Our Mission Path
Serving God in Ecuador
Throwback To Our Front Porch In New Carlisle
Children of Promise A Documentary
Friends for today’s Together Tuesday we invite you to watch this documentary about the Child sponsorship program we partner with in Ecuador. The Children of Promise program is changing the lives of children and sponsors world wide!
Love,
The Downings
Cultural Insight 6: Church
The Gospel message is the same in every epoch and in every culture. Our Christian experience flows from the Gospel but when our culture is added to the mix the two coalesce into a unique experience that we call church. Although our theological understanding of Church remains constant across borders our experience changes drastically. In today’s Cultural Insight we explore some of the differences between the North American church and the church in Ecuador from our perspective.
With much love,
The Downings
We invite you to read about partnering with us. Click here to find out more.
Realizations
Most Christians would like to send their recruits to Bible college for five years. I would like to send them to hell for five minutes. That would do more than anything else to prepare them for a lifetime of compassionate ministry.
-William Booth
There are three very important realizations that each follower of Christ has. The first is when we realize just who we are in contrast to our Holy God. This is when we realize our sinfulness and desperate need for Salvation. We usually have this realization just before we become Christians. The second realization is the ghastly reality that there is a Hell and the natural human condition leads us there. At this realization we are usually driven to make sure our friends and family know of Christ’s salvation. The third realization is that we are called to do something about the horrible reality that multitudes of people step out of this lost and dying world each day without seeking salvation from the consequences of their sin. These multitudes have no hope. They will spend Eternity in Hell.
The hope that each Christian experiences when we begin following is the very same hope that we are to proclaim to the world! Every Christian is called to make known the Good News! Every Christian can take motivation from the ghastly reality of Hell, the sad destiny of mankind and the hope that only the Words of Jesus can offer!
May we be quick to realize that the very hope that we hold dear is the only hope for the multitudes of lost and dying souls. May we be even quicker to share the hope that we have!
With much love, 
The Downings
Bolon De Verde, Fried Green Plantain Balls
Bolon de verde or fried green plantain balls
Yield: For 6-8 people
Bolon de verde are green plantain dumplings stuffed with cheese, chorizo or chicharrones and fried until crispy.
Ingredients
- 4 green plantains, peeled and cut in medium sized chunks
- 4-5 tbs butter or lard
- 2 tbs oil, canola or sunflower
- 1 tbs hot pepper or chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 cup grated cheese and/or 1 cup cooked chorizo or chicharrones
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Melt the butter or lard over medium heat in large sauté pan
- Add the plantain chunks and cook for about 40 minutes or until they are very soft, turn them about every 10 minutes, they should be slightly golden but not too crispy.
- Sprinkle the cooked plantains with the chili powder, cumin and salt.
- Transfer the plantain pieces to a bowl, do this while they are still hot (but be careful not to burn yourself).
- Mash the plantains using a wood masher – or just a regular potato masher – until you obtain chunky dough like consistency.
- Form balls slightly smaller than the size of a tennis ball with the dough.
- Make a hole in the middle of each ball and fill it with the cheese or chorizo or chicharrones, gently press the filling into the hole, cover the filling and reshape it back into a ball shape.
- Heat the oil over high heat, add the stuffed plantain dumplings and fry them until they are golden and crispy on each side.
- Transfer to plate lined with paper towels to drain the grease and serve immediately.
Love,
The Downing Family
P.S. As of October 12, 2019 Ecuador is experiencing wide spread protests. We encourage you to click here for more information.
Hear!
“Not called!” did you say? “Not heard the call,” I think you should say. Put your ear down to the Bible, and hear Him bid you go and pull sinners out of the fire of sin. Put your ear down to the burdened, agonized heart of humanity, and listen to its pitiful wail for help. Go stand by the gates of hell, and hear the damned entreat you to go to their father’s house and bid their brothers and sisters and servants and masters not to come there. Then look Christ in the face – whose mercy you have professed to obey – and tell Him whether you will join heart and soul and body and circumstances in the march to publish His mercy to the world.
-William Booth
Friends, we must get serious about the mission of Christ. It is not a matter of being called into some form of missionary service it is a matter of hearing what our Lord has already said. He called all believers into his mission when he said “go.” He said his disciples will be his witnesses in every sphere of life. He called all believers to love God, and love our neighbor. If we love God how can we not love what He loves? If we love our neighbor as ourselves how can we ignor their cries for help?
May we stand in obedience to the Call! May we be who Christ called us to be!
Love,
The Downing Family
Throwback To A Wet Hike
Santa Isabel
One of the ministries we are privileged to participate in is teaching seminary classes to developing Christians and church leaders. Such an opportunity presented itself by way of an invitation from Rev. Jovanny Mendieta and Rev. Jorge Palacios to teach some classes this past weekend at Santa Isabel. Rev. Patricio and Timothy along with Jason Jones joined the students and leaders of the Ark Church and several other congregations in the area of Santa Isabel for a weekend of wonderful fellowship and intensive classes.
In addition to the classes we were honored to participate in the baptism of Brother Marcelo. (Video courtesy of Jason Jones)
Timothy throughly enjoyed being in the baptism waters once again with Brother Palacios!
Timothy loved teaching about biblical culture. This is what he was called to do. Nothing is quite as sweet as fulfilling one’s purpose!
As we continue our ministry in Ecuador we look forward to many more opportunities to reach, preach, and teach.
Love,
The Downing Family
P.S. we usually post early in the morning but this post comes to you early evening because we are dealing with some interesting issues in Ecuador right now. To read our write up about the national crisis unfolding here click on this link. Thank you for your prayers!
Flexibility Is The Key
Friends here is a quick update and prayer request about the national crisis occurring in Ecuador. On October 3, 2019 protests erupted all over Ecuador due to the government ending of costly gas subsidies. As of October 8th the protests are still going on and are expected to continue for several more days. (Video courtesy of Jason Jones)
The protests have included roadblocks, violence and destruction of property. Although most Ecuadorians are peaceful some have taken to the street with evil intent.
Here is a video taken from the gate of a hotel we were staying at in Santa Isabel. Notice the men with clubs and rocks intending to do damage to the car they had stopped. The occupants looked very frightened. (Video courtesy of Jason Jones)
For today’s Together Tuesday project will you pray with us for peace in Ecuador? Pray for safety among the brothers here. And that we the church will be a brilliant shining light in this dark time. The light of Christ can and will outshine the dull glow of burning protest fires!
Love,
The Downing Family
Click here to learn more about our ministry in Ecuador!
El Guagua Auca
Folklore and legends are in important part of understanding a culture. Folklore sometimes communicates deep or difficult cultual reality. Listen to the legend of the Baby of Aura a see what you can learn about Ecuadorian culture.
The folklore of the crying child is one of the legends that have been passed down from generation to generation, which tells how a newborn child died without being baptized. Many say they have seen or heard this baby at night.
On uninhabited roads, enigmatic forests, cemeteries, solitary churches, and clear streams, a baby appears in the middle of the road crying. Wise travelers avoid the baby and ignore it’s cries. Others naively seek to help the child who was thrown away by a heartless mother, but they do so to their own parallel. The baby is actually a demon who kills his would be rescuer.
What does this story tell you about Ecuador?
Love,
The Downing Family
