Gospel Missionary Message

The Rock

2010-10-24T02:37:00.000-05:00

In Australia there is a very large rock. It is way out into the desert, in the boonies, 200 miles from any place at all. It is called Ayers Rock.

People come from all over the world to see this rock. It's one Big Rock. It has been there for centuries. There is something about that rock that is attractive to people from every nation. Perhaps it's security.

It's been there for millenniums and still stands majestically in sun, rain, and wind. It's stability. It hasn't moved, it's in the same place.

In our ever changing world I believe there is a need to see something that never changes and is not affected by storm, intense heat, or monsoon rain.

However, we look into the Bible, we will see God, our Rock of Ages. In Psalms 71:3 we have these words...

"Thou art my Rock and my Fortress."

David calls God his Rock and many times in scripture God is depicted as The Rock. He is unchangeable, unmovable and strong. He stands forever, never moved by world changes. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

He is not just THE Rock, he wants to be YOUR rock. David said MY rock.

How does God become your rock? my rock? our rock?

He will become your Rock when you are willing to put your soul in faith on Him. When you receive Jesus into your heart He will come to you, your never changing rock, your fortress for protection and stability. He will be there, strong and solid, and you can trust Him for peace, for protection, and for power.

When Israel trusted God they had peace, protection, and power, but when they forgot, they were defeated.

"Thou has not been mindful of the Rock of my strength."
Isaiah 17:10

Moses singing the song of victory over the enemy says:

"Their rock sold them...
but their rock is not our Rock."
Deut 32:30-31

We are founded on the solid Rock, the Rock of all rocks. And we are founded not on a religious system, priest, or pastor. Our Rock is GOD HIMSELF.

Now sometimes in life those of us on the Rock get a little nervous, fearful, and we tremble. Perhaps you are going through a time of difficulty, storm, or dark clouds and you feel worried and shaky. One poster says with confidence."You may tremble on the Rock but the Rock never trembles under me."

Beloved, when you are afraid, remember. He is our Rock, and we can trust Him.

I was visiting my daughter, she has in the front yard a rather large rock. It has a hole drilled into it from top to bottom and a pump pumps water up and out the top of the rock. I looked out of the window and there on the rock were two small finches drinking the water out of the rock. They were so happy.

I thought of a verse in 2 Corinthians 10:4. "And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ."

These little birds didn't just look with wonder at water coming from the rock and tremble, they drank from it, got their strength from it, and enjoyed it.

Are you drinking? or trembling? or just looking?

~Bill Gibson
Palisades 11/9/06

Rock of Ages

2010-10-24T00:58:00.000-05:00

A Christian hymn composed by Augustus M. Toplady in 1775. Sung in the video by the Antrim Mennonite Choir, from their album 'Amazing Grace.'

Abandoned

2010-10-17T01:59:00.003-05:00

Steve Brown of Key Life tells of seeing a beat up old car. It was the ugliest car he had ever seen. It was ugly on top of ugly. It had a large gash in the side, one of the doors was being held together by bailing wire, several body parts were missing, and it was covered with rust. And then, on the back bumper, it said:

This is not an abandoned car.

The human race is abandoning cars right and left, and not only that, but babies, children, and grandparents.

A while back we saw the disciples going to the other side of the sea and the storm arose. I am sure you remember that. Well, they got to the other side. And it wasn't a pretty place. It was the place of the tumbs known as Gadara. (Mark 5:1-20)

There they were met by a man. One man, not a crowd waiting and listening, but an Abandoned Man. An uncontrollable and strong man. A very helpless, hopeless, abandoned by humanity to the tombs man.

Jesus came across the sea at night to reach out to one man - this man. Notice, he knew who Jesus was and bowed down to him.

"When he saw Jesus from a distance,
he ran and fell on his knees in front of him."
(Mark 5:6)

Jesus commanded that the evil spirits leave. It was a scary, a totally scary experience. If you have ever experienced such as this, you can testify that it will make your hair stand on end.

Jesus asks the evil spirit his name, "Legion" he answered. There were many, it was an extreme case.

The demons knew who Jesus was and asked to be sent into the swine, and Jesus did. The owners of the swine came to Jesus and saw the man in his right mind sitting peacefully with Jesus.

When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid.
(Mark 5:15)

The herdsmen saw the evidence of the power of God in a human ilve, heard the story of a deliverance of the greatest magnitude, but they asked Jesus to leave and he left.

Then the man asked to go with Jesus, and Jesus said to him, "Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you."

What does this teach us?

No one will be abandoned by God unless he wills to.
No one is beyond His help.
He will not abandon you.

As sinful as we might be and as bound by chainds of sin, drugs, self, and beyond help, abandoned by society, yet... Jesus will come to you where you are.

You probably never were as bad as that. You have been good - more or less good - but still sin is sin and you are as far away from God in your sin as this man was in his. The Gospel is the Good News! Beloved there is mercy with the Lord.

Another lesson is that Jesus is teaching us, we who have been rescued and received mercy. And it is this: There is a world of people out there needing to hear the Gospel of Jesus. And we are to go where they are and give them the good news.

What can we do at this point in time? Right now?

We can pray for our missionaries.
We can support missionaries on a regular basis.
You can become involved with those in the faraway places right here in your own home right now.

~Bill Gibson
Palisades 10/26/06

The Healing of a Demon-possessed Man

2010-10-17T00:07:00.000-05:00

They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes. When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an evil spirit came from the tombs to meet him. This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him any more, not even with a chain. For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.

When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. He shouted at the top of his voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Swear to God that you won't torture me!" For Jesus had said to him, "Come out of this man, you evil spirit!"

Then Jesus asked him, "What is your name?"

"My name is Legion," he replied, "for we are many." And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.

A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. The demons begged Jesus, "Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them." He gave them permission, and the evil spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.

Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man—and told about the pigs as well. Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.

As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. Jesus did not let him, but said, "Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you." So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.

~Mark 5:1-20
New International Version

Something To Hang On To

2010-10-10T02:29:00.001-05:00

The encouragement of promise.
2nd Thes. 1: 5-10

Remember when every one traveled by bus. Buses were filled. Street cars were jammed. Hanging down from the ceilings of those buses and street cars were leather straps which people could hang on to as the bus turned corners etc.

Those leather straps are long gone now, but they were so handy for those who didn't have a seat.

In 2nd Thessalonians, chapter 1, Paul is speaking to these new believers who have left the old ways and are standing with God in the midst of the crowd on the way to Eternity.

Three things we can hang on to when we are tossed about, crowded in a world that is heading for destruction.

1: The Promise of Reward:
"You will be considered worthy of the Kingdom of God." (verse 5)

In all the struggle to live for Me, the Lord has given something to hang on to. something that is stronger than you are. Something that will hold you firm and help you stand against the mob.

You will be counted worthy of the name, Christian.

The struggle isn't what saves us or makes us worthy. The pain of child bearing doesn't make us worthy. It was the suffering of the Savior, who in the midst of the intense pain of the cross died alone for us - for you - and there was nothing to hang on to. So he died that we might live.

2: The Promise of Recompense - the next promise to hang on to:
"I will repay them." (verse 6)

Beloved no one ever touches a child of God to do harm or to deter him, or discourage him, but what God will give recompense for that.

We sometimes say, "How can they do this to me? Doesn't God care?" Yes, and the Hand of Judgment will fall and it will be ample. Yet, God gives us time to repent, God gives them time to repent, and when the day of Judgement comes and there has been no repentance, the Axe will fall.

There has to be a judgement, a Hell. If there is no Hell there will be no justice either.

3: The Promise of Rest:
"...and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well." (verse 7)

Beloved, when Jesus comes there will be a day of rest. Heaven won't be a rest on the beach, nothing to do but rest. We say, "He has gone to his rest." Heaven isn't a place of rest. It will be as the verse, the rest of relief. With God's help we are home. No more struggle, no more pain, no more fighting to stand in a world of unrest.

We all need to hang on to the promise of God. Because He Never Fails.

We might think that God is not keeping His promise, but He is and all He asks of us is to hang on to them.

There is a little Chorus we used to sing. A simple Chorus that says:

Jesus never fails
Jesus never fails
Heaven and earth may pass away
But Jesus never fails.

Could we sing that as we close this morning, and keep the song in our hearts? Jesus' promises never fail. We have something to hang on to when the world around us is falling apart.

~Bill Gibson
Palisades 9/28/06

Jesus Never Fails - Original

2010-10-10T01:21:00.000-05:00

The Bible teaches that some of life's richest lessons are learned only in the valley of tears. The Psalmist declared: "It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes." (Psalm 119:71). Difficult times should be the steppingstones in our spiritual growth and usefulness. This was the case with the author and composer of "Jesus Never Fails." Arthur Luther, pastor and musician, relates the following story regarding the writing of his hymn:

As a school boy Christian, I had a burning desire to be a foreign missionary. That was not to be. Later I had an urgent desire to write a song that everyone would sing. I tried a popular song, but it was a dismal failure; yet God, in His own time and way, granted my wish. "Jesus Never Fails" has reached to the uttermost of mission fields, and the multitudes have sung it!

The song was written at Somerset, Kentucky, while I was there with the Dr. O.E. Williams Evangelistic Party. I received some very disturbing news from my family some 600 miles away. Worried and homesick, I sat down at the old square piano in the "Old Kentucky Home" where we were staying, and my fingers wandered idly, a simple melody developed beneath them which seemed to sing "Jesus never fails." Then and there the words and music of the chorus were born.

When I finished, a peace had settled over my anxious heart. I knew the God who never fails would find the answer and He did, for just then there was a knock at the door and someone came with the news—word had just been received over the telegraph wire that my son had passed the crisis and all was well!

Scores of testimonies have simce come from missionaries, evangelists, and others of the blessing that this simple three-word message has been to them. It has been translated into ten European languages and into Chinese.

"Jesus Never Fails" has become a sort of musical slogan of Bible-believing Christians everywhere. Men sang it at the battlefront as they girded themselves for the fray. On the homefront, saints sing it as they do battle with the forces of sin, in true confidence that the Captain of their salvation fails not. I surely have every reason to praise God for this song that He gave me in the hour of my need and which has gone on to bless the entire world with its message of divine triumph.

The Lord has allowed this song to be used in concentration camps in Germany and by missionaries, evangelistic, etc.; to be translated into other languages, to be sung by missionaries in danger on the torpedoed Zam-Zam, and to save a man on the way to drown himself.

During World War II, a church in England had this slogan printed on top of one wall. This church escaped destruction by bombs until the very end, and even then that wall remained till after the war was over.

Earthly friends may prove untrue,
Doubts and fears assail;
One still loves and cares for you,
One Who will not fail.

Though the sky be dark and drear,
Fierce and strong the gale,
Just remember, He is near
And He will not fail.

In life's dark and bitter hour
Love will still prevail;
Trust His everlasting pow'r
Jesus will not fail.

CHORUS:
Jesus never fails,
Jesus never fails.
Heav'n and earth may pass away,
But Jesus never fails.

Sources: Amazing Grace - 366 Inspiring Hymn Stories for Daily Devotions © Copyright 1990 by Kenneth W. Osbeck. Lyrics © 1927 Singspiration Music. All rights reserved. Posted here for eductional and edification purposes only.

Jesus Never Fails

2010-10-10T01:05:00.002-05:00

Words & Music by: Gary Driskell
Song on the video by the Imperials

Verse 1
So many souls have tested Him throughout the course of time.
So many still reach out to Him with broken hearts and minds.
And every one of them will say,
Without exception that they find…
Jesus never fails...

Verse 2
Even in the days of old, He brought His people through.
And then He came to show His love and died for me and you.
Then He rose again to prove,
That every story has been true…
Jesus never fails…

Chorus
Jesus never fails. Jesus never fails.
You might as well get thee behind me, Satan
You cannot prevail, because Jesus never fails.

Verse 3
Sometimes this world brings trouble I find so hard to bear.
I know I could not make it without Jesus being there.
It’s so encouraging to know,
How ever deep we’re in despair…
Jesus never fails.

Verse 4
So what can I do to prove to you, tell me how can you deny?
No untold facts, no mysteries, it’s all so cut and dried.
On the witness stand of your life,
I’ll be the first to testify…
Jesus never fails!

Repeat Chorus
I know… Repeat Chorus

You might as well get thee behind me, Satan
You cannot prevail, because Jesus never fails.
Never fails…

Encouragement during Persecution

2010-10-10T00:36:00.001-05:00

Dear brothers and sisters,we can’t help but thank God for you, because your faith is flourishing and your love for one another is growing. We proudly tell God’s other churches about your endurance and faithfulness in all the persecutions and hardships you are suffering. And God will use this persecution to show his justice and to make you worthy of his Kingdom, for which you are suffering. In his justice he will pay back those who persecute you.

And God will provide rest for you who are being persecuted and also for us when the Lord Jesus appears from heaven. He will come with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, bringing judgment on those who don’t know God and on those who refuse to obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with eternal destruction, forever separated from the Lord and from his glorious power. When he comes on that day, he will receive glory from his holy people—praise from all who believe. And this includes you, for you believed what we told you about him.

So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do. Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored because of the way you live, and you will be honored along with him. This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ.

~2nd Thessalonians, 1: 3-12
New Living Translation

The Saga of Ole Blue... Alaska

2010-10-07T15:57:00.001-05:00

Since the family camp up at Leech Lake Minnesota, the call to do battle with Ole Blue began. It seems that during the flood stages of the Mississippi - Fall of '85 - Ole Blue escaped and headed through the Panama Canal and on up to Alaska. He wanted to get as far away from Texas as he could. Big fish don't like Texas.

I went north, therefore, to do Missionary work first, and yet there was the whisper of Ole Blue always.

I knew right away that he knew I was there because the very first day I dropped a fishook in Crab Creek in Craig, he noticed it. The very next afternoon he sent five killer whales across the bay in front of our house as a warning to me.

Up and down the Inside Passage he followed us from Craig to Haines and from Haines to Juneau and Berner's Bay. I believe that is one reason the fishing wasn't very good last summer.

~The Flat Tortilla
Fall 1986

There's A Knock At Your Door

2010-10-03T01:06:00.004-05:00

You don't walk into some one's house without first knocking. If you are family, a son or a daughter, you can rush right in.

Your home is where you can be private. you can do what you want any time. Usually it is polite to knock first. This is something that people everywhere do. It's an unwritten law of privacy. Do not enter without permission. You have the right to say, "enter" or "don't enter."

There is an interesting verse in the last book of the bible, in Chapter 3 and verse 20. (Rev 3:20):
"Behold I stand at the door and knock, if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him and he with me."
When one hears a knock at their door, he usually asks, "Who's there?" And then the person says. "I am." and then identifies himself, and then you decide to let them in and have a visit with them.

How do you know when someone is at your door?
What do you do when the door bell rings?

You are sitting at home watching the TV and there is a knock at your door. You have to either get up and open the door and ask who it is, or you can ignore the knock and let the person know that you're not at home.

Have you ever just ignored the knock?

Beloved, there is a door to the innermost part of your life - your heart. There is only one who can answer and open that door - YOU.

You can ignore the knock.
You can ignore the voice.
And you will forever be sorry you didn't answer.

Maybe you're too busy to answer the door. Maybe you just don't want to be bothered. Maybe you just don't want to hear who's there because you are afraid it will cost you something.

There are many reasons why people don't come to the door when you knock. However, there is one knock and one voice you need to hear and give entrance.

Rev 3:20, Jesus says to you:

"Behold I stand at the door and knock, if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and dine with him and he with me."

He doesn't ask you to come out - he wants to come IN. Jesus always knocks and speaks first before coming in the door.

There are a great number of people wanting to come in and take over your life, offer you great things that never seem to happen. There are a lot of false voices.

Jesus knocks first to let you know he is there. Jesus speaks first to calm your fears. You can either reject Him... neglect Him.. The decision is yours.

Jesus wants to come in and to give peace with God, joy of living, forgiveness of sins, and purposeful living. He wants to sit down at the table with you, eat with you, and talk with you. He will listen ("and him with me") He wants to hear what is on your heart. He wants to make you a new creature. He wants to help you, not hurt you.

All the others who come to your door want what you have, and what you can do for them. They offer false promises. Jesus offers exceeding great and precious promises. Why not, while we sing. Let Jesus come into your heart.

~Bill Gibson
Mountain Villa Health Center
El Paso, TX
6/17/01

THE BELL

2009-12-21T11:18:00.003-06:00

THE BELL

I AM - WHO I AM

I am God's child (John 1:12)

I am Christ's friend (John 15:15 )

I am united with God (1 Cor. 6:17)

I am a saint (set apart for God). (Eph. 1:1)

I am a personal witness of Christ. (Acts 1:8)

I am the salt & light of the earth (Matt.5:13-14)

I am a member of the body of Christ (1 Cor 12:27)

I am free forever from condemnation ( Rom. 8: 1-2)

I am a citizen of Heaven. I am significant ( Phil.3:20)

I am free from any charge against me (Rom. 8:31 -34)

I am a minister of reconciliation for God(2 Cor.5:17-21)

I have access to God through the Holy Spirit(Eph. 2:18)

I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realms (Eph. 2:6)

I cannot be separated from the love of God(Rom.8:35-39)

I am established, anointed, sealed by God (2 Cor.1:21-22)

I am assured all things work together for good (Rom. 8: 28)

I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit (John 15:16 )

I may approach God with freedom and confidence (Eph. 3: 12 )

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phil. 4:13)

I am the branch of the true vine, a channel of His life (John 15: 1-5)

I am God's temple (1 Cor. 3: 16 ). I am complete in Christ (Col. 2: 10)

I am hidden with Christ in God (Col. 3:3) I have been justified (Romans 5:1)

I am God's co-worker (1 Cor.. 3:9; 2 Cor 6:1). I am God's workmanship(Eph. 2:10)

I am confident that the good works God has begun in me will be perfected. (Phil 1: 5)

I have been redeemed and forgiven (Col.1:14).I have been adopted as God's child (Eph 1:5)

I am God's

very thought.

the light

That keeps this bell ringing

Prov 23:7 As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he

May the Lord bless you and keep you;

Numbers 6:26

Singing In Heaven

2009-11-22T15:42:00.002-06:00

One of the things we will do when we get to heaven will be singing.

Isaiah 38:20 "The Lord was ready to save me: therefore we will sing my songs with stringed instruments all the days of our life, in the house of the Lord."

Beloved we are in the house of the Lord because He was ready to save us when we knew that was what we needed and wanted. And that is the reason for singing. Singing Praises to God.

That is the reason we come to sing to you here. Because Jesus has put a song in our hearts and the song just has to come out.

There is no sound of music in hell. Only in the Lord's house will there be singing and we will be able to sing with joy and we will never stop singing.

Beloved is there a song in your heart today? There can be. Jesus wants to come into your life, into your heart, and give you a song.

There is nothing that pleases the Lord more than to hear His people singing HIS song in His House.

The beat of the world is not pleasing to God, nor to His people. Only the song of songs is the one that pleases Him.

People who live in a land where God is not honored and believed have no song. The Indian in the jungle rain forest has his type of music, the beating of the drum, and the rattle of seeds. Then Jesus comes, and there is music, beautiful heavenly music.

Only a God of Love gives beautiful music.

Beloved wouldn't you like to have a song to sing in the house of the Lord?

Just open your heart, your life to Jesus and let Him come in and take over in your life today.

While we sing Just As I Am, just say to Jesus from your heart. "Jesus, I believe you died for me and are ready now to save me and make me yours. I believe you really died for me and I thank you.

Bill Gibson
Mountain Villa Health Center
05/20/01
El Paso, TX

Just As I Am

2009-11-22T14:24:00.000-06:00

Just as I am, without one plea,
but that thy blood was shed for me,
and that thou bidst me come to thee,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, and waiting not
to rid my soul of one dark blot,
to thee whose blood can cleanse each spot,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, though tossed about
with many a conflict, many a doubt,
fightings and fears within, without,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind;
sight, riches, healing of the mind,
yea, all I need in thee to find,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, thou wilt receive,
wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;
because thy promise I believe,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, thy love unknown
hath broken every barrier down;
now, to be thine, yea thine alone,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Text: Charlotte Elliott, 1789-1871
Music: William B. Bradbury, 1816-1868
Tune: WOODWORTH, Meter: LM
Listen to it at hymnsite.com

Insights Into The Past

2009-11-20T14:18:00.000-06:00

Here is a letter my dad wrote that talks about his roots, where he came from, and how he and my mom came together and decided to become missionaries. I thought it might be interesting to share here.

Dear Daughter:

It has occurred to me that perhaps you have wondered about us, your parents. How we came together and why we became missionaries. I would therefore like to give you a little insight into my past and reasons why we do what we do.

I was born in Muskegon Michigan. My dad was a foreman in Lakey Foundry and in charge of the core making and setting department. He was a very hard working man. When we were very small my mother tells me that my dad almost died of pneumonia. It was then he quit smoking. While we were young children, we went first to the Methodist Church downtown. Then we moved to the Heights and went to the Baptist Church. We didn't have a car, but went with the Wabaldas in their car to Lake Harbor (Michigan).

It was there my folks heard Oswald J. Smith of Toronto and there they heard the gospel and there they accepted the Lord as their savior. We went to church faithfully every Sunday.

My mother was born in Winnoa Minnesota, and her dad had a large orchard there at Sugarloaf Bluff. They were Presbyterians and my grandfather was an itinerant lay pastor and traveled preaching in Iowa and Minnesota. He took sick and died when my mother was a young lady, I believe. My mother went to work in St. Paul and drew designs for a tomb stone manufacturer... angels and etc. Their name was Janke, later changed to Yankee due to World War 1. My father learned the foundry business in Glasgow, Scotland and was a foundry man all his life. They were married and went to Waukasha Wisconsin, and then on to Michigan and Lakey Foundry.

Jean was the first child and the smart one of the family. Peggy and I (twins) came two years later (1918). Peggy and I went to school together, hand in hand, right up to High School. She was very timid and especially afraid of bugs. I was afraid of snakes, although we never saw any in the city.

We went to church and had a happy family relationship. I liked to play a lot and get dirty an awful lot. But still, I thought I was the best boy there could be. I would surely go to Heaven. I had never done anything really bad, or even a little bad.

A group of men lead by Dean Pennet formed a boy's club. The Christian Boys Alliance. They had a sports program, and we in the Heights were the Heights Tigers, and played Baseball. We had to attend a boy's meeting in the Dutch Reformed Church every other Friday evening and when we were present for three times, we got a pin with C.B.A. It was one of the happiest days of my boyhood when I got my PIN. I was thirteen years old.

Then, one Friday I got to the church a half hour early and began playing hide and seek in the rooms of the basement of this big church. I ran down the hall and into a room. There were about fifteen boys and men there, praying for the coming meeting on their knew. They thought I had come for the same purpose, so I was trapped. It was my first encounter with real honest to goodness Christians.

I left that meeting shocked. And for the next two weeks remembered the things I had done. I remembered the dime I took out of my mother's purse. The following Friday evening the speaker spoke on Isiah 1:18, "Though your sins be as scarlet, they will be as white as snow." I left the meeting that night filled with a peace and joy that has never left yet and never will.

We didn't have television and for a long time without radio, as radio was new and very expensive. Antennas had to be long and complex. So, I would sit on the piano bench with my mother and we would sing the best loved hymns, and I will always remember the wonderful wonderful times I had then.

As time went on I did graduate from High School, and took my old bike my father had, and went to work for Western Union Telegraph as a messenger boy. Four years I was there, and it was there I began to grow in my Christian life. I made a good friend of Kirby Johnson.

There was a time of a real working of God in our young peoples meetings, and we were busy almost every night. A revival came to our church and many many people came to know the Lord. Among them was Kirby Johnson, and from that time we were always together even though he lived on the other side of town. We planned to be missionaries. Then came World War II.

I was working in the employment office of Lakey Foundry. I worked long hours and was called in the first draft. The medical report was that I had a heart murmur. I was rejected and heartbroken. Kirby went. He had his training here in El Paso, Ft Bliss.

It was just before that, that my father, on the way to see the foot doctor had a collision with the train and was killed. I took on the care of my mother. A year or two passed, and I received the news that Kirby had been killed in the Battle of Italy. I was heartbroken.

Soon after, I was called up and passed, and went into the Army. I was shipped to Ft McClellen in Alabama. We shipped out of Boston Harbor a week or two before Christmas.

After two years in Germany and seeing the Lord's hand of protection over me, I determined that I would go to Bible school Moody's was filled, so I went to the Kansas City Bible College.

I had been a confirmed bachelor and after three years there I felt the need to get married and the Lord helped me in this decision. I shall ever be grateful to the Lord for bringing Gladis into my life. She too was interested in missions. She graduated a year before I did, and went to Toronto for medical training, and I finished. We were married in Muskegon Michigan at my church on June 4, 1949 and went off to Ecuador on July 9, 1950.

We looked forward to ministry and to family. We prayed to the Lord and when Shirley came to bless our union we were so happy and thanked the Lord for her. We dedicated her life to the Lord, and she was such a lovely girl. Later Billy came and was with us for three days and went to be with the Lord. He was a little red-headed boy. I was very sad for us, but then Gracie came to bless our home and we were thrilled to have her. She was so sweet.

From here you know pretty well what happened, our travels, etc. So how come we decided to become missionaries? Well, the Lord laid upon our hearts the needs of the peoples of other lands and the Bible gave us the commandment to "go ye into all the world and preach the gospel." We heard missionaries from GMU and the Lord had impressed this upon us so clearly. We trusted the Lord for support and went out with promised support of one hundred dollars per month.

The Lord has been faithful to us and has blessed our ministry. We have never lacked any good thing. He supplied the needs for the schooling of both of you, and many many times protected us while flying over the jungles.

If we had it to do over again we would still do it all again. Yes, there have been many heartbreaks and many tears, and there still are. We are confident that the Lord will keep his promise concerning you both. I hope this long epistle will answer some of your questions.

We love you very very much.

Sincerely
Dad

Interesting Bat Facts

2009-10-28T10:59:00.003-05:00

Bats are the only mammals capable of actual flight.

In general, bats are not dangerous. Like any other mammal, they can carry rabies, although less than 1 percent of all bats are infected with the virus. More people die annually from dog attacks, bee stings, lightning and household accidents than from bat-transmitted rabies.

Bats do not get caught in people’s hair. Bats that swoop near people are usually after insects such as mosquitoes.

A single little brown bat can eat 1200 mosquitoes in an hour.

There are almost 1,000 different species of bats in the world. This adds up to one-fourth of all existing mammals.

Only 3 species of bats feed on animal blood. These vampire bats prefer to drink cattle blood and are only found in Latin America.

The smallest bat is the size of a small mouse; the largest, a fruit eater, has a 6-foot wingspan.

Bats have varied diets: 70 percent eat insects; many tropical species eat fruit or drink flower nectar; some bats even catch frogs and fish.
Echolocation system of the bats is such good that the bats can hear the sounds of insects, changes in air flow, caused by the vibration of wings of insects and even the ripples on surface of ponds, caused by tiny stink fish.

Fossil findings witness that the bats hovered in skies as long as 55 millions years back. The ancient bats were completely similar to the modern bats.

Most people think that the bats resemble rodents, but in fact, their nearest relatives are primates.

source: DEP

Bat Houses

2009-10-27T12:15:00.000-05:00

If you would like to retain a family of bats for their excellent insect control abilities, why not consider building or installing a bat house? Bat houses, much like bird houses, provide artificial roost sites for bats. They have been widely used in Europe for over 60 years. Much has been learned in recent years about bat roosting preferences. The following factors are critical to the success of bat houses: maintaining suitable temperature ranges, the distance to food and water, the size and shape of inner roosting spaces and the roughness of clinging surfaces.

Bat house designs range from simple and small-scale to large and complex. If you're interested, The Bat House Builder's Handbook is packed full of plans and information. The small bat house (see the how-to) provides only one size roosting space and accommodates fewer bats. The large bat house (see the how-to) provides many roosting options and is ideal for larger nursery colonies of females and young.

Below are tips for constructing and installing a bat house:

Use the roughest sides of the wood on the inner areas of the house. It is also a good idea to horizontally groove inner surfaces for footholds or attach non-metal screening to provide toe holds. This is also important for landing areas below the entrance.
Caulk all outside seams to limit air flow. This helps trap the bats’ body heat inside the house. Sealants approved for aquarium or kitchen use are best.
Place tar paper or dark shingles on the top and 4 to 6 inches down the side to increase inside temperatures. Nursery roosts often require temperatures of 90 degrees F or more.
A dark stain also helps increase the temperature.
Hang houses 10 to 15 feet above ground. South and southeast exposures are best for providing maximum thermal gain. Bats prefer houses that get at least 6 hours of sunlight a day.
If possible, protect the house from prevailing winds and provide an unobstructed approach.
Bat houses attached to the sides of buildings have had the greatest reported success. Free-standing poles in open areas also work, but tree-mounted houses generally remain unused.
Bat houses placed near water or wetland areas often are most successful. Installing a bat house before April improves the chance of occupancy. Don’t be discouraged if bats do not immediately move into their new home. It is not unusual for a house to stand empty for at least a year before it is used.

source: DEP

Small Bat House

2009-10-27T11:31:00.000-05:00

A - Roof 4" x 14"
B - Upper front 12" x 20"
C - Lower front 12" x 10"
D - Back 12" x 36"
E - Spacers (1) 2" x 12", (2) 2" x 30 1/2"

Use rough-cut lumber or exterior grade plywood (1/2" thick minimum). The furring strips (E) should have a finished thickness of approximately 3/4".

Staple 1/8" mesh (HDPE plastic) netting to back and front 2 sections. Make sure mesh extends to bottom of back.

Caulk all pieces and assemble with drywall screws to prevent wood from splitting. Apply additional caulk to outside joints as needed.

Apply dark stain to exterior surfaces and use tar paper or shingles on the roof and the top half of the bat house to increase interior temperatures.

source: DEP

Large Bat House

2009-10-27T11:17:00.000-05:00

A - Roof 6" x 28"
B - Front 24" x 28 3/4" (cut slots for vents, 5" above bottom edge)
C - Back 24" x 36"
D - Spacers 1" x 2" (4) 26" long, (2) 31" long, (2) 28 3/4" long
E - Partitions 1/4" thick, 3/4" apart, 26" long
F - Sides 4" x 28 3/4" x 31" (angle-cut top edges)

Use 1/2" exterior grade plywood for front and back sections; 1/4" for all partitions. Sides are 1" x 6" stock.

Staple 1/8" mesh (HDPE plastic) netting to all partitions and the back panel. Apply caulk to all joints.

Begin assembly by screwing the back to the sides. Attach 31" spacers to inside corners.

Place a partition on top of the spacers to within about 1/2" of the roof. Put the next set of spacers (26") on top of the partition and screw into the first spacers.

Repeat for remaining partitions ending with 28 3/4" spacers (flush to roof line). Screw front to sides. Make sure roof angles are aligned.

Screw roof in place and caulk all exterior joints.

Scratch or roughen the front near the vents to provide a toe hold for bats landing on the box.

A dark stain should be applied to all exterior surfaces and tarpaper or shingles to the roof and upper half of the house to increase interior temperatures.

source:DEP

About Bats

2009-10-26T11:02:00.002-05:00

Bats are furred, warm-blooded mammals with body lengths of 3 to 6 inches and wingspans ranging from 8 to 16 inches. The bones in a bat’s wing are similar to those in human arms and hands. The fingers are extended and connected by leathery, elastic skin that grows from the sides of a bat’s body. Their thumbs are free from the wing membrane and have claws for grasping.

Bats have good eyesight and rely on vision for long-distance orientation. For short-distance navigation and catching food at night, they use echolocation. This sonar system helps bats, like dolphins, locate targets and background objects from the echoes of ultrasonic sounds. These ultrasonic sounds are given slowly when a bat is foraging and quicken as the bat pursues and captures an insect. Detection, pursuit and capture of an insect take about 1 second.

Bats are mostly nocturnal and almost always feed "on the wing." They use their wings, the skin around their tails and their mouths to catch insects in flight. Bats are the only major predators of night-flying insects, making them beneficial to man in several ways. They consume many agricultural pests such as cutworm and corn borer moths, potato beetles and grasshoppers. Mosquitoes and similar "people" pests are eliminated much more efficiently by bats than by birds or expensive bug zappers.

source: DEP

Bats In The Belfry

2009-10-25T10:44:00.004-05:00

We will travel to the west coast of Ecuador, along the great Guayas river. It is here where the large banana farms are located. It is warm and wet. There are small towns scattered along the river. We will take a small boat crowded with people, freight and animals.

Our destination is a small village where, we will accompany Abe Dyck in an evangelistic week of meetings. The church there was a small church with very uncomfortable benches. They had one small light bulb that hung over the pulpit. That was the only one in the place. The electric company charged not by the amount of electricity used, but by the bulb. Electric meters were hard to come by.

This was a small and poor village where there were a good number of believers. Gladis and I would supply the music and Abe would do the preaching.

Seven o'clock came and there was a good crowd that night. The Lord had blessed the meetings. Abe was in the middle of his message and preaching with all his might. Then, the devil, afraid to lose a few souls came in. He came in AS A BAT!

This bat came in to the light to try to get the bugs and flies that were around the bulb. He came diving in right at Abe, and Abe would duck. It was really something. Everyone was watching Abe and the bat, and Abe was having difficulty trying to keep on the subject. I was praying that the bat would leave, but it kept on diving at the light.

We had to close the meeting for the night.

Sometimes when you most desire to talk to someone about the Lord something comes up to hinder. The devil has his bats. But God is able to work in spite of the hindrances. When this happens, praise God and keep on going.

Bill Gibson
Children's Minute
Nov 26, 2000

GMU Kids

2009-10-19T13:51:00.003-05:00

By paths they have not known I will guide them. I will turn the darkness before them into light, the rough places into level ground.
Isaiah 42:16

Missionary children enrolled in boarding school. Quito, Ecuador SA, 1957
photo by Bill Gibson

These were the GMU kids. Children of missionaries affiliated with the Gospel Missionary Union. We lived and went to school in Quito, the capitol city of Ecuador.

Our parents lived and worked in many different places throughout the country. We spent 3 months with our parents in the summer and 3 weeks over Christmas. In case you're wondering, I'm the one wearing cowboy boots.

Don't Be Afraid

2009-10-18T12:41:00.003-05:00

Do you sometimes at night feel afraid?
I do.

There was a time when we were strong, young and able, when we weren't afraid of anything. We thought we could handle anything. Young people feel this way.

Now, however, we aren't so sure. There are so many dangers out there, and in here. We aren't as strong as we were. We are afraid of things beyond our control, and we don't have control of everything as we ought to.

Where can we go for help?
There is a place to go and something you can do about it.

Nehemiah 4:14, "Do not be afraid, remember the Lord."

Nehemiah was building a wall. There were a small number of His people working on it. They were rebuilding. All around them was the enemy. They were great in numbers and they didn't want that wall built. They threatened Nehemiah and his workers. They were afraid. Nehemiah had a word from the Lord.

"Don't be afraid, remember the Lord."

The message for us today is to remember the Lord. He is the almighty one. He is with you. If you are on the Lord's side, He will fight for you. All you need to do is to watch and work, and fight if you have to. God is on your side.

If you have come to Him and asked for pardon, believing that Jesus died in your place and for your sin. Then you can rest assured that He is not mad at you, he loves you, and He will take care of you.

When you are afraid, remember the Lord.

~Bill Gibson
Mountain Villa Health Center
El Paso, Texas
03/04/2001

Texas Aggie Jokes

2009-10-15T15:50:00.000-05:00

It seems that two Aggies wanted to make quick, easy money. They went into the loan shark business. They lent all their money out and then skipped town...

Two aggies went into the hay business. They bought hay in East Texas for two dollars per bale and sold it in West Texas for one dollar a bale. The truck driver returned and told about how great the business was, people were buying it as fast as he could get it there. So, they decided that business was so good that what they needed to do was buy another truck.

From:

The Flat Tortilla

Fall 1986

Serious Business

2009-10-12T10:33:00.000-05:00

Agree with God and be at peace; in this way good will come to you.
Job 22:21

Jivaro Indians engaged in serious discussion after church. Ecuador, SA 1954

photo by Bill Gibson

In the early days, there were so many family feuds and vendettas that the social time before and after church was fraught with tension and hidden danger. The men brought their guns, and kept them handy.

To read more about Shuar history, go here.Two books that are worth reading are: Mission To The Headhunters by Frank and Marie Drown, and The Jivaro by Michael Harner

Counted Worthy

2009-10-11T15:38:00.003-05:00

In 2 Thessalonians 1:11, Paul is praying for the new believers in the church at Thessalonica. He is praying "That they would be worthy of their calling."
If we go back to Matthew 22:1-14, we will get a little of what it means to be worthy of our calling.

There is to be a great wedding feast. It is to be a feast to end all feasts, so to speak. A great event. Fancy invitations are sent out by the servants of the Lord of the feast. They are to come back with an RSVP, but none of the invited would have anything to do with it. Each was busy in his own little kingdom. Some even killed those who were sent to them.

The Lord of the Feast, the KING says everything is ready, but the invited guests are not WORTHY.

So He sends to invite any one in the highways and byways of the city. None were rich, none were what we might think of as "worthy." There were some good, and some bad. But they readily accepted the invitation and came ready and dressed properly. All except for one party crasher who came in another way, wasn't dressed for it, and was cast out.

The worthy ones were the ones who, in spite of their failure and sin, gladly received the invitation and came dressed in the proper dress. This was what was absolutely necessary to get into the feast. I rather think that when the invitation was given, the garment was also given. It was like a ticket.

The garment of worthiness represents the Righteousness of Christ that is given to the believer which makes him worthy to enter into the presence of God and to the marriage feast of the Lamb.

We will not be able to enter Heaven and the Marriage feast of the Lamb in our own righteousness, only His.

Now, those who refused had their own righteousness. They were relegios that had the Law in little boxes on their wrists, the little skullcaps on their heads, all the pomp and ceremony they could get. But that wasn't what was needed. A willing heart, and a glad acceptance to receive from the King a robe, a wedding robe that was not theirs, that came by faith, and faith alone.

~Bill Gibson

Sept 7, 2007

2 Thessalonians 1: 3-12

2009-10-11T14:57:00.000-05:00

3. We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing.
4. Therefore, among God's churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.
5. All this is evidence that God's judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering.
6. God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you
7. and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels.
8. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
9. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power
10. on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.
11. With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith.
12. We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Parable of the Wedding Banquet

2009-10-11T13:03:00.000-05:00

Matthew 22

1. Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying:
2. "The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son.
3. He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.
4. "Then he sent some more servants and said, 'Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.'

5. "But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business.
6. The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them.
7. The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.

8. "Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come.
9. Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.'
10. So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.

11. "But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes.
12. 'Friend,' he asked, 'how did you get in here without wedding clothes?' The man was speechless.

13. "Then the king told the attendants, 'Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

14. "For many are invited, but few are chosen."

Something to Smile About

2009-10-09T02:45:00.000-05:00

Time now for a couple of jokes published in the Flat Tortilla in the fall of 1985:

Q: What's a piano that has fallen down a mind shaft called?
A: A Flat Minor...

Doctor to Patient:
"I have bad news, and I have worse news. Which do you want first?"
"Give me the bad news first, Doc," replied the surprised patient.
"Well," said the doctor, "You have only 24 hours left to live, you have cancer."
"Wow, that's bad, isn't it? What's the worse news?"
The Doc answered, "I knew it yesterday, but forgot to tell you."

A man went to his psychiatrist. He said, "Doc, I am really worried. I've begun imagining things. First I imagine that I'm a wigwam, then next thing I imagine I'm a teepee. Do you think I'm going crazy?" The Doctor replied, "No, you're not going crazy, you're just too tense..." (tents?? ha ha)

Come To Sunday School

2009-10-07T16:45:00.000-05:00

My mom sent me this little thing about Sunday School so that I could share it with everyone. Here it is:

Come to Sunday School because...

Sunday School teaches the Bible, the message of God Almighty.
Sunday School prepares one better to face the problems of life.
Sunday School teaches obedience and respect for parents and those in authority.
Sunday School will give the student the opportunity to develop a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Sunday School helps build strong character.
Sunday School presents opportunities to share Christian experiences.
Sunday School shows the student how he can be of service in this sinful world.
Sunday School brings together those with whom you can form true friendships.
Sunday School gives the opportunity to bring others under the message of the Gospel.
Sunday School teaches songs of real beauty, comfort, and praise.
Sunday School gives the opportunity to discuss spiritual problems in small groups with those of the same age.

God Says: Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. ~Colossians 3:16

About the Roadrunner

2009-10-07T15:02:00.002-05:00

This beautiful Southwest bird is referred to as the "Clown of the Desert" by some as it is a very clever and funny bird to watch. He prefers to run rather than fly, and can run as fast as twenty miles per hour. he loves the hot weather. He has eye shadow around his eyes. It might just be where the fad came from.

Roadrunners love to eat small lizards and snakes. Lizards are caught in the beak then pounded against a rock until dead, then eaten.

In Mexico, roadrunner meat is sometimes eaten. They say that when God finished making the birds he had some feathers, long bones, beaks and feet left over, so he put them all together and the result is the (Paisano) or Roadrunner.

There is a story going around in Arizona that is believed by some and doubted by others that the Roadrunner can build a fence of cactus around a sleeping rattlesnake and thus trap, kill, and eat him. (See pic below.)

It is said that a stew of roadrunner meat is good for tuberculosis. It is also good for backaches, itches, boils, lung problems, and leprosy... Another health tip from your esteemed editor (smile).

Bill Gibson
The Flat Tortilla,
Fall 1985

Play House

2009-10-05T16:36:00.003-05:00

Ask and ye shall receive.
John 16:24

Shirley Gibson, age 6, enjoying the playhouse made with leaves, scrap lumber, and love. Sucua, Ecuador 1957, photo by Bill Gibson

The walls were made of split bamboo, the roof was palm leaves, and there were no screens in the windows. It may not look like much, but to me, this play house was like a palace. It was my own place to play make believe, and pretend to be grown up.

You might not believe this...

2009-10-05T16:02:00.002-05:00

You might not believe this but:

A member of Bill Ball's church in Houston showed up one Sunday in Haines, Alaska. He said, and I quote, "I brought an ice pick along to pick the ice and permafrost to see for sure if under all that ice Alsaka isn't the same size as Texas."

We did have a lovely visit with those folks!

From: The Flat Tortilla
Fall 1986

The Evangelical Rat

2009-10-04T14:18:00.000-05:00

We don't seem to see rats much any more. Have you seen a big ugly rat lately? Rats are ugly, dirty, and do a lot of damage. They love to browse around in the kitchen.

We had one in the small kitchen in the house in Riobamba. Gladis and I and Dottie Brown were in the kitchen. We closed the door, and we each got a broomstick and went after that rat. I got it cornered and poked my stick at him and he came right up the stick at me. I dropped the stick and the rat ran over Gladis' foot and she screamed and after a while I got a good swing and hit it and we killed it.

The story I have for this morning is about a rat in the church. Ray Zuercher and I went to a small country village for a service. One of the nationals was to do the speaking. The room was a nice large room. They didn't have nice pews, but benches with no backs. Along the wall there were benches and one could have the wall as a back. The walls were board on the outside and the framing was on the inside. The boards of the walls were vertical and there was a two-by-four across the middle. This was just right to lean against if you were on a bench along the wall.

The preacher was long winded. He went on and on. All the children were fast asleep on the floor, and most of us grownups were almost asleep or wishing that we were. He had been preaching about an hour when I saw a movement on the other side of the room.

It was a rat and it was walking along on the two-by-four between the backs of the people and the wall. He came around and nobody even payed any attention to it. It came creeping between the wall and the backs of those people and they didn't even seem to notice it. Around it came, then started on the wall I where I was sitting. When it got to me, I jumped up and let it pass. Everyone woke up and laughed. The preacher finished his teaching and we all went home.

I was amazed that no one ever thought to get that rat. They were so used to them that they didn't pay any attention to them.

Lesson...

You know what boys and girls? We live in a very dirty world. The people use dirty words, dirty stories, and filthy vile language is everywhere. We have gotten so used to it that it doesn't seem to move us, we don't even react. But dirty words, filthy habits, will have a very bad effect on us. We need to react to these and stay away from those who use those dirty words.

It is so common that we live with the rats and are contaminated by their filth and this is not pleasing to the Lord. Beloved keep your mouths clean and your hearts pure before the Lord your God. Close your ears to the swearing and cursing of your friends. Ask the Lord to help you every day to keep your words clean and your heart pure.

~Bill Gibson
The Children's Minute
El Paso Texas

8/27/00

From the desk of Bill Gibson

2009-09-30T10:34:00.001-05:00

This morning I came across a letter my dad had written several years ago. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

"Early in the morning, I get a cup of coffee and go to my little office. It is a small Morgan building on our lot. As I came out of the door, I saw a light on at my neighbor's house, and I could see my neighbor sitting at the table reading her Bible and praying. She came to know the Lord at the Bible Class and has grown greatly in the Lord. She is the secretary to the church that is next door to our park. Don, her husband, has no interest in the things of God but we are working on him.

It is amazing how God works to bring good news to hurting people! I would like to tell you about a lady at the Palisades. I saw her pacing from the hall to the group having coffee. She would move from place to place. She was the epitome of depression, distress and sad restlessness.

I had received in the mail a song, a revised version of the children's song, "Jesus Loves Me This I Know" written for senior citizens. As we sang this song, she looked at the copy I had given her and I could see her reading and drinking in every word. It was what she needed. Please pray for her. I haven't gotten her name yet.

The church next door to our park was once a great, growing church with many people, but now it is struggling and cannot support the pastor full time. He now works doing translations for businesses from English to Spanish. Mike, the Pastor, is Mexican and still studying here at the night seminary in El Paso. Cranel Lindsey, a Baptist pastor and long-time Friend, came to El Paso for a short visit and we visited Pastor Mike. He was very discouraged and we were able to encourage him. Now, we visit as often as we can, I to encourage him and he too, to encourage me and we blend our hearts in prayer together."

Bill Gibson
El Paso Texas
date unknown

Jesus Loves Me

2009-09-30T01:21:00.000-05:00

Here's a version of Jesus Loves Me written especially for seniors:

Jesus loves me this I know
Though my hair is white as snow
Though my sight is growing dim
Still He bids me trust in Him.

Yes, Jesus loves me,
Yes, Jesus loves me,
Yes, Jesus loves me,
The Bible tells me so.

Though my steps are oh, so slow
With my hand in his I'll go
On through life, let come what may
He'll be there to lead the way.

Yes, Jesus loves me,
Yes, Jesus loves me,
Yes, Jesus loves me,
The Bible tells me so.

When the nights are dark and long
In my heart He puts a song
Telling me in words so clear
"have no fear, for I am near."

Yes, Jesus loves me,
Yes, Jesus loves me,
Yes, Jesus loves me,
The Bible tells me so.

From an article by Cindy Conley
in Insights and Inspiration.

The Neglected Triplet

2009-09-27T18:31:00.005-05:00

Chapter 13 of I Corinthians closes with these words... "and now these remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."

We hear much about faith and much about love but hope seems to be the neglected triplet. Dr. Armand May Nicoli of Harvard Medical school writes, "The word hope is used and heard little in our culture. Perhaps hope conflicts with our concept of a scientific world." Many books exist about faith and love, but very few on hope.

Hope is essential to sanity and a balanced outlook on life. We all need to hope, as hope will sustain us in perilous times.

Hope looks forward to something good. Faith looks to the person who has promised and hope to the thing promised. Faith is the root, hope is the fruit. Faith looks to who and hope to what. Real hope for the future is grounded in the promise of God and guaranteed in the resurrection of Christ Jesus. Hope needs to be based on reality. It is not a mere wish or strong desire.

In a world filled with fear for the future, do you have a hope? Where is your hope and on what is it based? It seems we need to examine to see if our hope is a real hope or a mere dream. The hymn writer wrote these words in his song, "The Solid Rock"

"My hope is built on nothing less,
than Jesus blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
but wholly lean on Jesus name."

Put your trust in God
His promise never fails.

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13

by Bill Gibson
From the Flat Tortilla
October 1990

Be An Organ Donor

2009-09-24T00:03:00.001-05:00

Here's a cool church sign:

"Be an organ donor,
Give your heart to Jesus."

The Flute Player

2009-09-22T10:05:00.000-05:00

May He grant you your heart’s desire and fulfill all your plans.
Psalm 20:4

Shuar Indian playing a hand made flute. Ecuador SA, 1953
photo by Bill Gibson

He’s got everything he needs, a muzzle loading shot gun over one shoulder, a mesh bag with essentials over the other, a cap on his head, a friend at his side, and a flute.

Is Anybody Listening To Me?

2009-09-20T08:06:00.006-05:00

Have you ever talked to someone and all of a sudden you knew they weren't listening to what you were saying? I have.

Have you ever prayed to God and wondered if He was listening? I have.

The verse I have for us this morning is just what we need.

Psalms 40:1-3
I waited patiently for the LORD;
he turned to me and heard my cry.

He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.

He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear the LORD
and put their trust in him.

Notice, "I waited patiently for the Lord." The Psalmist cried unto the Lord and then he waited for the answer. Sometimes God answers prayer right away, sometimes later. But He always hears what you have to say as long as you are not sinning, loving evil, or doing evil.

"And He... inclined his ear and heard my cry."

Beloved, God will always hear the cry of a sincere soul. Never think He won't. He not only hears but He acts... He does something about it. He doesn't ever give promises He doesn't keep.

He will lift you out of the pit. The fear, trouble, the muck and mire of sin. And then He will put your feed on the Rock so you will stand straight and safe.

And not only does He put you on the rock, secure, He gives you a song... something to sing about, a happy joyful heart filled with His praises. And you will be a blessing to others.

What more could you want?

Beloved, you are in the pit of discouragement and despair, lonely, and sad. Jesus wants to hear your cry for help. He wants to hear your voice in all sincerity and honesty.

If you are honest with God He will be true to you and you will find safety on the rock. You will have a song in your heart, and you will be a blessing to others.

He won't do anything for you if you don't want Him to. But if you cry out to Him, and just say Lord help me, save me from this pit, then He will hear and He will do something about it. More than you have ever dreamed He could...

So... Why not ask God to pick you up right now.

Message by Bill Gibson
Palisades 8/24/06

Funny Church Bulletins

2009-09-17T04:04:00.001-05:00

Church Bulletins: Thank God for the church ladies who type them. These sentences actually appeared in church bulletins or were announced in church services:

The Fasting and Prayer Conference includes meals.

The sermon this morning: "Jesus Walks on the Water."
The sermon tonight: "Searching for Jesus."

Our youth basketball team is back in action Wednesday at 8 PM in the recreation hall. Come out and watch us kill Christ the King.

Ladies, don't forget the rummage sale. It's a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Bring your husbands.

The peacemaking meeting scheduled for today has been canceled due to a conflict.

Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our community. Smile at someone who is hard to love. Say "Hell" to someone who doesn't care much about you.

Don't let worry kill you off - let the Church help.

Miss Charlene Mason sang "I will not pass this way again," giving obvious pleasure to the congregation.

For those of you who have children and don't know it, we have a nursery downstairs.

Next Thursday there will be tryouts for the choir. They need all the help they can get.

The Rector will preach his farewell message after which the choir will sing: "Break Forth Into Joy."

Irving Benson and Jessie Carter were married on October 24 in the church. So ends a friendship that began in their school days.

At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be "What Is Hell?" Come early and listen to our choir practice.

Scouts are saving aluminum cans, bottles and other items to be recycled. Proceeds will be used to cripple children.

Please place your donation in the envelope along with the deceased person you want remembered.

The church will host an evening of fine dining, super entertainment and gracious hostility.

Potluck supper Sunday at 5:00 PM - prayer and medication to follow.

The ladies of the Church have cast off clothing of every kind. They may be seen in the basement on Friday afternoon.

This evening at 7 PM there will be a hymn singing in the park across from the Church. Bring a blanket and come prepared to sin.

Ladies Bible Study will be held Thursday morning at 10 AM. All ladies are invited to lunch in the Fellowship Hall after the B. S. is done.

The pastor would appreciate it if the ladies of the congregation would send him their electric girdles for the pancake breakfast next Sunday.

Low Self Esteem Support Group will meet Thursday at 7 PM. Please use the back door.

The eighth-graders will be presenting Shakespeare's Hamlet in the Church basement Friday at 7 PM . The congregation is invited to attend this tragedy.

Weight Watchers will meet at 7 PM at the First Presbyterian Church. Please use large double door at the side entrance

AND MY PERSONAL FAVORITE:

The Associate Minister unveiled the church's new tithing campaign slogan last Sunday: "I Upped My Pledge - Up Yours

Shuar Family

2009-09-15T18:45:00.002-05:00

By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us.
Luke 1:78

Shuar family
Ecuador SA, 1954
photo by Bill Gibson

Here is a typical family. A man with his two wives and several children. In this case, the two wives are sisters, the husband is a believer who kept his family intact because it would have been an extreme hardship on whichever wife he “divorced”, and he cared for them both. As you can see the youngest wife is pregnant.

Often women would encourage the husband to marry a younger sister because it was more likely that they would be able to live in harmony, and when two women shared the work, life was easier.

Bearing Burdens

2009-09-13T08:45:00.006-05:00

There is a story about a lone man with a large, heavy back-pack walking along a country road. It was hot and humid and the road was rocky and steep.

He walked slower and slower and finally came to the place where he could go no further. So he took off the pack and sat on a rock, and said, " I am ready to die."

At that moment the Death Angel sat down beside him and said, "You called for me?"

The man took one look at the Angel and said, "Yes, would you help me get this back-pack off my back?"

We all have burdens we carry, whether we like it or not. Gladis gave a talk to the ladies and her topic was: Everybody Has Something.

However, we seem to think that the very rich have no burdens. Some seem never to have a problem or a burden, but they do. There are burdens money can't fix.

There are the burdens we own.
There are the burdens of others.
There are the burdens people would put on us that aren't ours to bear.

In Galatians 6:2 the Lord says, "Every one should bear his own burden." We can live with that pretty well. However, since the beginning there have been those who lay burdens on us.

In Matthew 23: 1-4, Jesus tells us that "... they tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move with so much as a finger..."There are a great deal of people out there who are experts in manipulating people to give.

Jesus came down in human flesh, with no burden, and said, "Come unto me all ye who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest." he came to take upon himself our burden of sin and guilt, and he paid with his life, and shed his blood to free us from the burdens we carry that others have put on us.

Just because we are Christians, we don't have to give to every poor man that comes begging, we don't have to give help to every sick person. We don't have to volunteer to take every burden that comes our way. We don't have to say "yes" to every one who asks. It's OK to say "no."

Jesus came to set us free.

He said, "Take my burden, my burden is light." We don't have to be burdened with the burdens that aren't ours to carry. We can exchange our our own heavy burdens for his light burden.

What is the Lord's burden? That every person will get to hear the Gospel. You can help bear that burden by prayer. You can pray for others. You can help bear the Lord's burden by using the gift that He has given you, whatever that might be ... hospitality, friendship, encouraging others, doing what you're happy doing, and you can have the blessing of the Lord while doing it.

Message by: Bill Gibson
Palisades 8/24/06
Photo: Roy McDonald

River Rafting In Ecuador

2009-09-10T11:12:00.000-05:00

While I was researching for the post about balsa wod, I found some pretty cool stuff about ancient Ecuadorian rafts and river rafting in Ecuador. I thought you all might find it interesting too, so here's what I found:

For rafting in Ecuador, the Piedra Blanca Community Ecotourism project offers something unique. It's not whitewater rafting as such, though there are parts of the river that are whitewater. In this part of Ecuador, rafting takes a different form - this is adventure rafting in replica design ancient Ecuadorean rafts.

The Manteño Huancavilca tribes of Ecuador (pre-Inca) developed this type of raft for travel and trade. Some academics suggest that these rafts were the boats used to colonise Easter Island, thousands of miles west in the Pacific.

Thor Heyerdahl replicated the design of the raft for his famous Kon-Tiki expedition (more info) to cross 13000 miles of the Pacific Ocean. We don’t go quite that far, but you might achieve 30 km a day on the Rio Zapotal when the current is running fast. The traditional raft design has not changed much in a thousand years and was used until about 40 years ago to transport cocoa and bananas to the coast and beyond.

Please note that the rafting tours are an adventurous experience offered by us. You will sleep on tents aboard the raft. Toilet facilites are not always available - this is a remote region of Ecuador. If you seek 5 star luxury, these rafting tours are not for you. If you seek an adventure, you will be rewarded with a fantastic experience.

I found this video on their website, in case you'd like to see what it might be like to take one of their tours:

Then, I discovered the Manteño Expedition. So, if you're still interested, you can visit this site at archeology.org for a story about a real life experience. There is some interesting historical information at balsaraft.com

But wait!
There's more!
I also found this video about sailing alone on the Pacific ocean in a balsa raft:

All About Balsa Wood Trees

2009-09-09T11:10:00.000-05:00

WHERE DOES BALSA WOOD COME FROM?

Balsa trees grow naturally in the humid rain forests of Central and South America. Its natural range extends south from Guatemala, through Central America, to the north and west coast of South America as far as Bolivia. However, the small country of Ecuador on the western coast of South America, is the primary source of model aircraft grade balsa in the world. Balsa needs a warm climate with plenty of rainfall and good drainage. For that reason, the best stands of balsa usually appear on the high ground between tropical rivers. Ecuador has the ideal geography and climate for growing balsa trees. The scientific name for balsa wood is ochroma lagopus. The word balsa itself is Spanish meaning raft, in reference to its excellent floatation qualities. In Ecuador it is known as Boya, meaning buoy.

HOW DOES BALSA WOOD GROW?

There is no such thing as entire forests of balsa trees. They grow singly or in very small, widely scattered groups in the jungle. For hundreds of years, balsa was actually considered a weed tree. They reproduce by growing hundreds of long seed pods, which eventually open up and, with the help of the wind, scatter thousands of new seeds over a large area of the jungle. Each seed is airborne on its own small wisp of down, similar to the way dandelion seeds spread.

The seeds eventually fall to the ground and are covered by the litter of the jungle. There they lay and accumulate until one day there is an opening in the jungle canopy large enough for the sun's rays to strike the jungle floor and start the seeds growing. Wherever there is an opening, made either by a farmer or by another tree dying, balsa will spring up as thick as grass.

A farmer is often hard put to keep his food plot clear of balsa. As the new balsa trees grow, the strongest will become predominate and the weaker trees will die. By the time they are mature, there may be only one or two balsa trees to an acre of jungle.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE A BALSA TREE TO GROW?

Balsa trees grow very rapidly (like all pesky weeds). Six months after germination, the tree is about 1-1/2 inches in diameter and 10 - 12 feet tall. In 6 to 10 years the tree is ready for cutting, having reached a height of 60 to 90 feet tall and a diameter of 12 to 45 inches. If left to continue growing, the new wood being grown on the outside layers becomes very hard and the tree begins to rot in the center. Unharvested, a balsa tree may grow to a diameter of 6 feet or more, but very little usable lumber can be obtained from a tree of this size. The balsa leaf is similar in shape to a grape leaf, only a lot bigger. When the tree is young, these leaves measure a much as four feet across. They become progressively smaller as the tree grows older, until they are about 8 - 10 inches across. Balsa is one of the few trees in the jungle which has a simple leaf shape. This fact alone makes the balsa tree stand out in the jungle.

THE PERFECT NURSE!

Nature evidently designed the balsa tree to be a "nurse tree" which would protect the slower-growing species of trees from the scorching jungle sun during their critical early years. For instance, in an area of the jungle that has been ravaged by a tropical storm or other natural disaster, the balsa trees will quickly sprout and begin to shoot up to impressive heights in a very short time. Their fast growth, and the extra large leaves they have in their early years, provide shade to the young seedlings of the slower-growing forest giants. By the time the seedlings are established enough to take care of themselves, the balsa tree is beginning to die. Undoubtedly, the balsa tree's rapid growth, fast spreading crown of first very large and gradually smaller leaves, and it's relatively short life span were intended to make it the "perfect nurse" in the jungle ecosystem.

HOW ARE BALSA TREES HARVESTED?

While nature intended the balsa tree to be a short lived nursemaid, mankind eventually discovered that it was an extremely useful resource. The real start of the balsa business was during World War I, when the allies were in need of a plentiful substitute for cork. The only drawback to using balsa was, and still is, the back breaking work that is necessary to get it out of the jungle. Because of the way the individual balsa trees are scattered throughout the jungles, it has never been possible to use mass production logging procedures and equipment. The best way to log balsa trees is to go back to the methods of Paul Bunyan -- chop them down with an axe, haul them to the nearest river by ox team, tie them together into rafts, and then float the rafts of balsa logs down the river to the saw mill.

The logging team usually consists of two native Ecuadorians, each armed with a broad Spanish axe, a machete, and a long pole sharpened like a chisel on one end for removing the bark from the downed trees. Because of the hilly terrain, an ox team may only be able to drag two logs to the river per day. At the saw mill the raw balsa is first rough cut into large boards, the carefully kiln dried, and finally packed into bales for shipment to the U.S. via ocean freighter. Final cutting and finishing of our model aircraft balsa is done right here at the factory. As a result of the balsa tree's fast growth cycle, both the quality and lightness of the lumber obtained from a balsa tree can vary enormously depending upon the tree's age at the time of cutting.

WHY IS BALSA WOOD SO LIGHT?

The secret to balsa wood's lightness can only be seen with a microscope. The cells are big and very thin walled, so that the ratio of solid matter to open space is as small as possible. Most woods have gobs of heavy, plastic-like cement, called lignin, holding the cells together. In balsa, lignin is at a minimum. Only about 40% of the volume of a piece of balsa is solid substance. To give a balsa tree the strength it needs to stand in the jungle, nature pumps each balsa cell full of water until they become rigid - like a car tire full of air. Green balsa wood typically contains five times as much water by weight as it has actual wood substance, compared to most hardwoods which contain very little water in relation to wood substance. Green balsa wood must therefore be carefully kiln dried to remove most of the water before it can be sold. Kiln drying is a tedious two week process that carefully removes the excess water until the moisture content is only 6%. Kiln drying also kills any bacteria, fungi, and insects that may have been in the raw balsa wood.

HOW LIGHT IS KILN DRIED BALSA WOOD?

Finished balsa wood, like you find in model airplane kits, varies widely in weight. Balsa is occasionally found weighing as little as 4 lbs. per cu. ft. On the other hand, you can also find balsa which will weigh 24 lbs or more per cu. ft. However, the general run of commercial balsa for model airplanes will weigh between 6 and 18 pounds per cu. ft. Eight to twelve pound balsa is considered medium or average weight, and is the most plentiful. Six pound or less is considered "contest grade", which is very rare and sometimes even impossible to obtain.

IS BALSA THE LIGHTEST WOOD IN THE WORLD?

No! Most people are surprised to hear that botanically, balsa wood is only about the third or fourth lightest wood in the world. However, all the woods which are lighter than balsa are terribly weak and unsuitable for any practical use. The very lightest varieties don't really resemble wood at all, as we commonly think of it, but are more like a tree-like vegetable that grows in rings, similar in texture to an onion. It is not until balsa is reached that there is any sign of real strength combined with lightness. In fact, balsa wood is often considered the strongest wood for its weight in the world. Pound for pound it is stronger in some respects than pine, hickory, or even oak.

Look!

2009-09-07T13:30:00.003-05:00

And you will have confidence,
because there is hope.
Job 11:18

Little boy with a balsa canoe.
Chupientsa, Ecuador 1957

photo by Bill Gibson

This little boy made this little canoe in Daily Vacation Bible School, and he is very proud of it. It was carved out of Balsa wood, a very soft light wood from which even very large canoes are made.

That Old Sinking Feeling Is Back

2009-09-06T03:35:00.002-05:00

In Matthew 14:30 we see Peter stepping out of the boat to come to Jesus walking on the water. Only Peter would think of doing that! Let's take a brief look at Peter starting to sink.

First: He was starting to sink, not because of some sin or doing something wrong, but because he was Peter. His temperament got him into this fix. The others used their common sense and stayed in the boat. Peter had to do something. Peter would begin to walk on water and Peter would begin to sink.

Second: He began to sink in familiar waters. He knew the lake like all fishermen do. Here he was among those who knew him. Here he was among those who loved him. Many start to sink when away from home and in strange places. How sad to start to sink among friends and loved ones.

Third: He began to sink after loyal discipleship. Faithful to the Lord and maturing in the faith. He was not a novice. Yet he began to sink.

Fourth: He was on a permitted path. The Lord had told him to come. It was not because he was out of the will of God. He was not trespassing. He had been invited to come. It is possible for us, even though we are in His will and doing what is right, to start to sink. How prone we are to judge another who is beginning to sink and lay the blame on him.

Fifth: The others in the boat were not aware of Peter's danger. It's hard to tell on rough water when one is starting to sink. They could not help Peter even if they knew he was starting to go down.

Sixth: Jesus was close by and Jesus was able to help Peter. He was the only one who could and the only one who would. Jesus was not surprised. He was there ready to help.

Application: It is possible for us to start to sink even when we are doing what is right and walking in His will. Our pastor, loved ones, and friends may not be aware of the danger. Isn't it wonderful to know that Jesus knows and is near and will help us when we call on Him?

Bill Gibson
El Paso, TX
Fall 1986

Locro de Papa

2009-09-05T15:59:00.001-05:00

Locro de Papa (Potato soup), from Ecuador

Here is a recipe from Ecuador for a delicious typical potato soup from the highlands near Quito. Courtesy of Paola Diaz, Information Officer, at the Charles Darwin Research Station in Puerto Ayora, Galapagos Islands.

10 peeled potatoes cut in squares
1 onion sliced very tiny
1 cup of milk
4 or 5 cups of water
salt and pepper
avocado
Manteca de Color (Achiote - read about it here - to give the soup the yellow color) or you can use normal oil

Fry the sliced onion in the achiote or in the oil, then add the peeled potatoes and the cups of water until the potatoes are covered with the water in a big sauce pan. Add the salt. Boil the potatoes until they are soft, and when they are ready, add the cup of milk (the milk should be added a few minutes before serving). The soup is served with avocado cut in slices.

submitted by: Doris Welsh

Jungle Pilot

2009-09-03T15:36:00.001-05:00

I will trust and not be afraid.

Isaiah 12:2

Johnny Keenan, Missionary Pilot Ecuador SA, 1956

photo by Bill Gibson

Not only was he a really nice man, he was an excellent pilot. I was never afraid when I flew with him, because I was convinced that even if we had to land on top of a tree, “Uncle Johnny” would somehow make sure we were all safe.

I can’t say enough about the pilots that fly for the MAF (Missionary Aviation Fellowship).

A Video About Missionary Aviation

2009-09-03T13:22:00.001-05:00

Intro to Missionary Aviation from Tony Archer on Vimeo.

From one of our readers,we have this: "My wife and I have been accepted into Bridge Church's Bridge to Missions program in preparation to be a missionary aviation team. These video presentations describe what missionary aviation is about and what our plans are. The second one contains a short (5 minute) video of the flight out to Tiwaeno, a jungle village; and a short (5 minute) slide presentation from our trip to Ecuador."

Presentation: Our Calling from Tony Archer on Vimeo.

A song of the hope of God's forgiveness.

2009-08-30T14:03:00.000-05:00

Psalm 130 (read it here) was one of the Psalms God's people sang as they traveled the dusty roads to Jerusalem. It is a song of the hope of God's forgiveness.

Someone somewhere said that our best prayers come out of a strong inward necessity. When everything is going well our fervency seems to fade a bit.

"Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD." Out of the depths of sin, shame, guilt. Out of the bondage of habits that bind. Out of the helplessness that overwhelms. Out of the loneliness even in a crowd. Out of the filth of the world around.

It is amazing how much the human spirit can stand. We get so used to the bad and evil that it doesn't seem so awful any more.

We sometimes think we can crawl out of the pit anytime... But we can't. In Psalm 40:2, it says: "He lifted me out of a horrible pit." The psalmist had come to the realization that he was in the pit of despair, and sin. He got in there all by himself and this is a cry for deliverance.

Until we see that truly we too are lost, helpless, and when we see our sin as God sees it, we will never ask for deliverance. Notice that it is while he was in the pit that he prayed for forgiveness. He didn't wait until he worked himself out of it. He didn't wait until he bettered himself. He was still in the pit when he cried out to the Lord.

"Lord hear my voice..." Not Mary praying for me. Not the Church praying for me. Not my mother's prayers for me. Lord hear MY voice.

"If you should write down all our iniquities who would stand?" Each of us have sinned and the list is long.

"But there is forgiveness with Thee." Jesus died in our place on the cross so that God could forgive the sin of the world. The justice of God was satisfied and we by trusting Jesus as our Saviour, our sins can be forever forgiven. There is no forgiveness in the church, no forgiveness in man. Only God can forgive sin. And He will forgive and deliver us out of the pit of despair when we confess that we are truly in the pits, guilty, and our sins burden us down.

I have heard men say, "Yeah, I am a sinner." But it means nothing, they seem to be proud of it. But when the Holy Spirit convinces you of sin and guilt it will drive you either to the cross and Jesus, or you will harden your heart and say "no" to God. God is not a loving Grandfather to give you all you want.

"I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,and in his word I hope;" Here we have the result of confession and repentance and believing by faith.The sin problem has been taken away and now he waits.

What is the Psalmist waiting for?

Forgiveness... No
Some great miracle... No

My Soul waits for Jesus, for God. We have a clear mind and heart and a longing just to see His face. I've a longing in my heart for Jesus.

Beloved if you do not have the knowledge of forgiveness you cannot sing this song.You won't long to see His face and you will see the Face of God as your judge not your saviour. Don't you think it's time to trust your soul to Jesus and ask Him to come in and save you?

Psalm 130

2009-08-30T14:02:00.003-05:00

A song of ascents.

Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord!
O Lord, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
to the voice of my pleas for mercy!
If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,
O Lord, who could stand?
But with you there is forgiveness,
that you may be feared.
I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
and in his word I hope;
my soul waits for the Lord
more than watchmen for the morning,
more than watchmen for the morning.
O Israel, hope in the Lord!
For with the Lord there is steadfast love,
and with him is plentiful redemption.
And he will redeem Israel
from all his iniquities.

No Help Wanted

2009-08-25T13:15:00.001-05:00

The sign in the store window read: NO HELP WANTED. As two men passed by, one said to the other, "You should apply - you'd be great."

~The Flat Tortilla, Winter 1987

Contributed by E. M. Unger

Mowing The Airstrip

2009-08-24T13:54:00.001-05:00

Is anything too hard for the Lord?
Genesis 18:14

Gladis Gibson, mowing the airstrip.
Chupientsa, Ecuador, SA 1959

photo by Bill Gibson

Mowing the airstrip with a push mower! This was how my mom got her exercise. Every Saturday afternoon, she was out there mowing.

The airstrip had to be kept level, and well mowed. A pothole, a rock, a large clump of grass in the wrong spot, and the plane could flip and crash.

Each week, my dad walked the length of the airstrip and looked for ant hills. Ant hills very quickly turned into potholes in wet weather. We’d pour kerosene into each hole, and set them on fire.

I always felt bad for the ants, but it had to be done.

Comfort For The Changes Ahead

2009-08-23T12:40:00.004-05:00

Changes are inevitable and become more difficult for us as the years go by. Wouldn't it be nice if there were no changes? Isn't it amazing that our God, who never changes, has ordained changes in our lives?

The inevitable changes are not difficult. We seem to enjoy the change from summer to winter or day to night. It seems to be the unexpected changes that bother us. Those changes that we thought would never come, seem to throw us.

In Psalm 55:19b we read, "... Because they have no changes, therefore they fear not God." The changes we fear are what draw us to the Lord many times.

David is going through great change as he writes Psalms 42 and 43. In 42:8 he mentions some of the comforts we can count on during the struggle. "Yet the Lord will command his loving-kindness in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life."

Loving-kindness in the daytime ... in the sunshine when all is well.
David mentions the loving-kindness of the Lord many times. Jeremiah in Jer. 31:3 "... with loving-kindness I have drawn thee." Jer. 32:18 "Thou showest loving-kindness to thousands."

Loving-kindness is to be seen in the daytime and enjoyed.
Loving-kindness is to be shared with others.

The blessings we enjoy today do not come because we have earned or deserved them. They come from the loving heart of God through grace. Therefore, share! Unto whom much is given, much is required.

Songs in the night ... these are felt in the heart expressions of love and heard with the ear.
Job 35:10 "...God my maker, who giveth songs in the night;"
These songs in the night come from God.

It is in the night when we grow spiritually.
It is in the night when He strengthens us.

My prayer to the GOD OF MY LIFE

In the day or in the night of change, we ought to pray continually to the God of our life. Remember... He is the God of our life if we know him as Saviour.

Who or what is the god of your life?

Bill Gibson
The Flat Tortilla,
Winter 1987,
El Paso Texas

Dear Friends

2009-08-23T09:48:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, (August 13) at about 9:30 am, Bill went to be with the Lord.

Yes, we are so very, very sad, but we are also filled to overflowing with gratitude. My daughter Gracie and I were with him for that beautiful last hour, a quiet, peaceful time spent holding his hand, talking to him about his "walk with Jesus through the valley" and expressing so many loving, tender things. After a long struggle with metastatic cancer, through many defeating moments and with so much pain to suffer, he passed ever so gently and sweetly. We can now rejoice in our relief that Bill is in Heaven; picturing him there has given me so much peace.

As always, Bill wanted things to be simple. We will have a private family burial at Ft. Bliss Memorial Cemetery. Then, we will celebrate a memorial service at Grace Chapel, where our friends and family can join us for songs, prayer, a message and some simple remembrance of Bill's life. The date, time and information about that service are listed below.

Bill's life of service to Jesus was important to him to the last. Instead of flowers, food, gifts or the countless thoughtful things that are done in times like these, he asked only that those who are desiring to commemorate him might instead send a donation to Avant Ministries in support of the missionaries we have committed to support over the years.

I am held up during this time by the Grace of the Lord. Your prayers and expressions of love and support are so greatly appreciated, and I know I will be supported in the coming months by continuing work with "The Jesus Team" at the Village Oaks Assisted Living Home, our Tuesday bible class, my nursing duty at the Baptist Clinic, my ministry of cards and letters, and any other opportunity that presents itself to continue the work we were first called to do so many years ago. Please know that I am so very comforted by the love that sustained me and Bill together these past sixty years.

With this letter, you will find one of Bill's messages, (read it here), transcribed faithfully and lovingly by my daughter Shirley who is now on her way to El Paso. I am pleased to be able to share it with you all. God bless you all and thank you for your prayers.

Gladis

Memorial Service for Bill Gibson
Tuesday, August 18, 2009 at 6:30 p.m.
Grace Chapel
7601 Wilcox, El Paso, Texas 79915

He Walks With Jesus

2009-08-20T19:02:00.005-05:00

“…I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.”

William R. Gibson, age 90, of El Paso, Texas died Thursday, August 13, 2009 at home. He was born October 1, 1918 in Muskegon, Michigan to William R. (Sr) and Celeste Yanke Gibson, and married Gladis R. Kitchens June 4, 1949.

Bill Gibson delivered telegrams as a young man before enlisting in the U.S. Army. He was a member of the First Infantry Division, the Big Red One, and fought in WWII, notably during the Battle of the Bulge and Liberation of Paris. Because he knew how to play the trumpet, he served as bugler for his company. Suffering from dysentery and hepatitis during the march into Paris, Bill spent months recovering in a Red Cross Hospital in Europe. Later, he served as a military guard to prisoners of the Nuremberg War Crimes trial.

After the war, Bill attended and graduated from Calvary Bible College in Kansas City, Missouri. This is where he met and married his wife of sixty years, Gladis. Together they became missionaries with the Gospel Missionary Union, now Avant Ministries, and in 1950, after missionary orientation and Bill’s ordination, they traveled to Ecuador, S.A. Bill and Gladis served as missionaries to the Shuar people in the eastern Amazonian jungles of Ecuador for 18 years. There, using music to help them communicate God’s message, they helped translate the Bible into the native language, developed churches, schools and provided basic medical and dental care.

In 1968, the Gibson family returned to the U.S., Dunedin, Florida, where Bill completed a year in seminary, earning his BA in Education (Theology). They again traveled to South America, this time serving for three years in Colombia, ministering the people of that country. Bill and Gladis returned to the United States, settling in El Paso, Texas, where Bill served as mission director for the area for 20 years, actively working in Juarez and Chihuahua for ten of those years. During this time, he and Gladis also temporarily relocated to Haines, Alaska, where he served as interim pastor of a church there.

Bill served as co-pastor at Grace Chapel in El Paso since 1990, and he continued to be active with his Jesus Team ministry at Pallisades and later, Village Oaks Assisted Living Centers, and his local Bible Class until a few short weeks before he passed away.

Known for his great sense of humor, his lifelong love of Jesus Christ, his teaching stories and simple messages, Bill was fond of practical jokes and telling tall tales. He published a humorous periodical for their many friends and supporters for many years; The Flat Tortilla was filled with anecdotes and always included a message of faith. A self taught photographer, he took many notable photographs throughout his long missionary career, having learned to develop his own film while stationed in the jungles of Ecuador. He enjoyed traveling, music, nature and wildlife, and he had a daily practice of prayer, Bible study and devotions.

Bill is survived by Gladis, their two daughters, Shirley and Grace, his twin sister Enid (Peggy) Anderson, three grandchildren, three great grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.

A hallmark of Bill’s adventurous life were his long jungle treks, lasting for many days, chopping his way through unmarked territory with a machete, taking the teachings of Jesus Christ to those in need. Even in later years, he was a great walker, striking off happily down roads, trails and railroad tracks, most often alone with his thoughts and his inspirations. No doubt many of his messages were formed during these solitary walks with Jesus, and his marker at Ft. Bliss National Cemetery will be inscribed, He Walks With Jesus, as a way to remember this pastime and envision his new life in Heaven. Bill’s family and his many friends are deeply grateful for his life, a life lived so well and with so much faith, service and devotion; they will remember him in prayer and song at a memorial service at Grace Chapel on August 18, 2009 at 6:30 p.m.

...Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints...

Recipe for Tascalate

2008-08-30T17:48:00.000-05:00

Traditionally, tascalate is prepared by washing corn, sun drying it and later broiling it in an oven side by side with the cacao. When ready it is ground with cinnamon, toasted tortillas and achiote, which gives a nice orange color. It is then mixed with cold water or milk and sweetened with sugar.

The recipe is so simple it looks hard. Here's what you do:

Mix toasted corn meal, cocoa, achiote paste, and chile powder or cinnamon, to taste, in water. Drink hot or cold.

This can be sweetened with honey or sugar, but traditionalists prefer it with only the sweetness of the toasted corn meal. Usually, the chile powder is used in the unsweetened version, the cinnamon in the sweetened.

I also found this recipe, which is more specific:

1 kilo grilled and crushed tortillas
250 g peeled and roasted cocoa beans
10 cinnamon sticks, cut into small pieces
5 g achiote paste
water, as necessary
sugar to taste

Preparation
Mix the crushed tortilla with the cocoa, cinnamon and the rocou and grind them in a hand mill. To prepare the drink, add two spoonfuls of this preparation per glass of water, sweeten to taste with sugar and beat with a whisk ('molinillo') before serving.

Remarks
A tortilla is a sort of pancake made with corn flour
The sugar can also be added during milling to be blend perfectly with the other ingredients.

Cochinita Pibil

2008-08-30T17:33:00.004-05:00

Cochinita pibil (also puerco pibil) is a traditional Mexican slow-roasted pork dish from Yucatán Península. Preparation of traditional cochinita or puerco pibil involves marinating the meat in strongly acidic citrus juice, coloring it with annatto seed, and roasting the meat while it is wrapped in banana leaf.

Ingredients

3/4 cup Annatto or Achiote paste
10 cloves garlic, chopped
1 1/2 cup orange juice
Juice of 2 limes
8 bay leaves, crumbled
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoon ground thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
4 pounds pork butt, cut into 2-inch chunks
1 pound banana leaves, softened over low flame, or foil
2 white onions, sliced 1/2inch thick
5 Roma tomatoes, sliced 1/2inch thick
4 Anaheim chiles, roasted, peeled and sliced into strips

Directions

In a medium size bowl, mash together the achiote paste, garlic, orange juice, lime juice, bay leaves, cumin, cinnamon, thyme, oregano, salt, and pepper with a fork. Add the pork, toss to evenly coat and marinate, at room temperature, at least 4 hours.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Heat a dry cast iron skillet over high heat. Char the onion until blackened on both sides. Char the tomatoes on both sides. Reserve.

Line a large baking dish with one layer of the banana leaves or foil. Arrange the pork in an even layer and top with the onions, tomatoes and chiles and all the marinade. Cover with more banana leaves and wrap the dish tightly in foil. Bake for 21/2 hours or until the pork is tender and moist. Remove from oven and let sit 10 minutes. Unwrap and serve with pickled shallots.

c.1996, M.S. Milliken & S. Feniger,
all rights reserved

All About Achiote

2008-08-30T16:44:00.001-05:00

Achiote (Bixa orellana) is a shrub or small tree from the tropical region of the American continent. The name derives from the Nahuatl word for the shrub, achiotl. It is also known as Aploppas, and its original Tupi name urucu. It is cultivated there and in Southeast Asia, where it was introduced by the Spanish in the 17th century. It is best known as the source of the natural pigment annatto, produced from the fruit. The plant bears pink flowers and bright red spiny fruits which contain red seeds. The fruits dry and harden to brown capsules.

The inedible fruit is harvested for its seeds, which contain annatto, also called bixin. It can be extracted by stirring the seeds in water. It is used to color food products, such as cheeses, fish, and salad oil. Sold as a paste or powder for culinary use, mainly as a color, it is known as "achiote," "annatto," "bijol," or "pimentão doce." It is a main ingredient in the Yucatecan spice mixture recado rojo, or "achiote paste." The seeds are ground and used as a subtly flavored and colorful additive in Latin American, Jamaican and Filipino cuisine.

Annatto is growing in popularity as a natural alternative to synthetic food coloring compounds. While it has a distinct flavor of its own, it can be used to color and flavor rice instead of the much more expensive saffron. It is an important ingredient of cochinita pibil, (here's the recipe) the spicy pork dish popular in Mexico. It is also a key ingredient in the drink Tascalate from Chiapas, Mexico.

In addition to foods, this seed and pulp are used to color candies, cosmetics and textiles. The achiote has long been used by American Indians to make body paint, especially for the lips, which is the origin of the plant's nickname, lipstick tree. The use of the dye in the hair by men of the Tsáchila of Ecuador is the origin of their usual Spanish name, the Colorados.

Parts of the plant can be used to make medicinal remedies for such conditions as sunstroke, tonsilitis, burns, leprosy, pleurisy, apnoea, rectal discomfort, and headaches. The sap from fruits is also used to treat type 2 diabetes, and fungal infections.

To prepare the Achiote, place the seeds into the liquid ingredients being prepared or add the seeds to hot water to obtain the color and flavor desired before using the mixture to color rice or as a stock to add flavors to other foods. To store, keep the seeds in an airtight container away from heat.

From My Inbox

2008-02-11T10:59:00.000-06:00

Someone sent me this via email, I thought you guys might enjoy it, feel free to pass it on. (You can click on the images to view them full size.) Enjoy!

God Bless You

A Letter from Gladis

2007-04-20T11:51:00.000-05:00

Macuma, Ecuador
January 18,1958

Dear Friends

May this be a year when many souls are won to Christ through your efforts there and ours here. Maybe this will be the year that the Lord will come. Again, we want to tell you , "thank you" for your faithful monthly support. We value your prayers and your friendship. If at any time we could be of help to you friends by writing a letter or article, we would be only too happy to cooperate.

We were happy to have our little Shirley come home from school for almost three weeks. She was so happy with her baby sister and all the things she can do now. Now she is back in Quito for another four months of school. And the Lord keeps on giving us grace each day for the separation. When Bill left here, her last words were, "Send Mommy as soon as you get home." As you know that is impossible, but I do hope to pay a short visit in Feb, Lord willing. We would be glad for your prayers for Shirley as she goes to school.

We have cause to rejoice because some have come to know the Lord in the past few weeks. Some who seemed so hard and given to witchcraft that they seemed impossible to be reached. But God is able to do the impossible. Petsain had the most evil looking eyes and was so hard. One day he got sick and thought he was going to die. After treatment, he got better and started really listening to God's Word and at Christmas, he gave his heart to the Lord, or as they say "I took God's road and now I am very happy." He needs prayer because the only way he has to grow is to come to church and listen to the messages. There is no Bible for him to read and besides he doesn't know how to read.

Last week I had to play dentist again. Up to that time I had pulled about eight teeth. On Thursday a woman came with a big molar to be pulled. After four tries I gave up for the day, and she was ready to rest also. Friday she came again and I was still unable to extract that tooth. So she went home miserable and I stayed here miserable. She endured that pulling with only aspirin and did not once cry out. I was weak from the effort of trying to get it out.

Now she will have to wait until a doctor can come and if the rood is around the jawbone she will have more trouble. Imagine living where there are no dentists. She was grateful that I tried to relieve her misery. She has other troubles. A long time ago, a man bought her and her little daughter for his wives. She was his wife and raised several children. Now the daughter is grown up and the mother is thrown away while the daughter has become the favorite wife. Women's lives here are very sad. Some day the power of the Gospel will free them. There are so few of us to do what needs to be done. Pray that more come and help us.

On Monday, Lord willing, Bill and I will fly down to the Atshuaras. Bill has promised that I will come with medicine. It should be a real trip for me. These indians took years to contact on a friendly basis, now they want us to visit. I will write you about it next week.

Sincerely, Gladis Gibson
Letter to "Friends of Sooner"

Your Birth Verse

2007-04-18T13:44:00.000-05:00

I found an interesting little website today called Birth Verse. What they have done is to assign a bible verse to each day of the year. There is an online form to enter your birth date (you can enter other birth dates too) and then they will show you your "birth verse".

There is also this nice little affirmation: You are a child of God, His treasured possession. He created you in His own image. He chose the day for you to be born. He has a plan and a purpose for your life. Cherish your birthverse.

It's pretty cool. This is the link to the website is www.mybirthverse.com. I entered my birth date, and this is the verse I got:

“Because of your great compassion you did not abandon them in the desert. By day the pillar of cloud did not cease to guide them on their path, nor the pillar of fire by night to shine on the way they were to take."

~Nehemiah 9:19 NIV

Amazon Parrot

2007-04-17T09:17:00.000-05:00

When I was growing up, we always had parrots. Often, they were traded for medicine. Today I found this article about amazon parrots, and found it interesting. I thought you all might enjoy it too.

Amazon Parrot
by Dane Stanton

The amazon parrot is a large green parrot that lives in South America and the Caribbean. They usually have accenting colors, depending on the type of species. The most common species of amazon have a shade of yellow across their breast. An amazon parrot like all parrots have four toes on each foot, with two at the front and two at the back allowing them to balance easily on treat branches in the wild.

Lots of amazon parrots are kept in households as pets due to they are lovable nature and they are amazing ability to mimic human words. They are also very loyal and have the ability to live for a great many years. No one really knows why parrots live for so long. It is often said that their intelligence is a key factor for this unusual trait.

However the occasional amazon parrot during a mating period may become strangely aggressive, therefore it is necessary to keep them well under control and in good company all of the time. The best way to do this is to have a second amazon parrot so they can communicate with one another during the periods when human company is unavailable. This will stop them from getting bored which can happen very easily!

Every amazon parrot likes to destroy things, some more than others! In the wild they tend to chew on wood often, which breaks down their cavities and helps keep their teeth nice and strong. Make sure you have lots of destructible toys for your amazon parrot to chew on throughout the day. Having these toys also stops them from becoming aggressive as they always have something to amuse themselves with.

It is important to realise that an amazon parrot requires more attention and care than any other domestic pet such as cats and dogs. It is recommended that before you buy an amazon parrot, you should first purchase a smaller bird that is easier to care for so you gain some valuable experience. Perhaps starting off with a budgerigar would be a good idea just until you have enough experience to handle a real amazon parrot.

An amazon parrot is a very serious animal and requires a lot of attention. Only experienced bird handlers have the ability to care for such magnificent creatures. This is the number one golden rule that all likely amazon parrot owners must abide by before owning these beautiful bird as pets.

-oOo-

About the Author:
Dane Stanton is the owner of ParrotTrainingReview.com which is an extensive review of the top parrot training courses on the internet. Find which course is best for you and your parrot!

Big Smiles

2007-04-16T08:20:00.000-05:00

A cheerful heart is a good medicine.
Proverbs 17:22

Shuar children posing for a picture.
Ecuador 1954,
photo by Bill Gibson

This picture is one of my personal favorites. The children loved to have their pictures taken, and they loved Bill Gibson. He was gentle, and funny, always loving and kind with them. They loved the attention he gave them, and crowded eagerly around whenever he brought out his camera.

Bill's Message for Today

2007-04-15T01:10:00.001-05:00

There seems to be in the heart of each of us a desire to be with others. There are a few who like to be left alone, but most of us like company. Children like to be with children. We all like to be with others of the same background.

It isn't very much fun to be left alone. A man needs a wife and a woman needs a man. We need to have the companionship of being together. The Lord said to Adam in the garden of Eden, "It's not good for man to be alone." So he made a help-mate for Adam, and Eve came, and then children.

Jesus enjoyed being with his disciples. Every place He went He had them with Him, to teach them, to love them, to eat with them. He knew that shortly He would leave them and they would feel alone, so He made a promise. "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee."

Jesus knew what it was to be lonely. He knew that shortly He would know what to be forsaken would be.

It was the night of the Last Supper. Jesus had enjoyed sitting at the table with His disciples. He knew that in a few short hours He would suffer. He took Peter, James, and John and went up the mountain to pray. They slept while He prayed that the cup might pass, nevertheless "Thy will be done."

Later, they took Him and put Him on a cross and the Father abandoned Him. He suffered there alone. He took upon himself all the sin, the shame, and gave His life alone so that you and I might never ever be alone again. After three days He arose victorious from the grave and one day we will, all of us who have repented and believed in Him, might be with Him forever.

Why will you die without Christ? Why prefer to die and be alone in eternity, forever alone without him? He loved you enough to die for you so that you would forever be with Him and not alone without Him.

The decision is yours. You can say this prayer:

Dear Lord Jesus,
I believe you did this for me and I now receive you
as my Saviour and my God.

Bill Gibson
Mountain Villa Rest Home
El Paso, Texas
02/10/02

Riobamba - Slide Show

2007-04-14T12:10:00.000-05:00

Riobamba is a city in central Ecuador. It is the capital of Chimborazo Province, in the Chambo River Valley in the Andes Mountains, near the volcano of Chimborazo. It is an important road junction on the main railroad from Quito to Guayaquil. Riobamba is the trade center of the surrounding cattle-ranching area.

Manufactured products include textiles, handicrafts, leather goods, beer, and dairy products. A colorful Native American marketplace is in the city.

Also located in the city is a university-level polytechnic school (1969). Founded about 1534, Riobamba was destroyed by earthquake in 1797 and rebuilt 14 km (9 mi) from the original site. Population (1996 estimate) 114,322.

The images for this slide show were collected from various sources, most of them fairly recent. They should give you an idea of the flavor of this small city. I hope you enjoy it.

Text from Microsoft Encarta

Letter from Gladis - 1953

2007-02-11T10:58:00.002-06:00

August 3, 1953
Riobamba, Ecuador

About eight 0'clock we heard a thud and the tinkling of broken glass. Since there was no electricity, we took the lamp to investigate and I had Shirley. We found that some one had thrown a rock at the Scripture verse in the window. It was quite a mess and we were a bit excited.

Later, I put Shirley to bed and she said, "Fraid." So when we asked why, she said "Wock, winno, fraid." No amount of words nor rubbing could make her forget, so I took her in my arms and rocked her and she was quite and soon off to dream land.

Later, we retired and were thinking about all the things that had happened. The electric plant had been damaged by high water, the train has been out for a few days, the folks in Shell are completely isolated and it will take a year to fix the road, washed away by high waters, the whole mission station at Shandia was washed away. The thought came to me of the possibility of thieves entering the house under cover of darkness and besides, we know we are hated.

I remembered that the Lord said in the last days fearful things will happen, including earthquakes. It was four years ago in this same month when the other great quake came. First thing I know, I was worrying about all this and wondering what we would do and we talked it over and decided that what we would do if there was time.

Suddenly, my stomach was a knot of fear, and I prayed. The Lord so graciously answered and reminded me of the verse "Perfect love casteth out fear" and I felt I was cradled in His arms just as I had done for my little girl a while before.

How simple is the trust of a little child, and just so should be our trust in the One who is our Father, Friend, and comforter.

Suddenly in the midst of all my mental activity, Bill asked if I was afraid and I could honestly say no because His perfect love had cast out all fear. Praise His name.

Street Meeting

2007-02-11T10:58:00.001-06:00

The free gift of God is eternal life.
Romans 6:23

Bill and Gladis Gibson, conducting a street meeting.
Bill plays the trumpet and Gladis the accordion.
Mendez, Ecuador SA, 1958

The music would draw a crowd, and then my dad would preach. How brave and bold they were to step out in faith this way.

Mendez, the town where this picture was taken, is not in the Jungle, it is a coastal town. And the people are not Shuar, they are Spanish.

We did not ever live in Mendez, but I remember this visit. And my memories of Mendez are that the mosquitoes were terrible, the smell was terrible, the mud was terrible, the food was terrible… and it was hot. But the people were really nice.

A Missionary Story

2007-02-11T10:57:00.000-06:00

The story I have this morning takes place in the high sierra. Riobamba a city of some 33 thousand people at that time. It is located in the heart of the Quichua Indian population.

The Quichua were descendants of the Aztecs and had been defeated by the Spaniards. They were down trodden people who dressed in dark collars, and had to ride the train on top of the cards. They had to sit in the back seat of the buses or on top of the load.

In the early 1900's a lady missionary went to Riobamba and settled in an Indian community called Caliata, some 25 miles away. She traveled by mule and came in to Riobamba for supplies about every two weeks. When we arrived and we were stationed in this, Ecuador's, most fanatical Roman Catholic city, the work in Caliata had been going on for 35 or more years. And in all that time, there were no more than perhaps 4 or 5 believers.

That first missionary lady who settled in Caliata was a single woman. she learned the language and ministered faithfully. She prayed that the Lord would send her a helper and He did. Another young lady came to work with her. She was so happy to have a companion.

Then the Pioneer missionary lady got typhoid fever and died.

The new, younger, missionary took her body early in the morning to Riobamba to bury her there. By the time she arrived, it was late morning, and the Roman Catholic Church forbade anyone to help her. She wandered all around that city all the rest of the day and NO ONE WAS ALLOWED TO HELP HER. After dark, a store keeper took pity on her, and got a shovel, and they secretly went out on the back side of the mountain and there they buried her.

The young missionary went back to Calita alone.

About the same time that we arrived, the Lord also sent other missionaries. I was the only man in that whole area for quite a while before other couples came to carry on the ministry.

I often wondered, we have had missionaries serving here for 40 years, and nothing. Why not give up? I'm glad the mission didn't listen to me.

During my time there, within a period of a few years, God began to work. Thousands came to know the Lord. They received Christ in groups and added to the church was hundreds, and later thousands of brand new believers. They were filled with the joy of the Lord. They became leaders, teachers, etc. It was one of the greatest revivals the evangelical world has seen.

Why?

Because there were Godly women who were willing to leave all, and go bring the Gospel to these people, and they were willing to pay the price. Sometimes men aren't so willing.

God uses the one who is willing to go and pay the price, whether it be man or woman. It could even be you.

You will never do anything for God that will cost you nothing. You might not ever see the results, but you will receive HIS WELL DONE.

~Missionary Minute by Bill Gibson
El Paso Texas 11/18/01

Bill's Photo of the Week - Poppies

2007-02-11T10:53:00.000-06:00

Poppies

El Paso, TX

March 2005

Photo by Bill Gibson

My earliest memory is of poppies. They grew really well in Quito. I was probably only about 2 years old, and I remember the vivid intensity of the color, and wondering why that color wasn't sticking to my fingers when I touched the flowers.

Riding the bus to Quito from Shellmera

2007-02-11T10:42:00.000-06:00

It was raining again. We piled all ten bags onto the church steps and waited for the Quito bus to come by. For two hours we waited in drizzly Shellmera, a small town on the outskirts of the Ecuadorian jungles. Late buses and rain are a daily occurrence.

Finally, we saw the bus. It was jam packed, careening down the gravel road. The driver took one look at all our bags and almost passed us by. But when we yelled that we were going all the way to Quito, he stopped and let us on.

We squeezed aboard. People were already standing in the aisles. One man gave up his seat when he found out that we were going to the end of the line. The rest of us stood where we could.

After we got underway again, things settled down a bit. Two Quichua Indians were sleeping in one seat. They kept falling on top of each other. They were so comical that the whole bus full of people would roar with laughter as they flopped around. Riding in a bus for hours and hours makes the people inside become comradely and friendly with each other, especially Ecuadorians. They joked and laughed at each other all the time.

My mother began talking with a fellow passenger and he told us why the bus was late. The original driver had been caught driving without a license. The passengers had spent most of their time trying to get him out of jail, and finding another driver.

The roads are very narrow, and at times when you meet another vehicle, you had to back up until a wide enough section of road could be found to pass in. Once when passing another bus, our bus was on the outside edge. I was sitting by the window, and when I looked out, I realized that the outside tires of the double wheel were actually hanging off the edge of the cliff.

Another time, when the rains had washed out a section of the road, we had to drive over what looked like a little river full of large round boulders. We got to just about the middle when the bus started to float. We almost got washed right off the cliff edge, but managed to get to the other side. After that, I always got OFF the bus and crossed the washout by walking through them. I also got off when buses were passing on narrow sections of road.

I almost got sick from the swaying bus and smell of the people, so I went up front behind the driver. It was too hard to stand, so I crouched in the aisle.

The conductor, seeing my uncomfortable position, offered his seat. It wasn't much better. The seat faced the driver who kept leering at me. The scenery was beautiful, but I was too uncomfortable to pay much attention. The driver had a peculiar way of smiling at me, shifting gears, beeping the horn, and making a 90* turn, all at the same time. It was during one of these feats that we met a jeep head on. It hadn't responded to the customary 'beep beep" that announced our approach. Fortunately, the road was wide enough at this point, and we swooped by.

The custom of honking a warning as you approach a curve is an important feature of safe driving on those roads. I road a bus once where the horn had conked out, and believe me, it was scary! We had to inch around corners, and everyone made as much noise as possible.

Every once in a while, the conductor who was up on top with the baggage, would bang on the bus roof as a sign to let someone off. We would screech to a halt, then leave them in the dust, seemingly in the middle of no where.

A couple of bouncing, dusty hours later, we came to a relatively big town. My mother had secured a seat by a window, so I went back and sat by her.

While sitting there, we began talking to a Peace Corp volunteer. He was on his way to a remote mountain village. We shared our banana bread with him. It was the first American food he had eaten for months. He got off at Ambato with twelve hours of bus travel ahead.

In Ambato, we had a half hour rest stop and we changed drivers. Although it was dirty, and smelly, the town of Ambato did have a really unique feature. Public bathrooms. I might mention, that this is the only town where there were bathrooms that we could use. During that long ride, if you had to go and you were a man, it was no problem. Many of the native women would just get off the bus and go behind a bush some where. But I learned heroic bladder control!

The public toilets in Ambato often saved my life, but the were filthy! There were no doors on the facilities anywhere, not even on the stalls. The floors, walls, and seats were always covered with grime. The windows were not screened, glassed in, or anything, and people could (and did) look in at you whenever they wanted. A man sat in front and sold grungy toilet paper by the square.

The cobblestone road is better from Ambato on, and fewer people were in the bus. The man sitting in front of us had a chicken under his seat. It laid an egg on the way, and the egg rolled down the aisle. My father picked it up to return it to the owner, but his thumb went right through it, and the owner told him to throw it out the window.

The people on the bus laughed about the chicken laying the egg for hours. Each time we stopped, they hollered out the window, telling everyone in sight about the chicken, and holding it up so everyone could see her for themselves.

There was a family of Quichua Indians crammed into the back, one long bench with about four too many people on it. They were coming home from a wedding, and they were drunk, and happy, and they laughed til they cried, almost rolling on the floor laughing about the chicken and the egg. Pretty soon we were laughing at them too.

Some hours later at Latacunga, the paved section of the Pan American Highway began. Without bumps and hairpin curves the trip became extremely monotonous and most everyone went to sleep. While it was often boring, I spent many hours in pleasant day dreaming on that section of road. This was the part of the highway that went high into the mountains, and over the passes. The hairpin curves and the cliff edges were gone, but the scenery was awesome. It was a tundra like area, too high up for trees, so it was all grasslands, cool, and often either misting, or foggy and eerie.

No one lived up there except for a very few, very poor Indians who lived in sod and grass huts. Many times the fog we passed through was actually a cloud resting on the top of the mountain. Snow capped mountains ringed the area. And if you weren't acclimated to the altitude, you could certainly feel the effects of it here.

Finally, after eight hours of travel, we came down out of the mountain passes, and rolled into the Ecuadorian capital. The quaintly picturesque city of springtime, Quito, where on a clear day you can see eight snow capped mountains.

~remembrances of Shirley Gibson
from an essay written in 1968

Dangerous Roads

2007-02-11T10:41:00.002-06:00

Someone emailed me a series of pictures of the "world's most dangerous road" and it reminded me so much of riding the bus in Ecuador, that I thought I would share them here. Most of the pictures in the slide show were taken in Bolivia, but some are from Ecuador.

We would get up at 4 or 5 am and be down at the bus station in Quito before dawn. The long ride would end sometime in the early evening hours in Shellmera where we would often spend the night before flying into the jungle via the small MAF plane.

Sometimes the ride was really scary, sometimes it was just boring and long. Always there was the amazingly beautiful scenery.

Waiting for the Bus

2007-02-11T10:41:00.001-06:00

Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace

at all times in all ways.
~2 Thes 3:16

Shirley Gibson waiting for the bus to arrive.
Ecuador SA, 1957
Photo by Bill Gibson

Waiting for the bus that would take me to boarding school. In retrospect, I think we all realize that 5 years old is too young to be away from home and on your own. But at the time, there was this idea that boarding school would be fun and educational, a nurturing supportive environment full of resources and friends. And I think for some of the children it may have served that purpose. My own experience there was quite different. It did, however, give me an inner resilience and strength that I may not have acquired had I not had that experience. So, now, all these years later, I am grateful for it. I still have that old teddy bear!

Something to hang on to: A talk by Bill Gibson

2007-02-11T10:04:00.000-06:00

Have you ever been in a bus full of people and you didn't have a seat and there was nothing to hang on to? It is difficult when we all of a sudden find ourselves in a speeding bus with nothing to hang on to.

People come to the time when it seems the days are speeding by and it's a rocky road and there is nothing to hang on to to hold us secure.

Perhaps you feel you have lost control with nothing to hang on to? People say to us, "Hang in there old buddy," and there isn't anything we know to hang on to.

There is, thank the Lord, something to hang on to. The Lord gives us his solemn promise ant that is what helps the believer, the Christian, to stand solid when all around us there is everything happening.

The promise is a good one. I have a friend who has blood cancer and he tells me he is hanging on to this promise and is confident that he will not fall.

The promise is in Proverbs 3:5 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight."

Beloved, the Lord is worthy of our trust. He never fails and He will never fail you. It's so easy to trust in our own strength, our own will, and our own thoughts. But God says not to trust anybody, not even yourself because friends will fail, and you will fail, but the Lord never fails.

Does it seem that nobody cares and you are seemingly tossed about like a feather on the waves of the sea?

The message we have for you is that there is hope. There is help. There is something to hang on to that will never ever fail you.

Why not this Sunday morning put your trust in Jesus and let Him take over and hold you tight? He wants to do just that.

Confess to Him that you are a failure, a sinner
Believe that Jesus is your Savior and trust Him.
Then thank him for the gift of salvation.
Thank him for the gift of security.
Thank him for the gift of hope.

Bill Gibson 06/03/01
Mountain Villa Health Center
El Paso, Texas

Chief and Sons

2007-02-07T11:02:00.000-06:00

I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.
~Isaiah 41:10

Chief Chiriapa and his two sons.
Macuma Ecuador, 1953 Photo by Bill Gibson

The original photo is less than 1 inch square, dog eared and well worn as you can see, but I just love it.

The traditional dress of shuar man was a skirt or kilt made of hand woven fiber. Surprisingly, the men did all the spinning, dyeing and weaving of the cloth which was made from home-grown cotton.

The man in this picture is also wearing a headdress made from toucan feathers, and a necklace that he most likely made himself.

The Chief is on left, his two proud sons are on the right.

Bill's Talk on Brotherly Love

2007-02-04T00:31:00.000-06:00

"Let brotherly love continue."
~Hebrews 13:1

One of the key words
in the life of the believer is the word "let".
"Let the peace of God rule in your hearts," Col 3:15
"Let this mind be in you," Phil. 2:5

In chapter thirteen of Hebrews we have the secret.

The secret of the believer's life.
The secret of the believer's life of service.
The secret of the believer's life of joy.

The word "let" speaks to me of: to loosen, turn on, not hinder. It's what happens when we turn on the faucet and the water runs free. We let the water run. It does it by itself. It comes from an unseen supply. We don't have to force it out, blow it out, push it out, or draw it out. It just flows.

The problem lies in the fact that there are hindrances. A kink in the hose, for example. These must be straightened first to let the water flow. So it is in the life of the believer. It's not the blowing, pushing, drawing, and trying, but in the letting the love for the brethren that is in us flow. Six kinks are mentioned.

Forgetting to be hospitable.
Forgetting to care and share in suffering.
Forgetting to not be critical or judgmental
Forgetting to be content with what we have.
Forgetting to trust.
Forgetting to obey those who led us to the Lord.

"Now may the God of peace... equip you with every good thing to do his will, performing in us through Jesus Christ that which is well pleasing in His sight to whom be the glory forever and ever amen."

~Heb 13: 20,21

It is my sincere desire
that this will be a blessing and a joy to you.
Bill Gibson, February 1983
El Paso, Texas

On a lighter note...

2007-02-02T11:59:00.000-06:00

This should bring a smile into your day!

Gospel Missionaries

2007-01-31T18:30:00.000-06:00

Each one helps the other, saying to one another, 'Take Courage!'
~Isaiah 41:6

The Gibsons, the Drowns, and a visiting family friend.

Macuma, Ecuador 1957

I love this old photo. The original is quite small only about an inch square, and it is a little blurry—but it has this wonderful nostalgic quality that melts my heart.

What you can almost see on my shoulder, is my pet monkey, Chit Chat. I spent a lot of my time pretending to be Dale Evans, and so the dog’s name, of course, was Bullet.

The other family in the photo is Marie Drown, with 2 of her children, Timmy (he has a parakeet on his shoulder), and Lolly, and a family friend whose name I have forgotten. Frank and Marie Drown wrote a book called “Mission to the Headhunters”. It is still available for sale, and a link to it can be found on the side bar of this page.

Bill and Gladis Today

2007-01-29T09:39:00.003-06:00

Bill and Gladis are still actively sharing the Gospel Message of love and hope.

Bill is an Elder-Preacher at Grace Chapel in El Paso, TX. He leads and teaches at a weekly Bible Class in a mobile home park. He also leads a hymn sing at a Retirement Community weekly,and is the leader of the Jesus Team who does programs of music and message to different groups. Every morning he prays for many folks.

Gladis identifies her self as a "helper", this she does by letter, phone, and the Baptist clinic. To serve there, she has kept her RN license current so she can do the cancer screening for the Spanish speaking women who prefer a female to do their private tests. To each she gives her own special gift of love and comfort, and an religious tract provided by a friend.

Together, they act as a source of compassionate love and support to many folks in El Paso and beyond. Here you see a picture taken at the Tuesday Bible Class, Dec 2006.

UPDATE: On August 13, 2009, Bill went to be with the Lord. (You can read about it here and again here.) Gladis continues the ministry. She particularly enjoys her work with the Jesus Team at The Village Oaks, as well as the weekly Bible study, letters of encouragement to her many friends and supporters, and her work at the cancer clinic.

Bill's Message on Calm

2007-01-28T00:49:00.000-06:00

Perhaps one of the words we hear little about is the word "calm". We are living in a world that knows nothing about being calm or even what calmness is.

As I was reading in the Chronological Bible NIV, I came across a verse that stuck to me. Ecc. 10:4 in the NIV (New International Version) the word "calm" is used. In the NAS (New American Standard Bible), the word "composure" is used.

"If the anger of the ruler rises against you,
do not leave your place,
for calmness will lay great offenses to rest."

~Ecc 10:4

The dictionary says that calm means: not excited and not agitated. In our modern language today it would be "cool". Don't lose your cool.

Now in the new testament and the Psalms, the word calm is used to describe the sea after a storm. Jesus calmed the sea. The matter of being calm is not NOT listening or acknowledging. Sleeping is not calmness. Dead people are not calm. Calmness here has to do with what is in your spirit when everything seems to be out of control. When facing a storm, or a stormy person. DON'T LOSE YOUR COMPOSURE.

Last week our friend and Bible teacher lost it at the business meeting. He got mad and angry and stormed out saying he was finished. It is easy for us to lose our cool. The world in which we live pushes us to react violently. But the WORD says "... calmness can lay great errors to rest." "... composure allays great offences."

When some one or something opposes you, don't push the panic button. Be quiet, still, and sweet even though on the inside the bats or butterflies are beating their wings. The one thing that destroys churches.. destroys friendship.. destroys marriages is the lack of composure.

In 1st Peter, Peter tells wives to have a quiet gentle spirit. Also he says the same for men. Only God can give us calmness in the midst of trouble. We need to trust Him for that.

Anger is not the answer. Jesus never lost His cool. Look with me to 1st Peter 2:21-24. Over and over Peter tells us to follow in Christ's footsteps, to see His example. After every exhortation, he points to the example of Christ.

Am I prone to anxiety.. panic, fear, worry when things seem to come out of the blue?

YES!

One more word. Calmness is not just sitting down resting, trusting, sleeping, deadness to all around us. Calmness is not stagnation.

In life, there is a need to be stirred up, excited, and moved. If we are in a state of perpetual calm, we will never go any place. Calmness, composure is what we need when we are attacked, or when we are confronted by a storm.

Calmness is not a state of being numb either. We see in Haggi 1:14 "For the Lord stirred up the Spirit of Zarbable." God wants us to be enthusiastic and moving forward with our lives.

We are to be calm in the storm..
We are to be stirred in the calm.

May the Lord help us to recognize a storm and may we look to him for composure and calm when it comes.

It is my wish that this little talk be a blessing to you.

Bill Gibson

GMU 07/25/00

Chit Chat

2007-01-23T20:55:00.000-06:00

The love of God is creative to infinity.

–St. Vincent de Paul

Small ecuadorian monkey named Chit Chat,

owned and loved by the Gibson Family. Ecuador SA 1957

Photo by Bill Gibson

This little monkey was traded for medicine. I think he might be a pygmy marmoset, but I am not at all sure. In the photo, he is sitting on someone’s shoulder, eating a grasshopper. And as you can see, he was very small. We all loved this little guy. He was very sweet and dear. He lived on the back porch, and slept in a doll house my dad had made for me.

He rode on my shoulders almost everywhere I went, loved bananas, insects, and fruit. He was quite a little acrobat and enjoyed showing off for anyone willing to stop and watch.

Mercy - A talk by Bill Gibson

2007-01-20T08:57:00.000-06:00

What is mercy?
Mercy is the kind and compassionate treatment of an offender, enemy, prisoner, or anyone under one's power... clemency.

Have you ever had a boss or a teacher or someone who was over you that was kind and compassionate even when you didn't do it right? Isn't that the one you remembered and liked? I suppose our parents were like that. Back in our early days, fathers were better than many are today. They had mercy.

Did you ever way back in your youth do something really stupid, something that you were told not to do but you did it anyway?

I remember my dad changing the tires of the first car we had. It was, in those days, not easy to take the tire off of the rim. You had a split rim, and if you didn't let the air out of the tire first, it would blow out.

My dad gave me the tool and said, "Be sure you let the air out first." But I forgot that, and when I split the rim, WHAM! the tire blew out. It ruined the tire, and the rim, but didn't hurt me. Then I remembered what my dad had said. (Let the air out first)

It was costly, but my dad didn't get mad. He didn't read me the riot act. He showed mercy. I had disobeyed him and it was a costly disobedience but he showed me mercy and I felt bad about it for a long time - but I loved my dad a lot more.

The bible speaks so often about the quality of mercy.. God's mercy.

If you look in your bible, and turn to Psalm 89, you will see that David had sinned and committed murder. He was punished, but God forgave him and had mercy on him and so David opens this Psalm with a song. When we receive mercy it will always bring with it a song.

"I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever"
~Psalm 89:1

God's mercy is forever:

It will not change
It hasn't changed
It will not wear out

And in verse two we see that God's "mercy shall be built up forever." If God has been merciful to us once, He will continue to be merciful. He will be faithful in mercy.

For the believer, those who have trusted in Him, whose names are written in His book. He is merciful to you even when you fall and fail. Remember this: God is not mad at you. He loves you, He likes you, and He will show mercy on you.

Now look at Psalm 89:14. God is just, and judgement is his habitation. He must judge the sinner. You cannot escape His righteous judgement except by only one way. That is by believing that Jesus died in your place and took the judgement that was meant for you, and paid the price. Then you become a child of God and forgiven. "Then mercy and truth shall go before you."

Because God is a merciful God, we can have fellowship with Him, and walk with Him no matter where.

"Blessed is the people that know that joyful sound."
~Psalm 89:15

Thank you,
it is my wish that this will be a blessing to you,
Bill Gibson, El Paso Texas 2002

Letter from Gladis - Ecuador, 1957

2007-01-17T12:57:00.001-06:00

I found this letter yesterday, and I thought I would share it with you as I found it interesting and inspiring as well; a little peek into the day to day life of a missionary nurse 50 years ago.

Macuma, Ecuador
Sept 27, 1957

Dear Friends,

Your letter was so very, very welcome. The first from your part of the country since we have been here. It seems that I have already answered since I started a tape to you folks and answered some of your questions. We started a tape once before but it was such a jumbled conglomeration that we thought it best to make another. So in a week or so you should be hearing us. And that will mean in the near future we can expect to hear the voices of some of you. At least if we could have a recording of the service, say on Sunday Morning with Brother Claude preaching. My we miss hearing the Word in our language but all the more reason to master this tongue, the Jivaro language.

Bill is away at present, has been gone for over a week. He and the other missionaries went to an Indian Conference in another part of the jungle. Those tennis shoes that you folks got for him are being put to good use. He is walking back - a three day hike. He should arrive tomorrow and he will tell you all about the trek on the tape.

The day after everyone left, I delivered my first baby, and the first baby in the little bamboo clinic. And since we are talking about "firsts", the first baby for a little girl wife. She is about fifteen. I felt as if some one was praying for me because the Lord gave wisdom and it was a normal birth. Was I scared? Well, if I had stopped to think, I would have been but I felt the presence of the Lord and knew that all would be well. That was the first time that any Indian woman had asked for help during childbirth. So it was a real victory. Praise Him.

Shirley is very happy. She has six rolly polly puppies to play with. I am sorry to say that they are the source of about two dozen chigger bites that she has tonight but she will get over them. We just have to get used to bites. She is having Kindergarten every morning when I can possibly have it. One day she drew a man with his arm sticking out. She explained that he must be a missionary since he was shaking hands with some one. She carries a puppy to church like all the Indians. Yesterday, she said she wanted to grow up to be a Jivaro woman.

It is hard to say what effect the martyred missionaries had on the work here. To me there seems to be a much better spirit among the Christians and so many more have taken Christ as Savior. On the other hand two of the seemingly most stable believers are now walking far from the Lord. Just today Mrs. Youdarian was here for a few hours before going to an out station. She is radiant and you marvel to see how the Lord has brought her through. She is endeavoring to learn the Jivaro language. Her mother visited her for about two months and it was a great blessing to them both.

The tape recorder has been a real help already. We use it in language study and will do more with it when Bill gets back. It is so important to get the language from the Indians. They are amazed at what the recorder will do. We want to record them talking for you. It has worked just fine. Bill had to build a dry cupboard to put it in. that is a box with a light bulb so it will be kept dry, there is lots of moisture in the air. We have been so grateful for it and think of you folks every time we use it.

Until your letter we hadn't known about the gifts you were sending. We praise the Lord for His supplying our every need. We pray that He will richly bless you as you give so that these here may be reached. We have just taken on the financial responsibility of the clinic. the Indians pay some for the medicine but they cannot pay the cost. Would you folks object for the money to go toward medicine? Or for helping pay for the trips of the little airplane to bring in supplies? Just be frank with us, we feel it is better to have everything out in the open between God's people.

There are a few things that would be so helpful. For instance: rubber bands, paper clips, scotch tape, string, shipping labels. We have to mark everything. Just plain needles and Singer needles that will sew size 30 thread. Imagine my forgetting that. How can I ever use the thread that you all gave? I have already done some canning with the lids.

Well, I see I am getting long winded, so I'll sign off for now. We will be looking for another letter. Greetings to all the friends and tell them that we praise the Lord for every one.

Love to all,

Gladis

Curious Faces

2007-01-16T19:13:00.000-06:00

By the Grace of God I am what I am,

and his grace toward me has not been in vain.

1 Cor. 15:1

Shuar children.Ecuador SA, 1958

Photo by Bill Gibson

The children loved to have their pictures taken, and they loved Bill Gibson. He was gentle, and funny, always loving and kind with them. They loved the attention he gave them, and crowded eagerly around whenever he brought out his camera.

No Place to Run

2007-01-13T13:30:00.000-06:00

We tend to try to run from the things that we are afraid of, hide from the ones who know all about us. But there is someone who knows all about you and where you are hiding.

There is an account of a very interesting event in the lives of the disciples in John 6: 17-21

The disciples had been with Jesus as He fed the multitude with five loaves and three fishes. It had been a wonderful time. Now it was night. The disciples wanted to return to the village across the sea of Galilee, but Jesus did not go with them. They got into a boat and rowed three or four miles out and a storm came up.

It was dark. It was dangerous, and it was scary. Then they saw somebody walking on the water. They wanted to run but there was no place to run and no place to hide. Then Jesus spoke to them and said. "It is I; be not afraid". and they welcomed Him into the boat. And they didn't have to row anymore. They arrived on land at the place they wanted to go.

There isn't a lot of water here. But perhaps you are rowing in the dark. Rowing really hard but not getting anywhere. No purpose. Hoping to arrive in heaven - a safe haven.

Now it's late and the night and the storm of life has you frightened. Note this: Jesus knows where you are and what you are suffering through.

Jesus will come to you in the time when you need him most. It will be scary perhaps, but Jesus wants to come into your life and when he does the storm will be over, the rowing will be over. There will be peace and purpose.

On the ocean of life you cannot hide from God. You cannot run from God.

You can let Him into your life and have peace, or you can refuse to believe Him and work, worry, and tremble until you perish in the dark waters.

The disciples let Jesus come in with them. They believed what He said.. "It is I" and then they arrived home again.

Haven't you been trying, working, and getting no place. Let Jesus come in and you will be home and happy and at peace with God forever.

You won't get there rowing, working, and worrying. You will only get there by believing and trusting. Just confess that you are a sinner lost, and ask Him to become your savior. Believing that He is who He said He was and that He will do what He says He will do. and that is all.

Do it now.

Bill Gibson
Mountain Villa Health Center
El Paso Texas, 6/04/00

Bill Gibson

2007-01-09T07:54:00.000-06:00

I saw the Lord always before me, therefore my heart was glad.
Acts 2:25-26

Bill Gibson, Christian missionary.
Ecuador SA, 1957

There aren’t very many photos of Bill, since he was the photographer. This is a photo taken as he was leaving on a long trek to visit some natives that had never before been contacted by the “white man”. Bill talks about his visit to Wari Entza in this missionary story.

Bill was not a hunter, the gun was a necessary precaution, not just because of snakes, wild pigs, jaguars, and other wildlife, but also because a few years previous, several missionaries had been killed by the Huaroni, a tribe living deep in the jungle. So, Bill had no idea of what to expect.

I suspect that one of the reasons this picture was taken was in case he never came back.

Missionary Story - On the way home

2007-01-06T18:49:00.000-06:00

It had been a long trip. John Stuck, myself, and three of our shuar friends from Sucua had spent several days at Wari Entza (fast river) a place where missionaries had never been. It was high in the mountains and virgin jungle of southern Ecuador.

The chief there had asked us to come. He wanted a school for the children, medicine, and a place where an airstrip could be made so that the missionaries could come.

Now this was rugged mountain country, jungle covered, and John and I, along with the chief had looked around until we could find a place level enough to be cleared and an airstrip built. Our visit had ended, and it was time to return. We were a long way from home. It had been a grueling three day walk up the mountains, through the dense virgin rain forest, and now we had to make that three day walk back to the place where the missionary plane could come and pick us up.

We were so glad that the trip had been such a blessing, but we were tired too. The first day, on the way back, about 4 in the afternoon, we came to a house right in the middle of the trail. There were no doors on the house, and the trail went right up to the one door, and out the other door. This made for an excellent place to spend the night. There were palm trees, bananas, and plantain, and our shuar friends made themselves at home.

Now, I knew that someone must have built this place for themselves. We were really in somebody's house. What if they came back and found us all here eating their food and burning their firewood? It worried me a little bit.

But the natives with us were not bothered by such things. They just took over. Peasa, the one who had invited us to Wari Entza went hunting and killed a monkey so we could have some meat.

It was as if the Lord wanted us to have a good place to sleep that night. Peasa roasted the monkey over the fire all night. It was a night to remember. We sang hymns, choruses like:

"It's true, it's true that Jesus died for me."
"Necas necas, jaruktram gamiaji"

Necas means "it's true". Jaruktram gamiaji means "he died for me". In the word jaruktram gamiaji - ja is the word for "death".

There is nothing like a song to restore our souls. The Lord not only prepares a table before us even in the presence of the enemy. But He restores us to joy and the peace of being His children. As we sang those chorus's together, John and I, and the shuar that were with us that night in that house that wasn't ours, eating food that wasn't ours, God restored our souls.

We forgot about the cold nights, and the long hard days on the trail. We forgot about the bugs, the snakes, the rain, and the mud. We remembered what Jesus had done for us, and who He was.

There were long and hard days ahead. The evil one was not pleased that the Lord had fed us and restored us.

In your lives, there will be long hard days too. But if you keep looking to Jesus, and thinking about Him, the hard days will soon be over, and God will lift you up in His arms and hug you, and love you. The whole world is a jungle, and there He will prepare for you food, and rest, and blessed restoration.

Thank you very much,
Bill Gibson, 11/03/02

Ecuador

2007-01-06T18:01:00.000-06:00

Ecuador is the Switzerland of South America. There are snow capped mountains and volcanoes.

The capitol city, Quito, is located on the Equator and is at an altitude of 10 thousand feet above sea level. It is located at the foot of Mount Pichincha, which recently erupted.

Ecuador is divided into three distinctly different area. The Sierra (mountainous areas) with fields of grain and herds of sheep. There is the coast with it's huge banana plantations, rivers, and farms. And on the other side of the Andes Mountains is the Oriente (eastern) part. This is the rain forest and the head waters of the great Amazon.

There are many tribes of native peoples:

The Cofasin of the lower coastal area
The Colorado who love red and paint their hair red
The Quichua of the high sierra. It is among these people that the Lord did a work of grace and thousands of them became christians and found the freedom that is in Christ
In the Oriente there are the Shuar, the Huaorani, the Quechua, Achuara, and others.

Gladis and I went to Ecuador in the summer of 1950. we were there for over 16 years and then spent 2 years in Colombia.

We labored in the rain forest, or jungle area, with the Shuar. Many people from the embassy asked us why we went to the natives to preach hell fire to them. They were happy in their environment. And so it would seem. But once you live among them, you find that they aren't so happy as it might appear on a sunny day.

They were bound by fear. In fact they had three basic fears:

Demonic powers and witchcraft
Disease and sickness
Death

They had a name for the devil, but no name for God. They already knew about hell, but they didn't know about Jesus who could and would free them from the fear of death.

We established a school for the children, medical help for the sick, and hope for the future. All of a sudden they had a song to sing, peace in their hearts, and help for their illnesses.

They are a very intelligent people. They knew the ways of the jungle, and now they have the Bible in their own language. Women have value, and families are blessed with more children.

Notes from a talk
given by Bill Gibson to the Sertoma Club
El Paso Texas, date unknown

The Flat Tortilla

2007-01-04T10:52:00.002-06:00

Those of you who have known Bill and Gladis for many years may remember that lively little newsletter "The Flat Tortilla". It was published in the 1980's through the early 1990's. I don't have all the issues, but I have several, and I thought it would be fun to post quotes, jokes, and the little tidbits of interesting information found in them.

Eventually, I plan to have those little newsletters available for download, maybe in a pdf format. Until then, you can read everything that's been posted so far by following this link: The Flat Tortilla.

Visiting Nurse

2007-01-03T10:20:00.000-06:00

I do trust in the steadfast love of God
to time indefinite, even forever.
~Psalm 52:8

Gladis Gibson, missionary nurse.

Cumai, Ecuador SA, 1954, photo by Bill Gibson

The soft focus of this image really brings home the soft quality of Gladis Gibson’s heart and her healing work.

In order to make a home visit, everything that might possibly be needed was packed into a big basket that had originally been intended as a bassinet. The trick was to pack the basket as light as possible, because it had to be carried, and at the same time put as much into it as you possibly could because you never knew what exactly would be needed.

All the visits were made on foot, as there were no roads and no cars. I’m not entirely sure why horses weren’t used more often. It could be that they weren’t practical, because of the density of the rainforest and the depth of the mud.

Bill's Message on Uncertainty and Fear

2006-12-31T07:25:00.000-06:00

Is it possible for us to live contentedly amidst the changes that are ocurring so rapidly as we enter 2007*. The threat of war, depression and every on predicting disaster seems to be the order of the day. What is there that will help us to face the uncertainties and the fears that fill our hearts?

I believe that it would be good for us to take a look at some of the things that never change and that have never moved. The polestar that the sailors looked to for guidance has not moved. It is still in the same place and still guides the ships. Here are a few other things that have never changed and never will change.

God's Word never changes. "Heaven and earth may pass away, but my words will never pass away." Matt 24:25. This is the Word that was once delivered. God never has to come up with a new edition, His Word will see us through anything that may come to pass.

"Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever." Hebrews 13:8. He has been the help of multitudes in times of greatest distress when they faced death and suffering for His Name. He was there with them each step of the way.

The Gospel has never changed. We come to know the Lord the same way as did those who walked the paths of Palestine with Jesus. Repentance and confession of sin and failure will still bring forgiveness and blessing.

There is a need for us to under stand that God is in control. God is still God and there is nothing that will ever surprise Him. No matter what may happen in 2007*, we who know Him need never fear.

The clouds hang heavy around my way

I cannot see.

But through the darkness I blieve

God leadeth me.

'Tis bliss to keep my hand in His

While all id dim,

To close my weary aching eyes

And follow him.

(From "My Heart is Tied"

by Florence Shillingsberg.)

Faith follows God in the dark.

And as I sit and write these words, the threat of war hangs heavy over our land and I am concerned for those who will be involved. We are praying daily for them that the Lord will protect and help them to be effective soldiers. So let us pray for them and for the families they represent.

For those with loved ones there, I would like to share a few things that were of special blessing to me when I was in the same situation.

Psalm 91. My mother sent me this Psalm just when it was most needed.
A little verse was also sent:

No bomb or shell may on me burst
except the Lord permit it first.
No bomb above or shell below
need cause my heart one pang of woe.
The Lord of Hosts encircles me
He is my Lord on land or sea.

Thank you very much
Bill Gibson, January 1991

*Note from Shirley: I changed the date from 1991 to 2007.

Psalm 91

2006-12-31T07:21:00.000-06:00

Here is Psalm 91:

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say of the Lord. He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.

Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.

He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust; his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;

Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that waiteth at noonday.

A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.

Only with thine eyes shall thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.

Because thou hast made the Lord which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;

There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come by night to thy dwelling.

For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder; the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.

Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.

He shall call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble: I will deliver him, and honor him.

With long life will I satisfy him, and show him my salvation.

About Bill and Gladis

2006-12-28T08:54:00.000-06:00

In 1949, Bill and Gladis Gibson left family and friends behind and began their lives together as missionaries to the Jivaro (Shuar) Indians in Ecuador South America.

This took an incredible amount of courage and faith because at that time, the Shuar were fierce indigenous people living in the Amazon rainforest, actively engaging in feuds, vendettas, witchcraft, and violence. They were called Headhunters because the most common way to deal with enemies was to kill them, cut their heads off, shrink them, and display the shrunken heads as trophies.

There are a couple of movies currently out on DVD that dramatize the murder of several christian missionaries by the Huaroni, a nearby tribe. If you haven't seen the movies: End of the Spear or Beyond the Gates of Splendor they are both worth watching.

Gladis Gibson, was born and raised in Oklahoma. She picked cotton in the cotton fields as a little girl. When she graduated from high school, she went to nursing school in Canada, and Bible College in Kansas City. She had no plans to get married or raise a family.

Bill Gibson grew up in Michigan. He was a soldier in World War 2, and after the war, he enrolled in Bible College in Kansas City. There, he met Gladis. They fell in love while sharing a waffle at a nearby diner.

Bill is a self taught photographer. The majority of these photos were developed by hand, in a darkroom that he built. The chemicals and photo paper he used had to be flown in, presumably from Quito, the capitol city of Ecuador, and possibly from the US.

They had three children, Shirley, Grace, and Billy. Billy went to be with Jesus soon after he was born. Many personal sacrifices were made as these two brave and loving people dedicated their lives to following God’s will.

Today, Bill and Gladis are retired and living in Texas.

Map of Ecuador

2006-12-27T14:09:00.001-06:00

Republic of Ecuador

Straddling the equator, this small nation is richly endowed with snowy Andean peaks towering over emerald-green slopes, rivers winding through tropical jungles, and beyond all this, in the Pacific, lie the Galapagos Islands.

Waiting for the clinic

2006-12-27T11:07:00.000-06:00

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13

Shuar family waiting for the clinic to open.
Ecuador SA, 1953
photo by Bill Gibson

In the jungle, distance was measured by how many days it took to walk. For many families, the walk to the clinic took several days, and they arrived worn out and weary.

Mothers used a cloth sling to carry children who were too young to walk. It was either positioned with the child on her back or hip, whatever was most convenient and most comfortable at the time.

Today's Gospel Message

2006-12-24T11:37:00.001-06:00

Some thoughts on Hope

Chapter 13 of 1 Corinthians closes with these words.." and now these remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." We hear much abut faith and much about love but hope seems to be the neglected triplet.

Dr. Armand Mayo Nicoli of Harvard Medical School writes: "The word hope is used and heard little in our culture. Perhaps hope conflicts with our concept of a scientific world." Many books exist about faith and love but very few on hope. Hope is essential to sanity and a balanced outlook on life. We all need to hope, as hope will sustain us in perilous times.

Hope looks forward to something good. Faith looks to the person who has promised and hope to the thing promised. Faith is the root, hope is the fruit. Faith looks to who and hope to what. Real hope for the future is grounded in the promise of God and guaranteed in the resurrection of Christ Jesus. Hope needs to be based on reality. It is not a mere wish or strong desire.

In a world filled with fear for the future, do you have a hope? Where is your hope and on what is it based? It seems we need to examine to see if our hope is real hope or a mere dream. The hymn writer wrote these words in his song, "The Solid Rock" :

"My hope is built on nothing less,
than Jesus blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
but wholly lean on Jesus name."

Put your trust in God. His promise never fails.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace
as you trust in him,
so that you may overflow with hope
by the power of the Holy Spirit.
~Romans 15:13

Thank you very, very much.
Bill Gibson
Texas, October 1990

About the Shuar

2006-12-24T11:13:00.000-06:00

“I was born to die fighting.”
Shuar saying

Although there have been many headhunting cultures throughout the world, only one group is known for practice of shrinking human heads (tsantsa). This same tribe is the only tribe of American Natives to have successfully revolted against the Spanish Empire. They withstood armies of gold-seeking Incas, defied the early conquistadores, and thwarted all subsequent attempts by the Spaniards to conquer them. They are the Shuar.

There are four Shuar tribes known to inhabit the tropical forest of the Ecuadorian and Peruvian Amazon. The Achuara, Aguaruna, Huambisa, and the Shuar. In the past, these four tribes were commonly referred to as the Jivaro (pronounced hee’-va-ro).

The Shuar are a proud people, and are known to be an intensely warlike group, tremendously protective of their freedom and unwilling to subordinate themselves to other authorities. They have a reputation for fierceness, and savageness directed toward their enemies.

Early Spanish chronicles relate that in the year 1599, the Shuar banded together and killed 25,000 white people in raids on two settlements. In particular, the massacre of the Logrono stands out as particularly ruthless. The attack was instigated over the natives being taxed in their gold-trade.

After uncovering the unscrupulous practices of the visiting governor, molten gold was later poured down his throat until his bowels burst. Following his execution, the remaining Spaniards were killed along with the older women and children. The younger useful women were taken as prisoners to join the clan. The settlement itself was raided and burned to the ground.

From this point onward, the "Jivaro Indians" remained unconquered in their forest fastness east of the Andes, despite the fact that they inhabited one of the richest regions in South America for gold deposits. Their fierce fighting reputation and head-shrinking practice continued to discourage outsiders from entering their territories.

Tales of their fierceness became part of the folklore of Latin America, and their warlike reputation spread in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries when Jivaro “shrunken head” trophies found their way into the market places of the Western world.

In the first decades of this century, the Shuar also became known not as just a warlike group, but as an individualistic people intensely jealous of their freedom and unwilling to be subservient to authority even among themselves. In later years, the violence has subsided as they work to preserve their culture and their freedom

This informational page is a composite of two articles on the Jivaro (Shuar):

National Geographic Magazine, October 1921

“Indian Headhunters of the Interior”

by H.E. Anthony

The Jivaro:People of the Sacred Waterfalls by Michael Harner

Shaman

2006-12-20T08:34:00.000-06:00

The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid.
Hebrews 13:6

Shuar (Jivaro) witchdoctor

transformed from enemy to friend through prayer.

Ecuador SA, 1953

photo by Bill Gibson

The shaman, or witchdoctor was greatly respected, feared and obeyed. Acting as the main leaders and focus of local conflicts, shamans were believed to both cure and kill through magical means.

It was very dangerous to have a shaman for an enemy, especially in the early days when heads were still being taken, and killing raids were not uncommon. Even as late as1980, group conflicts between local shamans still erupted into full scale feuds with loss of life.

Today's Gospel Message

2006-12-17T10:12:00.000-06:00

I would like to share with you some thoughts on haste.

“He that believeth shall not make haste.”
Isaiah 28:16

Hurry, hurry is the cry of the moment. Time is money; let’s get it done as fast as we can. We seem to rush from one thing to another so that we have very little time free from the hurry of the hour. There seems to be a real lack of restfulness in our lives. The stress and push take their toll in lives every day. This is also true in churches as numbers of people and meetings fill our week nights. George Morrison used this text years ago in a sermon on “The Leisure of Faith” and he points out that where there is greater haste there is also found lesser faith.

We do not become strong mature Christians overnight. God moves slowly but surely in our lives to accomplish His will in us. It took years for Israel to learn the lessons from God. It takes us a long time to learn from God that which He wants us to learn. God is not hasty in His judgments and in his dealings with us.

The haste of which our text speaks is not the urgency and the push that is laid upon the serious Christian to get the work done. The harvest is ready and the workers are few. Every Christian should sense the urgency and the “now-ness” of the hour in which we live. Yet he will “run with patience the race that is set before him”. UN-hasting, not UN-resting should be our motto.

Our text speaks of the haste that makes waste. Haste without faith produces work without fruit. We Christians find ourselves caught up in the rush and hurry of the day. We find we are more interested in producing results in less time than we are in waiting on God with patience and with faith. This haste is the cause for many of our problems.

Hasty judgments are so easy to make and yet cause much hurt. Why is it so hard to hold back from making a hasty judgment? There seems to be nothing harder than to suspend judgment of another in our daily contact with people.

We live in haste to get enough money saved so we can retire. Many a couple have saved and worked hard for enough for the later years, only to find out at retirement that they have no more strength left. Why not a four day week if we can get the work of five days done in four? Result is poor quality and wasted time.

Hasty decisions have been the cause of failure in many instances. We need always to guard ourselves as Christians in this matter of decision. It’s the little decisions that make the difference, it takes time to know God’s will in making those decisions. God’s promise to us is:

“But they that wait upon the Lord
shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings as eagles;
they shall run, and not be weary;
and they shall walk, and not faint.”

It is our desire that this little message be a blessing to each of you.

Thank you very, very much..
Bill Gibson
Craig Alaska, Fall 1985

Morning Coffee

2006-12-17T10:00:00.000-06:00

Joy comes with the morning.

~Psalms 30:5

Every morning begins with coffee, bible study, and prayer.

Ecuador SA, 1950

If each of us began our days with prayer, how different our lives, and our world would be.

On a lighter note: The way I remember it is that there were 2 brands of coffee available in Ecuador, Nescafe, and Sicafe. I can still remember the little advertising jingle. It ended with a cute little play on words:

Sicafe si es café.

Nescafe no es café.

Literal translation:

Si Café yes is coffee.

Nes Café no is coffee.