It is also the time of year we begin planning and preparing for the Awa Believers’ Conference. Thirteen years ago, when we began the conference, we missionaries did everything. We set the schedule, we taught, we bought the food. All the believers had to do was come. Gradually we have tried to involve the Awa more. Over the years in Lita, it was exciting to see many helping with setting up and cleaning, several ladies lending a hand in the kitchen, and even Milton beginning to help with the teaching!
We want the conference to be something that the believers can do even long after we are gone. It seemed like it was time for our Awa brothers and sisters to take over even more of the vision. So, this year we sat down with the believers and asked them what they thought about the conference. Was it worth continuing? Where should it be held? More importantly, how could the conference become their conference?
After voicing a unanimous ‘Yes!’ to our question about whether the conference was worth continuing, the Awa went on to discuss the location. In the past, some had mentioned the idea of having it here in this community, and the believers decided to give it a trial run this year. This really puts the ‘ball’ in their ‘home court’, so to speak, as housing and cooking will have to be done much more native-style. As word of this decision was spread to the believers in other communities, there was some grumbling and doubts voiced about food and housing for those who would come from afar. So far we have seen much maturity in handling this, but I’m sure it will continue to be one of the most stretching factors for the believers here.
Please pray for Milton, Paulino, and Meregildo as they carry more of the weight of conference planning this year. All are involved in gathering food, and are offering their homes for hosting any believers that come from farther away. Paulino has mentioned the book of Daniel as being a good topic for teaching. Milton has located a beef cow for butchering. Gloria has offered to provide plantains from her garden nearby. Other folks are talking about which pots can be used for cooking for such large crowds. Pray for us to know when to come alongside in a discipleship role, and when to keep our hands off. It would be easy for us to be the bail-out guys! But just as that isn’t always the thing that helps our children grow to maturity, neither is it always the best answer to helping our Awa brothers mature spiritually.
So as the cicadas sing their sonata, we are praying that come Easter weekend (April 21st -24th) the believers will also sing out with loud voices in praise as we gather together to worship our Savior!
We have succeeded again in being anything but brief, so I’ll sign off here. There are a few updates and news bullets down below if you are interested.
In HIS grip,
Kevin & Kathy
News Bullets
• Thank you for the many who have been praying for Nestor and Silvia with their little baby Esteban. The baby has continued to be in and out of the hospital. Nestor and Silvia are getting weary in the battle to keep the little one alive. A direct answer to prayer has been seeing all the Christians that God has placed in their path during this battle. At the hospital they ran into a lady from one of the Liebenzell churches in the city, who even invited them to stay at her house, all the while sharing God’s truth with them. Another week they spent an anxious night in Lita with little Esteban fighting to breathe, with our co-workers, the Millans and Collohauso families. Nestor asked them to pray for Esteban that night, and they called up and told us to pray as well. That next morning, the little one was still hanging in there. Many are encouraging Nestor and Silvia to walk in God’s path, but they still have not yet made that commitment. Please continue to pray for them.
• We have two friends, David and Mark, from Whitefield, NH, coming down next month for a short trip. Pray for the Lord’s grace and strength as we travel together, and reach out to one of the Awa communities. Our plan is to fix up the electric installation in their community center building as an act of Christ’s love.
• In May I plan to make a quick trip to the USA to attend Kenny’s graduation from NTBI in Wisconsin. I will also be dropping Keilah and her cousin Laura off in Missouri to work at a Christian camp for the summer. We’d appreciate your prayers for these travels! Kathy and Kimberly will remain here in Ecuador.
• Praise for Kenny being accepted to Liberty University in VA! This is a huge answer to prayer as God led him to this decision step by step, and even provided for the scholarships and aid to make it possible. He plans to work again for the summer in order to save up for beginning there in the fall.
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