Alive and Well

October, 2021

Generations International Ministry is alive and well.  We are happy to report that we have not been hampered financially during the crises of 2020 and 2021 because of the incredibly faithful and generous support of all of our partners in ministry. Throughout the pandemic, as far as I can tell, we have not lost any of our supporters.  We are so grateful.  

Our ministry continues. Early in the summer, we traveled to Guatemala to help with the ordination of a pastor. Later in the summer, we did a marriage conference. Sharon was in Missouri and I was in Mexico, team teaching biblical principles of marriage to couples in Chile, via Zoom!  

We have preached in missions conferences in Missouri and Oklahoma. We also preached in churches in Colorado and Arizona.

Our teaching ministry in Bible Institutes continues in Mexico and Ecuador. We continue to communicate with and encourage international pastors. 

In March, we were first contacted about helping a church in Mexico that was going through a difficult pastoral transition.  Our first visit was in April and the first week of July we started spending extended time with the church.

We have been stretched beyond ourselves and our abilities but we continue to see the Lord’s hand in our time in Northwest Mexico.  We have seen some strides taken towards healing of the body of the church and also important steps are being taken to assure a better church structure. While at the same time, we are acutely aware of the horrible impact that blatant sin can have on a body of believers and on individual families.

Because the church is not far from the border, we are able to come back to the States to take care of other responsibilities from time to time.

We have been especially blessed to participate in the Missions Emphasis at our home church, Seminole Baptist during these last three Sundays.  We head back to Mexico this week.

We certainly hope for open doors of travel and ministry in the next few months.  We are working on our ministry schedule for 2022.

As we approach the end of the year, we want to send significant financial help to some pastors who are struggling. As always, we will make sure any designated gifts are carefully handled.

Thank you for specifically praying for us and for generously contributing to our ministry of training and encouragement. 

If we can be of any help to your church, please do not hesitate to contact us! 

June 2020

We have been encouraged at the way so many of our international pastor friends have been able to step up and keep their ministries functioning and bearing fruit, during the Pandemic of 2020! We have been blessed to be able to “attend” online church services in Mexico, Ecuador, Colombia, Uruguay, Chile, Nicaragua, Spain and Pakistan.   We have also “visited” churches in Arizona, Michigan, Kansas, Florida, Texas, California, Oklahoma, North Carolina, Ohio, Delaware, Illinois and Missouri.

We are still hoping to make it to Ecuador in the fall.  Although, there has been talk that the government won’t ease up restrictions until the end of the year.  The quarantine restrictions are still pretty severe. 

Our online teaching continues and we are so grateful that it was already in place before all of this happened.  We have expanded to include some meetings we normally would have taken care of in person.

We are grateful for the good response to our request for Pandemic Relief Funds.  Our pastors in Ecuador are very happy to have some help during this difficult time. So many people are seriously suffering.  We will continue to make sure anything marked Pandemic Relief or PR will go directly and quickly to help some of God’s choice servants.

We recently confirmed a meeting in an actual church building for July in Texas.  We are accepting invitations and are currently available for either video-based reports or personal visits. If there is anything we can do for you, we would welcome that opportunity.

We are so thankful to those who, with your prayers and financial support, make it possible for us to continue to do our part in the fulfillment of the Great Commission.  

We had a great week with the students at EEC in Colombia!

Pandemic Relief

While everyone on planet Earth is experiencing the covid 19 pandemic, each of us is confronted with specific personal responsibilities.  We must each protect our own health and the health of those around us.  Wearing a face mask and washing hands are good ideas.  At the same time, we can help alleviate the financial pressures of those who are selflessly serving the Lord.

Everyone who is connected with Generations International Ministry, Inc., whether it be by praying or giving or training or traveling or encouraging international pastors, is urged to participate in #GivingTuesdayNow.   

#GivingTuesdayNow is a new global day of giving and unity that will take place on May 5, 2020 – as an emergency response to the unprecedented need caused by COVID-19.

We have already sent help to several pastors who are struggling through harsh restrictions, lost wages, diminished offerings and anxious health concerns. One pastor’s wife wrote, “We had just spent our last money to buy potatoes, when we got word that your offering was in our account.” 

We assure you that, regardless of when we receive them, all tax-deductible gifts marked “GivingTuesday” will be used for pandemic relief.  

Your options are the same as always:  Go to Donate on this site. This comes to us through PayPal.

Or send a check to Generations International Ministry, P.O. Box 2732, Springfield, MO  65801.

Thank you very much for partnering with us.

2020

Well, the first quarter of 2020 has sure changed all of our lives! Seems like a great time to revive the Blog. 

Obviously, the traveling aspect of our ministry came to a screeching halt. We had five different international trips planned and confirmed.  Some of them have already been cancelled and we are hoping the others will still happen or, at least, only be postponed.  

Meanwhile, our online teaching commitments have increased substantially. We were also privileged to participate in a special online Holy Week service for our church in Quito. We have been in contact with several international pastors. It is encouraging to see how many different pastors and churches, especially in Latin America, have adapted to ministry under sometimes extreme government security measures.

We continue to strive to do our part in the fulfillment of the Great Commission.  We are accepting invitations and we are currently available for video-based reports or missions encouragement. If there is anything we can do for you, we would welcome that opportunity.

We consider ourselves fortunate and blessed to be involved in a training ministry that is an encouragement to international pastors. We are grateful to those who, with your prayers and financial support, make all this possible!

August - Ecuador

What an amazing ministry trip to begin our 2018 Fall Ministry in Latin America! Two weeks in the country where we spent 30 years. The focus of the trip was to speak at the annual pastors and wives retreat in Santo Domingo de Los Tsáchilas, Ecuador.

We were asked to speak specifically on Pastoral Ethics and Family Issues. We counted more than 60 adults present for the sessions. The fellowship was sweet. The training was intense. The response was encouraging.

A privilege we do not take for granted is the opportunity, which we sometimes get, to speak in churches before or after our seminars or conferences. Speaking at the church that Sharon and I established in Quito many years ago is always like going home. Along with some people who have been around for years, there are always new faces with fresh testimonies of the grace of God. 

On the day we were there, the total attendance in the three services was 431. Five people trusted in Jesus that Sunday. Pastor Fernando and his sweet wife, Verónica, are being used of the Lord to impact the lives of many people in the capital city.

As we prepare for the next trips, our hearts are full!

INTERNATIONAL IS OUR MIDDLE NAME!

October 2017

Amazing, Generous, Encouraging  -  Words which describe the Fundamentalismo 2017 in Santiago Chile.  Pastor Jorge Vega and his very efficient and loving staff were hosts to this annual meeting of pastors from the Cono Sur, a term which refers to the nations which comprise the southern cone of South America.  The host church, Iglesia Bíblica Bautista La Florida, was established 38 years ago and is a leading church in our circles.  

Pastors and church leaders came from all over Chile, Argentina and Uruguay.  There was even a pastor and his wife who made the trip from Peru.  Russell and Rudy Johnson were there from Miami.  Sharon and I were very privileged to participate this year.  Sharon spoke to the ladies. Rudy challenged the pastors to be faithful and generous.  Russell and I each spoke six times, following the theme that Pastor Jorge had developed: Lo Fundamental eres Tu.  You are fundamental.  We emphasized the importance of the pastor’s devotional life, his personal life, his marriage, his family, his sphere of influence, and his ministry.  To be able to “do ministry” with our dear friend, Russell Johnson, was wonderful!   We thoroughly enjoyed challenging and encouraging our friends with biblical and practical truth.

The details in the preparation and development of this meeting were impressive.  The great meals, the phenomenal music, the welcoming spirit, the servant-leadership all were evident from beginning to end.

Sharon and I were blessed beyond measure to be hosted in the home of the Yañez family. We were privileged to be in two churches on the two Sundays we were in Chile.  We are so happy to be able to serve the Lord by encouraging His servants.  Even though we come away from meetings like this much more blessed and encouraged!   

Of course none of this would have happened without the generosity and faithfulness of our supporting partners.  Thank you for allowing the Lord to bless us through you!

TRAVEL MUCH?

September 2017

One of the obvious characteristics of Generations International Ministry is the need for travel. In our current role as deputation, fundraising missionaries, as well as in our permanent role as encouraging mentors or pastoral trainers, we will probably always be traveling.  

For us, that is a good thing.  We both enjoy traveling.  We enjoy Mission Conferences.  We enjoy seeing old friends in longtime supporting churches.  We enjoy hanging out with young, excited ministry types.  We thoroughly enjoy foreign travel with all the challenges and benefits. 

September was extraordinarily full with ministry opportunities. The month began in San Diego, California with gracious hosts, Steve and Christa Boschen.  It is always a personal treat to be at Ocean View because that is where Steve and Barbara Johnson serve as well. 

Greg and Krista Corcoran invited us to speak at Battlefield church and at the Virginia BBF meeting they hosted.  Sharon spoke to the ladies on Serving Jesus with your Heart.  I spoke to the pastors and leaders on Dangerous Ministry.  We were very well received.  The Corcorans are doing a wonderful ministry.   We later learned that this church decided to partner with us!

From Washington, D.C., Sharon went back to Springfield to care for her parents and I travelled to Bogotá. It was time to do our week at the Christian Training School in Colombia.  We are impressed with the level of commitment of the new students each semester!

We then took advantage of the opportunity to be at the national meeting of the BBFI in Owasso, Oklahoma and had the annual meeting of the board of directors for Generations International.  It was encouraging to see all that the Lord has done for us during our first year of existence!  Not the least of His blessings are the three men who have come alongside of us as counselors and encouragers.

First Baptist of Milford was our next mission conference.  We always enjoy our time with Pastor David and Debbie Perdue.  This church with a great heart also became partners with our ministry!  We then headed to Santiago, Chile to finish the month!

Finishing the Summer

August, 2017

August was a very good month, beginning with a mission conference in Buffalo, Missouri. Joshua Keeny is a young pastor, whom we have known for several years. He has a beautiful family and doing a good job at Bible Baptist Church.  A special treat was hearing Tim Adrian speak on missions. The church became one of our partnering churches, for which we are grateful.

A highlight of the year was the weekend spent at Westside Baptist in Hutchinson, Kansas.  We were invited to help this historic church celebrate 20 years of fruitful ministry with Tim and Pam Adrian.  They have now been there longer than any pastor in their 70-year history. An amazing event was made even better with the baptism of the Adrians’ first grandson, Caleb Hill.  Caleb was baptized by Chase Hill and became the fifth generation of Adrians to be baptized at Westside!

We celebrated our 42nd anniversary by watching the theatrical production of Moses!

We ended the month by spending some time in consultation with church planters in Tijuana, Mexico. We are anxious to see how new ministries can benefit from the experiences of old ministers!

agosto de 2017

Agosto fue un mes muy bueno, comenzando con una conferencia de misiones en Buffalo, Missouri. Joshua Keeny es un pastor joven, a quien conocemos desde hace varios años. Él tiene una hermosa familia y está haciendo un buen trabajo en Bible Baptist Church. Una bendición especial fue escuchar a Tim Adrian predicar sobre la obra misionera. La iglesia decidió apoyarnos, por lo cual estamos agradecidos

Una ocasión destacada de todo el año fue el fin de semana que pasamos en la Iglesia Westside en Hutchinson, Kansas. Fuimos invitados a ayudar a esta iglesia histórica a celebrar los 20 años de ministerio fructífero con Tim y Pam Adrian. Han estado allí más tiempo que cualquier otro pastor en los 70 años de la historia de la iglesia. Un evento increíble se hizo aún mejor con el bautismo del primer nieto de los Adrian, Caleb Hill. Caleb fue bautizado por su padre, Chase Hill, y se convirtió en la quinta generación de la familia Adrian en bautizarse en Westside.

¡Celebramos nuestro aniversario de bodas #42 viendo la producción teatral de Moisés!

Terminamos el mes pasando algún tiempo en consulta con una pareja que está estableciendo una iglesia nueva en Tijuana, México. ¡Estamos ansiosos por ver cómo los nuevos ministerios se pueden beneficiar de las experiencias de los antiguos ministros!

the mission of the church is world evangelization!

One of the aspects of our ministry that Sharon and I both enjoy a lot is the opportunity that we have to encourage churches in their global vision.  We were blessed to participate in several mission conferences this Spring and have several scheduled for late Summer and Fall.  Every church develops their own theme and structures their own schedule.  The desired result is similar: more people participating personally in the fulfillment of the Great Commission.  There is no sensation that compares to that of being used as a simple instrument in the hand of the Almighty.  When faith is increased, when hearts are challenged, when the vision is sharpened, then the Great Commission is obeyed, young missionary families are sent and God is glorified!

Enero de 2017-¡Primer informe ministerial!

Sharon y yo hemos cumplido con nuestro primer viaje del Ministerio Generaciones Internacional y estamos encantados de poder informarles que fue un éxito total.  Los pasajes de avión fueron pagados por la oficina de la misión BBFI. Por esa razón, esta fue nuestra última actividad como director asistente de la misión.  Estamos agradecidos a mi ex-jefe, Jon Konnerup, por cubrir este gasto.  La mayoría de los demás gastos fueron cubiertos por nuestros hermanos y hermanas de Colombia y Ecuador.

El propósito de este viaje fue conectarnos de nuevo con los líderes de los ministerios en Colombia y Ecuador, para animarles a través de nuestro nuevo ministerio. Salimos de Springfield el 28 de octubre y regresamos el 8 de diciembre.

La primera etapa del viaje fue al Campamento Tierra Alta en Chinauta, Colombia donde tuvimos la oportunidad de enseñar sobre Rendición de Derechos en la Escuela de Entrenamiento Cristiano. Esta escuela es un curso intensivo de 12 semanas de discipulado avanzado desarrollado por los Pastores Hugo Mario Rodríguez, José Lingo y Scott Hudgins. Los estudiantes, son seleccionados cuidadosamente y en oración. Los estudiantes deben comprometerse a cuatro meses de separación de sus hogares y completar un viaje de misiones antes de que concluya su formación.  Fue una inmensa bendición conocer a estos jóvenes dinámicos e invertir tiempo en sus vidas y en su preparación. Mientras estuvimos en Colombia, también tuvimos un hermoso tiempo con Ali Alexander. Tuvimos el privilegio de alojarnos en Tierra Alta para observar uno de los eventos de Día Cero, en el cual más de 100 personas fueron guiadas personalmente a la fe en Cristo.

Volamos directamente desde Bogotá a Quito, Ecuador donde tuvimos una agenda completa de actividades y reuniones para los siguientes treinta días. Lo primero que hicimos es regresar al aeropuerto para recibir a Carla Davis, la hermana de Sharon.  Carla nos acompañó durante nuestros primeros once días y ¡fue una gran bendición tenerla con nosotros! 

Comenzamos con una reunión el sábado por la mañana con cerca de 200 pastores y líderes de ministerios. Nos reunimos en el templo de la iglesia que se estableció hace 33 años. Después de un tiempo de adoración, Sharon enseñó a las damas el tema de Amar, Confiar y Servir a Dios mientras que yo me encargué de animar a los hombres con algunos principios de liderazgo.

Terminé el tiempo de enseñanza con todo el grupo con el tema, La Perseverancia en el Ministerio.  ¡Se recibió una ofrenda muy generosa para el Ministerio Generaciones Internacional!

Nuestro primer domingo en el Ecuador, después de tres años, prediqué en "nuestra" iglesia. ¡Qué bendición espiritual y emocionalmente!  ¡Muchos abrazos!  Pastor Fernando, con éxito, ha guiado a la iglesia para tener tres cultos idénticos los domingos por la mañana. Qué bendición ver a más de 450 personas en esa mañana.  Prediqué sobre el Salmo 145, Generación a Generación. Hubo siete visitas, un bautismo y una decisión de confiar en Cristo como Salvador.

Uno de los principales propósitos de este viaje, que estaba programado muchos meses antes, fue la graduación del Instituto Bíblico Bautista de Quito.  Es requisito para cada egresado escribir una tesis y luego defenderla ante un jurado.  Después de completar ese paso el jueves y el viernes, los siete egresados recibieron sus diplomas en una ceremonia formal el sábado.  Como fundadores del Instituto Bíblico, que ha funcionado con éxito y continuamente desde 1987, Sharon y yo tuvimos el honor de participar en las festividades.  

Las tres mujeres que se graduaron son esposas de pastores y los cuatro hombres ya están en el ministerio a tiempo completo, tres de ellos como pastores titulares. Nos conmovió escuchar sus testimonios personales de como el Señor ha obrado en sus vidas y sus planes para continuar en su servicio para Él.

El 20 de noviembre, fuimos invitados a la Iglesia Bíblica Bautista Dulce Refugio en Santa Rita. Pastor Carlos Pullugando y su esposa Mónica son amigos de muchos años, dulces de espíritu y fieles siervos del Señor que han criado a dos hijas maravillosas.  Nuestro tiempo en Santa Rita fue genial.  ¡La iglesia ha sido bendecida por el Señor!

El tercer fin de semana en Ecuador nos encontramos en Sangolquí como invitados de los misioneros Cliff McGhee, Janice Hickey y Jenny Carpenter.  Glenn y Sherri McGhee en ese tiempo estaban fuera del país, tratando con problemas graves de salud. De todos modos, nos abrieron su departamento para hospedarnos durante el fin de semana en su ciudad.  Sharon y yo tuvimos un gran sábado. Por la mañana tuvimos una reunión con un grupo de pastores, sus esposas y líderes de ministerios de la red de iglesias en el valle.  Las familias McGhee han sido fieles y diligentes y el Señor ha bendecido abundantemente. Janice y Jenny han sido de gran ayuda para los ministerios generales.  El domingo tuve el privilegio de predicar en Iglesia Bíblica Bautista La Victoria en el culto de la mañana, y luego un viaje al sur a predicar en la Iglesia Bíblica Bautista en Machachi, una pequeña ciudad en la sombra del volcán Cotopaxi.

El lunes, nos reunimos en la casa de la familia Romero con el grupo de estudio de la Biblia, con el cual estuvimos involucrados durante muchos años. Compartimos con ellos nuestro peregrinaje y tuvimos un tiempo precioso de oración junto con nuestros queridísimos amigos.

Esa semana fuimos invitados por un grupo de pastores y esposas para celebrar mi cumpleaños con carne asada, pastel y música mariachi. También, tuvimos la bendición de participar en el culto de entre semana en Carapungo. Una bendición inesperada fue la oportunidad de ser entrevistado por la radio HCJB, una emisora cristiana, celebrando 85 años de proclamar el Evangelio alrededor del mundo. El tema especial de esa mañana tenía que ver con la pérdida de un hijo.  Para aquellos que entienden el español, se puede escuchar la entrevista aquí: 

Nuestro último domingo pasamos alegremente en la Iglesia Bíblica Bautista El Refugio en La Argelia.  El pastor Jorge Navarrete y su esposa, Sandra, ¡están siendo usados por Dios y son una gran bendición para esta iglesia!

Uno de los logros muy positivos de nuestro viaje fue la invitación de nuestro Instituto Bíblico a Sharon y a mí para retomar nuestro papel como profesores.  Así que, comenzando con las clases en abril, los dos estaremos enseñando otra vez.  Debido a los avances técnicos y con la ayuda de tecnología que se va a adquirir pronto, va a hacer posible dar nuestras clases en vivo, desde dondequiera que nos encontremos, los martes por la noche y los sábados por la mañana.

Nos encanta poder informar a las iglesias que apoyaron a nuestro ministerio hace años atrás, que el fruto sigue aumentando en su cuenta. Filipenses 4:17.

En cada iglesia, en cada reunión y en cada casa, nuestros corazones se regocijaron con la obra de Dios en las vidas de algunas personas que hemos conocido por décadas y en las vidas de otras personas a quienes recién conocimos.  Las palabras del apóstol Juan venían a mi mente una y otra vez, “No tengo mayor gozo que el de oír que mis hijos andan en la verdad.”

Durante nuestro tiempo en el Ecuador fuimos invitados a comer por las familias Dalgo, Espinoza, Hickey, Macancela, McGhee, Muñoz, Navarrete, Páez, Pazmiño, Povea, Pullugando, Romero, Saavedra, Salcedo, Sayago, Siguencia, Uribe, Vergel y por “el ministerio de alapanza.” Cada comida fue acompañada de recuerdos dulces e interesante información sobre el estado actual y planes futuros de estas familias.

La mayoría de nuestro tiempo en Ecuador, fuimos alojados en el hogar de Fernando, Verónica e Ian Páez.  Hemos conocido y amado a Verónica desde que era niña.  Fernando trabajó conmigo en el equipo pastoral de la iglesia durante siete años y ha sido el pastor principal por diez años. Su generosidad, cuidado personal y amor por nosotros es siempre evidente.  Además de un alojamiento cómodo, proporcionan innumerables comidas. ¡Estamos muy agradecidos!

Sharon y yo estamos agradecidos de que Dios nos permitió iniciar nuestro nuevo Ministerio en Colombia y Ecuador!  Estar con la gente que hemos conocido y querido y con quienes hemos servido fue un gran estímulo para nosotros. Estuvimos ocupados en la enseñanza, en un total de 28 veces. Estamos muy contentos y más seguros de que el Señor va a utilizar nuestro ministerio en 2017.

Solicitamos sus oraciones por Generaciones Internacional. Por favor oren que haya puertas abiertas en las iglesias para poder presentar este Ministerio.  Oren que Dios levante el apoyo en oración y financiero que necesitamos.  Ruegen que seamos sabios al aceptar las invitaciones que se nos presentan para llevar nuestro ministerio internacionalmente.

El Ministerio “Generations International” fue lanzado en el año 2016 y es supervisado por miembros de la Junta Directiva:  Tim Adrian (Hutchinson, KS), Russell Johnson (Miami, FL) y Jon Slayden (Midland, TX). El enfoque principal del ministerio es fortalecer pastores internacionales y sus esposas a través de orientación y aliento en un esfuerzo por multiplicar esfuerzos de plantación de iglesia en el mundo. Más información está disponible en www.generations.international.

January 2017 - First Ministry Report

Sharon and I have completed our first ministry trip with Generations International Ministry and are thrilled to be able to report to you that it was a total success.  Because the plane fare was paid for by the BBFI mission office, it was our final Mission Office activity.  We are grateful to my former boss, Jon Konnerup, for agreeing to cover this expense.  Most of the other expenses were covered by our brothers and sisters in Colombia and Ecuador.

 The purpose of this trip was to connect with ministry leaders in Colombia and Ecuador, whose ministries could be strengthened through Generations International. We left Springfield on October 28, returning on December 8.

The first leg of the trip was to the Highlands Camp in Colombia where we taught on The Surrendered Life at the School of Christian Training. This school is an intensive 12-week discipleship course developed by Pastor Hugo Mario Rodriguez and missionaries Craig Lingo and Scott Hudgins. Students, ages 19-28, are prayerfully and carefully selected from many applicants and must commit to four months of separation from their homes and completing a mission trip before their training is concluded. While in Colombia, we also spent some time with missionaries Scott Hudgins and Ali Alexander. We were privileged to stay at the camp to observe one of the Día Zero events, during which more than 100 people were personally led to faith in Christ.

We flew directly from Bogotá to Quito, Ecuador where we were met with a full slate of activities and meetings for the next thirty days. We were happy to go on our first day in Ecuador back to the airport to pick up Carla Davis, Sharon’s sister.  Carla accompanied us for our first eleven days and was a great blessing to have along! 

We began with a Saturday morning meeting of about 200 pastors and ministry leaders hosted at the church we established 33 years ago. After a time of worship, Sharon taught the ladies on the theme of Loving, Trusting, and Serving God while I challenged the men on principles of leadership.

I finished the teaching time with the whole group with the subject, Perseverance in the Ministry.  A very generous offering was received for Generations International Ministry!

Our first Sunday in Ecuador, I preached in “our” church. This was our first time back in three years. What a blessing spiritually and emotionally!  Lots of hugs!  Pastor Fernando has successfully led the church to have three identical worship services on Sunday mornings. What a blessing to see more than 450 people on that morning.  I preached from Psalm 145, Generation to Generation. There were seven first-time visitors, one baptism, and one decision to trust Christ as Savior.

One of the key purposes of the trip which was planned many months earlier was the Graduation of the Bible Baptist Institute of Quito.  Each graduate is required to write a thesis and then defend it before a council.  After successfully completing that step on Thursday and Friday, all seven of the graduates received their diplomas in a formal ceremony on Saturday.  As founders of the Bible Institute, which has functioned successfully and continually since 1987, Sharon and I were honored to participate in the festivities.   

The three women who graduated are all pastors’ wives and all four of the men are currently in fulltime ministry, three of them as senior pastors. We were greatly encouraged to hear their personal testimonies as to the Lord’s working in their lives and their plans to continue in His service.

On the 20th of November, we were the guests of Iglesia Bíblica Bautista Dulce Refugio in Santa Rita.  Pastor Carlos Pullugando and his wife Mónica are sweet-spirited, faithful servants of the Lord who have raised two wonderful daughters.  Our time in Santa Rita was great.  The church is being blessed of the Lord!

Our third weekend in Ecuador found us in Sangolquí as guests of missionaries Cliff McGhee, Janice Hickey and Jenny Carpenter.  Glenn and Sherri McGhee were at the time out of the country dealing with some serious health issues but that didn’t keep them from offering us their home for our weekend in their city.  Sharon and I had a great Saturday morning meeting with and speaking to a group of pastors and their wives and ministry leaders from the network of churches in the valley.  The McGhee families have been faithful and diligent and the Lord has blessed abundantly. Janice and Jenny have been a great help to the overall ministries.  On Sunday, it was my privilege to speak at Iglesia Bíblica Bautista La Victoria in the morning service and then a trip to the south to speak at Iglesia Bíblica Bautista in Machachi, a small city in the shadow of the volcano, Cotopaxi.

We started the next week by visiting our good friends, the Romeros.   That evening we met with the Monday night Bible study that we were involved with for many years.  We shared our journey and had a sweet time of prayer together with our dear friends. Also that week we were hosted by a group of pastors and wives to celebrate my birthday and I preached at the midweek service in Carapungo. An unexpected blessing was the opportunity to be interviewed by HCJB radio, a Christian radio station, celebrating 85 years of proclaiming the Gospel around the world. The topic that morning was Coping with the Loss of a Child.  For those who understand Spanish, you can hear the interview here: 

Our final Sunday was joyfully spent at Iglesia Bíblica Bautista El Refugio in La Argelia.  Pastor Jorge Navarrete and his sweet wife, Sandra, are being used of God and are a great blessing to this church!

One of the very positive accomplishments was the invitation from our Bible Institute to Sharon and me to return to our roles as professors.  So beginning with the April classes, we will both be teaching again.  Because of some technical advancements and with the help of some hardware and software which we will soon be purchasing, we will be doing our classes live from wherever we find ourselves on Tuesday evenings and Saturday mornings.

During our time in Ecuador, we were invited to eat by the following families: Carpenter, Dalgo, Davis, Espinoza, Hickey, Macancela, McGhee, Muñoz, Navarrete, Páez, Pazmiño, Povea, Pullugando, Romero, Saavedra, Salcedo, Sayago, Siguencia, Uribe, Vergel and "the ministry of alapanza." Each meal was accompanied by sweet memories and interesting information on the current state and future plans of these families.

We are happy to report to those churches who supported our ministry ‘way back when’ that fruit continues to be added to your account!  In every church and in every meeting and in every home, our hearts rejoiced with the work of God in the lives of some people we have known for decades and others to whom we were just introduced.  The words of the Apostle John replayed in my mind over and over again, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.”

Most of our time in Ecuador, we were hosted by Fernando, Verónica and Ian Páez.  We have known and loved Verónica since she was a child.  Fernando worked with me on the pastoral staff of the church for seven years and has been the senior pastor for ten. Their personal care and love for us is always evident.  Besides comfortable lodging, they provided countless meals. 

Sharon and I are grateful that God allowed us to begin our new ministry in Colombia and Ecuador!  To be with people whom we have known and loved and with whom we have served was a great encouragement to us. We were busy, speaking a total of 28 times. We are excited to see how the Lord will use Generations International Ministry in 2017.

We solicit your prayers for Generations. Please pray that doors of churches would open for us to present this ministry.  Pray that God would raise up the prayer and financial partners that we need.  Pray that we would be wise and discerning in accepting the invitations that are presented to us to take our ministry through open doors, internationally.

Generations International was launched in 2016 and is overseen by board members Tim Adrian (Hutchinson, KS), Russell Johnson (Miami, FL), and Jon Slayden (Midland, TX). The primary focus of the ministry is to strengthen national pastors and their wives through mentoring and encouragement in an effort to multiply church-planting efforts around the world. More information is available at www.generations.international.

An Amazing Journey

What an amazing journey we have been on!  

We are so thankful to Fernando and Verónica, who served as our hosts during most of our time in Ecuador.  They have been the epitome of "servants" for many years.  The Lord has blessed them and us!  Please pray for Verónica as she is experiencing some difficult health issues.

Sharon and I are grateful that God allowed us to begin this new ministry in Colombia and Ecuador!  To be with people whom we have known and loved and with whom we have served was a great encouragement to us!  We are excited to see how the Lord will use Generations International Ministry in 2017. You can be a part of it!  

If you are looking for an opportunity to invest in an amazing ministry and get some tax relief at the same time, be sure you click on the "Invest" button below and get your contribution in before midnight on Saturday, December 31st.  

We are grateful to Seminole Baptist for their help with this, while we still await the official response from the IRS.  

Celebrations

Another great week in Ecuador.  We started this week at a Monday night Bible study, with which we were involved for many years. An extra special detail is that this week the Bible study was hosted by the family who purchased the house we lived in. So we went “home” in more ways than one!

We were honored at a cook-out at Pastor Fernando’s house with a host of pastors and wives to celebrate my birthday!

We also were happy to attend and preach at the midweek service of the church in Carapungo. The building was full and the music was great! We were also hosted in the homes of the Vergel Family and the Muñoz Family. 

A highlight of this week was being interviewed on HCJB radio.  A link to the broadcast will be available on this site soon!

We spent our final Sunday in Ecuador at the church in La Argelia, in the southern part of Quito. Pastor Jorge and his wife Sandra are doing a wonderful work in this location.

Teaching & Preaching

Time is flying by. We have had such a blessed time, meeting up with people from our three decades here in Ecuador! This week we were privileged to meet and enjoy a meal with the Macancela Family. This family is out of the church in Carapungo and are pastoring the new church in San Juan. We were also happy to meet and dine with the Saavedras, the Espinozas, the Dalgos, and the Hernandez Povea girls.

This weekend Sharon and I both had the honor of speaking at the special conference for pastors and leaders in Sangolquí. This is the ministry established by Cliff and Glenn McGhee. We were pleased to have time with missionaries Jenny Carpenter, Janice Hickey and Cliff McGhee. It was a special treat to be able to speak at the church in La Victoria on Sunday morning and at the church in Machachi in the evening.

Praises

This week, we were happy to spend time with several dear friends visiting special places along with Carla, Sharon's sister.

What a happy occasion on Saturday, 19th, as we congratulated 7 new graduates of the Baptist Bible Institute of Quito, established back in 1987!  The unique characteristic of this graduating class is that all seven are already in ministry.  Three of the four men are pastoring churches. The fourth young man is on the full time staff of our first church.  All three ladies are pastors' wives. 

As part of the ceremony, each gave a clear testimony of God working in their lives! 

On Sunday, the 20th, we were happy to worship with and speak to the Sweet Refuge Bible Baptist Church in Santa Rita.  After some church trouble, they are encouraged with a renewed spirit and are committed to continue fulfilling the Great Commission.

What a blessing to be here in Quito!

Coming Home

Our first weekend in Ecuador was a source of great blessing to us!  On Saturday, 12th, we met at our church with about 200 pastors and ministry leaders from churches who came from near and far.  After a time of worship together, the ladies accompanied Sharon where she taught them on Loving, Trusting and Serving God. I taught the men some leadership principles.  

Then we all joined together again and I spoke from the book of Acts on Perseverance in the Ministry.  We had a wonderful time of fellowship as we enjoyed a delicious lunch of arroz con pollo. 

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A special surprise was a generous offering given to Generations International!

On Sunday, 13th, we were so blessed to attend, worship with, and speak to the church that the Lord blessed us to establish 33 years ago. Pastor Fernando has led the church to have 3 identical services every Sunday morning, at 8 am, 10 am, and noon. The total attendance was over 450, including 7 first time visitors. One lady was baptized and one man trusted Christ as Savior!  Lots of hugs after the three services from very dear people!  

We are happy to report to those churches who supported our ministry "way back when" that fruit continues to be added to your account!

Sunday evening we had an intimate meal with about 30 people, pastors and wives, who came together to encourage us in our new ministry!

We are SO blessed to be here!  Please pray for the Lord's continued guidance, provision and blessing on our ministry in Ecuador!

Tierra Alta

We are so happy to have completed our first full week in Colombia.  We are in the Highlands Camp, Tierra Alta, in Chinauta, near Fusagasuga, inthe province of Cudinamarca.  We are just 63 kilometers south of Bogotá, the enormous capital city. As you can see, we are still in the Andes mountains, but because it is somewhat lower altitude, the weather is warmer, the air is clean.

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We have thoroughly enjoyed ministering with the School of Christian Training.  It is an intensive 12 week discipleship course developed by Hugo Mario Rodriguez and Craig and Fran Lingo.  The students, ages 19-28, are prayerfully and carefully selected from many applicants and must commit to four months of separation from their homes.  Besides the intensive teaching, they will have an extensive mission trip to another area of this amazing country!  

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Sharon and I are humbled to be included in this new initiative and have accepted the invitation to come back and do it again!

Everyone here at Tierra Alta is now preparing for a great two-day event, Sunday and Monday, Día Zero.  

Thank you for your prayers for Sharon and me.  A special note of gratitude for those whose gifts make our ministry possible!   

Here we go!

Because all three of our Board members had already made plans to be in attendance at the BBFI meeting in Cape Cod, Massachusetts in September, Sharon and I decided to include a trip out there to have our first official meeting of Generations International Ministry!

We had a great meeting on September 21st. Our friends, George and Gina Uribazo, let us use their beautiful home for the auspicious occasion! We took care of business matters and had time to pray and discuss plans and methods. We are happy to announce that our organization is legal and our board members are Tim Adrian from Hutchinson, Kansas; Russell Johnson from Miami, Florida and Jon Slayden from Midland, Texas.  Tim was elected Chairman of the Board.

On our way out East, we were privileged to present our ministry to churches in Illinois and Michigan and to the Michigan BBF.  We have a full schedule until our first ministry trip to Colombia and Ecuador later this month!

Please keep checking out our website and this blog page to see the updates.