Neighborhood Council

The city of Cuenca is organized into parishes and neighborhoods. Our neighborhood is the equivalent of six large square blocks and contains a number of businesses and probably about 500 residents. We recently had a neighborhood meeting to better organize and to choose local residents to oversee areas of need. I had the privilege to be on the neighborhood council to oversee the security here in our neighborhood. While our neighborhood is relatively safe, we have had issues with graffiti and trash, and security is always one of the top concerns in any neighborhood. We are excited about the opportunity to make a difference in our neighborhood and to meet more people who might become a part of our church.

Our First Baptism

This past Saturday we had the opportunity to for our first baptism.  It was a bit difficult at first due to the lack of rain and the low water level in the local rivers, but the day before I was finally able to find a beautiful spot for the baptism. There was a group of about 15 of us who went, and we baptized six members of our church: Fernando, Erika, and their son David (10 years old), Merci (13) and her brother Angel (10), and Erika (13). It was a wonderful time and such a privilege for us. Afterwards we celebrated with chicken, potatoes, rice, and mote (similar to hominy) at a local restaurant.
Please pray for peace for Nicol (9) who really wanted to be baptized but wasn't because of her fear of the river. We hope to be able to baptize her at our next baptism or possibly set up a small pool in our backyard. God is doing great things in our little church, and we are excited for the future.
Come back in a couple of days for pictures of the baptism.