Our youth group did an outreach event a few weeks ago.  It was exciting to see the enthusiasm of these young people as they shared about the love of Jesus at the mission hospital, Hospital Vozandes—Shell, where we served for many years.  One child perked right up and listened intently with her parents when the youth began to tell her a Bible story.  Several others decided to follow Jesus as they heard their testimonies.  After we finished at the hospital, all of the youth exclaimed, “Let’s go to the park now.”  We divided up in small groups and shared with young people hanging out in the park.   One young man told us, “Who is Jesus?  I used to go to church, but it made no difference in my life.”  As one of our youth shared a testimony of how God made a difference in his life when his dad abandoned him as a child, tears welled up in the eyes of this young man and he kept following us around, asking questions about God.  All in all it was a good evening and a great activity for the youth.  Normally they simply receive the Word each week. We hope to continue to reach out in the community, whether it’s talking about Jesus, praying for the sick, visiting the local jail or doing a community work project.  Our vision is to see God transform the lives of these young people that they might give of what they have received.

Loly is finishing the pastor training class that Keith attended last year.  She is in Guatemala and returns to Ecuador Sunday night, March 25 and home to Shell on Monday the 26th.   When she returns, we will have already taken many of our people through an initial training period.  In April, we plan to “launch” these new leaders to form home groups and begin to work with new believers. Our desire is to see God transform their lives, so they, in turn can minister to others.  We are excited to see what will happen as we begin this new phase of ministry.

Please pray for:

• A good beginning of a home group ministry that will bring many people to Jesus.
• New leaders to walk in faith and anointing of the Holy Spirit.
• Sensitivity to hear God’s voice and courage to obey what he says.
• Provision for our house project fund.  We’re close to 20% of our goal.

In His love,  Keith and Loly

“I used to be violent every time I got angry,” shared Carlos.  I couldn’t control myself.  After drinking with my friends until late hours of the night, I would come home, argue with my wife and often hit her.”  I would get frustrated with our baby when he cried and yell at him.” As Carlos shared his testimony after being baptized, his six-month old boy hugged his leg, then walked over to his mom. “God began to work in my life.  He changed my heart, and I’ve been doing so much better.  I want to grow in my faith and serve God.”  He testified how Jesus is making a real difference in his life, helping him control his anger and bring healing in his marriage.

Another man, Alejandro, had the opportunity to accompany me to help baptize his 13-year-old twin sons, both of whom attended our recent Encounter retreat in December.  “It hasn’t been easy in our family,” he said.  There has been a lot of resentment and my wife and I almost separated.  It has been such an encouragement to see my children seek God and make positive changes in their lives and for me, such a privilege to baptize my sons.”
 
We were encouraged and thankful that many responded to our invitation to invest in the construction of a house on our property.  This allows us to begin the preliminary work of preparing the ground for the foundation, installing a water cistern and paying the costs of the official architectural and structural plans that the city requires before building.  Please pray with us as we seek further investment partners for this project.  If you have friends or business contacts who might be interested in joining us, please help pass the word along.  We believe this is an opportunity to “plant a seed in fertile ground” for God’s Kingdom.  As Paul stated, “We are all God’s fellow workers.” (1 Cor. 3:9). Some plant, some water, but God gives the growth. You are an integral part of what God is doing in Shell.

Keith and Loly

Merry Christmas from Ecuador!  We trust this holiday season brings joy and hope to your life, knowing that in Jesus Christ, we always have a reason to celebrate.

We have been busy the first two weekends in December. The first weekend, Loly lead an Encounter retreat for woman, and Keith will lead one the second weekend for men.  It is such an encouragement to see people set free in Jesus from bondage to sin in many areas of their lives.  Many are completely transformed by God and filled with the Holy Spirit.  They are being raised as leaders to reach out and serve others.  Stay posted for testimonies coming next month.

Last month, one of our youth, we’ll call “Ana,” came to church with her head down.  Normally bright and happy, Loly asked her what was wrong.  Then she noticed Ana’s face.  There was a cut and bruise just below her left eye.  “What happened, Ana?” she asked.  At first she refused to tell, then she broke down. “When I asked my Mom to stop coming home drunk, she picked up a machete and swung at me, cutting my foot,” she said. “Then she hit me in the eye as hard as she could with her fist and cut my face.”  Ana has been living with us ever since.  We’ve made numerous attempts to speak with her mother, but she refuses to see us.  She often “disappears” when she sees us coming to avoid us.  The last time Ana tried to speak with her mother, her response was emphatic, “I don’t want to talk to you again, you’re dead to me now.  You were the one who chose to leave the house.”  Ana’s high school psychologist advised us to contact the Child Protection Agency to get legal custody of Ana, who is 16 right now.  Please pray with us as we decide how to proceed.

We invite you to Read This Letter from my sister Ruth.  This is an invitation to invest in the next building phase of our ministry.  We believe this is an opportunity to “plant a seed in fertile ground” for God’s Kingdom.  As Paul stated, “We are all God’s fellow workers.” (1 Cor. 3:9). Some plant, some water, but God gives the growth. You are an integral part of what God is doing in Shell.   May God Bless you abundantly during this Season.

Keith and Loly

“They just released me from jail for attempted first degree murder,” exclaimed “José,” an ex-Colombian Guerrilla. He showed up at our door and shared how a local city council member gave him $3000 to kill the mayor but he couldn’t bring himself to pull the trigger before he was arrested.  They shortened his jail time because he gave them the name of the man who paid him, and his public defender got $1500 of the “blood money.”  After his release, he planned to return home to Colombia because he was “at the end of his rope.”  He considered suicide after he ran out of money and had nowhere to turn.  We invited José inside to our porch and fed him breakfast.  Read More

With our vision to see people transformed, discipled and sent out to reach others, Loly attended the pastors training course Modelo de Jesús in Guatemala, the same course Keith attended last year at Casa De Dios church.  She came back with heart "on fire," a passionate desire to seek God and watch him work in the lives of the people in Ecuador.  We are so excited at what God is doing.  During the Saturday morning prayer times, where we once had three or four people, we are seeing 20-25 people with a real hunger for God.  The Sunday morning worship times are going well and the Holy Spirit is ministering to many who are hurting or sick.  We are preparing a new round of Encounter retreats the first two weekends of December, followed by an the academy of leaders.  People are so excited to serve, they keep asking, "what can we do to help."

We are so thankful to God for his provision for our Rainwater Project to fix a leak in the back wall of our church and house.  The progress has been a little slow, partly due to a cement shortage in country, but it looks like they will finish up this week.  Here are some Photos of the work-in-progress.  Our home church in Seattle raised funds for this project during its annual missions conference.  Thank you to all who gave to this effort.  We appreciate all of you.

Blessings, 
Keith and Loly