Ecuador Report

C r i s a n d D a n i e l a J o n e s
F e b r u a r y 2 0 1 3

Hi friends and family! Its been too long since Ive sent out an update but so much has been going on I thought now would be a good time to fill you in.

Cris leading Friday night worship for Young Life

Praise
Decisions for Christ at camp New puppy, Sam!

In November, we held our first annual youth camp: three days full of games, adventure activities, music, and the word of God. Twenty-five youth attended and roughly the same number of adults came to lead. We had a number of Young Life leaders from other countries come to assist. In many ways it was a training experience for our leadership team here in Ecuador. The kids were deeply impacted and at least half of the youth made a commitment to Jesus. Some were clearly touched by the Holy Spirit during a few of the services. Since the camp, we have focused on following up with those who made a decision for the Lord. It is common at any such meeting to see many accept the Lord but not follow through in the ensuing weeks/months. I am in charge of three guys (Snyder, Jefferson, and Martin) who accepted Jesus during camp. Walking with them has been a learning experience. Two Young Life camp at The Refuge in Quito of them had been living on the street so we got them a place to stay. It's just a small room with a communal bathroom but it's better than the street. Another homeless young man (Italo), has also begun living there. We have two Bible studies each week and they are required to attend Young Life club on Fridays. We have put a few rules in place to try to bring some order to their lives. I oversee them and the room. To gain a better understanding of why they had been living on the street, we visited Snyder and Jeffersons parents and more recently Italos. In each case the families are very poor, even by Ecuadorian standards, and have profound relational problems. I recently learned that the Pastaza region of Ecuador, where we are, has the highest rate of divorce and alcoholism of all Ecuador.
(L-R) Jefferson, Cris, Snyder and Italo (in front)

Prayer
for Young Life... Leadership Discipling Funding

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Two weeks ago I was saddened by some things that went on with some of my guys. One of them was caught stealing and spent 3 days in jail. Later he lied to me about where he had been, saying he went to another town to see a friend. Another lied to me about various things and was finding it impossible to follow through on the few rules we had put in place. Later, at our Thursday Bible study, I was explaining some very basic things about Gods love, why Jesus died, and what hell is about. When I finished, I noticed the room had gotten quiet and each one had become serious. It occurred to me that it was possibly the first time they had really heard the Gospel. Only one of the six said they had heard it before. I thought, how can one expect much else from young guys who have grown up in broken homes, in extreme poverty and never had anyone share the love of God with them in a way they could understand? Recently, one of the guys that lived in the house disappeared along with things that belonged to the others. He's only 13 and has been gone for a week. He has chosen a difficult path that will end badly if he continues to make poor decisions. I have no idea if we will ever see him again but I know that, at least once, he heard the gospel in a way that he could understand. There are thousands of youth here in Ecuador in similar circumstances. Thank you for partnering with us to see that as many as possible are reached with the message of the love of God for them. God bless you!

leaving to visit Italos family

Cris and Daniela

Italos house

Financial Needs
Vehicle Monthly Support Bike for Daniela
(hers was stolen last month)

Support
Make checks payable to and send to: CornerStone International PO Box 192 Wilmore, KY 40390

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You may donate online from our website: cornerstoneinternational.org/staff-short-term/ Scroll down to our names and click the Donate button. See automatic monthly donation options at the top of the webpage.