Weekend Trip to Visit Churches

Last weekend I went to visit 4 different Quichua Alliance churches south of Quito with Mark and Cheryl Shafer. It was an amazing weekend. We went with the purpose to encourage those in the churches, and be a blessing to them, but I returned 10 times more blessed and encouraged by them!
On Friday we drove 4 hours up into the mountains and farm land to visit a church in the village Chacapungo. There we went to the home of the Pastor Ipolito and had lunch with them (no guinea pig! Thanks God!) What a beautiful family (see the picture above). We visited with them and then continued on to visit a church in San Bartolo. The Fox Island mission team helped build a seminary there this summer. It was amazing to see the progress they have made on the seminary since then (see picture). It was freezing cold in San Bartolo because it is on top of a hill! We spent time with Pastor Manuel, his wife, and some of the members of the church. During our time there, I met two little precious kids who I got to read some stories to (see the picture)

On Saturday we went to Quitocucho, where I spent a week this summer- a community way up in the hills, with corn and onion fields everywhere….donkeys, pigs, and chickens roam the streets. Kids came running down the dirt roads calling my name when they saw me. It was wonderful to be back and see the kids that we worked with this summer, and the families from the church. While there, we went to visit another remote church nearby in San Rafael. This summer I went there to encourage the church members. While I was there in July, I was asked to counsel and pray with a couple who was having marriage problems and difficulties in their home. They were able to reconcile after my time with them. The Lord gave me the words to say! Guess who was waiting for me at the San Rafael church that afternoon?! Abram and Raquel! They were smiling and told me that things are going a lot better in their marriage, that they are going to church every Sunday, and that the Lord used me that day I prayed with them! Wow! God is good! It was such an encouragement to me to see fruit of ministry. It made my day! We spent the night in the home of the family I stayed with this summer and then went to the church on Sunday. The church has grown since July! My pew was full of kids! We returned to Quito Sunday afternoon. It was a wonderful weekend away. Thank you God for bringing me to Ecuador.