March/April 2026

News:

• March: What happened to March? I cannot believe that I did not update the website. It is no excuse, but we were so very busy with teams and the new property.
• School Backpacks: We have given out of the string backpacks filled with school supplies and hygiene products to the children in our coastal Bible cubs. They children were so excited to get the backpacks.
• Bible Clubs:
• Coastal Bible Clubs: The kids are out of school for these two months. The clubs have been down in numbers lately because the some of the kids have been shipped off to grandmas or cousins house a few towns over for vacations.
• Youth Bible Club: The youth are studying the books of the Bible in depth over this next year. They want to learn about the Bible and what it says.
• Sierra Bible Clubs: We just delivered supplies and spent time encouraging the leaders. The mountain Bible clubs will no longer be called "mountain" Bible clubs. They prefer to be referred to as the Sierra Bible clubs - we aim to please.
• Tuesday Community Evangelistic Outreach: Attendance fluctuates between 220 and 275 due to vacations and all of the holidays. We are still sitting people almost to the road.
• Sunday Bible Study/Worship Service: We are running about 35-50 people attend the services each week, not including the visiting teams. We are currently studying 1 Corinthians.

Big News:

• New Ministry Center Property: The steel for the amphitheater (main ministry center) is going up the 2nd week of the month. We are so excited about the new facility.
• Spiritual Emphasis Retreat: In February we had our Spiritual Emphasis Retreat on the coast. Pastor John Jenkins from Northport Baptist Church, Northport. Alabama shared with us all week a series of messages on Faith, Fasting and Prayer. It was so dynamic and in perfect timing. Studying the word of God together really helps to strengthen us individually and as a group. Rebecca Carrion from Fountain Inn, South Carolina shared so many teaching tips on how to be better prepared to teach the Gospel in our children and youth Bible clubs. Together with our coastal E-team families, we were 33 people. Many of the Sierra people gave numerous testimony from the work with the children. It was a great time of spiritual enrichment.
• English as a Foreign language: Mike and Jeannie have started the English classes again. They have a children's class and an adult class. The classes are very well attended and they get a gospel devotion just before classes end. This helps to meet a great need in the tourist community.
• New Bible Club: We have a new kid's Bible club that is being held just outside Guayaquil in Durán. This is being run by a small church in a very dangerous area by volunteers, we just supply them with crafts, prizes, and cookies. Even when there was flooding at the end of March, 40 kids waded through the flooded streets to get to the Bible club.

Bigger News:

• A New Believer: A young man was invited by his friend to come to our Tuesday movie night and then to our Sunday night service. Sergio accepted Christ on Sunday night and wants to be baptized. He owns a surfer hotel across the street from our ministry center. Andrés and Gary have met with him and are discipling him. Glory to God for a new brother in Christ!
• New Ministry Center: The concrete has been poured and the blue metal roof installed. This month, the apartment and storage room for the transformer and generator will be next.
• Dental and Medical Clinic: The end of April brings back a team of dentists, maxillofacial surgeons, hygienists, doctors, including a pediatrician, and nurses to Montañita for our annual dental/medical clinic. Most are from First Baptist Fernandina Beach. It will be a crazy busy week for sure as all appointments have been secured. It will be standing room only.
• Projects for 2026
• Start small group and one-one discipleship classes.
• Welcome new missionary, Rebecca Carrion for two-year commitment, hopefully beginning in June.

Special Prayer Request:

• Pray for the construction of our new ministry building.
• Pray that God will send us additional national E-team members.
• Pray for Andrés and Gary as they work on the property and make huge building decisions.
• Pray for God to soften the hearts of the Montañita people to receive His Gospel.
• Pray for the national house church leaders who continue the Sierra Bible clubs.
• Pray for Rebecca Carrion as she raises funds to come to Ecuador to serve full time for two years.
• Financial Support: Please pray that Christ will continue to provide for the ministry's financial needs for the mountains and the Coast.

Updates:

• Check out YouTube for more videos.