Lessons Learned

Last Saturday, the Coe family and the Nichols family decided to host a small gringo style “cookout” for our friends down the hill in the Davis Foundation just to say “ thank you” for their help to us in a variety of ways. We also invited a few people from Alliance Academy in Quito that have expressed interest in ministry alongside the camp and orphanage here in the valley.

Now, North Americans frequently like to cookout in the early evening. You know, a nice Saturday afternoon, some good conversations, and time to just be together. We strategically invited some bi-lingual folks to help us with the conversations. So on Friday night our two families shopped for food, and carried the multiple bags back to our little enclave in the mountainside. I think we estimated 32 people total would be in attendance. Our flat concrete roof is a great spot to host a crowd like this.

Well, our kind brothers and sisters did not tell us when they accepted the invitation, because they are so gracious as to not offend us in any way, that during these months there is a really high probability of a rainstorm after about 2 PM each day. Not that we had not experienced it before, but I think we just failed to connect the dots that it may happen on a daily basis for several days in a row.

The morning started out beautifully, and Vickie and I walked into town and bought enough strawberries for dessert to feed an army for about 2 $ from the local market. As the day progressed we accomplished some tasks and then Bob Coe fired up the grill around 4:15 PM. Yep- you guessed it. Around 5:00 PM, or right around our projected arrival time for the meal, we received what we call in the southern US as a “frog-strangler” rainstorm. Let’s put it this way. I don’t know if it is something to do with the equator or the altitude but it was raining buckets, sideways buckets.

See our photos of both food prep and wall-to-wall guests in our house. Around 30 very wet Americans and Ecuadorians all under one roof. All, despite the storm, had a good time. Now, clean up was a different story as we continued to mop muddy floors until 11PM. Thankful to be exhausted from serving our friends here.

Blessings!

 

         “… the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

 Matthew 20:28

        

The Gospel and Staff Retreat

Thank you.

Thank you for praying, because this weekend our entire school staff met together in downtown Quito including teachers, maintenance staff, guards, board members, student teachers and all their spouses. It was a beautiful thing to see North Americans, Ecuadorians, Koreans, Columbians, Brazilians, Argentineans, Palestinians, Canadians, and third-culture kids (people who grew up on the mission field that really stutter for a moment when you ask, “where are you from?”), and they all were gathered in one dining room.

My friend Ricky, an Ecuadorian intern from the chaplaincy office, worked hard last week with gathering prayer requests from members of the leadership team, as we planned together about sessions for the retreat time. God led us to plan a worship gathering, which would include nothing but God-glorifying music, prayer (biblical, gospel believing, written prayers, in English and in Spanish) and the reading of Bible verses that bring out truth from the storehouse of all truth.

Saturday night was incredibly encouraging. People praying for one another in English and Spanish, a sort of “unplugged” worship music set with only acoustic guitars, a saxophone, and a Cajon’, and lots of people obviously enjoying the worship of God through prayer and word.

Sunday morning, we cranked it up a bit more adding some wind instruments, a few more strings, and a full drum set this time, and it was glorious to see everyone singing out and praising God, from multi-denominational backgrounds, multiple age groups, cross cultural married couples, all in one room.

Then, God allowed an opportunity for us all to look together into an incredible passage in Hebrews 12:28 through 13:21 as we talked about “Risk, Challenge, and the Ultimate Goal.”

I was so encouraged to hear from so many people today about how this passage spoke individually to people’s hearts all across the room on Sunday morning in a variety of ways. His word is good…and He is faithful to answer our pleading for Him to glorify Himself through His word.

May we all have grace for receiving a “kingdom that cannot be shaken…”

Blessings,

Chris and Vickie

Something to chew on...

Every once in a while (but not very often), I have to sort of remind myself that I am in a very different place than Birmingham. Now, pictured at left is one of those “snap you back to reality” moments, where you look outside your house on a Sunday afternoon, and realize this fact fresh and new. See my two llama (pronounced yah’-mah) friends here as they enjoy some of the local produce of our camp area. I actually have two blankets on my bed made from some of the furry wool you see on their back (okay- maybe another llama’s furry back- but my two blankets are made of llama wool).

 

Here’s a picture (see right) of our newer walking route to the bus stop since we moved up the mountain. This little 3 foot wide concrete structure goes over a nice little gorge about 60 or 70 feet deep, but only about 25 feet wide, so you really can’t see the bottom.

On a more serious, and important note, here are some specific ways you can pray for us. It is so vital to the mission of Christ in us that you continue this, for much is accomplished through your devotion in asking God for favor and strength for us in these ways:

1)      Pray for our school staff retreat this weekend here in Quito. I will have the opportunity to teach on Sunday morning, and to lead in various other sessions as well, so please ask the Lord to use this time powerfully for His glory and our good, and to sustain me and conform me to His character.

2)    Pray for God to draw students from all over the world that are in school here to salvation in Christ. Pray for opportunities for the Word to reach their ears and hearts.

3)    Pray especially for our family as we wrestle with the complexity of having children spread on three continents, and all that goes with this arrangement.

4)    Pray for wisdom and healing for my Dad back in the US, as his staff infection from a hip surgery last year has returned suddenly. My Mom needs sustaining grace in this time as well.

5)    Pray for us to continually learn Spanish, to love the people here as Christ does, and to be wise in all things related to the gospel camp area here. 

C   1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
    "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."