Working together to Proclaim Christ!

A couple of weeks ago we helped with a large team of about 30 people from the States.  They were led by Dr. David Sills of Reaching & Teaching International Ministries.  Aside from the group there were resident missionaries Christopher & Carol Sills (Global Outreach), Al Rodriguez (International Mission Board), and our selves (Global Outreach).  It was a busy but great week.

Christ was proclaimed in four different communities in two different providences of Ecuador, as well as about 20 Indigenous pastors being trained and equipped to reach and lead their people and communities.  

We were able to visit a bit with friends (Rick & Melanie Dardar) from our home church Kirby Woods Baptist, Memphis who were with the group, and enjoyed our fellowship with them.  

There were plenty of obstacles both personally and as a group throughout the week.  As vehicles were breaking down, an accident  happened, people were getting sick, roads were blocked, and some in the communities were less than happy to have Christians in their communities.  However, throughout it all the name of Christ was proclaimed and God was glorified!

Continue to pray for us, the Sills family, Al Rodriquez, and the indigenous pastors as we work to share the love of Christ to the peoples in this part of the Andes Mountains.  Pray God would bless these efforts and His name would be glorified in all that we do.

Visiting with the Dardars.

Large group we helped with from Reaching & Teaching

Gray at a VBS in Ingapirca, Ecuador.

Broken down in Nowheresville Ecuador.

Alayna helping to translate for VBS way up the mountain from Chunchi.

Carolyn helping with VBS.

Alayna helping make gospel bracelets. 

Nathan Brown leading a Bible story. 

Sharing the gospel with kids at a school.

Having a Bible study in a house.

Great view on the way to our ministry site.

Beach ball fun at 10,000 feet.

Learning about the cross of Christ in crafts.

Me (Brad) & IMB missionary Al Rodriguez most likely discussing missions strategies... ha

Public Expressions of Faith

About a month ago fellow missionary Christopher Sills and I (Brad) were invited by a couple of the indigenous pastors we work with in the Cañar and Chimborazo provinces to visit them at there churches. These are just two of the about 20 or so pastors who are regularly taught the Bible and sound doctrine through the ministry of Reaching and Teaching International Ministries.  These pastors come to the training from many different providences, often travel many miles, and give up several weeks of work a year to become better equipped to lead their churches, and to reach their communities for Christ.  

It is a great joy for us to be able to see these pastors where they live, work, and minister.  On this occasion we traveled several hours from where we live in Cuenca to join these pastors in worship, fellowship, and a time of encouragement.

The first two pictures were taken in a small community near Chunchi.  This community, like most in Ecuador, is predominately and strongly Catholic with a touch of their traditional (pagan) religion lingering in their lives and religious practices.  This day we started with a church service with song and sharing in a small store front type room they use as a church.  After the service we went to the public pool and Pastor Francisco baptized a married couple around 75 years of age.  

Baptism in these communities are not looked at with favor in these communities, and often those who follow Christ in baptism are persecuted.  Yet, this couple choose to follow Christ in public baptism, and this truly was a public baptism.  At the time of the baptism there were many kids swimming in the pool, and when Christopher began to preach many of those kids came and listened to him proclaim God's Word and watched the testimony of the baptism of these two people.  

Afterward we had a large meal and after the meal we walked back to the church and celebrated the Lord's Supper with the newly baptized followers of Christ.  

Christopher Sills preaching at a baptism.

Pastor Fransico (in the white shirt) baptizing.

The following day we traveled an hour away from El Tambo, and then arrived at a dirt road.  Which we took for another hour and a half.  This road was one lane and traveled through the winding - steep mountains.  There was little room for error and thankfully I did not make any and we made it there and back safely.  

At this church we participated in a worship service celebrating the graduation of the children from one year of Bible study to another.  This service was interesting in that it was totally in the language of Quichua.  Quichua has no similarities linguistically with Spanish or English except for some words they have borrowed from Spanish.  So we understood little of the words but had a wonderful time of worshiping our Lord and Savior.

A group of Quichua  girls singing at church.

The picture below is a picture of Pastors Jesus Manuel & Pastor Felix and his granddaughter  plus a family of 14 packed into my 5 seater 4-Runner.  The father of this family helps lead worship at the church through song.  They asked us for a ride to there house because they normally walk.  It took us (driving) over 30 minutes to get to their house.  In fact a normal Sunday for him and his family is walking 2 hours to church, 3 to 4 hours at church, 2 hours walking back home through rain or sun, mud or dust.  WHY?  Because they want to worship the Lord with their church family, and there are no other churches nearer to worship.  

How many people can fit in a old Toyota 4-Runner?

Day in the Park in Cuenca

During this time of year in Cuenca there is a lot of rain and cloud cover.  The rain and the cloud cover make for some cold and dreary days and nights.  However, when the clouds clear and the sun comes out the days are warm and beautiful.  Here are a few pictures of our family relaxing at a park in Cuenca on one of those sunny days we had a few weeks back.

Me & my beautiful wife at the park.

Gray relaxing while having a picnic.

Alayna sporting her sun glasses on a beautiful day.

Carolyn & Kyle at the park enjoying the view..

In the coming days we will have more pictures and stories to share from some recent ministry opportunities.  

Gringos & Gurus

A little over a month ago we moved from Quito to Cuenca to begin working along side fellow missionaries Christopher & Carol Sills.  We are settling in and are getting to know the people and the area better.

As we were getting settled in to our new home and were running errands around town something interesting happened.  Everywhere we went we ran into fellow Americans.  On occasion in and around Quito we would meet people from the States, most of which were vacationing and just seeing the sites.  However, here there are over 4,000 expats living in or around Cuenca.  The vast majority are retirees and many if not most are not believers.

We have had the opportunity to talk with some of them and they range from being Mormons to being uninvolved and/or uninterested in "religious" things.  Though reaching the expats here in Ecuador is not our primary focus it is an added opportunity for us to proclaim Christ.

Of-course our primary focus is on the people of Ecuador.  We are beginning to meet people around where we live and hope to build relationships as well as share the Gospel with them. We have handed out many copies of the Gospel of John, inviting people to study the bible with us, but as of yet have not had any takers.

Kim has recently had the opportunity to share with a young Ecuadorian woman who is a Hindu.
Witnessing to Hindu's is not what you expect when living in Ecuador, but God has opened up this opportunity and Kim has been faithful to share.  This young lady (like most of the people in Ecuador) comes from a Catholic background, and like many of the people in the younger generations has a destain for "religion."  Yet, she is still seeking answers.  Unfortunately, she is not seeking answers form the Word of God but from the lies of men.

Pray for this lady as Kim has further opportunity to share with her, and as Kim invites her to study the truths of Scripture with her.

April Newsletter

Global Outreach International

The Savage Sightings    

On March 12th we celebrated our one-year anniversary in Ecuador. On the one hand it is hard to believe it has been a year, but on the other hand it seems longer. Each of us has celebrated a birthday in Ecuador, and Alayna is quickly approaching her 2nd birthday here as she turns 15 this month. WOW! Now that is hard to believe.

The first of April also brought about an anniversary for us. I (Brad) have now completed one year of full-time language learning. Kim and the kids also have completed a year of language learning but at different paces. We literally started from ground zero with the language and have seen some truly amazing progress over the past year. That is despite the fact that Spanish, for some reason or another, does not have a southern dialect. This has made it particularly challenging for a good-ole slow-talking Georgian like me. 

Yet, through God's grace and His provision we have learned and can communicate now.  However, language learning is like a puzzle.  We have the edge pieces in place, and have found some of the middle pieces but we need to continue working to find more and more pieces to connect the Spanish puzzle.  Every month the language slows down a little more for us, and we learn more vocabulary and grammar allowing us to make both coherent and correct sentences.   Where we are now is like two sides of the same coin.  The more we communicate the more we learn, an the more we learn the more we can effectively communicate.

Vehicle Fund Update

We now have a 20-­‐year-­‐old Toyota 4Runner that was given to use by another missionary. But, we are still in need of a larger, safer, and more reliable vehicle. As this one only safely seats 5 and there are 6 of us, and it tends to have mechanical issues.

The pie chart shows the current amount of gifts received $650 and the gifts still needed $24,350.

 SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS SCHEDULE
First Baptist Church                                              October 20th, 2013
(Macon, TN)

Global Outreach International
(Tupelo, MS - Missionary Conference)                November 1st - 2nd, 2013

OPEN                                                                      November 3rd, 2013

OPEN                                                                      November 10th, 2013

Kirby Woods Baptist Church
(Memphis, TN - Global Impact Conference)       November 17th - November 24th, 2013

OPEN                                                                      December 1st, 2013

OPEN                                                                      December 8th, 2013

Shirley Hills Baptist Church
(Warner Robins, GA)                                             December 15th, 2013

OPEN                                                                      December 22nd, 2013

OPEN                                                                      December 29th, 2013

OPEN                                                                      January 5th, 2014

OPEN                                                                      January 12th, 2014

OPEN                                                                      January 19th, 2014

Shell Lake Baptist Church
(Heth, AR)                                                              January 26th, 2014

***We are also during the week***

PRAYERS & PRAISES

Praise: We have a car now and no
longer have to travel via bus or taxi, BUT PRAY: It does not have any mechanical problems and that it continues to run.

PRAISE: Wehavefinishedouryear of full-time language studies, PRAY: all the pieces continue to come together for us.

PRAISE: Since our last newsletter we have found a car to drive while we are in the States. Thank you everyone who asked & prayed regarding this need

PRAY: We have increasing opportunities to engage the peoples of Ecuador with the Gospel

PRAY: As we travel to Cuenca, a city about 8 hours south of us now, looking for a place to live

PRAISE: Our God and Savior Jesus Christ for He alone is worthy 

PLEASE SEND ALL DONATIONS TO:
GLOBAL OUTREACH INTERNATIONAL P.O. BOX 1,
TUPELO, MS 38802
ACCOUNT # 3377
VEHICLE ACCOUNT # 3698
OR
VISIT THEM ON THE WEB AT WWW.GLOBALOUTREACH.ORG AND YOU CAN FIND US UNDER “MISSIONARIES” THANK YOU 

February Newsletter

SAVAGE SIGHTINGS
                      UPDATES
Day to day life continues steadily forward as for several hours a day we plug away at studying & learning Spanish. It is hard to believe we are approaching the end of our year in fulltime language learning. When we stepped off the plane we knew very little Spanish and had a difficult time even ordering food. However, slowly but surely God has enabled us to learn and we are becoming more and more functional in Spanish. Of-course some days are better than others, but overall we are beginning to see the results of the fruit of our labor and of your prayers, support, and encouragement.
This is exciting to us, as we know that without knowing the language it is almost impossible to communicate the truths of God’s Word with people and that of-course is the reason we came.
I (Brad) have shared my testimony (in Spanish) and taught a small Bible lesson at the local church we attend. I was also asked to preach (in English) and did so with the help of a translator. The pastor has asked me to prepare a lesson every few weeks or so. This is a great opportunity because I get to practice Spanish and teach God’s Word!
Thank you! Thank you all for your much appreciated and much needed prayers!

                                                      February 2013

Prayer Request

Pray that we continue to advance in our language capabilities

Pray for our vehicle situation here Pray for continued relationships to be

built

Pray for us as we plan our 1st furlough

Specifically: For a vehicle to drive while in the USA & for other opportunities to share at churches

And a voice came from the throne, saying, Give praise to our God, all you His Bond-servants, you who fear Him, the small and the great. Revelation 19:5

     Planning a Trip Back to the USA!

We are planning our first furlough to the USA toward the end of this year. The dates are October 16, 2013 thru February 12, 2014.
We hope this time is not only encouraging but also refreshing to us as we prepare to return to Ecuador.
While in the states we are available to preach, teach, or share our experiences thus far in Ecuador to you, your church, or Sunday School class.
Our available dates are listed on the right. We will schedule times on a 1st come 1st serve basis, but would love to come and share our hearts or preach the Word.

                                     Vehicle Needed
As of yet we do not have a mode of transportation while in the states. We need a vehicle that seats at least 6. If you or your church has one or knows of one we could use or rent (cost effectively), PLEASE contact us so we can make arrangements. Thank You!

Available Sunday Dates

November 17th & 24th
December 1st, 8th, 15th, & 22nd
January 5th, 12th, 19th, & 26th
*** We are also available during the week as well.***

Dates Already Reserved
October 20th (FBC Macon, TN)
October 31st – November 2nd
(Global Outreach Conference: Tupelo, MS)
Nov. 3rd – Nov. 10th
(Global Impact Conference @ Kirby Woods Baptist Church)

                        Special Request

We have been in Ecuador for 11 months, and during that time we have taken taxis or buses everywhere we have gone. This is interesting at times because there are six of us and the average taxi here is a small Kia type car. Learning to take a bus here has been equally challenging especially when we all go. The buses (although larger) attempt to pack in as many people as possible and redefine your limits of “personal space.”

Although it has been unusual and difficult not to drive for 11 months, it has been manageable. Manageable because we have been in full-time language school and our need to travel a lot has been minimum. However, as we approach the end of language school and begin to transition from full-time language learning to work in the missions’ fields of Ecuador we are in need of a car. A former missionary in Ecuador has generously given us a car, but is has been in need of many repairs to make it functional and as of yet it has not been out of the shop. There is another important issue with the car as well. If eventually we are able to get that vehicle it only seats 5 persons safely, and unfortunately someone will have to sit in the back trunk area. We are praying that funds will be provided for a larger and more reliable vehicle.

Our special request is to fill a NECESSITY for not only for our missions work here, but also for the safety of our family. Cars are more expensive here than in the USA but we can find a used-roomy but reliable van for $20,000 to $25,000. We ask that each of you please PRAY and ask the Lord to see if He is leading you to contribute to this need. If you are led to do so please donate to Global Outreach International, P.O. Box 1, Tupelo, MS 38802 account # 3698 or go to www.globaloutreach.org and scroll down to our names and click donate & write “For Vehicle account # 3698” THANK YOU!

Contact Information
Brad & Kim Savage
Alayna, Carolyn, Kyle, & Gray
(901)405-4747
savageb@globaloutreach.org
savagesinecuador.blogspot.com

Please Send Donations To:
Global Outreach International P.O. Box 1

Tupelo, MS 38802 Account # 3377 orFor Vehicle Account # 3698

2

Happy New Year Ecuadorian Style!

Before moving to Ecuador we knew there would be many cultural differences we would face.  The most obvious and most difficult being the language difference.  Day to day activities we took for granted in the USA became extremely difficult and tiresome for us here in Ecuador.  However, after nine months of language learning we function quite well in our day to day activities, and are increasing weekly in our conversational Spanish.

Aside from learning Spanish there are dozens upon dozens of cultural differences we have had to learn about living in Ecuador.  After living here for nine months we have encountered (in some manner or another) almost all of the different celebrations or holidays Ecuadorians celebrate.  Some are very much the same as in the USA like Christmas while others are non-exsistent in Ecuador like Thanksgiving.

However, some holidays are the same time of year, but celebrated in a different way.  One of the most interesting ones we have encountered thus far is the traditional Ecuadorian way of bringing in the New Year.  Like the USA they have fireworks, parties, and resolutions for the upcoming year, but unlike the USA they do two unique things.

Starting around noon on December 31st you begin to see men, teenage boys, and boys dressed up like women blocking the streets. They call them "viudas " (which is translated widows).  The key idea is these "viudas" are mourning their spouses (the ending year).  Typically they dance in front of the car, bus etc. until the driver gives them some money, usually a few cents. As the day progresses into night more and more "viudas" make their way into the streets.  As Kim and I learned the hard way it makes travel very slow because they are stationed about every 100 yards on most streets.

2 Viudas blocking the street

A group of viudas posing for a group of gringos

The second interesting thing Ecuadorians do is called "Año Viejo".  Many if not most Ecuadorian families and some businesses put a doll in front of their house or business.  These dolls range from small to very large, and they put mask on the doll ranging from Shrek to the president of Ecuador.  The dolls sit in front of the house until Midnight New Years Eve at which time they take the doll (Año Viejo) and burn them.  Burning the "Año Viejo" represents both saying goodbye to the old year, and burning away all the bad things that happened the previous year.

  

                      We hope you all had a Merry Christmas and a great start to the New Year!