More Scenes from Sunday in the Park

Sunday in the Park with Friends

Sunday everything in Ecuador was closed (including the meetings and field service) except the voting polls. The country is voting on a new constitution. While the locals were busy doing their duty, we decided to play. Here are some pics our our play day.


Look at that food! Yes, it was just as delicious as it looks!





We had a watermelon seed spitting contest. I think Beth won with her "bend over and spit backward" move.

Say "hello" to the nice man with the camera below and try not to spit. We promise not to throw anything!

What is everyone looking at? Could it be........a cow paddy? No. Just trying to take a silly picture.

We ended the afternoon with a tasty Banana Splif......

Here's Beth enjoying her Banana Splif....

English Study Progress

Donna Nicoll the 61 year old American (Texan) I mentioned earlier is progressing nicely.
Yesterday, Beth and I went on the study to find Donna bursting with energy and recovering nicely. She was able to get out of bed into her wheelchair so she could sit up to study. That is progress. She had prepared her lesson and said that she was sorry, but she couldn't resist reading ahead to the next chapter. Wow! We won't punish her for that. Anyway, Donna expresses herself very well and what she is learning is touching her heart. Talking about the paradise, we read Revelation 21:3, 4. Donna, reading out loud, started to tear up. What she read touched her heart, but more amazingly she said "I'm really beginning to believe this." Needless to say, Beth and I started to tear up also. How wonderful to see someone really appreciate the truth. I will keep you guys posted.

Something Completely Different

Bill Briggs who lives in Salinas (on the coast) called us this week to say that he is in Cuenca. His sister Donna who is not a witness just had a very intensive surgery on her neck and is recovering in a clinic here in Cuenca. The reason for Bill's call is that Donna (61 years old) wants to study the bible in ENGLISH! She doesn't speak any Spanish. I jumped at the chance and yesterday we visited Donna in the hospital. What a lovely person. She is spiritually starved and wants to study twice a week. This will be the first time in 13 years that I have a study in English. I hope I remember how it goes. I plan to keep ya'll posted on her progress.

A Disturbing Incident

We live on the corner of a intersection and our living room window faces the street. For the last two weeks the traffic light on one corner has not been working properly and this week it stopped working all together. This has been a concern because there is quite a bit of traffic on these two streets and it is very dangerous.

This morning tragedy occurred. As I was pouring my morning coffee, I heard a terrible crash. When I looked out the window, as predicted, there was a fatal accident. Two pickup trucks. One ran through the non working traffic light. Unfortunately, two people were on the street walking. A mother and her 18 year old daughter. The daughter was instantly killed. The mother was seriously injured. The person driving the fatal truck was seen hailing a taxi and fled the scene. It was very upsetting. The police arrived and taped off the area as a crime scene. Now the city workers are busy repairing the traffic light. It only took a death to get it fixed....how sad.

Second Installment in the Series "What Makes a Successful Need Greater"

Welcome to "What Makes a Successfull Need Greater" Part 2. Meet Mark and Beth James. They are very special because they came to Ecuador Cold Turkey. New Zealand is so far away and it is very expensive to travel, they didn't even get the chance to "spy out the land." Very brave indeed. Yet, they are adapting very well and they have a wonderful attitude worthy of imitation. Enjoy their interview.

Another Encouraging Morning

Went out in the ministry this morning. Came across a gentleman who called to us from his second floor window. Mark said that we only wanted to rob 2 minutes of his time. He said okay and came down and opened the door. Mark set the timer on his watch for 2 minutes and the man thought that was funny. Anyway, the conversation went well and the man said that his sister was studying the bible with the witnesses and she was sharing what she learned with him and he thought it was interesting, but had several questions. After 2 minutes of conversation, Mark said our time was up but the man wanted to talk some more. He even asked us where the KH was located and the times of the meetings. We told him that we have a meeting tonight and he said he wanted to try to attend. He also mentioned he would like to invite us up to his apartment to talk at length, but he didn't have the time this a.m.

I'm attaching some pictures of our group and a couple to photos of our lunch Sunday with friends. You look close at one of the photos and you might spy some tasty guinea pig roasting on a spit. Yummy....All the service group send their love and greeting to all our brothers and sisters reading this blog.....SALUDOS.
This Guinea pig (here it is called cuy) is a local delicacy. I really love chomping down on the crunchy feet!

Lunch with some friends. The first three on the left are visiting for the first time. We hope it won't be the last. The couple is from Orlando and Kathy from Pennsylvania.

What Makes a Successful "Need Greater?"

That is a good question. Of course, you have to have the right circumstances or count the cost before you build your tower. Planning is essential, but that is not all. There are some things you just can't plan ahead for...Many have the desire to serve where there is greater need, but what obstacles do you need to overcome? Here are some insights from ones who decided to take the big leap and come to Ecuador where there is still a great need. If after seeing some of the interviews, you have questions or concerns, let us know and we will do our best to answer your inquiries. The invitation is set before you "Step Over to Ecuador" where there is a great opportunity to serve! By the way, you don't have to have the perfect circumstances to serve where the need is great. You do need the desire and the faith. And as our many friends will attest....you need to be a little bit crazy.

A Look at Our Territory

Our service group. Today the group is a bit small. We average about 25 or more every day. Today we were 19. The brothers here are zealous preachers and support the groups. Although we cover our territory about every 3 weeks we are still seeing growth. And there is a lot of new construction in the area that brings new people so there is still work to be done.

Our faithful sisters preaching. This man was very busy, but took the time to listen.

This is our territory in San Joaquin.

More of the service group from a different angle.

Isn't he cute? Just cast your vote and let us know what you think.

What Happened to Mark's Hair?

Woke up this morning and Mark has a new look! Imaginese! After 48 years of wearing the same hairstyle (Judy Clark don't faint) he finally did something drastic. Is he a Bruce Willis look alike (without the smouldering good looks) or a Yul Brynner wannabe? You decide. Just take the poll at the right and cast your vote.

A Great Start

Mark and I are back on the pioneer list after a very difficult year. Some of you know that I fell and broke 2 vertebrae in my back and it has been a long and difficult recovery. However, I am doing much better and we both decided to give pioneering another try. So starting with the new service year, we started also.

At first we were scared about getting in our time because I still have days that I just have to rest. We have been begging Jehovah for the strength and ability to pioneer. So, let me tell you about our first week in service. How Jehovah knows what we need!

Monday, Sept. 1 met with the group and set out door to door. Found a bible student who wanted to continue studying. Wow....

Then we met a woman at her place of business reading her bible. What question did she have? Can you tell me "who is the faithful and discreet slave." She listened and accepted the explanation we gave her. Another big "WOW." She invited us to come back on Mondays to continue our conversations.

Tuesday, Sept. 2 again we met with the group. Made return visits and started another bible study with a woman who works at a hardware store. She gave us her home address and we will be visiting her on Wednesday nights for the study.

Thursday, Sept. 4. Met with the group and went preaching in San Joaquin. This is a small town on the outskirts of Cuenca that most of the food for the city and country is grown. A lot of agriculture. Met a young lady who just moved from the coast to San Joaquin. She was very interested in what the Bible says about having a happy family life. She accepted the Teach book and invited us back to show her how to study the book. She wants her husband also to sit in on the bible discussions.

Saturday, Sept. 6. Mark goes to work at the institute. On his way out of work, he sees Gino (a young man we studied with 3 years ago) waiting at an intersection directly in front of the entrance of the Institute. After greeting he invites Mark to get in the car so that they can catch up. He is now married and in town to pick up his wife. He says "Mark, I was just taking about you yesterday. My wife's family are involved in a religious group called The Brothers of Christ and we were talking about the book of Revelation." He said his wife was afraid of the book of Revelation, but Gino had said that Mark the man he used to study the bible with really knew the bible and if anyone knew about the book of Revelation, he would. And here he was the day after. So Mark rode with him to get his wife and met her and invited Gino to our house to see me and present his wife and Mark had mentioned that we had a book which discusses Revelation verse by verse. She was very interested. So, when they got to the apartment, after meeting me, we placed the Revelation book and 2 Teach books. Gino had only studied in the Knowledge book. She had many questions and was very sincere. They live quite a ways out of town, but we hope to study with them during the week when they are in town because he is studying in the local university and she is working one block away from where Mark works.

All in all, we started 4 new studies and in total gives us 9 studies. Not bad for the first week of pioneering, huh? Jehovah is good.

Meet New Ones

Cuenca has had such an increase that the branch has been sending new ones to serve here. We have 3 new families serving in the Cuenca area. This is the couple from New Zealand, Mark and Elizabeth James. They go to the Banos Congregation. They have been here 5 months and are doing very well learning the language.

As you can see, we get along just fine.

Pictures of Our Life in Ecuador

Evelyn and Rebecca preaching in the campo. This elderly woman was drunk (yes, she is small and looks like a child. But, she was about 80 years old).
We had quite a time talking with her.

Congregation picnic. We are dressed in the local costume and we performed a local dance. We got an encore. How about that!

Aren't we cute! Really look local with all that blond hair huh?

Welcome Page

Hi Everyone! I just learned how to set up this blog (I'm finally computer smart, sort of) and thought this would be a great way for everyone to keep in touch and know what is going on with us here in Ecuador. I hope that you enjoy it.

Many of you may know that we are on our eleventh year living here and we are thoroughly enjoying the preaching. Mark is working as an English professor and we are both pioneering. We had our English Convention in Guayaquil the first weekend of August and last week we enjoyed the Spanish Convention.