A Motorcycle Fall, Fractured Ankle, and Recovery May
7th I was on my motorcycle heading down a steep hill on my way to Lita
when I met a truck coming around a blind curve. As I braked to pull
tighter into the inside of the curve, my bike slipped on loose gravel
and went down. The full weight of the motorcycle landed on my ankle,
fracturing the tibia bone. One young fellow from the truck helped lift
the motorcycle off my leg, and somehow I managed to go on to Lita and
return home, all the while thinking my ankle sure was painful! Kathy
helped me to our bedroom and I didn’t move much for the next few days.
😳
Kathy and the Shaubs managed to do the two church services and both of
the youth classes with 30 students in attendance that next day. By
Monday I was recovered enough from all the scrapes and jolts to be able
to travel, and we were becoming more convinced that my ankle was broken.
Co-worker Andy Shaub drove us out to the city of Ibarra on Tuesday.
Wednesday the doctor confirmed the fracture and put a cast on my foot
and surgery was planned for Friday. We are thankful for a successful
surgery as the doctor put nine screws and a metal plate in to hold the
fracture in place. Whew! On the bright side, Dr. Villalba assures me
that I have strong bones and should make a full recovery! ! Using
crutches during mud season in AwaLand is definitely going to be a
challenge. We need much help from God to make it through the next few
weeks; we greatly appreciate your prayers.
Awa Conference 2022 We are so thankful for a great conference this year! 
With
good weather and an average of 100 in attendance, God blessed us with a
truly enjoyable time together. We were especially appreciative of a
good crew of youth and adults listening attentively to the daily
teaching. This year’s theme was “Jesus, the Lamb of God” and we went
over the Old Testament examples of sacrifice and ended up Sunday morning
recognizing Jesus’ death as our sacrificial Lamb. What joy it brings to
our hearts to see an understanding growing in many of the young people,
specifically the youth going through the Bible course we are doing now.
Sandra & Jaime In March we introduced you to
Milton Jr and Mónica Esthela, two of the young students. One of the
young couples doing the course is 
Paulino’s
oldest daughter Sandra and husband Jaime. They have faithfully attended
Sunday after Sunday, and show a good understanding of what we are
studying as they answer questions and do the worksheets. On Sundays
Sandra and Jaime sit in the front of the church and we are blessed to
watch them encouraging their children to sing and pay attention to the
teaching. During Conference, Sandra and Jaime came up to say the memory
verse together, holding hands and with big smiles on their faces. Their
two daughters, Sarela and Mariuxi, also said the verse in front of the
whole church! Sandra and Jaime struggle with their handicapped daughter
Liseth, as she is very weak and sickly, and would greatly appreciate
your prayers on Liseth’s behalf.
Rainy Season The heavy rains continue, as well as the
mudslides and travelling challenges. God kept the road open for the
Conference days, but on April 18th, the following Monday, a big mudslide
fell on the road near our house and carried one of the truck drivers
down with the mud. Early the next morning our Awa neighbors found his
body, quite battered by the mud and rocks, carried quite a way down the
mountain. That was a sad day for Rio Verde. We do thank God for opening
the road Sunday after Sunday as we make the trek up to Palmira for the
service there.
Thanks for your partnership and prayers! As we look out at the world
situation (and at my multi-colored ankle!) we are reminded how much we
need to lean on God, our dependable, sturdy Rock.
In His grip,
Kevin & Kathy
Thursday, May 19, 2022
April & May 2022
Tuesday, March 29, 2022
for the King of Glory!
March 2022
Thanks
for praying for the youth doing the “King of Glory” course! This month
we gave away the last book to 15-year-old Maria in Palmira, making a
total of 36 youth doing the class! We have worked out a system for
‘make-up’ days if they miss the Sunday class: the youth come on
Saturdays in Rio Verde community and on Friday afternoons in Palmira.
Often the one-on-one classes give special opportunities to really talk
over the truths being taught.Among the students in Palmira are three young couples: Jaime & Sandra, Lorena & Oscar, and David & Ana. Between the couples they have 10 little busy children, so coworker Chrissy Shaub is working hard to keep the kids busy so mom & dad can attend the class! These young folks are all in their 20s and bring a more mature understanding to the class. We’ve now separated the students in Palmira into two groups, in order to teach more effectively on each level. Pray specifically for these young couples as they are really enjoying the classes and soaking it all in readily!
We’d like to introduce you to two of our Rio Verde youth:
For
many years we’ve affectionately called him “Ainki Milton” (Little
Milton) to distinguish him from his father, but these days he’s not so
‘little’ anymore! At 15 he’s getting taller and broader. At a time of
life when his father’s influence is greatly needed, his dad has been
mostly absent. Ainki quit school during the pandemic (there wasn’t much
happening anyways!) and doesn’t hang out with friends, so mostly wanders
around looking quite bored. Recently he made a little money by selling
naranjilla fruit and was able to buy a motorcycle. Ainki parks his
motorcycle in the church, so now we participate in repairs, loan tools,
give mechanical advice (that would be Kevin), and try to look
knowledgeable while being shown broken parts (Kathy). 😊 Doing the “King
of Glory” course brings Ainki to church each Sunday, but he sometimes
seems to be present in body but perhaps less so in spirit. Pray that he will allow these truths to make their way to his heart.
Monica
Esthela comes every Sunday with grandpa Oso and absolutely loves doing
the ‘King of Glory’ course! She is our champion memory verse girl,
having learned every verse and earned every prize we’ve offered over the
last few years. I’m not sure who Monica’s father is (she may not know
either) but she lives in a small wooden house with her mom and stepdad
and several half brothers and sisters. Monica has finished all the
school years that were offered and is one of our best readers. At 15
years old, there’s not much left for her in Awa culture other than to
marry and have a family. Her cousins her age go to parties and hang out
with different guys, but Monica doesn’t seem to want that kind of life.
We often pray that God will give her a Christian husband in the right time!Family News
Grandson
Miles just turned 10 months old and is now walking! He keeps Kenny
& Sophia quite busy! We see their house is now filled with gates and
barriers. 😊 Keilah & Jeremy, along with 
Ronin and Amaris, are gearing up to head out to Paraguay this summer. They’d appreciate your prayers for all the final details to fall into place as they begin to think about packing suitcases.
Their lives have been filled with support raising and paperwork over
the last few months. (For more of their news, visit their website here: https://jkwindler.com/)
Kimberly
& Zach continue living in Missouri and just celebrated their 24th
birthdays by spending a few days in Virginia with Kenny & Sophia. We
do enjoy the many pictures that arrive on a daily basis, keeping us
feeling connected!In His grip,
Kevin & Kathy
Thursday, February 3, 2022
Roads, Rain and Sowing the Good Seed
January & February 2022 Roads and Rain
We
are SO thankful that the road to the city of Ibarra is mostly open
again! After the engineers examined the area and gave the gloomy
pronouncement of six months before the road could be open again, the
regional tractor drivers courageously just went to work and managed to
clear a pathway through the rockslide in just a month. At the point
where the roadbed fell, the crew used dynamite to make a narrow
passageway just wide enough for one vehicle to pass. This past week rain
continues to fall and more mud and rocks have fallen in various places
along the 50 mile stretch of highway, so there are days when the road is
closed again (like today). These days travel at night, with the heavy
rains, is not a good option. For the most part though, we are back in
business, and we are grateful for the much shorter and more direct trip
to the city. Thanks for your prayers!Sowing the Good Seed
In
our last Bruce Brief we asked for prayer for recently widowed Oso. We
are pleased to report that he continues to come to the church service
each Sunday and, yes, he continues to bring a pack of grandchildren with
him. The first Sunday he returned, we asked him how he was doing, to
which he replied somewhat dismally, “Well, I’m not dead yet.” We
recognize the reality of the sad loneliness he is experiencing in these
days, and therefore we are glad to see him seeking out the comfort of
the truth of God’s word. Thank you for your continued prayers
for him, that the “God of hope would fill [him] with all joy and peace
in believing” (Rom 15:13) until that day when God does call him home.We’ve been going to visit Paulino’s elderly parents, José and Senovia. They are less mobile now and are not able to come to church, so Kathy & I take my guitar and sing and go over a short Bible lesson together with them. Grandsons Jeison (14 yrs) and José Freddy (13) are there listening as well. Please pray for these two young fellows who have lived with their mother and grandparents since their father Alfredo was killed in a drunken fight many years ago. Pray that the good seed of God’s word would be an encouragement to José and Senovia, and that Jeison and Jose Freddy would allow the truth they hear to truly take root their hearts.
Thankful for your partnership in prayer,
Kevin & Kathy
If you are interested in checking out the King of Glory material in many different languages, you can find it here: www.king-of-glory.com.
Friday, December 31, 2021
Happy New Year!
By God’s grace, December finds us back in Ecuador
We
flew back to Ecuador on November 22nd—many thanks for your prayers! God
brought us here safe and sound, despite a travel day with some
additional stresses along the way, which seem to be the new normal. One
big stress was having to leave two of our check-ins behind in New
Hampshire due to a last minute Ecuadorian government change in
regulations. But there were also blessings as well, like getting moved
to more comfortable seats at no cost on the last leg of our trip.“Business as Usual”
The recent uproar over the new Omicron variant is taking Ecuador (and the world) by storm this Christmas season. The government is struggling to know how to respond, and we hear daily news of new rules and regulations. At the same time, rainy season has hit early, and we are being deluged with daily rains, triggering major mudslides and road closures.
The
main road between us and the city is now closed for perhaps the next 6
months as the engineers try to figure out a way to move a large section
of the mountainside to re-construct the fallen roadbed. Our alternate
routes are currently very long and sometimes a bit tricky to navigate
being over the steep mountainside on just dirt (muddy!) backroads.
Amidst this chaos, we were recently encouraged by the phrase “Business
as usual” --- God’s call to keep going about the business of teaching
and discipling. People need to know Him, and amidst the craziness of the
world situation, that is still our call!Kathy read this phrase from Isobel Kuhn’s book In the Arena, from the Kuhn’s struggle to continue with ministry in China during the tumultuous years leading up to World War II.
Isobel writes: “Those days the whole world was learning from England what a boost to a nation’s morale is the spirit of blitz or no blitz, we carry on business as usual! The Christian missionary surely should have equal courage and faith. This was the reason we decided to ignore the danger zone and go quietly on with our usual programme. It had a wonderfully stabilizing effect upon the whole countryside, for the Lisu [tribal people there with whom the Kuhns worked] were jittery at the presence of so many armed men and ready to desert their villages for caves and other places of refuge high in the mountains.”
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son….” John 3:16
December
12th the German Impact youth were here, sharing a Christmas message
with a simple drama. What a thrill to watch many of the Awa’s faces as
they leaned forward taking in the action and songs. One of the mothers
of several of our regular Sunday School kids, Berta, caught my
attention. Berta’s husband Simón recently took a job in a far community
and spends most of each month away from home. A few days before the
program, Berta had come with her son Klever asking for homework help,
and she shared with us how much they were struggling not having their
husband and father in the house. She asked if it was okay if she joined
her children for the coming Sunday program. She did come, and it was a
joy to watch her face as she intently listened to the message of a
Savior who came to give hope! Please pray for Berta to understand the
Gospel.
On
a sad note, this past week grandma Delfina, a faithful attendee of our
services in Rio Verde, went to be with the Lord. She was instrumental in
bringing many of her grandchildren with her each Sunday to hear God’s
word. Please pray for her husband ‘Oso’ who also has some health issues.
I’m sure adjusting to life without her will be hard for him! We praise
the Lord that we were able to be here to help during her burial, and to
have an opportunity to preach the Gospel to all those who came. Pray
also that many of those grandchildren (seen in the picture to the left)
will continue to come and learn of Jesus who takes the sting out of
death!
We thank you for your prayers! Pray that we would be steadfast in taking
each opportunity that God provides to share the message of the coming
of our Savior.
And we wish each of you a belated Merry Christmas and a blessed new
year! May each of the ordinary moments of your days be blessed with the
joy of knowing Jesus.
By God’s grace carrying on ‘business as usual’,
Kevin and Kathy
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Saturday, November 6, 2021
LIEBENZELL MISSION USA’s 80TH ANNIVERSARY!
https://www.liebenzellmission.org/80-years
Kathy and I flew back to the USA in mid-October for a “short” trip. Our hope was to quickly see our kids, attend the anniversary celebration, and have Kathy see the doctor and get some labwork done. Thank the Lord we’ve been able to do all of the above! However, our three-week trip is now rapidly extending longer as we are recovering from a bout of covid… :-/
But
we are smiling at God’s perfect timing: our Kichwa friends Angel and
Carlos were able to cover the first two weeks we were gone, and then our
co-workers the Shaubs were able to fly back. So we are able to recover
in peace. 😊 We are blessed to be with daughter Keilah & Jeremy, and
Ronin and Amaris while we recuperate here in New Hampshire!• Pray for us to have wisdom as to the timing and details of our return to Ecuador.
In His grip,
Kevin & Kathy
Some more pictures below!
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Keilah and Jeremy with Amaris and Ronin |
Thursday, September 23, 2021
A cement mixer, a banana, and a reminder to rely on God!
Just what you would do, right? Tie a banana to the gasoline tank?!? Well…let me explain how this was God’s answer to our prayer!
Perhaps I should back up just a bit….
A week or so ago, Ángel, our builder, said he would be ready Thursday to
pour the floor for the church kitchen we are constructing in Palmira.
Knowing that we’d need several guys to help mix and pour the cement, we
planned a “minga” (community workday) with the Awa at church on Sunday. I
ordered 30 sacks of cement and arranged to rent a cement mixer, to be
delivered Wednesday afternoon.
Wednesday evening Kathy and I were preparing all that we needed for the
next day. As we packed up tools, extra gloves, and food for the lunch,
we reminded ourselves that starting the day with prayer would be a great
way to get going the next morning.
Early Thursday morning, the volunteers from Rio Verde joined us as we
piled in the truck and headed to Palmira. Amidst the chaos of arriving
and unloading, many things seem to need my attention. Soon we fired up
the cement mixer, which ran for a few minutes, sputtered and quit.
Thinking we had flooded the motor, several young fellows pulled and
pulled on the starter rope, but to no avail. Then I remembered what I
had forgotten…
Okay….so time to start anew. 😊 I called the guys over and we gathered
around that obstinate cement mixer and prayed together. We prayed for
God’s help and wisdom to get the mixer going, for strength for working,
for God to hold back the rain so the cement could harden properly. After
praying, we were checking the spark plug when David noticed that the
motor wasn’t getting gasoline. Fiddling around with the valve, he got
the gas flowing again and we were off and running, and then it started
to falter again. That is when David realized that the vibration of the
motor made the gas valve close on itself. His brilliant idea was to tie a
banana over it to hold it in place! (Thank You, Lord, for the ideas You
send!) And so the banana did its job, and we could do ours!
After the banana fix, the mixer ran without stopping until we were done.
The Lord was also gracious and sent us a dry afternoon so that the
surface of the cement had time to harden.
I am thankful that the Lord is gracious to remind me to depend on Him.
Trying to pull-start a motor repeatedly without succeeding is a great
way to jar my memory!
Please praise the Lord with us for:
- Progress in the construction of the church kitchen
- For Ángel and Carlos, our builders, both Godly men and hard workers, and the many Awa who have helped out working and cooking
- For God’s patience with us when we get busy and forget to depend on Him
If you would like to see more pictures of the workday, please check out our online album here: Kitchen Floor Minga
Thank you as well for partnering with us by your prayers and support! The last few months have been challenging with our coworkers still in the USA, taking care of sick family members. Often we seem to be pulled in many directions with many needs calling out for our attention. And yep, in those chaotic moments we do need those reminders to rely on Him for strength and even to arrange our daily schedule.
You are in our prayers,
Kevin & Kathy
Tuesday, August 17, 2021
Joy in July and August Adventures
In a moment when Jesus’ disciples thought the crowds were bothering Him
too much, bringing their little ones to be blessed, Jesus said, “Let the
little children come to Me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs
the kingdom of heaven.” These words were on our minds in July as we held
two VBS programs, one in Palmira and one in Rio Verde. Each day in both
communities more children came, totaling about 70 in Palmira and almost
100 in Rio Verde. We are so thankful for Jesus’ example to follow, as
well as the strength and help God provided daily for these days!
Some highlights:
- Having fun teaching a few English words each day.
- The kids actually listening quite well to the Bible lessons!
- Working with our awesome helpers: Maria, Meredith, Aaron, Hanna, and Tanja
- God providing moments to just love on the kids
- Feeding all those hungry bellies a good lunch each day
- Giving the Samaritan’s Purse shoeboxes and seeing the joy on each face!
- And….working with the twenty-one youth returning each Sunday to complete the lessons in the Bible lesson workbooks.
For a few more pictures of July happenings, see here: VBS 2021 Palmira then Rio Verde
The weather has finally turned to dry season, which means beautiful sunny skies, great swimming in the river, and….we are finally able to order the materials for the construction of the church kitchen in Palmira! The first loads of rock and gravel have arrived, and we’ve had some fun workdays after church on Sundays getting the loads of rock moved closer to the church. (The flat tire on the truck wasn’t quite as fun…!) We’ll keep you updated on the progress!
In HIS grip,
Kevin & Kathy
