Andean Adventure

Women Ministering to Women

2011-08-19T18:02:00.000-07:00

This weekend, on the Seminary campus, around 140 ladies have gathered together for Friday and all-day Saturday. It is part of our new Disciples in Ministry program where women are being trained to minister to women.

National Youth Congress

2011-08-19T17:59:00.000-07:00

We praise the Lord for the National NYI Congress this past weekend. 60 young people gathered to be inspired and trained on how to reach "urban tribes." These are some of the many cultures that are found around the world today among young people—youth who are often ignored and not reached with the gospel message.

Our Seminary Chapel is Remodeled!

2011-08-12T14:17:00.000-07:00

Recently a Work & Witness team from Long Beach, CA, traveled to Quito, Ecuador, to remodel our Seminary Chapel. Missionary Dwight Rich led the project. The picture speaks for itself! Thank you to everyone involved in giving our Seminary staff and students a beautiful place to worship.

NAF welcomes the Almeida Family

2011-07-30T19:34:00.000-07:00

Rev. Fernando and Liliana Almeida will be arriving in Ecuador in September to begin to working with our Nazarene Seminary. They have two children, Nicole (14) and Andrés (7). They are originally from Portugal and are Global Missionaries. Most recently they have served in a variety of capacities in the Regional Office. We are very excited to have them join our North Andean Field missionary team. Fernando is currently on a short furlough in the USA. Liliana is with the kids in Argentina.

Equipping Those with a Missionary Call

2011-03-04T09:30:00.000-08:00

"The Cross-Cultural Orientation (CCO) weekend events are designed to assess, train, and orient those who are interested in cross-cultural ministry in and through the Church of the Nazarene. This event is required for anyone interested in serving for 90 days or longer, but we encourage all who plan to serve to attend" (Taken from the careerinmission.org website).

Recently, several people that have a missionary call gathered for two days at the Nazarene Theological Seminary in Quito to attend a Cross Cultural Orientation. This event was organized and taught by missionaries Dana Howard and Fernando Almeida.

Oscar and Bibiana Cardona

2011-02-25T08:35:00.000-08:00

Hello. We are from Bogotá, Colombia, and recently celebrated 9 years of marriage. We have 2 precious children, Ana Sofia (8) and Daniel Esteban (5). We have been Christians for 14 years. During this time we have seen the faithfulness of God in our lives, but more than anything we have seen this in our marriage.

We married young because we were going to have a baby. However, after a year, we separated. We thought going our own way was the best choice. However, after another 18 months, God allowed us to run into each other, and we decided to give our relationship a second chance. We knew that our daughter was suffering because of our separation.

This time, we permitted God to not only live in our hearts but also in our marriage. That was 7 years ago! Now, we give God the glory. He is faithful. Even through the difficulties, trials and frustrations, His mercies are new for us.

Today we live in Quito, Ecuador. Together, with our children, we decided to accept the challenge to leave our country, our lives, and prepare at the South American Nazarene Theological Seminary. The goal is to give our best to God. We know that without God we could not live. We want share with others who have lost hope that there is a new start.

Luis Eduardo Chila

2011-02-10T12:05:00.000-08:00

I am a 28-year-old Ecuadorian who comes from a very poor family. My mom raised me and my 4 brothers by cooking and doing laundry as a business. At age 7, my dad abandoned us, and at age 16, I began to drink alcohol to the point where I was drinking every day. Although I always wanted to stop drinking because of the problems it caused my family, I never did.

Around this time, I met Erika who became my girlfriend. We lived for 4 months with my mom because I couldn’t find a job. However, every day my problems seemed to get bigger than the day before.

I was losing hope in ever finding a job when I had the opportunity to work in a Christian High School as a security guard. One day, a teacher invited me to a meeting at his house. At the meeting they talked about the Word of God and had refreshments, and I felt good. The teacher continued to invite me to the meetings. Sometimes I would go and other times I would not because I stayed in my neighborhood drinking alcohol. This went on until the teacher invited me to a retreat. There they talked about the Word of God and that God could change man, heal his heart, and transform his life. They asked if anyone would like to receive Christ. I told God, with a little bit of doubt, that if He really existed and if He could really change lives like the people said, then I wanted Him to change me. In that moment I received Christ in my heart. Afterwards, I found out that the teacher was also a pastor. He started to give me Bible studies and visit me at my house.

One of the changes God made in my life was with Erika. We followed God’s commandment and got married. I started faithfully attending the meetings at the pastor’s house because there it felt like home. I stop drinking. I invited my friends to the meetings too. After a while, I begin to teach at the meeting and shared everything that God had done in my life and in the life of my family. Eventually we were holding three different meetings in three different houses.

Today I am studying with my wife in the Nazarene Seminary and working with families in an urban sector of Quito. We help families restore their lives in the same way ours was restored and teach them to live the way God commands us. Our purpose today is to give other couples what was given to us. Before I close, I would like to encourage you to open your heart to Jesus Christ. He wants to change you life like He changed mine.

Testimony of Rut Ascanta

2011-02-10T11:49:00.000-08:00

Although I was born into a Christian home, as a child I would not allow myself to give my life to Christ. Instead I was demon possessed, which brought much sadness to my parents’ lives. I want to share my testimony not to give glory to my past but to demonstrate the greatness of God to win my life.

I was demon possessed from the age of 2 until 16. When I was possessed I couldn’t control my emotions, my feelings, etc. I was rebellious with my parents. At age 8 I lost all my knowledge after I fell from a tree that was about 26 feet high. When I became a teen, I became even more rebellious. When I was 12 years old I decided to kill my own brother, not for any reason, only because I didn’t want to see him anymore. I thought my sister was simple trash and that she wasn’t even my sister. I wanted to kill myself with my own hands. I thought I was strange and my parents didn’t love me.

July 8, 2007, is a day I will never forget! It marked a difference in my life, a radical change. It was that Sunday that I had a stoke and facial paralysis. I felt I could no longer go on. That same day an evangelist visited my house. He preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ. At that moment when the evangelist finished sharing the word of God, I decided with all my soul to give my life to Christ. Since that moment I have felt a profound joy and I was radically changed. Christ changed my life completely!

At 17 years old, I began to go to church and I was a Sunday school teacher. I continued to pray in God’s name, read the Bible, and meditate on it. I decided to go the Nazarene Seminary with the purpose of guiding others in the correct ways of Christ. I was able to come to the Seminary because it was God’s purpose for me. My call is to be a regional missionary. The grace of God changed my life. Now I love, I sing, I praise because He is always with me and with everyone!

A Double Blessing from the Missouri District: 10/15 through 11/13

2010-11-26T19:40:00.000-08:00

The Missouri District sent two teams to Ecuador to work on the Barb Bouldrey memorial project. Barb had a great passion for missions and dedicated many years of service as the NMI director for the MO District. She was well loved, respected and lived a full life until cancer quickly took her to be with her Lord.

Team One

Team Two

Both teams accomplished a lot as they worked with the Quichua people in the mountains outside of Riobamba in the Sierra Centro District. They worked with the Licto church people in a small village of Licto. Once the Licto church was completed with roof and electricity, they had time to go further up the mountain and help another Quichua church, called Gueseche, to get their foundation started. The teams experienced God’s beauty all around them and the blessing of working alongside the indigenous people and sharing some of their day-to-day life with them. The church people graciously offered what little they had, which included guinea pig (cuy), corn on the cob (choclo), big large beans, and homemade cheese. Another church served potatoes and onions in a bean sauce (sambo) and more cuy. They were so generous with their food.

Licto Church - finished

Gueseche Church - in progress

In addition to the construction projects, the teams evangelized the local children after school. They shared the evange-ball, evange-cube and acted out stories of the Bible along with playing games with them. Their favorite game was soccer.

Pastor Andrus praying at Kids Club

Rev. Wayne LaForce preaching and Jon Fischer translating at a service.

Wayne is also a former missionary.

The teams also visited churches around the Riobamba area, and several of team members preached. Rev. John Boudrey, husband of Barbara Bouldrey, preached at the dedication service of the Licto church. He was thrilled to report that several people prayed for salvation after the service. One night after attending church way up on another mountain, the teams had to drive down a very steep, slick mountain road. God made His presence ever so real through different team members singing and praying all the way down the mountain. One memory never to be forgotten was when two church ladies knelt down on the ground and looked up into the sky during our circle of closing prayer.

Another memory was meeting Lillia, a 9-year-old girl, and inviting her to come to Kids Club. She had a little bundle on her back—her one-month-old brother that she was taking care while her mother worked. Her mother was helping to put a roof on a building nearby. The little brother slept through all the singing and the games. Yet another memory is sharing the story of salvation to over 50 children in the “upper room” during the church service. Their faces beamed with joy as they participated in the dramas.

Lillia and some boys

Praise God for the youth that was on both teams. One teen dedicated his life to Christ during this trip. Also one of the women expressed that she had never felt God’s presence so real in her life. Her husband said that he had only heard her testify three times in her life and two of them were during the trip! We praise God for the double blessing—for the Missouri District teams that blessed the Quichuan people and for the Quichuan people that blessed the teams.

Testimony of Erika Chavez

2010-11-04T11:28:00.000-07:00

I was born into a poor family with a lot of needs. When I was only 4 years old, my dad abandoned the family and my mom was left alone to raise 5 daughters. At 15, I joined a youth gang where I was trained to perform armed robbery, drink alcohol, and kill if necessary. Being abandoned by my father began to affect me more when I saw all the needs of our family and all the work my mom had to do just to maintain our lives. I decided to steal full time, but this brought me many more problems with my mom and my sisters. During this time, I met a young man named Luis Chila who became my boyfriend. He was an alcoholic and this brought us many more problems to the point that we separated and gave up on the ‘family’ we were trying to form. He didn’t know that I had decided to kill myself. I tried to kill myself twice but without success.

How did I come to know Christ? My idea to simply vanish was lying dormant in me. I reconciled with my boyfriend, Luis, and we went back to living together but it was like living in hell. One day we were invited to an outing where they talked about the love of God and the help that God has for our lives. These words dug deep into my heart and we decided to give our lives to Christ Jesus.

One of the changes that God brought about in my life was that I left behind my life of crime. I married Luis and we started to attend faithfully a cell group and church. We started to work to further the Kingdom of God on this earth and especially in our country.

We gave our entire lives to God and we started working on a strategy to invite people to a cell group meeting. At that meeting we introduced them to Christ, then we would disciple them. I am so grateful to God for what He did in my life. I hope that this testimony is helpful to you. I also hope that if you don’t have Christ in your heart that you would receive Him. You don’t know what you are missing. If you feel lonely, He will always be there to console you. Christ waits with arms wide open. It is only a question of whether or not you will let him into your life.

The testimony of Graciela Medina

2010-10-08T09:44:00.000-07:00

My name is Graciela Medina. I am from eastern Ecuador. I am 23 years old. I came to know the Lord through Compassion International. My parents separated when I was 7, and at that time, Compassion International began to sponsor me. Since then, God has been molding my life through this program and the Church.

When I was 17 years old, I received a very strong call of the Lord and starting serving as a Sunday School teacher for the 5-year-olds. As time went on, I was a part of the worship team and then the worship leader. At the same time I served as the NYI president for one year.

I was presented with the opportunity to study at the Seminary. After one month of prayer, God confirmed that He was calling me to prepare. Now I am in my third year of study. During this time I have experienced a lot of emotional highs and lows; however, God continues to lift me up, and I continue to serve Him with excellence and dedication.

This year, along with other Seminary students, we are planting a church in Quito. The people in this community are very poor and don’t know God. This makes me very sad, but I want to share the salvation message with them. We are discipling about 50 children and about 11 adolescents. Through this process, I believe God is calling me to disciple adults. My focus is to be a teacher and, at the same time, pastor a local church. I will continue to serve as long as there is life in me.

The Testimony of Carmen Nieves

2010-09-23T11:05:00.000-07:00

My name is Carmen Nieves López. I am Ecuadorian and 29 years old. I grew up on a farm working in the fields. Although my parents were Catholic, I came to know about Christ when I was 14 years old. However, I was a rebellious teenager who wanted to dance and go out with my friends more than obey my parents. I felt like my parents tried to control me too much. To escape from home, I went to a Bible Study on Saturdays even though I didn't want to listen.

All of that changed when I turned 15. My mother had a tumor in her uterus and was very sick. We all thought she would die. I watched how women from the church would bring us the Word of God and would sing with her every Saturday. On Good Friday 1997, I gave my life to God--for real this time. I told God that I would give my life in exchange for my mother's if He would heal her. During the next year, she had surgery to remove the tumor. When she got out of the hospital, I dedicated myself to taking care of her completely, and I did for 2 years. Thanks be to God that she is healed and is with us still.

Since then I have dedicated my life to Christ completely. At age 22, I started attending the Church of the Nazarene and started working with children in Sunday School. The pastors opened the doors to the church and their home to me. I met a missionary that helped me discover my call--to be a missionary especially to children. As time passed, I felt a stronger need to prepare myself in this area, and the leaders started talking to me about the Nazarene Seminary. So now I am at the Seminary studying and preparing myself to serve the Kingdom of God.

The Riches: 25 Years of Faithful Missionary Service

2010-09-23T08:29:00.000-07:00

The following is an English translation of the article published on South America Regional website (www.samnaz.org):

The South America Region would like to recognize and congratulate Rev. Dwight and Carolyn Rich for their 25 years of faithful missionary service in Ecuador. Their dedication to missions and the church is an example of what it means to have a heart for missionary service. They are missionaries who help the Church of the Nazarene accomplish the call of Christ to go into all the world.

The Riches live in Quito, Ecuador, where Dwight is the Field Strategy Coordinator for the North Andean Field and Carolyn serves in the Seminary and the Field Office. The Riches have two adult children: Bryan (with Jen, his wife) and Stefanie.

Thank you Dwight and Carolyn for all that you have done for the Kingdom, the Church of the Nazarene and the South American Region.

NILI Ministry Week Full of Service and Blessings

2010-09-17T12:03:00.000-07:00

We are so thankful for the successful ministry week the NILI staff and students recently experienced. God used them to share His love through ministry events and community service.

One of the unique indigenous nations on the Pacific cost of Ecuador is the Tsáchila, also called the Colorado. Their distinctive appearance includes the painted faces of the people and the red-painted hair of the men. On Saturday, the group painted a church at Congóma, a Tsáchila village. While they were there, they were able to share lunch with a Colorado man and learned about his tribe and culture.

On Sunday, they participated in the church service at the church on the Nazarene campgrounds in Santo Domingo. The NILI group sang the hymn Great Is Your Faithfulness, and Lucy Olivo (Assistant to the NILI Director) preached a wonderful message to encourage the church. After her sermon, the students performed a skit about all of the sins and problems that tempt us away from God. To see a video of their skit, go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_QZrIFRdmM. During the altar call, four people accepted Christ as their Savior. God was present and moved an in a great way during the morning service.

Monday through Wednesday they worked in the Juan Elujio 1 community. They painted the church and worked on the foundation of a cistern. As a part of the Compassion International program, this church’s cistern is a huge help to the community because the neighborhood doesn’t have any water except for what is delivered in a tank truck. While working, they also fell in love with the local children, many of which would come to the church after school asking the NILIs to play with them. The NILIs held a Wednesday night service in the church. Josue, one of the NILI students, preached and the other students sang and performed their drama.

On Thursday, they painted a church in Juan Elujio 2, which was the former church of one of our Seminary students. Once again, there was no running water, but they did have a well. Although the novelty of sending down a bucket and pulling it up to get water was fun for a day, the NILIs quickly realized how difficult and tedious this would be all the time.

On Friday, they enjoyed a day of fun and relaxation at the hacienda (farm) owned by the family of Evelyn Rodriguez, NILI Director of Spanish. They loaded into the back of a large truck, ducking palm branches and enjoying the amazing views of the hacienda. They then hiked to two waterfalls and had a picnic lunch after a bit of swimming! They tasted a lot of new fruits, cacao (from which chocolate comes) passion fruit, and mandarins. It was a special day to enjoy God’s creation and the great diversity of His creation in Ecuador. On the trip back to Quito, they visit Mindo, a small town in the rain forest, and toured a butterfly garden and a chocolate factory.

The students saw God at work in their lives and those around them during this trip. The NILIs gained a new understanding of what it means to be the body of Christ and of service. We pray that God will continue to work in their lives and to develop their gifts and talents as they focus on Him.

Now Is the Time of Salvation

2010-09-10T09:58:00.000-07:00

Young, indigenous children acting out the daily chores of tradition life during a choral presentation.

Rev. Dwight & Carolyn Rich being honored for 25 years of missionary service in Ecuador.

Music, preaching and praise spilled out into the streets of northern Quito as over 1500 people gathered for a joint worship service on Sunday, Sept 5. Almost all of the 33 churches on the Sierra North District in Ecuador participated in worship service, which focused on uniting the District through worship and prayer.

Rev. Eduardo Gonzales of Guayaquil brought the message, “Now is the time of salvation.” He admonished the crowd to reach the lost all around them. Through the Holy Spirit working through our lives and through our churches, now is the time to act. Hundreds accepted his closing challenge as they made their way to the altar for a time of prayer and commitment.

The service was also a celebration in many ways. Rev. Dwight & Carolyn Rich were honored for 25 years of missionary service in Ecuador. They received a beautiful plaque of appreciation, a large flower bouquet and a standing ovation from the congregation. The Riches serve as the Field Strategy Coordinators for the North Andean Field.

The Sierra North District is comprised of several indigenous people groups, many of which performed in different choirs, bands and folk dancing during the service. One such choir included all ages, and the young children acted out the traditional chores of their daily lives. After the service, many churches provided lunch so everyone enjoyed a special time of joint fellowship.

We praise God for this special time of unification between the churches, and for His special message to His people.

MVNU & NILI Students Join Together for a Jungle Adventure

2010-06-10T11:57:00.000-07:00

Recently Mount Vernon Nazarene University (MVNU) students and our NILI students created a 30-member team destined for a jungle adventure. These university students, along with staff, joined together for a week of ministry. Early in the morning of May 28th, their journey started only to be derailed by the eruption of the Tungurahua volcano. Having to change their travel route, the trip took 14 hours of driving through the jungle, crossing moving rivers, and maneuvering rocky roads. Although it was a difficult journey, God used it to remind them that His plans are always better, and He is always in control.

Upon arriving in Palora, they put on a roof and painted the old Nazarene church. They also held several kids clubs in the area. One day they traveled further into the jungle to a Shuar village and had an amazing time in worship. The community served chicha—a homemade, fermented drink made from the yucca plant. A key ingredient is often a female’s saliva. What a great time of fellowship and fun! God provided them a glimpse of heaven with the beautiful colors of people singing in different voices yet worshiping the same God.

After our time in Palora, the team went to the town of Shell to help with the clean up of the Shell Nazarene church. They filled a dump truck with trash and old wood, and also held a kids club there. While the students will remember their hard work, they will remember the way God worked in their lives during this trip. It never gets old to hear how God impacts the lives of college students when they are serving others.

NILIs as "God's Fellow Workers"

2010-04-15T14:34:00.000-07:00

We began a 10-trip by visiting Riobamba. Here we did more tourism than ministry, where we enjoyed a huge outdoor market and a trip up Chimborazo. Quickly, though, we left tourist activities behind and God gave us many opportunities in the towns of Alausi, SiqSiq and Cuenca to minister.

While in Alausi, we invited people to the church service on Sunday, and we participated in that service by singing Open the Eyes of My Heart in English and Spanish. A group of the NILIs also performed a skit to the song Everything. The pastor of the church in Alausi is working with 5 different church plants, and he took us to one of the communities on the side of a mountain where we spent time with the church people and had an activity time with the children with songs, games, and the story of Noah. It was a great time to visit with these people. The weather cooperated and it didn’t start to rain until we were ready to leave. We had roughly 50 kids and adults participate in this event.

From Alausi, we headed to Cuenca, where we were welcomed by the church with a worship service that was unforgettable. While in Cuenca, we painted a church and we helped finish putting a new roof on the District Center. We traveled out to SiqSiq with the District Superintendent and held a Kids Club and participated in the Thursday night church service that was amazing. We packed about 50-75 people into a tiny room with people sitting on the floor, on laps and even standing outside looking in the windows. We held the Kids Club first and had roughly 25 kids participating; these kids were so excited and engaging during the program. They loved the singing and they filled that tiny church with their beautiful voices and the sweet sound of their laughter! It was a great time! The NILIs lead the church service—we even had one of our NILIs preach a message that God laid on her heart. Two people accepted Christ. It was an amazing time worshipping with our brothers and sisters in the tiny church in SiqSiq!

On Wednesday night, the NILIs led church at the District Center in Cuenca and afterwards we had the Ecuadorian version of a potluck. People from the church brought typical dishes to share—they even brought us a live chicken in the morning that some of the NILIs killed and cooked to make chicken and rice! It was very yummy! Saturday we led a Kids Club in the District Center with about 50 kids and parents. In the afternoon and evening we did evangelism with the youth of the church. We went out to a local park and shared Christ with the people there.

God worked in this trip, not only in the places that NILI went to share through kids ministry, painting, leading worship or evangelism, but God worked in the lives of each of the NILIs and the leaders. We were truly God’s instruments and He used us to do His work and to share His message. We hope that we lived out 1 Corinthians 3:5-9:

What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. . . . We are God’s fellow workers.

New Jesus Film Testimonies Posted!

2010-04-09T15:11:00.001-07:00

To read the recent testimonies that are a result of the Jesus Film ministry, click on the "Jesus Film Testimonies" link on the right side of the screen. Photos are also included.

Praise God for Good News on the North Andean Field

2010-04-03T15:01:00.000-07:00

We are so thankful for the wonderful testimonies and statistics reported at the many recent District Assemblies and Conventions held throughout the NAF in February and March. Here are some of the highlights:

In Venezuela, the Primero District and Llanos District had great assemblies. Primero had 16.5% growth and organized one new church. Llanos had 11.5% growth and reports 12 missions just on the verge of being organized. There was a wonderful spirit of unity on both districts.

Dr. Stanley Toler, General Superintendent in jurisdiction in South America for the next two years, and Dr. Christian Sarmiento shared a 3-hour leadership conference in the following cities: Bogota, Medellin and Cali, Colombia, and Guayaquil and Quito, Ecuador. These leadership conferences ran concurrent with district assemblies so they were very well attended. Dr. Stan Toler’s presentation was on “How to Recruit and Develop Leaders in the Local Church.” Dr. Christian Sarmiento’s presentation was “Leadership that Conquers (Wins).”

Photo 1: From left to right, District Superintendent Eduardo Mesa, Dr. Christian Sarmiento, Dr. Stan Toler, and Field Strategy Coordinator Dwight Rich, proceeding over the District Assembly in Guayaquil, Ecuador.

Photo 2&3: Drs. Toler and Sarmiento

Photo 4: The participants of the District Assembly in Guayaquil.

Special Recognition for Dwight & Carolyn Rich

2009-12-04T13:41:00.000-08:00

A meeting with the Ecuadorian national leadership is always held on December followed by a Christmas lunch. Each leader and his family receives homemade goodies, an agenda for the next year and lots of gifts for the entire family. Many times the leaders are given "gifts of appreciation" from the Riches. This year, however, the tables were turned. All of the District Superintendents and their wives from Ecuador pooled their money to buy a very special plaque for Dwight and Carolyn. The plaque recognizes their many years of leadership and expresses the leaders' appreciation for this couple.

Work & Witness: Building the Kingdom for Eternity

2009-11-21T13:23:00.000-08:00

We praise God for the recent work of the team from Calgary, Canada, who worked on a church in southern Quito while sharing the gospel with the children of the church. To read more, click on the "About Work & Witness" link to the right. On the second page, click on the "W&W Stories" link.

God's Plan Is Never Plan B

2009-11-06T09:45:00.000-08:00

Check out the article and photos just posted about the Joplin, MO, Work & Witness team. Click on the "About Work & Witness" link to the right. On the second page, click on the "W&W Stories" link to read more about God's surprise blessings.

Testimony of Nuvia Molina Montaño

2009-11-06T08:48:00.000-08:00

When I was pregnant with my son, I was very ill and was confined to bed. During this time, a pastor and his wife visited me and shared the Word of God. I listened to what they shared. Every week they returned to teach me. When they gave me a Bible, I began to not just read it but to study it, trying to understand as many details as possible. All of this was while I was bed-ridden. It was the first time that I read the Bible and learned about Jesus. I quickly had an insatiable thirst to know this Jesus.

When I was better, I began to go to the church. I liked it so much that I wouldn’t miss even one Sunday. In the beginning, my husband didn’t go with me and sometimes he was angry that I went. When I was 8 months pregnant, I prepared to be baptized. Two weeks before my baptism, my husband also decided to be baptized, and we were baptized together! It was the most beautiful experience. After that I was anxious to do someting useful for the Lord. My pastor suggested that I help in Sunday School. Four years later, during a Jesus Film showing, God spoke to me and asked me to teach a small group of children. Later, I added a group of adults and then we formed a church.

Later, I began traveling from Santa Domingo to Quito to study at the Seminary, leaving my husband to care for my four children. Then my daughter got sick and needed an operation, so I had to leave my studies. This hurt me because I dreamed of finishing my degree together with my husband. But, praise God, we are now living at the Seminary and are preparing ourselves to open a work in the city of Quito with the help of another pastor. Our passion is to reach those that don’t know God or are apart from Him through evangelism. We want to always serve our God with love and passion.

Thanks to the grace of God we are able to return to our studies although many times it is difficult to study, work to pay for our studies, and supply our children’s needs. However, we will not quit and we trust in the grace of God. I am grateful to God who has allowed us to continue our preparation and who blesses our family.

162nd Church Organized in Ecuador

2009-09-25T12:05:00.000-07:00

A full house excitedly gathered at the Centro de Adoración Norte (North Center of Adoration) on Sunday, 9/20, to celebrate the official organization of this church located in the Sierra Centro District in Riobamba, Ecuador. Field Strategy Coordinator Dwight Rich and District Superintendent Mario Paredes presided over the ceremony.

Because a focus on children’s ministry has been a major thrust for this church, the service included the children. A group of children gave a beautiful performance to the song “Mande la Luz” (Send the Light). The children’s director in the church also called the 120 children in attendance up to the front for exhortation and prayer. (See photos 1 & 2.)

Pastor Wilson and Paula Paredes were installed as the pastors as part of the ceremony. They received communion and they took an oath to fulfill the obligations of leading an organized church in the Church of the Nazarene. The leaders of the church were also called forward and were prayed over as part of the installation. (See photos 3 & 4.)

What a day of celebration! The church thanked all of the many people who have helped them arrive at this day: the many Work & Witness teams that have helped build the building; the NILI ministry teams that have painted walls and built furniture; and many others who have invested in their church, including their own church people. Recently one of the NILI-Professional students painted murals in the church. In photo 5, you’ll see a cross she painted which greets attendees as they enter the church. Pastor Wilson acknowledged God’s blessings upon their church and is looking forward to a bright future as they minister to their part of the world.

The Sierra Norte District Unites!

2009-09-13T18:16:00.000-07:00

God manifested His Spirit when the Sierra Norte District of Quito, Ecuador, gathered together last Sunday morning for special time of worship and prayer. Members from 31 of the 33 churches on the district attended the celebration. An estimated crowd of 1600 people united, with over 300 children from the ages of 4-10 enjoying their own activities on the soccer field. There was standing room only, with many more spilling out into the area in front of the Tabernacle.

Rev. Dwight Rich, Field Strategy Coordinator for the North Andean Field, preached on the theme: “Holiness in times of crisis.” Several different Quechuan choirs praised God in song, while several children’s groups praised Him in dance. From the first note of the first song, it was obvious that people had come together to praise and seek the Lord. And God met their needs as they overflowed the altar area at end of the service.

Because many of the attendees traveled over two hours to get to the service, people enjoyed the food booths set up outside of the Tabernacle, along with the services of the Nazarene Publishing House. We praise God for this wonderful service that brought the Sierra Norte District together.

Testimony of Presley Esteves

2009-09-10T20:14:00.000-07:00

My name is Presley Esteves. I am 23 years old, and I study at the Nazarene Theological Seminary. My family moved to a new house when I was six. Shortly afterwards, the pastor from the nearby Church of the Nazarene visited my parents and asked their permission for me to attend Sunday School. My first day at that church is a day I will remember forever. I fell in love with God. Even at that young age, I felt that I had found what I was searching for. Even though no one in my family was a believer, I was drawn to church and to God. At nine, I began attending the worship services in addition to Sunday School. My desire was to seek God’s presence and to draw close to Him, and I grew in my faith. At 13, I was baptized; I consecrated my life completely to the Lord; and I was called to preach the gospel. I wished to please Him and felt the need to share with the lost that there is a God that loves them and wants to reconcile with them through Jesus Christ.

I am very happy that God has given me the opportunity to prepare myself academically so that I can serve Him in excellence and can communicate His Word with great effectiveness, using the gifts and capabilities that He has given me for His service.

In a world that lacks the knowledge of the Word of God, where there exists deteriorating families, children in the streets, destroyed marriages, mistreated women, and where injustice, immorality and corruption exists, God has annointed me for the challenge—whatever there is to confront. I have no fear because my strength is in the power of Jesus Christ. The reason for which I fight is this—that His Kingdom may be established in every nation, tribe, city, community, church and family. My heart longs to see His Kingdom established in all of the Earth. The Lord has trusted me with this work to proclaim His Word, and I am completely sure that I was born to serve Him. I was set apart and I carry this mark with pride because the Lord is my banner. I will always fight for the cause of Christ. Isaiah 61:1-4.

Testimony of Susy Guadamud

2009-08-01T11:37:00.000-07:00

My name is Susy Guadamud and I am from Manibí, Ecuador. Five years ago I gave my life to Christ. My teenage brother, Xavier, spent 1 ½ years in prison, and we all worked day-to-day to get his freedom. My family was desperate when God told my sister, Mireya, to look for an evangelical church so she could receive God’s guidance. All of this was new to my family but the love and mercy of God was so big that He used this moment to touch my heart and bring me to Him. Then a miracle occurred. My brother was almost sentenced to 24 years in prison when he received his freedom. It was then that I felt in my heart a call to serve God. I knew that I had to leave everything at that moment, and I accepted this call in gratitude for everything God has done for my brother, my family and for the gift of my salvation.

Today I am in my 4th year of Seminary training in Quito, Ecuador. My current ministry is in counseling and I’m a group leader at the Seminary. My dream is to return to my home church and put into practice everything I’ve learned at Seminary. God has done extraordinary things in my life while I’ve been at the Seminary, and I want more people to know Him and to experience restored hearts. My call is to be a Missionary and a Restoration Counselor. I want to serve Him and love Him until the last day of my life.

Worship Without Borders!

2009-07-17T16:06:00.000-07:00

On July 23rd, delegates from Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela gathered around video monitors as they participated in the recent Global NYI Convention. It was the first time in the history of the Church of the Nazarene in which NYI delegates joined the convention without traveling to the United States as it simultaneously broadcast in 8 cities around the world, including Quito.

"Everything went really well for it to be the first time for this kind of event. The good communication connection brought harmony and we were well treated," said Carla Aleman of Venezuela.

Arena Sanchez of Peru declared, "This was an unforgettable experience that marked my life and my walk in youth ministry."

Anderson Godoy of Colombia said that the opportunity to worship our God without the limits of borders was an inexplicable blessing. To see our Filipino brothers and sisters lift their hands in adoration at 4:00 a.m. while our fellow believers in Africa, Germany and other places around the globe united in song was simply incredible.

The Church of the Nazarene continues to be committed to building and unifying the global church through technological advancements. The participants praise God for this kind of opportunity.

Photo 1: Photo of the delegates and staff.

Photo 2: Prayer time.

Photo 3: Technical staff for the event.

Team Experienced the River of Life in a Fresh Way

2009-06-13T18:40:00.000-07:00

Recently, a 27-member team formed with MNVU students, NILI students and staff, and Seminary students came together to serve in Ecuador. Throughout the week, team leader Jen Staudt shares that “it was a week of ups and downs but filled with God’s blessings for both the people we ministered to and for the team members. God is good and His promises are always true!”

On the first day, the team held a kids club at the new church plant at the district center in Riobamba, Ecuador. 116 kids came the first day, and 90 returned on the second day. The team was also involved in outdoor evangelism as well as two cell groups in the homes of church members. Missionary Stan Hall preached on Sunday morning and translated for other programs. Besides ministry events, the team also did some electrical work, built a wall, and made about 40 benches for the children’s Sunday School classes which will provide seats for more than 80 kids.

When it was time for the group to leave, the children did a little program and gave each team member a scarf to remember them by. While the team was only at the district center church a short time, they connected with the children through smiles, hugs and soccer.

The team then traveled to Vaquerias, an indigenous village in the mountains. They continued to minister to children through songs, dramas and magic tricks. For lunch, the team was served cuy (guinea pig) which is a delicacy served by the indigenous. A great memory for the college students!

From there, the team traveled to Shell, Ecuador, for a couple of days of fun. This was also the day that missionary Stan Hall was traveling back to Quito with a sick team member and was involved in an accident. (Editor’s note: Scroll down to the next article to read the incredible story of God’s grace and protection if you haven’t already read it.) While driving back to Shell after a morning’s hike in the jungle, Jen received a call from Stan asking for their prayers. The team began praying in earnest during the drive. Before they even reached Shell, they got word that Stan was released from police custody with all of his paper work and was on his way back to Quito. What a time of rejoicing for the team. All they could do was praise God for watching out for His children!

Later the team went rafting on the Pastaza River even though it was foggy and drizzling rain at the time. Everyone was loaded up on 3 rafts, heading down the river, until one of the boats flipped completely over. The river was very rough but they finally got everyone into one of the boats. It was getting colder and darker with a lot of rocks in their way. Finally they saw the headlights of the van waiting for them. They were about 45 minutes late but everyone was safe.

As they reflected on their week, the team realized that the idea of “water” had been a recurring theme for them. The leaders were constantly encouraging the team to drink a lot of water both because of the altitude of the mountains and the humidity of the jungle. Then they had the personal experience of overcoming the obstacles of the river to get to safety. One college girl reflected, “You could never hike the mountains without clean drinking water. In the same way, you could never climb the mountains in our lives without the river of life—God and His Word.” The next morning, the team woke to a huge rainbow that seemed to cover the town of Shell. It was another tangible reminder of how God never forgets about His children. We praise God for an amazing week for everyone involved and for the lessons learned along the way. Many of the team members testified that this would be one week they’ll never forget!

God Uses Single Mom for His Kingdom

2009-06-04T10:50:00.001-07:00

This week we are sharing the powerful testimony of Maria Luna, one of our seminary students, who has two children: 12-year-old Antony and 11-year-old Maria.

===========

My name is María and I was born in the suburbs of Guayaquil, Ecuador. My parents were Catholic but didn’t know Jesus. They were satisfied with their lives even though they lived together without being married. After 8 children, they separated when I was 5 years old. Life became very hard for me. My mother worked so we could eat and wasn’t ever home. My older siblings cared for us but they were not very mature. We moved a lot without having a specific place to live. I frequently asked myself why I had to suffer so much.

When I was 12 years old I went to live with my father because I thought this would give me a better life. However, he actually lived with another woman, so I lived alone in his own home. When I was 15 years old my boyfriend moved in with me. With him, I had two beautiful children. The first birth was dangerous, and I almost died trying to save the life of my son. Thanks be to God, He saved me and my baby. After one year, I was pregnant with my daughter. At this time I was living with another man who wanted me to abort the baby. After many nights of crying, my older sister took me to her doctor to get an abortion. However, the doctor couldn’t perform an abortion because I was already 4 months pregnant and the baby was very big.

When I returned home, my boyfriend verbally and physically abused me. I suffered a great deal and my daughter was born premature. Because I didn’t have medical attention during this pregnancy, my daughter had a lot of problems when she was born. She had a problem with her heart; her lungs were premature and she couldn’t breathe on her own; and she had water on the brain. I began praying to God, to the Virgin Mary, and all of the Saints. Now I know that the all-powerful God heard my prayers even though I was wrong in my beliefs.

As time passed and my boyfriend’s behavior didn’t improve, I separated from him. I tried to finish high school, and I worked part-time. I was with my children in the afternoon and studied at night. I had no help from my family. I began to go out with young men because I wanted to feel loved and to fill the void in me. I began to drink a lot of alcohol and go to parties.

At 22 years old, I heard the message of salvation from a professor of English in my high school. If we listened to his lectures we received points for our notes on the material. He introduced me to a God of truth, of love, and of reconciliation. However, I didn’t want to accept this message because I was in love with another man at this time, and I had bigger problems. I was without work and the father of my children would not help me feed my children. This situation confirmed what I had believed since I was a child: that I was born to be unhappy. I was ready to commit suicide with my children. But the night I had planned to kill myself, I cried out in a loud voice: “If God exists, if He is real, then I don’t have to do this and I will be happy one day.” After this I slept profoundly. When I woke up, all the bad feelings had left me. I began to search for God everywhere I knew to look: the Catholic church, the Jehovah Witnesses, and the Mormons. Finally I talked with a minister named Moisés and he made me understand that I needed the forgiveness of God and to change my lifestyle. In this moment I wanted to know this God. Also, I began listening to Christian radio. As I listened, I understood that I was separated from God. I accepted the Lord in my heart during a radio program by Pastor Adrian Rodgers.

Soon I met a sister in Christ and we began to chat. She lived close to my house and invited me to attend church with her. That Sunday was the first time I felt peace in my life. I continued to go to church and to take my children to Sunday School. It was a beautiful time for me. After a while I shared the gospel with my mother and my sister, Monica. My mom saw the change that God had done in my life, and she also accepted Christ and forgave my father for all the suffering he had caused. After I was baptized, I became a youth leader. Then I went to a camp to teach children how to read. Through these ministries God was giving me an opportunity to express my thankfulness for my new life.

Now, as a student at the Seminary, God is giving me the opportunity to develop as a church leader in knowledge, character and practice. I feel the call to teach and work with children and adolescents. I can use my past to help abused women who feel incapable of leaving a bad situation. Now my prayer to God is that I will follow His will and continue working for His glory.

God Does What Doctors Said Was Impossible--Twice!

2009-05-22T10:41:00.000-07:00

After trying to have a child and visiting many doctors, Roberto and Rita Quinatoa, discovered that she had a condition that prevented her from carrying a pregnancy to term. Many specialists later, any available treatments were financially beyond their reach. They began to consider adoption. This was a very emotional time for the couple, especially for Rita who felt guilty for not being able to bear children. With a lot of people praying for them, they continued to put their lives in God’s hands.

After a time, Rita became very sick and had several medical exams to determine the cause. The exams confirmed that she was pregnant but it was a very high-risk pregnancy. At 8 months, she delivered Stefano who was very small and had to be incubated. At 20 days old he caught a life-threatening infection but God brought him through. Now he is 2 ½ years old, and the family gives God all the glory for the health of their son.

After two years, a second pregnancy proved even more dangerous as Rita developed preeclampsia, which causes the baby to receive less air and food as well as causes toxemia for the mother. However, Roberto and Rita knew that God was in control, and they felt God’s care. The extra medical bills caused economic difficulties but their confidence remained in God. 25 days after baby Eliana was born, she developed bronchial pneumonia and was put in intensive care for several days. Thanks be to God that Eliana is now 5 months old and is growing very well. Roberto says, “Everything that God has brought us through has demonstrated the grand love that God has for us.”

Roberto and Rita Quinatoa are graduates of our Seminary and currently pastor a church in Quito. In addition, Roberto is also the Director of the Extension Studies program for the Seminary. We praise God for His faithfulness to this precious family.

Testimony of Ánderson Godoy

2009-04-24T05:28:00.000-07:00

My name is Ánderson Godoy Salguero and I’m 21 years old. I was born in Bogotá, Colombia. I want to share how God came into my life and changed everything.

I was born in a dysfunctional family; there are 4 children from three different women. My mother used to work 10 hours a day to get money to buy food for my sister and me. I suffered from depression as a child. During my teen years I become violent at times and my depression led me to thoughts of suicide. I fought with my mother and even threatened her physically. I moved in with my father thinking I would have a better life. However, it soon became obvious that the fighting continued; only the opponent had changed. I sought a solution through my catholic tradition but it didn’t satisfy my needs. I felt empty and alone.

Nonetheless, others had a different image of me. I was an excellent student and was on scholarship throughout high school. I finished high school with one of the best averages of my city and received scholarships to many different colleges. But I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I took the admissions exam to a very prestigious college, the National College of Colombia. Although I was only 16 years old, I entered the college with one of the highest averages and began to study Pure Chemistry.

None of my academic achievements managed to fill the emptiness in my heart. I began to attend a Church of the Nazarene in my city. While I was at college, dramatic things happened to my family. Among those, my grandmother died in my lap. This event led me to reflect on how temporary life is and how we must take advantage of it. I asked God to confirm the reason why I was on earth, because, until now, my decisions were based on my own desires; however, in that moment I needed to hear His voice. God answered my prayers on December 14, 2004. His Word was so real for me, like the air that I breathe and the blood that runs through my veins.

I quit college in spite of the high average that I had, and this decision marked the beginning of an extremely difficult stage in my life. There were moments of terrible money shortage in my home and I heard words like, “If you were studying at college we would have hope of coming out of this poverty,” and other things that defied my faith. I had to work to continue to move forward and every day I served God in my local church. In August 2005 I had the opportunity to come to the South American Nazarene Theological Seminary. I understood that when God calls you to the ministry, He also calls you to prepare in an excellent way. Since May 2006, and without any financial guarantee, I decided to act by faith and obey the calling of the Lord. He has given me provision in miraculous ways. I have learned about ministry, Bible, missions and other topics that allow me to bless the local church and also the universal church. I have one of the highest averages among the students. In December 2008 I graduated from the 3-year program at the Seminary and I’ve already completed more than half of the requirements for the next level. I’m also leading teenagers, teaching, leading a Bible study, and participating in evangelism and missions in my local church.

It’s amazing to think how things have changed. My mother and my sister are now Christians. My father is starting to go to church and has asked me for forgiveness for not believing in my calling. All my family asks me to pray for them. My relationship with my family is better than it ever has been. Now I understand what it really means to be a new creation in Christ. For the very first time in my life, I have friends and people who love me in a sincere way. I know I am not alone, and my trust is in Him.

The Lord has given me dreams and vision for my life. I want to be a global missionary for the Church of the Nazarene. To make that dream come true, I am giving my best in these years of training. I long to bless many lives and to teach them the truth about the gospel. I pray that God will use my talents and gifts to reach those who are lost. I promise that the last breath I breathe will be for His sake. The future may be blurred, but I know that if I seek first the Kingdom of God, all these things will be given to me as well.

Note: Anderson speaks English and would love to hear from anyone that would like to correspond with him. HIs email address is jahnootoko@gmail.com.

Spotlight on Matt and Kerri Burns

2009-03-26T19:48:00.000-07:00

Jefferson, Matt, Kerri and Rosita

The Burns are Mission Corps volunteers from Canada that have been working with children in Santo Domingo since the first of January. Matt and Kerri have a burden for children’s ministry—for the children themselves and to teach others how to work with children. They use their talents to entertain the children and to share the gospel through Bible stories. Matt’s prayer is that when the children walk away from the church they say, “WOW, I want to come back and I want to bring my friends with me.” Matt has taken this program to India, to Africa four times and to Ecuador twice. Matt participated in an 800-km unicycle race to raise funds for the program.

As the Burns worked in a local church, they were able to train pastors Jefferson and Rosita. They are confident that the pastors will continue the program after they leave next week. The program and props are very simple so that the locals gain the confidence that they can also lead the program without a lot of money. They’re also excited that the church has doubled in size since they arrived. In addition to working in the church, Matt and Kerri worked in a Compassionate International program at the Nazarene campground.

We are thankful for their ministry while they’ve been here these past three months. The fact that they are newlyweds demonstrates their willing spirit to serve where God leads. We pray that God will continue to bless their ministry as they seek His will for their lives.

Report to the NAFP

2009-03-06T19:17:00.000-08:00

Dear Partners in Ministry,

I want to take a moment to say thank you for partnering with us during this past year. Your concern and prayers for us have made a huge difference in the work that is being accomplished.
We want you to know that you are a very important part of something great that God is doing in the North Andean Field.

We are presently involved in our annual seventeen district assemblies. Tomorrow our General Superintendent in jurisdiction will arrive on the NAF and we will visit all three countries. He will preside 5 assemblies and several ordination services.

We decided not to hold a partnership meeting in 2009. Some of you may be at General Conventions and Assembly in June and if so we encourage you to come by the South America display and visit with us. Our entire missionary staff from Ecuador and Colombia will be present.

Typically we have held our annual meeting in the month of February and have shared with you a report on funds generated by the partnership. A report from February 2008 through January 2009 is available. To receive this report, use the "Email Us" link to the right to email us a request.

We praise the Lord that in spite of the global economic crisis, our total income generated by partners was $209,681.52. This was an increase of $22,959.81 over the previous year. This is funding for special projects and W&W teams generated by partners.

We greatly value all you do to help us fulfill the vision that God has given to us here on the NAF. Thank you to many of you who came and first hand saw what is happening and got your hands dirty here alongside of us.

May God richly bless each one of you. You are making a difference and we are grateful to you.

Blessings.

Dwight

Ecuador Organizes Its First Korean Church of the Nazarene

2009-02-28T10:01:00.000-08:00

God's love knows no borders or limits! Who would have dreamed of a Korean church thriving among a Latin population? God would! As a result, the Sierra Norte District in Quito, Ecuador, organized the first Korean Church of the Nazarene on February 15, 2009. This is also the first organized Korean Church in the South American Region.

District Superintendent Hernan Puga preached at and directed the organization service in which 30 Korean brothers and sisters joined the Church of the Nazarene. A group of Spanish-speaking Nazarene pastors and other guests helped in the festivities. The service was translated back and forth between Korean and Spanish. Following the service, everyone enjoyed a wonderful Korean feast.

Pastor Kang Joon Young is a student of Korean Nazarene University. He preaches to the congregation on Sundays over the Internet and personally comes to visit the church every couple of months. He has been granted a district minister's license from the Ecuador district. Praise God for His creativity in bringing Nazarenes together to fulfill His great commission.

Missouri Teens Minister to 150 Shuar in Ecuadorian Jungle

2009-01-25T15:48:00.000-08:00

The crowd was so thick when the van first pulled in, the team had a hard time getting out of the van! The woman in this photo is Pastor Deb Laws, former missionary to Spain, who was the Bible teacher and song leader for the group.

This is the Shuar group that welcomed the team with a traditional dance and song. The beads around their waists and ankles made percussion sounds when they moved.

The crowds were big both days!

Facepainting....

Puppets ... missionary kid Mary Hall also served as translator, led songs, read from the Bible or the puppet script, whatever was needed.

*****

For two days in the jungle of Ecuador, 150 children and their parents, many of whom walked 1-to-2 hours from their homes, descended upon Centro Yuu, an indigenous Shuar village. As the Work & Witness team vans drove into the village, joyful children running alongside immediately surrounded the vans. In fact, the team had a hard time exiting their vans because of the crowd!

On Dec. 29 & 30, a group of teens from the Eldon, Missouri, church along with their adult leaders traveled to the Shuar village for a two-day kids ministry event complete with clowns, face-painting, balloons, puppets, games, and Bible stories. Pastor Deb Laws (former missionary to Spain) and youth pastor Mike Edinger led the activities along with Mary Hall, daughter of missionaries Stan & Sherri Hall, who also served as translator.

The Nazarene church is the only evangelical church serving in this jungle area. Several villagers kicked off the event with singing and an indigenous dance to welcome the ministry team.

While the teens pray that their messages influenced these children and their families, several commented that their lives would never be the same again. Kristi Mueller shares how God expanded her faith: “We were running out of bread and Coke to share, and I prayed there would be enough, that no one would be left out. By the time we got through, everyone had gotten some, and there was some left. It reminded me of the story of Jesus and the bread and fishes. He did it again!"

The teens distributed over 175 health/toiletry kits to everyone in attendance. In addition, another 50 family kits were left with the Shuar pastor to distribute to families in the future. Another teen, Erin Vernon, conveyed the impact of this trip: "We have so much in this country, and they don't even have their needs met. And yet, they are still happy with what they have. I have realized that I am spoiled, but I am changing.”

Work & Witness Team Ministers to Several People Groups

2009-01-25T15:20:00.001-08:00

The entire 34-member team from Eldon, Missouri.

This is a picture of the key leader of the Shuar mission church and his family with their "house" in the background.

Here the team is bending rebar to make frames for the columns.

Because they were pouring the 4th floor, the concrete was mixed on ground level and then hoisted up...bucket by bucket. We were thankful for a sunny morning to complete the pour.

Job complete . . . and drying in the afternoon rain!

*****

The Missouri team that recently worked in Shell, Ecuador, came with a big mission—to seek as many ways as possible to impact the community with the love of Jesus Christ. God answered their prayers as they ministered to several people groups in and around this jungle town: the Mestizo, the Shuar and the Waoroni.

Part of the team included 9 teens and their leaders who held a two-day kids’ event in Centro Yuu, a Shuar village. They shared the gospel with over 150 children and their parents. The rest of the team constructed and poured the fourth floor of the school building for the Shell Church of the Nazarene. The school children are from the nations of Shuar, Waoroni, Ashuar, and Cofan. The team also brought and distributed clothing, toiletry kits and school supplies to the church and its community.

The team attended a Sunday service in the Shuar village. This mission church is an offspring of the Shell Church of the Nazarene and is the only evangelical presence in the area. It was a night of two cultures sharing together. Rev. Angel Lemache, pastor of the Shell church, and Rev. Jerry Frye, pastor of the Eldon, MO, church, each shared with missionary Stan Hall translating. The Shuar church sung in both Shuar and Spanish, followed by the team singing in English.

When the team asked Pastor Angel how they could further the work in Centro Yuu, he mentioned two projects: water purification and discipleship. The water source is a small dirty pool of water from which people bathe, wash their clothes and drink. Regarding discipleship, the pastor wants to see people baptized and to have their own Bibles and notebooks for teaching. The team left with a burden to help in some way in the future. Ray Pinzke said, “I complain if the water is not hot enough, and now I’m just thankful for pure water.”

Shell, Ecuador, is steeped in missionary history, as it was the headquarters for the five missionaries who were killed by the Auca tribe in the 1950s. The Aucas are now called Waoroni. Several team members met and prayed with Omari, the female leader of the Waoroni. This people group consists of 35 communities, 10 of which have a strong Christian influence and 25 that are without Christ and still live violent lives. Omari’s sister and brother-in-law were speared to death trying to reach one of these communities for Christ. Yet, Omari is committed to going back into that community and she requested prayer from the group. Although Pastor Angel hadn’t met Omari, he plans to follow up with her. Team member Kay Webery shared, "I was moved by her [Omari’s] commitment to sharing the gospel. She was willing to risk everything to share the Gospel."

Another way the team contributed was to rent a hostel serviced by the local Nazarene church. The hostel employs several local church members along with raising funds for the salary of the school’s teachers. In addition, team members donated their own personal funds to pay for a cornea transplant operation for the pastor’s wife who is going blind. Although we don’t know the full results of their generous spirits, we know the God will continue to bless the seeds sown in these different communities.

Feliz Navidad!

2008-12-24T08:54:00.001-08:00

Dear Prayer Partners,

One of our Ecuadorian leaders recently gave a sermon in which he reminded us that the first words that announced Christ’s birth was “they will call him Immanuel” which means “God with us.” He then pointed out that the last words of Christ before His ascension were: “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 1:23 and 28:20). What hope! What promise! What joy to know that He is with us always—no matter what may come our way.

We are so grateful for your prayers that have supported and encouraged us this past year. We fully acknowledge that the ministries of the North Andean Field would not be possible without the foundation of prayer. We thank you for your faithfulness to us, and we look forward to what God has in store in 2009!

Our weekly prayer mailing will be suspended until January 9th. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you and yours,

The Missionaries and staff serving on the North Andean Field

Celebrating the Church Centennial in Ecuador

2008-09-26T11:00:00.000-07:00

With great enthusiasm, the Ecuadorian church celebrated the 100^th anniversary of the Church of the Nazarene on September 12-14 in Riobamba, Ecuador. Every event intentionally demonstrated a heartfelt thankfulness for God’s blessings upon the Church. On Friday night, Field Strategy Coordinator Dwight Rich provided a clear definition of a Holiness Church and he bore witness of God’s grace to the Church over its history in Ecuador.

On Saturday morning, staff members of the South American Theological Nazarene Seminary presented workshops. Rector Freddy Guerrero shared his vision for the future of the Seminary while Dr. Jonathan Salgado, from Mexico, spoke on Nazarene Identity (or what it means to be a Nazarene). Seminary students also testified about their calls to ministry.

The highlight of the weekend came Saturday afternoon when 2000 people marched through the streets of the Riobamba, stretching out over 15 city blocks. (See picture 1.) The rally simulated the gathering of our founding fathers and demonstrated for the townspeople the joy of the Church of the Nazarene. The band from the local Nazarene school accompanied the crowd while jugglers on stilts performed in the parade. Several ministry groups marched alongside the colorful floats. (See picture 2.) The march ended at the Coliseum where an evangelistic service commenced. Several indigenous churches formed a choir of 120 Quechuan women. A youth group also performed an amazing juggling and acrobatics act, which included lit torches.

During the final celebration on Sunday morning, as the congregation finished singing the last note of “Holiness Unto the Lord,” a Mariachi band surprised everyone as they paraded through the Coliseum and led a time of worship. (See picture 3.) A special “passing of the torch” ceremony, in which the older generation lit the candles of the younger generation, pointed to the future of the Church. (See picture 4.) Rev. Freddy Guerrero gave the final challenge—we cannot be content with our accomplishments but must look ahead, building upon our glorious heritage to carry the message of Holiness to those in a sinful world until the time of our Lord’s return.

Ecuadorian church leaders planned and led the events of the entire weekend. At each service, a praise team from a different church led the worship. Two of the services were broadcast throughout Ecuador and parts of South America. The Church of the Nazarene is alive and well in Ecuador, and we give God all the glory! Amen!

Note Address Change

2008-09-19T11:25:00.000-07:00

Please note the change in address for Headquarters so that donations will arrive in a timely manner. Thank you.

Checks Payable to:
General Treasurer
Memo: NAFP # AOT-1104, Project Name,
Local Church Name for 10% credit

Mail to:
Stewardship Development
Church of the Nazarene
Global Ministry Center
17001 Prairie Star Parkway
Lenexa KS 66220

NILI LAUNCHES A NEW PROFESSIONAL TRACK FOR SPANISH STUDIES

2008-09-18T08:39:00.000-07:00

Professional and Sabbatical Program Available for Adults in Quito, Ecuador

With three successful semesters under our belt, NILI (Nazarene International Language Institute) is pleased to announce the new Professional tract. In today’s world, the need to speak Spanish is ever increasing. Studies show that one learns a language best when immersed in that culture; however, for career adults, this has traditionally been a problem. Until now.

NILI-Professional offers a personalized Spanish program with national professors, which includes cultural studies, travel and ministry opportunities. It is geared for adults who want to equip themselves with the Spanish language at whatever level. In addition, this program can be tailored to pastors seeking a Sabbatical experience. NILI-Professional can provide spiritual renewal along with a practical learning experience that will retool your ministry or advance your business.

Adult students will be a part of our Nazarene Theological Seminary community in Quito, Ecuador, which includes seminary students and staff from Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, and Peru. Besides daily opportunities to build affirming relationships with fellow Christians, this 8-week program offers Spanish classes for 15 or 20 hours a week, depending on your need. The cost of the program includes housing, most meals, classes, and some tourism and ministry events. Optional trips might include the Galápagos Islands or a Spiritual Retreat. This all takes place in the beautiful country of Ecuador which offers more diversity in landscapes and people groups than any other country its size.

The goal of NILI-Professional is to provide a setting where you can make excellent progress in Spanish apprehension while benefitting from a time of rejuvenation in a world mission area. Soon-to-be Mission Corps volunteer Dave Clayton chose NILI-Professional because “At this stage in my life, community college courses or learning from a CD just isn’t practical. I need a program that will make me as effective as possible as a volunteer. I want to be better able to relate to my Spanish-speaking co-workers and friends, whether that is in a Mission Corps assignment or in my hometown of Phoenix.”

If you’d like more information about this topic, please contact Dr. Stan Hall (Nazarene missionary serving in Quito) at stanleyrhall@gmail.com or check out the NILI web page at www.studyinecuador.blogspot.com or watch the YouTube video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxSk83FqHgI.

Ecuadorian President Visits Seminary

2008-09-16T19:24:00.000-07:00

On June 19^th the South American Nazarene Theological Seminary in Quito hosted an unprecedented visitor—the Ecuador President Rafael Correa, along with 700 indigenous people. This visit was part of a two-day conference held by the Federation of Indigenous Evangelicals of Ecuador (FEINE). In addition, two Ministers of the Ecuadorian Government and the President of the Confederation of Indigenous Entities (or groups) of Ecuador (CONAIE) attended. CONAIE is a powerful voice in Ecuador politics.

The purpose of the conference was to open a dialog between the two indigenous organizations so that CONAIE will include FEINE before making decisions that affect the indigenous community at large. President Correa also challenged these two groups to unite, acting as one voice for the indigenous community.

As a symbolic gesture of unity, President Correa and his companions were given Bibles and red ponchos made by the indigenous. In turn, the President gave special recognition to the pastors in attendance. A special choir also performed, followed by a time of prayer and praise.

The staff, students and families of the Nazarene Seminary all participated in welcoming these guests and many wore Ecuadorian shirts in honor of the President. The event also mandated a heavy presence of security agents, military personnel, politicians, and news reporters.

Due to the large number of attendees, every spare room of the Conference Center—every dormitory room and apartment, every classroom and the large tabernacle—housed the guests. Seminary staff, students and families worked hard to meet the demands of this unique situation.

Fall Semester NILI Students

2008-09-06T17:18:00.000-07:00

Six NILI students are attending our language school for the Fall Semester. This picture was taken at a recent gathering of the NILIs, their national roommates, the staff and their families. One of the students this semester is blind. He is helping all of us "see" Ecuador in a new way!

Kids Club at the Seminary

2008-09-03T09:52:00.000-07:00

Recently, a Kids Club was formed for the children of Seminary staff and students. They chose to name their club "Children of Jesus." They meet two afternoons a week

Baby Girl's Health Is Restored

2008-06-27T19:51:00.001-07:00

Since this spring, members from the Church of the Nazarene in Ecuador have been providing much needed help to flood victims. This help was made possible through a large donation from Nazarene Compassionate Ministries and through the donations of national churches. While distributing aid, one Nazarene worker encountered a baby girl, Mayerli Bazurto, who was very sick from a birth defect. Her entire intestinal tract and excretory system was not correctly formed, which caused a great deal of pain and physical problems. Mayerli was five months old and had already endured one surgery that wasn’t successful.

The worker immediately searched for Dr. Polo Osorio (pictured above), a doctor who attends the Church of the Nazarene in Santo Domingo, Ecuador. He contacted doctors who work at the Children’s Hospital in Quito and was able to arrange for a second surgery free of charge. Further, the Church of the Nazarene is helping her parents with the cost of medicines and with living expenses since they temporarily located to Quito.

Mayerli will have a third operation in the next day or two, and the doctors are hopeful that this will completely correct her birth defect. Another praise is that through this process, her grandmother and parents have accepted Jesus as their Savior. We praise God for the lives He touches in the midst of storms.

Flood Relief Efforts Lead to New Church Plants

2008-06-03T15:40:00.000-07:00

Although the flooding has finally stopped in Ecuador, many families are still displaced because either their homes were washed away or are still standing in floodwater that hasn’t receded. For this reason, the Church of the Nazarene continues to minister to many flood victims.

Initially, the help mostly relieved physical needs in the form of filtered water, food, shelter, clothing, and medicines. During these visits, however, the workers were faithful to make friends and gather contact information. Now, the Church of the Nazarene is poised to offer spiritual help as well. The church leadership has organized preaching points, which they pray will lead to new church plants. At these preaching points, the Jesus Film is being shown and home cell groups are forming for further discipleship. Please help us pray for these outreach events, leaders and converts.

New Testamonies Posted

2008-05-22T15:21:00.000-07:00

We have much to be thankful for on the North Andean Field. We've posted recent testimonies and stories from the Jesus Film ministry and the Work & Witness ministry. Click on the appropriate links to the right to access these stories and photos.

New Church Attendance Record!

2008-04-28T20:03:00.000-07:00

On April 6^th, God performed another miracle for the Cali Paso Ancho church. They held their third rally in the city bull-fighting ring. Once again they broke all the records for a single Church of the Nazarene Sunday service. Over 20,000 people crowded into the bullring before the doors were locked, leaving over 2000 on the outside. 1150 new converts were recorded.

Nick Vujicic, a man born without arms and legs, brought a powerful message. He shared his testimony full of lifelong challenges and pointed the congregation to the love and hope found in Jesus Christ. His website is www.lifewithoutlimbs.org.

Jaime Andres Restrepo, youth pastor, exclaimed, “We praise the Lord for this amazing victory. We are living in the power of the Holy Spirit for multiplication. We thank God and we ask you please keep praying for us, as we need to urgently build our coliseum for 12,000 people.”

In addition to this milestone, the praise team performed in concert and launched their first CD. May God be praised for His move upon this church and its ministries.

NAF Ordination Services

2008-04-10T11:26:00.000-07:00

General Superintendent J.K. Warrick and Regional Director Christian Sarmiento presided over the ordination services on the North Andean Field. We praise God for the following people who were ordained this year:

José Caín, Ecuador, Sierra Norte District
Freddy Zamora, Ecuador, Sierra Norte District
Lenilde Huamán, Ecuador, Costa Norte District
Daysa Carrión, Ecuador, Costa District
Elena de Camargo, Venezuela, Andino District
Eddis Ilarraza, Venezuela, Centro Occidental District

During the services Dr. Warrick preached while Dr. Sarmiento interpreted. It was a special moment when Dr. Warrick prayed personally in Spanish for each ordinand (see photo 1). An indigenous choir also sang during one of the services (see photo 2).

Nazarenes Respond to the Needs of Flood Victims

2008-04-02T15:22:00.000-07:00

Ecuador has been hit by the heaviest rains in 25 years due to the La Niña phenomenon, resulting in large-scale flooding in 13 of the country's 24 provinces. At least eight Nazarene churches and over 350 families are affected. In response, the Church of the Nazarene is working with two crisis teams on the coast and is administering $10,000 from Nazarene Compassionate Ministries funds. Nazarene churches from around the country are also donating food, water, clothing and medicine.

As the flooding continues, so does the need. We would appreciate your prayers for all persons and churches involved. In addition, if you would like to donate to this ongoing effort, please send your checks to the NAFP. You’ll find instructions at the end of the article to help you do so.

HCJB Global posted an 8-minute video on YouTube that details some of the ministries taking place in the flooded region. This video is definitely worth your time: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-01_cdpeWw

To send a donation to the North Andean Field Partnership:

Make checks payable to: General Treasurer

In memo field: NAFP #AOT-1104

Mail to:

Stewardship Development
Nazarene World Headquarters
6401 The Paseo
Kansas City, MO 64131

Otavalo Ministry Weekend

2008-03-25T21:30:00.000-07:00

The first semester for NILI (Nazarene International Language Institute) isn’t nearly over and already the students have experienced many cultural and ministerial events. In February, the students, along with some others, visited Otavalo (an indigenous community). Most visitors to Ecuador only know Otavalo as the shopping capital for arts and crafts. However, our students experienced the indigenous culture more personally as they participated in an evangelism event.

On Saturday they held an afternoon rally on the playground of the community school. In God’s timing, a community meeting ended just as the rally started. As a result, an estimated 250 – 300 people attended the rally. After the rally, the pastor invited the crowd down to the Nazarene church to hear Felix Vargas speak and to watch his movie. Incredibly, almost the entire group literally ran down to the church! There was standing room only all around the outside of the church. When the altar call was given, the majority of the adults responded. When filling out contact cards, most said that they were Catholics. A week later Pastor Luis reported that he has called on over 70 people in their homes and at least three families are now attending the church. Praise the Lord!

This semester’s students are in picture 1. The next picture is of the students leading the indigenous children in singing and games. A NILI student is also pictured with Pastor Luis and his family.

Invitation to the NAFP Meeting

2008-02-04T08:52:00.000-08:00

You are invited to attend the

North Andean Field Partnership Meeting

on February 9, 2008 from 9 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

at Nall Avenue Church of the Nazarene

6301 Nall Avenue

Prairie Village, KS 66202

913-384-3040

This is a special meeting for anyone who has been involved in any way with missions on the NAF or is interested in becoming involved in the future. We hope to see there!

Portable Chapels

2008-01-01T13:38:00.000-08:00

Recently, in one of our weekly prayer mailings, we mentioned the prayer chapels that were recently built and installed in Ecuador. The pictures above show the construction in progress. Each chapel has metal framing and exteriors, styrofoam insulation, wood interior walls and windows. They were installed in the North Sierra district and the Guayaquil district.

Graduating Class of 2007

2007-12-20T08:55:00.000-08:00

Pictured here is this year's graduating class at the South American Theological Seminary located in Quito, Ecuador.

Each graduating class selects a person who is honored during the graduation ceremony as recognition of their dedication and service to the students and the seminary. The class of 2007 chose Carolyn Rich, missionary and wife of the Field Strategy Coordinator. She is standing in the middle of the picture shown above.

Transition for the Fischer Family

2007-12-19T09:51:00.001-08:00

The Fischers (Jon, Shirley and Krista) recently moved from Venezuela to Ecuador. They have served in Venezuela as missionaries for over 15 years, so this was a big move. Jon will be working in the mission finance office and the couple are the new Work & Witness Coordinators for Ecuador. Krista is home-schooled and their older daughter, Michelle, is a freshman at MidAmerica Nazarene University.

We welcome them to Ecuador and believe that God is going to continue to use them in a special way in this new assignment.

Seminary Student and Staff Picture 2008

2007-12-17T10:37:00.000-08:00

Seminary Picnic

2007-12-17T09:50:00.000-08:00

At the end of November, the Seminary had a picnic in a nearby park to celebrate the end of the school year. It was a beautiful day filled with fun, games, food and fellowship. In the pictures above the students and staff divided into two teams for a game of soccer.

One Man’s Eight-Year Prayer to Enter Colombia Is Answered

2007-11-27T13:10:00.000-08:00

In 1999, in preparation for a mission trip to Colombia, team members from Virginia were given an envelope with un-cut emeralds as a reminder to pray for the trip and the country. The emeralds represent Colombia because it is the largest exporter in the world of the gem. The mission trip was cancelled when the country closed to mission groups. For the past eight years, several team members have faithfully prayed for the Church of the Nazarene in Colombia and have sponsored several projects on the North Andean Field. Imagine the joy felt when four of these original team members recently traveled to Colombia on the second Work & Witness team to enter Colombia since the 80s. With tears and a rejoicing heart, Dennis Patrick shared this answer to his eight-year prayer during a service at the church in Cali.

Team members hailed from Virginia, West Virginia and Tennessee. Greg and Dianne Hall, Mission Corps volunteers serving in Ecuador at the time, also joined the team. They continued the work on the Southwest Colombia District Center located in Cali, Colombia. They poured new footers and columns and completed the block for the first level.

Although they were pleased to have finished their planned jobs, they were more excited about making new Colombian friends, participating in 5:00 a.m. prayer meetings, and experiencing the great work of God in Colombia. As team leader David Argabright said, “God’s timing allowed us to serve during the current move of God.”

First Work & Witness Team to Enter Colombia since 1980s

2007-11-27T12:50:00.000-08:00

On September 29th, God opened the doors for the first Work & Witness team to enter Colombia since the 1980s. Led by Field Strategy Coordinators Dwight & Carolyn Rich, the majority of the team came from Texarkana, Arkansas, with one person from Kansas and one from Kentucky.

God blessed and protected the team as they laid all the perimeter blocks for the first story of the Southwest Colombia District Center located in Cali, Colombia. Although there were many issues in re-opening this country to teams, God allowed the team to successfully begin the work. The national church is incredibly excited and grateful for this team’s contribution to their field.

Praise from Venezuela

2007-11-05T11:20:00.000-08:00

Thank you for praying for Venezuela in these days of transition. The above picture includes some of the camp board members. Specifically, pray for Rodolfo Camargo (president), Julio Rivera (the new camp administrator along with his wife Loibedis and twin sons Alber and Jose), Augstin Jaime, Isaias Mendoza, Aida Almeda (secretary) and Lenin Barrios (treasurer).

We would also like to thank you all for your prayers for our National Board. This time is full of changes and challenges. We see God working all around us and are grateful for His guidance and direction.

Our Seminary on the North Andean Field

2007-09-28T10:05:00.001-07:00

We appreciate your prayers and support of our Seminary on the North Andean Field where students from Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela and Peru attend.

Welcome Felix Vargas and Family

2007-09-18T12:44:00.000-07:00

We are excited to welcome Felix Vargas to our mission staff. Felix has been named the Evangelism Director for Ecuador and will be working with pastors and laymen throughout the country. Felix and Lilliana have three children: Jean David (7), Daniel (2) and Laura (2). Please pray for Felix as he begins this new job and pray that many souls will be won through all of our evangelism efforts.

The World Missions Communications department recently produced a film about Felix and his incredible testimony. A copy was distributed to each church.

A Goodbye from the McKellips

2007-08-31T09:13:00.000-07:00

It is with great sadness that we leave our Ecuadorian brothers and sisters as well as our missionary family. God has been so good to us. What a privilege and a joy it has been to serve the Lord in this beautiful country for the past 13 years.

The last couple of months have been a whirlwind of goodbyes on the various districts and in many churches. The people have beautifully expressed their love and appreciation for us. While it has been heart-wrenching, it has also been wonderful to see some of the fruits of our labors and see how God has blessed the church in Ecuador. We truly appreciate your prayers and support over the years.

Please continue to uplift us in prayer. We will be traveling on “home assignment” for the next several months and then settle in Arizona in December. In January, Bruce will begin his position as associate pastor with his dad at the Sun City Church of the Nazarene. You can contact us by e-mail at bruceandcindamck@gmail.com.

Blessings,
Bruce and Cinda McKellips

Ecuadorian Youth Descend upon Quito for Alerta Juvenil 2007

2007-08-29T08:47:00.000-07:00

On August 17th, 273 young people and staff gathered at the Nazarene Theological Seminary in Quito, Ecuador, with one purpose: to explore and strengthen God’s call upon their lives. “Alerta Juvenil (Youth Alert) is not a typical youth camp or weekend. We put the students in situations of ministry and leadership so that they are givers and not just receivers,” explained Rev. Jean David Larochelle, event coordinator.

Besides incredible worship services, the participants attended workshops on evangelism, communication, worship, compassion, and creativity in ministry. On Saturday afternoon the youth put their learning into action by participating in street evangelism (which resulted in 288 conversions), a workshop in worship, a workshop in communication, or painted and cleaned up a local church. During the Saturday evening service many testified that the practical ministry events greatly impacted their lives and they recognized that they were able serve in the church beyond what they were currently doing. One young man later testified in his home church that this Alerta Juvenil, especially the street evangelism, drastically changed his outlook and it opened his eyes to God’s calling of the church to share the gospel. The weekend ended with a special communion and dedication service on Sunday morning.

Alerta Juvenil began in 2005 and continues to grow each year. As a result of working closely with the Seminary students, staff and missionaries during this weekend, numerous youth expressed interest in ministerial training either at our Seminary or through extension classes. In fact, from August 29 through September 2, several Seminary staff members are traveling throughout Ecuador to meet with prospective students, their parents and pastors. Please pray for our future ministers on the North Andean Field.

NAF Partnership Meeting Postponed

2007-08-24T12:53:00.000-07:00

Dear North Andean Field Partners and Friends,
Thank you to those who responded to our request for an RSVP to the NAF Partnership meeting. We’ve since learned that there are several Missions-related conferences and meetings scheduled the same weekend; therefore, we have decided to postpone the Partnership meeting. We believe the meeting will be held in February 2008 and will try to get the specific details to you in the next few weeks. We are sorry for any inconvenience this postponement may cause you.
We very much appreciate your interest and love for missions in our part of the world. We know God is moving in the North Andean Field, in part, because of your frequent prayer and support.
Blessings,
Dwight Rich

Special Notice to North Andean Field Partners:

2007-08-02T18:35:00.001-07:00

The next NAF Partnership meeting will be on September 15, 2007, at the Nall Avenue Church of the Nazarene in Kansas City. We will begin at 9 am and conclude by 1 pm. This will not be a business meeting or a fund raiser; rather, it will be a celebration of what God has done during the past 5 years and of what we are anticipating in the future. We expect several missionaries to attend, and we are attempting to bring Felix Vargas as well. Our goal is to have over 300 people present for this very special time.

Praise God for Our Teams!

2007-08-01T13:55:00.000-07:00

This year in Ecuador we have been privileged to host many Work & Witness teams which have included two Jesus Film teams and one medical team. To read their stories and see pictures, click on the "About Work & Witness" link to the right and then click on the "W&W in Ecuador" link. A huge thank you to everyone who has participated in a team this year. We praise God for your desire to minister alongside of us.

10,000 Attend Inauguration Sunday in Cali, Colombia

2007-07-21T15:44:00.001-07:00

An estimated 10,000 people attended four services on July 8th held at Paso Ancho Church of the Nazarene in Cali, Colombia to inaugurate the newly completed 800-seat addition. Most services held a full house with people standing in the aisles and the back of the building. (See photo 1 above.) When eight buses arrived and there was no more room in the church, the leadership decided to hold an extra service in the afternoon.
Pastor Adalberto Herrera, Regional Director Christian Sarmiento, Field Strategy Coordinator Dwight Rich and Missionary Luis Meza each preached at one of the services in which 405 people accepted Jesus as their Savior. (See photos 2 and 3 above.)
The fantastic day of praise concluded with the premier showing of the new movie “From the Dark” which tells the story of Félix Vargas’ radical conversion. Félix himself saw it for the first time and concluded the film with some brief words and an invitation to the altar. 125 responded—many of them with tears running down their face. Praise the Lord!
The church praises God that they were able to pay in cash for the expansion and they were able to complete the work in 101 days, at times working 24 hours a day in different shifts. Although it is a good problem to have when a church’s new expansion is already full to capacity on the first Sunday, Pastor Herrera and his leadership know it is time to begin saving the initial $2,000,000 required to start building a 12,000 seat sanctuary.
The North Andean Field is praising God for the many lives that continue to be changed through the ministry of the Paso Ancho church.

New Jesus Film Testimonies Posted

2007-06-24T19:02:00.000-07:00

Check out our Jesus Film Testimonies link (to the right) to read about how God is using this ministry to save and heal people and relationships. Praise God for the battles being won through the message of Christ's love and redemption.

Tremendous Results from LoveWorks Team

2007-06-18T13:26:00.000-07:00

Kim Haddon, Mission Corp Volunteer serving in Venezuela, sent in the following report:

This past May, Oscar and I had the privilege of hosting the LoveWorks team from Point Loma University: Brittany Shook, Carrie Stewart, Evelyn Sandoval, Hailey Hardship, Lessee Gillespie, Jessica Stigler, Lyndsay Toner, Marion Fredericks, Monica Telfer, Jenny Berry, Blake Nelson, and Nikki Fountas, along with their leaders, Frank Serna and Rebecca Tate. We worked hard and played hard. We ministered and were ministered to. We spent a lot of time in close quarters learning how to share and we each grew in our relationships with the Lord.

The LoveWorks program is well named because it is truly a work of love to come into a situation where you do not know what will happen on a day-by-day basis, where you may not understand the language, where you are asked to sleep two feet off the ground hanging from a hammock, and where you have to figure out how to share one bathroom with 22 of your closest ‘new’ friends. This team did it all with smiles on their faces and joy in their hearts! They were very flexible as we worked in many different areas of Punta de Mata and Barcelona.

Several public schools gave us permission to share the gospel of Jesus Christ. The team joined with the youth from the Punta de Mata church to share with dramas, puppets, songs, games and the EvangeCube. The picture above is Yuris sharing the salvation message using the EvangeCube at an elementary school. The teachers were so happy with the visit they asked for the people of the church to come back whenever they can.

In Barcelona, part of the team went to the local elementary school while the rest of us painted the inside of the local church. The following day we finished a mud church that the Mt. Vernon Nazarene University team started last year. It was quite a process. First, we dug dirt from the bank behind the church, brought it inside the church and added water. Second, several people took their shoes off and walked through the mud until it was smooth. Third, we through the mud on the rocks that were already in place. Finally, someone smoothed out the mud for the finished product. It was a lot of fun, and thankfully, a river was close by to wash all the mud off at the end of the day.

The highlight for me was visiting an orphanage just down the street from the church. We only spent a few hours there, but a piece of my heart will always be there. I met Ani. Her two sisters and a brother had arrived just three days earlier. I had to ask several people and finally found Ani’s big sister and she told me her name. She was so new that none of the workers could remember her name. That alone was difficult, but leaving was even harder. I am grateful for the opportunity to have visited there. My hope is to return myself or to place a volunteer there to help out for a few months. The organization called FUNIPAVE is very open to having someone work with them on a long-term basis. (Note: If anyone would like more information about this, please contact Kim at kkhaddon@gmail.com.)

The Lord blessed our time with the LoveWorks team. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to work and share with them.

Message from the Baker Family

2007-06-09T12:00:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends and Family,

We want to inform everyone of an opportunity that has been presented to our family. Tim has been offered the executive pastoral position at our home church in Fergus Falls, MN and after much prayer and consideration we have accepted the position. We feel that it is through the grace of God, His teaching, and the experiences that we have had while out on the field that allowed for this opportunity and we feel that God is leading us there. We have received great confirmation and peace with this decision.

We want everyone to know that we are extremely grateful for the support we’ve received and for your generosity and care as we’ve been out on the mission field. We leave with somewhat heavy hearts as we have come to love South America. We thank God for the opportunity we’ve had to serve here in Ecuador. Our mission call has not changed but we realize that this position is part of what God is calling us to do and we are eager to obey Him in this next step. Whether we are in South America or in Minnesota our desire is to share Jesus with everyone that He places on our path and we are thrilled that our path is leading us back to Fergus Falls, MN.

We would greatly appreciate your prayers as we have a lot of planning and transition that will need to take place in the next couple of months for our July departure.

We want to give God the glory for this opportunity that He is giving to our family to serve Him and the Church of the Nazarene.

Love in Christ,
Tim, Jennifer, Luke and Hannah

Message from Ginger Wood

2007-06-04T12:34:00.000-07:00

The following note is from Ginger Wood, Mission Corp Volunteer, who is finishing her assignment here in Quito:

“I have been truly blessed to have spent a year in Ecuador as a volunteer. Missions has been a strong desire of mine for at least 11 years. Thank you to everyone who prayed for me from the beginning in making the transition to come here. While here, God showed me He wanted me to relocate to Kansas City. I will basically be starting my life completely over: friends, house, job, car, pet, etc. However, my brother, his wife and their baby live there, so that is a definite plus. I am very excited for this new phase in my life even though I do not have a job. I am just living on faith that God will provide since I feel that I am doing His will. Again, thank you for your prayers and support. Your partner in Ecuador and in Christ, Ginger Wood”

Please pray for Ginger Wood as she transitions back to the States. Pray for God’s will as she sells her home, relocates to the Kansas City area, and searches for a teaching position.

NILI: Nazarene International Language Institute

2007-05-07T10:53:00.000-07:00

Help us get the word out!

The North Andean Field is seeking students for our pilot semester with NILI (Nazarene International Language Institute). This is a 15-week, study-abroad, total immersion language program headquartered at our seminary campus in Quito, Ecuador. During these weeks you will study Spanish as well as visit many areas in Ecuador, including the Galapagos Islands and the Amazon Jungle. You’ll also partner with local Nazarene churches in ministry opportunities.

Our program can be taken for credit (through Olivet Nazarene University) or without credit. We are offering a $1,000 discount to students enrolled in our first semester. Prior Spanish study or experience is not necessary.

If you are interested or know someone who might be interested, please contact us at NILIecuador@gmail.com or call Stan Hall’s US-based number at 314-480-6282. You can also read more details about our program at www.studyinecuador.blogspot.com.

Even if this program isn’t for you, would you help us pass the word about this exciting new ministry of the North Andean Field? Every US student we can enroll at NILI will directly enable more national students from Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador to enroll in our Theological Seminary!

Medical Team a Tremendous Blessing to Otavalo-Area Churches

2007-04-07T19:10:00.000-07:00

We give God the glory for the successful medical clinics recently held north of Quito, Ecuador. The medical team treated more than 1,200 patients in 5 different locations during the week of March 24-31. In addition, 240 school children near our Otavalo Central Church received vitamins and parasite treatment. The doctors addressed the spiritual and physical needs of several patients, and the Gospel was presented to many during the week.

Dr. Chuck Fuselier brought his wife, Dena, this year to help with triage.

Bruce McKellips translated for Samuel Joseph, P.A., who brought his new bride, Reni, who is a nurse. Cinda McKellips, Carolyn Rich, and Maria Ester de Figeroa (the wife of one of our national doctors) distributed the medicines to patients.

Sonya Nixon and Ruth Rowden, R.N., returned for the third time to fill the prescriptions in our pharmacy. Bob and Ann Knight were new to us this year, as was Bron Hambley from Australia. Both ladies are R.N.s. Rev. Dave Becker presented excellent devotions each evening to the team. Bob and Dave helped with the traffic flow of patients moving through the clinic.

Three national doctors, a father and two sons, were great additions to our team. Approximately $30,000 of medicines and supplies were gathered by Dr. Chuck and were brought in by the team members.

The NAF Communications team filmed the activities at one of the indigenous clinics and interviewed several participants. This footage will be made into a promotional video for the field, and will be available for use by the NazMed.Org as well.

In Ibarra, after two months of planning, we relocated the clinic due to opposition from the traditional church. Rather than serving as an obstacle, however, many people from the former neighborhood attended the clinic. We praise God that the doors have been thrown wide open for the Church of the Nazarene to enter that town once again. One mother of six asked if we had plans to build in the area, because they definitely wanted to be part of the church!

Medical Team Returns to Ecuador

2007-03-23T13:26:00.001-07:00

All next week a medical team from the Nazarene Medical Organization, a branch of Compassionate Ministries, will be working in local churches in the Otavalo, Ecuador, area. Teams led by Dr. Chuck Fusilier have worked in Ecuador twice before and have donated more than $60,000 in medicine and medical supplies. In 2005, they concentrated on mountain communities in the Riobamba area, four hours south of Quito. Last year they held clinics in several of our churches in Santo Domingo, three hours toward the coast, and a one-day clinic in the Planadas community near Quito (shown in the picture above).

During this trip, the team will travel two hours north of Quito and will hold medical clinics in conjunction with our 5 churches in the area. 4 of the 5 churches are Quechuan churches, and hygiene education is a vital part of the clinics, in addition to treatment. Parasites and amebas are widespread problems, so basic sanitary practices such as the importance of boiling water before drinking, to wash hands before preparing food or eating, etc., will be taught through verbal instructions and pictograms. The team will also hold a clinic in the town of Ibarra to boost the Nazarene identity for the people in a new church plant.

The medical team sets up a triage center at each one-day clinic. Dr. Fusilier, who speaks Spanish, serves as the initial medical consultant. Once he determines the patient’s major complaint, he sends him/her to the doctor or nurse that is best suited to treat the patient. Carolyn Rich and Bruce McKellips translate for the doctors and nurses that don’t speak Spanish. Other team members along with Cinda McKellips serve to dispense medicine and provide education. Sharing the Gospel is a vital part of the clinics, as well, as local pastors visit with patients who are waiting to be attended. We are pleased that 3 of our national doctors will once again be working alongside the team in the clinics. One doctor’s wife will join the team as well. This couple has said that working with the teams in these clinics is the highlight of their year!

Next week we’ll post pictures and stories from the week’s clinics. If you’d like more information about the Nazarene Medical Organization, go to http://www.nazmed.org/.

Iberoamerica Conferences on North Andean Field

2007-03-23T13:20:00.000-07:00

We praise God for His presence and direction in each of the Iberoamerica Conferences held on the North Andean Field. General Superintendent Dr. James Diehl, Regional Director Dr. Christian Sarmiento and Field Strategy Coordinator Dwight Rich traveled to and spoke at all of these events. The focus of each conference was on evangelism and holiness, and each culminated with an Ordination Service. People of all ages received God’s special touch during the altar times and also received practical training during the ministry workshops. The statistics for each conference are as follows:

Colombia Iberoamerica (3/2-3):

277 registered participants

over 500 in the evening services

2 ordinations

Ecuador Iberoamerica (3/9-11):

around 80 registered participants

300-400 in the evening services

5 ordinations (two of them indigenous)

Venezuela Iberoamerica (3/12-14):

around 80 pastors and spouses at the Jiraquito Campground

No ordinations

Women's Retreat in Ecuador

2007-03-22T20:18:00.000-07:00

We praise God for the 96 women who attended the Women’s Retreat last weekend in Santa Domingo, Ecuador. The “Spiritual Renovation” theme provided opportunities for spiritual and emotional refreshment so that each woman could return to her community and impact her local church for Jesus Christ. Many of the attendees expressed that the retreat was a real blessing in their lives.

Iberoamerica 2007 in Colombia

2007-03-11T18:59:00.000-07:00

Last weekend the Iberoamerica 2007 (Congress of Evangelism and Holiness) was held in Colombia. As the name suggests, the focus is evangelism and holiness crusades culminating with an ordination service. There were 277 registered attendees and over 500 who attended the special services. Two people were also ordained.

To the Jungle We Go . . .

2007-03-02T06:40:00.000-08:00

This past weekend, Dwight Rich and Stan Hall visited a part of Ecuador that has our most remote churches. The two main towns are Macas and Sucúa. Dwight and Stan both presented workshops (in a grass hut setting) in addition to Dwight presiding over the District Assembly. Stan also spoke at a youth service on Saturday night.

Another highlight was to attend one of our Shuar churches. The Shuar people are known to be the fiercest warriors in Ecuador. This was the first time a missionary has attended this church as it took an hour-long drive and a 40-minute walk to reach the church. The given address for one of our Shuar churches was "east of the soccer field." In these villages, that is enough!

The first two pictures shown above are of a church service and a workshop. The third picture shows the pastor of the Shuar church with his family in their church building. In the fourth picture, children hold up their "million dollar tract" that Stan passed out during a meeting.

The missionaries had a long 9-hour bus drive back to Quito, but were thankful for God’s presence that was evident throughout the weekend. God is working among these Nazarene people!

Our District Assemblies

2007-02-22T10:44:00.000-08:00

We are currently holding District Assemblies in Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela (from 2/4 until 3/6). We appreciate your prayers for these important meetings. They are going well.

National Youth Leadership Congress

2007-02-22T10:40:00.000-08:00

The National Youth Leadership Congress was held this past weekend in Santa Domingo, Ecuador. Here's a picture of the participants.

National Youth Leadership Congress Continued

2007-02-22T10:34:00.000-08:00

Besides wonderful worship services and times of fellowship, the participants attended several workshops during the weekend. We thank God for his presence felt in every event.

God Protects District Superintendent in Venezuela

2007-02-16T09:32:00.000-08:00

Thank you for your prayers on behalf of the leadership and pastor meetings in Venezuela. After two long pastors’ meetings and some intense discussions, we gathered for the District Assembly in the Andino District. God answered our prayers with a time of restoration led by the district NYI President.

The pastors of the district also gathered around and prayed for District Superintendent Rodolfo Camargo. Rodolfo and some members of the local church were involved in a car accident on their way to the Assembly. When Rodolfo got out of his car to inspect the damage and talk about a settlement with the driver of the other car, a third car ran over his foot. Praise the Lord, he had no injuries. The accident should have been a lot worse with the speed and size of the other car. We thank God for his protection for Rodolfo and the others that were in the car with him.

Northwest Nazarene University Team 2007

2007-01-24T17:25:00.001-08:00

This year's NNU team was very busy in Venezuela. They completed two portable chapels and still had time to wash and cut hair for many children and adults. This picture is the line to get a haircut.

While some students cut hair, others built the chapels. One of the churches is made up of mostly children from the surrounding area. It is a mission of the Maracaibo First Church. The pastors, Helena and Rosber Lopez, are very involved in the community.

A Successful Trip in Many Ways

2007-01-24T17:19:00.000-08:00

Another group shared the message of Jesus with the EvangeCube. This picture shows students practicing.

We want to thank Gene Schandorff (University Chaplain) and Dr. Jennifer Chase (Bio-Chem professor) for bringing these NNU students: Ian Bauder, Laura Bodenstab, Zach Carpenter, Megan Grant, Ashley Jones, Jeremy Klingensmith, David Laird, Kevin Lambert, Landon Loeber, Mandy Miller, Molly Orias, Abby Rock, Tanya Troost, Kylee Vienna, Brandon Wickstrom, and Lacey Young. They accomplished a lot in what they built both physically and spiritually!

God's Moving in Our Cali Church

2007-01-19T11:32:00.000-08:00

Our Cali Paso Ancho Church of the Nazarene continues to struggle to accommodate all of the people who want to attend services. On December 30, 2006, 1256 young people attended the Saturday night youth service. On Sunday the count was over 9000 in the five services. The exit doors had to be left open so that 300 to 400 more people could stand outside in the sweltering heat. Inside there wasn’t any more standing room.

The Paso Ancho church has purchased property and has drawn plans for a 12,000 seat sanctuary. However, this project will take several years to complete. In the meantime, they’ve decided to knock out the back wall of the church and build on the adjoining parking lot which will add another 600 seats to the present sanctuary. They will add two more stories above with classrooms for discipleship and leadership development. They anticipate starting and completing this new addition within three months. Please help us pray for the great movement of God taking place in our Cali, Colombia church.

The Avocado Vendor

2007-01-13T16:53:00.000-08:00

Pastor Angel has a small business of selling fruits and vegetables in Venezuela. He purchases them from farmers and sells them to street vendors. Recently, he had avocados to sell. He had been to town many times and had spent hours trying to find someone to buy the avocados before they went bad. A week went by with no one purchasing the avocados, so he went to town and found a man to take him and his avocados to Valencia, a larger town where there would be better places to sell. One Saturday, at 5:00 a.m., Pastor Angel and Domingo (the driver) traveled to Valencia to sell the avocados. The first vendor bought all of the avocados and Pastor Angel got a better deal then if he would have sold them in Nirgua.

On the ride back from Valencia, they talked about life and Domingo shared how he had wrecked his life and wanted to change. Pastor Angel invited him up the mountain to his house for some coffee. After much talking and sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ, Domingo accepted Christ. Domingo took that first step toward changing his life but there are still many things in his life that are not resolved. Please pray that Domingo will be an example to his unsaved family, and that God would touch their lives in a special way.

This story reminds us that God’s plans are very different from our own and many times things don’t make sense. Pastor Angel was upset that his avocados didn’t sell at first, but God needed him to wait. God put Pastor Angel and Domingo together so that a relationship could be developed and Pastor Angel could be His witness. God’s focus was not about selling avocados but about saving a soul. You never know when God is going to send someone your way that needs to hear the gospel. Be ready, watch where God is at work around you, and be flexible. Kingdom work is the most important kind of work we can do and the benefits are the greatest!

Training in Ministerial Ethics and Personal Evangelism

2007-01-13T16:47:00.000-08:00

Recently, training in Guayaquil churches (Distrito Costa) produced some wonderful results. 35 pastors attended an all-day Ministerial Ethics seminar which was well received. Nine churches and over 200 pastors and laymen participated in Personal Evangelism training.

One evening, an unsaved man attended an evangelism training session because previously he had forbidden his wife to attend the church until he attended himself to investigate. He didn’t realize that evangelism was going to be taught the night he attended. However, at the end of the session, he accepted Christ and shared his testimony and the way he had previously harassed his wife about attending. Now he is excited to attend the church with his whole family. Glory to God!

Street Evangelism Team

2007-01-13T16:27:00.000-08:00

This is half of one of the street evangelism teams that went out one night. 100 people attended street evangelism training during three different events. Over 40 people accepted Christ during street evangelism and each church was careful to record information for follow-up contacts.

Pastors Encounter at Campground

2007-01-06T11:22:00.000-08:00

Pastors Encounter at Campground
Originally uploaded by S Hall.

In October, a Pastors' Encounter was held at our Nazarene Campground in Santa Domingo. As you can see, a terrifc group of pastors participated. The leadership team from Cali also did a great job training our pastors.

2006-12-23T10:16:00.000-08:00

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on who his favor rests.
Luke 2:14

The missionary families serving in the North Andean Field extend to you and your families a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We appreciate your prayers on our behalf, and are thankful to have you as part of our team.

To Our Prayer Partners

2006-10-12T21:38:00.000-07:00

We are pleased to begin our Friday mailings again and we thank you for your patience during the past few months as we updated our database. We thank God for your prayers and continual support of our mission, and we look forward to what God has planned for our field in days ahead.

Click on the "Prayer Requests and Praise" link on the right side of this page to access the latest prayer requests.

If you're not receiving our Friday mailing but would like to, please select the "Email Us" link and send us your email address.

Welcome to Our Volunteer Missionaries

2006-09-29T09:55:00.000-07:00

This fall we are blessed with the arrival of our volunteer missionaries in Quito. Ginger Wood is teaching 4th grade in Alliance Academy. This is a big financial help to our mission because instead of her receiving a salary, our mission receives a large discount on the tuition for the missionary kids attending Alliance. Please remember the following prayer requests for Ginger:

that she continues to acclimate to this new culture and learn basic Spanish. Because Alliance is an international school, she has students whose first language is either English, Spanish or Korean. Obviously, such a diverse group brings new challenges to the teaching task.
that she can successfully juggle her full-time teaching duties and her part-time student tasks. She's taking online Master level courses.
that God reveals His plan for her in Quito and that she will be encouraged "to do His good work."

We are also pleased to welcome the Baker family: Tim, Jennifer, Luke and Hannah. Tim and Jennifer are the directors of CENIC which is the seminary conference center. The proceeds from the rental of the conference center (which includes rooms, meals, meeting rooms, etc.) provide a large portion of the Seminary budget. In addition, CENIC rentals provide jobs to our Seminary students which helps them pay their school bill. Please remember the Bakers in your prayers:

that they learn their new job while homeschooling their children and continue learning Spanish.
that God blesses the new publicity efforts so that rentals increase, growing the business opportunities of CENIC.
that they are encouraged in ways unimaginable as they take this step of faith in this new position.

You may also send your encouragement to the following email addresses:

Ginger: spicybark@yahoo.com

The Bakers: thebakers@ffnazmissionaries.com

A Big Thank You to Our Partnership!

2006-09-20T11:45:00.000-07:00

Buried House
Originally uploaded by S Hall.

The response from the NAFP has been incredible and we appreciate so much the donations that are on the way. The Lord will supply what is needed and allow our church to make an impact in this time of tragedy for many. Since early September $18,475 has been raised by the partnership. Praise the Lord!

Update on the Recovery Efforts for the Tungurahua Volcano

2006-09-20T11:44:00.000-07:00

Sweeping the Street
Originally uploaded by S Hall.

The volcano has been quiet since mid-August; however, experts are saying that the volcano is building up to something that could be much worse than the recent explosion.

Our national disaster coordinator, Dr. Santiago Bereche, and our district crisis team are committed to address not only physical needs but spiritual needs as well. They are already implementing a six-point plan:

1. Production and distribution of 2000 protective face masks. This will go to the general Nazarene population and children of the school. This is a washable face mask. The typical commercial face mask clogs up and is unusable after about 2 hours. These masks can be cleaned, saved, and reused.
2. Implementation of a medical center which will be open two hours per day. Experts say that by the first of October the effects of the ash will begin to show on the skin of people who were exposed. Eye problems and respiratory difficulties exist as well.
3. Purchase of medicines to meet the above mentioned needs.
4. A Nazarene medical doctor team will assemble October 6-8 in Ecuador to attend the needs in the communities nearest the volcano.
5. The elaboration and distribution of crisis kits which not only include items for personal cleanliness but also basic non-perishable food products.
6. Over the next 10 weeks a team will take meals to 10 shelters, share the Jesus Film and use other evangelistic methods such as the evangecube.

The crisis team will continually evaluate its efforts and make changes whenever necessary, especially as unforeseen problems develop.

Nazarenes Give Medical Exams

2006-09-04T11:18:00.000-07:00

exam 2
Originally uploaded by S Hall.

Members from the Riobamba Church of the Nazarene are quite busy helping in the recovery efforts from the volcano eruption. Several Nazarene doctors have been giving medical exams to treat the onslaught of respiratory-related and eye-related illnesses caused by the ash. Compassion International assisted the effort by paying $1.00 per medical exam. However, we will need more funds for follow-up treatment or medicines in the months to come. If you'd like to help in some way, please directly contact Dwight Rich (field strategy coordinator) at drich@nazareno.org.ec. Thank you!

Nazarene Church Becomes Distribution Center

2006-09-04T11:16:00.000-07:00

family gets help
Originally uploaded by S Hall.

The Riobamba church has also become a distribution center for shoes, clothing and food. You can see the relief in these parents' faces for the items they received.

Oh Boy, New Shoes!

2006-09-04T11:15:00.000-07:00

distributing shoes
Originally uploaded by S Hall.

In this picture, some boys are receiving new shoes.

Sweeping Up

2006-09-04T11:13:00.000-07:00

sweeping up
Originally uploaded by S Hall.

Cleaning up the ash that literally covers everything is a huge effort. Already 190,000 bags of ash have been swept up with more being added to that number every day. In this picture some laborers toil in this dirty, back-breaking task.

Even the Fields Need Sweeping!

2006-09-04T11:11:00.000-07:00

sweeping field
Originally uploaded by S Hall.

The farm animals have also been greatly affected. Here a farmer is sweeping away the ash from the field so that his cow has something to eat.