A Long Overdue Update

Hello everyone and welcome back to my blog! A lot has happened in the past six weeks so, to be brief, I will try to stick to the highlights as much as possible.  After a long and drawn out process, I finally received my visa in early November. With it, I was also able to apply for and receive an Ecuadorian ID card which is necessary to do all sorts of things. From opening a bank account, to paying your electric bill. All of it is dependent on having this ID so I am very thankful to have it! I have moved in to my apartment here in Ambato but, it wasn't ready when I thought it was going to be, so the start of my classes was pushed back until the 14th. My classes have started well, with 40 students signed up and 5 classes total with each class meeting twice a week. I have the opportunity to pray with them and to teach them a Bible verse in English while also teaching them the meaning behind each verse. On Saturdays, I am also teaching at the baptist church in the town of Pelileo. We are averaging around 10 students each week with an hour long class and a half hour Bible study afterwards. All in all, things have started pretty well. I am still getting settled in to my apartment and getting accustomed to the neighborhood and life in general here in Ambato. I ask that you would continue to pray that I might share boldly from the Word and that the people I come in contact with would draw closer to Christ. Whether that is a believer being encouraged or a non-believer putting their faith in Jesus Christ for the first time. Please be in prayer for me that I might stay healthy and safe so that I can continue to reach others for Christ. Also be in prayer for Huachi Chico Baptist Church and Pelileo Baptist Church that they might continue to reach out and serve their communities with the love of Jesus. 

Thank you for reading my blog today! I hope that it has been an encouragement to you! If you would like to support this ministry financially there are a couple of ways that you can do so. You can follow this link: https://globaloutreach.org/giving/missionary-details/jonathan-green and give online. Or if you prefer to give via check you can make checks out to "Global Outreach International" and be sure to include on the "For" line "Account #3764" to make sure that the funds make it to this ministry. Then you can mail checks to: Global Outreach International P.O. Box One, Tupelo, MS 38802. Thanks again for reading and I hope you have a blessed day!

Blessings,

Jonathan Green

English Class Coming Soon!

Hello everyone! As you can tell by the title, I have some exciting news! My English classes will start on November 7! Pastor Carlos and I are looking forward to the opportunities that God will provide through this ministry! We are starting with 3 classes per week at first to measure interest and we will expand as needed. I will also be giving a class every Saturday starting November 11 at Pelileo Baptist Church (PBC). PBC is a new church plant that has recently celebrated its first anniversary and is starting it's youth ministry on Saturday afternoons. My English lessons will take place after the youth meeting to draw young people to hear God's Word.  I am in the final stretch of my visa process with the final document arriving, hopefully, this week. My apartment will also be ready in the next few days, so a lot of things are coming together! Please be in prayer for my visa, that I clear this final hurdle. Please pray also that I find everything I need to move in to my apartment and as I transition from life at the camp to life in Ambato. And most of all, please pray that God would prepare me to boldly share the Gospel and to teach English to the best of my ability. 

 Thank you for visiting my blog today! If the Lord is leading you to support this ministry financially, please visit https://www.globaloutreach.org/giving/missionary-details/jonathan-green or if you prefer to give via check, make the check out to Global Outreach International and write "Account #3764" in the For line. Please send checks to the following address:

Global Outreach International P.O. Box 1 Tupelo, MS 38802

Late, Late Post

Hello everyone! Here is an even later post than usual because a lot has been happening! My visa process was a lot more complicated than we were told and we have been back and forth to Ambato and we are still in process so please be in prayer that all will go well and there will be no more surprises! While we have been working on the visa we have also been searching for an apartment near the church in Huachi Chico. It turns out a member of Huachi Chico Baptist was renting an apartment nearby and the tenants are leaving at the end of this month. So I went with Byron Almendariz along with Pastor Carlos Paredes of Huachi Chico Baptist to tour the apartment. Not only is the apartment close to the church but it is also a nice apartment at a good price too! Although the tenants are leaving at the end of September, the apartment won't be ready until the middle of October. In the meantime, I will continue to work with Camp Chacauco as I plan out my class schedule with Pastor Carlos and other churches. Here at camp, we have been preparing for a very special event at the Technical University of Ambato. We have a Christian music concert and time of evangelism with all of the students of the university! Over 1,000 students are expected! We are very excited but also realize the size of this event is tremendous. So if you would pray that all of the logistical details would be taken care of so that there would be no distractions from what God has prepared for these students. We are also holding a camp here at Camp Chacauco to train worship leaders in several key areas including the theology of worship. Please be in prayer that these worship leaders would be encouraged and equipped to lead God's people in worship of their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. 

Thank you so much for visiting my blog today! Your prayers and support mean so much to me! I have faced many struggles and trials and knowing that I have all of you supporting me in prayer encourages me to keep going! While it has not been easy, God has been with me every step of the way, leading me to an even deeper relationship with my Savior! May God bless you and lead you into that deeper relationship wherever He has called you to live and serve! We are blessed so that we might bless others! May God bless you this day and every day after!

Jonathan Green

A Late Post

Hello everyone and welcome to my blog! I realize I'm a little late so thank you for your patience! The past 2 weeks have been a time of rest and recovery after a very busy Summer. After the medical clinic ended in Puyo, I returned to Camp Chacauco where I spent a quiet week of rest and reflection as well as planning for the start of my ministry. The second week I met with the leadership of the camp and discussed how best to go about getting my visa. I also had the opportunity of sharing some fun moments with Ecuadorian friends like going to my first Ecuadorian professional soccer match. It was great time of fun and experiencing Ecuadorian culture. This week we have a group from Alabama helping us with some construction projects around Camp Chacauco and having Vacation Bible School in the nearby community of Gamboa. We started yesterday, and after a productive morning in construction we had nearly 80 children for our VBS. 

Please continue to pray for me, for my visa, for my housing, and for the ministry that God has placed before me. Please give, since I have arrived God has been expanding the vision of my ministry, not only to other churches in Ambato, but to churches in Latacunga, Salcedo, and Puyo. Please pray for how you can be involved in supporting what God is doing through my ministry to reach the people of Ecuador with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Thank you so much for visiting my blog today! If you would like to make a donation, you can make one online at the following webpage: 

https://globaloutreach.org/giving/missionary-details/jonathan-green

Or if you prefer you can send a check to:

Global Outreach International                                                                                                            P.O. Box One, Tupelo, MS 38802

Please make checks payable to Global Outreach International and be sure to put "Account #3764" in the "For" line

Children's Camp & Medical Clinic

Hello everyone and welcome to my blog! The last two weeks have been a blessing as we held a children's camp at Camp Chacauco and we traveled to the city of Puyo and held a medical clinic at Agape Baptist Church. We had about 150 children for our children's camp that centered around the story of Jonah and how to be obedient and have the right attitude and also about the mercy and grace God showed, not only to the city of Nineveh, but to Jonah himself. The following weekend I traveled to the city of Puyo to translate for a medical team. We initially had problems with the Ministry of Health that threatened to shut down the clinic. But, praise God, the governor of the province, which is called Pastaza, intervened on our behalf and allowed us to stay open. That was on Monday, and the next day the governor himself came and greeted each of us and gave us his thanks for being there and for helping the people of the province. In total we saw to the needs of over 700 people in just three short days. Pray for the churches and communities involved that there may be a mighty harvest and that the churches, through the working of the Holy Spirit, would continue to care for the seeds that were planted so that those seeds would take root and grow. Thank you for your prayers during this time of service with Camp Chacauco. As my time with Chacauco is coming to an end and I look ahead to beginning my ministry, remember me in prayer that I might share with joy the message of hope and grace that comes from the throne of an Almighty God. That there is forgiveness and redemption through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Thank you for visiting my blog today! I hope that you are blessed this day and every day after!

Blessings,

Jonathan Green

The Past 2 Weeks

    Hello everyone and welcome to my blog! I am glad you decided to drop by because I would like to give you an update on the past 2 weeks here in Ecuador. Last week, from the 23rd to the 28th of July, I served as a translator for a medical team from Shreveport, LA. We held a medical clinic for 3 and a half days and we saw 739 patients in total. I was working in the reading glasses section of the clinic and it was blessing to help people with their vision. This past week I was at the jungle camp UNPES helping translate for a youth camp. We had 250 youth that we split in to 4 teams and I served as the translator for the green team during their devotional time every morning. I arrived here, at Camp Chacauco, yesterday and today we have 230 people here tonight and tomorrow before we start a children's camp next week.

    It has been a busy time but a blessed time as I have made contact with several other pastors and leaders who have invited me to have English lessons in their churches. I am sure that God has even busier times ahead for me as I share the Gospel and connect people to the local church. Thank you for your prayers! Please continue to pray that God would open doors for me and for the strength to walk through them. Please also continue to pray that my housing situation would be exactly what I need. Pray for the churches and the people of Ecuador, that their minds and hearts will be opened and that the people of Ecuador will come to know Jesus as Savior and Lord. Thank you for visiting my blog! I pray that you are blessed this day and every day after!

Blessings,

Jonathan Green

The Ministry so Far

Hello everyone! I have another update for you from Ecuador. I have been really busy helping translate for groups and camps visiting here at Camp Chacauco. This past week I was really sick but after a couple of visits to Dr. Roque, and a quiet week to rest, I am almost 100%. Because of how busy the Camp has been with groups, I have pushed back the start time for English lessons. Despite the delay, this has been a good opportunity for me to improve my Spanish and to avoid any potential culture shock. It looks like it will be August before lessons begin, but that will also give me more time to promote to the wider community. If the response from the churches I have spoken to so far to is any indication, there will be massive interest. 

Thank you very much for stopping by and checking on my progress! Please continue to pray for me and the housing situation but also for the decisions that lay ahead. Pray that myself, Pastor Carlos, and other pastors in the area would be open to God's leading in reaching the people of Ecuador with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Thanks again and God bless!

Jonathan

Arrival in Ecuador

    Hello everyone! Thank you for stopping by my blog today! I wanted update everyone that I arrived here in Ecuador late Friday June 23rd. I am currently staying at Camp Chacauco, a ministry site of missionaries Steve and Carol Thompson, where I will stay while looking for housing in the Ambato area. I will also be meeting with Carlos Paredes, the pastor of Huachi Chico Baptist Church, to go over plans and details in preparation to start our English-language ministry. Please remember me, Carlos, the church, and the city of Ambato in your prayers. Pray that God would guide our plans in the right direction so that He would be glorified and that those we meet would come to know Jesus as Savior and Lord. May God bless you and keep you this day and every day after!

Blessings,

Jonathan Green

Ministry Update 2017

    Hello and thank you for visiting my blog! I have an update on my call to serve in Ambato, Ecuador as a missionary. I had an encouraging meeting with Steve and Carol Thompson who are the leading missionaries of Global Outreach International in Ecuador. We talked about the direction of ministry and the progress towards meeting the financial goals to begin my ministry of Gospel outreach through English instruction. Please be in prayer for Ecuador during this time of turmoil following the presidential election. Pray also for the safety of missionaries there and that their message of hope and peace may be well received. 

   I also have not reached the ongoing financial support needed to start ministry and although I am serving with Global Outreach International, who provide me with logistical support with visas and accounting among other things, they do not provide a salary. They also do not provide funds to achieve the mission's goals. Because of this I am reaching out to you and others to join with me in what God has planned for the people of Ambato, Ecuador. The people are in need of a Savior and it is my hope to bring them the Good News of Jesus Christ. Teaching English will help meet a real educational need and provide opportunities they might not otherwise have. But, it will also provide them the opportunity to know that there is a God who loves them, a Savior who died for them, and a Redeemer who gives them hope through His resurrection.

   I hope that the Lord might move you through this message to participate alongside me to achieve great things in Ambato. My greatest need at this time is for you to commit to supporting me on an ongoing basis (monthly, quarterly or yearly). If you have already donated, thank you so much for your gift! However, if you have not donated and you are interested in donating in any way, please see the details at the end of this message. Thank you for your time and may God bless you and keep you this day and every day after!

Blessings,

Jonathan Green

If you are led to donate there are a couple of ways to do so:

• Send a check to Global Outreach International PO Box 1 Tupelo, MS 38802 be sure to include "Acct # 3764" in the "For" line of the check
• For one-time donations only you may follow this link to donate via Paypal: http://globaloutreach.org/south-america#/jonathan-green/     ( This website will soon  be able to handle ongoing donations)

The link above also provides other means of giving as well. Thank you!

Ministry Update & Year in Review

          Hello everyone! I wanted to give you another update and look back on this year in ministry. In my last post, I mentioned the change in direction that my ministry had taken and the potential for new opportunities to serve by teaching English. After prayerful thought and meetings with church leaders I have decided to teach English at Huachi Chico Baptist Church in Ambato, Ecuador. This is an exciting opportunity to reach young people in the Huachi Chico area of Ambato with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The challenges, however, are as great as the opportunity. Before, I was stepping into an established ministry as a partner. Now, I am stepping into the unknown as I start a new ministry on my own. This not only increases my personal responsibilities but also increases the resources needed to see that God's will is done. So as you are making your financial plans for the coming year please consider giving to this ministry. Take part in the life-transforming work that will change the young people of Ambato, Ecuador for eternity.

     This year has been a challenging one for me as God has made His will known. From the visa struggles in the early part of the year to the sudden change in direction my ministry had taken to my current struggles to secure the necessary funds to move forward. All of these are obstacles meant to discourage and dissuade me from the path laid before me. Many people have encouraged me with kind words and fervent prayers and through the gifts I have already received. I pray that we would all remember to remain faithful even when we face challenges and obstacles in our path. There are some that will want to see us fail but there are faithful people who want to see us succeed. Above all, God, our creator and redeemer through Jesus Christ, wants to see His children blessed so that they in turn can bless others. So, if you have been blessed this year, share that blessing with others. Whether it be a kind word, a prayer alongside them, or a gift to your church, a local mission in your community, or a missionary like myself. As it says in Proverbs 3:27: "Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act."   Let us do good to those around us especially to those who need it most. 

Thank you so much for stopping by to read my blog! I hope you are blessed and encouraged to do what God has laid on your heart today. May God bless you and keep you may His face shine upon and be gracious to you and give you peace. I pray that have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Blessings,

Jonathan Green