Estamos en QUITO, Ecuador!!

We left Miami yesterday afternoon and arrived at Quito early evening (central time).  Last night the SOBA students were able to meet Bennie Gonzales and his family Patty, Ashley, and Trinity.  After dropping off our stuff at La Viña (The Vineyard church) we all piled into Bennie´s SUV.  That´s 12 people ;) in his 7 passenger vehicle!!!! welcome to Quito!!  it was only for a very short distance, so we could experience some local flavor for dinner.  we dined at a street vender and then walked to a small group at some church member´s house.  we got to meet some people who have been a part of La Viña since it first start (about 4ish years ago).  we jumped off the deep end and were quickly immersed into the culture because they were all speaking Spanish muy rapido (VERY FAST).  Melissa, Bethany and Sarah can understand and speak a little bit of Spanish, but for the others it was a ´little bit´of a cultural shock.  ;) BUT they enjoyed just getting to observe and laugh as people spoke Spanish and used their hands to talk, which helped understand what they were saying...kind of. :)   Then we came back to La Viña where we are staying for a few days.  We had very nice cots to sleep on!!! 

Today we are at La Viña and just finished eating breakfast.  The students are prepping for their teachings that begin in a few days.  This morning they met as a group and decided who would be teaching what parts of the Inductive Study Method.  After all their work today, we hope to go down town and walk around Quito´s historical parts of town.  Tomorrow we leave for Puyo.  Please continue to pray for our team and every person we come in contact with. 

Estamos en Cuidad de Sal Largo- :)

Well, guess I (Sarah) need some more brushing up on my Spanish and I'll get plenty of practice down in Ecuador.  We are in Salt Lake City right now.  We drove here yesterday right after church and stayed the night with Melissa's family.  We leave for Miami this afternoon and will have a 13 hour layover and leave in the morning for Quito.  We will arrive in Quito on Tuesday and spend Wednesday getting adjusted to the change and go through some training with Bennie Gonzales.  Then on Thursday we will take a bus to the village town of Puyo and from there go further in to the jungle.  Bennie will leave to go back to Quito that night, but we will have two translators with us.  And Bennie is connecting us to his local contact who is a native of the town/village.  The first few days will be very typical costume of 'warm climate cultures,' we will spend time getting to know one another.  We pray for a supernatural connection with them that surpasses all language barriers.
Then the students will begin their teachings early next week.  Please be praying for them.  We have been told that there will be 40-50 leaders from the communities that will attend the students' teachings.    Each student did really well on Friday and we (Eric, Melissa and myself) KNOW that they will do well.  Please keep them in prayer....it's a very stretching experience, but may of them have said they want to grow in teaching while on this outreach.  I hope to got to an internet cafe by the end of the first week to update again, but for additional updates please sign up at Bennie Gonzales webpage to receive updates form him about our group.  Sign up for SOBA2011 and Summer2011.

www.gonzalesfam.com


Thank you for all your prayers, support and future prayers.  We know we have an amazing family back in Boise, we are very grateful to be commissioned and sent out by true Disciplers.

Vamos a ECUADOR!!

The students are getting geared up for OUTREACH to Ecuador by having a mock teaching tomorrow!  They will get to practice teaching the Inductive Bible Study Method to our SOBA class. Please pray for each SOBA student as they are preparing their teachings for Friday and for next month.   SOBA starts the journey to Ecuador this Sunday.  We will leave after being prayed over during 2^nd Service.  We will enter the Amazon Jungle from the town of Puyo sometime next week. . Please pray for supernatural relationships to be formed with people that we meet, that the Language of Loving God would surpass the barrier of not speaking the same verbal language.   We will be spending a total of 3 to 3.5 weeks in the jungle.  There will be occasional trips out of the jungle, but on mission trips very little is ever really “set in stone.’’  J  The students will be teaching the Inductive Study Method through a few books with some of the possibilities being: Philemon, Titus, Philippians, Colossians, and Ephesians.  Please pray for vision and wisdom for deciding what books to teach and that the needs will be clearly highlighted from God.   SOBA will be teaming up with 4 people from Kansas City North’s Vineyard for the last 10 days of outreach.  Together they will be running a Vacation Bible School in the jungle villages and in the city of Quito.  The heart is to help the leadership in the Jungle Villages learn how to personalize their own VBS and utilizing their own resources.  Please pray for each child that comes through the VBS that they would feel empowered and know they have an important place in God’s Kingdom.  Please Pray for the adults that they would experience their inner ‘child-like’ spirit and enjoy freedom from a child-like faith. 



SOBA 2011 Ecuador Outreach Team
Bethany, Sarah, Haley, Zach, Eric and Michelle (Not Picture: Melissa)



Cultivating a Heart of Love!

Discovering Love from the Apostle John

Update from Hannah  

The last time I wrote was in March or April and I’ve actually learned a ton since then. We’ve done 4 or 5 books I haven’t ever read: 1, 2, 3 John, Gospel according to John, and Revelation. I’ve read the book John before but, I guess I never got to know the character of John.  When I heard it while growing up, I was probably messing around and not paying close attention!! But now, I see how he was an awesome apostle, most of the resource teachers (from SOBA) have referred to the book John as a love story or dubbed it ‘’the chick flick’’ gospel, or something else like that. At first when I heard that I was like, what?

And after we talked about it I was like oh my geez it is; but I discovered that I love the heart John has for the people and for Jesus. All that John was willing to do for Jesus, like take care of his Mom after he died and always pursuing after God, really amazes me.  

Now, we’re doing the last book Revelation (woohoo! party!). And if I am honest, while doing the work I’ll be like, “gosh, I’m so sick of this, I just wanna stop.” BUT then I remind myself that this is the last book and my thought changes to, “lets do this!” Hehehe. But I definitely want to put out there that the SOBA staff have been amazing at encouraging us along the way. They all did School of Biblical Studies, SBS (same kind of school just a different name) or SOBA; so they know how hard it is to concentrate on the last book.  And they just keep encouraging us to finish well, and I know for me, that means a ton. But yah, that’s all for me right now. :-)

Hannah LOVING on one of her neices

Viewing topic of Submission in New Light

Update from Zach

It’s hard to believe that that there’s only two and a half months left!  There are times when it hardly seems like I’ve been here for five months.  Yet, when I reflect back it does seem like that long of a time, because of what I have been learning.  We do more than just go through the New Testament book by book; we have topical studies thrown in to break up the work.  One of the recent topical weeks was a retreat to a cabin the mountains to go through Richard Foster’s book Spiritual Disciplines. 

 Though there was required work (reading and journaling) I must say that it was the most relaxing thing that I have since coming here to Boise.  Being able to get away from everything and be in a rural environment to just focus on the various spiritual disciplines was rewarding. 



Zach grilling hamburgers for a SOBA/VCOM fundraiser! 



Each student selected one of the disciplines to prepare a mini teaching to share with the rest of the group.  The one that I picked was on submission.  And I think I learned the most from being able to study this particular one. I realized how different the world views this topic compared to how God sees this topic.  The difference highlights how twisted the world is compared to how God sees everything that He created.  We (as a society) tend to view submission as a bad thing, yet God views it as a very good thing. 

The reality is that by Christ giving himself up as a sacrifice was the ultimate act of submission.  And even in that ultimate act of submission, society does not view it like that.  Make note, that submission is by no means being a doormat, just looking at Jesus one can see he got on the nerves of people more times than can be counted.  Submission is the willingness to be under the authority of God and the guidelines that He set.  This can create encouragement being under people placed in authority because they themselves are being subject to the Father, too.  

With all this being said there is still a lot that I need to learn about this topic of submission.  As well as learn and incorporate all the other disciplines in to my Christian walk.  These will help me in walking the straight path which the Lord has laid before my feet.  

Being Transformed: by Beginning in the Mind!



Update from HALEY

Haley (Left) with roomie Bethany (right)

A lot has happened since the last time I wrote an update!  We went to Organ were we helped with Bridge Town ministries.  It was very cool to step out in faith and go beyond myself by talking to people that were homeless and actually help them.  I think my favorite part was night strike when I washed homeless people’s feet.  It was amazing! I loved being able to talk and listen to them share about their lives.  It was rewarding to just be able to love on them and make them feel special and happy. It was an awesome time. 

I have been having a great time helping in youth group, here at Vineyard Boise. I help lead a small group at the end of every Wednesday night group.  I love working with the six-grader girls they are so funny.  I love all the other leaders there, too.  They are so nice and the whole experience has been a good break from all the school work we do.  

I also have found a new favorite book in the New Testament, Romans.  God really spoke to me through a particular verse.  “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God- what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2.  I just love this verse. God really helped me to understand it for the original audience and then how to apply it more for me personally.  It was like a light went off in my head when reading this verse.  That’s why I think the book of Romans is so cool.  Every time we went over it in class, I was hit with something amazing.   

I just can’t wait for what lies ahead as we prepare for the rest of the year and for outreach to Ecuador.<3 Haley