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GOOD THINGS HAPPENING 3

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 A little background to this story.  I have been a fan of The Waltons from the beginning of the series.  In 2017 I attended the 45th anniversary celebration of the show in Schuyler, Virginia, the small hamlet where the series' creator Earl Hamner, Jr., was born and raised.  Perhaps I can share a bit more about that in a future post. During that weekend in March 2017 I met Reen Christie Bula (a/k/a Tammi Bula), who played John-Boy's love interest Marcia Woolery in the early seasons. Here is a shot of Reen and me, As well as a shot of all the cast member in attendance at the reunion with the exception of Michael Learned who went to bed early due to a play appearance the following day. During the weekend Reen, her husband Gordon and I shared time together, and she shared with me her testimony, how she came to the Lord through the witness of friends (she was working as an RN at the time) and how she saw the sign of Pi in the sky one day which prompted her to check out John 3:14-16

GOOD THINGS HAPPENING 2

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 Everyone likes good news.  Ned's Bible Institute class on the Occult is going well.  He and his almost 30 students meet every Thursday evening from 7:30-8:30 pm through Zoom.  Last week we had a special guest: Marcia Montenegro, founder of Christian Answers for the New Age (CANA).  Marcia was a professional astrologer for over 8 years before becoming a Christian.  She shared her testimony with the class, relating how a Christian man and his church were praying for her for a year before Marcia gave her life to Christ.  Now she works with people who struggle with some of the same questions and situations that she was involved in prior to coming to faith.  Marcia took time to answer the students questions for a good hour.  We appreciate her time and expertise.  Please pray that God would use her in her many online interactions with people seeking the truth. More GOOD NEWS to come in the coming days.  Thanks for your patience and interest in what we are doing in Ecuador.  GOD BLESS YO

GOOD THINGS HAPPENING 1

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 Ministry has been a struggle during COVID-19 for us here and for many of you in different places in the world.  Recently we have been encouraged with higher numbers in our online GO ENGLISH CLUB.  We have averaged around 25 children in the last couple weeks.  Thanks for your prayers, and please keep them coming.  We appreciate the kind help of our friends Marybeth, Michelle, Faith, and Dayana. We give God the glory for what He is doing in us and through us.  We pray that the children that we are working with can know God personally.  Their families, too!!

New Amigos

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Celebrating our new Liebenzell Mission friends who have arrived within the last year.  This includes Marcel and Faith Friess with their two daughters and Andreas and Maren Gauss with their two sons. We've enjoyed spending time with them at our house and also in meetings and on outings, such as this one to the Peguche waterfall near our house in Otavalo. WELCOME AND GOD BLESS YOUR SERVICE IN OTAVALO FOR HIS GLORY!!  

GO ENGLISH CLUB Goes Forth

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After a hiatus that began on March 13 we resumed GO ENGLISH CLUB on Friday, October 23, from 4:00-5:00 pm with 14 participants.  It is exciting to see the children again after our break.  We wanted to get into a routine with home school and also allow the children who join us get adjusted to their new school year of virtual learning.  Along with studying the story of Joseph in the Bible, we have English learning with our team members Michelle and Callie in Pennsylvania.  We are so thankful for their wonderful help.  It is a blessing to have contact with our beloved English students again, and yesterday we had three children from Paraguay connect with us.  Truly international!!!  Please pray for us as we continue this endeavor every Friday afternoon.  Thank you.  ¡¡Muchas gracias!!

Some Things Back to Normal, others Not

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 Little by little some things are resuming here in Ecuador.  Some of our mission's affiliated churches have begun to hold in-person meetings (San Pedro, Chamanal, La Concepción, Río Verde, Atuntaqui); some other locations, such as our church plant in Otavalo, continue online meetings for now.  Please join us in celebrating the gradual "return-to-normal" in some places. Other activities are taking some more time to return to in-person mode.  One is the Centro de Capacitación Bíblica (Center of Bible Training), our Bible institute which meets Thursday nights from 7:30-8:30.  I am teaching a course on Expository Preaching again and have thirteen people taking the course.  Here I am with some of my students. We are so glad that we can continue ministry despite the challenges that the covid-19 pandemic has brought.  To God be the Glory!!!

Virtual Sunday School

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 We are entering the "twilight zone" of virtual reality, this time, a virtual Sunday School.  For someone as non-tech saavy as I, this has been a virtual head rush.  I have actually had some people ask me for help in Zoom meetings.  That is rather hilarious to me and an indication of God's (and my kids') help. Last Sunday we started helping with virtual SS at our mother church, Puente de Amor, in Ibarra.  This allows us in Otavalo to offer a kids activity that, with our limited ministry workers, would not have been possible otherwise.   I was happy to inaugurate the first week's Bible story with the Parable of the Sower and the Seed from Luke 8; I should say that Monsie and I told the first Bible story, to give credit where credit is due. Jacob and Elias seemed to like the first week's activities, and that is the true test: if the kids enjoy it or not.  Otherwise, they will not return.  Here are some pictures from week one.  Please pray for us in this new ende