for His glory

Ahhh….Loja…
I guess it would do good to start by explaining the Ahhh…Loja… It is important that you make the "j" say "h" or it won’t make sense. So let’s try it again Ahhh…Loha… :)
We arrived in Cuenca Ecuador on Thursday September 9th at 4:30 pm, after 30 hours of travel, and enjoyed meeting our future team at the airport! Both families and all eight children were waiting patiently at the gate for our arrival. It was fun to climb into two trucks, kids in the back of course, and travel to where stayed for the night. We stayed at a local Christian camp in Cuenca as the drive to Loja was going to be at least 3-4 hours. On Friday we left mid-morning and began the trip to Loja. It was a beautiful drive through the mountains. God is great and it was clear from the start of our trip that He had set in place the location and team we were going to work with.

On Saturday we went to the market. The Ecuadorian people are friendly and their culture is warm and inviting. We enjoyed walking by hundreds of booths filled with fresh fruit and vegetables, meats, breads, and dry goods. As great as the culture is the most exciting part of the day was seeing our teammates interact with the local people. At a booth selling raw chicken a lady asked about why the guys were so tall and knew they must be from America. This opened the door for them to say they live here and study the Bible. The “Chicken Lady” as we called her in the beginning said she would like to study the Bible. Chaz and Bill told her she just needed to say when it worked for her and they would be there. Josh, Chaz and Bill went on Tuesday and had their first study with her. The amazing part of this is that it was not planned nor were we looking for it and the Lord put this Lady right in their path! The ministry here is started in this way all the time. It is about establishing contacts and beginning to share the word through Bible Study with those contacts. Through prayer doors are opened and contacts are established. Only with prayer can these things happen. Sunday through Tuesday were busy seeing more of Loja and getting to know the team here. Tuesday we spent the day in team meetings learning more about the philosophy and goals of the ministry here in Loja.

Wednesday we visited a village that was a two hour drive down a dirt road outside of Loja. Our teammates had never been to Chuquiribamba before. They inquired of a lady in Loja before we arrived about surrounding villages and towns that needed the gospel. She shared with them about this little village and the fact that they have never had the gospel brought to them. When we started down this dirt road it was evident that whoever lived down in this village may not even be aware of life outside of their mountain home. The road wove around, down and through majestic scenery of rivers and mountains with sheer cliff drops on every turn.

As we rode with our team we discussed the incredible sights as well as about the people we passed along the way. When we arrived in Chuquiribamba we were amazed to see that it was a virtual ghost town. There were people and houses scattered all around the countryside surrounding the little village but there was hardly a sign of life in the town square. As we walked around town we found a few little shops that were open selling rice, flour, milk and eggs along with a few other essential items but not much else was happening. We saw a sign on one door that told what items the government was handing out as aid every month. There was a list next to it with each family from the town. There were 640 families listed that were receiving aid each month from the government in that village alone. I could only think that not one of these 640 families had ever experienced the opportunity to hear or study the Bible in their lifetime, let alone on a daily bases. We did see signs of religion, Catholicism, as is over 90% of the population of Ecuador. Even in this small town there was a huge Cathedral in the center of town. We were overwhelmed with the idea of ministering to a village like this, but we know that God is able to break down the walls before we ever show up. Please pray with us for the people of Loja and the surrounding villages like Chuquiribamba. With your prayer support much will be accomplished for the glory of God.

Thursday through Sunday was spent time seeing more of Loja. We looked at potential places to live when we come back. We also checked out all the shops and stores where we would be able to purchase any of our household items so we could see what is available here. Friday night we went to the local professional soccer game. Josh also got the opportunity to play soccer, both indoor and outdoor, and basketball with the local men. We finished off our last day with Church services in Spanish and a barbeque with our team. We left Monday morning at 6am and arrived back in Salem on Tuesday at noon. We were greeted by our beautiful girls and got to spend the day together sharing our trip with them. It was a blessing to be home but we are ready to head back. We are asking for your prayers as we seek to be ready for whenever the Lord provides the funds for us to GO!