September 2016
Praying for Missionaries
26/09/16 20:48
Pastor Guillermo Vasconez (far left with his wife) invited us to his church in Ambato on Sunday to promote the missionary vision of the Semila Seminary. In the center of the photo stand Janeth and Hiram Rivera. Hiram is directing the seminary, but also came from El Salvador to Ecuador to start a missionary training program. Guillermo is also one of the founders of the Semila Seminary. We three couple have an important role in both Semila and in the missions program. We are still talking and planning. We need much prayer as we discuss plans, logistics, recruiting, finances, etc. Proverbs 16:3
Three in one
19/09/16 17:55
Three workshops in one week! And all very different. Wednesday in "Baños" we led a group of coordinators who work with World Vision in a workshop about the leader as a servant. I tried some new methods, such as cards and balloons to emphasize teamwork and review the main points. Friday Faby led a small group of Sunday school teachers at the Semila seminary. Incredibly she presented the gospel to them, and they received Christ! One of them shared that she had never understood that the Christian life consisted of a personal relationship with God. Sunday we were in Guayaquil to share with a group that wants to start a new church. They had asked me to share the biblical basis for worship and liturgy. I´m a bit radical, but they welcomed my ideas. We continue to share where God leads and train leaders in the church.
Working with Semila
12/09/16 09:27
They made me secretary of the International Board of the Semila Seminary in Riobamba. So I was part of the annual board meeting this past week, where we heard reports from each department, plus elected a new Executive Committee with a new Chairman and Treasurer. Semila has an interim president for this year (Hiram Rivera and his wife Janeth). The projection is to continue to grow in student number, continue working in the communities, and add a missions program.
Here we are with the new President of Semila and his wife.
Saturday was the graduation ceremony.
This is the semila team.
Progress in Capulispungo
05/09/16 15:26
We have finally reached the point where the students are becoming the teachers! Actually I should say "leaders" because in this course the idea is to discuss the material, not "teach" it, since all of the students have prepared the study. So our first volunteers taught rather than discuss, but we´ve made a good start. Now we need to work on developing a discussion.
Faby has become well accepted by the women at Capulispungo. So much so, that when we attended a wedding there this Sunday just to run the sound system, before I realized it, the women had Faby dressed in their traditional clothes and had made her part of the bridal court!
Praise the Lord! we are making progress!