MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Merry Christmas and a happy holiday season to each of you!

"But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son..." Galatians 4:4 reminds us that God chose just the moment that He wanted for His Son to come and live among us. As a coworker reminded us this week, it was anything but an easy time for Mary and Joseph, and later on for Jesus as He lived out His mission of love and sacrifice for us here on earth. But how thankful we are for God's gift to us!

December was perhaps not the month we would have chosen to be building a church! And yet this has been the time that God allowed all the pieces to come together so that we were able to finally move ahead with the construction of "God's House of Prayer" in Palmira community. Although the building process has not been easy with much rain and mud and slippery roads, we have watched God work and are thankful for His help in the whole process.

So yes, there were definitely less Christmas decorations and glitter around our house this year, and alot more mud and mess! And 'making our lists, and checking them twice' was more along the line of 50 bags of cement, five truckloads of sand and gravel, and 1200 cement blocks....! But God has blessed us with much Christmas cheer :-) as we rejoice to see the construction taking shape. Working with the cement 'maestros' has also been a joy, as each of them are not just friends, but also fellow believers.

Our family was a bit scattered for the holiday season this year, with Kimberly staying at school to work over break, Kenny & Sophia in Virginia with Sophia's family, and Keilah & Jeremy happily traveling to West Virginia to spend a special Christmas with Jeremy's family (who are usually in Paraguay). But we certainly enjoyed opportunities to chat with each of them! As we look to the new year, and the new challenges that are to come we can rest in the fact that His grace is sufficient, and His power unlimited. We trust you also find this to be abundantly evident in your own lives in 2018!

In HIS grip,
Kevin & Kathy

November update

We are all reminded to give thanks at this time of year--thanks to God for His grace and mercy to us; thanks to each other for sharing together in this life God has given us. We have many blessings to be thankful for:

Time with our family....My parents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on November 4th. What a blessing their faithfulness in setting a Godly example has been to us. We were also  thankful to see each of us our kids at the family celebration, for the second time this year! (In the picture: Kathy & I; Keilah & Jeremy; Kimberly; my brother Keith and nephew Alex; my parents Irvin & Nancy; Kenny & Sophia; my sister Gretchen and husband Rick and nephew Brian.)

Ready for building a foundation....with the help of the believers, the ground is all prepared in Palm Community for beginning to construct the "House of Prayer" that has been on Paulino's heart for more than twenty years. It's been a journey to get to this place! Lord willing, the actual construction will begin December 11th.

Our coworkers...God has graced us with a team of coworkers, both from Germany and from Ecuador, that stand beside us as we face the great needs here in northern Ecuador. Meetings together each month are often of much encouragement to us as we share our struggles. One of those families is the Vera family--Jorge and Mercedes are the Liebenzell Mission church planters in the little town of San Pedro. Their daughter Angie (in the middle) was recently diagnosed with advanced cancer. Over the last few weeks, Angie has maintained a cheerful outlook, saying that in a certain sense, God has allowed the cancer in answer to her prayer that He would allow her more opportunities to share about Him. Angie's mother Mercedes commented this week that their daughter's medical diagnosis is 'malignant lymphoma,' but the Divine Diagnosis is 'the greater the trial, the greater the provision of God.' We are reminded of the great hymn by Annie J. Flint:

He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater,

He sendeth more strength when the labors increase;

To added afflictions He addeth His mercy,

To multiplied trials, His multiplied peace.

Would you join us in praying for Angie and her family; especially that God would give them great courage and boldness to continue in spite of this great trial that they are experiencing.

In HIS grip,
Kevin & Kathy

October Update

The rainy season rains are returning; our garden, including the weeds!, is quite happy to take in the moisture. The rains make it interesting as we keep working on the church construction in Palm Community....last week we had fun digging in the mud, leveling out the ground in preparation for the foundation. Working on the church has been an interesting process--progress has not happened as quickly as WE thought it ought to (our idea was to get the construction finished in the dry summer months). As we have chosen to work alongside Paulino and Gloria and Guillermo and the other Palm Community believers, we have found that the pace is going much slower than we imagined. But....as the Awa have planned a work day, we have seen many come to happily join in (even folks who don't normally come to church). Preparing for building has also provided a time of preparing hearts; thanks for praying with us that God would call out a people for Himself from this community. And we appreciate your prayers that construction would go forward on His chosen time-table!

Speaking of construction, many of you remember the Awa Center in Lita where we lived for about ten years. As the Awa ministry has moved further into the mountains, the Lita property is being used more as a camp and retreat center for the Ecuadorian churches. This summer the kitchen/dining area is getting an overhaul! Our field director, Rainer Kroger, has put much effort into this project, along with the building crew---our same Ecuadorian friends who will help us with the church in Palm Community. (Here is a link to an email from Rainer with an interesting testimony about one of the workers, along with more pictures, if any of you is interested.) 

And finally, we are writing from US soil at the moment, as we are making a quick trip to the USA to join the Bruce family for my parents' 50th anniversary celebration. It is a joy for us to help celebrate such a landmark occasion! We are thankful that each one of our children can also be there--Keilah & Jeremy are living there, Kenny & Sophia are driving up from VA, and Kimberly is flying out from WI with her friend Zach. Perhaps the next time we write we will have a family picture to share! These are special occasions for us, and we rejoice in the moments God has graciously provided for us to be able to be with our family. We fly back to Ecuador on November 8th.
In HIS grip,
Kevin & Kathy

September News

Our nieces Kara and Japhia came to visit for the month of August. They both jumped right into life here in the mountains, helping with the literacy course and with the children on Sundays. For a fun day, we took them and Lee and Liana Shaub up to visit the Mojanda lakes, up high above Otavalo. From the lakes, we hiked up the side of one of the overlooking mountains for a picnic. What an awesome view from 4,000 m (13,000+feet)!

(Lee, Kathy, Japhia, Liana & Kara)

September has been a month of sickness here. Paulino spent a week in the hospital with a pancreatic infection, and was told that his gall bladder is also needing surgery. Gloria has been suffering with infections on her hands and feet, complicated by her auto-immune disorder (scleroderma). Our neighbor Porfidio spent two weeks with an infected finger, which he attributed to a bite from one of the invisible snakes the Awa believe inhabit these mountains. Many have suffered from a stomach flu, and a tough cold is also making its rounds. Kathy and I have not been immune! We ask that you would pray that God would bring His comfort to each in the midst of sickness, and that our hearts would be tender toward the suffering around us.

Ecuador has chosen to follow the American school calendar, so in most of the country September also brought the beginning of classes. We always enjoy helping out as we are able---taking pictures of the school children for their enrollment, helping with keeping their computers functional, and preparing to again teach English. There are more than 140 students enrolled in just the Rio Verde school this year! We are thankful for the opportunity to get to know these children. Many come on Sundays, and our porch is filling up for Sunday School! We pray that God would raise up a family for Himself out of this young generation.

On Sundays we have been teaching through the book of James, bringing up some important truths for our group. We pray the believers are learning and growing as they listen; we know we certainly have had our hearts taught as we have studied! Normally on Sundays about 15-20 adults attend, many of which are the regular believers who will listen and take part in the teaching. Others include several elderly grandmas and grandpas (who often doze off...!) and also several earnest 'listeners'. The Awa find it difficult to articulate what they are learning; they will quickly say that what they are hearing is 'good' but (especially with the newcomers) we often don't know what their thoughts are on a deeper level. Segundo & Rosario are one couple that have been attending most Sundays for about a year, listening intently; recently Segundo brought his elderly parents for a visit. Grandma Delfina often comes with a passel of grandkids. Marco Aurelio, who continues to need dialysis three times a week, usually joins us on Sundays with his young daughter Carmen and his grandson Jefferson. Thanks for praying with us that these 'listeners' would clearly understand God's love for them; and pray with us for opportunities to see where their hearts are at and find ways to communicate the truths they perhaps have not yet clearly understood.
In HIS grip,
Kevin & Kathy

<for a printable version click here>

A whirlwind?!?

The summer has been a bit of a whirlwind for us, although definitely an enjoyable one! Our two weeks in the USA for Kenny and Sophia's wedding were full of good moments with family and friends--what a blessing to us! We were grateful for God's gracious help in allowing almost every day to go as planned! We are thankful for good health and safety in all the miles we travelled. It was very special to have most of our days there with Kimberly and Keilah and husband Jeremy. We asked God to stretch the few days we had with Kenny and Sophia, and He did just that--we had a lovely time with them. Meeting Sophia's family was a highlight for us; we appreciated all the hard work they put into organizing a beautiful wedding and reception!

Literacy...

 Returning to Ecuador we jumped into a literacy workshop with the Shaubs and Jerry and Joyce McDaniels, Ethnos 360 literacy consultants. What an intense time of working with the Awa language! We learned much, not just about literacy but also as we finalized many syllable breaks and spellings; trying to regularize the way we spell many words. Working with the most commonly occurring syllables, and slowly adding in more, we created four Awa literacy primers, four short practice readers, and many worksheets. Marco Antonio, Andy Shaub's language helper, was quite faithful in creating and checking short stories, and translating the teacher's manual. He had to put up with much English conversations going on around him as we worked with understanding the literacy computer program and what came next each day! Again and again Marco expressed his appreciation that books were being made to teach his people to read and write their own language; this is a desire he has had for many years.

And what's ahead?

The church construction in Palmira is finally forming into a reality: several dump-truck loads of gravel were delivered while we were gone and we have begun to have regular work days to gather rocks from the river for the foundation. Paulino and the other believers in Palmira are excited to see progress being made! Also, the end of August we are planning a field conference for the Liebenzell missionaries and pastors in Lita. We pray it will be a time of fellowship and refreshment for all.
In HIS grip,
Kevin & Kathy

for a printable version click here

July Update

Greetings from the middle of the world!

The annual Medical Caravan, with Shelia and our friends from Kentucky, has come and gone. Around 350 Awa were seen in the three days the group spent in our area, and many children participated in VBS programs in two locations. One highlight of the time was helping our friend Agustin, who lost his hands years ago while fishing with dynamite, receive a pair of prosthetic hands. He was quickly able to use them to hold a cup and a fork. Pretty amazing!

This year I accompanied team member Pat Boggs as he helped to train firefighters at the Ibarra Fire Station #1. As I translated for Pat, I learned more than a few new words, both in Spanish and in English! One day we spent with the new recruits showing them how to carry and set up ladders quickly and efficiently, and practicing throwing out fire hoses. As I interpreted for Pat, I found myself teaching and representing skills I really know nothing about! :-)

Just as I was a 'window' into good fire-fighting skills (interpreting for Pat, who has 29 years of experience), so I am reminded that our job as God's representatives is to be a 'window' into His heart of redemption from sin, and His grace, love, and mercy. I am also a recipient (not an expert!) in these facets of who our God is. Our desire is that the Awa may clearly 'see' our Lord through us.

We are excited to fly to the USA on July 17th for Kenny and Sophia's wedding! The wedding is the 29th, in Purcellville, VA. While much of our short trip will be spent in NJ (at the Liebenzell center) and VA, we do hope to attend a family reunion and spend one Sunday, the 23rd, at our home church in NH. We wish we could see all of our friends and family!

Returning to Ecuador July 31st, we will join our coworkers the Shaubs in hosting a literacy workshop with an international team of consultants from New Tribes Mission (Ethnos 360). Working alongside four Awa men, three of whom are teachers (Teacher Andrew from Palm Community school, Marco Antonio from Middle RV school, and Gilberto from Low RV school), along with our neighbor Milton, the goal is to produce an updated Awa primer. We are thankful for the materials we have on hand, from Wycliffe translators Lee and Lynne Henriksen, which will give us a good jump start on the project. The process of working with the written language will also give the teachers ideas for how to use the primers to teach the children in the schools, something that has been on Marco Antonio's heart for quite awhile. Please pray for us, the team of consultants, and the four Awa fellows during the course August 2-18. Pray especially for the spiritual state of each of these men, and that they will attend the course faithfully in order to understand the process well.

Prayer points:

• Thanks for praying for Meregildo, our neighbor who has distanced himself from the church. God provided a good opportunity to talk with him and wife Clemencia. Meregildo shared with me that many folks say that he will be 'contaminated' (by Milton and his sin) if he comes to church. I was able to ask him, "Meregildo, has God changed? Yes, people can sin, but does that change who God is?" Pray for Meregildo as he thinks over our conversation.
• Marco Aurelio, our Awa friend who is on dialysis three times a week, has also begun to join us on Sundays for the Bible teaching. His youngest daughter, Carmen (13 yrs old), is also attending Sunday School. How we long for them to understand God's gift of salvation! Pray also for his kidneys to heal, as they were damaged in January from a time of dehydration without medical intervention (from gastritis and vomiting).

Thank you for sharing in the work here!

In HIS grip,
Kevin & Kathy

<for a printable version click here>

June Update

How we have enjoyed the last three weeks with a visit from our daughter Kimberly! She finished up her classes in Wisconsin and flew down here on May 16th. Her friend Zach Burt came along with her for the first two weeks of her visit, and it was good to get to know him a little during those days. Zach grew up as a missionary kid in Thailand, so is used to living overseas, although the Thai language is much different from Spanish! Zach flew back to Missouri May 30th, where he is working in construction over the summer, and Kimberly stayed with us for another week before flying back to work her 5th summer at Whispering Winds Bible Camp. What a blessing it is to hear how God is teaching Kimberly (and Zach!) through the classes and life at NTBI over the last year! In August she is looking forward to going back for her second year of classes there, and the learning and adventures that God has in store for her.

Thanks to those who specifically prayed for our Internet connection to be restored! Two weeks ago the satellite dish was replaced in the community center, although no-one knew the password. :-) This last week we were finally able to find the password and are thankful to have the Internet access again at our Outpost. The connection doesn't always work well, and it is rather slow, but we are thankful for the help in being able to communicate better.

We also thank you for your prayers for the group of Awa believers as we seek to work through the many issues surrounding the situation with Milton. For several Sundays after Conference I continued to teach from the book of James, especially concerning our 'words' (the tongue!) We used several small skits to show how our words can build up, or tear down; and how our words can communicate good counsel from God's Word. In God's grace, several of Milton's sisters and sisters-in-law were present, specifically the ones that were struggling in this area. Milton has continued to come for church and the weekly Bible study, and last Saturday we had an especially good time together looking at how God calls us to respond when those around us act in unloving ways. Over the last few weeks we have been talking with Milton about how to articulate a meaningful public confession to the church body. This is very difficult for him, as previous attempts (especially two years ago, when we were not present) were met with harsh words from the other believers. Please pray for Milton as he works through what repentance signifies, not only in his own heart but before the church and before his community.

Would you join us in praying for Meregildo, one of the Awa believers? He has quit joining us on Sundays, saying that he is not wanting to follow God anymore. For many years Meregildo and his wife Clemencia have counted themselves as part of the fellowship. We remember at least one specific occasion when Meregildo gave a clear testimony of his faith, and we have seen God change him over the years, especially in the area of drunkenness. But his children have never made the decision the follow God, and at least some of the present problem seems to stem from family strife. Please specifically pray for good opportunities to speak with him.

Summer is just on the horizon! God is shaping our summer to include beginning the church construction in Paulino's community (the first loads of materials should be delivered this coming Monday! Wow!) as well as a quick (but joyful!) trip to the USA in July for Kenny's wedding. We aren't sure what this summer may hold for each of you, but we pray that you face the days ahead with a confidence that God is at work in your lives and in the lives of your family. How thankful we are for His faithfulness!

In HIS grip,
Kevin & Kathy

<for a printable copy click here>