“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.”
(Ecclesiastes 3:1)
Big changes await us in our lives and ministry! In the next few months of 2016, we will be moving to the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, where we look to expand God’s work as we start the First Baptist Church on the island of Santa Cruz. Galapagos has four populated islands: Santa Cruz with 13,000 souls, San Cristobal with 7,000 souls, Isabella with 2,000 souls, and Floreana with 150 souls. As many of you may know, these are the Islands on which the famous Charles Darwin started his studies on the “species” and where, in later years, came up with his “great theory of Evolution.” We are fully convinced that this is the next step of faith we need to take as we seek to do God’s will, and we are excited about all the possibilities this change will bring.
As we prepare for what the future holds, it is impossible to reflect back on the past without saying, God is good! God has been so good to us!
When we came to Ecuador, we had big dreams about how God could use us, but God has far exceeded our expectations. The last week of January, we left behind a well-established church that averages 110 souls on Sunday mornings. The church is already paying the salary of the family who stayed as the pastor. We currently support 10 missionary families. There is a small group of faithful soul winners, as well as a dedicated team of Sunday school teachers, and the church has birthed another work in the city of Tonsupa approximately 30 minutes away, where they are averaging 30 people each service.
Blessing: A wealthy man, who is the son of a faithful member of the church, is building a new place for them to meet, which will allow them to comfortably hold more people and more efficiently do God’s work. Again I must say, God is good, and He is good all the time!
Change is good, and although we are going to greatly miss the people of Esmeraldas, they will forever be in our hearts and prayers. Please pray for us and them as these changes occur.
PRAYER REQUESTS
• Pray that God will lead us to the right person to get us onto the Islands. All the paperwork will need to be done through this person we don’t even know yet. As far as paperwork goes, we have everything they would need from us. This person we don’t know will become our “legal representative” on the island. Without his help, we will not be able to rent, buy, or register the church. It is very important that we find someone we can trust.
• Pray for the different churches and pastors who will have a big part in helping us start together this work.
• There is a great potential not only to reach the Ecuadorians who live on the islands with the true Gospel but also to reach the foreigners and give them an opportunity to believe in the Almighty Creator God.
What a great opportunity we have to do more for the Lord in this great country!
Alberto Perez
Philippians 1:3-9
