All Creatures of our God and King

Just thought we would share one of the "extras" of the Prayer Team trip with you.




Our bus-driver, Venicio, was an excellent tour guide. He knows all kinds of interesting tidbits of history and facts about Ecuador's natural wonders. As we drove from Arenillas to Cuenca on Monday afternoon, he suddenly pulled to the side of the road and hopped out. He had spotted a huge spider on the road -- a Tarantula, no less!! And he proceeded to pick it up and bring it over for our enjoyment, or horror, as the case may be.



Truly an amazing part of God's creation! We asked him how he could handle a spider that can be deadly when it stings, and he demonstrated that you cannot grab it, putting a hand over it, but have it crawl up on you. The sting is at the back end of the body and curves upward, so if there's nothing up there to sting, he can't do anything!

A fascinating side attraction to add to our list of adventures! Thank you, Venicio.

And when you pray...

The visit of a second Prayer Team to Cuenca, Ecuador began the evening of January 31 when a prayer team from Maple City Chapel, our home and sending church in Goshen, Indiana arrived. The team consisted of eight adults and the two of us. From February 1 through the 7th we dedicated hours of every day to intercede for the work of South Ecuador.

Our first twenty-four hours were spent in Arenillas with Boris and Veronica, the leaders of the local group of believers. Prayers varied in kind and place. First we visited and prayed in various homes.

Later an evening meeting extended past 10:00 as the team gathered around individuals asking for prayer. We raised concerts of prayer -- praying aloud together in whatever language felt comfortable, asking God to meet needs and speak to hearts. Specific personal messages of counsel and encouragement were given. It was a precious time.

Monday morning we gathered on a balcony that overlooks the city and prayed and sang words of Scripture and prophecy over the city. How will Arenillas look in five years when God has worked in the lives of more people and broken strongholds and set captives free, as we prayed that God would do? We will continue to pray and wait in expectation, as Psalm 5:3 suggests.


Boris and Veronica and those who could sing in Spanish sang this prayer, “Ayudame a mirar con tus ojos... Help me to see with Your eyes, help me to feel with Your heart… I ask You for peace for my city, I ask You for forgiveness for my city… “

It was hard to tear away, but Monday afternoon we drove to Cuenca and prayer ministry in the highlands of Ecuador. We were eager to share our beautiful country with the team, and to have them continue to meet the people that compose our Ecuador family.



On Thursday we made a long day of travel to various scenic sites. Here is the prayer team (minus one) on a hillside in the Andes Mountains. Rollin Ulrich is proudly showing the gyro-cache prize he and we had gone in search of. That same day, in the towns of Chordeleg and Zhondeleg we met and prayed for the young believers. First at Fernando and Rosa’s pottery shop where we saw the creativity of hands that are gifted to do detail work:



Fernando works at the potter’s wheel, but his chief delight is making miniature figures from the same clay. Rosa is also skilled. Below she holds a clay figure of an indigenous person, a new style of figurine she has begun to make.




Their shop is filled with hundreds of miniature “people” in stages of completion to be made into small scenes of typical folk holiday customs.


In Gualaceo we prayed for Jorge and Libia Gomez – may God bring a reuniting of Jorge’s family with children, father and the father’s new wife. Please pray that God would go beyond our hopes and expectations to bring the family back together in a strong bond of love.


Our time in Gualaceo concluded with a program given in true Gomez family style: FULL enthusiasm. After the team prayed over the family, before everyone left for home, we arranged them for a picture. Some family members were absent, but we gathered all that were available. This shot catches the humor of the moment as one by one all family members on the premises were collected and Clayton hurried in with the last little ones, having herded them in from distant corners.

THANK YOU, Prayer Team, for sharing these days with us, for interceding on behalf of these dear brothers and sisters. The praise times, sharing and praying together were an enormous encouragement for us. We will be watching for God to be at work in Arenillas – especially in individual lives, believing God for transformation… In Chordeleg – pushing out the kingdom and growing the church… In Gualaceo – in reconciliation on various fronts, and freedom from bondages that keep the work from growing outward. And in Zhondeleg – that the tiny, struggling group will “find their feet” and begin to walk in all that God desires for them.

Thank You, Maple City Chapel, for sending these friends to hold up our arms as we continue in the spiritual battle and the victories for this part of the world harvest. We love you!