When doors stand open

How does one determine if an "open door" is meant to be walked through, or if it is the beginning of a path that leads off the main trail of destiny? Since the beginning of this year several choices of this nature beckon to us for a response. This post will briefly describe one area in which we have responded with a "yes".

A hurried email and a phone call sent us on an unexpected adventure. With only a few hours' notice, we were invited to participate in a weekend event called Encounter With God, that three Cuenca church groups offer to help unbelievers or young believers to understand key factors in the discipleship experience. In a setting away from home responsibilities and the distractions that keep us all busy, people are able to focus on their spiritual life and make some major decisions about drawing closer to God. The leaders of the event are long-time friends, and they asked us to consider joining with them in this ministry. We accepted the invitation to attend.

During ministry times participants frequently raise their hands in anticipation of God's work in their lives. Themes such as repentance, inner healing and deliverance from spiritual bondage are part of the weekend's teaching.


We attended the following Encounter with more than a dozen believers from the Gualaceo and Arenillas house churches. Clayton participated as part of the ministry team, praying for people who desired to be set free from spiritual strongholds. Thelma joined the intercessors' team that prays during the several hours' long teaching and deliverance ministry session. Many have found freedom in Christ and deliverance from spiritual oppression and strongholds in their lives at the Encounters. The young people pray fervently by name for others to find victory over sinful bondage and spiritual strongholds. The hours hurried by quickly.


Even the kitchen help participates during a major part of the evening's intercession ministry. There is a strong sense of working together on all levels of the Encounter ministry effort.

All of the intercessors team had participated in earlier Encounters, and many can understand the spiritual struggle some people have to become free from their past.


Below is a photo of the first group of participants from the Arenillas and Gualaceo house churches, along with three of the eight main leaders (to left of Thelma). All of the house church members thanked us for encouraging them to make the effort to attend.


As of this writing, twenty persons from Arenillas and Gualaceo have participated in the weekend events. Please pray that others will be ready to attend the next Encounter on Father's Day weekend. We hope that eventually all of the present believers will attend, and that many other unsaved friends and family members will do so also in the coming months.

Pray for us as we continue to consider several other open doors -- which ones does God want us to walk through? Pray that we will discern that clearly.