 8am and he told me we would not be working today after all.” Feeling a smidge of guilt (but not much) I just told him how glad I was he had come. (I never told him I had prayed for him to lose his work that day.) He commented on how much my sermon on God’s peace had meant to him. I’m so glad he came.

New convert wins new convert!

2011-08-16T07:45:00.000-07:00

Guayaquil—I (Tom) traveled to Guayaquil last week. I met for more than an hour with Pastor Gustavo who gave me a good report on the church’s new financial support plan and budget process. As very few families understand or practice personal budgeting, it is very challenging for a congregation to grip the meaning of a collective church budget that involves them in the process of providing income and managing outflows. Since most members do not do it individually or in family, widely varying opinions can stymie the process. Gustavo is doing a good job blazing some new trails and we are seeing positive and immediate results.

Wednesday evening I met with the Altar Cristiano church. There was a good number in attendance as I brought a devotional from Ephesians 4 regarding unity. I then talked with them about their very first official local church conference. They are ready to move up from a church-in-development status to that of an organized church. The conference will be held September 4^th, piggy-backing on three nights of celebration of their 6^th anniversary. Pray this will be an encouraging time for all.

On Thursday night I met with the pastors group. Since we had not been able to meet for two months, there was a good amount of conversation and informal sharing. Reports were good and there was a great sense of unity.

Bible institute—Our Bible institute students are progressing well. Pilar, Nino, Juan Carlos and Diana are nearing the half-way point in their three-year program. They seem as enthusiastic and committed as ever.

ICW Racar—Attendance is holding up well this August. It is normally a month of holiday fun and plummeting church attendance. We had no such slump this year. Last Sunday’s attendance was down from our average 60 to 56. However, the same Sunday last year we had 12! God is blessing us with growth, developing leadership and a good harvest of souls. Since setting our goal to win 220 people to Christ back in May, we have seen 41 people pray to be saved! Thirty-four of these were women in the prison who responded to a salvation message presented by a team from North Carolina. But this wasn’t just your ordinary mass response in hopes of something better. I stood among those women and saw them trembling and weeping and calling out to God to save them. Tears of repentance flowed. Hands were outstretched in faith that as the Master passed by, they too, would experience his redeeming touch. It was powerful.

Racar discipleship class—A week ago Monday we started a new discipleship class in the home of recent convert. Four members of this family were saved in May. Fourteen people attended the first class, including Jorge and Jenny Prieto. We hope to use Jorge and Jenny to help teach the class. Last evening in the class, Paco testified that on Sunday, after the service, he visited his in-laws. Relations have been very strained since the father-in-law remarried. Be that as it may, Paco led his new mother-in-law to the Lord! New converts winning new converts—I like it!

Legal work—Pray that our visas will be renewed when we travel to Quito August 25. Also pray that the two documents we lack for our corporation papers will soon be in hand.

Thanks for your heart for Ecuador. Bless you!

At war with evil!

2011-06-13T12:01:00.000-07:00

Spiritual warfare continues—In the last months we have grown increasingly aware of the reality of demonic oppression among our people. I have been studying Biblical Demonology, by Merrill Unger. God has also placed some brothers and sisters in our pathway that have experience in this area. At first I questioned just how valid these “liberation sessions” are, and to what degree we should “get into” some of this kind of ministry. To my shock and surprise we started receiving calls and contacts with those who were unquestionably oppressed by demons or who had been actual Satan worshipers/witches. It was all too “coincidental” to be just an accident. Last Friday, Lydia and I visited a former member of the ICW in Racar. She now lives in Guayaquil. Sitting in her living room she told us how her daughter has suffered strong oppression from demons. Our friend testified that as she recently visit in her daughter’s home, and the daughter expressed terrible fear and even her young son has seen unusual things. As the mother, Gloria, prayed with the daughter, the daughter became hostile toward her mother. “Something” in her told her to get a kitchen knife and kill her mother. The daughter actually wanted to kill her mother, even though that is totally out of character for this young lady who loves her mom so much. The daughter confessed later that while her mother was praying, she had physically tried to attack her, but a power kept her from touching her! As Gloria prayed and pleaded the blood of Jesus, the daughter calmed down, but was shaken at the evil power that had dominated her thinking and actions.

This issue with the daughter is not resolved. The daughter has NOT turned to Christ for liberation. Therefore, she is still subject to those demonic powers that overcome and control her. Please pray for this young lady, that she will allow God to set her free and that she will rebuke these demons that have her bound.

You my friends and co-workers know, I would be the last person in the world to seek any sensationalism or superficial dramatic manifestations. However, now that we are getting very close to the these situations, and Lydia is actually discipling an ex-witch in the prison, we are coming to understand that Ecuador is a place where witchcraft and shamans, curses and demons have had full liberty to do their destructive activity. We are coming up against powerful strongholds of Satan and his armies. Although he has ultimately been defeated, he still runs loose for the moment, trying to take every precious soul that Jesus died for, to Hell.

Pray for me and our entire missionary team as we seek to learn more about confronting these demonic powers and helping people to find freedom from them. If you would like to actually see videos about the ex-witch that Lydia is working with, check youtube.com, and search “la bruja marcela carpio”. You will see the real world of evil that we are confronting. You will see Marcela’s burning house. You will see the well where her maid was found dead. You will see her altar to Satan. You will see photos of people she has cursed by evil rituals placing pins in their photos to bring about the curse. Skulls, snake skins and evil icons were found in her home.

As Lydia talked with Marcela last Tuesday, this ex-witch said she is telling everyone that God is the answer and that love is the only hope. She told of a neighbor who had lived next door to her for 22 years. The neighbor is an evangelical Christian. When Marcela found out, she called the woman to her house. She said, “Supposedly you are a Christian. You have lived next me for 22 years and you NEVER ONCE told me that God loves me. NOT once!” Marcela said she grabbed the neighbor lady by the shoulders and literally threw her against the wall. Shaking her finger in her face she yelled, “If you say you are a Christian, then begin acting like one—tell people that God loves them!”

I will have a more complete report on Marcela coming to you soon. Her testimony, given face-to-face to Lydia just last week, is an amazing story of the turn-around God is making in her. But she is desperate. She has been a witch since 15 years of age. She is now in her 50’s. “I know nothing else,” she said to Lydia. I don’t know how to make a living.” Pray, pray, pray. Tomorrow Lydia will be face-to-face with Marcela again!

ICW Racar—God continues to move a wonderful way in hearts of our congregation. The youth of our worship band are now receiving training—not so much in music. They have that talent already. But they are being taught responsibility and discipline as servants of the church body. They are doing very well. Two people have been saved this month in our services.

Jorge Prieto continues to lead services and is doing great. Attendance continues to be good.

Prison--Two women were saved in the prison last week.

Great prison news!

2011-06-08T11:22:00.000-07:00

We’re back after a three-week gap……computer breakdowns, hosting a team and other things kept us away.

Hertiage Team—May 13-23, a five-person team from Heritage Wesleyan in Moline, IL visited us. Their major focus was the women’s prison. They went to the prison five consecutive days and the results were awesome. Even a well-known witch was prayed with, demons were renounced and bound in Jesus’ name, and the former witch, “M”, is now attending the meetings. “M” asked that we pray God will forgive her for “the many people she has killed.” Pray for Lydia, Sheree and the entire team as they come against strongholds of Satan.

Guayaquil—Reports are that the three new Bible institute students are doing well. During our last visit on May 15, we visited both Fortin and the house church. Visiting pastor Ben Moncivaiz, of Moline, preached an encouraging message of family. Lydia and I will travel to Guayaquil tomorrow to meet with the pastors. Pray for empowing for us as we deal with challenges Pastor Gustavo and Tatiana are facing.

ICW Racar—God is moving mightily at Racar. Attendance is up with a May average of 55. Wednesday’s marriage group is now eight couples and is having a powerful impact. A new men’s group is meeting on Thursday evenings led by George Wuertz. Our new worship band debuted last Sunday and the band is meeting every Saturday for leadership mentoring with Tom. We spend an hour in spiritual preparation and an hour in music practice. Friday nights, George and Sheree are meeting with 5-7 youth who have committed to be mentored in leadership. This week, two people have expressed a strong call to minister in the church. One is Jenny Prieto and the other is Ximena Zhingre, a former prisoner. I have challenged the church to win 220 people to Christ. Two were saved in the service Sunday before last and two women were saved at the prison this week. Two hundred sixteen to go!

ETeam—Our ETeam is growing. Jim and Lori Rice, Isaac and Amy Thompson and Sherri Beck will all head to Indy in June for Missionary Training Institute to be held at our Global Partners HQ. Pray for these newly appointed missionaries as they build their support teams and prepare for major transition in their lives.

A "Memory" from Mother's Day--It's not what you think!

2011-05-09T09:51:00.000-07:00

ICW Racar—We had a great Mother’s Day at ICW. Seventy people were in attendance, with some there for the first time. Most of the group was part of our constituency but 15 or 20 were not. The guys provided a great cook-out dinner and the youth gave hand-made gifts to the moms along with a video presentation honoring them. Most of us were at the church from 10 in the morning until about 3 or 4 pm. It was a great day of fellowship.

One great victory of the day was a mom who accompanied her teenage daughter to the church for the first time. The mother has been VERY anti-church with her daughter, often leaving her in tears. However, the mom was there yesterday and participated whole-heartedly. She even grabbed a broom and helped clean up after dinner. You could tell the mom was having a good time. We hope now she will understand why the daughter likes to hang out at ICW so much.

Wuertz family much better—George and Sheree and the boys are doing much better after a one-month bout of illness. Thanks for your prayers. Please pray their strength will be renewed.

Flash victory—Is there such a thing as a flash victory? I say yes! As the last ones were leaving ICW after the Mother’s Day celebration, a distraught Rosalia was in tears. She had lost a 4G flash memory. What’s more, her mom had loaned it to her, and according to Rosalia, “was going to kill her.” Not literally, of course, but she was in BIG trouble. To make it worse, it wasn’t the mom’s flash drive either—it had been borrowed from one of her students at the school. Even worse—the student had loaned it to the mom while it still had family pictures and school work projects on it. Uggggh. This wasn’t looking good.

As Lydia probed Rosalia as to the last whereabouts of the missing flash drive, Lydia realized that she had thrown what she thought was an empty box, into the garbage! Rosalia and Lydia decided to open up the bags and go through the garbage. Combing through the Styrofoam cups and plates, potato peelings, onion peelings and slimy gravy, rice and hominy, no flash drive was found.

Rosalia’s voice quivered as she began to cry, and worried about telling her mom. Lydia and I told Rosalia and her brother Ariel to get in the car and we would go with them to face the parents. At this point it really wasn’t clear if the flash drive had actually been in the box Lydia had tossed into the garbage. There was a possibility someone had picked it up. There had been lots of new people at church yesterday.

And exactly who was to blame was not the big issue. The issue was that mom Jenny had borrowed the flash drive and would be facing the student in a matter of hours and would have to tell him it was lost. Blaming someone else was not going to produce the flash drive with the pictures and school projects.

As we met with the parents they were visibly upset. There just was not any good answer. A new drive could be purchased, but not the contents of the drive. And the Prietos didn’t have the money to buy it. That would have cost about 20% of Jorge’s monthly paycheck. We prayed together about the flash drive then left the Prieto home. Everybody was feeling down.

As Lydia and I drove home, we commented about how great a day it had been and how down we felt now. I said, “I think Satan is trying to steal the joy of the victories of this day.” Lydia agreed.

Arriving at our apartment tired from the big day, a thought hit my mind—my metal detector! What if that drive really was in those bags of trash and was just overlooked, or hidden in some of the yucky garbage?

Armed with a large metal detector, two small hand-held detectors and rubber gloves, Lydia and I headed right back out the door and up to Racar. Setting up a makeshift table we opened the huge garbage can and pulled out the first bag. Running the hand-held detector over all the garbage and sifting through each clump by hand, no flash drive appeared. We pulled out the last bag. Before dumping that full bag, Tom decided to run the hand-held detector across the bottom of the full bag. Beep-beep—the detector sounded. Then the item causing the beep dropped lower in the bag. Tom chased it with the detector. Beep beep! Once again it moved further down. Again, at the corner of the bag—beep beep. Feeling through the bag Tom located the item. It wasn’t foil. It was rectangular. Then he saw it through the green membrane—the flash drive!

“Here’s the flash drive,” Tom informed Lydia.

“No, you’re kidding?” Lydia said.

“Nope, not kidding. This is it.”

“Really?” Lydia hoped.

Tom was so excited he could not seem to get through the maze of folds in the bag to actually touch and retrieve the drive. But he wasn’t letting go.

And what would the condition of the drive be once it was pulled from the bottom of all the day’s garbage? Out it came. It had one tiny fleck of rice on it. No gravy, no garbage juices, no water, coffee or tea, it wasn’t even damp. We quickly cleaned up the exposed garbage and put everything back in the garbage can in the original bags.

Off we went to the Prieto’s house. Knocking on the gate, we wondered how annoyed they might be with us coming back so soon. After helping cook for the MD program, they were tired and probably trying to rest.

Gathering in the living room, faces looked sad. When Tom had entered the gate he had asked Rosalia if the drive had perhaps been found. (Just to not tip her off) She replied in the negative.
“Well, we prayed, and here is the drive!” Tom announce to all. He placed it in Rosalia’s hand. Everyone let out a big sigh of disbelief. They were at a loss for words to express their relief. Jorge burst out in tears. We hugged each other and then had a prayer of thanksgiving. All the Prietos were weeping.

“Lord, thanks for being our big and mighty God who is interested in the little things. And thanks for helping us to find the drive.”

New Bible Institute Students

2011-05-03T06:41:00.000-07:00

Guayaquil visit—Tom traveled to Guayaquil on Sunday afternoon to preach at the house church in the evening. He preached from Acts 2 and focused on two evidences of the Spirit-filled life—love, and the power to obey. About 32 people were there. Afterward, Tom spent an hour and a half with Pilar and Nino sharing about the ministry and coaching them regarding the challenges of building this new group of believers. God really helped us.

New Bible institute students—There are five students that are starting their second year in the institute. They are Pilar and Nino Medina, Juan Carlos and Diana Cruz (seen in photo above) and Monica Villalva. Three new students were approved to begin their first year. Classes started Monday, May 2. Please pray for the students as they train to serve Christ.

Wuertz health—As you know, the Wuertz have battled respiratory illness throughout the whole family for more than a month. This has really become a drag on their energy and ability to do the work they love. Please pray that the illness will be rebuked and that God will restore health this family.

ICW—Last Sunday was another great day at ICW. This month marks our second anniversary. We had a larger crowd than normal and several were there either for the first time, or back for the first time in a long time. Also, a couple that had visited on Easter was back on Sunday. Tom preached on being rooted and grounded in Christ. There was one seeker who came forward.

Addiction struggle—Please pray for one of the guys from ICW. It was recently discovered that he has a drug addiction. He is coming to services regularly and is striving to grow in the Lord, but he needs to deal with this reality. Pray for courage to seek help and for God’s power to be revealed in breaking these chains of addiction.

Easter in Ecuador

2011-04-25T08:23:00.000-07:00

Wedding bells—Man are they getting ready to ring! Wilson and Yusby are planning to get married in June in Peru. David and Priscila are going to be our first couple to have their wedding in the Lighthouse on May 21. The on May 27 Tom will officiate a group wedding of eight couples in Guayaquil.

Holy Week in Cuenca—Awesome is the best word to describe our week at ICW. We started out with early-morning prayer meetings at 5:30am, Monday through Friday. Attendance was 7-11 each day, with five people making it every day. Some walked for a mile in the pre-dawn darkness, through mud and cold rain. On Good Friday, after prayer time, we had sweet rolls and tea, then all eleven people stayed around to clean the kitchen, bathrooms, clean the yard and prepare the worship area for Good Friday service. We had loads of fun doing it too.

Jorge Luis—A regular attender of the early morning prayer meetings was Jorge Luis. He has struggled with addiction to nicotine and alcohol. He prayed one morning, “Thank you Lord, for another day of victory.” At the Good Friday service Jorge Luis and wife, Carla, gave a testimony of how God has brought their marriage back together. Jorge testified that in the last three years he has not touched a drop of alcohol. He praised God for freeing him several months ago from tobacco. He said, “Carla used to tell me she hoped I would find the same life in Christ that she had, and I didn’t understand. I didn’t understand how anybody could live without drinking and going to nightclubs and partying. Now I ask myself—How do people live, drinking and going to nightclubs and partying?” He then capped off his testimony by saying, “It used to be that Carla was an important part of my life—now I can say she IS my life!” He then embraced and kissed her.

Peace that passes all understanding—Fausto and Margot started coming to the Purpose Driven Life class in January. Margot had accepted Christ in a Bible study led by Sheree some months ago. Fausto however, has just begun to discover who God really is. He said a few weeks ago, “Our family knew nothing about the Bible—nothing. All we did in the evening was watch TV then go to bed. Now we are leaving the TV off and reading the Purpose Driven Life together as a family.

Fausto (seen with Tom in the picture above) recently had gall bladder surgery. He shared with Tom how peaceful he felt during the whole process. He commented on how the doctors were surprised at how relaxed he seemed before the operation. Even the guys at work asked him how he could be so calm before going under the knife. He said, “I just told them—“I am at peace in my home, and I am at peace with God.” He said his fellow managers at the factory were amazed.

He then confessed, “I really don’t understand it myself—this peace. I told my wife that I can’t figure out just why I feel so peaceful.” Tom then affirmed, “Fausto, that is the peace that passes all understanding, and it part of God’s presence in your life now.”

ICW—Easter service was great and included a drama and special music by the youth.
Tom preached about the empty tomb and the “empty” grave clothes being full of promise for us. At the close, Tom asked for short testimonies beginning with the words, “I praise my living Christ because….” Almost everyone shared a praise, including Fausto and Margot who stayed worship service for the first time. A dinner followed, then sports. Some who had come early at 8am to cook, were still at the church at 6pm playing volleyball. They must have been having a good time!

Elena's Muddy Boots

2011-04-18T07:00:00.000-07:00

ICW—Holy week got off to a good start Palm Sunday. Singing was enthusiastic and heartfelt. The message from Mark 11-1-11 was engaging and the emphasis was on allowing Christ to make entry into our hearts, which will bring spiritual triumph.

Monday through Friday we are having early-morning prayer meetings at the church at 5:30am. This morning was rainy and cool, and of course very dark. Seven people attended. One was 67-year-old Elena (pictured to the right), who walked nearly a mile uphill to be there. Her boots were muddy, but she was there. Another attendee was Edison, a 17-year-old young man who also walked about a mile in the rain to be there. Prayer time was great and God touched every heart. As Nube prayed this morning she said, “Lord, thank you for our pastors—they have been a light in our lives.” I couldn’t help but think about the correlation with the new name “The Lighthouse.”

Good Friday’s noon service will be led by Sheree Wuertz and the youth. We will celebrate Holy Communion at the close. Easter service will include special participation by our youth through drama and special music. We will cap off the week with an Easter dinner on Sunday.

Marriage--WOW!

2011-04-11T13:46:00.000-07:00

Sunday morning’s service included a report by three couples who are attending the marriage class led by the Wuertz. It was amazing to hear what God is doing by changing the way these couples think about their marriages. One mentioned, “The center must be Christ.” Carla stated that Sheree is an excellent leader for this class. Her description was, “Sheree, she is….she is….WOW!

People Helping People

2011-04-08T09:26:00.000-07:00

ICW Racar—God continues to do great things at Racar. The youth group has grown to over twenty, with five of them joining the mentorship group under the direction of George and Sheree. Tom has begun weekly mentoring with Jorge Prieto. Jorge desires train to be a leader in the church. Another Jorge--Jorge Luis, testified about how God has brought him back from a period of running away from God. He shared how several nights ago, God’s Spirit touched him as he prayed and he broke down and sobbed, pouring out his heart to God. He and wife Carla have been attending regularly again, after a six-month absence. The new marriage enrichment group is growing. Seven couples were present this week. Marcelo and Nube filled in for the Wuertz a week ago and did well. Those who attend seem to be having a great time of sharing, growing and seeking God in their family relationships. Sheree is leading this group. During a recent visit in his home, Fausto Chalco gave a wonderful testimony of how what he had learned in the Purpose Driven Life Class helped him be a help to one of his workers at the factory. Fausto talked with the young mother and urged her to practice some of the principles he had recently learned at ICW, in regard to her children. She came to him later and told him that what he had taught her had changed her actions at home, and she avoided a possible violent confrontation. “It’s a good feeling to help people.” Fausto beamed. Yusby Villareal called Tom last Sunday to arrange help for a neighbor’s son whose marriage is in distress. Tom met with the wife, and is arranging counseling. We are beginning to see our people reaching out to others in the Racar community. The church is starting to “auto-generate” in its ministry perspective. People of ICW helping others. Pray this passion will grow and flourish.

Two men saved!

2010-09-07T07:38:00.000-07:00

Altar Cristiana celebrates five years—Guayaquil pastor, Gustavo Viejo, led the church in an anniversary celebration Friday, Sept. 3. After a lively musical worship time, Tom spoke to the congregation on Hope. The service was followed by a great all-church meal of pork and rice with salad.

Bible Institute students advance—Our six students completed their first trimester of theological studies recently. All are doing well with many receiving a 100% (straight A’s) for the trimester. They are a bright hope for the future of the Wesleyan ministries in Ecuador.

Men responding to God—From the beginning of Tom’s acceptance as interim pastor of the ICW in May, he felt compelled to target men as a priority. Praise God, He is answering our prayers. In the last two weeks two young men have accepted Christ as Savior and another was delivered instantly from a nicotine addiction. Here is a sketch of their testimonies:

Edison: This young man is quite shy, but on August 29, at the close of the service, his mom, a new convert herself, walked to the front of the tent to accompany him in giving his life to Christ. Edison is attending services and weekly Bible study. He’s talking more now, as he begins to feel more comfortable in the church family.

Walter: A young man who was raised Catholic and just completed the catechism, has been attending our services, and has gotten very involved with the youth group. Walter is a guy with tons of questions for anyone who will give him the time. He’s been searching sincerely and recently told Lydia, “I am thinking about becoming a Christian, and need to know more about it.” This was followed by another barrage of good questions. A few days ago, Walter excitedly shared with George Wuertz the following testimony, “I feel strange inside. It’s like…it’s like Jesus is living inside of me! I want to read stuff now that I never wanted to read before (the Bible).”

Jorge Luis: As a husband and father, Jorge has been seeking a deeper walk with God for many months. A smoking and nicotine addiction has smothered him with guilt. He recently began smoking much more than usual. But…..(here is his testimony he gave me Sunday) “I felt the Spirit of God come on me. I began to tremble, I felt something inside (placing his hand on his chest as he spoke). I felt very light, like I was floating. God took away all cravings for tobacco instantly. I wadded up my remaining cigarettes and threw them away. That was four days ago and I have not had any desire whatsoever to smoke again.” When Jorge Luis told me that, I gave him a high five and we praised God together. We agreed he would share this testimony with the church body next Sunday. I can’t wait. One of our other guys who is struggling with smoking already asked him how he did it. Good things lead to more good things in God!

PEOPLE ARE BEING SAVED AND DISCIPLED

THAT'S WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT!

2010-08-10T07:20:00.000-07:00

Meeting in the new building: The ICW congregation is now meeting in the new RMC building for worship, weather permitting. We are in the coldest months of winter right now so we still have to go back to the tent on the coldest Sundays.

Discipleship group: Our ICW disciples are continuing to meet each week. Winter vacation time (like your “summer slump”) has affected us, but not severely. We are just three weeks out from completing the first set of classes. Testimonies have been good and our people are growing. Pray for us as we observe this group and look for future leadership potential among them.

Missionary/National Leaders Meetings: We were privileged last week to have our area director, Jarvis Ferguson with us. Also, Jim and Lori Rice and Isaac Thompson (missionary appointees), along with Pastor Derek Atkinson and layman Carey Johnson of the Lawrence, Kansas Wesleyan Church were here. We spent several days in Cuenca, holding meetings with our present missionary team. Time was spent in orientation activities for our missionary appointees. We also worked on steps to strategic planning for our four-family missionary team of the future. Last Thursday evening, we all met with our Guayaquil pastors and Bible institute students for dinner and a time of getting acquainted. Jarvis Ferguson shared a short devotional on the leadership principles of King David. The meeting closed with a good time of prayer.

Women’s Prison: Lydia is coordinating the launching of a new ministry in the women’s prison here in Cuenca. Please pray for her team of ladies and their training which will take place Aug 27-29. That weekend will the kick-off event at the prison also.

RMC construction: Work has been on hold at the RMC due to a lack of funding, but is scheduled to resume Aug 17.

Women’s outreach book study: Sheree Wuertz is close to finishing a book study with her women’s group. God has been using this study to draw many women into a better understanding of God and also of themselves. Pray for lasting fruit from these studies.

Fighting the good fight of faith

2010-06-16T11:58:00.000-07:00

Discipleship Class ICW—We’ve had three sessions now and each time has been unique and blessed. Last week, one new convert confessed to the group that he has a gambling addiction. We all promised to pray for this bondage to be broken. This week, he testified that he had had a great week and that he only yielded to temptation once. We cheered him on.

Byron (a car salesman) shared how tithing used to be a chore for him. It was hard to part with “his” money. “But now,” he testified,” Its exciting to think Sunday is coming and I will get to give my tithe.” He shared that from each of the last five cars he has sold he has tithed his commission. Now that’s getting down to real life!

Westview team—A great youth team is here from Manhattan, Kansas. They are working on the construction and holding special youth outreach activities. About 16 of our ICW youth showed up for the first event. Pray that Westview’s presence will revitalize our small youth group.

Guayaquil all-church youth outing—The Westview youth joined our Guayquil youth for an all-day outing to the Pacific coast beach last Saturday. The bus was packed out and youth from all churches but one participated.

BECAUSE OF INTERNATIONAL TRAVELS THE BLOG WILL BE UPDATED THE NEXT TIME ON JULY 12.

God answers prayer!

2010-06-07T09:20:00.000-07:00

ICW photo Apil 25, 2010

Guayaquil Youth—A youth team from Westview Community Church in Kansas will arrive Wednesday to hold youth leadership training, a children’s day activity in Fortin and an all-church youth outing to Salinas beach. Pray for safety and effective ministry while the team is here.

Discipleship underway—The new discipleship group from ICW met for the first time last Thursday. Ten people had signed up and ten people showed up. Tonight we will meet for our second session.

New family—Alex, our student pastor at ICW took Tom to the home of a family he had contacted just last Sunday. They visited Olga and her daughter, Patricia, in their home again this Sunday afternoon. I wish you could have heard Olga’s testimony of how much Alex’ visit had meant to her the Sunday before. She told how she had been so depressed that she had gone to the doctor. She said that after Alex visited with her, and shared words of encouragement, that her week went just great. She was marveling at how much peace she sensed in her life. God is putting together so many new connections with people we can hardly keep up. Obviously He has great plans for the Racar community and the church He is building there.

Another great Sunday at ICW—Joyful worship, testimonies of answered prayer and new faces and an attendace of 55! It’s all part of what happened yesterday at ICW. Nancy gave testimony that just last Sunday she requested prayer for three things—and they were all answered during the week. In her words: “I just want you people to know that the prayers we pray here are not in vain. Last week I requested prayer for and needed guarantor for a business loan—we obtained the guarantor. We needed approval for the business loan—we got the loan. I asked prayer for my parent’s health—my dad (who lives in another town) actually called me to tell me that he is doing much better. God does answer prayer!”

A new married couple was there for the first time yesterday. Also, David and Priscilla, a young couple who was 24 hours away from signing divorce papers just four weeks ago, have been at every Sunday service since they came for counseling a little over a month ago.

God is building the church with families. TEN MARRIED COUPLES WERE PRESENT IN WORSHIP YESTERDAY! Of the adults present, fifteen were women and seventeen were adult men. We are targeting men and families, and God is sending them in.

The Sunday afternoon sports activities saw about 25 people (mostly guys) enjoying a soccer match on our field. Really good body life!

"Come, follow me."--and they did!

2010-06-04T12:58:00.000-07:00

I am celebrating the launch of our first discipleship group at ICW. Although one-on-one connections have been active for some time, last night was our first meeting of the 10 people who came forward in Sunday's service to commit to "true discipleship". The group has grown to 14, not counting me and Lydia. God is transforming lives, right before our eyes! Praise Him!

Look What God Is Doing!

2010-05-31T10:39:00.000-07:00

Teachers’ Workshop in Guayaquil—Lydia traveled to Guayaquil Saturday for the last in a series of initial teacher’s workshops. She attended a special children’s day activity at FERTISA (Dios Es Primero) on Sunday morning then traveled to Cuenca Sunday afternoon. The workshop went well.

New ministerial students doing well—Pastor Juan reports that all five students are doing well in their theological studies. They carry a heavy load of seven classes per week (three nights) along with their weekend ministries in the churches and their secular jobs and family responsibilities. They need lots of extra strength to keep up the pace. Pray for these who are giving their lives into God’s service.

New families at Dios Es Primero—Pastor Juan reports that two new families have begun attending the church this month. He said, “We are not going to fit in this building much longer. We might have to turn this into a school and get a bigger place to worship.” Keep dreaming God’s dreams, Pastor Juan!

Westview Community Church Team—A youth team from WCC will arrive in Ecuador June 9 to hold youth activities and youth leadership training in Guayaquil June 9-12. They will travel to Cuenca to work some on the construction for their remaining time until their departure on June 22. While in Cuenca they will focus on youth ministries with outreach/fellowship activities planned almost every night. They will lead the ICW service Sunday June 13.

ICW discipleship group to launch June 3—A week ago Sunday Tom preached on “true disciples” and called for a public commitment. Eight came forward and two later joined. This week two more were added. We will meet for our first session this Thursday. Pray for a hunger for God’s Word, and that deep “want to” spirit that drives growth in new converts. Pray for Tom as he leads.

Women’s prison ministry committee—Since making a first visit to the Cuenca women’s prison under the prompting of Janet Wolfe, (a visiting member of the Heritage Wesleyan team that visited earlier this month) an open door for regular ministry there has been opened by the director. The committee met last night and Sheree led them in a discussion. There is interest in such an outreach on the part of several ladies of ICW, but there is also a sense there must be a clear mandate from God for such a work to evolve. At the heart of that mandate, there must be a passionate, God-directed leader who must come forward. So far, we do not have that leader. Pray for God’s direction.

Surprise prayer—Byron took us all by surprise yesterday. He and his wife, Nancy, along with their two children started attending ICW sporadically several months ago. Byron has struggled in his work situation and, if he showed up, he always seemed down and out. No smile, no joy. Last Sunday, Byron came forward to say he wanted to be a true disciple of Christ. Yesterday he was one of the first ones at the “church” (tent). He looked different—smiles and a cheerful attitude. I said, “Hey Byron, would you help receive the offering this morning?” He said, “No, not me!” He then pointed a finger at his wife. She pointed back to him. They were both goofing off and playing shy. Javier is in charge of the ushers and when he asked Byron to help, Byron accepted. Unknown to me was the fact that our student pastor, Alex, had asked Byron ahead of time if he would have the prayer for the offering. Byron did not want to do it. (He is a shy person by nature). At offering time, as Javier and Byron stood ready with the offering bags, Alex asked Javier to pray. Immediately and unprompted, Javier said, “Let Byron pray.” I guess Byron had decided by that time that, shy or not, he WAS going to do it. He stepped to the mic and led a prayer that sounded as if he had been around church for years. It was a good, heart-felt prayer. I had been preparing to show a video as soon as the offering started, but had not really noticed what had been transpiring in regard to the offering. Suddenly, I heard an unfamiliar voice praying—it was Byron! I was shocked-and overjoyed. After service, Byron was helping us tear down the chairs and sound equipment. He came up to me and said, “That was the first time I ever did THAT!” (Referring to his leading a public prayer). I thanked him for his service and the satisfaction in his accomplishment clearly shined through.

Testimony of near drowning—Here is one of four testimonies shared at ICW yesterday: Nancy de Lopez, (wife of Byron, above) shared a testimony of her life being saved a few weeks ago. While in the Amazon area of Ecuador on a family outing, she slipped on mossy rock and fell into the river. Nancy does not swim. She pleaded for help and Byron tried to save her. He failed to pull her out. An onlooker jumped in and also tried to rescue her. He nearly drowned trying. Nancy testified, “At that point I turned to God and cried out for Him to save me. I then passed out. Suddenly, I felt someone pulling me by my hair. It was Byron. He pulled me out, but I know it was really God who saved me!” Thanks God (and Byron!)

REVIVAL FIRES ARE BURNING AT ICW—BETTER NOT COME AROUND IF YOU LIKE YOUR SPIRITUAL STATUS QUO. GOD IS SHAKING AND WAKING ALL OF US! I SAY—BRING IT ON!

Three Ladies Accept Christ!

2010-05-27T11:44:00.000-07:00

During Tuesday's book study under Sheree's leadership, three women who do not attend the church, but do attend the book study, accepted Christ as Savior! Pray for these new converts.

Gobs of good news!

2010-05-24T12:32:00.000-07:00

Bible institute classes—It is reported that all five Bible institute students are doing well, getting into the groove of spending three hours, three nights a week in class. They seem thrilled to be advancing in their ministerial preparation. We are certainly thrilled to be making this investment in the future of the work in Ecuador.

Sheree Wuertz ill—Although not anything extremely serious, Sheree Wuertz has been battling respiratory allergies and a mean sinus infection that developed into bronchitis. She has seen gradual improvement in the last few days. Pray for her quick recovery.

Great progress on RMC—Thanks to the hard work and generous donations of a team of six volunteers from Heritage Wesleyan Church of Rock Island, IL, the large bathroom area of the first floor is nearly all walled in. The septic tanks are in the ground and will be connected this week.

They're still coming!—Although they have completed seven chapters of the book study (Captivating, by John and Stacy Eldredge) that Sheree Wuertz is leading, more women joined for the first time last week, bringing Tuesday afternoon’s total to 11! God is bringing hurting women into this circle to bring healing. Pray for us to be able to keep up with all the opportunities that are opening up.

Ana Lucia still smoke-free—Ana Lucia gave Tom a big hug on Sunday and said “Thank you so much for the church's prayers for me. I almost yielded to the temptation to go back to smoking this week, but I didn’t.” She confessed that she was “dying for just one puff.” Continue to uphold her in this battle against 40 years of tobacco addiction.

New ICW disciples—Attendance was good yesterday with a total of 54. There were 37 older youth and adults and 17 children. (the number of adult/youth attending has almost tripled since January!) Tom preached from Matthew 4 yesterday, making a call for “true disciples.” At the close of the message he called for those who were willing to study the Bible, spend two hours each week in a discipleship class, obey God’s Word, leave any sin behind and become obedient followers of Christ to come forward. Hoping for at least two or three, it was awesome to see eight people make a public commitment to be disciples. After the service, two others joined. FIVE WERE ADULT MEN! They signed up for discipleship classes after the service. Now, we face the big challenge of working out times and schedules to get them all started. (I love that kind of problem!)

Teachers Prepare For Lesson Series

2010-05-13T20:32:00.000-07:00

Nube and Laura came to our home this evening to prepare for a new lesson series on the Apostle Paul. They both recently voluteered to teach our children of ICW. What a blessing it is to see how much they are growing through their teaching. Their commitment is admirable. Several weeks ago Laura came forward after the Sunday morning message. I asked her if there was anything I could pray about for her. Without missing a beat, she said, "We are too passive and we are not doing anything to serve God in the church. I just want God to show me what it is He wants me to do." I just love those open-hearted prayers. I wish you could see Laura and Nube pouring their hearts into the teaching each Sunday. I think they have found their niche. Dear God, thank you for these ladies who love you and love the kids they teach every Sunday. Bless them, I pray!

VOLUNTEERS INSTALL SEPTIC SYSTEM AT RMC

2010-05-13T08:10:00.000-07:00

Six volunteer workers from Heritage Wesleyan Church in Rock Island, Illinois have installed a septic tank system for the Racar Ministry Center. Their hard work means that soon we will have our new bathroom facilities in operation. (Hear all the ladies cheering?!)

The RMC will serve as our national center of operations for the Global Partners ministries for all of Ecuador. It will provide a worship/meeting area, bathroom/showers, storage room, kitchen, laundry, four offices, a large apartment, and five guest rooms. The first of the outer walls was put up today and hopefully, we will be worshiping on the first floor by the end of June.

Pray for safety as our volunteers finish their week on the project then participate in Sunday worship with testimonies and preaching.

FIVE NEW BIBLE INSTITUTE STUDENTS!

2010-05-06T15:40:00.000-07:00

Rejoice with us that two lay couples started a three-year ministerial degree program at the MIZPA Bible institute in Guayaquil this week. Nino and Pilar are currently lay co-pastors at the FORTIN Church. The other couple is Juan Carlos and Diana Cruz. They are from our "Dios Es Primero" Church in FERTISA, and have worked with Nino and Pilar for several years as children's workers. We are absolutely thrilled that these two choice couples are following God's call to prepare for full ministerial service. The other student is Evelyn Cruz, a single gal from the "D.E.P." congregation. God is answering our prayers for workers to be sent into the harvest fields. Keep praying!

2010-05-04T13:17:00.001-07:00

Prayer and weeping--victory and laughter!

This pretty much describes last night's pastors' workshop in Guayaquil. Early on a pastor confessed he was feeling alone and discouraged. Everyone gathered around him, laying on hands and praying for God to lift him up and encourage him. Tears flowed down Pastor Nino's cheeks as he led us in prayer. God met us and moved on us to strengthen this struggling pastor. After the prayer, the prayed-for pastor said, "I felt like I was alone before, but now I know I am not."

One pastor confided to the group that he had been in disobedience and had not been tithing faithfully for some time. He told how he had made the decision to believe God for his needs and set aside his tithe. He stood up, held up his leg so everyone could see his shoe. He then told how a few days ago he was helping another brother when suddenly his worn-out shoe "blew out" with the sole flapping. The Christian brother with him walked him into a shoe store where he bought the pastor a new pair of sneakers. This same pastor told how he had not had enough money to buy his children the required school uniforms to start the new school year. The people of the church became aware and provide the uniforms. On an even more exciting note, he told how he had spoken to a neighbor last week, and Sunday she showed up at church and was saved. Another lady also prayed to accept Christ. Three other people gave their lives to the Lord across town at the FERTISA church, bringing the total number of those saved last Sunday to five!

As we studied and planned for May's stewardship emphasis, we found time to have fun, enjoying the many outbursts of laughter. It was just what it should be. The family of God--working together, loving Him and loving each other.

McGrady Farewell, New Interim Pastor--Tom Hines

2010-04-26T11:38:00.000-07:00

McGrady farewell Sunday—Yesterday we celebrated the ministry of the McGradys at ICW. Fifty-four people attended. There were 33 adults, and 16 of them were guys. Lydia preached the message on repentance. A group of men gathered around Ned and Tom for prayer as Ned passed the baton to Tom as new interim pastor. Several gave special words of appreciation to the McGradys and presented gifts. A five-minute video compilation of pictures of the McGradys in action during their time in Ecuador was presented at the close of service, followed by prayer.

A God-thing--Perhaps the most special gift the McGradys received yesterday is told in this story. As Ned and Tom carried the nice wooden pulpit across the muddy lot to set up in the tent, Ned commented, “Well, here is the Absalom pulpit. I guess we won’t get to say goodbye to them.” (Absalom had crafted the pulpit for the church, and his wife, Gloria, was one of a handful of neighbors from Racar that attend the very first Bible study meetings at the McGradys house in early ’09.) Gloria had served as treasurer before they moved to the south side of Cuenca and started attending a different church because of the distance. They eventually moved to Quito to start a business. As Ned and I set up in the tent, a motorcycle came down the lane with a lone male rider wearing a helmet. Ned took a second look and said, “That looks like Absalom!” (Absalom never regularly attended the church before, and this rider was alone on the bike.) Soon Gloria came walking down the lane behind the bike. (The lane is a little treacherous with two on the bike.) It was Absalom and Gloria!

That is a neat story in itself, but as we conversed after service we discovered that this couple has moved back to Cuenca. And most interesting of all, they did not have any idea that the McGradys were moving to Home Ministries assignment and that this was their last day at the church. Everyone sensed that this was a God-thing and used it to bless us. Hopefully, the fact that Absalom and Gloria came to the service, means that they will be coming back to ICW as regular worshipers.

Racar Ministry Center construction—The steel studs for the wall of the storage area went up this last week. The walls should be up before the end of this week. This will allow us to store our chairs and sound equipment on site, which will make setting up for services in the tent much more convenient. A team of six to eight volunteers from Heritage Wesleyan Church in Moline, Illinois will be arriving May 9, and will work on the installation of the septic tank. We should have minimum bathroom facilities within the next several weeks.

All-church dialogue—Next Sunday we will announce date and time for a series of all-church dialogues in which we will gather to talk over, in-depth, the future development and direction of the church. This will be an opportunity for us to hear how our people would like to see the church evolve in its second year. We will share ideas, goals and strategies, and in particular, our plan for organized discipleship of new believers, with special attention to determining who will be part of the first leadership nucleus. We will also formulate a financial plan for contributing toward the RMC project. We currently have $1500 targeted toward the project and hope it will reach at least $5000.

VIDEO: Tom's installation as interim pastor

New missionaries appointed; Four believers baptized!

2010-04-21T07:21:00.001-07:00

Cuenca, Ecuador

Boy, do we have news this week!…..

Not one but two!—Two couples have just been appointed to serve as long-term missionaries to Ecuador. They are Jim and Lori Rice, of Tuscaloosa First Wesleyan Church, and Isaac and Amy Thompson, of the Lawrence, Kansas Wesleyan Church. Jim is a police investigator and Lori is an RN. They have two children, Lauren, who graduates from IWU in just a few days, and Chris, who will graduate from high school May 6. Isaac Thompson is a math teacher and Amy is an accountant. Our missionary team is very excited about the doubling of our on-field personnel, and is so grateful for all the work that has gone into making this leap forward.

Farewell to the McGradys—It is with very mixed emotions that we bid farewell to the McGrady family this week. They have been a wonderful asset to our team and were used by God in so many ways. Although we will miss Ned’s great chili and their great gifts of hospitality, our best wishes go with them as they develop and pursue more fully their pastor-to-missionaries role. ICW will hold a farewell dinner for them next Sunday.

ICW Baptisms—Attendance was back up last Sunday with 55 (31 adults/youth) present for worship. Sheree preached the message on redemption and how God takes our broken lives and restores them. The message was particularly focused toward the four baptism candidates. Following worship in Big Blue (the tent), a hired bus took us to Gualaceo (45 minutes outside Cuenca) to a beautiful park along the Santa Barbara River. Two adult ladies (Karla, Katy) and two youth (Jordan McGrady and Suco) were baptized in the frigid water as those of us on the bank sang Power In the Blood and I Have Decided To Follow Jesus. Each candidate gave individual testimony to his/her salvation. (Some of our people were seeing an evangelical baptism for the first time.) Just after the baptisms, we pigged out on charcoal grilled pork steaks and chicken along with the trimmings! Almost everyone joined in either volleyball or soccer. Another great day for the REAL church—the body of Christ.

New men—I shared in last week’s update about Juana and her growth in Christ and passionate desire to know Him more. Juana and her husband, Miguel, have been estranged for five years. He was in the USA and they had no contact. Several days ago, Miguel showed up. God has helped them begin to reconcile their marriage—Praise God! Miguel attended services Sunday as well as the baptism. Ana Lucia’s husband, Fabian, did not come to worship, but did join us for the baptism trip. That was a first. Tom spent about 45 minutes listening to Fabian talk about faith in God and his ideas regarding church. Pray for both of these men that they will literally become “new men in Christ.”

Pastor Gustavo—Tom received a call from Pastor Gustavo a few days ago. Gustavo reported that he and his family have moved back to his mother’s home, but that renovations had been done and they were now getting settled. He stated that he believes God has allowed the difficulties of recent weeks to happen in order to allow them to learn and grow. He said that the pastors of Guayaquil were planning to meet at Pastor Mazzini’s home for prayer and fellowship last Saturday night. Pray for unity among them.

RMC Construction—Each week the property looks a little different as construction progresses. The fencing is now erected. Gates will follow soon and work on the storage area will begin this week. We expect to have temporary electrical service in the coming weeks. (The ladies are still screaming for a bathroom!)

Hey….only a page and a half this week!

Tom

Update April 13, 2010--Baptism, new pastor's home

2010-04-21T07:19:00.001-07:00

Ecuador Update
April 13, 2010

ICW: a difficult Sunday—Bad news first…right? Last Sunday was a hard one. It had rained all week and the property was a mud bog, including inside the tent. Ned and Marlene were in Mexico, so we missed them. Attendance was down to (GULP!) 19! It was a holiday and that hurt us. Some were sick. We set up on the concrete slab and service went pretty well. Because of the low attendance, both children’s church and adult worship was modified at last minute. God still worked through Sheree as she preached on redemption. We divided into groups and afterward three people shared a summary of what we had learned on the subject. Participation by those who were there was good.

Leadership development—Three leaders from Guayaquil, Pilar Rodriguez and Juan Carlos and Diana Cruz plan to enter a three-year ministerial training program in a local Bible institute in Guayaquil. They seem very fired up and ready to go. Classes begin May 3.

Moran family’s new home—Pastor Juan and Sonia Moran (FERTISA) have moved into their new third-floor home above the sanctuary. They are thrilled. For many years they have been living in a one-room apartment in a flood-prone area. All the while they have battled the seasonal flooding of their home, along with horrible mold, mud and rust. As the name of the church says, “Dios Es Primero” (God is First). They have lived out that motto over the past 11 years working hard to get the church finished first, before their home. Pray God’s blessing on them for their sacrifice.

Teacher training—Last Tuesday night Laura and Nube came to Tom and Lydia’s apartment where they received teacher training and made preparations for classes at ICW. We now have three committed teachers for children’s Sunday classes.

Baptism next Sunday—On April 18, ICW will hold its first baptism. One candidate, Katy Acuña, will be baptized. It will be a church-wide celebration with a bus trip to Gualaceo, worship on the banks of the river, picnicking, and sports. Three ladies received classes on baptism from Tom. Pray that all will soon take this important step.

Elena—One of the ladies who attended the baptism class was Elena. She has been Catholic all her life. In January, through VBS, she started coming to ICW along with her daughter, Nube. At the close of the session, I asked the baptism class students what their decision regarding baptism was, Elena spoke up and said, “Pastor, I wanted to come to this class to learn about baptism. I 66 years old, and it is only now that I am beginning to understand what it means to follow Jesus.” Her voice quivered. “Can you imagine?” she continued, “until now, I just went to Mass, and that was it. I just didn’t know about all this that I’m learning now.” Tears welled up. “I need to take care of some things in my life before I am baptized, but I want to be.” By this time she was weeping. “I will be baptized a little later when I learn more about knowing Jesus.” Even though Elena felt she should not to be baptized yet, it was a precious moment when she was expressing the “all things become new” realities of her recent conversion. Her sincerity and strong desire to be all that God wants her to be was very special.

Katy—At the close of the baptism class, Katy said, “I want to be baptized, but I want to talk to you first, Pastor.” Without violating confidentiality with details, I can tell you that Katy met privately with me and Lydia immediately following the class. She said, “I want to be baptized, but I don’t feel worthy. There are some things in my life that are not pleasing to God and I have to clear them up before my baptism. I want to be honest with God and only be baptized when my conscience is totally clear.” At this point, Katy began to weep and tremble. She poured her heart out to me and Lydia as God dealt with her, and as she confronted the need for restitution and making things right in her life. Tears flowed freely, falling from her cheeks as she asked us about what she should do. Lydia and I told her to do the right thing and obey what she knew to be right. (This was not at all a simple matter. It involved a tangle of family relationships, the father of her child and legal issues.) Suddenly, Katy sat upright, lifted her head from a bowed position and said, “OK, the decision is made. I will talk to my family tonight (it was already 8:30pm!) and I will be baptized!” It was a moment of wonderful victory. Later that evening, she called us and reported that all went pretty well. Pray for Katy as she continues to make restitution and rectify bad decisions of the past. She still has tough issues to resolve, but with God’s help she will make it.

Walter—This young man about 17, came to youth meeting Saturday. He also came Sunday morning for worship. This was unusual as Walter always goes to Catechism instead of coming to worship at ICW. Pray for his salvation.

Javier and Laura—Tom and Lydia invited Javier and Laura to lunch Sunday after worship. We spent two hours over our meal, talking about what it means to be a committed Christian. Javier accepted Christ three years ago, but his relationship had grown cold with the Lord. He started attending ICW with his newlywed wife, Laura in October of 2009. She met the Lord in July of last year. We felt God was really in our conversation and they seemed very sincere in their desire to grow spiritually. Here are some excerpts from emails Laura sent to Lydia today.

“God is hearing my prayers. I am so happy. Last night while talking with Javier, he said he is now going to become fully involved in the church, and is going to give his full support. He is the one who started the conversation.

It is important that we have a meeting of the people soon so each one can solidify their commitment and understand their individual responsibility. Let us know when the meeting is so we can motivate the people to attend.”

“The reality is that we must be obedient to the Lord. He will work in our lives and through our lives for the benefit of others.”

Lydia had loaned Laura a about Christian marriage a month or so ago. It was due to be checked back in to the library. Laura asked Lydia if she could borrow it one more week so Javier can read it.

“I want to learn more”—Juana, who recently began regularly attending services, testified Sunday in our small group that she was so happy to learn about living with God in her life. In January Juana sat in the back row in the tent, seemed very intimidated, feeling inferior and looking very expressionless. What a change God has made in her. Sunday she said “I have learned so much living the Christian life…and I like it! How can I learn more?” She told about how happy she is now that Christ is in her life and wants other to know about it. Her huge smile and now-confident manner confirmed everything she said in words.

Discipleship—George Wuertz continues to mentor the construction workers in their walk with Christ.

Fabian and Ana Lucia—Tom and Lydia invited this couple to their apartment for dinner and fellowship. It was a great time of interacting and getting to know them better. Today, Ana Lucia celebrated thirteen days of freedom from her smoking habit. We thank God, and ask for your prayers as she battles the nicotine cravings. Tonight she said, “I’ve quit before about five times, but this time it has not been so hard.” I reminded her that many people are praying for her.

We sense that we are on the verge of some real good revival fire taking our young church deeper in Him. Please pray it will be so.

Tom Hines

Update April 5, 2010--Record attendance, smoke free!

2010-04-21T07:14:00.000-07:00

Ecuador Update April 5, 2010

Guayaquil—Pastor Gustavo Viejo reports that the Altar Cristiano Church had “marvelous” services Good Friday and Easter with an attendance of about 40. He reported that one young lady was saved.

Teachers’ workshop: Guayaquil—Lydia held the fourth teachers workshop at the Fortin Church a week ago Saturday. Participation was good and it was the first time some of the teachers from the other churches had been to Fortin. Pastor Pilar seemed very pleased.

FERTISA—The Dios Es Primero Church recently completed a 21-day fasting program. Several members fasted from 7am to 8pm each day for the 21 days, including youth. Some fasted 7 complete days without food. Pastor Juan reports great victories and a special sense of God’s moving.

Guayaquil visit—George and Sheree made a recent three-day visit to Guayaquil where they visited our pastors and churches. They contacted Vicki and Marlon (formerly major leaders at FERTISA who had left the church about 8 months ago and had gone back to a sinful lifestyle) and this key couple returned to FERTISA a week ago Sunday night. Pastor Juan said Vicki came running toward the altar and wept in repentance. It was so good to see them in the services again during our last visit. Pray they will hang on.

Pastors’ workshop—Tom held the monthly pastors’ workshop in Guayaquil last Monday night. The main discussion had to do with theological training for our pastors and future pastors. Pastor Pilar as well as Juan Carlos and Diana are planning to enter Bible Institute. There was also discussion about our upcoming stewardship month in May. Tom will work with the church leaders to assist the congregations in committing to a better support plan for their pastors. The prayer time at the close was exceptionally good. Tom challenged the pastors to meet once per month on their own, to pray and enjoy fellowship.

Easter Sunday ICW—It was another great Sunday. Worship was at 10am with a record (non-Kansas Team) attendance reported between 64 and 70. Nineteen were children and the rest were adults and youth. There were 5 or 6 teenage guys there. Tom preached from John chapter 20 on “The Seven Words of Christ After His Resurrection.” Following the service, we enjoyed a turkey dinner which was followed by a movie, volleyball, soccer, music jam, table games and lots of great fellowship. We finally left about 5:30 pm. Great body life!

Growing in Christ—Ana Lucia, a school teacher in her fifties, who was reached through Sheree’s ladies meetings a few years ago, and who only recently began attending ICW, came to Sheree’s home a few days ago and said, “Here’s $40—I am going to start giving my tithe.” We were all excited because we know “where your treasure is, your heart also will be.” This was a great victory, but Sunday, she approached Tom and said, Pastor, I have not smoked for four days!” She didn’t share with everyone, but did tell Lydia. Pray for her as she strives to break this addiction after decades of smoking. God is really working in her life, and it shows on her face. Pray for her husband Fabian’s salvation.

VBS fruits--Several people who came to the VBS held by the Kansas team in January attended yesterday’s Easter services at ICW.

Racar Ministry Center—The parking area is basically done, the fence is going up. The storage area is to be done by the end of April and the septic system with some bathroom facilities is to be ready in May. We are looking forward to the first floor being enclosed in the next few months. The muddy floor of the tent has been a little hard to deal with during this rainy season. But we’re getting there!

McGradys/Mexico and farewell—Ned and Marlene will travel to Mexico April 6 for a ten-day pastor-to-misionaries trip. Shortly after they return we will celebrate their ministry here with a farewell. They will depart Cuenca Sunday afternoon, April 25. Pray for them as they transition to home minstries.

Update March 15, 2010--Kidnapping, VBS and more

2010-04-21T07:10:00.000-07:00

Ecuador Update March 15, 2010

ICW—Services went well at ICW yesterday with 37 people present. Nine of those were boys or men who had not been to the church before. Of the 37 people, 22 were guys. Tom preached on “You Need a Savior.” There were no seekers who came forward, but many had tears in their eyes and were deeply touched during the message. Tom was stricken ill Saturday night and was quite sick Sunday. Prayers of the ministry team were heard and Tom made it through the service. Tom believes this was a physical attack from the enemy. He is doing better today.

God’s protection—We praise God for his protection. Last Sunday afternoon, as Lydia walked alone by the river taking some pictures, a man brandishing a knife approached her and stole her camera. She was shaken, and suffered a minor cut on her hand from the skirmish, but is doing well.

The sister of Nube T., Veronica, was kidnapped last Saturday night about midnight in Cuenca. Five men carjacked her vehicle and drove her to a remote location where they began to dismantle her car. During the incident, one of the kidnappers attempted to rape her. She fought back hard, kicking, hitting and biting the attacker. He did not rape her, but beat her so violently that when her family finally found her, they thought she was dead. Fortunately, Veronica is recovering, though she needs much prayer. She had been a Christian but has drifted away from the Lord. Pray that this situation will “work together for her good.”

Guayaquil—VBS is being held this week at Camino de Santidad Church.

McGrady’s held a one-day VBS activity at the Altar Cristiano Church last Thursday. Fifty-five kids were there and it was a great success.

Manta—McGradys visited Manta for few days recently and feel there could be potential there for a future church plant. More investigation will be done to gather detailed info.

Racar Ministry Center—Thanks to the outstanding work and support of the Kansas teams, good progress has been made on the RMC. We are hoping to mount a capital campaign in the coming months to raise the needed funds to finish this building which will serve the entire Ecuador ministry. Our project manager, George Wuertz estimates it will take about $120,000 to finish the building and grounds, including the sports areas.

Family visits in Racar—Last Sunday Lydia and Tom stopped by Fabian and Ana Lucia’s home to visit Fabian after his recent accident. He is a professional coach and recently suffered a knee injury. What was to be a quick visit turned into staying for “a little soup” which turned into a full dinner. After eating together, we sat in their living room and talked about spiritual concepts. The discussion was prompted by Lydia’s teaching that Sunday morning. Both Fabian and Ana Lucia entered into the discussion and both seemed to sincerely be seeking God’s truth. We talked until after 3pm. Pray for their salvation.
Ladies’ book study going well—Sheree Wuertz is directing a ladies’ book study in their home on Monday evenings and Tuesday afternoons. They are reading “Captivating” by John and Stasi Eldridge. Pray for this study, as many of the attendees do not regularly attend our church services.

Welcome to Hines Sight Now!

2010-04-21T06:48:00.000-07:00

For some time now Lydia and I have wanted to give you access to the latest news and prayer requests from the Global Partners ministries here in Ecuador. Now you are never more than a few clicks away from updates, photos and our current contact information.

We depend on the prayers and support of our North American friends and want to make sure you are always in the know.

If you have any special requests or items you would like to see in Hines Sight Now, drop us a line. We'd love to hear from you.

Blessings,

Tom and Lydia