Thursday, June 26, 2008

Pics from today & a video of Evan

Well, here's some pictures from today and there's a video of Evan at the end. Here's a picture of Evan, Christine and a plate of traditional Ecuadorian food. This is fritada (fried pork), llapingachos (potato and cheese pancakes), avocado, corn and cheese, roasted corn kernels and hominy. Mom and Dad had some other stuff and we all had a good lunch. After lunch, we went on a nice little walk in the park in Cumbaya. These pics were taken at the town square in Cumbaya. Evan isn't in this one as he was in the carrier that I had on.
This was a video of Evan in his chair that was taken some time last week.

The Super Bowl of South American Soccer

Following are some pictures/videos from a soccer game that Dad and I went to last night. This picture was taken before the game started. To explain about this game a bit, I will say that this was basically the Super Bowl of South American and Mexican soccer. It's one of two final games in the Copa Libertadores (Liberators Cup) tournament that is played every year between the best Mexican/South American soccer clubs. My favorite team Liga de Quito has reached the final against Fluminense from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. They played one game of the final here and then will play one game in Brazil. They will add up the goals from both games and whoever has the most will be the champion of the tournament. If it's a tie at the end then they will play extra time and then go to penalties after that. I'm just glad that we were able to go to the game. It was really quite exciting and I was able to teach Dad a bit about soccer. Liga ended up winning 4-2, which was a good result for them and gives them a 2 goal advantage. We'll see what happens when they play in Rio next week. Liga is really the underdog and this is the first time they've ever made it to the final (they are the only the 2nd Ecuadorian team to ever make it to the final). On a side note...hopefully Evan will be playing in one of these before too long. Here's a picture of Dad and me. I know it's not the best in the world (my hair was sticking up and dad's eyes were closed) but it was the only one we got. This one may not be clear but is a picture of video that was on the scoreboard before the game. It is a picture of the players standing in front of a crucifix crossing themselves. There were some players that were touching and rubbing the crucifix. They also had an image of the virgin Mary. Here's a picture that was taken during the game. Following are two videos. The first one was taken before the game as the players were welcomed onto the field. I will warn you that with both of the videos, I moved the camera around too much. I do think that these videos capture the overall feeling and excitement. In these you can see the fireworks, streamers, light from flares and fog from fog machines and the general celebration.
The 2nd video was taken after Liga's first goal. They scored their first goal in the 1st minute, which is pretty rare & amazing. During this video, you can hear the fans (and me) singing one of Liga's main songs.

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Audrey Ray Evans, Grammie and Papa's visit, and Evan is 1 month old

Here's a picture of Evan's new cousin and our new niece, Audrey Ray Evans. We are now and Uncle and Aunt for the first time for real. We've been honorary Uncle and Aunt for years now. Christine's brother Paul and his wife Laura had Audrey on May 23rd. She weighed a bit less than Evan but is half an inch longer than Evan was at his birth. We welcome her to the world and ask you to pray for Audrey, Dad and Mom. Pray especially for Laura's recovery as she had to have a c-section.
This was taken of Evan and me on Father's Day. We watched the Ecuador-Argentina game together. It was too much excitement for him, so he just fell asleep.
These next two were taken of us and Evan at his first visit to church. We had a good time and he was really quiet and asleep until close to the end of the sermon. He started crying and the pastor saw me jump up to take him out. He said he thought my cell phone had gone off, so everybody looked back and was laughing. It was pretty funny.

Well, Dad and mom have made it to get to know Evan. We've had a good time so far. Here's a nice picture of dad and Evan.
Here's a nice one of Evan and mom.
Evan is now one month old. Here is a picture of us all together that was taken today on his one month birthday.
Here's Evan with his Longhorn pacifier that his Grammie brought him. Hook Em! Guess this is all for now. I have a lot more pics to put on. Dad and I are going to a soccer game tonight. Will have to put some pics and let you all know about that.

Saturday, June 21, 2008

meet Juan Miguel (Evan's Spanish name)

Sorry it's been a while since our last post. We have been kind of busy this last week. I celebrated my 1st Father's Day last Sunday and that was quite nice. I'll have to put some pictures on from that day later on. Here are just a few random pics from last week. Juan Miguel is the equivalent of Evan Michael and we have started using that some because people were having trouble remembering Evan. Evan is another version of John or Juan and then Miguel is Michael. I really kind of like the way it sounds and it seems to be easier for people to remember.
This first one is of me with my Kenyan friend, Samuel. He and his wife had a baby boy named Gershom. I think Gershom was one of Moses' sons and it means 'stranger (born) in a strange land.' I ask you to pray for Samuel, Mary and their family. She had to have a c-section and is recovering from that. Gershom was born on June 11. He's quite a big boy and really fat.
Here's a nice pic of Evan.
Here's Evan hanging out (literally.) He likes this little carrier. Well, I guess this is all for now.

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

7 Day Prayer Guide for our ministry

Hello all once again. Following is a 7 day prayer guide for our ministry. I came up with the idea as I was beginning to form a personal prayer list. I hope this will help you on the specifics of how to pray for us and our ministry. I also hope to email this to those of you who are on the newsletter list some time soon. You can use many of the requests for different locations. I put days on them because there are specific events going on those days on some of them (especially Thurs-Sun).
James 4:16b- 'The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.'

Day 1 (Monday)- Pray for the volunteer team that will be coming from Weatherford, Oklahoma at the end of July (July 26-Aug. 2). Pray for the preparation that will be going on until they arrive. Pray for the work they will be doing and the contacts they will be making. Their main projects will be a vacation Bible school, agricultural work and prayerwalking. Pray that God will work in their lives to prepare them, teach them and use them when they are here.

Day 2 (Tuesday)- Besides praying for our ministry and our walk with God, we also ask you to pray for ministries, missionaries, and believers throughout Ecuador and Latin America. Pray that God will encourage them in their calling and in their service. We ask you to pray for those that are reaching out to the majority population of Mestizos and to those that are reaching out to the indigenous and Afro-Ecuadorian people groups, as well as those that are reaching out to the deaf. Pray that (Ecuador) 'will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.' (Habakkuk 2:14

Day 3 (Wednesday)- Pray that 'the work of our hands will be established' (Psalm 90:17). As we finish, we pray that the ministry that we have done will remain and multiply as we leave and after we leave. As you pray this, also pray for our personal walks with Christ. In ministry it is often easy to focus on others but forget about yourself and your personal walk with God. I pray that our relationships with each other and with God would flourish as we grow in our knowledge of God. We also ask you to pray for our marriage and our son, Evan. Pray that he will come to know and be blessed by God as we have.

Day 4 (Thursday)- Pray for Pastor Mario and the church in Guangopolo. Pray for them as they are established in their faith and as they try to reach out to the surrounding community.

Day 5 (Friday)- Pray for work in the southern part of the valley (Valle de los Chillos). This includes Tingo, the Triangulo area, Alangasi, Conococto, and San Carlos. Pray for Jose Rueda and his family as we work together and try to reach this area for Christ. Pray especially for the La Fuente program with Dave and Ana that works with children. Pray for the church in Las Palmeras as they reach their area and Santa Rosa. Pray specifically that the "Lord will open people's heart to the message" of hope and salvation all over the area(Acts 16:14).

Day 6 (Saturday)- Pray for work in the central part of the valley. This includes the neighborhood where we live (Primavera), Rojas (a nearby neighborhood) and a local church (Luz del Valle-Light of the Valley). Pray that the work of the Gospel will be established and strengthened here.

Day 7 (Sunday)- Pray for the work in the Northern part of the valley. This includes El Quinche and Ascazubi. Pray for Ramon Ayala and their family and the church there. Pray that there will be opportunities for God's grace to be experienced and that people will draw near to God. Pray against barriers and traditions that are keeping people away from God and His word.

Thanks for praying daily for the Haleys. You don't know how much your prayers have blessed us and furthered God's kingdom. Keep up the good work!

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Feliz Dia del Padre!

Here's a video we took of Evan this morning when he was hiccupping. The title for this blog is Happy Father's Day in Spanish. Take care and God bless and be looking for the prayer guide.
Proverbs 17:6- "Children's children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children."

Saturday, June 14, 2008

Happy Father's Day


Well, here's some recent photos of us and Evan. We'd like to take this special opportunity to thank our fathers and wish them a happy Father's day. We'd also wish the same for Christine's grandpa (Evan's great-grandpa). Here's Evan and Christine
a nice close-up.
No, I didn't pee on myself but Evan has peed on me at least 3 times. I don't know if I've ever seen so much pee in all my life. On this one, I had just checked his diaper and he was dry. I hadn't put his clothes on yet but he had his diaper on and he was in my lap. All of a sudden, I felt something warm and wet. Oh, the joys of being a new father...happy Father's day to me!
Here's a picture of us.
Lastly, is a picture of Mark Wright who came with Immanuel Baptist Church of Shawnee, Oklahoma. We worked with Mark and his church last summer, helping them translate for a medical mission in South Quito. We became good friends and have kept up since then. Mark and his church are back now and we had a chance to meet up. I ask you to pray for his church and their mission trip/partnership to South Quito. As I close, I want to let you all know about a 7 day prayer guide that I will be putting up that you can use to pray for us and our ministry. I hope to put that up in the next day or two. I also hope to email that out to those of you who are on our newsletter list.

Thursday, June 12, 2008

goodbye Grandma & Grandpa Evans

Here's the last picture of Grandma and Grandpa with Evan. They returned to Missouri last night. We really had a nice visit with them and they helped us out a whole lot. We were really glad they were able to come and enjoy this time with us and Evan. Before too long, Evan will be able to meet his Grammie and Papa Haley. They will be coming June 23-July 3. Following are the videos that I promised. I hope they work for you.


Psalm 102:28-"The children of your servants will live in your presence; their descendants will be established before you." This is a prayer request taken from scripture for Evan. That Evan will live in God's presence and be established by Him.

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Evan & Daddy and a picture from Rojas

Here's a picture of me (in my Brooklyn Dodgers hat) and Evan (in his Kansas City Royals) hat. It's pretty amazing and random the stuff you can find here. I bought both these hats here in Cumbaya. Evan's hat is just a little too big but it's all right.
Here's a picture of Luis and Emma. I meet with them and their family for Bible study every Saturday evening. Please pray for them...that God's Word, power, and presence will be real in their lives. The two younger girls are Emma's younger sisters- Marisol and Maritza. We meet in barrio Rojas, which is the next neigbhorhood over. I'm sorry I'm not putting a video on now but I hope to do so later on tonight or early tomorrow (along w/ some pics.)
Matthew 19:13-14-Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them. Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."

Monday, June 09, 2008

and then there were three...

Here's Evan in his carseat. He's just a little knocked out, but cute as ever. The next couple were taken at a local Ecuadorian restaraunt we went to yesterday. Evan celebrated two weeks of life. He is now two weeks old. Here's a sign by the door of the restaurant. It says-"Here- the boss is Father God and the cook is Father Pedro." Taita is an indigenous (Quichua) word for Father. Ecuadorian Spanish has adopted this word (among others) into the vernacular. The next two are from yesterday as well. They are from when Jan and I went to a worship service in Guangopolo. This is Pastor Mario's church. He and Efrain went to the conference with me a few weeks ago. This is the church where we are doing a training on how to start home Bible studies/cell groups. I was able to share a testimony about Evan yesterday and everybody was excited to hear about him. I was also able to show pics of our boy. From left-right- Marcia (Pastor Mario's wife), Pastor Mario, Efrain, Jan, Freddy, Danilo (Mario and Marcia's sons who play music during worship)
As I close, here is a video from the church service in Ascazubi a few weeks ago. I had put a post and some pictures from this service, but here is a video. This is the woman's choir from Chumillos doing a special. You might keep your eyes out as I hope to put some more pictures and a couple of videos of Evan on tomorrow or the next day.

Thursday, June 05, 2008

Evan

Well, here's some more pictures of Evan. Here's one of Angel and family when they came over this last weekend to visit.
Here's me and my little buddy.
The last two were taken the other night during Liga's game. Liga ended up qualifying for the Liberator's Cup final (the South American/Mexican club championship). It was pretty exciting and we were dressed appropriately. Evan's shirt was a bit big, but it did the job.

Wednesday, June 04, 2008

1st video of Evan and some more pics

Well, here's some more pictures of Evan. The first couple are kind of silly. I was holding him up the other night and he had this funny expression on his face and I got this picture.
Well, you've heard of a milk mustache...well, here's a milk soul patch. He also had a milk beard the other day but I didn't get a picture of it. He's such a cutie. He's not awake much but it's fun when he is, especially when he looks at you, looks around and makes these little sounds. Following is a video of this exact thing.
The 3rd picture is of Evan and Christine when we went out to lunch the other day.
Well, here's the first video that was taken of Evan. I had tried to download videos before but it didn't seem to work. This was taken the other day before we were leaving to go to Quito to his doctor. I can only take about 30 second videos on our digital camera, so here's a little something.
James 1:17-"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."

Monday, June 02, 2008

photos and lyrics

Here's a picture of our neighbor and good friend, Angel with his daughter, Evelin. They came over the other day. The whole family came last night. I will try to post a pic of that visit later on.
Here's Evan hanging in his crib.
Following is a song from one of my favorite singers that has taken on great meaning recently. I had listened to it before Evan was born and it was interesting, but the meaning of it really touched my (our) heart(s) the other day. We were just hanging out with Evan and listening to music and this song came on and impacted me in an amazing way.
"Family Man"- from "Love & Thunder," Words and music by Andrew Peterson
I am a family man
I traded in my mustang for a minivan
This is not what I was headed for when I began
This was not my plan
I am a family man

But everything I had to lose
Came back a thousand times in you
And you fill me up with love
Fill me up with love

And you help me stand
'cause I am a family man

And life is good
That's something I always knew
But I just never understood
If you'd asked me then you know I'd say I never would
Settle down in a neighborhood
I never thought I could

But I don't remember anymore
Who I even was before
You filled me up with love
Filled me up with love
And you help me stand

So come on with the thunder clouds
Let the cold wind rail against us, let the rain come down
We can build a roof above us with the love we've found
We can stand our ground
So let the rain come down

Because love binds up what breaks in two
So keep my heart so close to you
And I'll fill you up with love
Fill you up with love
And I'll help you stand
'Cause I am a family man

I'm saving my vacation time
For Disneyland
This is not what I was headed for when I began
This was not my plan
It's so much better than