Hey all,

So here we are on the 22nd April for the last blog of my time in Ecuador. I have spent the past few days clearing up my appartment in Milagro and this morning I finally moved out and brought all my stuff to OMS in Guayaquil. I have only a few weeks left before I return home...but before that I have a visit to Peru then a debrief in Indiana at OMS HQ. I would appreciate your prayers during these next few weeks as I travel and adjust.

Anyway, April has been a busy month. I spent the first week of it organising for our Good Friday service in church, which was a blessed evening. 7 of us preached...and 4 of those people were preaching for the first time. It was so evident to see how God has formed them and brought them to this point now where they are confident to preach for Him. I was encouraged to see Roxana (who i have worked alongside in youth group) preaching in the church for the first time, and she did a great job. God has really anointed her with a heart of compassion but also a real assertiveness when speaking to people. Praise God! This evening i really wanted to get the youth group involved in doing something, so a few days before i got Roxana and Jean Carlos to help me work out a mime for them to the song Above All Powers in Spanish. We didnt have a lot of practice time, but it didn't matter, cos the group of young people have such eager hearts to learn, and that made things flow well together. I was so proud of them all, and i know it was a huge thing for many of them as it was the first time that some had been involved in church. I praise God for this opportunity and I pray that each of them would take more responsibility and involvement in the church. It was my vision to start the youth group because not many youth were attending church, and weren't getting involved. So we have been meeting up for he past 4 months every Wednesday to study the bible and also have some fun together playing basketball or other games...I Praise God that now after this time of preparation as such, i can see they are more interested in church, but not just that, interested in Jesus and serving Him.

This month, Donald Coulter (OMS Regional Director, Northern Ireland) came to visit for a few days to see the ministry in Milagro. This was a huge encouragement for me while he was here. Praise God for sending Him over.

Anyway, Things have come to an end here in Milagro much sooner than I thought they would. I have now handed over fullresponsibility of Youth Goup to Roxana, Music Ministry to Jean Carlos and Sunday School involvement too. Pray for the next few weeks as I go Peru for a bit, then I come back to Ecuador and go back to Milagro the day before I leave Ecuador. pray for this time as i'm away and out of the country that the ministries i was involved in would continue and Pray for Roxana and Jean Carlos as they take up the responsibility of leading these without me around.

I thank God for the opportunity to come here for these 10 months. God has changed my life, i can't water it down, because that's the truth. I look forward to sharing with you all when I come home and sharing Jesus with You and praying that you will see how God has changed my life, and believe that he has the power to change your life too!

I just want to leave with you guys Zechariah 4.6, "Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit," says the Lord Almighty.'

I give God the glory for it is Him who has done the work in my life and through my life here. Last night i was saying goodbye to people in church and they brought me up to the brought and each person came up to say a few words to me. It was nice to hear all these good things about myself and it was very encouraging...but you know what, all this is of God. Any good thing that anyone would have seen in me here or any good that i have done is because of God...not by anything I've done, by no power of my own, but by His Spirit that is living within me. He is wonderful that He can take a sinner like me and shine through me...I don't deserve this mercy and man does He deserve ALL THE GLORY!

God bless you all,

See you when I get home in May,

Jon