Hello from San Pedro of Ecuador,
As everyone is feeling the warmth they longed for in the U.S.A. we are feeling a new beginning springing up here in Ecuador also…just in a little different way. After roughly a year of really hard work, lots of stress, lots of trials, and aching all over in body parts I forgot I had, we are moved in!!! We were able to move in to our new house and sleep here for the first time on June 5th, 2019. I can’t explain how thankful and grateful we are. I can’t express the blessing this is to our family. Having a place to call home and feel secure and clean will bring us a freedom from stress we haven’t had since we got married and we are going to embrace it! I don’t mean to make too much of this physical world (because we certainly can live without it), but we are super thankful for the blessings God has given us and we are going to enjoy it!
The kids enjoying Elena's new room!
Being the husband/man of the household and getting older I have felt a strong sense of needing to take care of my family. We had dedicated most of our energy toward pouring out to others and it seemed to me that I was failing to sufficiently provide for my own family. In this mindset, I started praying (many long mornings and nights) for a way to give my family a home. Through many miracles and blessings God opened the door and provided what was necessary to build this house we will now call home, and what my kids will remember as the home they grew up in (Lord willing)! I (Andy) now feel a liberty to concentrate all my energy toward eternal things without worrying about leaving my family on the back burner. Thanks so much to all you who prayed, gave, and stood by us all this time! Please continue to pray for the next step in our mission here as I will have a lot more time on my hands to begin new outreaches, to serve, and to do what God called me here for!
By the grace of God the prison ministry has been going well. Politics in Ecuador makes me so grateful for the U.S.A. and it is hard to believe how blessed we are even though North America has had such serious struggles over my lifetime. Things way down south here give a new meaning to corruption, dysfunction, and chaos! Over the last 2 years of going to the prison, I have seen 3 directors (title of the warden here in Ecuador) fired and replaced; mostly because of a new mayor being elected and putting some family member in charge or completing some promise to a supporter (so I’m told). One of the directors was said to have been fired because they were holding too many people accountable for their actions and those (gangs, drug dealers, and prisoners) who didn’t like it pulled strings until she was gone (only three months into the job)!!! Unfortunately for me, when a new director gets put into power, I have to get a new permission to enter into the jail stamped and approved by the new director. In years past this has been very difficult and one time I was not let in for about 2 to 3 months. Over the last two changes, I didn’t miss 1 visit!!! Several men raised their hands to accept the Lord a few weeks ago at the invitation and I am so thankful for your prayers! It often doesn’t feel like it (one of Satan’s biggest schemes) but your prayers are key to our success down here! Please keep praying for conviction, fruit, and increase for souls!
Preaching at an Evangelistic Campaign in Polo-polo
I was also able to be a part of a few big outreaches over the last few weeks. A medical team came down from the U.S. to work with fellow missionaries and I helped translate for the team (mostly North Americans) reaching out and showing the love of God in one of the least reached cities in Ecuador! I was also a part of an outreach last week where we gathered quite a few Christians together at a community center in a very out of the way town to have a evangelistic outreach. We had special music, dramas, and worship and, of course, preaching of the gospel. I was greatly privileged to be asked to be the speaker. Quite a few came forward to make first time commitments to Christ, so please pray for this little town (named Polo polo). I was so blessed and encouraged by this event and have a strong desire to be a part of many more of them! Please pray for the Lord’s guidance!
With love in Christ,
Andy, Priscilla, and kids
PS. I also wanted to let you know with our move and building (there is still a LOT to do as we still don’t have interior doors, a water tank [pray for this!], drawers or doors on the kitchen cabinets, and other smaller things) we are way behind on sending thank you letters and recognition of donations. Please be patient with us as we struggle to get to these letters that are very important to us!
P.P.S. You can now give through Kroger Community Rewards by registering your Kroger Plus Card online through their Community Rewards program. This works just like AmazonSmile (which you can also use to support the mission), Kroger will give a small percentage to Acts 1:8 Mission Society for every purchase made! Use Acts 1:8 Mission Society's Code - GJ195 - and click "Enroll." For more information go to https://www.kroger.com/topic/kroger-community-rewards-3
Please send all monetary contributions to: Acts 1:8 Mission Society PO Box 212. Harrison, OH 45030. You can continue to make all checks payable to: “Acts 1:8 Mission Society” with “DVarga” in the memo section (All funds donated in this way will continue to go entirely to the DVarga family AND our mission work in Ecuador and are tax-deductible). You can also write checks to Priscilla or Andy DVarga with "gift" in the memo section, but you will NOT receive a tax-deductible receipt at the end of the year for funds given this way. If you need a quarterly tax statement or just want to contact us, please just write to the address above or call. Our phone #:(513) 334-8281
To donate through PayPal electronically please scroll to the top of the page and click the "Donate" tab. Phone: Magicjack#: 513-334-8281 Our local Cincinnati phone number that we are able to receive in Ecuador. It works through the Internet and is just like calling any Cincinnati phone number.