ECUADOR....January 25 – February 8, 2010

Background

On my trip to Colombia in August 2009, Brother José Alvarez asked me to help him in Ecuador. Brother Raul Longoño of Puyo Ecuador had been asking for help for many years, but Brother Alvarez felt that he was not qualified to help. After my visit, Brother Alvarez felt that he would be willing to start helping Brother Raul if I went with him to Ecuador.

I agreed to attempt to go in November or December. However, it did not work out for me to go. Brother Alvarez did go for fifteen days, during which he opened the doors for me to be able to go in January of 2010.

A few weeks before departure, I felt led to ask Brother Ernest Montoya to go with me to Ecuador. He agreed to go. A week before departure in a conversation with Rev. Bernabé G. García, the conclusion was reached that it was vital that William Noah Castillo García (Billy) also accompany on the trip. Although he was not able to get his passport back until the Friday before our departure, we were able to get his ticket on time.

Brother Alvarez agreed to arrive in Ecuador at lease a few days before our arrival to make sure that he would be there to receive us.

Monday January 25, 2010

I awoke early as Billy and I had 8:30 am flights (Brother Montoya's flight out of Phoenix was at 10:30 a.m.) and went to Dad's house to try and say goodbye, but was unable to make contact. We were driven to the airport by Brother Philip García, and were blessed to be with him.

In Houston we met up with Brother Montoya who graciously bought us lunch at Ruby's Diner in Terminal E of the Houston airport. We departed on the same flight to Ecuador arriving at Ecuador at 10:15 p.m. a few minutes early.

After passing customs we waited at a coffee shop to be picked up. Brother Raul Longoño, Brother Gonzalo, Brother Ernesto of Peru picked us up. It was a VERY tight fit as the vehicle was small and we had much luggage.

We drove almost six hours to reach Puyo arriving around 5:00 a.m.

Tuesday January 26, 2010

I spent most of the day resting and making sure my body recuperated from the travel. I was able to talk with Brother Raul, and we determined that I would speak Wednesday, Billy would speak Friday, Brother Ernesto Montoya would speak Saturday evening, and on Sunday morning Brother Montoya would have a session with the couples while Billy had a session with the young people. Sunday evening we would work as a team.

We were thinking that we would be in another city on the following week depending on invitations, and that the next weekend we would be in Rio Bamba since that had already been arranged.

Wednesday January 27, 2010

I slept late resting. We had lunch and fellowship with the brothers. I spoke Wednesday night and gave my testimony, a little of my grandfather's testimony, and a little of my dad's testimony. The people were very happy to hear it. It was simplicity in its simplest form.

I would like to inject here that the audience was about 35 people who live in and around the little town of Simón Bolivar—around 45 minute drive from Puyo where Brother Raul lives and also has his business selling and repairing watches.

Thursday January 28, 2010

We had fellowship with brothers.

Friday January 29, 2010

Brother Billy did an awesome job giving his testimony, and you could tell that it impacted many that were in the audience.

While talking to Brother Raul today, he was very happy, especially with the impact that our visit was having on his family. His brother-in-law, Juan Carlos, who was not serving God had really taken a liking to us.

A usually reclusive individual, Juan Carlos was open and warm around us. Juan Carlos asked many questions about the Word of God, and about his particular circumstances. Juan Carlos also was attending service with us which was a miracle since he had stopped serving the Lord.

Saturday January 30, 2010

The brothers from Guayaquil arrived today.

Dr. Ernest Montoya shared his testimony with the people. It was very intense as he got into some of the ugly gory details of his life in Vietnam. It was very impactful. We had a prayer line after the message that was awesome.

Brother Raul took the service afterwards and talked about how everyone should be encouraged, because if God saved Brother Montoya, he proved that He was willing to save the vilest and worse of all sinners—surely He would save the rest of us.

Pastor from Rio Bamba was also here. He was very happy and emotional about the service. He was dancing in the spirit.

Four people gave their hearts to the Lord Jesus Christ and accepted Christian Baptism. They would get baptized Sunday. At the altar, rededicating their lives to God were the brother-in-law ,Juan Carlos, and sister-in-law of Brother Raul.

Sunday January 31, 2010

Church started late because the baptistery overflowed and flooded the church. Brother Montoya jumped right in and started sweeping the water out and coordinated the cleaning mission. Brother William Garcia got the song leader to start the worship service outside of the church because the people were getting restless.

I used the time to get to know the children of the church a little better. There is Nancy, who is a very beautiful eleven year old girl who's father lives in Spain and only sees her once every two years. She lives with her Grandmother because her mother has no interest in her. There is María who is twelve years old who is always with her Grandparents although she lives with her Aunt and her husband—She was orphaned at four months old when both parents died. There is David, a young boy around twelve who loves to fish, his dad is Brother Gonzalo.

When church started, Billy took the young people to a brother's house and we started service. Billy joined up back with us just as Brother Montoya was starting the couple's service. He reported a good session, Brother Raul seemed very happy with the young people's response.
Dr. Montoya spoke on how a man should treat a wife, and how a wife should treat her husband. It was very good, and very pointed.

After service we all ate at a Brother's house. I rested for service as I was going to speak that evening. I spoke on my testimony in a little bit more detail sharing the story of Aunt Jojo, the fish raised back to life as a sign that I was to marry Letty, and the struggles of married life, and how God is good to restore marriages that are falling apart.

Monday February 1, 2010

Fellowship with brothers

Tuesday February 2, 2010

Fellowship with brothers

Wednesday February 3, 2010

Brother Juan Carlos was taken to the hospital today to have operation on his knees and they had been injured several weeks ago. They had to remove bone fragments and repair the ligament damage.

William preached today and once again did a stellar job.

Thursday February 4, 2010

Accompanied the pastor to Embato Ecuador—the 4th largest city in Ecuador. On the way we stopped at various points to look at nature, the mountains and the river. We saw a rescue effort going on, and stopped to investigate. There were trying to dig up four people who were lost in a landslide cause by flood waters from the many rains. An entire hotel had been swallowed up by the mud! It looked like the hand of God had just hit the side of a cliff where the water fall was pulling a huge chunk of the mountain down!

In Embato, the brother did some banking that he needed to do. We took him to eat at El Botero, an Argentian steakhouse owned by a famous soccer player Christian Botero. The food was outstanding. When we returned at about 1:30 a.m. to Puyo we found a city completely without electricity. The power would be out until about 11:00 a.m. Friday morning.

Friday February 5, 2010

Brother Juan Carlos returned from the hospital today. We were all very happy to see him and welcome him back.

We preached as a team today. I think it was our best service so far. They had never seen a team preach before. The prayer lines was outstanding. I could only participate for about one third of it as my feet were very painful. Brother José Alvarez helped Dr. Montoya and Billy pray for the people. Very outstanding breakthroughs were achieved by some of the brothers.
After church we went to eat pizza.

Saturday February 6, 2010

We departed to Rio Bamba where we are going to have service Saturday evening and Sunday morning. It was a long trip, so we stopped in Embato around 3:45 p.m. to eat lunch. We finished around 5:00 p.m. and continued on to Río Bamba arriving around 6:00 p.m.

I took a nap as I was very sick. I have come to realize that my sickness was a result of eating pizza last night—it seems that I have developed an allergy to diary products, and the cheese from the pizza caused so much congestion that my throat was very irritated. It seemed as if I was coming down with a throat virus, but I knew in my heart that I was not sick. However the body was upset.

We dressed and got ready for service. The pastor aked that Brother Montoya take the service that evening and that we all share the service Sunday morning.

Brother Montoya did an excellent job as always, and had a prayer line afterwards. He continues to laugh in the face of death, sickness, and lameness, challenging the people to higher and newer levels of faith. People were very happy.

Sunday February 6, 2010

I woke up early as Pastor Wilfredo Valencia wanted to take me to see some of the city before service. At 7:30 a.m. we drove to a spot where we could overlook a great part of the city. It was very impressive. We returned with plenty of time to prepare for service arriving about 9:00 a.m. Service started approximately at 9:45 a.m.

We preached as a team, I opened speaking on the Revelation of Jesus Christ, William took off from where I ended, and Brother Montoya continued, progressing from Jesus receiving the revelation, to Jesus revealing himself through his church, to Jesus revealing himself through each individual in the church.

It was remarkable because we did not discuss before hand what was going to be spoken. I thought that it was the best service speaking wise that we had on the entire trip. It is unfortunate that it is also the only service that we had no recording of as I forgot to record since I was the first speaker...

After service, we ate, then around 5:00 p.m. started the long journey to Quito. Brother Raul Londoño drove us to Quito while Brother Lincoln (a young musician and song leader) and Brother Gonzalo (a wonderful brother in the Lord) took a bus with all our luggage to meet us in Quito.

We arrived around 8:00 p.m. after struggling to find our Hotel we checked in. The brothers arrived shortly after with our luggage.The brothers then continued on to Puyo and we stayed secured in the knowledge that we were in a safe place with a guaranteed shuttle that would take us to the airport for our early morning flight back to the states.

Monday February 8, 2010

Awoke at 4:30 a.m. took taxi at 5:00 a.m. arriving at airport at about 5:45 a.m. We checked in at Continental counter. We ate lunch in Houston Texas. We arrived in Phoenix Arizona at about 4:30 p.m. Francisco Perez Jr. picked me up from airport, Lilia picked up William, and Sister Lupita picked up Dr. Montoya. Francisco took me to pick up my vehicle and I went directly to the hospital where my grandson Jonathan Jadyn was born a few hours later.