November 2025
Happy Birthday!
26/11/25 12:26
I quote from the conversation with my brother Norman:
Norm: "Happy Birthday! Doing anything special today?"
Me: "We had a feast yesterday! Quichua style - chicken, lamb, cuy, and cake. It was a surprise. I didn't know until yesterday morning. A family came all the way from Riobamba just to cook and celebrate."
Norm: "This is why we do what we do. The impact on lives that rare and unsolicited but heartfelt celebrations like this give evidence of. Praise God!"
Danilo's mom, Elsa, was the one responsable for the festivity.
Little Things
19/11/25 14:10
I can't find this quote, but it keeps ringing in my head: "I know you can do great things for God, but I wanted to see if you could still do little things for God." Those "little things" really do make a difference. My friend and ex-student called me again from his home way in the Andes Mountains. He needed me to suggest some Bible verses for a sermon on "hope" he had to give the next day. His Spanish is improving with me, but he'll give the talk in Quichua. Julio lives with us and is starting a small business selling flavored popcorn. I'm designing and printing the labels to staple at the top of each bag. Our Tuesday night Bible study is small, but the group is growing in maturity. Today a motorcycle hit a girl in front of our house. The neighbors are asking if my security cameras caught the scene. I planted rosas in our garden, and Faby and I put up a Christmas tree with the help of George who lives with us. Small things. But they make a difference. Lucas 16:10
Patience!
09/11/25 10:26
I was about to give up and throw it away. I had read that an avocado seed could take from 2 weeks to 2 months to "sprout." For me, I lost count of the days and weeks. Patience! God has His timing for everything! A lot of days and weeks are like that: just waiting and waiting. My mother would wait for days and weeks for just one bud and flower on her hibiscus tree. She helped me to appreciate waiting and being patient. We have folks living with us, others are neighbors and friends. I would like to see many things change and progress in their lives, but I have to be patient. God knows what He's doing. Psalm 27:13-14
International missions!
02/11/25 19:55
Segundo Puculpala called me today from New York. He recently sent me the first photo of him in Mexico. (How he crossed the border twice is a mystery for me.) In the second photo he visited us just before he migrated (illegally) to the US (about four years ago). In the bottom photo he's leading a VBS in his community "Santa Julia" deep in the Andes Mountains in Ecuador (around 2019). So we've known each other for many years. His call today gave me hope. He stills wants to do mission work in Ecuador. After graduation in the US from seminary he says he's coming back to his home here. I pray so. We talked for half an hour about his vision to evangelize Quichua communities where he's from that have no evangelical witness. We don't travel anymore, but we offered our home in Quito as a missionary training base. I'm glad his heart is still for the Lord. We hope to continue to work with him, connecting New York with Santa Julia.
