From the very beginning over 2000 years ago Christianity has been unique. Our faith is made firm by looking back and remembering God's faithfulness towards His people, but it has to be "lived out" looking forward to the future knowing that He will also faithfully fulfill His promises.
Every year when we sit down to look back it causes our faith to grow, just imagine over the course of 12 months we have...
•Renovated the Children's church of the Sucua Christian Center and installed a new pavilion that will eventually serve as the main sanctuary
•Started the second phase of Ecuador Hope House, because this year we have filled up the first phase to capacity with 18 young ladies
•Completed the construction of 4 churches in Shuar communities
•Installed wells for drinking water
•Hosted more than 2500 kids for VBS in 8 communities
•Treated over 2000 patients in medical clinics
•Started two new Bible Institute extensions
•Started a new University level extension with 25 students
•Distributed more than 700 bibles to new believers and those who did not have access to the Word of God
These are just to name a few. What we have learned over the years is that the fruit of our labor comes from faithfulness, God's, yours and ours. It is a powerful partnership when we are all "doing our thing".
Just this past week we all paused and thanked God for His faithfulness, but today we would like to pause and thank you for yours. If not for your prayers and support we could not continue the work we do in the jungles of Ecuador. And looking forward we can see that more than 500 Shuar villages are still waiting for the Gospel, thousands of young ladies are waiting for hope that will break the cycles of exploitation, dozens of young men and women are waiting to be prepared to work in the harvest and this "waiting list" of needs could go on and on.
We do not look at it with dread or fear, but rather with the hopeful expectation that God will fulfill His promises. The Apostle Peter said although we have never "seen Him" we "love" and "believe in Him", but at the end of 2012 we can look back on our partnership and confess that we, just like the disciples have been "eyewitnesses to His majesty".
Thank you for being a part of what we do.
Joil and Leah Marbut
Drew, Will, Emelia and Aidan