Well...I've now been in Ecuador for nearly 4 months, and have been in Milagro for 9 weeks already. God is continuing to take my life and mould me and use me here. It's such a joy to be a part of what He's already doing in this place. Sorry I haven´t updated this recently. Everytime I´ve tried to something has happened and my blog has been deleted, so this is a bit of a blog I wrote on Oct 4th.

This past month I've been taking on more and more responsibility in the church here. I've been starting to lead a few men and women through the bible as I visit their houses. I praise God for each of them and their open hearts and hunger to receive from God. I'm so thankful for how much He has helped me with the language here to be able to minister to people in a totally different language. We always utter the cliché at home 'God will give you the words to say'...and this is so true, If we're available to Him and for His Kingdom, He really does provide the perfect words, regardless of the language.

Through all these things, I have been reminded of just how much God is in control and of His sovereignty over all things. There is an old hymn that has been in my heart for a few weeks now. It says, 'He is Able, He is Able, He is Willing, Doubt No More.' This has brought much comfort that God is so able to do anything at all, but also a real challenge to pray for more faith in Him.

I have been reading the Gospel of Mark this past month and there are numerous occasions where the need for more faith is the key issue. The disciples' lack of faith in God's ability to feed the 5000 and in God's power to calm the storm (Mark 4 35-41) are two examples. Jesus simply reminds us in Mark 11 vs 22 to 'Have faith in God' and that faith can conquer anything. We see in Mark 10 of the blind man who simply wanted to regain his sight, and because of his great faith he was healed.

We need to have more faith in God. Faith in his power, his power to heal and the power of prayer. We are reminded in Mark 10 v 27, 'With human beings this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.' I am realizing this more and more each day that with God all things are possible, but still we need to have so much more faith in God.

God has been working in my life and taking out the old and bringing the new, its all for His Kingdom. I've a real sense of knowing that I am not yet what I shall be, but I am growing towards it. If you give your whole life over to God each day, He will work in your life. Although, very often we can't see a huge change within ourselves, and Satan uses this to discourage us and say that we're going nowhere and we're wasting our time. The truth is, we are not the same as we were yesterday. If we keep surrendering all to God, we are growing so much closer to Him everyday. Pastor Carlos always prays the following line that has brought me so much comfort, 'Dear God, thank you for what you have done for us, thank you for what your doing right now, and thank you for what you will continue to do.'

Be encouraged that when God is fully in control of your life, He is always working! Even though we may not see it with our own eyes, be assured that God is daily changing you to be more like His son. However, If you feel you haven't been giving your whole life to God, I encourage you to do so and to have faith because God is going to change you a lot for His Kingdom!

It is now nearly November and I have a few things for prayer.

Pray for the church I´m in and that I would continue to be a faithful servant there.

Pray for all those who are discouraged or struggled in their faith that God would work. (There´s one guy Luis who I had been working with for a month, but recently came back to us and said he didn´t want any more of God in his life because he was being laughed at for being a Christian in his work)...pray that God would work there.

Pray for Sonia. She is a woman who goes to the church and was pregnant, but the baby died inside here so she had to have it aborted last week. Pray for here and that she would learn more of God´s sovereignty at this difficult time.

Also pray for the Diaz family. Henry, Isabel, Saul, Luis and Carlita all go to the church too and have been great friends of mine. Last week the cane walls in their house, after much rotting, fell down, and the whole house fell. Right now i´m helping rebuild it. A new experience for me. But pray for them at this difficult time and that God would strengthen us all physically to get it rebuild as soon as possible.

Pray also for an older woman Georgina. We have been visiting her and her family and she isn´t a Christian however she is very sick and has been bed'ridden for months. pray that as we continue to visit her and share the word of God that God would open her heart and the hearts of her family.

Also pray for Rosalba. She goes to the church but has just separated from her husband and there is a lot of unease there.

Also pray for the encouragement of those who are discouraged' Janet, Yvone, Jofre, Monica, Carlos, Anabelle.

Pray for the grounds to construct a new church and for the money too. The church here is very small and the pastor feels they need to construct a new church, however there is no money. Pray for this specifically and that God would grant us the land to build it upon.

Thanks guys for all your prayers so much. That´s a lot to pray for there, but please do remember these people. In these people I see so much potential and such kind hearts but satan is trying to stop them from advancing with God. Pray for strength to persevere.

Pray for me in this coming week. I´m heading to an other part of Ecuador...Bucay and Pallatanga. There is a medical team coming down from Alabama to work here for the week and I´m going along as a translator. Pray that I would be able to understand everything and serve God with the ability to speak Spanish...and for a safe journey there.

Thanks again! I´ll update really soon again. God bless and keep seeking Him first.

J