Rachel and I had an unbelievable time in Ecuador. We were touched by the many encounters we had with the Ecuadorian people. The kids were so open to the working of the Lord. The adults appeared to be open to the gospel as well. We are immensely grateful to all of those who prayed for us and supported us while we were away. God was glorified and your participation in prayer was all part of the process by which God accomplishes his purposes. Rachel and I are praying that the souls we made contact with and shared the gospel with will be in heaven with us some day.

I mentioned to one of the Word of Life College students that was helping me translate that I wasn’t sure when I would see him again, but when we got to heaven, we would finally be able to talk to each other without this whole language barrier. What an awesome day that will be!

The first day of our outdoor VBS, in the town of LaHoya, Ecuador, I met a woman named Jacqueline.  She spoke broken English but I was able to understand her.  She told me she was from South Africa and that she came here 13 years ago with a man promising her diamonds, riches, etc.  Needless to say, once she got in Ecuador, he quickly left her alone and abandoned.   Now she lives in a terrible situation of abuse and she can’t seem to find a way out. She was not clean and wore a hat each day.  Her front teeth were gone.

Each day of VBS she searched me out and each day brought me a gift.  The first day was earrings that she had made me.  The second day, was a bracelet and the third was incense (which she sells to make a living).  I knew, that with each conversation that I had with her, that God was the one who could heal her broken heart and her broken life.  On the fourth day of VBS, I was able to share with her that I was very thankful for the gifts that I had received from her.  This gave me a perfect opportunity to share with her the greatest give of all, Jesus Christ.  She told me that she understood and that she had prayed at home that night after Ken had given the gospel at VBS.

On the last day of VBS,  she came in a changed woman.  She had combed and done up her hair and had put make-up on and was smiling.  Others on our team, commented on the change as well. That last day, I was able to give her a gift myself…the Word of God…a Bible in Spanish.  I told her I would pray for her.  She told me that she would like to go home to South Africa.  It has been 13 years since she has seen her 24 year old twin girls.  Will you join with me in praying for Jacqueline?  With God, all things are possible

Jacqueline and Rhonda

I am finally home and nothing is better than seeing the family! Missing my wife and Aly, Tay, Luke, and Ruthie it sure was nice to see them. Getting back into the swing of things is really hard especially since the family is leaving for the Outerbanks on Friday!
As I think back on the trip what a privledge to have met Daniel, Ana, and the rest of the missionary team. They taught me what real sacrifice is to give your life to God. They are true spiritual leaders doing everything possible all for the glory of God. They arent worried about the little or big things of life, they are worried about telling people of Ecuador about Jesus and what he did for us! They rely on God for everything and it is pretty neat to sit back and watch God provide for their every need! It was my joy to be apart of God`s plan this past week in Ecuador. God Bless The Gonzalez`s and the whole Word of Life team!
POCHO is the man! I am missing him already!

Our group began the journey home last night at 11:30 PM.  The flight left Quito, Ecuador at 11:30pm.  We arrived at the Atlanta Airport at 6:00 AM this morning.  After clearing Customs and a short layover, the journey to Pittsburgh finally landed us home at the Pittsburgh International Airport at 11:30AM today.

The group is tired, they have ALL servered with passion and tireless commitment to what the Lord had called them to do this past week.  The journey home is very tiring…  But, we praise the Lord for all He has done.  All were able to see God at work in their lives.

Look for more blogging to come, now that we are home and have regular acces to the net!  But, it will be several hours.. for we all need sleep!

Blessings!

Mark and Briteny Slagle are heading home.  There flight departs tonight at 11:30 PM.  The missionaries had a special prayer time and time to say good bye to Mark.  God has used Mark in a mighty way to cordinate our work team.  This missionary has never had a work team come to help.  So they have made a major impact on the missionaries here at Word of Life Ecuador.  Mark´s  departure was a very touching time as Mark has now been to Ecuador 3 times since February.

Today we went to Bethany Baptist Church in Ecuador. I had the priveldge to speak via interpreter for the Sunday Message.  After this time, we went on a tour of the new Word of Life Ecuador Camp Site.  We had a time of prayer  of dedication at the campsite today.  If only you could have seen the dirt road that Daniel Gonzalez took us straight up in the big bus.  As he drove the bus up the dirt road, i could only think of some of the times that I have had with Ronnie Gminder as he drove me all around back in the day.  Daniel is a Ronnie Gminder bus driver ( You have to have known Ronnie), and an incredible missionary that is preaching the word every day here in Ecuador!

Ken and Rhonda at the Word of Life Ecuador Camp Site

It has been so amazing seeing the hand of God this week in so many different ways. It has been so eye opening to see a culture so different than ours. A few of us went out with translators into the neighborhoods each day before the vbs to invite children to come with us. Most of the people we approached were so friendly and open, they didn’t think twice about just handing their children over to complete strangers. It was so exciting to see the hundreds of children throughout the week get so excited to hear about God. At one of the sites we would have thirty kids waiting for us to arrive.

It is also exciting to see how God is working in our lives through this trip. It makes us realize how blessed we really are in the United States and the endless things we take for granted.

We have all grown so close with each other and the Ecuadorian team. It is such a great experience to sing songs and worship God together with people from the other side of the world. Even though we don’t speak the same language we have a much stronger connection, we are all children of God.

Hola from the Fords. Just wanted to share with you what the Lord is doing here. As Mark´s blog said, Jacob is well now. But few outside of our group knew he was sick. He struck violently ill around 2 AM Thursday morning (both ends, as I regre to say). We were concerned that he could get dehydrated, which is not a good thing anywhere, but especially here. After praying with Kenny and Rhonda and discussing it with our medical team, we decided to trust the Lord and give Him a chance to heal Jacob. The onzalez amily graciousl offered him their son´s bedroom their son Stephen is at Wod of Life´s facility in Arentina studying to become a missionay). How humbling it was to be served by those we came to serve, as Anna ensured that Jacob had applesauce (homemade, the bes he ever had accordin to Jacob) and homemade chicken noodle soup (see previous comment on applesauce for source and quality) when he was ready to eat again. Praise the Lord, whatever he had passed within about 24 hours and Friday morning he was up and collecting bugs in the Gonzalez´ yard. In the afternoon, he was back ou with us helping at VBS. I was a little spook to have him ill so far fom home, but it also gave us an appreciation for how these folks have to live every day. They have nothing but the Lord, and each other, to rely on. We are thanking the Lord that Jacob and Mark are both well today and back to doing what we came to do. By the way, whatever he had was not from the food (which is wondeful and has been consumed in vast quantities by both father and son) so no need to worry. This gave our whole family an opportunity to get to know the Gonzalez family better, and share with the rest of the group just how special they are, so what Satan meant for bad the Lord used for good.

Very difficult emotionally to say goodbye to the kids at VBS this week. We all fell in love with them as a group and each of had one or more who were extra special and looked for us each day. In my case, it was the prettiest little brown skinned girl one could imagine named Montserrat. I was able to share the gospel with her and her mom before we left today through an interpreter. Gotta o. Folks are waiting. Keep praying. Thanks.

Saturday morning and we had breakfast and the workers are feeling the pressure to complete. Ralph Michael and Brian G. are at the orphange completing the electrical work they only have a couple hours. The bunk beds are here at word of life and we are purchasing some angles and brackets to assemble together. Today I will go mattress shopping.
Word of Life project is where we need some prayer! Don Oakes and Jim Watts are in the bathroom starting to grout all the tile. Bob F. is the cut man on the wet saw for a couple of small peices we need to fill in. We still have to tile the kitchen countertop. Bedroom and livingroom and kitchen needs grouted. Mean while Bob Evans and Rich M., Glen Moss, Max (Ecuadorian) are painting up a storm! The plumbers Bob and BobJr. are getting ready to install a new water heater, they have many other tasks as the faucetts and toilet needs hooked up but not quite yet as other trades are trying to complete. Bob and Bob Jr. will be assembling the bunk beds for the orphange later on today. Carpenters Jeff L., Jason, and Jack have there work cut out today, doors for kitchen cabinets,shelving in pantry,bathroom, closet, etc. not to mention trimming around all the windows they installed yesterday, and the main door to install! Guys are all over the place working as if were an emergency! It is something for me to sit back and watch as the team works together as one. In normal situations, in this tightly workspace they are in, fists would be flying and tempers flaring but these guys are laughing and having the time of their lives! I take my hat off to all these men, they are working with limited supplies and tools , yet the are making it work and doing it professionally! Talking to each one of these men they all have expressed to me what a blessing it is for them to serve the Lord and help the people of the orphange and the Word of Life missionarys. I myself thank God every day for what he has given me, my family, my church, etc. HE has truly blessed me and I thank him so much! In the Bible it says it is better to give than receive and behalf of my team of workers I am pretty sure they all feel the same way I do.

It is Friday night and I am exhausted, but a wonderful exhausted!!  I never ever dreamed of ever being on a missions trip in my life.  This stuff was meant for Kenny Barner, not Michelle Seibel!!  How wrong I was.  This week has been completely amazing and not at all what I though it would be like.  The kids we are blessed to minister to are truly adorable, well mannered, and completely lovable.   The afternoon VBS has been my absolute favorite!!  I have never seen kids live in such conditions in my life and yet be so happy and lovable.  My heart has just been torn into so many pieces I can´t even begin to explain it.  If you ever have an opportunity to take a missions trip, I encourage you to go.  Especially if you have kids.  Nicole has made such a wonderful Ecuadorian friend.  They have been inseparable.  This morning she was able to connect with the older girls (12-13 yrs old) and it was amazing to see her run around and truly enjoy herself regardless of the language barrier (which is so hard).  Gotta go.  Too late.  People waiting to go to bed!!

It is friday night and brit and i were suppose to leave tonight but plans have changed and we are now leaving sunday night! thanks to everyone praying for me , my arther attack is slowly getting better. this trip is amazing and God is amazing, the work projects are going great! the team of workers are very busy and tired, at the orphange we replaced a roof 16`x 50` having to replace concrete block first, we also installed a new hot water heater this is the first time the kids have had hot water in 8 years, we painted bed rooms, and we have made 11 bunk beds! i am going mattress shopping tomorrow. We also are at word of life presently working on a small apartment for a couple that is going to be married in september, plumbing, laying floor tile, parging walls, cabinets, electrical, and painting. My team of workers I can not praise enough! they are working diligently together as one to get this project completed. I feel like we are that show Extreme Makeover! God has truly changed my life through this mission trip to Ecuador,showing me how much I take for grant it, seeing the children in the orphange begging for some attention make it very hard to leave. Also God has taught me to have patience ,everything here is very slow and some times frustrating cause I am in a big hurry. Seeing the team of word of life missionary really relying on God for their every need has really opened my eyes, so many times i try to accomplish thing myself instead of getting God involved which would be much easier. If we always go to God first in everything we do there will be NO PROBLEMO! as they say in Ecuador
Praise God that Jacob Ford is feeling better and is on the go again!