Gloria's Song

“I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart…” Psalms 9:1

About two weeks after my arrival in Ecuador, I had opportunity to witness someone fulfill this scripture. During service at the Talin church, Susan asked Gloria to sing a special song. I have been blessed to hear some of the greatest singers in the world. Their singing has moved me to tears; stirred my soul; touched my heart; even changed my life. But no singer, no song, has ever caused me to feel the perfect peace of God like I felt when Gloria sang.

Gloria is not technically a ‘good’ singer. She doesn’t always stay on key, her timing is not perfect. She would never win a talent contest, nor could she make her living singing. But I could sit and listen to her for hours. When Gloria sang “Yo quiero mas y mas de Cristo” (I want more of you Lord), although at the time I could not understand the Spanish words, I did not need to. The presence of God I felt when she sang was overwhelming. You just knew that she was singing with every fiber of her being, from the very depths of her soul, with her whole heart. It was as if it was just her and the Lord. The Talin church has no electricity, so there was no music when Gloria sang. The only other sound was that of a gentle breeze blowing through the open windows of the church. Even the birds that had been singing in the distance hushed for a time, no doubt knowing and honoring what a beautiful moment this was to the Father.

I am almost certain that even the angels in Heaven stopped to listen when Gloria sang. And I like to imagine that the Father proudly said, “THAT is what I made man to do. THAT is the very reason I created mankind. “

“I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.” Psalms 7: 17

By Ann Templet

Walking To Church

Out of all three of our churches here, not even one of our members owns a vehicle. Therefore everyone that comes to our services walks. I knew this prior to my arrival in Ecuador. But what I did not know is how far a lot of them have to walk. So, after a recent service in Puyupungo, I asked Susan and Charles where all of the families lived that were at church that day. The closest family lives a 15 minute walk from the church. Several of the families walk for 30 minutes to arrive. Even more walk for 45 minutes. Norma and her two children walk for an hour, Sis. Martha walked for an hour and a half. And as all of you know by now, they are not walking down a smooth blacktop road. They are walking through mud, sometimes knee deep. They are wading through rivers, and they are walking in 90 degree plus heat. Yet when they arrive, they are not murmuring and complaining about all of this. They come ready to worship God, ready to hear His word.

I can’t help but wonder what I would do in their situation. Would I be willing to walk 30 minutes to get to church? What if my walk was the one hour walk? Would I be there every service, smiling, happy, ready to worship God? I hesitate to even ask myself about the hour and a half walk. To be quite honest, I know very few people, myself included, that would make such an effort to get to church. Sadly, my dedication pales in comparison to these people. I like to think that I love the Lord with all of my heart and that I am totally dedicated to serving Him. But maybe I don’t know what that truly means. I think the Indians teach me a little more about that every day that I am here.

By Ann Templet

A Blessing from God

Yesterday at the Talin church, I commented to Ana Lucia that I liked the shoes she was wearing. With her reaction, you'd have thought she was wearing Jimmy Choo's! She began to tell me what a blessing those shoes were. She said about 2 weeks ago, her sister-in-law and brother were in Puyo, and literally, on the street saw a pile of trash, and in it they found those beautiful shoes. They knew they were a perfect size for Ana Lucia and brought them home to her. She washed them and cleaned them up real good, and has been wearing them to service ever since.

My heart broke as she told her story, but it couldn't last long, because she walked so proud in those shoes, as if they had come from a Dillards or Macy's. And in reality, those things just don't matter anyway. She had received a blessing from God, and she gladly embraced it. How many of you would be willing to walk in Ana Lucia's trash found shoes and call it a blessing from God???

By Susan Templet