Life on the Line ... serving Christ on the equator

Graham and Sharon Nichols US Church: Lewis Memorial UMC Evan E-Mail: [email protected] Web-Site: www.Nichols4Ecuador.org

Skype: graham.sharon.nichols

April 2015

Come, follow me, Jesus said, and I will send you out to fish for people.

Matthew 4:19 (NIV)

Saludos friends, family and church family,

Grace and peace to you in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ. We pray this mission letter finds you well, full of hope, and filled with His Goodness! Please pray with us as we seek to please God and embrace His fulfillment in us.

April News a month of torrential down pours, power outages for hours into the night humidity that weve never experienced for days and nights on end as the rainy season where we live is making its way out like a lion a fierce lion!! Yayyy May is here and summer has arrived which is actually much cooler than our winters! Different, huh!! But in the midst of day to day and cloud covered skies, soaking wet shoes and mosquitoes galore God has shown Himself incredibly brightly and ever Faithful and forever loving in the people we serve and those we serve alongside. Our Sunday morning discipleship among some of the most precious people we know in all the world is blooming even on rainy days! it has been really awesome to watch our children as young as 5 years old help explain to their siblings and friends about what they are coloring or making. Little voices talking about Jesus as they have been taught by those called to teach in our church. Disciples in the making, making disciples in the making. Love it and love so very much being part of the plan of Jesus to help make disciples in this place. Following Jesus is not easy but the blessings far outweigh the hard God honors obedience and is true to His Word. He has sent us out and we are fishing on dry, rain soaked land! Its pretty awesome being a part of lives that are changing its like watching ourselves through others we are changing together. Incredible! Praising God for allowing us this privilege!

Santo Domingo surrounding the EUMC we live

at the foot of the green hill in

the background. Its the first

time in 5 months that

weve seen the hill from the church. The

skies are clearing!

Fishing for people in

Santo Domingo

April through a few pictures:

Our children are praying; for one another, for the needs of the world, for those who lost loved ones here in Ecuador and in the United States, for those hurting. Our children are praying.

Our children are singing; learning new music, new ways to celebrate Jesus in song and dance, lifting their little voices to Heaven. Our children are singing.

Our children are absorbing; more and more every week about the faithfulness of Jesus and His love for each of them, the purpose of their lives-to love God and love others, living scripture. Our children are absorbing.

Our children are being creative; they color and draw and make crafts every week that relate to the lesson our teachers are teaching. They are creative.

Our children are participating in Worship; presenting the gospel on their level in front of the body and sharing what they have learned. Our children are receiving Communion and celebrating Christ. Our children are participating.

Our children are serving; they clean up after themselves in Sunday school and help serve the mornings fruit to the other children, our 3 year olds to our 15 year olds are helping with the offering. Standing before God and praying over gifts received. Our children are serving.

Our children are a work in process just like us but they (we) are praying, singing, absorbing, creating, participating, serving, loving God and loving each other they (we) are disciples in the making. It is a privilege to see and feel and be part of their growth in Christ every week all for Gods Glory!

On April 21 we celebrated our one year Anniversary in Santo Domingo. And God has been ever so kind by surrounding us with some of the most wonderful people. One of the many things we have learned is that people are really the same everywhere we all need Jesus. We have some really awesome new teachers who know this as well who are dedicated to teaching the Word of God to our little people Sharons passion! And Grahams passion is teaching the Word of God to our adults. Lots of times we all teach each other around the kitchen table over a meal or cutting 1000 fish so our children (and adults) can learn more of His Faithfulness to provide. From planning events in the life of the church, to hanging with friends, to passing out ministry materials to a community eager to learn, to daily life and chores being supervised by our 4 legged family member, MeSheto (named by our Chiguilpe family) we sense we are all the same seeking to know the will of God for our lives we are all following Him fishing together. A year ago after living in a very different city, Quito, we came here with no clue what the needs of the people of Santo Domingo de los Colorados were but we came because Jesus said, Come, follow me and it was hard very hard but another thing we have learned in following Jesus to this place is that we need the people of Santo Domingo as much as they need us. We are in this together finding our way, bringing others along with us on the path He created us to be on. In doing this there is yet another of the many things we have learned Gods wishes and dreams for us (all of us) are far grander than we could ever imagine for ourselves. Thank you for helping to make this life for us a reality thank you for helping us fish for people thank you for fishing for people with us thank you for letting God use you together we are making disciples who will make disciples for the Lord, Jesus Christ. Amn! < < <

Yours in Christ, Graham and Sharon Nichols

Missionaries to Ecuador serving with The Mission Society y IEMUE

All donations may be made to:

The Mission Society P.O. Box 922637

Norcross, Georgia 30010 Designate gifts:

Nichols support # 368 [or]

via The Mission Societys web-site www.themissionsociety.org/people/Nichols

(Click on the web address above then scroll to the bottom of the page to donate by Credit Card or

Electronic Funds Transfer)

The thing that makes a missionary is the sight of what Jesus did on the cross and to have heard Him say, GO. Oswald Chambers

Please feel free to forward, mail-out or print our Newsletter for your Sunday school class, small group, Church or friends Thank you!!

Our Mailing Address in Ecuador (Graham is known by his first name in ECU-Robert)

We LOVE hearing from you!!

Conjunto San Marino Robert y Sharon Nichols #39

Va a la Bengala y Ro Chila-Subcentro Salud Rosales Santo Domingo de los Colorados, Ecuador, SA

Cell: 0996758531 (MUST be written on any packages)

Bendiciones desde Ecuador!! (Blessings from Ecuador!!)

(If you received this newsletter by mistake, or simply wish to be removed from our mailing list, please

reply to this e-mail with the word "remove" in the subject line. Thank you!

We praise God from Whom ALL blessings flow. We keep putting one foot in front of the other in the direction God is moving it is harder some days than others but He is sooo Faithful it is a great privilege to get to be here for Heaven! Life keeps moving on over here and over there. And we praise God for you!! We are praying for you! Know that we love you! Please pray for Gods provision as we seek to please Him and serve Him in this place among these precious people we simply cannot continue in His service here without your prayers and financial partnership and support. Please pray about joining Jesus in His mission alongside us feeding hungry tummies and sweet little hearts as we be the Gospel for the people as empowered by His Spirit. There is Great JOY in being used for the Kingdom. We are thankful and sooo very grateful!