Friday Devotionals from the Mission Field Archives

No More Cuy (“Kwee”) For Me: Gallbladder Surgery in a 3rd World Country

08/05/2016 By: CCPearsoncomment

(Note to prayer partners on October 12, 2004)

Cuy, as you’ve learned by now, refers to guinea pigs which are eaten on a regular basis here in the Andes Mountains. Well, as a result of thorough medical exams I’ve gone through yesterday and today, I’ve been advised to stay away from the “delicacy” from now on. As you might imagine, that news didn’t make me very sad. However, I do have a problem for which I would very much appreciate your prayers.

This coming Friday morning (Oct. 15) I will have my gallbladder removed laparoscopically at the Hospital Monte Sinai here in Cuenca. An ultrasound revealed a large gallstone which explains some of the pain and sickness that I’ve had lately. Happily, Steve and I were able to find a competent doctor/surgeon that we trust, and he even speaks a good bit of English. This procedure requires only a 24-hour hospital stay, and Steve will be able to be right by my side. No one wants to have surgery while living in a Third World country, but God is in control.

(Report to prayer partners on October 17, 2004)

I received wonderful and attentive care. The hospital staff even brought in a flower arrangement with 2 orchids in it and a small fruit basket. Plus, three doctors had to sign off on my care ON A SATURDAY MORNING — the cardiologist, the pain management doctor and the surgeon — and they were all there as if it were a normal work-day. Would you believe that the total cost was only about $1500?? That included surgery, hospital stay, anesthesiologist, and doctors’ charges. Amazing! AND, I’ll get a CD of the whole deal that we can gather around and watch at Christmas time, if you want! Ha!

P.S. My recovery went smoothly. No infection. Praise the Lord

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

“If you falter in times of trouble, how small is your strength.” Proverbs 24:10

Finally . . . Some Fun!!

07/29/2016 By: CCPearsoncomment

“A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.” Proverbs 17:22

After several weeks of bouts with parasites and worries about the safety of family members during Hurricane Ivan, I wrote this to family and friends on October 10, 2004.

It’s such a nice surprise when things actually work out according to a plan around here, and this morning was one of those times. Last Thursday night we had our Quichua guys over for a training session — Eduardo, Daniel, and Ignacio. They participated well and were very enthusiastic — and that Spanish just flew out of Steve’s mouth as if it actually belonged there! 🙂 🙂 So, this morning (Sunday) those 3 went with us to San Marcos (about 45 minutes north of Cuenca) and did most of the teaching. There were 7 young people ready and waiting to learn, and the guys did a great job. On the way out there and back, we helped each other with language. Ignacio is studying English, and Steve and I are constantly trying to improve our Spanish, so the camaraderie in correcting each other’s mistakes created a lot of laughter. Ignacio is the only single person in the group, so he has to endure quite a bit of teasing. All three are dirt-poor but have such genuine hearts. They are a real blessing to us.

When we got back to Cuenca, Steve stopped at a chicken restaurant to get the guys some lunch. Now, they are headed to Molleturo (about an hour and a half west of Cuenca) to visit a man who is studying to be a veterinary technician and wants Steve’s help. They are hoping to persuade him to allow a Bible study to begin in his home in the near future. We think he’s going to be our “man of peace” in that area (Luke 10:1-11).

I have a lot of work to do preparing for a group of volunteers coming soon from Washington State, so I opted to let the guys go on without me. However, they “casually” mentioned that Ecuador is playing Chile in a very important soccer game this afternoon at 4:00 and were ecstatic when we invited them to watch it on the television in our apartment (none of them has a television), so I’ve got snacks waiting for their return.

As we’ve explained to y’all before, our job is to train and empower the Ecuadorian Christians to reach their OWN people, so we feel that today has been a very successful step in that direction. It feels good.

Thanks for being such faithful prayer warriors.

15 Things I Learned about My Granddaughter

07/22/2016 By: CCPearson4 Comments

Missionaries are fervently instructed to be “ALL THERE,” when they are on the field. I understand this with my head, but with all children, in-law children, siblings, parents and our one and only grandchild in the States while we were in Ecuador, I found that instruction to be virtually impossible. And, I dare say, all of the missionaries who had children and grandchildren AWAY were in the same boat.

Near the end of our first year on the field, our youngest daughter and our only grandchild — who was a few weeks away from turning 3 years old — flew into Guayaquil to spend a week with us. Oh, the anticipation of that visit, and oh, oh, oh, the agony of taking them back to the airport a week later.

In the days after they left, I made a list of new things I had learned about little Allie Grace during that visit. Things that I knew would likely change before I’d see her again, but things that were dear to my heart during our week together. As you read this list, perhaps it will motivate you to pray for a missionary you know on the field right now who is separated from loved ones.

Allie Grace is the only person I know with a really CUTE passport picture.
Allie will go along with almost anything if you put the word “princess” somewhere in the activity, i.e. “Let’s get in your princess car seat.” “Princesses always use the potty.” Etc. etc.
She does not like it when her Granddaddy “cuts the faces off” when he’s cleaning the fish they’ve caught.
Allie’s favorite colors are pink and purple.
Allie is fearless on a playground.
She loves baths, bedtime stories and her new red dress.
She can spot a bug or a dog from a very long distance.
Her favorite songs at the moment are: “Bare Necessities,” “Whistle While You Work,” “Some Day My Prince Will Come,” “Jesus, Lamb of God,” and “Who Let the Dogs Out?” (quite a variety!)
She is very good at making pancakes and frosting birthday cakes.
She loves hats and does an amazing job of walking in high heels.
Singing and dancing come very naturally to her.
Allie loves ham . . . and peas . . . and corn.
Allie knows 3 new Spanish words: “Hola,” “Aqui,” and “Gracias.”
Her favorite hand to hold is her Grandmother’s.
She now understands the concept of a mountain and thinks Granddaddy’s roads are bumpy.

Allie and Grandmomma getting a pink birthday cake ready for her 3rd birthday party.

Allie catching fish with Granddaddy.

Actually, my list had 32 items on it, but you get the idea. Allie will turn 16 this fall. She has been joined by 11 other grandchildren in our family — all dearly loved and “precious in our sight.” This, though, was a vivid week during our time on the mission field.

“. . . May the Lord watch between you and me when we are absent one from the other.” Genesis 31:49 (A constant prayer of mine during our years in Ecuador).

A Precious Moment, an answered prayer and a prayer request

07/15/2016 By: CCPearsoncomment

(Newsletter April 1, 2004)

Dear Friends,

“Alli tutamantaj. Allillachu cangui.” (Good day. Are you well? in Quichua)

Last Sunday, a commencement ceremony was held during the first part of the worship service for the Quichua teenagers in Cachigalguay who had attended my Saturday morning English classes. I presented certificates, and Steve gave a brief message from 1 Timothy 4 in Spanish. The church then presented plaques to each of US, and the pastor used Psalm 126:5-6 to encourage us. He said that this church recognized that we often “sowed in tears” because of missing our family, but they saw our work with them as “reaping in joy.” It was one of those indescribably precious moments.

In our last newsletter, we asked you to pray for Steve’s visits to Huigra and Molleturo. March 8th went well, but he wasn’t able to go on the 29th because of an injured foot. We think that an old ankle injury recurred when his foot was stomped a few times by the cows he treated in Guamote. Fortunately, we were able to find a good English-speaking doctor here in Cuenca who seems to have made an appropriate diagnosis. He’s much better now.

In these days leading up to Good Friday and Easter, the “Passion of the Christ” movie is scheduled to open here in Cuenca during the week, which we hope will provide opportunities for discussion and sharing. However, a pirated and doctored DVD has been reported to be for sale on the streets for $1.00, with such changes as: “Into Mary’s hands, I commend My spirit.” Pray that The Truth will overcome Satan’s attempts to distort.

“Those who sow in tears shall reap with joyful shouting. He who goes to and fro weeping, carrying his bag of seed, shall indeed come again with a shout of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.” Psalm 126:5-6

“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:32

A Stroll and a Report

07/08/2016 By: CCPearsoncomment

(Newsletter June 22, 2003)

Today’s stroll along the river near our apartment was particularly cultural. Because of yesterday afternoon’s rains, the water was running more swiftly and clearly than normal, so whole family groups were gathered to do their laundry. The atmosphere was unusually merry, though, because of a religious fiesta going on in town this weekend, so everyone seemed to be in a party mood. We suspected that the picnic baskets would be coming out shortly. We stopped in at the fish market, as well as at the fruit and vegetable stand. Business at both was brisk, probably in preparation for big family meals in the late afternoon. We sat on a bench to watch the world go by, and a young boy and his herd of goats came within a few feet of us. He was having quite a time keeping his stubborn, independent charges out of the street. A few yards further down we noticed a taxi parked beside the river and saw that the driver had gotten out to take a bath and had his hair completely lathered up — right there in the middle of the river! On the other side of the river, 4 or 5 cows were grazing, and some happy little boys were playing soccer. You talk about a great place to have a Backyard Bible Club?? This would be it! For us, it seems so good to be “home” again, among familiar sights, sounds, and smells, after being away for the past 2 weeks.

June 10-16, we were in Salinas (on the Pacific Coast) with all of the Southern Baptist missionaries serving here in Ecuador for the annual general meeting. Spending time with our colleagues, hearing about their work and swapping stories and advice was great fun. A former missionary and his wife, now serving in a pastorate in Texas, were there to teach Bible studies and preach. Being able to sing in English and hearing preaching in our “heart” language was absolutely wonderful. Maybe you haven’t thought about it, but missionaries are pretty much responsible for their own spiritual growth and development, so this was a much-needed time. We also had hours everyday for training and information, and meals were spent sharing and laughing. All of the missionaries who have moved to Ecuador since the last meeting were asked to give their testimonies, so Steve and I enjoyed telling our “story” on Friday night. There was a wide range of experience from which to glean wisdom — two couples planning to retire in another year, those with one year on the field and those with 30+ years, all the way to one new family with 5 children! A volunteer group from First Baptist Church, Trussville AL, was there to hold Vacation Bible School for all of the MK’s. That ministry allowed the kids to grow spiritually while their parents had a chance to get renewed without being distracted. The Trussville group also brought lots of grocery items from the States that are unavailable here, so an auction was held with the proceeds going to the Lottie Moon Offering or for the home missionaries we have in Ecuador. It was amazing what jars of crunchy peanut butter sold for! Steve was a mighty happy camper when he got 6 cans of potted meat for $11.00!

From Salinas, we went directly to the small town of Chunchi to join a medical team from Oklahoma, which was already at work. This group of thirty consisted of 3 medical doctors, 2 dentists, 2 eye doctors, several nurses, a pharmacist, assistants for each of these and children’s workers doing puppet shows, playing games, blowing bubbles, teaching songs and taking lots of Polaroid pictures (a treasure since so many of the children have never had a photograph of themselves). I was so impressed with the focus, stamina and dedication of the volunteers. The place where we stayed and the food we ate was “challenging,” but I never heard a word of whining or complaint. Clearly, they had come to be servants. Eight different villages were served by this team, and the very good news is that some of the best response came in a place with NO evangelical work. Steve and I hope that this experience will open the door for planting a new church in that community. At each location, Ecuadorian pastors were there witnessing and giving spiritual counseling. I don’t know how many total professions of faith there were, but at the last location on Friday afternoon, there were 9. The doctors all acknowledged that what they were able to do for the people was only a temporary fix, but the spiritual advances were eternal. Praise the Lord!

“To this end also we pray for you always that our God may count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power; in order that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12

Blue Jeans and Blessings on a Sunday Morning

07/01/2016 By: CCPearsoncomment

(Letter to our prayer partners, February 15, 2004)

Hi Everybody!

Before setting out this morning for Monjas, a very remote Quichua village about an hour and a half from our apartment, we decided to put on our blue jeans (not your basic typical Sunday morning attire), and it was a good choice. A shirt and tie, or a skirt and heels would have created instant suspicion and probably would have lumped us in with Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons. We picked up our helpers Eduardo and Daniel and started out. Along the way, we were treated to the sights of a newborn lamb with its mother, at least 10 different varieties of chickens, a runaway burro with its owner about 1/4 mile behind and incredible mountains covered in eucalyptus trees and native wildflowers. The road itself, however, should have posted a warning sign: “Do not start this journey in your truck unless your bladder is completely empty!” It was rough!

We arrived a little before the previously scheduled time of 10:00 a.m. (typical North Americans that we are), and immediately noticed that there were very few adults in sight. Slowly but surely over the next hour we were able to determine that there had been a death in the community and that all of the adults had gone to the wake, so the date for Steve’s seminar had been “changed.” (Hmmmmmm). The woman who seemed to be “in charge” had, though, collected a sample from her cow for Steve to check for parasites, but since he had planned a lesson on mastitis, he didn’t have his microscope with him. We kept hearing sounds coming from the partially-constructed Catholic church nearby, and at 11:00 a.m. about 35-40 children and young people poured out having just finished their catechism lesson for today. Water balloons were suddenly everywhere as the boys attempted to terrorize the girls. This is a very common practice in Ecuador during the days leading up to Ash Wednesday. Water balloons, water guns, buckets full of water — whatever is handy is used to soak as many victims as possible. For some reason, this is considered to be great fun right now, making it treacherous for “strangers” to walk on the streets and sidewalks. It will all end abruptly on Feb. 25th, but until then, it has to be endured). Anyway, we were a source of unabashed curiosity, so we were immediately surrounded and stared at. While Steve, Eduardo and Daniel were communicating with a young man about another date for the seminar, it occurred to me that HERE was another possibility for English classes. Sure enough, when I mentioned it to the children gathered around me, they were all eager for classes like that, and I was even told that I could use the pitiful little 3-room schoolhouse building for that purpose. Unlike the teenagers at Cachigalguay, these young people have had NO previous English study, so I’ll be working with some eager “blank slates!” To our knowledge, there are no evangelical Christians living in this community, so start praying now for our return trip there on February 29th.

For our trouble, we were rewarded with lunch. We were directed to a room in the small community building and were given individual plates piled with boiled potatoes and topped with pieces of cuy (guinea pig). Lucky me. My bowl had the entire roasted head with its mouth wide open and eyes and teeth staring back at me!! There was also a side dish of habas (like big butter beans but with a thicker skin). Since no one was dining with us, it was easy to share my bowl with Eduardo and Daniel, plus it is very common to put leftovers in plastic bags to take home for later. According to the guys, the cuy head is particularly “rico” (delicious), so we were ALL happy with the sharing situation, and now their wives won’t have to prepare supper — thanks to the bagged up leftovers. Oh yes, when the food was being brought in I noticed that one of our spoons was dropped in the dirt outside. It was quickly picked up and brought right on in. I wonder which of us ended up with that one?

Did we accomplish the goal we set out to meet when we left home this morning? Did Steve teach about mastitis in cows, and did Eduardo lead a Bible study? Did anyone pray to receive Christ? No. But, we added another layer to the relationship that we are building for future sharing of the gospel in that community. No one said this was going to be easy. Somehow, though, we all came back feeling very positive about the possibilities. Remember. Animal health and English classes are just out tools, our “hooks” if you will, for building bridges. God will provide the open doors.

Keep praying.

“For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6

I heard a sermon on that verse once and took notes in the margin of my Bible. The 4 points were: 1) It’s God’s work. 2) It’s good work. 3) It’s guaranteed work. 4) It’s a growing work. A good reminder for all of us, don’t you think?

A Good Night to Be A Missionary

06/24/2016 By: CCPearsoncomment

(An email to our children February, 24, 2004).

Tonight was another one of those times when I really felt like a missionary.

A few years ago, your Daddy and I bought one of those inexpensive, 13″ TV/VCR combinations, mostly to watch when we were exercising on the treadmill upstairs on the landing. I never imagined that it would be used to show the Jesus video to a roomful of Quichuas. But, that’s exactly what happened tonight.

We left the apartment about 4:30 this afternoon to follow Linda (our fellow missionary in Cuenca), her mom and friends currently visiting her from Washington State to a new ministry community, San Bartolo. We were in the truck and stopped to pick up the Quichua pastor of Santa Barbara and his wife along the way. They were such a sweet couple, but their Spanish spoken with a Quichua accent proved to be an extra communication challenge. Linda told us there would be a TV and VCR in the home where we were going, but I offered to carry our little set “just in case.” We finally got to our destination about 6:30 p.m. Our hostess for the evening, Rosa, was a strong-looking woman whose husband and sons have gone to the States, leaving her to raise the daughters and all the grandchildren by herself. She had swept and tidied a bedroom and had arranged chairs all around the edge. These were straightback chairs she had obviously borrowed from somewhere. Then she put a TV and some kind of machine on a table against the wall. It was a good thing we took our TV/VCR because what she had would not have played our tape.

Shortly, Rosa had supper ready. You guessed it — roasted cuy (guinea pig), papas (potatoes), and mote (like hominy). Then, bread and molasses for dessert. Since I am trying to stick to my low-carb diet, I ate a few bites of cuy and then passed my bowl to the pastor, who grinned broadly at the sight of more food. As usual, the guests (meaning us) were served separately from the family. We’re always given a full plate of food and a large serving spoon as the only utensil. No napkins. Cuy is very greasy, so I was glad your Daddy had a clean handkerchief!

By 7:30, I had concluded that no guests were going to show up — after all, it was the last night of Carnival, and most people wanted to party one more time before the beginning of Lent. But, when we started the movie at 7:50, there were 14 Quichuas in the room, and within 30 minutes, 24 were watching. They sat in those uncomfortable chairs, shoulder-to-shoulder, with rapt attention, and 11 were even crowded together sitting on the bed. We gringos were off to the side since we wanted as many of them as possible to have a view of that tiny screen. Satan tried to use 3 cats that enjoyed walking in front of the TV, dogs barking, and a baby who started crying during the Crucifixion scene to distract them, but he was not successful. I was in a good position to watch their faces. We found out from the pastor later that at least 10 of those who were there were unbelievers, and I think I could probably pick them out. They were paying intense attention. I prayed for several faces in particular that appeared to be seeing and hearing the story of Jesus for the very first time. At the end, I had some gospel tracts and Linda’s friends had gum and small toys for the children. I can’t tell you whether or not anyone received Christ for the first time tonight, but I do know that they each had a clear opportunity to learn the Truth, and I know that we are working hard to provide follow-up times in that same location.

When we took the pastor and his wife back home, we got out of the truck briefly and were treated to the sight of at least a million stars brilliantly lighting up the top of the mountain where we were. It was a good night to be a missionary.

I love you,

Momma

“Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who alone works wonders. And blessed be His glorious name forever; and may the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen, and Amen.” Psalm 72:18-19

Yet Another Adventure

06/17/2016 By: CCPearsoncomment

(Newsletter to prayer partners and family, May 4, 2003).

It was a simple plan for the day. Steve was going to Cachigalguay for his final veterinary seminar in the first series and would be away from 7:30 a.m. until about 5:30 p.m. I was to stay behind to meet a couple of scheduled repairmen, catch up on laundry, and make preparations for a volunteer medical team arriving in a few weeks. I got to the end of my to-do list and decided to walk about 5 blocks to talk to a hotel manager to get rates for the volunteer team.

I put the door key in my pocket along with a little money and a copy of my passport — you never know when you might get hit by a taxi or a bus and need some form of ID — grabbed a pad and pen and headed out. The hotel manager happily spoke English, gave me a nice tour of the facilities and promised to get back soon with a proposal. I stopped at a neighborhood deli and bought a chicken tamale for lunch and got back to the apartment smugly proud of myself for managing all of that alone in my new culture. I reached in my pocket to get the key only to try it and discover that it was NOT the door key after all. I STILL don’t know what that key opens. There I was. No way to open my door and Steve still likely to be gone for another 4 or 5 hours!!

I immediately went downstairs to get Alfredo, the guard. We’re crazy about Alfredo. He doesn’t speak a word of English, but he has helped us in a million ways since we moved in. Surely, he’d have a solution. But, no. He didn’t have spare keys to everyone’s apartments. He told me our landlady was on the coast and unavailable, and he refused to loan me a ladder to climb up to our second floor apartment from the outside and come in through the sliding glass doors. Bummer. He said he was sorry, and I realized I was stuck. He went back downstairs, and surprisingly, I didn’t cry!! I sat down in the stairwell and started thinking. Pretty soon I remembered a bathroom available near the lobby, if necessary. 🙂 That helped my impending panic quite a bit.

Now, if I’d been at home in Alabama, several things would have been different. For one thing, I would have had a big ol’ purse with me full of lots of keys — one of them SURELY would have been the front door key. But here I try as often as possible to avoid taking a purse. I can walk faster and easier, plus I don’t feel like such a target for petty thieves and muggers. At home I would have used my cellphone to get Steve’s advice about what to do. Here, although cellphones are available and fairly common, we haven’t seen the need for one YET. In my Alabama home, I probably would have broken a window in order to get in if there had been no other options. But, in our building, there are no reachable windows, and the landlady would certainly have been unhappy with me for such a stunt.

So, I kept sitting until the idea of a locksmith came to me. Once again, I went to Alfredo and asked for his help in locating one. Both of us felt it was unlikely since it was Saturday and lunch/siesta time at that, but he found a number for me and let me use the lobby phone to call. A man answered, and I stammered something that I hope meant “I need a person to open my door, por favor.” He asked where. I gave him directions, and then he started talking very fast, so I handed the phone to Alfredo. From what I could tell, the man said that he was in the middle of lunch, but that he would come when he finished — maybe a half hour or so (Latin American time). We hung up. I went back upstairs to sit in the stairwell, eat my lunch and wait.

In a very reasonable amount of time, the locksmith arrived with his little bag of tricks, and within 5 minutes, I was inside. When I asked, “Cuanto cuesta?” (How much does it cost?) He said, “Tres.” (3) I could hardly believe my ears!! Only $3.00 for a house call on Saturday afternoon??? I paid him $3.50, and we were both VERY happy!

What a nice place to live! What nice people live in this town! As the character Annie sang when she first saw the home of Daddy Warbucks, “I think I’m going to like it here!” Another happy ending. Praise the Lord!

Philippians 4:19 “And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”

Being Mary Poppins . . . Que Divertido! (What fun!)

06/10/2016 By: CCPearsoncomment

Matthew 6: 19-21 ¹⁹“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

(From a newsletter on October 18, 2003)

A few weeks ago, Steve and I went with our ministry partner, Linda Freeman, to the village of Chorocopte to assist her in teaching the “Experiencing God” study to a group of adults. I noticed that the children were expected to just stay out of the way and be quiet, so afterwards I asked if they were able to attend Sunday School somewhere. The answer was that the nearest evangelical church was too far away, and that the family business prevented them from getting to services on Sunday. So, I asked if they would like for me to prepare something for the children while the adults were having their study. The adults got very excited and immediately thought of more children in the area that they wanted to include. So, last Thursday, I found six eager children waiting to see what the gringo lady, Hermana Connie, was going to do. No, I didn’t sing “A Spoonful of Sugar” or fly in with an umbrella, but I did have an enormous bag of “tricks.”

Here I am with my eager students working on coloring sheets about the day’s Bible story.

My Spanish teacher helped me practice reading the story of Noah’s ark from a children’s Bible. I found some coloring pages in English that I carefully translated into Spanish. I used boxes of fresh new crayons that volunteers had brought in, and I carried by CD player with songs to teach, such as “Cantare de Te amor para siempre” (“I will sing of Your love forever) and, just for good measure, I had “The Hokey Pokey” and “If You’re Happy and Your Know It” in English!! I even took antiseptic handwipes (bless their little hearts) and cookies! They were smiling and giggling the whole time, teaching ME lots of new Spanish words and asking the English names of all the crayons. Four of the children had never heard that Bible story before and seemed fascinated by all those animals and all of that rain. It was by far the most fun I’ve had since we got to Ecuador!! The story of Naaman and his leprosy will be next, and I’m going to prepare for 15 children — knowing that the news of the cookies is bound to bring them in. My earthly reward for this effort was having a big piece of fried cuy (guinea pig) piled on my plate of rice and potatoes that was served afterwards!

A Praise Report

06/03/2016 By: CCPearsoncomment

Only 3 1/2 months after we arrived on the field and while we were both still in full-time language school, Steve was asked to be the main teacher/speaker for the all-day Good Friday services at a large Quichua church in Cachigalguay. Hallelujah that Juan Miguel Delgado, a fine Christian young man in Cuenca who is fluent in English, was available to go with us as Steve’s translator. Here is the report I typed later to our prayer partners).

Steve spent every available minute on preparation for today during this past week, and it showed. He had plenty of material, and it was all eagerly received by the church FULL of people who came. We were surprised by the number of young people and children who were there. In God’s providence, our son Matt has been preaching a series of messages on “The Seven Last Words of Christ,” so he shared his sermon notes via e-mail with his Dad, and that provided lots of research and background information.

When we first arrived, the pastor encouraged everyone to spend time on their knees asking God’s blessings on the lessons. It was very moving and reassuring to hear those people whispering their prayers all at once in Spanish.

THEN, a group of young men led in a time of praise and worship music. Well, the main verse that kept coming to my mind was, “Don’t let your right hand know what your left hand is doing,” because that’s pretty much the way the music sounded . . . . at least to MY ears. I’m sure it sounded much different to God. Sincerity and robust singing were abundant. Rhythm, however, was noticeably absent. Bless their hearts. People really TRIED to clap to the beat, but, sadly, there wasn’t one! Oh well. It definitely didn’t dampen the Spirit in any way.

Steve teaching. Juan Miguel translating.

After Steve and Juan Miguel had been teaching for several hours, the pastor called a break for lunch. He surprised me by asking me to say the blessing!!! I prayed SOMETHING in Spanish — don’t ask me what. Everyone went to the basement of an adjoining building and sat in chairs placed as closely together as possible. Then, in an amazingly short period of time, the deacons served everyone a big bowl of rice with lots of vegetables and pieces of chicken mixed in and a big choclo (corn on the cob — sort of). All of this was eaten with a large serving spoon. While we were balancing this dish on our laps, the deacons came back around with cups of warm orange Kool-aid. Then, a couple of minutes after that, we got a bowl of pear-sauce (as opposed to applesauce) and a giant flat roll. It was a trick to manage all of those dishes, but it was quite tasty, and the crowd seemed to be most appreciative.

Lunchtime at the Good Friday event in Cachigalguay. We all sat shoulder-to-shoulder and enjoyed the lunch prepared by the ladies but served by the deacons.

Steve’s afternoon session also went well. At the end, they began to ask all kinds of questions, and he had to politely remind them that he was a veterinarian, not a theologian, but he certainly did the best he could. Fifty-five years of listening to sermons and thirty-plus years of teaching Sunday School came in mighty handy for him. Psalm 37:4 was answered very powerfully for my husband today. “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” For a long time, the “desire of Steve’s heart” has been to be able to spend countless hours studying God’s word and teaching it, but he had to earn a living. God’s gift was in giving him a way to earn a living WHILE studying God’s word and teaching. And, hopefully, the Quichua people were the real beneficiaries today.

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