Wonderful teaching work in Catos, ...... uh Malacatos

Hello to all our family and friends.... even those we haven't met yet!

We are enjoying our move from Cuenca to Malacatos. I like to tease the friends staying that I prefer to call the town, Catos not Malacatos. For those of you that dont speak Spanish,  Mala means bad. So I like to tell the friends here, that I prefer to tell people that we live in Catos not Mala catos (or badcatos) They all laugh and shake their heads.

Service here is nothing less then superb. Good calls each day and several studies. It appears that the territory is coming into it's own right now. Lots of new ones coming to the meetings and making progress. Commenting regularly, sharing the truth with others and progressing toward being an unbaptized publishers.

One student (Jose) and his family, are studying with a couple from Holland that serve here.  (They are as poor as poor can be, but feel rich due to the knowledge they have attained) While they make their annual trip back to Holland for 3 months, we have the priveledge to care for the study with all the family members. The wife has lived a very hard life and has been treated very unjustly by family members, even having been stolen from, by her mother. When she was growing up it took some years for her to realize that her mother had given her to her uncle and his wife to raise. When she finally was 8-10 years of age, she found out what her mother did, and then her mother told her that she was a child that was not wanted. Her mother has always treated her with disdain, as a result she of course suffers from very low self esteem. The love of the friends has helped her tremendously to improve in this area of her life.

Her husband Jose started learning the truth a year and a half ago, and has been attending meetings ever since. He was the first to latch onto the truth, it caused problems in the family, due to changing his beliefs in harmony with the bible. The wife Rachel wanted to separate, due to the changes he made in his life, leaving behind the false doctrines of the catholic church. But then she finally agreed to a study of her own and started to learn the truth... she has been attending meetings since the memorial, along with Jose and their 3 children. Jose has left behind a serious drinking problem, due to his coming to know Jehovah. He tells me every time I see him how thankful he is that Jehovah has a people that shared the truth with him. Additionally he always expresses his appreciation for the truth itself, the knowledge he has received... as Jesus said, It has "set him free".

Then there are the children, Nixon and Lady. They are about 11 and 10 years of age. They study the book "Learning from the Great Teacher". The book, as many of you know, teaches lessons about how to conduct ourselves properly. They eat up the information each week and then make notes in a notebook about how they can apply the counsel in there lives. Very cute kids.

Attached is a photo of the family... it's not the best photo ever taken but hopefully you get the idea.

Jose, Nixon, Madeline, Rachel and Lady ....
I think Madeline (the little one) is suffering the after effects of eating a large piece of sugar cane.

We look forward to seeing them progress toward baptism.

I have another very interesting experience but will give this one a few days and then share it with you. Sorry for that one, I don't have any photos..... yet!

Ministry update from Vilcabamba and Malacatos

Well after 3 weeks we have some photos and videos of our current adventure, and thought you may find it of interest. Most of the territory here is out of town, and even in town, is what you might consider out of town (know what I mean? If not you'll have to come on down to understand) With all the photos and videos I have taken I just thought we should share some of our experiences of the ministry and with the friends we have come to know and have an appreciation for. 

Carol and Monica preaching "through the dust".  Literally!

The next day we were going to preach in the rural areas close to town ... but the main roads were closed due to a high school running competition... So off to the campos! We drove about 30 minutes and we finally got out and preached below is a video of the area. 

And in this photo a coconut palm tree, perhaps you can see that it has tires growing on its side. Why would a palm tree have tires growing on its side? 

I was working with Reneé that day... He has been in the truth for about 35 years... one of the originals here in Ecuador. Although we were in the ministry, he was in search of not only deserving ones that day, but also two platano plants (is that redundant? I think not!)  and when he found them offered to pay the man something for them, but of course he would take nothing. The mans son dug them up and then he put/cut them into manageable size... (translated meaning small enough to fit in the cargo area of our car... mud and all..... oh well)  

The generous plantation owner, Jorge (on the right) but you already knew that.... right?

Prepping them out for the trip home, watch out for the man with a machete in his hand.

Just before that escapade, we preached to a school teacher and her class and were able to use the white board to explain the truth.... That was fun .... I felt like the teacher.... Yeah! ... The little guy on the bottom left tried to get out of the photo ... he wasn't successful was he? ... Gotcha!

After finishing this area of about 20-30 homes.. (you would call them shacks) we headed back to town.... On the way we are driving and as we passed a group of workers, someone mentioned that sister Soila was in the group... so we went back and said hi... of course she was there with her workers clearing land and brush..... reaping bananas to sell in the market. 
(And yes that is a machete on her side.... Those things are everywhere here. Can't walk around without one.... I going to get one, just so I look the part.)

Of course after we greet her, the COOB has to get out of the car and into the story. Yes the man on the left is Ed Holdner he has been here for on and off some 38 years, when he and his wife haven't been here in Ecuador they have been in Mexico and Europe serving. (And yes in case your wondering that is a 49er football team hat and also notice NO ties in the ministry...... SWEET!) When he and his wife arrived in Malacatos just over 2 years ago, there were in attendance about 22, now on Saturday evening there is just short of 100 at the meetings... Imagine that! And the publisher count has doubled .... most of that from the territory.

Well the question is, how do you finish a day like that in the ministry? First thing you do, is get back and EAT! Thats what you would do right ? Then perhaps take a little nap! Or a long one depending on your likes! Then when you get up to the afternoon rain, lightly falling ...... you look out and see ...... 

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This turned into a double rainbow but I was out walking Gracie and didn't have my phone with me to catch it.... Sorry but, you'll just have to imagine it!

Our move from Cuenca

Hello to all....

Since the last writing .... and when was that?  ..... Too long ago! Well maybe not for you. We have moved, last week to be exact. We didn't just move across town but across country ... well maybe not quite that far, but 4 hours from where we were located in Cuenca..... South, about 4 hours from the Peruvian border. What in the world.....? You may be asking, are you doing moving further away from the USA then closer.

Well Carol, my little thoroughbred had developed a nasty pulmonary problem "living in the city" (can you hear Stevie Wonder on that one?)  The doc said it was due to the dust and exhaust from the vehicles, mostly from the "big blue angels of death" or commonly known as "the buses". Then the doctor told her to stay off the streets...(how do you pioneer doing that?) and not to go out at night when the humidity levels increased. (and what time do we go to meetings?) Well you can see we needed to make a change. So we did. Contacted the branch about a few areas, and they gave us a response as to where the greater need was,so we took a few trips, and decided to move to the Malacatos congregation, south of Loja about 30 minutes.

Just in case the video isn't working for you here is a least a photo of the valley of Malacatos

The photos below are from Vilcabamba 

The territory is about as nice as it gets. Almost perfect weather (is there such a thing?) Nights nice and cool for sleeping and days in the upper 70s to low 80's with very low humidity. And greeeeeeen, greeeeen, greeeeen (pictures attached).


Malacatos is about 15 minutes from another famous place called Vilcabamba (valley of longevity) this place is like Mecca for those who want to get away from the world.... good thing about that is,  many of those who have that mentality, bring with them skills and services you would find in other parts of the world. Like what? You may be asking? .....

Like a french man and his Belgian wife who are purveyors of French breads and pastries. Baguettes fresh each day.... And we do enjoy them. Yes they are the real deal. The first time I met Román he was telling me that he made baguettes... I ask if they where good... he looked at me like are you kidding "I'M FRENCH" of course there good. Oooops .... sorry! .... Oh yeah .... those little rolls with the dark streak running through it ..... Chocolate croissants!

We found out yesterday that there is a guy that lives in the mountains that produces soft goat cheese ... Yes, like the kind you find in Trader Joe's or one of those type of places. Can't wait to get my lips on some of that stuff.

Last night we had excellent pizza.

Mexican food is available here from a man who's wife is from Mexico City, Mexico.

Im sure you have noticed that food is an important subject here.... Well it is where you are at too, right?

It's just that here in Ecuador, so far from a major metro area, the selections are more limited. Don't get me wrong, all the ingredients are here, but it's the putting them together that makes for good food. And with all the foreigners here in this area we have many things, that are hardly available in all of Ecuador. That is nice.

Ministry... well we hear it's really good and the last trip when we came here we had a really nice day in the service. So we are looking forward to getting out there and getting our own boatload of new studies...

It was sad leaving the Altiplano congregation in Cuenca, as there had been so much growth, not just with the amount of people but personal growth of the brothers in the congregation. Many new servants (6) and elders appointed (2), pioneers (4) and new ones that qualified to be unbaptized publishers (15),  newly baptized (5) during the 18 months we served in the congregation..... very nice to be a part of. We love those dear friends, and they appreciatively gave us a very nice send off.

Ill try to send a few more details of the area where we are living in other blogs....  But that gives you something to know about us for the time being.

Our love to you all, and may Jehovah continue to bless your service to him.

More Drama .... Drama!

In a blog from the last several months, I mentioned that I had the privilege to direct the Sunday drama about Joseph... We had a great time working together. I may have mentioned that the brothers from our old circuit in Reno sent the costumes on from the States, we made alterations to the costumes for the same characters here in Cuenca, and all went well. The Webbs formally know as TGC brought them from the States after have having one of their detox vacations. (That's what we have come to refer going back to the states as being.... ;-))))))

Group from the Reno Circuit

Last week I get an email from some brother in Chile.... some 1700 miles south of Santiago, Chile ..... Coihayque, Chile to be exact. Who do I know in Chile? Very few people... We did go to the international in 2009 in Santiago, but to have anyone we keep in constant contact with?  No one! Well maybe there is one sister we keep in contact with from time to time... She helped us on our bus and at that time served in English...   Aaaanyway ...... sorry for that mental deviation. I get this email from this brother explaining how he has the same drama and that he heard of the now famous costumes that have traveled the world ..... The information he had ... included the costumes being sent to Nicaragua and being used by 2 drama groups and then being sent onto Honduras for 1 drama group (that part never happened, Nicaragua and Honduras, ....  but it sure sounds good, doesn't it?) Reno/ Sacramento and Cuenca so far .... His email came with a drama photo of the original cast ... so I took it to be the real deal. Juan Ponce is his name and he was sent information from SAL and KAREN who got the information from David Cabral (Sal and Karen who? I don't know, David Cabral I do know!) Back to the story..... I let Juan know, that yes, we are willing to send them ..... (Carol has been asking me what are we going to do with all these costumes that have been in our closet since August) Her question was answered in one email.... imagine that!

So the next day after exchanging a few more emails I get this email from the wife of the brother......



Hey Bill-

This is Stephanie Conable....the wife of Juan Ponce.

I saw your name in his inbox and thought to myself...Bill Heilig...i know that name!

Are you the Bill Heilig from Reno??

Are you married to Carol?

I may be completely wrong...but thought I would ask!

I met you all years ago on a cruise with the Priddle family.

Are you serving in Ecuador?

I got married in April of this year and my husband and I are living in the Patagonia, Chile.

Hope you guys are doing well!

Abrazos

Stephanie

Our Drama Group

How interesting.... someone we know from the States is the wife of the brother asking for the costumes. Jehovah willing, they will arrive in Patagonia in the next few weeks. Hopefully we will get a photo from that group as well...

Then we can have a vote on who are the best looking of all the groups..... JUST KIDDING!

As someone once said.... "It's a really small world, when your no part of the world!"

Ciao for now.