Farnsworth Forum

Sorry to be so slow in posting these pictures.  I had them marked as a draft.  Many people in Ecuador wear masks and go out and about on New Year's Eve.  We attended a party at the Liebenzell church in Ibarra.  This is Elias. And here is Jacob with Marisol's mom and dad in background. Then there were sparklers and a fiew outside. Joel with sparkler in his hand and Josué (Marisol's cousin), Edison (church friend), and Paty (Marisol's cousin). We spent New Year's Day with the parents of Catalina, an Ecuadorian woman that we met in PA.  They live in Ambato, Ecuador. We took them to the hot springs in Chachimbiro, 40 minutes from our house. Elias and Jacob enjoy a quiet moment together. After the pool we enjoyed an ice cream treat, followed by a stopover at the scenic lookout of San Miguel de Ibarra, which provides an incredible view of Ibarra. We had a nice time with our visitors.

On January 28, 2015, we celebrated Elias' and Jacob's third birthday.  Hard to believe how the time has flown! Our friend Marisol who helps us at the house five mornings a week gave them little small gifts to play with.  Morgan gave them toy pirate ships. Other gifts followed. In the afternoon we had a small celebration with Marisol's family and some friends. They especially enjoyed their toy swords! No birthday celebration is complete without a cake.  Watch as they blow out the candles! Aren't they cute? Sorry, proud father speaking!

Last month we held a special celebration of 20 years of the Centro de Capacitación Bíblica in Ibarra (Center of Biblical Training), complete with a three day conference on discipleship and church planting! Fellow Liebenzell missionary Andreas baked a special cake for the occasion. Diego, the Liebenzell Mission of Ecuador president, and Rainer, field leader, presided over the festivities. "To God be the glory!" exclaimed Diego. Missionary biographies served as door prizes for attendees such as Francisco. Praise songs such as Andrae Crouch's "To God Be the Glory" rang out. Rainer introduced the visiting team of people from Adelphos Baptist Church in Guayaquil who traveled to Ibarra to minister during the conference. Ramona, David and Steven presented an original rap for the occasion, with the message of "Shine Your Light for Jesus." The youth acted out the rap as the trio sang. I participated in a s...