As part of our week in Quito with a group of Christian broadcasters hosted by HCJB Global, we toured the organization's Hospital Vozandes. It's so very impressive. The halls of these buildings resonate with 75 years of ministry. It's amazing to consider the millions of lives touched by this organization--which continues to this day. We heard stories of listeners who'll spend hours riding a bus to give their $5 gift to the radio ministry. Talk about having a relationship with an audience!
Their annual sharathon may also include gifts of chickens, hand-made items--whatever may be of value to the listener. Then in a huge fair on the grounds of HCJB, all these gifts are sold.
The ministry commits 10% of everything they receive during the sharathon back to a ministry. Last year it was the English speaking church in town. Those who desire to learn English come to hear a pre-produced program while the audience follows along with the script. Then the audience is broken up into basic, intermediate and advanced English-speakers for more learning and discussion. What a great outreach! The church service on Sunday is also available in script form, both English and Spanish, so that those wanting to learn can follow along.
I wonder why we don't do this in the suburbs of Los Angeles--or just about any part of the country these days.
From Jim Sanders in Quito, Ecuador with a team of U.S. broadcasters hosted by
HCJB Global. . .
We've been kept pretty busy--and we've been exposed to an amazing ministry which is reaching people here in Ecuador and around the world. As a group, over the weekend, we helped feed men, women and children who're largely homeless here. We've seen HCJB's Caropungo Clinic which serves hundreds of people who're unable to get into the city for medical care. There've been visits to small churches and remote radio stations, each locally licensed and broadcasting in Spanish and in local languages as well.
Getting around here is not easy! In the city, the streets are quite crowded. Out of the city, the extreme elevations make for interesting travel as tight roads, sharp turns, passing on blind corners--all out-weigh any E-ticket ride at Disneyland!
Today, we're meeting here in Quito with radio folks. Tomorrow it's off to the jungle and a three-day stay at Shell. Hopefully--weather permitting--we'll also have the chance to visit Palm Beach where the five missionaries were martyred. I met Steve Saint at the equator earlier in the week.
Pray with us for the ministry of HCJB Global here in Ecuador. Their primary towers are being dismantled by order of the government--a new airport forcing the issue. With technology changing so rapidly, it's made for great conversation as we grapple with many of these same issues in the U.S. HCJB Global certainly deserves our focused attention as they seek to serve the Lord well into the 21st century.
While our annual Ambassador Thanksgiving feast is not for a few weeks, we wanted to share our responses (and a few recipes!) to the monthly question see in November Update’s newsletter.
“What always gets the request for a “second helping” at your Thanksgiving table?”
Fried Turkey.("JC" - John Colón)
Stuffing was always big growing up, but I still like an extra slice of turkey…(Bill Reitler)
When we lived in So Cal, a popular dish was candied yams (you know, the ones with marshmallows melted on top).We never seem to make enough for everyone's 2nd and 3rd helping.(Michelle Blood)
My Mom’s Jello Salad is the best ever!! :) (Anna Sinclair)
Green bean casserole.(Sheri Cooper)
At our Thanksgiving meal, everyone requests seconds of the mash potatoes! (Carolyn Wallace)
Recipe:
Chop 8 potatoes into cubes and boil
Mix in half a cube of butter, ¼ cup Ranch dressing, and milk until it’s the consistency desired.
Add chives and cheese to flavor!
I absolutely make the best gravy known to mankind. The secret? Leave all the turkey fat in the gravy pan!(Peggy Campbell)
I’ll tell you what doesn’t get a second helping – the turkey!Why?Everyone’s already had a second and third helping before it hits the table – as it’s being carved!(Katie Burke)
And as you read in November Update . . .
The kids love HAVEN's corn pudding recipe.(Jani Williamson)
Recipe:
CORN PUDDING
Mix together in a 2 quart (greased) casserole dish:
1 can creamed corn
1 can whole kernel corn
1 cup sour cream
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 package Jiffy Cornmeal Muffin mix
Melt 1 cube of butter (1/2 cup)and pour around edgesand over top.
Cover and bake at 350 degrees for ½ hour; stir gently then continue baking for another ½ hour.
1- 40 oz can sweet potatoes, drained 1/4 t. nutmeg
2- 15 oz cans pumpkin 1/3 stick butter, softened
1/4 t. salt 1 c. sugar
2 t. cinnamon 2 eggs
1/2 t. ginger 1 t. vanilla
Pre-heat oven to 350.
Mash sweet potatoes, then mix in pumpkin, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.
In separate bowl, cream butter with sugar and add eggs and vanilla.
Mix all together well and place in lightly greased (Pam) 9x13 baking dish and top with the following:
3 t. butter
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. flour
1/2 c. pecans
1 heaping teaspoon cinnamon
Mix and sprinkle evenly over the top before baking for 1 hour at 350.
Yesterday was such fun as our dear friend, Joni Eareckson Tada, joined us in what we call our "Ambassador Cathedral!" (It's actually a racquet ball court--but you wouldn't believe how beautiful it makes our singing sound!)
After a time of recording we all gathered together singing hymns of praise and worship! And what a glorious time it was!
Yesterday we gathered as a staff to pray for the leaders of our country--for the man who is now our new President, Barack Obama and his family, and for those who will lead in the Senate and the House of Representatives.
One of the Psalms we read together was Psalm 96:10-13. . .
Election 2008! Remember Dennis Kucinich, Bill Richardson, Fred Thompson, Duncan Hunter, Mike Huckabee? And is John Edwards in Witness Protection?
And besides being the longest and costliest campaign, it's also an election of firsts: the first African American nominee for a major party, the first time both candidates were born outside the continental U.S. And if the Republicans win, the first woman Vice President. And while Barack Obama wouldn't be the youngest president, John McCain would certainly be the oldest first-term president in our history.
So we wait! And while we do, take a minute and read this excerpt from a letter Stuart Briscoe (Telling the Truth) wrote to his radio listeners. He said, in part:
"It would be a dreadful mistake to pin our hopes on this man [who will be president], his administration, or any political figures. We must not confuse the President with the Redeemer. So we need two things: prayer for a mere man who has taken on an unenviable task; and a longing for revival--it's better than 'change' or even 'reform.' So welcome Mr. President, whoever you are. We promise to pray for you and commit ourselves to carefully delineating between you and the Redeemer. For you we will pray, and for Him we will proclaim!"
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