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Ben & Jane Mock
Establishing Churches in Ecuador
May 2004
Dear Praying Friends,
It is always a joy to share with you news of the blessings bestowed upon our
home and ministry; here are some of the highlights since our last letter. We
began the year with a great service in which I had the privilege of baptizing
our two oldest children, Emily and Benjamin. On the same occasion I
baptized Toribio and Alexandra Valladares, a couple which had been saved some
three years ago, but who had been living in a common law union. As they
grew in the faith, they realized they needed to formalize their marriage, and
for some time they struggled with the personal and legal entanglements so common
to such a relationship in Ecuadorian society. Last year their daughter
Gaby had been saved and baptized, providing further motivation for them to put
their home in order. The church family rejoiced with them, and it was an
especially direct testimony to their unsaved relatives to see them marry in the
church and subsequently follow the Lord in baptism.
In January we began putting together and training a team to overhaul our
children“s ministry, an effort which resulted in the inauguration of an OANSA
Club (a Spanish version of AWANA) in the Bible Baptist Church of Cayambe. We
now have a ³staff² of 15 adult workers who minister to a core group of 60
children from the church. After gaining experience and confidence with
this soul winning and discipleship program, our workers are excited to use OANSA
as an outreach tool. Just last Saturday the weekly meeting was held in a
large public park near the church, with many families from the community looking
on at the flag ceremony, games, singing and study time which make up the OANSA
program. When all was said and done, fifteen young souls had received
Christ as Saviour, and follow-up is planned to evangelize their families.
Jane¹s weeks of preparation and hard work with the choir in Cayambe paid off as
they presented a cantata entitled ³The King of Glory² in several area churches
and community centers over the Easter season. It is difficult to describe
the uniqueness and impact of a program which must seem like standard fare for
American congregations. To begin with, in the culture here a traditional
choir is a rarity, among churches or otherwise. The use of a powerful,
formal singing style to present a strong biblical message is even more of a
novelty; in all, hundreds of believers and the unchurched alike listened in awe
as Jane directed some 20 trained voices to exalt Christ in song. One dear
saint commented that it was an honor to have such a program conducted in her
church, comparing the choir to those which perform with symphonic orchestras.
In the performances given in community centers, some were surprised that
admission was not charged as they entered; all left having received a clear
presentation of the Gospel of Christ.
Regarding our family, we would ask that you pray much over the next few weeks as
we hope to receive word soon regarding our children¹s visas which will enable
them to obtain U.S. citizenship. We are still waiting for word on a report
from Homeland Security, a prerequisite for an interview with U.S. Immigration
officers in Guayaquil, Ecuador. Following that, we will face a 60 to 90
day time limit in which we have to depart for the States to finalize paperwork.
In the meantime, Jane and I must renew our Ecuadorian visas soon; please
pray that the Lord will unravel the red tape for us, and keep us sane in the
process. Also, we would appreciate your supplications for the substantial
expenses we are facing: exorbitant governmental fees for the visas, travel
expenses to Guayaquil and air fare to the U.S., plus the provision of a vehicle
for our travel in the States. We will keep you posted on our progress, and
our furlough plans once the details are worked out.
In His Care,
Ben and Jane
Sent by Bethel Baptist Church, Richmond Hill, GA *
Sent through WBF Mission Agency, Arlington, TX
Casilla 17-11-6592 Quito, Ecuador * Tel.
(011) 593-2-236-0517 * <bmock@andinanet.net>
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