Agoura Bible Fellowship, we are thrilled to present this wrap-up report detailing the completion of your church plant, Iglesia Alianza de la Ciudad de Pedernales, in the city of Pedernales, Esmeraldas, Ecuador. The construction is finished, electricity and plumbing are installed, and the church is fully functioning. The church has favor with the community and is serving 348 children. We, along with the 747 people who have already benefited from your support, thank you for your graciousness and pray that you will be blessed as you have blessed so many families in Ecuador. God bless you!
Construction Review
This intervention was implemented according to the established schedule, scope and budget. Everything has the legal permits and meets construction requirements granted by the Municipality of Pedernales. Thanks to the Lord, we have been able to finish the facilities to work with the children.
All the construction is reinforced with concrete. With the church members, we have established the care and maintenance that we must give to the entire construction to make it last. We have acquired the necessary equipment to have a decent place to receive each child, and each tutor is responsible for teaching children about the care of the things they use.
Additionally, a workshop has been provided for parents to learn about the responsibility they have for their children. Likewise, the children have been taught the importance of respect they should have for their parents.
With the help of God, we have been able to complete 96% of the construction (the building is 100% ready to be used, except for 4% of the finishing process which includes painting and similar activities). We’re working hard to provide not only a safe place but facilities that boost the learning process in the most adequate way.
Details of the construction:
- 1 multi-purpose room which can serve as meeting room, workshop and classroom
- 2 classrooms with an average of 98 square feet
- 1 kitchen measuring 49 square feet
- 1 women’s bathroom measuring 52 square feet (three toilets, one sink)
- 1 men’s bathroom measuring 52 square feet (two toilets, three urinals, one sink)
- 1 office measuring 49 square feet
- 1 raised water tank with pump
- 1 septic well
- Electric installations
Challenges Encountered
As a church, we have had several challenges, but the most important ones have been:
- Over the course of the last several months, the construction materials went up in price, and that required more effort and organization as a church.
- The church had a leadership transition; however, it has been a great blessing because the community supports the work of the new authorities, and we can see more involvement from all.
Lessons Learned
- The changes that occurred within the church helped to establish a better relationship with the community, which is why we are receiving more help from them.
- We have learned to establish a community relationship with the residents of the areas of Palmar, Chorrera and Pedernales despite the cultural differences.
- We learned to be more thankful to God for all the blessings He sends us and for people like you who allow us to continue expanding the kingdom.
Child Development Center Launch
Objectives
The main objective of this intervention was to build the facilities for Christian and Missionary Alliance Church in Pedernales for the benefit of children and young people, their families and the entire community.
The specific set objectives that we have achieved in this intervention include:
- Attaining 100% beneficiary participation in Compassion program activities through Alianza Church Pedernales.
- Reaching 100% of children and their families with the gospel through activities performed by the church.
- Ensuring all residents of Pedernales have access to a center where they can worship, praise God and learn the Word.
- To achieve a center of great prestige, caring for children and contributing to all members’ holistic formation.
Achievements
- Activities were fully established for children to participate with their parents.
- The church has become known within the community for serving the children of Pedernales as well as Chorrera and Palmar.
- Many children are involved in the children’s ministry, and more involvement is expected in the next three years.
- We hope that not only will 50% of children and parents make a decision to follow Christ, but a higher percentage with the help of God.
Pastor’s Testimony of Impact
“Pastor Rubén López: We are impacting the community. Every day more parents and children are interested, who, without being part of the program, attend the tutorials because they see the love of God in the children and the parents of the program. I have been able to meet many people from different cultures, and this has benefited the vision that God put in my heart – to carry the integral message to the nations. With the help of this intervention, I have been able to understand, personally, that it is better to give than to receive.
“I hope to continue supporting the benefited children because they need this program for their future development within the community. Having the right facilities, they have the ease and security they need to better understand what it means to live in a community and relate to one another in harmony.”
– Pastor Rubén López
The Impact of Your Support
In our church, the main beneficiaries are the children, but also all our congregation and the community in general. The beneficiary children are happy and, although in these weeks and months we will continue to adapt the church and finish it, they already have a decent place to learn and worship. A total of 747 people were affected, out of which 347 are sponsored beneficiaries, and 400 are adults.
Impact of the church
This intervention has contributed to the change of attitude of the community. The church is receiving benefits because this has generated an impact in all our children. Sharing the gospel of salvation has been made easier. The church now has a physical location, and everyone is happy and grateful. Children are safer and more comfortable to learn. And we have received the help of the city authorities and the owners of the stores where the materials for the construction were purchased.
The Discipleship School has already begun to prepare brothers and sisters for ministry.
The local church carried out several fundraising activities to provide its share of the project funding, such as food sales and obtaining donations from members of the church as well as from members of other congregations. The love of God toward the church has been seen because it has allowed us to obtain resources to complete the work.
Current attendance:
- 30 adults
- 20 children
- 348 children attend the Child Development Center
Impact of the Compassion Program
The program supplies the needs that parents could not give to their children in terms of food, medicine and learning. Parents are grateful for the support the tutors provide for the children, who are developing comprehensively. The children are more secure in the things they do, their self-esteem has increased, and their development is in line with the training they receive in the program.
Tutor’s Testimony of Impact
“We are so grateful to God, Compassion International and all the donors who made it possible to build the multipurpose room, bathrooms, kitchen, office and the classrooms that will allow us to provide the children and parents of the beneficiaries with better infrastructure.”
– Consuelo Cacuango Yépez,
tutor at the child development center
Opportunities and Goals
- Continued unity and support of the church. We meet as a church once a week to analyze what needs improvement in the church. We still must paint the church.
- To utilize members of church according to their profession or skills i.e., painters, masons, welder, musicians, doctors, etc.
- Financial contributions of the members for the church material.
- Other institutions, authorities, their hearts have been touched by God.
We expect to see the following indicators of success in the years to follow:
- At least 90% of sponsored children participate in the church’s child ministry in the following three years.
- 50% of sponsored children receive Jesus as their savior up to the year 2021.
- 50% of sponsored children’s families make their decisions of faith and actively participate in the church ministry in the following two years.
Beneficiary’s Testimony of Impact
Ahilyn Ivanna, age 6, is a registered beneficiary of the child development center. She thanks you all. She feels very happy and grateful to God for all the people who helped to build the church and make it look beautiful. Her mom says that now she grabs her purse and wants to be taken to church every day. It is beautiful to see her face full of joy when they take her and see how they teach her with the Bible, songs and other activities.
She says that she will always pray for the people who gave the resources so that the Lord will provide them more. How grateful we are for the enormous work you do with those who need it.
Prayer Requests:
- Always pray for Pedernales and the community.
- May God raise new support leaders for the program.
- For the tutors who always have a heart of service to God.
- For the Lord to help us finish the church, the painting is missing.
- For the new authorities in Pedernales to be able to have alliances in the welfare of children.
- For the life of the Pastor and may the Lord help him to fulfill the proposed goals.
Closing Remarks
We continue to pray for all of you, to never cease your desire to help others, and we admire you very much, you are an example for us. We also wanted you to know how the church has come together with construction, supported economically and continues to do so, although we are still small in number.