Ministry Day 4 - Sunday

Sharing the gospel at the church plant in Laura Flores.

Today was our last day of ministry.  We woke up this morning, went to breakfast and then headed to leadership training.  We studied personality types and leadership styles.  Afterward we headed to our morning worship time at First Baptist church here in Santo Domingo.    We had a great lunch (tamale, soup, meat/rice/veggies) and then bused over to Laura Flores, a neighborhood built on a trash dump.  At the site we had a short church service, sang songs, and then I shared the gospel with a ton of kids.

Emily and Mallory hang out with a few girls.

The team spent time playing with kids and a few girls in our group played soccer against the local Ecuadorian girls.  The game was pretty intense and we discovered that Mallory is an incredible goalie!

We had dinner at a local restaurant and then headed back to the hotel for another leadership session.

Goldthwaite's finest Goalie!!!

Tomorrow we are headed to visit the Tsachilas people, an indigenous tribe of Ecuador.  In the afternoon we are headed back to Laura Flora to put on a Soccer Clinic.



Please continue to pray for us as our mission is not over.

Ministry Day 3 - Saturday

We shared the gospel with this paralyzed man.

Well we had another great day.  The day started with breakfast and then we moved into our leadership time.  We studied another "soft" skill Authenticity.  We also looked at strengths and non-strengths.

Emily teaches how to share the gospel.

After our leadership study we headed to our ministry site.  One thing I didn't know until this morning was that Emily had led three people to the Lord yesterday!! Praise the Lord!  We made our way around to different homes and shared the gospel.  Mallory and Emily were able to share the gospel with several people.  Emily led another woman to Christ!  I had a great discussion with a young man named Shelbit from New Jersey.  I was able to leave a Bible with him and some information.  I know the Lord is after this guy and will continue to reveal himself.






This evening we went to a youth service at the "mother" church.  Mallory shared her testimony again.  We returned to the hotel for a hamburger dinner had a debrief time and now were headed to bed.

Tomorrow we will be going to local churches for worship.  Patrick will be preaching in the afternoon.

Mallory shares her testimony.

Please continue to pray for us.

- Fatigue is setting in
- Pray for Patrick preaching tomorrow
- Pray for boldness in sharing the gospel

Ministry Day 2 - Friday

The street we are walking to share the gospel.

Today we had another great day. Thanks so much for your prayers.  Keep 'em coming!

We started the day with breakfast (OJ, cheese sandwich, scrabbled eggs) and then headed to our leadership training.  We spent the morning talking about the importance of studying leadership.  We are studying two dimensions of leadership this week, "hard" skills: what a leader does and "soft" skills: who a leader is.  Today our "soft" skill was Social Intelligence.  After our leadership training we went to lunch and had an empanada, cheese/potato/avocado soup, fried fish, veggies and rice with a gelatinous jiggly pineapple desert. (see Mallory's demonstration below)

Next we headed to our ministry site, Dos Pinos (Two Pines).  We started down our street.  Mallory and I were able to share with a 20yo guy.  He listened but due to his schedule we prayed with him and moved on.  We then spent over an hour with a lady named Laura.  A 70yo great grandma.  Mallory led the charge and did a great job.  Emily got to go to several homes with our mission leader, Clint, and share at several homes as well.  She did an incredible job and was very bold.  We invited everyone back to the church for a small meeting.  I got to lead two worship songs.  It was incredible hearing people singing to Jesus in Spanish and English at the same time!!  Mallory and another student then shared their testimony.  Afterward our mission leader began some basic discipleship material and connected the people with the church members and pastor.

Emily and Mallory with one of the little girls, Daniella.

We headed back to the hotel and finished the day with a dinner from KFC.  We had some time to debrief and then we played some games.  FBC students will be proud to know we dominated at Silent Football!!!

The day is over and we are headed to bed.  We are having an incredible week so far.

Emily chatting with our translator.

Please pray for the following things:

- Emily has felt a little sick

- continued boldness to share the good news

- please specifically pray Sat 10-12 and 2-4 as we

 will be sharing

- for the Spirit to open eyes and hearts to truth.  Just like in Goldthwaite, many people believe they go to heaven because they simply know about God or they think God will let them into heaven because of the good things they have done or they think they are good people.  We know this is a lie from Satan.  Please pray against this spiritual attack.

Thursday - First Day of Ministry

Well it's been a great first day!  We stayed at a Nazarene seminary last night and then woke up first thing this morning to head to Santo Domingo.  We took a 4 hour bus ride through curvy mountain roads.  Thank the Lord for motion sickness medication.  After arriving in Santo Domingo we ate lunch, a four course meal starting with avocado salad, then chicken leg soup, beef, rice and gravy, followed by strawberries and cheese, and blackberry juice to drink.

After lunch we checked into our hotel and headed to our ministry sight.  We broke up into three teams.  Emily stayed at the church with our mission leader to help lead a women's Bible study.  Mallory and I went with a translator, the IMB missionary, and two ladies that are members of the local church.  We stopped and prayed with a man who had been paralyzed in a car wreck.  We then headed to a home and found a lady and her family that were already believers.  Next we went to a home and shared the gospel of Jesus Christ.  We read the story of the Lost Son (after the woman shared it was her favorite Bible story).  This gave us a great inroad into sharing the gospel.  We had time for one more visit were we introduced ourselves and set up an appointment for tomorrow.

This evening we'll head to supper and then debrief the day.

Please pray for us as we continue to be harvesters.  The population is largely Catholic so we are struggling to help people understand grace and the supremacy of Christ.  Please pray as we follow up with the people we spoke to today.  Please pray for Mallory, Emily and I to be bold and to speak in the Spirit of power given by the Lord.

Travel Day

We are waiting for our flight here in Miami. We will arrive in Quito this evening and head to our lodging. We will head to Santo Domingo tomorrow morning. We met up the rest of the team from Shelby, NC. We are looking forward to the week and are expecting the Lord to do a great work. We covet your prayers this week.

Patrick

Ecuador Mission Trip

A great adventure lies on the horizon!  Wednesday morning Emily, Mallory, and I will be departing for an 8 day mission trip in Santo Domingo, Ecuador.  Depending on internet access and availability, I will be updating this blog daily as well as posting videos to Facebook.  Please join in the adventure by praying daily that the Lord would use us in doing a mighty work in Ecuador for His Name and His Glory.


I think about the command we have all received "And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”


When Jesus says "Go"  he is literally saying "as you go."  This week we are going to Ecuador.  Our mission is in that nation this week.  You have a mission this week as well.  Share the gospel where you are.  "As you go" means as you go to work, as you go to the store, as you go to workouts, as you hang out with friends, as you eat with your family.  In all of life's circumstances let the gospel be on the tip of your tongue.  Going on a trip or going door to door can be great but we are supposed to be sharing 24-7, as we go, as we do life!!  Be quick to share the gift of grace that God offers through Jesus' sacrifice.  Talk about Jesus in front of others, talk about Jesus to others, tell what Jesus has done in your life.


Matthew 9:35-38 And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.  Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

The harvest is plentiful, in Ecuador and where you are.  The laborers are few.  You are the laborer, let get to work!!


For the nations for His glory,


Patrick