Feeding is Not Just For Today

Our friends from Arkansas did their final day of ministry on Tuesday.  At the Atacucho Baptist Church, they fed families once again, provided instant family portraits and shared Christ.

Does this kind of ministry have eternal value?  The people dressed in robes are a family that trusted Christ a year ago when the same group was here.  New Years Day, they publicly identified with Christ.  

The older son received a surgery thanks to this Arkansas group in August.  Ricardo was crushed in an accident but today he no longer wears a catheter.  A doctor from the United States operated on him and three others with similar problems and Ricardo is enjoying a normal life once again.

Ministries that feed people and clothe them or provide other tangible results are great.  Greater still is when the message gets through that our motivation is from Jesus.  That we care about people because Jesus cares about people.

Thank you for giving and going.

Christmas Ministry

Volunteers from the Eastside and Southside Baptist Churches of Fort Smith, Arkansas are ministering in Quito this week. Last night we were at Santisima Fe Baptist Church with Pastor Byron Poma.

1st Picture: The aisles of the local Walmart were really crowded when the Arkansans realized they needed more bowls and spoons. If fact, it was so busy I am not sure if we even received smiley face stickers!

2nd Picture: Chalo works hard directing traffic. The group fed over 200 people and took 55 family pictures. The pictures were put in a frame that had the name of the pastor, church and phone number.

3rd Picture: The members the Arkansas team provided the food and the members of the local church cooked it. The meal was a chicken and rice stew, bread and chocolate milk.

This kid cracked me up. He walked out of the church and was waving the balloons in the air. He was dancing and singing, "I got 2 ball-oo-oons, I got 2 ball-oo-oons...and they're mine mine mine mine mine!"

The Magnificent Seven

No. Not those Magnificent Seven! For the past two years, every time that we have had an event at the Betania Sur Church in Guamani, South Quito, there have been some people we could count on. The seven boys that my dad led to Christ two years ago, keep coming around. On October 31st, we will be launching a ministry to them that we hope will be a model for youth ministry in Quito.

Matt Baker is our Journeyman missionary who specializes in Children and Youth Ministry. Pray for Matt as he begins this ministry. I will be with him in the beginning to help with language and culture issues. Matt will be teaching the Purpose Driven Life. Pray for these youth and especially the boys, to know God's purpose and rule in their lives.

More on the Feeding Ministry

Well, we are "Back in Business" of distributing food to the children of Santa Rosa. God has been so good in providing a place and workers, not to mention the food.

Julie was in her element being "Mommy" to the little ones whose food was too hot.

Food from Phoenix...Well, Sort of!

A few weeks ago, we were praying about how to help a local church in their dreams of feeding the children in an extremely poor neighborhood. At the same time, our son was heading back to Arizona State and he and I were looking at churches online. I called a few and at one of them, the pastor called back after lunch. I explained that I was a missionary in South America and yada yada yada…

He asked, “Where are you exactly?”

I said, “Ecuador.”
He asked, “WHERE in Ecuador?”

I told him Quito and he said, “Wow! I just got back from lunch with a church member who is FROM Quito and frustrated that he does not know anyone he could have help him with feeding poor children! Do you know anyone who works in the Center part of the city?”

I wish I could have seen his face when I told him that South and Center Quito has been my ‘turf’ for the past two years!

The church member (he has asked not to be named and so we are honoring that request) from Phoenix owns a restaurant in Center Quito that is managed by his brother. He would be willing to provide 100+ lunches on Saturdays if we could coordinate the distribution. There are two pastors who have taken up the challenge and today, one of them began the feeding. He had requested 30 lunches to start and over 60 children showed up. We had enough for all of them!!!

We (the International Mission Board) provided 2 coolers for the chicken with rice and soup. It was all they needed to get going. People often ask what we do. Well, this is some of it. And really, all we are doing is being a bridge between two worlds. Thank you for giving and make it possible for us to be here.

By the way, do not worry about the little boy making the face. I think his food was just a little hot!

Food For the Body and Soul

1st 2 Fotos: Little girl enjoys the food.

3rd Foto: Pastor Hugo is from Chiclayo, Peru. He is leading several churches and Bible studies. He had come to me looking for ideas on how to help these children. A day or two later, I spoke with the pastor in Phoenix and things were under weigh.

4th Foto: Katie (12 years old) sits next to a six year old who is malnourished. Katie said the little girl’s arms are like two of her fingers.

5th Foto: Thomas’s shirt says “Major League Believer.” He is a major league good guy!