This morning during my quite time I was reading a story about Rick Warren and the example his dad had made for him before he died. The story really spoke to me and actually I could have written it myself because it is so similar to the life we are living right here in Ecuador. I wanted to share a part of that story with you, and I hope you get something from it like I did. I take no credit for the words written from here on out as they are not mine but those from a excerpt from Rick Warren.

Now, if you are going to reach one more for Jesus, you must, like Jesus did, spend time loving, serving, and befriending those who don’t know him yet. You cannot hang out only with people like you. Jesus spent so much time with “the wrong crowd” that it drove the religious crowd and legalists crazy. They mocked Jesus, calling him “the friend of sinners.” They considered that label a put-down but to Jesus it was badge of honor. I want to be like Jesus. And if religious people fail to understand, or criticize me for being friends with skeptics and atheists, straights and gay people, Muslims and Mormons, conservatives and liberals - then so be it. All I want to do it “Reach one more for Jesus.” God has never made a person he doesn’t love. God has never made a person Jesus didn’t die for. God has never made a person he didn’t create for His purposes. God has never made a person he doesn’t want in heaven!

My definition of “Reaching one more for Jesus” is this: You build a bridge of love between your heart and theirs, then you let Jesus walk across. You cannot bring enemies to Jesus. They must become your friends first. Before people trust Jesus they want to know if YOU can be trusted.

So, if people don’t understand why I often I speak to groups hostile to Jesus, and hang-out with people who oppose what I believe, so be it. If I am accused of being too-soft, too hard, to naive, too shallow, or too heretical because I build bridges to people who don’t know Jesus yet, it’s a small price to pay. I’m going to have a lot of friends in heaven because “reaching one more” mattered more than arguing with those who spend their time criticizing rather than evangelizing.

I will warn you: You’ll never reach many with the Good News until you let go of your fear of disapproval and guilt by association. Jesus cared about souls, not politics, and he was never politically correct.

I intend for “Reach one more for Jesus” to be the theme of the rest of my life. I invite you to consider it for your life, too, because nothing will make a greater difference for eternity. If you want to be used by God, you must care about what God cares about most: the redemption of the people he made. God wants his lost children found! Nothing matters more to God. The Cross proves it.

Is anyone going to be in heaven because you cared enough to cross a barrier and shared the love of Jesus with someone not a part of your little tribe? Go reach one more for Jesus.

Moving to Crucita Ecuador

To all our American friends and family:
We will soon be making a move to the coast of Ecuador where the Lord is leading us in starting a new ministry. Our work here is complete and we have Pastor Roberto to continue the work that was started in the jungle. That is what we are supposed to do. Reach one to reach others. Pastor Roberto came to know the Lord 4 years ago during one of our jungle revivals, and he came to our home twice a week every week for 1 1/2 years to be taught the Word of God. He accepted the calling to pastor and has for the past year been the pastor of a church in Campo Cocha. He and his wife serve together and have a congregation of about 80 people. They will continue the work the Lord started here 4 yrs ago.

We are excited about this move and the work we will do in Crucita Ecuador. It is a very dark place that needs the Light of Jesus to shine in their lives.

History of Casting Seeds Ministries:

2010-2014

Who is Casting Seeds Ministries?

•Been involved in Missions since 2003

•Done missions in Miami, Brazil, Russia, Africa, Peru, Ecuador.

•Been hosting teams since 2006 – 8 years experience

•Been an approved 501c3 Non-Profit since 2009

•Lived in Ecuador since 2010

•Obtained resident visa’s 2012

Work Accomplishments: 2010 - 2014

                  

                               

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•       Medical / Dental : Over 4500 patients seen and gospel shared with each one
•       Christmas Gifts / Cookie Bags : Over 3300 gifts given out to children
•       Shoe Ministry: Over 4000 children received new socks and shoes
•       Good News for You bible study: Over 300 people attended weekly bible studies in the jungle and mountain communities.
•       Water Filters : More than 675 water filters were passed out to many family homes receiving clean drinking water and the message of the Living Water of Life.
•       Over 1500 children participated in Vacation Bible school programs with Mission teams 
•       Thousands of Bibles and tracts have been passed out by Casting Seeds Ministries and their mission teams.
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This work could not have been accomplished without the help from you, our faithful friends. Mission teams are very important to the work that needs to be done here in Ecuador. In just over four years, more than 10,000 people have received the gospel message that Jesus Christ is the Only Way. 

If you would like to help cover the cost of this move, and be a blessing to us, we would appreciate your donations. You can send them in to our address in Florida, or use PayPal. Keep praying for us, the people of Misahualli and it's communities, and the new community Crucita as God's Word is brought forward through Casting Seeds Ministries and Pastor Roberto. God Bless.

Keep our friends Karina and Gato in your prayers please. Got a call from Gato that Karina went into labor this morning.  So I just took them and dropped them off at the hospital. It brought back some sad memories.

About 15 months ago, I  got a similar call from them. Karina's water had broke and they needed us to take them to the hospital about 40 minutes away. So off we went to Tena, and I dropped them off just like today.
The next morning very early we received another call that her baby had been born dead.  They asked us to come to the hospital and when we arrived we found out that the baby was in fact alive but not doing well. As most of you know, Gato and Karina ended up signing the baby over to Bless an Orphan so it would at least have a chance of living. The baby was taken to a hospital in Shell about 2 hrs away. He lived for a few weeks, but then couldn't make it any longer.

Today as I dropped them off, I could see tears in Karinas eye's as she too was in remembrance of the birth from the months before. We told her not to worry, that everything would be ok, and many many people would be praying for her and this new baby coming very soon. So, please join me in prayer for her and her family as she in now in labor in the same hospital as before.

Update:    Just wanted to share with you what happened this weekend after the man passed away from a dog bite.

We received another call that there had been another death the very next day from this mans passing. Thomas arrived at the house and knew the family that lived there. The death was of a 9 month old baby boy.  The day before, he had started with diarrhea and vomiting, and then in the evening he started having a high fever.  At about 3:00 in the morning on sunday, he passed away.  All he needed was some antibiotics and he would still be living today.  The parents are only children themselves having only 16 years each.

Please keep these families in your prayers, and us too as we receive phone calls during all hours of the day and night from people in need. The needs of them are many. Sometimes ending in very sad situations. But still we press on being the Light that Jesus has called us here to be.

His Word tells us that when we feed them, clothe them, give them something to drink, we've done it unto Him also.
 Let us alway do unto others, as we would have them do unto us.

God Bless
Deborah

Next Week is Coming

A couple of days ago, Thomas traveled into the jungle to visit some of our friends in a community that we've been working in for the past two years. As he arrived, one of the ladies we know told him her cousin was not doing well, and could he go pray with him.  When Thomas arrived at the hut, he found several people there in the home.  He was taken inside where he saw a man laying in the middle of the wooden floor. The man was 41 years old, and although Thomas didn't know him personally, he knew his brother and several other family members.  Thomas begin to ask questions about what was wrong with the man. As he listened to the people begin to tell the story, he could also hear the breathing of the man. The shallow rasping sounds coming out of him didn't sound good to Thomas. He could hear rattling sounds, and the mans eyes keep rolling back into his head. This man was dying. As Thomas knelt down beside the man, there was a smell coming out of him that made Thomas have to catch his breath to keep from vomiting.  He turned his attention to the details of the story and listened to how this man had come to be in this condition.  15 days prior, the man had been bitten by a rabid dog.  As he begin to get sick, the family told him he needed to go to the doctor, but the man refused saying "i'll be alright". But he didn't get better. He got worse really fast, and before he could understand what was really happening, he was so sick he couldn't respond to them to let them know he wanted to go to the doctor.  The family stood by his request that he didn't want to go get medical help, and they watched his life slip away. This man left behind a wife, and 11 children that all lived together in that home. His oldest child was 19, still in school, and the youngest was two.  Thomas told the people that he could call an ambulance to come there and take the man to the hospital, but they stood by the mans final decision. So, Thomas prayed for the man, and a short while after, watched him take his last breath.  It was a very sad time and immediately the wailing and crying started for this father, husband, son.
          Yesterday afternoon, Thomas received another call from the village asking if he could come and encourage the people.  He was told that many people were there from other villages, and at the home of this family.  They said the wife had no food to feed the people or even her own children. Thomas. Magali our translator and Rob a co-worker for the ministry, went and bought food for them and took it out to the community. He said there was probably over 100 people there.  When he arrived, there was a small place that had a tin roof covering, and the man's body had already been placed in a casket. Lighted candles surrounded him and the glow penetrated the darkness of the jungle. He was asked to pray for the people, and then to speak to them to encourage them. He shared with them out of the book of John chapter 1. Let not your heart be troubled, believe in God, believe also in Me.  He spoke to them in a compassionate way and then closed in prayer.  Thomas took the food to the home and gave it to the widow and she was very appreciative.  But knowing this woman had many children, the youngest being only two, we had to wonder how will this mother take care of her 11 children now. How can she work and provide the food, clothing, shelter, and many school supplies her children will need.  Next week is coming.  The little amount of food we took will be gone in a day or two.
           It is for this reason that we are here in this place at this time. We never know what each day will bring with it. We never know what phone call we might get of someone needing our help.  A call to come pray with them. A request to come bring food for a hurting family. A need to come and take someone to the hospital.  We do our best to "feed them" when they are hungry. Clothe them when they have no cloths.  We invite them in, even when we don't know them.  We show them the love of Jesus Christ through our daily walk of life.
           Your donations and monthly support help us to share all these things and much more with the people in the many river communites and jungle villages. It shows the people we care about them and want to help them in their sufferings and daily living.  When we teach them about Jesus,  you are being a part of that teaching. By praying for us, and supporting us financially. We thank you for being obedient and listening to God and sending us.

If you are not already supporting this ministry, please pray and ask God how you can be involved in Casting Seeds Ministries. We are a 501c3 non-profit organization. Your tax deductible donations/support can be sent to
Casting Seeds Ministries
P.O. Box 7537
Pensacola Fl, 32534
We even accept visa payments through PayPal, and also monthly "bill pay" through your bank.

God Bless

New Faces and Places

After 4 years of working in this beautiful country, we were able to take our first vacation and travel home to rest, relax, and visit family and friends.    This last trip home was a blessing in many ways. Deborah was able to spend some time with her father who lives in Bessemer Alabama. Something she's not been able to do since the passing of her mother.  Her father is doing well, and was so very thankful for the visit.  Deborah was also able to be there for his 80th birthday which was a blessing for them both. Spending time with the grandkids that live in North Alabama is always fun.  The kids didn't know about them coming home, so was very surprised and excited about them being there to spend the christmas holidays with them.  Children grow up so very fast, and the oldest was 11 yrs old when they left and now is 15. Big Change!
The most important part of their vacation was the opportunity to be able to go to church service's and fellowship with like minded people.  It was so good to go to church and worship Jesus with song and the Word of God. Every opportunity they had they were in church.  When they finally made it to their hometown in Pensacola Florida, they were so happy to attend their church at FBC Cottage Hill. Their's nothing like being with your church family!

After returning home to Ecuador, the people of their little community had really missed them and was excited about their return. They quickly got back to work at the ministry center.  New teaching material had been purchased during their trip home, and Deborah and Thomas was excited to start teaching the children using the new Books. The children responded very well to the new lessons and are enjoying the lessons being taught.  

                                       

Thomas has started preaching on Sundays at the orphanage in Tena, where there are about 10 to 15 americans working with Bless an Orphan. Deborah teaches the many children who live at the orphanage while Thomas preaches in english to the american missionaries.  They start out with a worship service singing first with the kids in spanish, and then in english with the americans.  It's a great time of fellowship and everyone is very happy about being able to have church services in their own language.  It is just what everyone needed and was missing.

 Deborah teaching the orphan children.

Casting Seeds Ministries is now happy to announce that they have a new translator!

Magali Rivadeneyra moved in a couple days ago and says, God has been dealing with her about serving him in the mission field with Casting Seeds Ministries. She finished up her contract as a school teacher, and knew it was time to listen to the Lord's direction. She has committed to work with the ministry for at least one year and will be translating for Thomas and Deborah when ever needed. This is an answer to prayer as most of you know. Thomas and Deborah can speak in spanish, but not to the extent of preaching God's Word effectively.  They know a translator is needed to speak correctly the words that God wants the people to hear. So after much prayer, God has sent them a very sweet person who loves God and wants to grow more in her relationship with Him.  Thomas will be going through a bible study book with her that he teaches in the community's for a couple of weeks so she can prepare herself to translate for him.  Everyone is very excited about this opportunity and are looking forward to what God is going to do this next year with this group that is striving to live out the great commission. 

 Magali Rivadeneyra

Most of you know our friend Roberto Andes. He is the man that lives in Campo Cocha that gave his life to the Lord during one of the mission trips of FBC Cottage in 2012. Thomas spent many hours with him discipling him and teaching him God's word.  During this time of bible study, Roberto shared with Thomas that he knew God was calling him to pastor the church in Campo Cocha.  Thomas prayed with him, and encouraged him to keep following Jesus.  Just recently Roberto called and shared with Thomas that he is being ordained to preach this coming August. He will become the pastor of his little jungle community church of about 80 people. 

We are so excited to share this news with everyone. It is awesome news of the work that God is raising up disciples through the ministry of Casting Seeds Ministries.  Please keep this man of God in your prayers as he continues to seek God's will for his life. 

 Roberto Andes preaching at El Faro Church.

PRAYER REQUEST:

People of the Napo Region where we live and minister.

Magali our translator

Roberto Andes and his family

Bless an Orphan and sunday church services

Continued support and donations for the work being done through Casting Seeds Ministries

Thomas and Deborah

Thank you to all our financial supporters and our prayers warriors. We couldn't do what we do if it weren't for you! God Bless you!