Awa Conference

The 20th annual Awa Believers' Conference has come and gone! Thanks for your prayers! We were thankful for the energy and strength that God gave us during the days. And we were also thankful for much collaboration from the Awa themselves. Everyone participated in bringing food. Paulino, along with sister Gloria, were a blessing during the days as they helped organize the ladies to peel potatoes and yucca and corn, and to cook the big pots of rice. Paulino even arrived before 6 a.m. on Friday and Saturday in order to get the lemongrass tea boiling bright and early! Digna was the first to arrive on Sunday, so she made the tea that day. The many children who came were also cheerful helpers, wanting to carry food and dishes for each meal, and anything else we would let them carry (especially if it had anything to do with games!)





Together we watched the “John” version of the life of Jesus (taken directly from the book of John), a good visual reminder of Jesus' suffering and death for us. Sunday morning we watched the final moments, showing the resurrection. I taught the adults from James chapter 1, and we learned Matthew 22:37 as a memory verse together: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” In contrast to several years back, when memorizing verses was a new and rather strange exercise, this time the children learned the verse so quickly! That was fun!

The continuing situation with Milton made for some difficult moments, however. Palm Sunday Milton's wife's sister had the baby, another little boy. While Milton had decided to stop the relationship with his sister-in-law back in December, the birth of the baby brought many ugly attitudes to the surface again. Harsh and hurtful words were said, and as a result Milton didn't come to Conference Friday or Saturday. I skipped lunch on Saturday to find Milton (hanging out at the market down by the Rio Verde school) and talk with him. Milton was hurt, upset, and quite angry. I came back to Conference with a heavy heart, really not knowing how to handle the situation (except to again ask God for wisdom!) At that point we decided not to have the Lord's Supper together the next morning, as is our yearly tradition, as there were many ugly attitudes being displayed. I just told the group that we were postponing having the Lord's Supper for a month.

And then Sunday morning Milton showed up! He was still hurt and short-tempered, but at least he was here! Paulino and Gloria received him kindly (despite his surliness). Gloria told us later that while God is helping her to understand what forgiveness means, her sisters and sisters-in-law still don't understand. She told us, “They just aren't hearing God's word and understanding it. The answer is in John chapter 8! [the story of the Pharisees bringing to Jesus the woman caught in adultery] Jesus said to the woman, 'Go and sin no more,' and that is what Milton is wanting to do now, leave the sin behind. But they don't know how to support and help and encourage our brother to do what is right. They still just want to punish him by saying really bad words to him. How can we help my sisters to understand?”

We would appreciate your prayers over the next few weeks as we seek to work through the ugly words that have been said, and teach how God wants us to use our words to edify and encourage others. For many weeks we have prayed that God would prepare Milton to confess to the church at large (with a humble, repentant heart) and that the body of believers would join Gloria and Paulino in forgiving him. We are asking God for much wisdom (as per James chapter 1!) and believing that He is able to do this mighty work.

We also want to ask for your patience in our communications as our connection to the internet from Rio Verde quit working about two weeks ago. Usually we are in the city every two to three weeks, and we are thankful to have those opportunities to catch up on email. We do have a 'smart' phone, but as we are on the fringe of cell coverage, what we can do with it is limited. For some time now we have been trying unsuccessfully to find other options for internet service; there aren’t too many potential customers where we live. :-) Anyhow, thanks for your understanding and patience with us!

And thanks for participating with us in the ministry here! We treasure your prayers, encouragement, and your notes and emails; what a blessing the Body of Christ is to us!

In HIS grip,

Kevin & Kathy

April showers

April is here, complete with rain showers! We are thankful that while it is raining steadily here, the rainy season hasn't brought major damage to our area. Parts of Ecuador, Peru, and Colombia have suffered with much heavier rain, causing flooding and mudslides, and many casualties. Some predictions call for continued rain into May, delaying the beginning of dry season.

Easter and the annual Awa Conference (April 14-16) are just around the corner, and we are preparing all that accompanies this time....Bible lessons for kids and adults, memory verses, crafts, music, the Jesus movie, fun games, as well as a project for the men (making a folding wooden chair) and for the women (making banana cake over a campfire). Andy and Chrissy Shaub are gathering the food we need from the store (like rice, lentils, and beans), and the Awa will all help bring what they can from their farms—bananas, yucca, lemons, homemade sugarcane sugar, and chickens.

Our hope is that our Awa friends will gain a deeper understanding of Jesus' death for them, and respond with open hearts to love our Risen Savior. Thanks for joining us in prayer for this special time together!

Milton continues to come to Friday Bible study, and to most Sunday meetings. We would ask for prayer that his heart would be softened towards God's word; and that he would grow in a deeper repentance. (He sometimes points the finger of blame at others, including his wife Delia.) Yesterday, on Palm Sunday, the baby that he fathered with his sister-in-law Elvia was born...another healthy little boy. (We got to be the ambulance and made a very fast trip to the hospital, and Kathy accompanied her doing the birth.) Elvia now has her hands full with 18 month old Benjamin as well as a newborn, and only her elderly parents to help. We continue to pray for Elvia's continued repentance. Since December, when Milton had chosen to step away from the relationship, she had been quite angry with us for our part in that decision. Recently she has been much more open towards us.

 We continue teaching in both Palm and Rio Verde community schools, and it is a joy to get to know the children and their families. Learning the names of over 200 kids is a challenge we are still working on! Each teaching day is an exercise in flexibility as we never quite know what situation to expect—disorganization abounds! :-) We appreciate your prayers for great patience and wise teaching skills! But each of these kids has great worth in God's eyes, and we are thankful for the opportunity to be a part of their lives. Many of these same children come to Sunday church as well, many without their parents.

In  HIS grip,
Kevin & Kathy

tasty ittal

March is the month for the delicious 'ittal' /EE-tal/ ants! Everywhere we look, there are little holes in the dirt...places where the Awa have used a knife or machete to dig out an ant. Our friend Teacher Andrew told us yesterday that he had taken his whole kindergarten class on an outing to dig for ants.  This is definitely a favorite season for the Awa! The gold rush is over as quickly as it began....all the glitter that attracted so much attention turned out to be just fool's gold. (In other Awa communities, they really are finding gold...just not here close by! In many ways, we are thankful that the hubbub has quieted down.) A thanks to many of you who are praying: on Friday, March 3rd, Milton and wife Delia came for the first time of Bible study together. (This was after trying to do this for three weeks in a row; reasons just kept coming up to prevent them both being here at the same time.) We looked at God's creation of Adam and Eve, and His purposes and plan for marriage. As we remind ourselves so often, GOD is ABLE! One way He has answered our prayers for Milton and Delia has been by allowing their whole family to be sick over the last two weeks, causing them to all spend more time at home together. And....we have exciting family news! Kenny and Sophia have picked a wedding date for this summer: July 29th.  Two years ago, on July 29th, our daughter Keilah and Jeremy Windler were married...so that date is turning out to be quite an important one in our family! We are joyful and thankful for all that God has done in Kenny's and Sophia's lives to bring them to this point. They have a few busy months ahead of them as they not only plan the wedding but also Sophia is finishing up her Cinematic Arts program and will graduate from Liberty in May. So yep! We are planning a quick summer USA trip so that we can be with them on their special day. :-) In HIS grip, Kevin & Kathy Pray for: the Lord's timing in getting the materials for the church construction in Palm community preparation for Awa Conference April 14 – 16 Marco Aurelio, an older Awa friend, with health trouble and has been hospitalized God's gracious hand in pulling our summer/fall plans together: a quick trip to Kenny's wedding in July August 1-18 a literacy seminar travel to Germany in mid-September in order to participate in some Mission days there

Gold Rush

Gold Rush

The Awa are buzzing with the latest news....gold was found just a few kilometers away! Over the last weeks, many went to see the action, coming home with bits of rock with shiny flecks in them. Gold fever settled in...there were fights, knifings, and supposedly one fellow died when the bank caved in. By this last weekend, the government had to send law enforcement to calm down the situation. Here closer, the Awa started thinking...remembering that they have seen such shiny flecks in many of the rocks here. “Why, probably that rock we always see down at the river really is gold!” And the local gold rush is now going full swing!

But God's word is pertinent, and even has something to say about gold....on Sunday we went over the verses in Psalm 19 that remind us that God's laws and commandments are “more to be desired than gold, even much fine gold...” That struck a chord in the believers' hearts and brought smiles to their faces. “Yep, when we go to Heaven that gold isn't going with us!”

A Special Visit

My parents, Irvin and Nancy Bruce, are here for a two month visit. We've enjoyed several weeks with them so far, as they have taken part in our daily lives and ministry here. They are especially enjoying the beautiful weather, a break from the New England winters they are used to!

Milton

Thanks for your on-going prayers for Milton. Since the beginning of the year, for five weeks in a row he has showed up faithfully for a weekly Bible study, and then again for the church service on Sunday. Many days are a struggle for him, as he continues to reap the harvest of 'thorns' that he has sown, especially with his family. Many days he is discouraged; some days he just takes off and stays with a relative instead of coming home. Still, we see in him a desire to walk in obedience to God's truth. Together we are studying Jesus' life, and memorizing verses like Philippians 4:8; and I've been asking him those hard questions...”Have you seen the sister-in-law this week?”, “Are you seeking God and reading His word?”, and “Are you communicating with your wife about where you are each day?” Although he continues to struggle in many ways, there is a hint of joy returning to his face....the beginning of the fruit that obedience brings. Still, his position is 'fragile'---especially since the sister-in-law continues to seek him out. Please pray for a steadfast perseverance for him; that the Lord's mercy and grace would uphold him as he faces each struggle, specifically with his wife.

Building "God's House of Prayer"?

January brought heavy rains---muddy roads and landslides. Some days our road has been closed and on two trips to the city Kathy and I were delayed by mudslides. We looked at the empty lot in Palm community and shook our heads...How will we ever get “God's House of Prayer” built in time for April's conference?

But we see God's hand at work...Christmas Eve a supporting church (Asbury United Methodist, in Allentown, PA) took up an offering for the construction. In January two cement builders, both believers from Ecuadorian churches, went up to check out the lot and help us think thru the construction needs. And this week the weather has been drier; perhaps the road will soon be passable for the dump trucks to be able to deliver the sand, gravel, and cement needed to get started! These next few weeks will tell; thanks for your prayers.

As you live out this new year, may our God and His precious words be your treasure!

In HIS grip,
Kevin and Kathy

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Merry Christmas from Ecuador!

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November's News--Happy (late) Thanksgiving!

A smoked turkey, stuffing, salad, pumpkin pie, and even a can of cranberry sauce (not easily available here!) made a special meal, as we celebrated--in hearty American-style!--one of our favorite holidays. No matter that it was a few days late, as we taught the children in the Palm community school on the actual Thanksgiving day (of course, not a holiday here.)  And yes!, like many of you, our hearts were full, as we DO have much to be thankful for:
• How thankful we are to our God for Who He is...our Savior, our Redeemer, our Guide, our Help, our Provider! How amazing that we can go boldly into the very Throne-room and ask for mercy and grace in time of need! (Heb. 4:16) And how we appreciate His Truth, given to us in words we have the ability to read and understand and depend on.
• In Palm community, the believers are excited to begin work on their own church building. Paulino and Guillermo worked hard to have the provincial tractor level out the lots, and the believers in that community have a vision of having "Dios Paikum Yel" (God's house of prayer) ready for the Believers' Conference in April of 2017. Some in the community have boldly stated their opposition, but the believers have responded in kindness, saying that once the building is up, even those who don't agree will be invited to attend any events that we have! Paulino has a dream of celebrating his 50th birthday with a big community event, showing how to have a fun party without the drinking, dancing, and fighting that accompany most community gatherings.

Lot for church building overlooking Palm community

• Our Sunday fellowship is growing! Along with the regular believers is another group, those who perhaps do not understand the full picture of Christ's sacrifice for their sins, and yet come and listen intently. Grandma Delfina (with a passel of grandkids!) and Segundo and wife and kids (the first ones to join us from the community of St. Vincent) are among these listeners, along with many children who come on their own.
• God is at work among the believers here, changing hearts. We have seen both Gloria and Paulino change in their attitude toward their brother Milton, expressing their love and forgiveness to him, and their desire that He would walk in obedience to God. Gloria expressed her heart in telling her wayward brother, "God never gives up on His children, and never throws them away. Even though it's hard, you can choose to repent and come back to Him." Such a change from two years ago!

Gloria and her husband Guillermo

• This week God has done a great work in Milton's life, bringing him to a place of humble repentance. This has been a long journey for Milton and for us, and it is not over yet! God's mercy and grace will be needed as Milton faces the harvest of the wrong he has sown. We are thankful that God is Able to redeem us, and can work good even in difficult situations. (If you would like more details, we have written a more detailed update,  see previous blog entry.)

We are also thankful for each of you, as you stand with us in many different ways--you are a blessing to us!

Joining you in thanking our Savior,
Kevin & Kathy

Milton update

Those of you who receive our prayer requests know that these last few days God is doing a great work in Milton's life. So many of you have asked for updates and assured us of your prayers. Thank you for partaking in Milton's life with us!

Two weeks ago Gloria told us (in tears) that Milton's wife's sister Elvia was again pregnant from him. Little Benjamin, the first baby, is just a little over a year old. Over the last few months we had seen Milton's relationship with his wife and kids deteriorating even farther, but had not known specifics. One day last week Milton came to talk to Andy Shaub and shared that he was miserable. "Why do I do what is wrong?" he asked.

So much damage has been done, not only to Milton's immediate kids and family, but in the eyes of the communities around us (Milton is vice-president of the Rio Verde community and is often placed in a leadership role.) Oh, how our hearts ached to think of the continuing bad testimony not only to the church but to the name of God. We really didn't know what to do, but with the Shaubs sought God's help, and prayed, and prayed, and shared with many of you and prayed some more....

This week Andy, Paulino, and I called Milton to come to a meeting Tuesday morning, (and he came!) where we confronted him with his continued sin. Milton theoretically agreed---he knows he has done wrong in God's eyes---but challenged and argued as we asked him to agree to stop the relationship with his sister-in-law and to come to study God's word and receive teaching each week. We gave him a choice---to submit to what we were asking, or we would need to take some more steps (like going before each community to clarify that Milton was not following God or submitting to the church leadership, as many were saying that I, as the church pastor, was allowing or even encouraging Milton to have two 'wives').

Thursday another meeting was planned with Paulino and I, as the Shaub family was in Ibarra. Again, Milton showed up, but was angry and argumentative. After a time of listening to him, I didn't know how to continue. We had asked him to sign the 'contract', laying out what we said above...promising to stop the immoral relationship and attending church and a Bible study each week. (While signing a paper like that would not make Milton 'righteous', it would give him some clear steps to take to head in the right direction. Signing a paper like this works well in the Awa culture, emphasizing the seriousness of his situation.) Feeling there was no more that I could do or say I just prayed outloud, just asking God to change Milton's heart, recognizing that we needed God's help and intervention. After the prayer, Milton broke down in tears, confessing his sin to his brother Paulino and hugging him, and confessing his sin to me. We all three prayed and Milton just poured out his heart to God, confessing his sin and asking for forgiveness and help. He said that he was willing to do all that we had asked him to, and willingly signed the paper (although by this point I wasn't sure it was even needed.) He admitted his weakness and asked for our help, sharing his longing to return to the fellowship and help of the believers, and to hearing God's word taught. He knows he is unable to rebuild his relationship with his wife and family without God's intervention.

As we left the room where we were meeting, Milton saw Kathy and again confessed his sin to her, asking for forgiveness, expressing again his longing to listen and submit to God and His word, and to humbly admit his sin and leave it behind and ask for forgiveness from everyone.

What an amazing change! Milton had gone into the room angry and upset, and came out humble and repentant. We can only praise God for the change and we attribute this change to God's answer to the many prayers going up on his behalf. Some of you were praying even as we met.

Saturday morning we met again and watched a portion of the Jesus movie...so Milton could be reminded of how His Savior had died for him, and because of that sacrifice his sins are paid for. Please keep praying for a continuing deepening repentance and understanding of what Jesus' sacrifice means for him.

The next few days and weeks are going to be a huge battle for Milton. He is reaping a harvest of what he has sown. He is going to need our prayers and much help from God. Time will tell if he will allow God to be his strength thru the next weeks and months. We are reminded that there is a great spiritual battle going on for the lives and hearts of men! Thank you for 'fighting' alongside us through your prayers.

In HIS grip,
Kevin & Kathy