We are missionaries with The Master's Mission in Ecuador, South America. We currently live in Archidona, Napo, where we are trying to be a visual aid of the Gospel.
Kevin and the boys just headed out of the driveway to go fishing.Exciting times!Actually there was a whole truck full of neighborhood boys who wanted to go along.When they are riding in our truck, the guys like to chant, “USA.USA.”We are not sure why, but it always makes us smile. And the location for this adventure?The tilapia pond at our property.One of the guys borrowed a net from his relative and they hope to come home with a tub full of fish.It is a tricky business and makes one appreciate each bite of fish on his plate.Just a few weeks ago, we ate fish from our pond for the first time.It was rewarding!While you eat, you think of all the work you’ve put into your food:the countless trips down the trail to feed the fish, the morning you spent catching them, cleaning them (Joe is a pro), and finally rolling them in the flour and frying them to golden perfection.So, with a little luck, we will be enjoying tilapia again soon.While we are on the topic of food, I’d like to announce that we have harvested sweet bananas and green bananas from our own trees.Our favorite snacks are “chifles”, made by frying thin slices of the green bananas and eating them with salt and ketchup (very much like French fries and oh-so-good with a cold glass of lemonade), and “choco-bananas”, bananas dipped in chocolate.
It’s been a fun week.Kevin sat down one evening and designed a logo for the t-shirts we are giving to the boys who play baseball on Saturdays.We decided it was high time we rewarded them a little for their diligence.They have been coming faithfully for six months now, and we have purposefully waited to give them any sort of reward in order to see who would last.So many times the kids here are involved in a program just to receive whatever hand-outs there are and then they stop attending.But we feel these guys have shown they can work hard and be faithful, so we are going to surprise them!
We ask that you pray for the pastor’s wife from the Alliance church here.The doctor found a tumor in her breast a week ago and she will be operated on soon.Her name is Gloria.The family has gone to their hometown on the coast to be close to relatives through this time.Kevin is filling in for two weeks while they are gone.We have enjoyed getting to know the pastor and his family over the past few months.Gloria has been an encouragement to me because she is a woman who loves her work in the home and is content being a helper to her husband.We are praying that all goes well with the surgery.
Many of you already know that we bought land in September hoping to build a house on the property and work in the nearby communities.Since then, we have seen just how many needs there are in the area and feel excited about planting a church there in the future. We are hoping that our current house will be used by future TMM missionaries. In order to build a house, we have calculated that we will need $20,000.We know that many of you want us to be specific about our needs, so we are giving specific figures this month.We thank God that our needs are consistently met through friends like you.
It's hard to believe we are already in 2010. (Twenty ten or two thousand ten?) We are now going on our fourth year of ministry here in Ecuador. Here are some of our goals for this year:
1. Build a home and move to our property in San Luis We hope eventually raise enough support to be able to build a home in San Luis. San Luis is a small indigenous community near several other communities. There are no churches in the area. We want to move there, be good neighbors, and eventually begin a church.
2. Strengthen the relationships we have with the youth through sports Our home has become a bit of a hangout at times for neighborhood boys. We have been playing baseball and soccer with them and have been able to share some of our lives with them. Most of the boys don't have their fathers around due to either divorce, work, or immigration. Pray that we would be able model a biblical family for them and that we would have opportunities to share the Gospel with them.
3. Be good neighbors Sometimes, it's frustrating to put up with some of the cultural differences between us and our neighbors. The staring, the loud music, the fights and the immodesty are some things that can get under our skin some days. However, the Lord has called us to be different and to be patient. Pray for opportunities to be good neighbors. One neighbor would like to watch some Creation DVD's that we have and we're hoping he might be interested in eventually studying the Bible. Another neighbor girl comes with us to church on some Sundays.
4. Establish Home Bible Studies We are already helping a woman in San Pablo, a small town near San Luis, with a Kid's Club she has on Fridays. Her health is poor so we're not sure how much longer it will continue or if it's something we will have an expanded role in. She also spoken to us about visiting people in the community and perhaps beginning a Bible Study in one of the homes. We would also like to begin a Bible Study in our home here in Archidona.
5. Continue to visit remote communities I(Kevin) have been visiting 2 remote communities and would like to visit more. Please pray for my health and stamina as I visit these communities. I need to walk 2 to 3 hours in knee deep mud to get there. Sanitation is poor and the water is bad. However, when they invite you in and offer you food, you need to accept. Pray that I might be able to boldly teach God's Word in my visits.
Thanks to all of you who make it possible for us to be here through your prayer and financial support.
Season’s greetings to all!We hope you are enjoying this time of year as we are: the lights, the music, the special surprises tucked away for Christmas morning.And for us ladies, this time of year means a few extra hours (or days) spent in the kitchen, does it not?The kids are looking forward to our buckeye- baking day.We want to invite a dear friend over to teach her how to make good old Ohio buckeyes.We can’t wait!In the evenings, we like to turn the lights and music on, sit on our porch, and pretend that it feels a little chilly out.
Well, my family has lots of good news to share this month.Sarah and Jason both got engaged over the Thanksgiving weekend, truly giving us much to be thankful for!It is exciting to see the family expanding and growing.We tell them tropical honeymoons are the greatest.
Our kids are doing well, and we appreciate those of you who pray for them, especially for their health.They just came through a down time, probably a combination of bugs that were going around and parasites.But they are on the mend, and it is good to see them with lots of energy again.Kevin just took them out this morning and bought the boys their first “real” soccer cleats.Soccer continues to be great fun for them and a learning experience as they interact with other kids.Next week, they are scheduled to play on the only nice grass field we have in town.Woo-hooo!Nearly every night, the neighborhood boys call at the front gate, asking for Santi, Joe, and Mister (they love to call Kevin “Mister”, but with their accents it sounds like “Meestair”; and “Santi” is Ezra’s nickname, taken from the Spanish for his middle name, James).So, the guys will race around, throwing on their shoes, grabbing the soccer ball, and running across the street to the field the guys .Tessa and I will finish getting the supper on and then take Evie for a walk in the stroller, keeping tabs on the game and enjoying the sunset.It is a delightful time to be outside, finally cool after the heat of afternoon.We meet neighbors on their way home or out for a stroll like us.I have told Kevin often that it is by far my favorite time of day.
As many of you know, we purchased land close to a small community a few months ago.Much of Kevin’s time lately has been spent doing improvements on the property.He and the workers spent a week cleaning and surveying the land.They also have cut down trees as needed for making fence posts.It is quite an experience watching how the Ecuadorians use a chain saw to cut posts and even boards from a tree.They have repaired the old fences which enclose the land and have prepared pasture for our cattle.Yes, Cattle!We knew it was necessary to do something with the land to keep it from growing back into jungle and our best option was to put a couple of cows on it.They have already eaten and trampled down the tall weeds and given the place a “cleaner” look.
We would ask that you pray for us to have wisdom as we consider the possibility of eventually living on our new property with the hope of starting a church and being a light in the community.There are lots of uncertainties still:timing, what to do with the house here in Archidona, how to go about making the place a good home for us when we build.At the same time, we want to be faithfulwith the opportunities we have here, especially with the kids that come each week for baseball.Some of these boys have no daddies at home and very few good role models.They just take to Kevin and respond well to his firmness and discipline.And some days they come with interesting questions.I can tell they want his opinion on things.So we ask that you pray for these boys.Thank you so much for all the support and encouragement you are to us and we wish a very Merry Christmas to all!
Season’s greetings to all!We hope you are enjoying this time of year as we are: the lights, the music, the special surprises tucked away for Christmas morning.And for us ladies, this time of year means a few extra hours (or days) spent in the kitchen, does it not?The kids are looking forward to our buckeye- baking day.We want to invite a dear friend over to teach her how to make good old Ohio buckeyes.We can’t wait!In the evenings, we like to turn the lights and music on, sit on our porch, and pretend that it feels a little chilly out.
Well, my family has lots of good news to share this month.Sarah and Jason both got engaged over the Thanksgiving weekend, truly giving us much to be thankful for!It is exciting to see the family expanding and growing.We tell them tropical honeymoons are the greatest.
Our kids are doing well, and we appreciate those of you who pray for them, especially for their health.They just came through a down time, probably a combination of bugs that were going around and parasites.But they are on the mend, and it is good to see them with lots of energy again.Kevin just took them out this morning and bought the boys their first “real” soccer cleats.Soccer continues to be great fun for them and a learning experience as they interact with other kids.Next week, they are scheduled to play on the only nice grass field we have in town.Woo-hooo!Nearly every night, the neighborhood boys call at the front gate, asking for Santi, Joe, and Mister (they love to call Kevin “Mister”, but with their accents it sounds like “Meestair”; and “Santi” is Ezra’s nickname, taken from the Spanish for his middle name, James).So the guys will race around, throwing on their shoes, grabbing the soccer ball, and running across the street to the field.Tessa and I will finish up getting the supper on and then take Evie for a walk in the stroller, keeping tabs on the game and enjoying the sunset.It is a delightful time to be outside, finally cool after the heat of afternoon.We meet neighbors on their way home or out for a stroll like us.I have told Kevin often that it is by far my favorite time of day.
As many of you know, we purchased land close to a small community a few months ago.Much of Kevin’s time lately has been spent doing improvements on the property.He and the workers spent a week cleaning and surveying the land.They also have cut down trees as needed for making fenceposts.It is quite an experience watching how the Ecuadorians use a chain saw to cut posts and even boards from a tree.They have repaired the old fences which enclose the land and have prepared pasture for our cattle.Yes, Cattle!We knew it was necessary to do something with the land to keep it from growing back into jungle and our best option was to put a couple of cows on it.They have already trampled down the tall weeds and given the place a “cleaner” look.
We would ask that you pray for us to have wisdom as we consider the possibility of eventually living on our new property with the hope of starting a church and being a light in the community.There are lots of uncertainties still:timing, what to do with the house here in Archidona, how to go about making the place a good home for us when we build.At the same time, we want to be faithfulwith the opportunities we have here, especially with the kids that come each week for baseball.Some of these boys have no daddies at home and very few good role models.They just take to Kevin and respond well to his firmness and discipline.And some days they come with interesting questions.I can tell they want his opinion on things.So we ask that you pray for these boys.Thank you so much for all the support and encouragement you are to us and we wish a very Merry Christmas to all!
We wanted to keep you up to date as to what has gone on in our ministry here in Ecuador over the last month.
In September, we sent out an update about a possible land purchase of 15 acres outside a community called San Pablo. San Pablo is a small community located about 10 kilometers or 25 minutes outside of Archidona. It has a small police post, two "tiendas" or carry outs, a rural health clinic, a grade school and a small high school. It is surrounded by several smaller communities, some of which do not have any common services such as suitable water and sanitation.
Three weeks ago, we decided to purchase the land. There are no churches in this area and we hope to eventually be able to move to and work in this area. Logistically, this would be an ideal area to begin a new church. However, we recognize that only the Lord can make this work, and we will wait on his timing to begin such an endeavor. In the meantime, we plan on getting to know people in the community and using the opportunities that the Lord gives us. Last week, I met an older woman who gives a Bible Lesson once a week for children in the community and she has asked us to help.
I (Kevin) have also been able to visit some of the communities deeper into the jungle. In September, I accompanied a medical team from the San Pablo health clinic to a community called Ishkiñampi. It is located about 4 hours from our house here in Archidona: an hour in the truck and then nearly 3 hours hiking into the jungle. The team included a Kichwa guide, a dentist, a nurse and the doctor. We spent 3 days and 2 nights there and I came away very excited about the possibility of working more in that community. I have told them that I would like to visit them once a month and would like the opportunity to teach the Word of God.
I returned to Ishkiñampi for my second visit last week. The school there gave me permission to give the children a lesson from the Word of God, so I taught them about God´s Creation and the Fall of Man. The people there seem open to the Gospel. However, pray for wisdom as we deal with these communities. There is a tendency to embrace any ideology, philosophy, or religion if there is a promise to receive things materially. Many religious groups and even some Evangelicals have gone to other similar indigenous communities and have offered them generators, class rooms, and other things that are good and helpful, but seem to blur the lines between those who are genuinely following the Lord and those who are simply involved because they are hoping to receive material things. We want to teach, for example, that a man changed by the Gospel and the Word of God will no longer spend his money on moonshine, but instead, will provide for his wife and family. In that way, the Gospel brings about material change. With the life changing power of the Gospel comes personal responsibility that will radically change these communities.
If you want to read more about Ishkiñampi and my two visits there, click on the following links below: Ishkiñampi I Ishkiñampi II
We would like to thank you all for your faithful prayer and financial support. Please pray that the Lord will continue to open doors for us. Kevin
We wanted to keep you up to date as to what has gone on in our ministry here in Ecuador over the last month.
In September, we sent out an update about a possible land purchase of 15 acres outside a community called San Pablo. San Pablo is a small community located about 10 kilometers or 25 minutes outside of Archidona. It has a small police post, two "tiendas" or carry outs, a rural health clinic, a grade school and a small high school. It is surrounded by several smaller communities, some of which do not have any common services such as suitable water and sanitation.
Three weeks ago, we decided to purchase the land. There are no churches in this area and we hope to eventually be able to move to and work in this area. Logistically, this would be an ideal area to begin a new church. However, we recognize that only the Lord can make this work, and we will wait on his timing to begin such an endeavor. In the meantime, we plan on getting to know people in the community and using the opportunities that the Lord gives us. Last week, I met an older woman who gives a Bible Lesson once a week for children in the community and she has asked us to help.
I (Kevin) have also been able to visit some of the communities deeper into the jungle. In September, I accompanied a medical team from the San Pablo health clinic to a community called Ishkiñampi. It is located about 4 hours from our house here in Archidona: an hour in the truck and then nearly 3 hours hiking into the jungle. The team included a Kichwa guide, a dentist, a nurse and the doctor. We spent 3 days and 2 nights there and I came away very excited about the possibility of working more in that community. I have told them that I would like to visit them once a month and would like the opportunity to teach the Word of God.
I returned to Ishkiñampi for my second visit last week. The school there gave me permission to give the children a lesson from the Word of God, so I taught them about God´s Creation and the Fall of Man. The people there seem open to the Gospel. However, pray for wisdom as we deal with these communities. There is a tendency to embrace any ideology, philosophy, or religion if there is a promise to receive things materially. Many religious groups and even some Evangelicals have gone to other similar indigenous communities and have offered them generators, class rooms, and other things that are good and helpful, but seem to blur the lines between those who are genuinely following the Lord and those who are simply involved because they are hoping to receive material things. We want to teach, for example, that a man changed by the Gospel and the Word of God will no longer spend his money on moonshine, but instead, will provide for his wife and family. In that way, the Gospel brings about material change. With the life changing power of the Gospel comes personal responsibility that will radically change these communities.
If you want to read more about Ishkiñampi and my two visits there, click on the following links below: Ishkiñampi I Ishkiñampi II
We would like to thank you all for your faithful prayer and financial support. Please pray that the Lord will continue to open doors for us. Kevin
Yesterday, I went to Ishkiñampi (not Ishkiñambi as previously written) for the second time.I told them during the first visit that I would like to visit them once a month in order to teach God´s Word and talk about ways we can improve the community.Last week, I informed some of the locals that I happened to see in San Pablo that I would be there this week.
We left Archidona in a heavy rain at 5:30 AM.I took the Hyundai so that I could take as many people and supplies as possible.I was a little concerned with the truck’s ability to make it up to Para since it is not four-wheel drive, but I figured with all the weight in the back, that it would be OK.We arrived in Para at 7:00 AM and parked the truck at a local’s house who said he would watch it for us while we hiked to Ishkiñampi.We waited around for 30 minutes, hoping that it would stop raining or at least slow down. While we waited, the guide and the 3 other men with me began to drink a little sugar cane moon shine called “trago” or “veinticinco”. The smell of the alcohol is nauseating, especially when smelling it on the breath of the others. It smells like the combination of rubbing alcohol and raw meat. We finally left the trailhead at 7:30 AM in a heavy rain. The trail, as always, was a muddy mess. Parts of the trail actually became a creek bed during the heavy rain, but that also happened to be where the ground was harder and so that’s where we walked.
Upon arriving in Ishkiñampi 2.5 hours later, we stopped by the house of Claudio Salazar. Claudio is one of the leaders of the community. He actually is a high school graduate and is very articulate with a vast knowledge of subjects ranging from medicinal plants to Barak Obama. He and his wife, Maria, were in Archidona the previous day in order to bring their sick son to the Shaman, who happens to be Maria’s father. While at Claudio’s house, I was given a bowl of chicha de yucca. I don’t particularly mind the taste of this drink, but I don’t care for the water they use to make it (nor does my body a day later).While we drank chicha, Claudio asked if I would be his son’s padrino or godfather. I tried to explain a couple of times biblical baptism, and baby dedications, etc. I’m not sure he ever fully understood, but he insisted that I least think about it as he wants his son to be influenced by someone like me, which is very flattering.
After drinking as much chicha as I could muster, we went over to the school. As we arrived, the director of the school was standing on the front porch of the store/bar of the village with one of the 3 teachers of the school. The store sells pop, tuna, suckers, and of course, trago or moonshine. The director motioned to us with his hand to wait a second, and then he came to greet us. A month ago, when I first met the director, I noted his neat dress and clean clothes, despite being in a muddy place. He seemed like a mild-mannered man who was well respected in the community. This time however, something had changed.It was clear from his countenance and his squinty bloodshot eyes and undone shirt that he had been drinking.As he spoke, it removed all doubt.The repugnant smell of trago flowed from his mouth. He came up to me and shook my hand, thanking me for the visit and invited me to come accompany him to the school.
We went into the school and I greeted the children. There are 20 children who attend the school. They range in age from 6 to 12.Some of the kids had boots, but most were barefooted.Other than the bare feet, most of them look relatively happy and healthy, despite a steady diet of only rice, canned tuna and chicha.I told them that I would like to speak to the adults, and have time for a short Bible lesson with the children. They organized an agenda for the meeting.Kichwa Indians love the formality of meetings.The meeting was opened by the drunken school director who welcomed me, the representative of The Master’s Mission (TMM). As I was being addressed, I couldn’t help but to feel like I was looked upon as the chicken who lays golden eggs as he once again mentioned the needs and wants of the community. He was followed, or interrupted by Claudio who was upset that the president of the parents association was not present and seemed to be using this as an opportunity to criticize her. Most of the speeches were in Spanish, but when they began to argue, it quickly switched to Kichwa.
After the argument died down and order was restored, I stood up and told them that my first visit had left a deep impression on me. I said that they had become my friends and that I saw the many physical needs of the community. I went on to say that the biggest need was spiritual and that a change of heart would bring about more long term permanent change than 10 new computers for the 20 students of their school. I went on to share how Jesus had changed my life. Several of the men readily admitted that a change of heart was needed, but didn’t seem to be particularly interested in having their hearts changed.
I also reminded them that the foundation, or TMM, was not here to hand out money and give them things. I told them that our principle function is to teach God’s Word.However, I will use my influence to try to help them as they solicit funds for various projects to help the community.Most of the men seemed like they understood this, although the inebriated school director seemed a bit surprised.
After another heated argument between Claudio and the school director in Kichwa, the meeting was brought to a close.The director gave me permission to do a Bible Study with the children, but mentioned that it would be better pedagogy to do something fun with the kids so we could “become friends”. I wonder if it’s good pedagogy to be drunk in front of the students while at school, during school hours? So, after taking the advice of the well intentioned school director, I taught the kids 2 songs. After breaking the ice, we gave a lesson on God’s Creation and the Fall of man.In other words, how we got here, and why the world is the way it is today. The kids did a good job paying attention, and one of the sober teachers actually seemed like he understood a little bit of the stories.
By 11:45, I concluded my study with the children and we were invited to the makeshift kitchen/dining room to eat a plate of beans, rice, tuna, banana and yucca with an oat drink or colada on the side. After eating the meal and trying to make small talk with the teachers and director who were coming down from their trago buzz, we embarked on our return journey.
Before leaving, we went to Claudio’s house to pick up a couple of chickens he had given me to pay back for money I had loaned him the day before.We put them in a bag and carried them home.The trip home on the trail was rather uneventful. We went much faster as we didn’t stop to rest as much.I did manage to fall at one point, which was rather embarrassing. As I started to fall, I put my hands down to brace myself and my hands sunk into about 6 inches of mud.We all laughed and continued.We also came across a drunken Indian passed out on the trail.We stopped for a moment to make sure he was just passed out and not dead.When we got about 20 feet away, he sat up and began to scream like a baby. Later, Ruben, the guide told me that the man was his brother. When we arrived at the end of the trail, Claudio and the guide stopped by a house and apparently bought another bottle of trago.I say apparently as I didn’t realize that they had bought more until we got back to Archidona and realized that they were all drunk as skunks and apparently had finished a bottle on the way home. In Archidona, we unloaded some sacks of naranjilla at the market that they had brought back from Ishkiñampi. That brought my day with them to an end.It was 4:00 PM.
So, what are my observations?I have never seen people so controlled by alcohol in my whole entire life.The only thing comparable would be the heavy drug users and drinkers that I knew (and was) during my college years.However, the majority of them (or should I say “us”) still managed to obtain degrees and become productive or semi productive citizens. The typical rural Kichwa male is unable to function without trago. If it’s cold, they need trago to warm up.If they’re hiking, they need it to give them strength. If they are happy, they need it celebrate.If they are sad, they need it drown their sorrows.So when do they not drink?When the men sell their produce in the markets, the majority of themspend their money before getting home on trago and their wives and children never see a dime.
The other troubling observation is that I daresay these people would become Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses or any other cult if they were promised something materially. Of course, they wouldn’t really become one of those aforementioned groups, but they undoubtedly would give lip service to any creed or religion in order to receive something. They are not ideologically tied to any religion besides Shamanism, but not opposed to any other religious view, especially if it could lead to material gain.
Finally, what an outsider like me would perceive as their greatest need and what they perceive as their greatest need are very different. I come in and see one outhouse for a community of more than 50 people. The one outhouse goes directly into a creek.(See Photo) Their is no water treatment. The children have obvious parasite problems due to the water and walking barefoot. Men can't go a day without drinking trago while the women and children suffer from malnutrition. To many of them, the greatest needs of the community are computers and new desks for the school. Good things, indeed, but not the top priorities when the community is exposed to several health risks due to its poor sanitation.
The problems I see are so overwhelming. The ideas and enthusiasm I have are often tempered by non Kichwas who have written them off as an ignorant people destined for failure. So what do we do?We pray. It’s easy to look at the people in these communities and give them up for a lost cause, but who are we to say that? Aren’t we all basically lost causes without Christ?I know I was. We need to pray that God, who is Sovereign, will reach into the communities like Ishkiñampi and draw people to Himself and that He will grant them repentance from their sins. We need to pray that He will give them a desire to obey His Word and please Him with their lives. God does not work any differently here than He does in Ohio or the Bible belt.
In the past week, there have been teacher strikes, and indigenous groups setting up road blocks as they protest mineral and water rights. Roads have been block here in Archidona and Tena with burning tire. Click here to read more about it.
I am the youngest of 6 kids from Putnam County Ohio. I grew up in a good Catholic home and had great parents who did their best to raise us to be good people. While in college, I did a lot of crazy and stupid things. Eventually, I realized how empty it it all really was. Since I was "open minded", I began to read God's Word and realized that Christ, and not religion, philosophy or anything else would bring me the peace that I was seeking in my life. Out of gratitude for allowing us to be His children, we serve as missionaries in Ecuador.
ou eat, you think of all the work you’ve put into your food: the countless trips down the trail to feed the fish, the morning you spent catching them, cleaning them (Joe is a pro), and finally rolling them in the flour and frying them to golden perfection. So, with a little luck, we will be enjoying tilapia again soon. While we are on the topic of food, I’d like to announce that we have harvested sweet bananas and green bananas from our own trees. Our favorite snacks are “chifles”, made by frying thin slices of the green bananas and eating them with salt and ketchup (very much like French fries and oh-so-good with a cold glass of lemonade), and “choco-bananas”, bananas dipped in chocolate. 
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