Christmas letter

Click to print or view bigger

Fun on the road

Andy had some fun yesterday on the road (or not so fun). The slippery mud slid him right off the edge. Praise the Lord no one was hurt and after a couple hours work with some help from the neighbors the got the truck out. Thanks for your prayers!

Eyes to see

A slippery visiter

It’s been a full four months since our return in July! The days and weeks have flown past, as we have spent much time on the road between our mountain home and the cities of Ibarra and Quito. We have certainly had our share of adventures since we got back, starting with the girls’ flashflood escape at the river in July; then strikes and political unrest and propane shortages; vehicle breakdowns; some interesting 4-wheeling on our muddy road….and, just in case we have a monotonous day, there’s often a big, hairy spider or a snake that’ll show up just to keep us from getting bored. :-) But, while life can keep us jumping (literally!), that’s not really why we are here.

Keilah with her new puppy

And the paperwork…always a challenge! Looking back over our calendars, we counted 10 multi day trips to the city in order to finally have our permanent visas in hand. Based on having an Ecuadorian-born daughter, our new visas won’t have to be renewed, and have only a few restrictions (like not leaving the country for more than three months each of the first 2 years). This coming week we hope to get our national i.d. cards, the last step, and one more trip to Quito in this lengthy process. We thank the Lord for His help and protection in all of this!

And yet, paperwork isn’t why we are here, either.

Or maybe it is...

It’s the people, isn’t it? God’s heart is in drawing out a people to bear His name, and that must include the clerk and the lawyer in the paperwork offices, and the mechanic at the shop, as well as the many Awa around us. Since we’ve returned, we’ve learned that several of our Ecuadorian friends died while we were in the USA, including Keilah’s dedicated orthodontist, Dra. Correa, who died unexpectedly from cancer, and a fellow who Kevin enjoyed chatting with who ran a radio/electronics store.  We are reminded that this is why we are here…it’s the people that matter to our Heavenly Father.

Kimberly and her cousin
helping with the kids during
the literacy class

There’s Simon, an Awa fellow who has recently come several Sundays to hear the Bible teaching after a many-year absence, even bringing his wife and kids. And the young mothers who come to the Monday literacy classes, bringing a whole slew of not-always-cooperative toddlers along with them. There’s the kids in the community of Palmira that we’ll soon be teaching English to. And our neighbor, Nestor, whose wife just had a baby boy after years of one miscarriage after another. 

We desire to not only teach the Word on Sundays, but to see each face that God brings into our path as one that God loves. Something that’s easily forgotten when we get busy!

In the words of the singer, Brandon Heath, our prayer too is: Give me Your eyes...

“Give me Your eyes for just one second

Give me Your eyes so I can see

Everything that I keep missing

Give me Your love for humanity

Give me Your arms for the broken hearted

Ones that are far beyond my reach.

 Give me Your heart for the ones forgotten

Give me Your eyes so I can see”

Thank you for your prayers and support!

In His grip,

Kevin & Kathy Bruce

Brandon Heath - Give Me Your Eyes from Brandon Heath on Vimeo.

Bruce Brief - Ecuador Adventures

Ecuador Adventures

The character Bilbo Baggins in the Lord of the Rings is quoted to say “It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to.”

Yesterday I jumped on a bus to go to Quito just to get a special copy of Kimberly's Ecuadorian birth certificate from the main Civil Registration office. As the bus headed out of the city toward Quito the news on the bus tv was showing some demonstrations going on in Guayaquil, and what looked to me like Quito. Because I couldn't hear well, I asked the bus helper if he thought there would be any serious problems in Quito, and he assured me not to worry. ;-)

Well the rest you can read in the news. Yesterday turned out to be quite the day here in Ecuador. As we neared the city the road to the northern bus terminal was blocked, so the driver said he was going to try to go to the southern terminal (an hour detour) which worked out fine for me, I thot, as that was closer to the Registration office. Well, he dropped me off two blocks from the office, which to my dismay was closed because of the police strike. On the ride there I had learned that the road between Quito and Ibarra was also closed in places so I didn't have much hope of getting back to Ibarra that night. I flagged a taxi to take me to an area in the city where there are several mission guest houses. There I was able to hole up, and watch in horror as the news unfolded. The president being held hostage, then later as the Army coming in to rescue him, along with the shooting, was all carried live on TV. Tonight, as I traced the route the taxi took in getting me from south Quito to north Quito, I realized that we had unknowingly gone right by the place where the President was being held hostage!

Today as the Army and Police went back to work, things calmed down and I was thankfully able to return to Ibarra. Tomorrow, Lord willing, we are off to our home on the mountain top again which is really where I prefer being when such uprisings happen!

Because I wasn't able to do any of the paperwork that I had hoped during my trip to Quito, that is still on my to-do list for next week. I just hope that the next time I go out my door will not be as dangerous as yesterday, and I'm really glad that I have a God who directs my steps in spite of my plans! Prov 6:19

Thanks for your prayers,
Kevin Bruce

A taste of Ecuador - Recipe for Shrimp Ceviche

Shrimp Ceviche

Ceviche is a popular dish here in Ecuador. In our opinion it’s the best when made with shrimp, but some folks make it with clams or palm heart. Here it’s usually served as an appetizer, like a soup-y salad, before your main meal. Popcorn is often served alongside the ceviche.

1 lb shrimp, peeled and de-veined

1 cup of water the shrimp is cooked in (see instructions)

¾ cup lemon or lime juice

1 cup orange juice

¼ cup ketchup

1 cup tomato juice

1 tsp mustard

1 medium white onion, sliced thinly

1 can diced tomatoes (petite diced) with the juice

Fresh chopped cilantro (5-10 sprigs of cilantro…depending on how much you like the taste!)

2 Tbsp oil

Salt to taste

Preparation:

First soak the thinly sliced onion in boiling hot water, with a spoon of salt. Let the onion soak for about five minutes, and then pour off the hot water.  Cook the shrimp in a pot of boiling water with salt for 3-5 minutes, just until they are pink and cooked. Drain, reserving one cup of the water to add to the ceviche.

Combine the water from the shrimp with the lemon juice, orange juice, ketchup, tomato juice, mustard,  tomatoes with juice, and oil. Add the drained onion and mix well. Last add the shrimp and chopped cilantro. Season to taste…you may like a little more salt, or a little more orange or lemon juice. The ceviche sauce should be tangy and delicious!

The ceviche is best if refrigerated until cold. Serve as an appetizer, with popcorn. 

Bruce Brief - August 2010

Greetings from Rio Verde!
We are in the midst of a beautiful dry season here and have been enjoying dryer trails and a reliable road for now. Of course, when the hard rains come again that could all change.  :-) We’ve spent a few hours here and there in our garden out back pulling weeds and preparing the soil as it was completely over grown with weeds when we got here. It feels like we’ve been doing the same as we take care of all the little things in life that we need to as we gear up for ministry. Now that we have electricity, some new outlets need to be put in, as well as I want to build a desk (think rustic) in our room downstairs to use as an office. Even more importantly this week we will be sitting down as a team and planning the next year of ministry. We covet your prayers for direction and unity. Please pray for God to do a mighty work here in the RV valley.
Paperwork:
 In the process of studying out our options for a permanent/resident visa, we discovered there is a permanent religious visa available. We are the first from our mission to try and apply for this type of visa. We are currently gathering and organizing all the required paperwork. Please pray for a favorable outcome as we turn in our application, Lord willing, next week.

Also I need to renew my Ecuadorian driver's license this month. Here in Ecuador you have to re-take the written test every time you renew now, and they use very complicated language in the questions. Pray that I’ll be able to study adequately and pass the test!
Ministry:
I was able to hike up to the community 3 hours' south of us a few weeks ago and it was so good to see everyone. Paulino again expressed the community’s interest in regular Bible teaching up there. Pray for us to be able to come up with a good plan for reaching this community. The grade school there also invited me to teach a simple English course to the kids each Friday. Even though teaching English would not be high on my list of priorities, the consistent contact with the people of that community would be, so perhaps this is an open door.

Here in RV it has been a blessing to us to worship with the believers each Sunday. This last Sunday we had some very good discussions after the service about applying Biblical truth to cultural issues. One question was how we as believers should respond when someone goes to a spiritist to get a curse put on us. Another question had to do with the balance between using herbs and plants for curing and the spiritual ceremony that often accompanies the medicinal herbs. Another area was dealing with social injustices from nonbelievers. The Holy Spirit is at work redeeming their culture for God’s glory!

One more incident that occurred these last few weeks was a conversation with a drunk Awa young man, Armando, on the trail.  We had helped this fellow years ago, when as a young teenager he was accidentally run over by a bulldozer (he was drunk then too, and fell off the bulldozer, and was run over by the tracks.)  Anyway we had warned him many times during his recovery of the danger of that life-style and that he really needed to repent and trust in Christ. When we met on the trail the other day he begged my forgiveness for being drunk, and kept saying that he knew it wasn’t good, and that he should follow God. The thing that struck me is that even though we sometimes wonder if we are communicating anything to them or leaving any impression on their life, deep down they know why we are here, as we stand as salt and light among them. Pray for repentance and faith in Armando's heart, as well as the hearts of the other Awa around us!
In His grip!
Kevin & Kathy

Shaken by His mercy in our lives

Many thanks to all of you who were praying for us on Sunday, July 11th! It was our first full day back at our mountain home, and our friends had a big party in honor of our return. They butchered one of the biggest pigs I have ever seen up here, and another small one just to make sure there was enough meat to go around! People began trickling in, until we were almost 100. While a few of the ladies worked hard cooking large pots of meat, plantains, yucca, and rice, the rest of the people gathered on our porch for a Sunday worship service. I was blessed to hear Sandra and Gilberto sing a new translation of a Spanish praise song that has always been a favorite of mine. Both Paulino and Milton shared and urged their many unsaved family members who had come for the big pig feed to listen to the Word of God. Then Doug shared a gospel message from the Word. It was a real blessing to be among our friends again.

Lunch went well, and everyone had plenty, but the enemy was not without his attacks on the day. One of the young boys was bitten by Brutus, the Outpost watch dog. There were lots of versions as to what happened and what provoked the dog (supposedly the boy had thrown the ball at the dog), but it did dampen the joy of the day. The Williams took the boy to the doctor and he will be fine.


Then we were able to pass out the gifts we had brought up--many thanks to all who donated hats and handkerchiefs! I also used that opportunity to tell them that the reason we came back and left our friends and family was because God has given us an even greater gift than we could ever give them. And that's why we are here!

Our kids had been asking for a chance to go to swim at the river, so as the party began winding down, Keilah and Kimberly, along with their four Shaub cousins, Becky, and David (the 21 yr old young fellow staying with Shaubs to help with their house construction) headed off to the river for some fun. It had been raining upriver so I had warned some of them to watch out for high water. Well, to make a long story short, they were being careful not to get in too far and were out sitting on a rock with about 10 feet of waist-deep water between them and shore. The water had been clear but all of the sudden it turned muddy and began to rise. In a matter of a minute or so the river rose about 5 feet, over the rock, and then a log came down and pushed them off. Keilah said even though they knew to be careful, it all happened so suddenly. Praise the Lord that they were all able to make it to shore, one by one, with David helping Liana, the littlest. Quite a few of them lost their boots that they had left on the riverbank. All of them stopped on the shore and gave thanks to God for His protection. We were overwhelmed at God's mercy in our lives...to protect our precious children.


Thank you again for your prayers! It was quite the day.

In His Grip,
Kevin & Kathy, Keilah, and Kimberly