Why Ecuador?

In the summer of 1984 I was serving as the minister of music at Sonlight Baptist Church in Franklinton, LA, when I received a call from Continental Ministries asking me to join one of their fall tours as an assistant director to Australia. Shortly before leaving for rehearsal camp, I was told I had to be switched to another tour, going instead to Europe. I didn't know the director, and was pretty leary of this change. I heard the director was a Quaker pig farmer musician from Iowa, and that didn't impress this Southern Baptist dairy farming musician kid from Louisiana. This director was Dan Whitehead, and in the next three months he became one of my dearest friends. He was a down-to-earth fellow who loved God. We spent many an hour playing the piano and writing songs about the Lord. He spent valuable time training me to become a Continental director. (Picture is of me and Dan somewhere in Switzerland or Austria on this 1984 tour.)

Dan shared with me that he had a dream of becoming a pilot with Mission Aviation Fellowship, and following his time with Continentals, went on to Moody Bible Institute and pilot school and fullfilled this dream. I kept up with Dan and followed his MAF assignments in Central and South America.

Two years ago Dan and I met up during one of his furloughs and traveled to Los Angeles to attend the 40th anniversary of Continental Ministries. During this trip was born the dream to partner together again, and for me to bring a group to Ecuador where he and his family are serving. Last year my oldest daughter and I traveled to Shell, Ecuador to spend time with Dan planning this mission trip. While in Shell we were introduced to the local church body there, to the orphanage Casa de Fe, and to the Ecuadorian ministry of MAF.

Flash forward another year, and in four days I will have the privilege of taking a wonderful group of 18 church members from the music ministry of Amite Baptist Church to partner with Dan and his church in Shell, Ecuador and with the Casa de Fe orphanage. While there, we will be ministering to the children of Casa de Fe, leading a Vacation Bible School, helping build a new facility for the orphanage, presenting a concert for the town and for the local missionary families, and witnessing the ministry of MAF to the jungle villages of Amazon rainforest.

I hope to post to this blog each day of our trip, beginning July 3. If possible I'll also post some pictures and video.

Thanks for praying for us, and check back July 3 to see what's happening on our Amite to Ecuador adventure!!