Report of Ecuador Mission Partners --- Nov. 10 -- Dec. 18, 2008
César Moya and Patricia Urueña
1. QUITO CHURCH
New leadership. An Ecuadorian couple, Juan and Leidy Mayorga, returned from studies abroad. The Quito Church gave Juan a contract as assistant pastor for six months starting in November. Juan y Leidy have been fortunate to get full time jobs in Quito and will be very absorbed in that besides the care of their eight-month-old son. This will affect the amount of time they have left to support the church.
Peace Education Workshop. Saturday, December 13, we held the last workshop of the year with an attendance of 160 boys and girls from the neighborhood. There was a time of Christmas worship and then hamburgers and cake were provided by neighborhood persons. Bags of candy from our congregation were handed out. Ten people from the church were helping with the activity.
Refugee Project. Mennonite Central Committee responded to our petition for help for the ministries we offer to Colombian refugees in Quito. Initially $12,350.00 was approved as a part of the 2008 fiscal budget of the emergency food fund.
Workshops. Seven leaders of the church received a preaching workshop given by Cesar several Saturdays and during the week. Patricia gave a workshop to five women and one man from the church who are Sunday school teachers.
Baptisms. Janet Pupiales, Juan Camilo Moya, Julian Dodoy and Paula Godoy were baptized.
2. RIOBAMBA CHURCH
Mennonite Mission Network workers Don and Jan Rheinheimer have moved to Riobamba four hours south of Quito to accompany the new congregation there. We joined them in the worship celebration on November 19. There was good attendance. The group is now holding services in a house recently rented for the church. On January 16 and 17 we will travel to visit again and take part in a planning meeting.
3. FEINE (THEOLOGICAL TRAINING)
We traveled into the countryside and taught four courses in the theological training program. Patricia taught “Teaching Methods” in the Central Mountain region and “Christian Education” in the Southern region. The courses scheduled for the Amazonian region were canceled because of other Indigenous activities. César taught “Current Theology Trends” in the Northern Mountain region and “How to Make Theology” in the Central region.
4. PEACE TESTIMONY
We met with other denominational leaders to discuss enhancing the themes of peace, conflict mediation and Anabaptist-perspective theological courses for Ecuadorian pastors at the degree level. We agreed to meet again in January to define where we will support this effort according to our time.
We ask for your prayers for…
• Juan and Leidy Mayorga’s leadership in the Quito church; Don and Ran Rheinheimer and the new church in Riobamba
• Energy for our continuing classes with indigenous pastors and the new opportunities to teach Anabaptist theology in a degree program
• Rosa Aguirre, mother of one of the church leaders in Riobamba, who has been diagnosed with brain cancer; César’s father who will undergo heart surgery in Colombia
• Improvement in César’s left leg which has been troubling him recently
• The new members recently baptized in the Quito Mennonite Church
