Jan March 2017 Newsletter

January – March 2017 Newsletter

Hola mis amigos! We have arrived safely back in Ecuador at the end summer, which has Dena excited about some warmer weather. What have we been up to? We spent three months in the U.S. on itineration (raising money) for the ministry. We drove over 10,000 miles in order to share about the ministry with pastors, church leaders, mission teams, children, youth, small groups and individuals in church services, homes and restaurants. We can’t say thank you enough to all who hosted us in your homes, allowed us to speak in your churches and those who set up various meetings. We are excited about what God will do with the efforts spent over these past months for the future of this ministry in Ecuador. God is faithful! God continues to work through our Ecuadorian ministry team of Paola, Leslie and Kevin. While we were in the States, our team continued to teach and run our bible clubs. At Christmas they handed out gifts that included a soccer ball for the boys and a doll for the girls along with other items to all of the kids. Leslie even made over 200 festive cupcakes for the kids. Other News: We have started a ladies bible club in one of our existing villages. These are unchurched women that wanted to learn more about the bible. It’s so wonderful since these women have been told all of their lives that the Priest will read the bible to them, but now they want to learn to read it and understand it for themselves.

Praise Reports? 1) The Lord goes before us! Were told in back November that the Priest had gone to the community president and requested to take over the community center’s calendar where we hold a kids, youth and ladies bible club. However, the community president, a non-believer, but his kids and wife attend our bible clubs, stood up to the priest and told him no. Please understand what a brave and wonderful move this was because if the priest had been able to control the community center’s calendar, it is very likely that his plan was to keep us from holding our three bible clubs in that community center. 2) A new Church building! In one of our remote villages there is a small group of indigenous people meeting in a very tiny mud block building for church services. It’s a new church plant and also a location in which we have a bible club for kids and adults. On a recent mission trip last year, our home church pastor felt led to raise the funds necessary to help this new church plant construct a church building. Praise the Lord, when our pastor put the need before the church; they raised enough money to construct a church building for the people to meet in, plus some to help another pastor with no building. This will give our kids club a bigger place to meet in and it will allow the church in this village to grow. Prayer requests: • Our financial supporters and future supporter growth. • The children, teens and adults in our bible clubs will accept Christ this year. • 2017-2018 missions teams & missionary interns. How can we pray for you? Please feel free to call us, email us and let us know how we can pray for you or just say Hi. A Message to our ministry partners: We are so grateful to those of you who partner with us in your time, helps, prayer and financial giving.

Blessings, Gary & Dena

5 Easy ways to donate to Pate Ministries & For the Children Ecuador, Inc.

IncInc.Inc. (FTCE) 1) Accessing “PayPal” or you How can “PayPal Subscribe” on Pate Ministries website. www.pateministries.org

2) Bill Pay help with

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3) Mail a check to Pate Ministries or FTCE to PO Box 893, Callahan, FL 32011

4) United Way: Designate 5) Amazon Smile: designate For the children Ecuador, Inc as your charity and “Pate Ministries” on your contribution form. shop on Amazon Smile’s website www.smile.amazon.com

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