Happy Mother's Day!

I wanted to wish each of you Mother's out there a very Happy Mother's Day! I pray that you had a wonderful day.

Yesterday was our "Tarde de Damas", (Ladies Afternoon). It was like a "Tea" minus the hot tea. We had about 40 ladies attend. It was a very nice time for all. Everyone seemed to really enjoy themselves.

This morning, we aren't sure how many Mother's we had present in church, but know there were over 30. We had a great service, which included a time of recognizing all the Mother's present, a special Baby Dedication, and at the end of the service we took pictures of each of the Mother's with their families. We had some visitors, which was very special. Carmen's husband attended today. She has been praying for his salvation for years, and that he would come to church with her since we started...what a blessing to see him there today. He didn't accept Christ, but we know he heard a very clear message of salvation. Wilda also got her two kids that are still living at home to attend the service today also. That was a victory as they have been trying to get them there for quiet awhile too.

I enjoyed the Day with Tony and Teddy. I missed the girls, but am thankful that each one of them loves the Lord and is serving Him in the place where he has placed them now. My Mom and Dad were in Springfield today and spent the afternoon, with Ashley, Shane, Lexi and Jonathan, so that was very special too. Mike cooked dinner for Mandie today, and I heard it was very good! :-)

I am going to post some pictures from our special event yesterday. I hope you will enjoy them!

I have a very special prayer request this week. We have a very special friend, Zac Smith, who just underwent major Cancer Surgery yesterday. Zac is the son of our very dear friends, Jim and Sharon Smith who were missionaries in Quito for many years. Please pray for Zac. Pray for his wife Mandy and their children. Pray for Jim and Sharon, and for Zac's sister Stacey. Thank you!

Have a wonderful week. I pray that it is full of joy and blessings!
Joy

"Tarde de Damas"

We had a great time yesterday at the church for our special "Mother's Day Event". Everyone had a great time. We enjoyed a couple "games", some special music, a devotion time, and a great time of fellowship. About 40 Ladies attended.

What blessings have you received this week?

People from church who went to witness the baptisms yesterday.

Luis, Neiger, Tony and Jon after the baptisms yesterday.

Dear Friends,

I enjoy Mondays. Our week-ends are usually very exciting and hectic...so when Monday rolls around, there is a calm...usually no list of urgent things to try to complete. It is a day to reflect on the blessings of the Lord we received over the week-end...and look ahead to what we need to be doing this coming week.

It is usually a day that we spend working around the house, getting to those odd jobs, that aren't usually huge or any big deal, but that need to be done.

This morning I'm rejoicing that Tony is back home safe and sound. The reports from the Men's Retreat in Santo Domingo are great! 8 men from our church went to the retreat with him. All 8 gave testimonies yesterday during church and what a blessing it was to hear them. One of the men was baptized yesterday, and along with him his son, who he led to the Lord Saturday night when he got home from the retreat! What a blessing to see the smile on Jon's face Sunday morning, and see the glow in his Dad's eyes.

We continue to work with a small church in Portoviejo. I would ask you to be in prayer for his work. There are about 10 people that faithfully attend the Sunday morning service, but there is no "restlessness" in them, to see God do something there. They all seem perfectly content to just go on as things are. Comfortable in getting together on Sunday afternoons and having their little church service. I know that God could do a great work in that place. There are many people that need to be reached with the gospel. Pray with us that, God would light a fire under this believers and give them the desire to reach their lost neighbors, family and friends. Pray with us that the Lord would bring a permanent Pastor, who would be burdened for this work and area.

Work is getting started again at the construction site this week. The next step is getting this ready and pouring the 2nd floor and columns. We are grateful that the Lord has supplied the need to get this next step moving. Please pray with us that He would provide the funds needed to get this first phase of the building completed, so that we can start meeting there soon!

This coming Saturday we will be having a "Ladies Afternoon" (basically a Ladies Tea, but who wants to drink hot tea in this kind of weather, and how can you call it a Tea, if you don't serve tea? :-) I would really appreciate your prayers as we prepare for this special event. We have asked the Ladies to invite their unsaved friends and family members. Many times Ladies that would never come to a regular church service will come out for a special event like this. So pray with us, as we prepare and make the final preparations. Pray too, that God will use it to touch hearts.

As we start this new week, I am thanking God for all the blessings we received this past week...for the great attendance in church yesterday, for the 3 men baptized, for the birth of a precious baby girl, Thursday night to Viviana and that both of them are now at home doing well. I am thankful for the Ladies the Lord has put in our ministry to work together with me, both with the Ladies Ministry and with Children's Ministry. I am thankful for a Godly husband. I am thankful for the work the Lord is doing in our daughters lives and the lives of their families, and I am thankful for the son the Lord has given us to keep us young, and to fill our house with laughter. I am thankful that the construction is starting up again on the building.

I am also looking forward with excitment and anticipation, wondering what incredible blessings will the Lord pour out on us this week? What blessings are you counting today?

Do you have hope, this morning?

"This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. Is is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord." Lametations 3:21-16

Do you have hope, this morning? Are you hoping in the Lord? There are times when I don't understand everything the Lord is doing. Times when I can't see the future...can't even see through this day, yet God has called me to trust in Him. He hasn't asked me to look ahead and figure out way I'm to go...He's only asked me to follow his lead this day...to take one step at a time, and join Him where he is working.

His mercies are new every morning! His compassions do not fail. He is my portion and my hope. I rest in him.

Thank you for your prayers and support of the ministry here in Manta. Thank you for your support for our family. Ecuador had elections yesterday. They have re-elected the President Correa. We haven't heard yet, if the new "assembly" (congress) will be controled by his party or if it will give some balance to the government. There are many things unknown at this time, but we do know that God is in control!

God bless you as you serve him this week!
Joy