Dear Partners,
This has been one very special and exciting year for us at the Perhaps Today Camp in Ecuador. It is so special for us to see the camp being used for the glory of God. Our groups have been getting larger and that is so rewarding. However, we have had a group of two come for two days to just fast and pray. Yes, what a place to do that!
Recently, we hosted our largest group thus far. It was with 30 North Americans and 41 Ecuadorian teenagers and sponsors. They arrived in two buses (another first for us) one Friday night and began their study of the Spiritual Disciplines. How rewarding it was for us to see these two cultures spread out over the camp as they did their one on one with God time! Then their worship services are so very uplifting as well.
We keep getting comments and testimonies from our campers that they have had life changing experiences while being at the camp. When this work began in 1997, this was our number one goal, for people to draw closer to Jesus while being at the camp. Our continued prayer is that this even gets better as the time goes.
We have been doing a considerable amount of work on the September 11 dorm in order to get it open for service. We have received some special gifts in order to help with this effort. As we go through the list of needs, the list keeps getting shorter. As of August 1, our needs are:
| Ceramic tile the two bathrooms | $ 700 |
| Install the plumbing fixtures | 200 |
| Buy the electric cable and install the lights | 200 |
| Buy six doors | 300 |
| Buy the screen wire and boards for the windows | 300 |
| Buy 24 metal double bunk beds | 3,000 |
| Buy 48 mattresses | 1,550 |
The Rendezvous Camp in Oklahoma recently sent a gift for four of these beds. One very interesting item that came from the camp was that the three campers of the week each gave their winnings in the offering for the camp that night! That totaled $200!!!
As you see the list is broken down in order to tackle it individually or in one large sum. Our prayer is as you consider helping the camp just perhaps your Sunday School class or special group can make this one of your projects. This will enable us to add 48 more beds to the camp. That brings our total up to 120. Thank you Jesus!
Rocio and I recently had a very interesting and exciting adventure. We received an e-mail that a medical group needed some translators to help accomplish their goal of beginning a church in a very poor part of Ecuador. It turned out that the medical group was from a large church in Oklahoma City area. They were 15 in total which included two medical doctors, a dentist, two pharmacists, three nurses, two medical students and other helpers. The group came very prepared for what they wanted to do.
What a joy it was to see the almost 500 different people come to see the doctor and dentist, for some of them the first time in their lives. We soon found out that the diets of the country people have a lot to be desired. So many people suffer from diabetes and high blood pressure. Then the sadder part is that after the three month supply of prescribed medicine given to the patients runs out, they do not have the means to purchase more.
The joy of the week after we completed the three days in one of the areas, was to realize that the 300 or so people that we saw in that area were to be the basis for a new church plant. So please pray for the people in the area of Caņitas, in the Province of Manabi, Ecuador as they begin to see Jesus as their personal Savior. Pastor Humberto has his group of 10-15 leaders now working on the follow up for this group.
Another prayer that we have is about the upcoming election for selecting or rejecting the new constitution on September 28. There are just so many questions that are being raised about this now: the right of the unborn, the homosexual marriage issue, private property, the right to defend yourselves in court and the list goes on.
We are going to be in the States from the last of September until the last of January, God willing. Our prayer is that we can see many of you during this time. Our contact number there will be with our daughter Priscilla, at 417-499-3039.
Thank you for your prayers and partnership.
Contact us: perhaps_hoy@yahoo.com
Send financial support to:
- Ecuadorian Christian Mission
- Jerry Ferguson, Forwarding Agent
- Post Office Box 622
- Adrian, MO 64720