Greetings in the Precious Name of Jesus, our Wonderful Lord and Savior!

God is good and His mercies endure forever! I (Meri) am sitting here at the computer writing this letter in “the cool of the day.” Translation, early morning before the sun gets hot… some days this means before 6:30am, but today, Praise the Lord, the sun is waiting just a bit longer before it becomes intense.

Have we told you lately that we appreciate each and every one of you? Well, we do! We so much need your prayers, e-mails, notes, updates, encouragement, phone calls, visits, etc., etc. We want to thank those of you who have been so faithful through the years to support us financially with offerings and monthly support. May the Lord bless you greatly for your generosity, sacrifice, faithfulness, and obedience.

Leo is still in Argentina ministering and will be returning in just over a week. While there he has: been a shoulder to cry on, given counsel and comfort, ministered in various churches and has done a fair bit of traveling, going from one church to another (one city to another). When he arrives in Ecuador he will need to hit the ground running!

We are expecting a Theatrical group (4 people – using the arts in evangelism) to be arriving right about the same time as Leo arrives. They will be here for a month and a half and Leo is helping organize their itinerary.

The next major event for us is the National Educator’s Conference which will be held in June. We will be hosting ministers from the USA, Brazil, and Ecuador that are coming to be the speakers for this conference. Have we mentioned it will be on the ocean? With the gentle ocean breeze… beautiful sunsets… great typical food… moonlight strolls along the beach… (can you tell we are already planning next year’s conference and are thinking about who we can invite as the speakers? Anyone interested?) We are really looking forward to this time and we know there are many blessings in store for all who attend.

On a personal note, we are in the process of house hunting. Our friend Dotty is here with Meri and they have been looking into some of the options available here in Manta. They have found a nice little house in a developing community that we are very interested in purchasing. Really, it is the only house they found that is within our budget… and it is new. We would need to do the finishing work (including closing in one side of a room – meant to be used for a small store – in order to make it into a bedroom and knocking out a part of another wall in the same room in order to make a small bathroom). However, it is available right now to begin these finishing/remodeling projects. Our commitment in the big house ends the middle of September and with the Lord’s help we could have the house ready to move into by August…

We say with the Lord’s help. As I have recently learned, the banks do not look too favorably on Pastors and Missionaries when it comes to getting a loan… there is no way to verify the employment or the income (translation – it is not a “steady income”). Please pray that we will have GREAT FAVOR when we make the application. The house itself is priced at $29,100 (did I mention it is small?) and we need to give $8,100 before we can begin to finish or remodel the house. We have about half that amount right now saved for this very purpose. The balance ($21,000) will need to either be paid or financed at the same time.

Please pray that we will have favor with all involved in the decision making process. And pray that the Lord will provide the finances we lack at the moment. We serve a good God, one that has plans and purposes for His children. We are working in the Barrio and with the planting of a church and are using personal resources for the ministry…we know that the Lord will honor this and will make a way where there seems to be no way. He is still a miracle worker!

Do you need a miracle in your life? Are you facing an impossible situation? Do you need divine favor or possibly grace? Are you finding yourself in a place where you need hope to be restored? Look to Jesus. Seek His face. Cry out to Him… He understands, He listens, and He answers.  “Hear my cry, O God; Attend to my prayer. From the end of the earth I will cry to You, When my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For You have been a shelter for me, A strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings.” Psalm 61:1-4

In the Palm of His Hand,  

Greetings in the Wonderful Name of our Loving Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

What a month we have had here in Ecuador since the last time we have written… Thank you all for your prayers – Leo returned safely from Argentina and he has been busy ever since! We are about 10 days away from the June Christian Educator’s Conference and there are still plenty of details to work on. The Theatrical group arrived safely from Brazil and they have been keeping busy – they are now here with us in Manta for a few days of R&R before heading off to present another workshop and then make their preparations for the conference.

As you know, we are trying to purchase land in the barrio called “Las Jacuatas.” The first piece of property we were looking at slipped through our fingers (though funds were received and were in the account in the States, we did not receive the transfer in time to do business with the owner – he was in a big hurry to sell and got a bit jumpy when we kept saying we needed a few more days). The Lord has everything under His control. We later learned that much of the property in this barrio does not have clear titles – meaning there may be ownership disputes in the future… We have seen another piece of land that we like even better than the other, and it is much more accessible and better located than the first property we were interested in. We have met with the “owner” a few times and will be going to see him again tomorrow. An honest man that told us the reality of the situation… he purchased the land nearly two years ago and the lawyers are still working on the ownership issues – he does not have a clear deed yet and does not want to lead us on or give us false hopes. He is open to the possibility of selling to us once the deed is in order. Please pray that this situation will be resolved soon and that we can begin the work (dream) that the Lord has given us there in the barrio.

Exciting news… we recently leased a “room” in which to hold meetings for the Church. We have been meeting in our home/on our patio for a year now and this Saturday we will have an opening ceremony of sorts for the church. The building is located in the down town area – just a few blocks from the bus station and very close to the market. We are on the corner and there is a Fire Station on the other corner. When we were cleaning the other day many people came by to see what kind of business was going into this area… Everyone seemed to be happy that an evangelical church will be occupying this space.

Well, there is also “other news.” We were not able to get a bank loan to buy the small house. If only one of us had “a real job” where we were earning maybe $300 a month it would have been no problem… however, the ministry is our full-time work and therefore we cannot qualify for a bank loan of any kind – go figure! God knows our need, and better yet, He already knows how He is going to meet that need. When Meri was trying to get the loan, she felt that if we did not get the loan that just meant that we are not to buy at this time and that the Lord knows the future better than we do J

Our home near Guayaquil has been made livable again and we just lack a few things which we hope to get before the pastors from Brazil and the USA arrive next week (it would be good if there were mattresses on the beds!). It is so wonderful to have a home there so that we do not need to stay in a hotel and we can receive visitors (and they do not need to stay in hotels, either). God has blessed us with this home and with the gifts of hospitality – and He always seems to make a way financially so there is always some kind of food on the table and something cold to drink in the fridge.

"He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent me. Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and anyone who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man's reward. And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward." Matthew 10:40-42

We are sending along a few pictures – ENJOY!

In the palm of His hand,

Happy Independence Day – GOD BLESS AMERICA!

Another month has come and gone all too quickly… we have now been meeting in the down-town location for a month. There are many curious passers-by and we are going to take advantage of this opportunity and begin to hand out information about our church, as well as evangelistic tracts.

Thank you for your prayers during the past month. The Christian Educators Conference went very well with about 250 attendees. It was a lesson in Cross-Cultural Communication… The people translating for the Brazilian guest speakers are also Brazilians, with the same accent and all – most of the time it appeared as though the translator was repeating exactly what the speaker was saying! The topics given were well received by all and many were asking where they could find more resources.

The house hunt continues… By the end of August we need to be moving into another place here in Manta. Meri and Dotty have been looking at a few more options. Interesting fact… we need 4 bedrooms (5 would be better) and ALL of the houses and apartments we have seen so far have only 3 bedrooms. An option would be to build something that has enough bedrooms… which could be a possibility if we could get a loan. The banks won’t do that for us – but you know what? My Father owns the cattle on a thousand hills! We do not need all of the cattle on one of those hills, just a few  ; ) Please be praying with and for us that the Lord will give us clear direction and will provide for this need in our lives.

You may be wondering “why do they need 4 or 5 bedrooms – it’s just the two of them…” Well, we have an ever growing family (NO… we are not expecting children any time soon). Uiliam, the young minister from Brazil, has gone home for a couple of months and then will be returning – and once again will be living with us. Our friend Dotty (and Teddy Bear – her little dog) from Arizona is with us now (staying 6 months total) and plans to return every year to help us with the ministry. Then we would like a guest room for those of you that would like to bless us with your presence (and your help). If you are doing the math you will see that this is only 4 bedrooms… we saved the best for last! On Tuesday Meri is leaving for Minnesota to help her Mom pack… she is making the move to Ecuador to live with us!

We realize this is a HUGE change for Mom. She does not speak the language, she does not know anyone here in Manta, and we do not have many of the “comforts of life” that she may be used to. And to top it all off, Mom will celebrate her 76^th birthday soon. But we are here… family. The climate is a little milder than that of Minnesota. And most importantly, the Lord is with her.

I (Meri) am reminded of someone else that had a huge change in their lives… you can read about it in the Bible, in Genesis 6 – 9. Did you realize that Noah was 600 years old when God sent the floodwaters to earth for the first time? Can you imagine being so old and building the Arc? Getting everything ready for the animals, etc… And then all of a sudden your whole world changes – literally. Deuteronomy 31:8 says, “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." When you are facing challenges and changes, remember that the Lord is with you and will help you all along the way.

May God bless you all today, and every day!

In the Palm of His Hand,

Leo & Meri Ruiz