Dim Sum in Quito

We celebrated Peiru's birthday in a dim sum bar in Quito. Below are some photos:

Running keeps me strong

I am grateful for the morning runs which keep me physically and spiritually strong. I have been rather disappointed with some people recently but God speaks to me and encourages me every time I run. The 3-4 times per week run over these 4 years keep my mind fresh and alert although I can be negative at times. If you are reading this, I would like to encourage you to do prayer jog in the morning and converse with God along the way. If we tune our ears to God, we can surely hear God even as we run. My prayer jog has strengthened my relationship with God and I hope that it helps you too. God bless! :)

Enjoying a satisfying life

By end of September this year, it will be 4 years in Quito. I have been enjoying God and missions in this place, especially the recent years. First year was difficult because of the language barrier and cultural difference. But things got better ever since. Thank God for the wonderful weather in Quito. Because of the dry and cooling weather, we don't really perspire much except when doing exercise. Food can be stored outside the fridge for a long time without getting spoilt. I am also thankful to God for the new people in church. They are really nice people. Thank God for Lorena, Anais, Juan Jo, Diego, Arthur and Elena. God has sent them to our midst and we are really grateful for their lives here with us. Most importantly, I have learnt to be contented with where I am and what I have. I have also learnt to pray more and do less. Waiting on God and seeking Him is also much more powerful than being busy with many activities all day long. Thank God for His presence in my life! :)

$400 for my IPPT

Just came back to Quito from my visit to Singapore in August. I took my annual IPPT and got my $400 for achieving gold in the results. I ran my 2.4km in 10min 11sec and got full points for other stations too. Thank God for the training and the supernatural energy! :) It's a breakthrough for a 33 years old like me.

Training for 2.4km

Thank God for the opportunity to get to know Daniel who is my trainer now. He is the younger brother of one of the new believers, Gustavo. We got to know each other through a picnic. :)

I have trained with Daniel for 2 times on Saturdays. On the first Saturday, we ran 8x200m in Carolina Park. I felt pain in my calves the next day. He told me that I need to run tip-toes instead of running on my soles. If I run on my soles, I will be running in a sitting position and it will be slower. Although it was hard to change the running habits, I manage to change to running on tip-toes on the second Saturday.

On the second Saturday, we ran from Carolina Park to Metropolitano Park. The Metropolitano park is very beautiful as it is on a forest terrain. We ran 15km in 80 minutes. It was good training for me as the terrain was up and down,and my body has to adjust to the unpredictable terrain.

My goal is to run 2.4km in about 10 minutes as I will be taking the fitness test in October when I visit Singapore. I also hope to outreach to Daniel so that he can get to know Jesus too. Pray along with me that our run every Saturday will be fruitful and filled with the presence of God.

10 Ways to Keep People Engaged in Your Message

1. Be real.

Let people see the actual human inside you. Most times, that will occur through your personal stories.

2. Talk like normal people talk.

I didn’t grow up in the church, so I don’t understand when you talk with a Christian accent.

3. Use humor.

If you don’t make me laugh, I’m probably going to tune you out. By the way, the best humor is revealed through your everyday life.

4. Don’t tell me what to think.

Lead me on the journey toward truth, but let me reach my own conclusions. In other words, don’t try to sell it.

5. Be honest.

If I think you’re credible, there’s a better chance I’ll think your message is credible.

6. Avoid being too polished.

In fact, I love it when you leave your prepared statements and share anything off the cuff.

7. Reveal your weaknesses.

As silly as it may seem, it makes me smile when I hear about your mistakes. It helps me to respect the areas where you are gifted.

8. Be brief.

Shorter is better. I’m probably only going to remember one or, at the most, two things that you say.

9. Make me smart.

I don’t care how smart you are, but I like it when you make me feel smart. That’s easier when you use small words and make it easy for me to apply what you’re teaching.

10. Tell me why I should care.

Help me understand why I should listen. If you don’t help me understand why it’s relevant to my life, I’ll tend to be thinking about my next blog post or my next tee time or my favorite 80s slow dance songs.

I’ve never had a seminary course on preaching, so I really don’t know anything about what it takes to prepare a good sermon. I think I’m pretty knowledgeable, though, when it comes to keeping people like me alert and engaged. Hopefully, this helps you help people like me.

Prayer after ministry

"Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray." Mark 6:45-46

I think God has been speaking to me about prayer recently. After feeding the thousands, Jesus dismissed the crowd and made his disciples to get into the boat to leave before him. He was all alone and then he went up on a mountainside to pray. Jesus did not only pray in the morning but also after ministering to people.

I need to follow Jesus' example more - not only pray in the morning, but also after ministry, alone! I need to draw strength from God and continue to pray for His people.

Jesus walked on water after that. Wow!