Spring 2008

Action packed, only begins to describe our spring in Cuenca. The last week in March, a Taylor University freshman, here on a short mission trip, tried to impress his classmates with his “Survivor” savvy and was lost for a day and a night at a 13,000 foot elevation in the Cajas National Park above Cuenca. After an grueling search and rescue effort, the young man was located and brought to safety.

In keeping with their heritage of excellence, Dr. Skip Trudeau, dean of students and Dr. Chris Bennett, associate provost and dean of international programs at Taylor University, abandoned their busy schedules and flew to Ecuador to offer apologies to the mayor, the city officials, the search and rescue leaders and to our church family. This gesture of humility, once again, solidified our confidence in Taylor’s high standards of academic integrity, one of North America’s finest higher educational institutions.

On the heels of this event we received a 32 member graduating team from the Bethel Church School of Ministry, from Redding California. This group, who moved in the true Spirit of Jesus, ministered in Riobamba, Cuenca and Guayaquil. The above photo shows a ministry time in Cuenca- below, some team members doing some prophetic art during worship time. The pastor of the Riobamba church confirmed that a woman in his fellowship was healed of leukemia in response to prayer from the Bethel students. PTL!

In early April, while the Redding team was still here, we received a GHO gynecology team led by Dr. Ross Rumph and Mary, his lovely wife. Ross stayed on a second week and spearheaded the efforts of the 1st Women in Medicine & Dentistry team from Global Health Outreach.

Simultaneously, we were also enjoying the company of Rachel and Ricky Guido, our niece and nephew from North Carolina, who were translating for the various medical and ministry teams and visiting their friends in Cuenca. They did a fantastic job, and we love having them in our empty nest.

2008 !!!

Well, doing this little review of last year really brings home how bad I am at carrying around my camera and rarely taking a picture! I have been waiting for people to help me out with some pictures of events, and have decided, boring as it may be without a picture, it is time to move on before I lose even more time.

I think I'll update categories for the time being, because this has started out as one of our busiest years ever. Up to April 26 we had 5 different medical teams down from the US- those 4 months were a whirlwind of organizing, emailing, and working long hours. After we arrived from our Christmas with the kids, we received our first team within the week. We started with a small group of pre-med students from Taylor University students accompanied by two orthopedic surgeons and ended with the first ever Women in Medicine and Dentistry team from GHO. We were honored to be selected as the site to host this team, and were so blessed to get to know and work along side these wonderful people.

2007 Summary - Part Two

APRIL – Our dear friend, Curtis Leins, visits to minister to the congregation. The Lord used Curtis mightily to minister to us, our leadership, the congregation and the Verbo leadership in Quito.

Daniel and Marta Quiroz with their son Alejandro were sent to Gualaquiza, Ecuador a small town in the jungle, where they are currently pastoring a new church plant with 70 in attendance. They have had many opportunities to have radio and television time, locally. They are having a big impact on the whole area. There is a family who is riding a bus 6 hours each way, to get to church each week!

Medical Doctors associated with Taylor University work one week at our clinic in a Medical Outreach.

MAY – Taylor University President, Gene Habecker, and his wife, Marylou, visit Ecuador to see what all the hubbub is about from the teams and faculty who have come down in the past. His vision is to have ten Global Engagement Centers where Taylor students can study and have a healthy exposure to the culture and the expression of the Christian church in other countries. He also presented a Leadership Seminar in Quito and Cuenca.

Construction project begins on our Sunday school and fellowship area.

JUNE - On the third of this month John turns 53 years of age.

Summing up 2007

We hope that many of you might be interested in seeing a summary of some of the major events of our lives and ministry for 2007. Thanks so much to all of you who contributed through your prayers, gifts and participation in successes and blessings of the year. May the Lord richly bless you and encourage you through 2008. I'm going to do it in quarters, so it will be easier for me to manage.

JANUARY – Leadership mentoring program reorganized. The year began with our traditional week of prayer and fasting. We closed down our home groups for 1½ months and meet together corporately. Then we met with every couple in the leadership and had a time of prayer and evaluation to see if they should continue in the ministry or take a time of rest and restoration. All but two of our leaders continued, and we had an opportunity for wonderful times of ministry and were able to help couples work out some important difficulties they had been facing. Then we asked them to pick an elder with whom they wanted to work with in a mentoring program. Marilyn and I are currently working closely with 7 wonderful couples and one on-fire young man.

On the 7^th Marilyn celebrates her birthday. Here she with Tammy making plans for an upcoming medical team.

The Taylor University Lighthouse team came with 15 students who worked with various children’s ministries throughout the city.

FEBRUARY - The City Park in front of our church is re-zoned as a residential area. We are currently in a law suit with the city de- manding that our park be restored. They plowed up the volleyball court that was used by local citizen's every weekend in the top photo, and put up a barbed wire fence in an area we used as a parking lot.

MARCH - Taylor University sends 8 Students who stay 4 months studying Biology and Spanish at the local University of Azuay and in our newly formed Language Institute.