Week 1

I arrived safely here in Quito, Ecuador last Thursday. On Friday we had some of the Bible students over to see who would be interested in starting to "man" the registration tables during the Saturday, once a month meetings. We had a few of the students sign up to help! The whole idea of IBCI is planting and releasing. Steve and Amie Youngren have just successfully handed over the Bible Institute in Tena over to the national students. We are in the beginning stages of doing the same releasing here in Quito.

Saturday we went to the IBCI meeting with the students where they handed in their work from the previous month and received there work for the upcoming month. Pastor Miguel taught the first session then four of the third year (the final year) students taught in half-hour increments.

During the week Amie Youngren and I have been working in the office and running around town trying to get me registered....good times! I have a visa good for a year with additional extensions. I need to get my censo (my id card) in order during this trip and it takes some time and a few different offices.

In the office at the house Amie has been showing me the ins and outs of the Bible Institute. We have been going over the manuals, converting tapes to CD and Cd's to MP3's and filing. We still have some ground to cover but the office side of things is going by pretty quickly. This is good as we have both been sick. I started getting sick on the plane flights here. I was terribly sick for the first couple of days but then I started feeling better on Monday. Amie caught my cold and she is in day 2...please pray for a speedy healing for her.

Tomorrow is hopefully the last day getting my censo and while we are in town we are going to do house visits with IBCI students. We are hoping to have the local youth group over on Saturday for a time of fellowship and Steve and Sandi Youngren come back from the states this weekend. Please pray for them for safe travels.

Next week we are going to head out to Tena in the El Oriente of Ecuador (the jungle area) to meet with the students there. Please continue to pray for health and for good fellowship.

It is great being back here. The Lord is giving me continued peace about my future service here. Being sick the first couple of days showed me how precious it is to be able to serve and work here but also to recognize that I must always rest at the feet of Jesus. I don't want to be a burnt out missionary. I want to be in love with Jesus and serve out of a place of rest in Him. There is lots of work to do but it has to come from a place of being full of Him. I sent my love and prayers of peace and strength to you all! See you in a couple of weeks.