Ecuador 10/10/16
Today is Monday and I arrived in Salasaka about 1:30 this morning. The trip was about 20 hours this
time due to scheduling problems with the airlines. Even with confirmed reservations once I arrived in
Miami I found out I was not booked to or from Quito.
God had His plan and I made it to Quito arriving around 10:30 pm.
The day started about 9 am when we met Elias and Marlena on the street in Pelileo, they are, Elizabeth's
parents.
We talked with
them for a while
and during the
conversation Elias
asked what I
thought about a
Christian taking
out a loan from the
bank and giving it
to a brother in
need. The brother
in need is Lidia's
brother, Clever. He
was jailed for
defrauding
customers at a
credit union he
was managing.
The family of
Clever is asking the
family and
Christian
acquaintances to
contribute to his
37k fine so he can
get out of
jail. They are
saying that a
"Good Christian"
would help a
Christian brother.
(Pressure and the laying on of guilt to achieve the desired result.)
We went through some scriptures in Proverbs, concerning borrowing and lending money, and reminding
them that we shouldn't violate God's principles because WE think it's the right thing to do. (Proverbs
14:12, 19:21 and again in 16:25.)
From there we went to Condoragua to see Orlando and Marcia who were baptized in September.
Orlando is Berta's brother and is being recruited by Louise, Berta's abusive husband, to side with him in
the divorce. Orlando was not aware of all the abuse Berta was experiencing and now has decided to
remove himself from the situation.
While we
Jannet,
were there we met with
Matias and Marcia.
Jannet told us
mother Maria
Louise is
he does show
community
that Berta is living with her
and father Segundo. That
staying away from Berta but
up every now and then in the
but doesn't stay long.
From there
we went to visit Angel and
Lidia. While there, the same story of Clever, Lidia's brother, came up and how they were being
pressured by even her father to help pay off Clever's debt. Lidia's father told them that her mother was
so sick over Clever that she couldn't get out of bed.
Again I went
explained the
there
borrowing
them if they
may be trying
something
against
they are
plan for
back
to talk to one
who is
relationship
to God's Word and
principles taught
concerning
and lending. I asked
thought the Lord
to teach Clever
and by them going
biblical principles
interfering with His
Clever. We are going
tomorrow morning
of the daughters
thinking about a
with an unbeliever.
On the way to and from
Condoragua it was a beautiful day
and very scenic.
The five specks in the picture are tending the sheep on the steep hill.
Tonight's
discipleship
training was a
continuation on
who the Church
actually belongs
to, who can
become a
member of it
and the process.
Basically it
involves
hearing,
believing,
salvation, and
believers’
baptism. (Rom.
10:14-17)
This process was delved into and the discussion from the 28 in attendance was good.
Well that's all from here in Ecuador where God is revealing Himself and His work in mighty ways.
We prayed tonight for all of you who are experiencing the aftermath of Matthew, that you would be
strengthened in the Lord.
Guido
Ecuador 10/11/16
Today started with breakfast at Guillermo's consisting of bacon, eggs and a biscuit. Problem is this was
his first attempt at biscuits and I think he left out salt. He noticed it too and commented that Elvia's
were better, I agreed.
From there we
went to
Condoragua for a
meeting with
Angel's daughter
Jessica Morales.
(Picture attached)
The concern for
Jessica, from her
parents, is that
she is starting to
make friends with
a certain boy that
her parents don't
approve of and he
is not a Christian.
Her parents
wanted me to
discuss with her
what God's Word
had to say about that.
We started with the fact that she was a believer and therefore set apart and as such she was very
special to God. From there we went to Eph. 5:1-7, then to 1Cor. 6:16-17, 1Thessalonians 5:21-22, 2 Cor.
6:15-18 ending in Gen. 2:24.
There was a lot of discussion around how the choices she makes now will affect her entire like and
generations to come. She was reminded of how easily Eve was tempted by things that were pleasing to
the eye and by fancy words the serpent used that convinced her to disobey God. She was reminded that
as a person set apart she needs to be obedient to God's Word and in doing so, God will give her the
desires of her heart. Her desires and His will be the same because He wants the best for his children.
At the end of our time together she said that last night she was praying that God would reveal what she
should do in this situation and through God's Word and our time together today He answered her
prayer and she knows exactly what her future steps are going to be. 😇
From there we went to Pablo's in El Florida for a time of fellowship and lunch. Guillermo is functioning
as a seminary tutor to Pablo, Patricio, Franklin, and Javier helping them with new terminologies so we
stayed there helping Pablo with his homework until it was time to go to Salasaka.
The discipleship training tonight was on 1Corinthians 12 and how the Body of Christ, the church, is a
living body of believers. We will continue this topic tomorrow night focusing on the gifts given to us at
the moment of salvation.
I guess that's all for today,
Guido
Ecuador 10/12/16
Today started with Guillermo and I going into Pelileo to the Alliance Church for a meeting with Pastor
Peppe. We spent the morning together looking at properties in and around Salasaka.
After that we went to Ambato to the hospital to visit with Diana's aunt Belgica. She has cancer in her
thyroid and Diana wanted us to come and encourage her before she went into surgery.
Guillermo read a passage from 2Cor. 12:9 and I prayed from Phil. 4:7 that God would give her the peace
that transcends all human understanding, that God would guide the surgeon’s hands and that He would
be glorified in her life. Belgica is a non-practicing Catholic.
Then we went to Chiquita to visit with Mauricio and Daniella. (Pictures sent)
They are having marital problems, even though they are not married.
We spent most of the rest of the afternoon with them and what I saw as the crutch of the problem is
they are trying to live as a Christian family but in violation of God's plan and protection as it relates to
marriage and the family.
I went through God's plan for a man and woman to become one flesh, Gen. 2:23-24, Matt. 19:4-6, Mark
10:6-9 and how they are to live as husband and wife in Eph. 5:21-33. I told them that because of the way
they are living they are missing out on the blessings God offers a family who is trying to be obedient to
His Word. I pointed out God's warning in Heb. 13:4.
They both said they don't spend time in the Word nor assemble with other Believers.
In summary they realized
they were not living as God
had intended and that they
needed to be in God's Word.
They would try to be
obedient starting with
getting married instead of
living together. They said
they realize the blessing they
are missing because of their
disobedience and assured us
they would make the
changes necessary to live as
Christians should. (Pictures
sent)
From there we were almost late to the discipleship training in Salasaka.
We had 26 in attendance and we discussed 1Cor. 12:4-26 as it relates to Christ's Church. We compared
the workings of the human body to the workings of the body of believers within the church.
The verses that received
the most discussion
were v. 25-26.
After the study Patricio
took prayer requests and
the people of Rocky
Mount and those
effected by the
hurricane were lifted up.
Isn't it a blessing that
brothers and sisters in
Christ from so far away
offer up prayers for you?
That's all for today that I
can remember so
goodnight.🌙
Guido
Ecuador 10/13/16
Today was uneventful during the morning but we did end up in an area I had not been before.
After lunch Soila wanted to
talk to us about Amy who
has been lying to her about
a cell phone and her use of
the internet.
Apparently her teacher
called Soila and wanted
Amy to leave her phone at
home. When Soila asked
about the phone, she didn't
even know Amy had, Amy
told her a friend gave it to
her.
Soila asked her teacher why
Amy had 3 hours of
computer homework every
night and her teacher told
Soila that at the most it
would be only one hour.
Amy tells her mother that it's 3 to 4 hours nightly.
There are other things going on but it's all related to Amy being deceitful. I started out by asking Amy if
she was a Christian and how her relationship with Christ was. She said she was a Christian but lately
hasn't felt close to the Lord. We started in Genesis 3:4 where lying originated and then went to Exodus
20:12 where she is to honor her parents so that her
days will be long on this earth.
She was told that she is in sin and dishonoring her
parents and that's the main reason she feels
separated from the Lord. That the lying is also causing
a separation in her relationship with her parents due
to mistrust. I asked Amy if she wanted to start new, at
this moment, confess everything to her mother and
ask for forgiveness.
Amy with a contrite heart wept as she
admitted to lying about the phone and
other things including talking to her
friends on the internet for 3 hours a day
and calling it homework. I asked Amy if
she would give her mother her phone
and limit her internet time to just
homework when needed. She said she
would.
Soila was forgiving and they hugged
each other but I told them if there was
any indication of Amy being untruthful in the future that we would need to address it quickly and they
both agreed.
From there we went to the church for
discipleship training and 30 were in
attendance.
Tonight we started chapter 18 which was
on the two ordinances of the church,
baptism and communion.
We studied the definition of baptism and
Biblical examples of it.
How we are to be baptized in the name
of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit
after we believe, not before.
God’s people praying…
That’s all for today,
Guido
Ecuador 10/14/16
Today was an easy day in that we just visited people in the area of El Florida and Huambaio.
Mariana was the first and she is struggling with the fact that her oldest son is divorcing his wife after so
many years of marriage. She asked us to pray for both her son and his wife.
Next we went to Louise and Jannet's house to visit Jannet.
Louise is at the coast working to pay off the
debt he incurred because he co-signed for his
sister and she didn't make the payments.
If you remember the story the bank was
threatening to take his and her house now.
Louise will be there for 2 years working 6
days a week to repay the notes.
Another sad story of the consequences of
Christians not following Biblical principles.
Now their family is separated.
We told Louise we would check on her and
the new baby and keep in contact.
At 1 pm we went to Ambato and had lunch with Carlos, Maurixi and John Pierre.
They are doing
well and I was
encouraged that
Carlos
remembered the
counseling I gave
them when they
got married about
borrowing money.
Carlos is Angel
and Lidia's oldest son. He also was hit up by Clever's family to help pay off his fines. Carlos said he gave
the family $100.00 which was all he had. Carlos said that Clever's family was upset and asked him to sell
his car to be able to give more money. Carlos said he was not going to take out a loan or sell his car to
help pay off a criminal’s debt even if the criminal was his uncle.
The training tonight was on water/believers’ baptism and the fact that it is a public profession of your
belief in Christ as your Lord and Savior. It has no saving qualities whatsoever and is done as a step in
obedience after you believe.
There were 26 of us in attendance tonight and a lot of good discussion when the question of
circumcision was brought up. Some were trying to equate circumcision in the Old Testament to baptism
in the New Testament.
We spent time in Leviticus 12 and Genesis 17 to explain that circumcision was a sign of the covenant
between God and Abraham. Some didn't know what the word circumcision meant.
That's all for tonight. Tomorrow Guillermo, Pablo, Patricio, Franklin and Javier will be in school at the
seminary and I will be meeting with Pastor Jonathan most of the day.
I pray that each one of you has a good night,
Guido
Ecuador 10/16/16
Saturday I spent the
morning with Pastor
Jonathan at his new
home while
Guillermo, Pablo,
Patricio, and Franklin,
the men from the
Salasaka Baptist
Church (SBC), were at
the seminary.
(Picture of Patricio
studying.)
Jonathan purchased the house from the Wycliffe Missionaries who were here but have relocated to
NC. We spent most of the day talking about future ministry opportunities as well as the ongoing ones. (A
side note: According to an IMB administrator there are no IMB missionaries in Ecuador at present.)
Pastor Jonathan asked about Berta and I let him know that her abusive husband was living in Salsado
and was not bothering her at the moment. (She has been coming to the training in Salasaka this week so
that was nice that she felt safe enough to come.)
David and a group of young people from PIBA, who are involved with "Happy Feet," are going to be
touring in the States starting next September. They will be in Charlotte for a week.
Training Saturday night was still on Christ's Church and who is a member. Next month we will be
studying the local church, what is required for membership and the responsibilities of its
members within the local church.
Before the training started Kenneth, Nelly's son, was given an OCC, Operation Christmas Child, box.
There were 28 in attendance.
Sunday we attended church at PIBA
from 11 to 1 pm. The praise and
worship team played for 30 minutes
and then Pastor Jonathan preached
on Christ's Commandment to love
one another using selected
scriptures.
After church we had lunch at the
Mall and I went back to Salasaka to
pack for the trip home on Monday.
The night church service at SBC was
full. The sermon was on the topic of
how Christians who are called by
God to a certain ministry, can at
times face unnecessary obstacles
and disappointment by seeing the
behavior of so called mature
Christians.
I was reminded of a sermon, a few
weeks back, on what Nehemiah had
to put up with in trying to do God's
will. How Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem were the obstacle. The centuries go by but the ones who can't
rejoice over God's work still remain opposing the work of God’s people.
It's the responsibility of the mature Christian to come along side and encourage those who are doing the
work of the Lord so everyone can rejoice and finish the race Paul talks about.
After the sermon we celebrated the Lord's Supper. Through the teachings on The Lord’s Supper and
understanding the seriousness of partaking in an unworthy manner such as harboring unloving thoughts
toward a neighbor or brother in Christ, unconfessed sin, or unresolved family conflict, some realized
they could not take communion at this time. There were 25 who did participate.
There were two visitors from the States there tonight. They were Shad and Kris Waskosky. Kris
mentioned that they met some people from our church about 5 years ago. Tonight they wanted to
demonstrate the new audio version of Matthew translated into Quechua. They were part of the
translation team that is no longer here. They said they would be back from time to time just to visit.
Well that's all the
Lord has put on
my heart to report
for this trip. I
leave for the
airport at 3 am
and Lord willing I
will be home by 7
pm Monday.
Guido
(Leaving Ecuador)