December Bruce Brief

María Luisa, along with her two boys, elderly parents, and a young niece, stayed with us for ten days in November. The Lord gave many opportunities to teach, help, and encourage this needy family. During these days we were encouraged to see Maria taking more of an interest in life, as she chatted with Paulino’s teenage daughter, made bead necklaces with Kathy, and even went on several short hikes. The believers in this area were very friendly to the family, bringing gifts of food, inviting them to a cow butchering, and even helping them with a financial loan! Paulino spent time encouraging them to trust in the Lord, and not live in helpless fear of their foes—María’s angry husband, the evil spirits, and the reputed hex from the shaman. It was a special blessing to us to hear the gentle and loving way he counseled and prayed with them--not discarding the validity of what they have faced, but reminding them that God is bigger.

María’s family really struggles with feeling hopeless in the face of the size of the struggles they are experiencing. As we sat down with them each day to go through the Exodus account of Moses’ life, our prayer was that God would ‘grow’ in their minds. He is the Almighty God---He was certainly able to handle mighty Pharoah and the army of Egypt! While the family listened carefully with many nods and comments of agreement, we found it hard to know if they were truly taking it all to heart for their own situation. The true test for them will come as they head back home and face the difficulties again. As they packed up to leave, however, it did seem like their overall perspective was a bit more encouraged. Please pray with us that they will be reminded daily that HE IS ABLE!

There are several colds and viruses going around our area as the cold winds and rain settle in for the rainy season. Many Awa have been sick, and we’ve taken our turn as well! Thankfully, we are now feeling much better, and pray that our friends will, also.

Thanks for joining us in prayer!

• We are missing our two college kids! But we are thankful to see how God is working out their plans for the Christmas break. Keilah is making plans to stay at NTBI over most of Christmas, as she has a house-sitting job for part of the break. Kenny is hoping to travel northwest to spend a few days with Keilah, as well as with his girlfriend’s family, the Meyers. The Meyer family, good friends of ours since Bible School days, continue to seek the Lord as they deal with their son Benjamin’s cancer. 
• Humberto is trying to buy land in our area, in order to live closer to us and the fellowship of the other believers. Sadly, his first deal to buy land has now fallen through. Milton is quite determined to help Humberto out, in spite of some opposition from folks in our area. Please pray that Humberto will lean on God’s strength during this difficult time, and that he’ll be able to find a good piece of land to buy.

Because He is able,

Kevin & Kathy

<for a printable version click here>

New additions to the Bruce funny farm ;-)

Joshua & Jezebel

Bruce Brief - Nov

Thanks for your prayers for Maria Luisa! We have seen God’s hand working in their lives. This week, after hearing rumors from several relatives that Maria’s family was moving her closer to our location, we did some searching and finally located Maria and her parents staying in the common house of a small Awa community north of us. It was so good to see them face to face, after weeks of just passing messages and hearing news from afar! Maria began to talk as Kathy perched on the edge of the bed beside her, and she kept talking and crying for almost two hours straight as she told and re-told all that she’s been going through. I sat on another bed with Maria’s father Alfonso, while he also shared with me the difficulties they are passing through. Their story is full of fear---fear that Maria will die; fear of her husband and his family, who supposedly want to kill them; fear of the hex and the shaman; fear of losing their house and land, as a family of squatters have moved in. At the same time, we saw signs that they are being reminded to turn to the Lord in this difficult time. Maria’s sister Gloria had visited the week before and encouraged them to ask God for help. After going to many different ‘curers’, some of which used marijuana and other remedies that ‘made me worse’, Maria said, they are now going each week to the government health center in Lita. Maria is under treatment for an ulcer, and feels like her stomach, where she feels the ‘snake’, is getting better.
“My father says I need to have faith in God,” Maria told Kathy. “But I’m sick, and for weeks I haven’t been getting better. I don’t know if God is remembering me.” We were so thankful for the chance to encourage them that God never ‘throws us away’ (as Maria’s husband is doing to her), but sees us in our struggles, and is present with us at all times. We prayed together with Maria, and invited the family to come up to stay with us next week for several days. Please pray that we can use the time of their visit to encourage them with God’s truth in many different ways. And pray that the believers in our community will also rally around them!
In other notes of news:
• After a long summer break, we have started up the adult literacy program again! Each Monday we gather with the students to study reading, math, and now something new---an hour of Bible School! Adapting some materials from our national churches called ‘The Good Servant’, we are presently studying the basics of salvation, and memorizing Romans 3:23-24 together. This is an excellent opportunity to work on spiritual terms in Awa, as we begin by talking about such concepts as ‘sin’ and ‘justification’. Last week it brought us great joy to see a new level of understanding dawning in Jaime’s eyes as we talked about how sin separates us from God. As a new believer, there is much that is new to him!
• I was thrilled to finish editing and formatting the portions of Exodus that our co-worker Doug has translated. What a joy to print out an updated version, all ready for use! At this point, the next step will be to read over the portions several times with the Awa, revising any mistakes or misunderstandings that we find.
• Holiday separations as a family are not our favorite thing. But we have seen the Lord’s provision in many ways for Kenny and Keilah as they both are learning and growing in their studies. We are thankful for the many ways to shorten the miles between us—email, Facebook, phone texts, and Skype, to name a few!
In HIS grip,
Kevin & Kathy

Maria

Back in June we told you a little of Maria Luisa’s story.

Maria’s situation has continued to go downhill. The Awa curer that her family took her to informed the family that Maria’s husband is the initiator of the problem because he wishes to take a new wife. The curer went on to say that Nestor has put a hex on Maria. The original snake that supposedly bit her was a spirit-snake, put there by a hex.

She continues to lose weight and cannot eat more than a few teaspoons at a time. The family says she cries for hours at a time, and is cutting and hurting herself. She has episodes where she feels like she can’t breathe, and often faints. The family has heard through the grapevine that the Chachi shaman has Maria’s spirit in a bottle. When the shaman puts the lid on the bottle, Maria can’t breathe and faints, and she only comes out of the faint when he takes the lid back off again. The Chachi have told the family that for this hex, there is no cure, and Maria will surely die.

The situation is very complex, with rumors that Maria’s family is interested in getting revenge on Nestor and his family. Because of this, the other Awa that live near the Chachi village are preparing to move, as they are afraid that they will be killed, such as by poison being put in their water supply.

This week the family moved Maria Luisa to a local Awa community center, where they are calling all the family together to do another evil-spirit-curing ceremony.

In all of this, we haven’t seen Maria or her parents, who are believers, run to the Lord for help. Please pray that as they will see that He is their refuge! It is easy for us as Americans to disregard many parts of Maria’s story. But for the Awa, the world of witchcraft and shamans is very real, and even scarier because they don’t understand the Chachi culture and the implications of what the shaman has supposedly done. And yet the Gospel message that we are here to proclaim is that GOD IS STRONGER! We ache to be able to help Maria and her family, and remind them of this truth.

Maria’s older sister Gloria is a believer, and lives in the city. Last night we had a chance to talk and pray with her. While she is not oblivious to what she has heard of the witchdoctor’s curse, she told us that she knows that God is bigger, and able to help, but fears her family is forgetting this. She has begged for time off work so that she can visit Maria and her parents this weekend. Please pray for Gloria as she visits the family, that she will stand firm and be able to encourage them. We are able to send a message to the family thru Gloria, as well.

Since Maria’s extended family includes many of the Awa in Ecuador, there are many Awa watching this drama unfold. We ache to see God’s glory upheld here among this needy people. Please join us in prayer for this difficult situation.

In HIS grip,

Kevin & Kathy

New Babies

Paulino's granddaughter and son born on the same day

Settling back in

As we get back into a regular fall schedule, once again we are working as a team to ask the Lord to direct us with wise strategy for setting goals for this new school year. We appreciate your prayers as we get the homeschool year going; make plans for beginning adult literacy classes again; set up a schedule for teaching in Palmira; and take part in working with Liebenzell Mission Ecuador to set up priorities and goals for the ministry in the northern part of this country. The last weeks were filled with a short, but refreshing, conference with our missionary co-workers and a visiting pastor from New Hampshire; Mission planning meetings; and Awa Team meetings as well.

Sandra and Jaime on Sunday

Kathy and I visited Palmira this last weekend, teaching a Bible lesson on Sunday morning. Our last words to Paulino’s family as we left to hike home at noon on Sunday were that we would be praying for safe deliveries for the two babies due at their house. Paulino’s son Salamon brought big news on Thursday—both Paulino’s wife Manuela and his oldest daughter Sandra gave birth on Wednesday at their home. The local birthing helper had attended both births, for which they were thankful as Paulino’s little son ‘died’ (as the Awa say) for a few minutes during the birth. Oswardo, the birthing helper, was able to resuscitate him, and we pray all is well with this precious little fellow now. Paulino’s grandchild was a little girl---Paulino says it’s just like having twins! What a joy to receive these two long-awaited babies—Paulino’s 11th child and his first grandchild!

For those of you who wondered how the time went here at the Outpost while we were in the USA:

Paulino’s wife Manuela and daughter Monica did an excellent job watching our houses and animals. We found all in order when we arrived the end of August. One surprise was the dishpan with about 140 eggs they had saved up for us—we had encouraged them to eat the eggs, but they just didn’t consider it good Awa etiquette! Thankfully we found very few rotten eggs in the batch—and yes, we were able to generously share the eggs to everyone who came by in the next few days!

Paulino & Milton

Paulino was able to hold the monthly church service in Palmira, although he said that because of school vacations, it was mostly just his family that came. Milton carefully prepared and taught the three lessons on the life of Christ, although he was also disappointed to see that not many folks showed up for the services. “But the Lord knows their hearts, and I think it was just that they were busy,” he told us. He refused to let it discourage him! The first Sunday we were back, I had Milton do a review of the three lessons he had taught, and was amazed at his thorough knowledge of the passages and material. He had definitely done his homework! We praise the Lord to see his ability to handle the Scripture portions!
In HIS grip
Kevin & Kathy

<FOR PRINTABLE VERSION CLICK HERE>

Bruce Brief - Aug 2012

About a year ago, we found an ugly note waiting for us on the trail coming into our houses. In crude writing was a threatening message. Immediately we guessed it had come from one of our neighbors (we’ll call him Dan) who has been somewhat antagonistic towards us over the years. The note was a reminder to pray for Dan, and we began to look for opportunities to do something kind for him and his family.

A few weeks ago Paulino came upon Dan sitting in his house, with a bloody cloth wrapped around his hand. Immediately Paulino took it upon himself to help him take care of his injury. Dan said several hours earlier he had been using a power tool, a grinder, when it jumped and ran across the back of his left hand, leaving a series of scrapes and rather deep cuts. “Let’s go to Lita, cousin,” Paulino said, but Dan refused. He just continued to sit there, watching the blood drip down. Paulino’s next suggestion was to find the community health promoter, who might at least be able to bandage it up. Again, Dan refused. “Well, let’s go up to the missionaries, then!” Paulino said at last. “They’ll help!”

And so the Lord gave us another opportunity to show kindness to Dan, as we stopped the bleeding, cleaned and wrapped his hand, and talked with him about what had happened. We sent him home with his bandaged hand resting in an arm sling, and with materials and instructions on how to clean the wounds and change the bandage the next morning. And we do pray that he also went home having experienced just a small touch of God’s love.

The Lord provides many opportunities like this (with never-ending variety!) each week here at the Outpost. Pray that we will be faithful as God’s ambassadors to not only show His love with our hands, but also to be His voice, calling this people to Himself. Often experiencing a touch of His love is the catalyst that awakens a hunger to later hear God’s word. (I suppose that is true of people of any culture!)

Family update:
The picture says it all! In August we had a wonderful three weeks in the USA with Kenny and Keilah and the rest of the Bruce family. We thoroughly enjoyed spending two Sundays at our church in New Hampshire and seeing many of our friends. We’re just sorry we couldn’t see the rest of you around the country!

The highlight of our trip was a week at my dad’s cabin with our three kids, Kenny’s girlfriend Hannah, and my parents. What a blessing! :-) We are now back in Ecuador with Kimberly, while Kenny digs back into his studies at Liberty in Virginia, and Keilah settles into her new life at NTBI in Wisconsin.

In Christ,
Kevin & Kathy

<FOR PRINTABLE VERSION CLICK HERE>

Maria Luisa

     The end of May, Maria Luisa was bit by a snake on her hand. Her family immediately took her to the hospital, but the doctors found no sign of venom in her body, so she was sent home. From our Western point of view, that might seem like the end of this story. But for the Awa, this is only the beginning. Snakebites are incredibly complex to them, and involve much more than just the venom.
Since the snakebite, Maria has been sick. She can feel the snake rise up inside her, travelling from her hand to her throat and chest. At times she feels like the snake is curled up on her chest. She is weak and bedridden, has no appetite, and occasionally faints.

     Maria’s story goes back three years to when she was a beautiful young girl of 18. At that time she took a husband from the neighboring Chachi village. She proudly brought her Chachi husband, Nestor, to our next Conference, and over the following years we did our best to teach him from God’s Word in Spanish, since he doesn’t understand the Awa language. At first Nestor showed some signs of being interested in the teaching, but slowly lapsed back into indifference. Now Maria and her two children are suffering as Nestor has not been a good worker or provider—at least by Awa standards. Her Awa culture is clashing with his Chachi ways; and although she desires to live as a believer, Nestor is just not that interested.
     Now back to the snakebite:  Several weeks ago Nestor decided to take her to a Chachi shaman, a powerful witchdoctor that his own people consider to be able to cure such sicknesses. Maria’s family, mostly believers, rejected this as witchcraft. One day her brother, Luis, had a punching knock-down bloody fight with Nestor over this issue. Now Nestor says Maria might as well die, he doesn’t care.
So…Maria’s father Alfonso and her brother Luis put her children in the care of her mother Julia, and, gathering several hundred dollars from different family members, have taken Maria to a far Awa community for a different type of curer—an Awa herbalist ‘curandero’. To their Awa minds, this is an acceptable alternative, although the herbalist will use many of the same tactics as the shaman, like blowing smoke over her and early morning ritual bathing, along with his herbs, for ‘curing’. The family expects that Maria, Alfonso, and Luis will be gone for several weeks.
     This is a difficult situation for us to sort through---and a tremendous trial of faith for Maria and her family. Please pray for them! Our prayer has been that they will turn to God for help, and that His Spirit in them will bear witness to what is of Him and what is of Satan. And that in the end they will be able to see God’s hand in what has happened, and give the glory to Him. Maria Luisa also faces a huge challenge in living as a believer in her marriage. We are reminded that God is well able to provide the help she needs, even in this difficult time. Pray that she will throw herself on His merciful arms.
     And I’ll close with a quick update on our family:  We are definitely in the nomadic stage! With Kenny beginning his second year at Liberty University in VA, and Keilah finishing up the camp season in Missouri and getting ready to study at New Tribes Bible Institute in Wisconsin, it would seem we are pulled in many directions.  In August we will be spending three weeks in NH with both of them, as well as a few of those days with Hannah Meyer, Kenny’s girlfriend. August 16th we’ll put Kenny, Hannah, and Keilah on the train to each head off to their respective schools….and return to Ecuador on August 22nd with just Kimberly in tow! (Or maybe she’ll be towing us after those three busy weeks!) :-)

In HIS grip,
Kevin & Kathy

<for a printable version click here>

June Medical Caravan

The medical caravan saw and treated over 400 people in the three days that we attended the people here in Rio Verde. From a tiny newborn baby, suffering from congestion, to several old grandmas with painful joints, the doctors and nurses poured out their love and care to each and every one. It never fails to surprise me that Shelia and her crew are able to love these people—literally, holding the kids on their laps and even hugging each one—as they arrive one by one. While we have come to love this people over the years, we realize that many of the Awa come from miles away, and they are often dirty and sweaty, not necessarily easy to get close to. As each one took their turn on the examining table, I could see the muddy black boots sticking out at various angles. And yet, during the days of the Caravan, I believe each one felt the mercy and love that flowed from the hands of His servants.

Teresa came from the other side of the Lita River, with her small son who was sick with pneumonia and barely breathing. Those who were doing the reception area saw how sick the little boy was and moved them into the front of the line. Dr. Tim was worried the little guy would breathe his last right there on his examining table. He worked quickly to put an i.v. in him and give him antibiotics. Then Kevin quickly drove Teresa and little Benin and one of the nurses down to Lita to the small health clinic. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when we heard that Benin was still breathing when he arrived in Lita, after an hour of driving on the rough road. Later he was taken to the hospital in Ibarra and spent several days in the children’s ward in the social hospital there. This week Teresa was able to bring him home again.

Even as the caravan days ended, we heard the tragic news that a relative of Milton’s wife had been knifed and killed in a drunken fight in a community west of here. Another fellow was shot in the same fight. And we are reminded that most of the Awa live in a very dark world, without the light that comes from knowing God.

So we thank the Lord for the opportunity to shed His Light here in Rio Verde, and we pray for that Light to spread into the many Awa communities in the mountains around us.

In HIS grip,
Kevin & Kathy

A Stretching Summer...

Although summer lacks a few days from its official arrival, dry season is clearly in full swing since we've had a good 3 weeks of dry weather. We are enjoying not having to slog through the mud! :-) Kimberly and I recently made the trek to Palm community, and although the trip was not without its adventures we did manage to arrive without getting any mud on our pants!

The bright blue summer skies are shining down on a very small crew here at the Outpost! May 28th we said goodbye to the Shaub family as they flew to the USA for a short 3-month furlough time. They have a packed schedule visiting churches, friends, and family for these few short weeks and I'm sure would appreciate your prayers. Keilah also flew with them, leaving only Kathy and I, along with Kimberly, to 'man the fort' here in RV. :-) Travel is interesting since we must find someone to watch the houses in our absence, but the Lord has been faithful to provide that help for us several times already! Last Sunday we stretched our 'skeleton' crew to cover the Bible teaching in two communities....Milton helping Kathy out in RV; and Kimberly accompanying me in order to help with the many children who come to the service in Palm community.

Another 'stretch-er' for me is serving as the interim Area Director for our field until our new director arrives in July. Daniel and Dana Sick leave on furlough this coming week, and Simone Erndwein will be visiting her ailing parents for two months in Germany. Mercedes Galarza, the wife of our Ecuadorian director, continues to undergo cancer treatments. Thus on the field level we are also a small crew! Please pray for me to be able to give wise counsel in several needy situations, and to balance the needs of the field at large with the Awa ministry during this time.

Kenny is on a long road trip this summer traveling from NH to CA...and back! He is delivering a Suburban to the Los Angeles airport for the Meyer family (New Tribes Mission) coming in from Indonesia on June 8th for a year of home assignment. Arriving back in NH the end of June, Kenny will work the rest of the summer until returning to Liberty University in August.

Keilah, our newly graduated senior, is in Missouri just beginning the counselor training program for her third summer at Whispering Winds Bible Camp.  She has been accepted to attend New Tribes Bible Institute in Waukesha, WI in the fall. We are very proud of her! Below I'll post a link to a letter from her.

This month we are also expecting our medical caravan friends from Kentucky. We are looking forward to spending three days with them attending the people from at least four different communities in our area. This year they also plan to hold a special VBS program for the many children who come. Thanks for praying for this special time showing Christ's love to the Awa.

Ok, here is the link to Keilah's letter - (Click here to read on our Blog) (Click here to download a printable copy)

Resting in HIS grace,
Kevin & Kathy

Keilah Graduated!

Rio Verde, Ecuador
May 26, 2012


Hello, everyone!

Yes! I have now officially graduated from high school! Both my mom and I are proud to have made it after all these years. Graduating in the mountains here in Ecuador means no fanfare—no cap and gown--but I'm okay with that. It certainly is a big milestone in my life, though.


So: I've decided to return yet again to Whispering Winds Bible Camp this summer, from June 5th through July 28th. For those of you who don't know, this will be my third summer in a row. This year I'm 18, which means I will be old enough to be a counselor. It will certainly be a bit different than the past two summers, where I worked on the camp crew and did cleaning, dishes, and lots of other odd jobs. I'll have to arrive earlier than normal to take a few days of counselor training as well. The idea of being a counselor and being responsible for the children under my care makes me nervous, but I'm excited about it too. I know that God will help me, and I'm praying He'll give me the energy to keep up with even the hyper kids!
If you would, I ask that you pray for me and the camp this summer. Pray that I'll have the grace, patience, and energy in dealing with my kids, and pray that all the children who come to the camp will not only have a great time, but be touched by God as well. Pray that their lives will be changed, and that God will make His will be done for every child, and for every minute of the summer. Pray that God will use the summer in my life, to change me and grow my faith.


At the end of this summer I'm heading off for two years of Bible college at New Tribes Bible Institute in Waukesha, Wisconsin. I am really hoping that God will lead and guide me through the next two years at NTBI, and show me what His plan for my life is. I've been unable to figure what I want to do next, whether become a missionary or study a career at a college, or both, or something else entirely. So, going to New Tribes Bible Institute will help me in two important areas: giving me two more years to ask God and figure out where I'm headed, and in the meantime, grow my faith and knowledge of God and His word. My brother Kenny assures me that it will also be a good time to adjust to life in the USA. I was born in South America, and have lived most of my life there—so, yes, I guess there'll be a few adjustments to make!


Working at camp this summer means that I won't be getting a job somewhere else, and earning money toward Bible college. However, Whispering Winds Bible Camp is doing a program this summer for the counselors where every dollar of support that comes in our name they will match, dollar for dollar, up to a hundred per week. So, for all those who feel led to contribute, your gift will be doubled! Regardless, thank you all so much for your time and thought, and hopefully your prayers throughout the summer!


Sincerely,

Keilah Bruce

P. S. Checks should be made payable to Bible Impact Ministries, with a note attached that includes my name. The mailing address is Whispering Winds Bible Camp, PO BOX 9, St. James MO 65559-0009.

May happenings

In May Doug and Dorcas made the trek back to Ecuador for a weeklong visit. Some things had changed, and others had not during  the year they had been away. One of the big surprises for them was arriving at the RV outpost without having to use backpacks, boots or sweating! Kevin was able to drive them right up in front of the house thanks to the road having come just that much closer. It was great they way they were able to jump back in to life and ministry up here just like they had never been away.

We praise the Lord for the profitable days we had together going over the Awa translation of portions first and second Samuel. We had a good group of Awa who were a great help as we read over each section and checked with them for meaning, readability and accuracy. It was always fun when we would get something stated just right and see their eyes glow with understanding and excitement of being a part of the process. We praise the Lord too for the special Sunday service we had during their visit. About 50 Awa from at least 5 different communities came for the double sermon service, and great time of fellowship over lunch together. Thanks for your continued prayers for the growth of the Awa church.

Kevin & Kathy

April Bruce Brief

We are amazed to find ourselves waking up into the month of May today! April passed by in a bit of a blur, starting and ending with trips to Palm community, with the Awa conference and a visiting church group sandwiched in between.  April also saw our Regional Director, Edgar Luz and family, hand over all their responsibilities and leave for a Mission re-assignment in Germany.  As deputy director until July (when our new R.D. arrives from Germany) my mind is still whirling as I work to balance my regular responsibilities with the new tasks. We are thankful for the Lord’s faithfulness (sturdiness!) even in such times of change.

Looking back over April: 

• Awa conference started with neither of the elders present, and with another believer, M., losing his temper in the first meeting. Whew! Needless to say the first night Kathy and I didn’t sleep much. Our minds were thinking something like…’what in the world are we doing this for???’  I read through the book of 1 Peter and we prayed together, committing the whole conference into His mighty hands. The next day both Milton and Paulino arrived, jumping right into the events;  M.’s attitude underwent a complete change; and our outlook straightened out, as well! ? Sunday morning’s service was a blessing to us as we listened to several giving clear witness to God’s salvation and work in their lives, including M.!
• During conference Saúl Paz, the Paez Indian pastor who has a vision for the Awa in Colombia, gave testimony to the spiritual need in remote areas there. Paulino especially was touched to hear this, and it was neat to see the realization and desire dawn in his heart to perhaps someday be a part of teaching the Bible in such areas.
• We thank the folks from Whitefield Christian Advent Church in northern NH who sent us a lively and hard-working team from April 11-18th! The team did a great job painting the front fence in Lita, as well as working on our driveway up here at the Outpost. They showered us with many gifts, and brought a suitcase-full from our home church, as well. Many thanks to all who prayed, gave, and took part in the team’s trip! 
• Our girls are in their last few days of homeschool for this year. We applaud their tenacity to persevere despite much craziness in our daily schedules! Kimberly is finishing up Geography and Physical Science in order to close up her 8th grade; while Keilah is rounding out her senior year by taking a driver’s ed course in Ibarra. Can you imagine learning to drive using a stick shift, with all the instruction in another language? Yep, it takes courage, and she’s doing a great job! 

Relying on His faithfulness,
Kevin and Kathy

Prayer points:

• I would greatly appreciate your prayers for our small band of missionaries and pastors here in northern Ecuador. This has been a time of transition with leadership changing, new missionaries arriving in the summer, and our Ecuadorian director living thru the difficulties of his wife’s cancer (Diego and Mercedes Galarza). We deeply desire His guidance and help in carrying out all that we do.
• Meregildo and Clemencia’s baby boy is doing reasonably well! We’ve been able to help them buy formula for the little fellow, and he has tenaciously held on during several sicknesses. 
• Thanks for praying for the couple who was spreading divisive gossip. Through the Bible study we have definitely seen the Lord’s hand working in this family’s hearts, and there have been many positive changes.
• Continue to pray for the elders as they try to be good Awa citizens of their communities amidst much pressure. Milton would like to leave his community soccer team, but each time he tries, the fellow players begin to blame God for Milton’s lack of enthusiasm to keep playing. This wounds him deeply, as he has a deep desire to be a Godly testimony to his people. While it’s hard for us to understand this heavy pull, in a community-based society, this is how social control works. In the end, Milton has to work this out between himself and the Lord….it’s been a heavy burden for him.
• The summer is looking a bit complicated, with Keilah graduating and the Shaub family taking an over-due short furlough. Thanks for praying as we try to plan for both ministry and family needs during these coming months!

March Bruce Brief

After torrential rains in January and February, March has brought us strangely dry weather…perhaps from the same weather pattern that is bringing such warm temperatures to the East Coast this week. We are grateful for a respite from the landslides and mud! The dryness provided us with an excellent opportunity to haul some gravel and rocks to fix the worst of the mud holes and slippery spots on the new road coming up to our Outpost.

 

Thanks for your prayers for the outreach in Palm community! We sense that there is a spiritual battle taking place among the people there. The priest’s presence has brought us a barrage of questions from the folks there. “What does the priest mean when he says we should pray every day to Mother Mary, that she listens better?” “When he baptized the babies, he announced that they were now without sin. Can that be true?” The teacher we have before asked prayer for, Andrew, is doing a lot of thinking these days. He talked to Gloria, one of the believers one day, and asked her many questions about what the Bible says. She did her best to answer (and she flooded us with questions on our next overnight stay at her house!) The last Sunday we were there, after teaching the Bible account of Noah’s flood, Andrew again asked question after question…. “What is the priest talking about when he says he will teach catechism to the school kids?” “What is first communion?” ”And why are there so many different religions in the world?” Andrew expressed to Gloria that he felt like he was looking at the two options (what we are teaching and what the priest is saying) and that he needs to make a choice about what to believe. Over the many years we have been here, we have realized that most of the Awa do not spend much time thinking on things outside of their daily physical routine. But we have certainly seen many ‘mind wheels’ turning these days! We’d appreciate your prayers for the Lord’s wisdom to wisely answer these folks, and for the Holy Spirit to do His work in the hearts and minds of these people.

 

Both of the elders, Milton and Paulino, are under much pressure from their own people these days. Paulino missed a community meeting this last Sunday because he had wanted to be present for church and the elders’ meeting with us in RV community. He shared with me yesterday, “I know the people will be talking badly about me because I wasn’t there. I told them that I needed to be here for hearing God’s Word and meeting together, it’s more important! But they don’t understand.” Milton is in the process of breaking ties with his soccer team, as they are putting pressure on him to bet larger amounts of money on the games, and often want to play games on Sundays. “I can’t bet so much money, when I need it to take care of my family,” he told us. In a culture where community pressure is a huge form of social control, these are very difficult issues for both of these men. They are constantly told, “Dios pit puna kaints” (God’s Word is worth nothing.) Please pray for them to think clearly, and to stand strong without getting angry!

 

The annual Awa Believers’ Conference is coming up April 6-8^th, and plans are underway for a special time of teaching, fun, and fellowship. Our prayer is that He will be glorified and build His church among the Awa. Thanks for participating with us in this venture!

 

In HIS grip,

Kevin & Kathy

Quick update

A quick update on Clemencia and new baby:

 

The Shaubs were able to bring Meregildo, Clemencia, and the baby back from the hospital on February 15^th, after their return trip was delayed by their pick-up needing repairs. Meregildo was able to see God’s hand in even that detail, as Clemencia was still weak from the whole ordeal. The couple came back armed with a bottle and two cans of baby formula, but Meregildo excitedly told us on Sunday that Clemencia has finally been able to nurse the baby some. The baby does have a bit of a cold, but seems to be holding his own for now. Thanks for your prayers for this new little life! We have been so thankful to see Meregildo’s calm and loving leadership of his family during all of this, in direct contrast to the penniless, constantly drinking man he was a few years ago. Praise the Lord for the changes He has worked in Meregildo’s life!

 

Mercedes Galarza:

 

Mercedes has been released from the hospital and is recovering at her brother’s home in the city of Quito. With such a radical surgery, her recovery is slow, but the doctors have been amazed so far at how well she is doing. Since her stomach was completely removed with the tumor, so she will have to be on a special diet the rest of her life. Diego and Mercedes have been a sweet testimony to God’s grace during this difficult trial. Diego not only is the director of Liebenzell Mission Ecuador, but also pastors the church in Atuntaqui and works with our radio station, and Mercedes has faithfully worked at his side in these ventures for many years. They would appreciate your continued prayers as they look to the future. They still face the follow-up treatments and many more tests.

 

Teaching the kids:

 

Our first time teaching ALL the kids in Palm community went well! We hiked up Thursday afternoon and spent the night at Paulino’s house. As we talked and worked out a schedule with the four teachers early Friday morning, there were no negative comments about the Bible teaching, so we took that as a sign to go for it. We divided the kids into two groups--1^st thru 3^rd grades, and 4^th-7^th. (around 70 kids) All the kids love the English lessons, but I was especially impressed with how well the older kids and teachers listened to the Bible teaching! We were also asked many questions about what the priest had taught the week before, so would greatly appreciate your prayers for continued help to answer wisely.

 

Thanks for your prayers

Kevin & Kathy

 

February already?

Happy New Year! We apologize for not writing in January! I’m not sure it’s a very good excuse, but we tackled a long-overdue maintenance project here at the Outpost during January which turned our anything-but-regular schedule into something even less regular. :-)

There are times when the ministry sails along under blue skies, we rejoice in the Lord’s blessings, and we soak up the joyful sunshine. (Both Milton’s, picture on left, and Porfidio’s babies were born safely and without complications, and are thriving!)

And then there are more difficult times of trial, rain, fog, and mud. (Yep, even in the literal sense!) January dumped over a meter of rain (40 inches) on us, making travel either by car or foot more challenging than usual. We were thankful that the government has three tractors working full-time on our road right now, cleaning up the almost daily landslides and putting in drainage culverts at each creek.

Along with the (literal) rain, there are several issues that have come up over the last few weeks that have been difficult. Here’s just a quick summary:

• Mercedes, the wife of our Ecuadorian Liebenzell Mission president Diego Galarza, was diagnosed with a cancerous growth in her stomach on February 2nd, and underwent surgery just five days later.  We were able to visit them in Quito last week, and Mercedes was still in much pain. Her stomach was completely removed and re-constructed. While she is doing as well as can be expected, her situation is still very delicate. The Galarza family is hanging on to the Lord and His promise in Isaiah 41:10.
• Awa believer Meregildo’s wife Clemencia gave birth to a little boy at noon on Saturday in their home, with just her two teenage daughters helping.  There were many complications and she lost a lot of blood, and was carried out by stretcher that afternoon. Kevin immediately drove her out to the city hospital. Clemencia has been in poor health for some time, and apparently won’t be able to nurse the baby.  Humanly speaking, life is going to be very difficult for this new little life.
• A new Catholic priest has begun to make regular trips to Palm community, where we have recently begun to teach the Bible lessons. This priest seems to be of the old school with a dislike for anything evangelical. This is a very complicated situation, especially for Paulino and the other believers in this community. The priest is actually there this week, with a group of nuns, teaching catechism in the school. At the same time we were recently asked to begin again to teach English in the school, not just to the older kids but to all 100 kids. We hope to include the Bible teaching as we did before. We’ll be going next week for the first time teaching in all five different classrooms, but we aren’t sure how the Bible teaching will be accepted with this new development.
• There is another situation that we are dealing with at this time as well, with a couple that has been spreading some divisive gossip. Yesterday we met with the elders for about four hours, talking thru this very difficult situation in which it is hard for the Awa to discern between truth and lie. Please pray for us to have Godly and Bible-based wisdom to share both with them and the Awa believers.

Laura Story’s song “Blessings” says “What if Your blessings come thru raindrops…?” Even the rain serves His purposes. We do rejoice in His daily presence, help, and guidance---what a blessing it is to bask in His grace and mercy! We are so thankful for your prayers as you join in this work of planting a church among the Awa people.
In Christ,

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Total home makeover - jungle style

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