It's 7:15, Sunday night.  I was in the middle of watching the football game when it dawned on me that I had not written a blog lately.  Last Sunday, our blog entry got forgotten in the excitement of the arrival of our daughter, Courtney.  Tonight, we are awaiting the arrival of Michael and Shawnee Tallman, who have graciously offered their counseling services to us over this next week, while Courtney is here.  But, this week, we know that we are in desperate need of prayer, so I am not about to let another week pass without a blog entry!

We have been faced with a very difficult situation with our daughter.  She has made a life decision that we don't agree with, and we need help in knowing how to move on as a family.  Thus...Michael and Shawnee's visit.  We don't feel at liberty to share the specifics, but please know that we need your prayers for wisdom, patience and God's guidance this week. 

For the next couple of blog entries, one of our guests has offered to write about our ministry from his viewpoint.  It was a trade-off for me playing a game of Apples to Apples one night instead of writing my blog.  I definitely got the better end of that deal!

I will continue to add our praise updates and prayer requests, but I thought you might enjoy hearing about what we do from someone else besides us!

Guest Blogger….part 1

Merry Christmas and ‘Hola!’ from someone who has recently left our friends at the OMS Guest House in Quito. I, along with a team from our church in north Indianapolis, have just completed a short-term mission trip to Quito and we experienced the extreme blessing of enjoying Kelly & Darryl’s hospitality. While talking with Kelly one evening, I told her she probably needed a break from writing her blog entries and perhaps her readers might like to hear of the ministry from the viewpoint of someone who has benefited from it.

Our team from Harvest Bible Chapel North Indianapolis (www.harvestnorthindy.org) stayed with Kelly and Darryl for a week while we served with Extreme Response International (www.extremeresponse.org) in their Christmas Outreach. This was a return visit for part of our team as many of us have previously been to Quito with ER. Since Extreme Response books rooms at the OMS House every year, we requested for our team to stay with the Chambers.

In order to give them a break from writing their blog posts, we’re sharing some of our thoughts and observations along with the experiences of our trip and our stay with them. Thanks for indulging us - and keep praying for Kelly & Darryl. More to follow…


Guest Blogger….part 2
As you know, Darryl and Kelly organize work teams for OMS. Even though we were in Quito with another ministry, their experience made for a very gracious and welcoming place for us because they anticipated our needs and cared for them. When we arrived, handshakes quickly turned to hugs as old friendships were renewed and new ones were made. They gave us an initial briefing in the living room with a decorated Christmas tree in the corner and we soon felt right at home. We heard about the intricacies of getting the maximum amount of hot water in the showers, where to find snacks and coffee supplies and the joys of fully functioning toilets (which are in short supply in Quito). We all agreed that it was as though the Chambers had opened their home to us – and in fact, they had. This wasn’t just about hospitality however, they were extending God’s kingdom in Quito to visitors from the states.

In the next few posts we want to share with you part of the ministry that is being accomplished in Quito and how the ministry of Kelly and Darryl Chambers at the OMS Guest House greatly facilitates it. If you are supporting or praying for them, it is your ministry, too! Check back soon for an update.


Praise Updates:

• Praise the Lord for Courtney's safe arrival.
• We enjoyed a wonderful Christmas celebration service at our OMS church in South Quito.  We praise the Lord for the wonderful brothers and sisters in Christ at Betel.
• Praise God for good health.  We have been surrounded by several "sicklies" this week.  We thank God for protection against the illnesses that have been being passed around.
• Praise God for a good November support account.  For the first time in several months our support account didn't go down.  What a blessing!

Prayer Updates:

• We have already asked for prayer for us as a family this week, but that is our most pressing request.
• Continue to pray for our support account.
• Pray for my brother Jeremiah and his wife Kate as they prepare to come to Ecuador on the 25th.  It will be great to have more family here with us for the holiday.
• On the 25th, we are going (along with my parents and the Tallmans) to a local park to give out food to families who are needy.  We did it last year, and it was such a blessing that we have decided to make it a yearly event.  Please pray that we will be able to show God's love to each family we feed.  Pray also for opportunities to share the true message of Christmas with all who attend.

We pray that you have a great week and that you experience the Lord's blessings in incredible ways this week!

Serving the King,
Kelly, for the Chambers

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."  John 3:16

This is my favorite Christmas verse.  I never really thought of it as a Christmas verse until a couple of years ago.  However, isn't that the reason we celebrate Christmas--because God sent his Son to the world to take on the punishment that we deserve?  It is our prayer for you that your Christmas season will be centered on God and all that the gift of his son means to you and to the world; that you will focus on relishing the awesomeness of his unearned favor.  Then, you can find yourself joyfully declaring with the apostle Paul, "Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!" (2 Cor.9:15--thoughts taken from devotional by Kay Arthur)

This week we have had a house full of guests.  It has been a wonderful group of people who have been down here hosting Christmas parties for several thousand people from various poor areas around Quito.  We have been extremely blessed as we have listened to their stories each evening.  All of those who attended the parties heard the gospel, and there were several decisions for Christ.  We rejoice with our new brothers and sisters in Christ!

Tomorrow Darryl and I will be traveling with my parents and our field leader and his wife, Tom and Susan Stiles, to Santo Domingo to check out a site for a future medical team.  We will get the chance to work with the Tsachila Indians, which will be a first for us.  We always enjoy getting to work with new people, so we are exited about the trip. 

Praise Reports:

• Praise the Lord for the people who accepted the Lord this week during the EXtreme Response Christmas parties.  
• As always, we give God the praise for the strength to make it through a week with a full guest house!
• Praise God for answered prayer.  A wonderful Christian counselor has volunteered to come down and do some family counseling for us while Courtney is here.

Prayer Requests:

• Please pray for us as we travel tomorrow.  We are going to be on one of the more dangerous roads in Ecuador.
• Pray that things will go smoothly as we attempt to make arrangements for the medical team.
• Pray for our guests as they return to the states on Tuesday morning.
• Please continue to pray for our support account.
• Continue to pray for our children and their walk with the Lord.

Have a great week!

Serving the King,

Kelly, for the Chambers

"...give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men." Psalm 107:8

I LOVE Thanksgiving!  It is one of my favorite holidays.  There is just something about a holiday that is all about giving thanks; not asking for anything...just thanking God.  Darryl and I have so much to be thankful for.  We have experienced God's faithfulness and unfailing love through each ministry opportunity, through each difficult situation and in our every day walk with him.   God is so good, and we thank him for all of his wonderful deeds in our lives this past year.

We finally finished the island in the kitchen.  It was one of those projects that took longer than it should have, but we had a house full of guests last week, so we had to work on it in "spurts".  It is good to have one thing checked off on our to-do list.

We have a busy week this week.  A group of 15 arrives tonight, and we have people coming and going throughout the week.  This means lots of cooking, cleaning and entertaining.  We are impressed, though, that there are people out there who are willing to give up a holiday to come to serve the people of Ecuador.

Thursday, we will be spending Thanksgiving with my parents.  It is such a blessing to have them here, especially during the holidays.  We will have the traditional turkey, dressing and all of the trimmings.  Mery and Augusto, who have been with us at the guest house since we arrived in 2005 will be joining us.  They have decided that the Thanksgiving meal is the best meal of the year.  They have been talking about it for weeks!  And of course, it wouldn't be Thanksgiving without the Cowboys!  God even takes care of the smallest details!

Praise Reports:

• Praise the Lord for a finished project!
• Courtney is coming for Christmas!  She arrives December 12th. We are really looking forward to having her here.
• Josh and his girlfriend have been attending church in Amarillo.  My cousin leads worship there, and Josh has been playing with the worship team.  That truly is a huge praise for Darryl and me!
• Darryl spent several days not feeling well.  Praise the Lord that he is better.

Prayer Requests:

• This week we have to pay our medical insurance for the next year.  This will take our support account down to where we basically have a month of funds left.  Please continue to pray that God will bring in an "abundance" of support in the next couple of months.
• Pray for our children as we are separated from them for the holidays. 
• Pray for our time with Courtney.  We have some difficult issues to work through, and we definitely need God's guidance.
• Pray that our children will seek the Lord and his will for their lives.
• Pray that the Lord will allow us to be a blessing to the guests we have in the house this week.

As you celebrate Thanksgiving this week, may you remember to thank God for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds in your life!

Serving the King,

Kelly, for the Chambers

But as for me, I trust in you, O LORD;  I say, "You are my God.  My times are in your hands." 

Psalm 31:14-15 

I recently read a daily devotion that really spoke to me.  It seems like when things are going my way I find it easy to trust in God and his timing.  However, when I am facing a situation that seems to have no end in sight, I question God's timing in answering my prayers.  I want results to my prayers right away.  In this devotion that I read Kay Arthur says, "God does not want compliant resignation.  When life is difficult, God wants us to have a faith that doesn't complain while waiting but rejoices because we know our times are in His hands--nail-scarred hands that labor for our highest good."  What an encouraging thought to know that God is laboring for my highest good...in EVERY situation.





making bracelets



Thank you for your prayers for our "Pastors' Day".  We had such a fun time.  There were 100 confirmed to come, but we ended up with around 40 people, due to the holiday and the difficulty in finding transportation. I think God, in his infinite wisdom, brought exactly who needed to come.  It was a day of great encouragement for the pastors and their families.  We enjoyed getting to know each of them and spending the day with them.



one of the banana plantation churches



Darryl had a very productive trip to scout out future places for ministry with Joe Gionti and Scott Kennedy, our two visitors from Pennsylvania.  The three of them, plus my dad, left Thursday to visit some "churches" located outside of La Union in the middle of several banana plantations.  I put churches in quotation marks, because basically these are new areas where we are planting churches, and right now they consist of some benches located outside of homes.  Joe and Scott were very touched by what they saw and see the potential for some great ministry to occur in these areas.  We look forward to what God will bring forth from this trip.

Praise Reports:

• We praise God for the wonderful notes and words of encouragement we received from so many of you this past week.  God used you to lift our spirits.  Thank you!
• Praise him for protection over us during our travels.  I think Joe and Scott have a new understanding of just what we mean when we ask for prayer while we travel.  It definitely is an exhausting ordeal.
• We praise God for the opportunity that he gave us to fellowship with and encourage the pastors of the North Coast district.  Not only that, but we thank God for the privilege of allowing us to work in ministry alongside my parents.  What a gift!

Praise Requests:

• Although the trip to La Union was productive, our pick-up did not fair so well.  The air conditioner went out, and someone slit the tarp that covers our pick-up bed with a knife.  Please pray for us as we attempt to get these things repaired this week.
• We have a full guest house once again this coming week.  Please pray that the Holy Spirit will fill this house with his presence so that our house will truly be a place of rest for our guests.  Pray also for energy and for the Lord's provision of grace so that we will be hosts who reflect God's love to each person who passes through our doors.
• Pray that we will be able to finish the kitchen project this week, as we have some other things we need to tackle before the end of the year.
• Continue to pray for Josh and Courtney and their walk with the Lord.
• Please continue to pray for our support account.

We pray that you have a truly blessed week this week.

Serving the King,

Kelly, for the Chambers

Surprise!!! I haven’t let a month pass between updates. I hope the shock doesn’t get to you. I have made a goal to send out an update every Sunday, even if I don’t have a lot to say, just so you will know how to pray for the week. Right now, it would be great if you could offer up a prayer for the Texas Rangers, as it looks like they are digging themselves a huge hole in this World Series! :)


Actually, Darryl and I have had a busier week than we expected. We did start one of our guest house projects, but we have also had a full guest house all week, which we weren’t expecting. One group of guests was several MAF (Mission Aviation Fellowship) missionaries. They came for the dedication of the refurbished Nate Saint house in Shell. I’m sure most of you know of the story of the 5 missionaries who were killed by the Woarani Indians. If you don’t, you should watch the movie The End of the Spear. We received a wonderful update from one of the missionaries today with pictures of the worship service they held in the refurbished house. They house was full of Christian Woaranis who were singing praise and worship songs along with the missionaries and visitors. It was a touching picture and a reminder of just how awesome God is!

This week, once again, Darryl and I have a “full plate”. We are leaving tomorrow for Quevedo (a small town about 5 hours away) to attend a pastors’ retreat on Tuesday. Darryl and I are responsible for some group activities which should be fun. It will be a day to celebrate the pastors of the North Coast District, which is the district that my parents are the liaisons for. We are looking forward to a day of fun with our national pastors and their families.

We return on Wednesday and immediately will be receiving two men from Pennsylvania that evening. They are coming to Ecuador to scout out some potential places to bring future teams. Darryl will be traveling to Yanzatza, La Union and to our camp at Pallatanga. That is A LOT of traveling! They will only be here for 5 days, so this will be a packed trip for the three of them. I will be staying here and running the guest house, as we have several guests booked for the time Darryl will be gone.

Praise Updates:

• Praise the Lord for a productive week even though we had a house full of guests. Darryl was able to get the island for the kitchen completely constructed.

• Praise the Lord for safe travels for Josh. He traveled back from New York to Texas, passing through some dangerous weather areas. They made it back with no trouble.

• Praise the Lord for good health and for his hand of protection over us during the week.

Prayer Requests:

• Pray for us as we travel tomorrow and Wednesday, and for Darryl, Joe and Scott as they travel around Ecuador this next week.

• Pray that we will be an encouragement to the pastors and their families on Tuesday.

• Pray that the guys will have a productive trip and that they will listen to the Lord as they search out future ministry sites.

• Pray for Josh. He is really suffering with what we think is gastritis. Pray for God’s healing.

• Pray for Courtney as she continues to struggle in her walk with the Lord.

• Please continue to pray for our support account. Pray for wisdom for us as we look at where we can cut expenses.

We continue to give God thanks for each one of you. It has been a long time since we have felt like we have been in the “valley”. Even though we are experiencing the valley right now, we have such confidence and hope in the Lord, and we have the confidence of knowing we have some incredible prayer warriors praying for us daily. May God richly bless each one of you!

Serving the King,

Kelly, for the Chambers

"Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you.  Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain."  1 Corinthians 15:58

This was one of the verses used in church today as we talked about having faith in a God who always comes through “for our good”. It is one of my favorite verses, especially since becoming a missionary. It is our prayer and sincere desire to always give ourselves fully to God’s work, and we are truly thankful to each one of you for your partnership in this ministry to which God has called us.





We enjoyed a wonderful time in the states. Yes…I said we. When I asked for prayers in our last update, I asked you to pray for Darryl as he traveled to the states. I didn’t mention that I was coming as well, because I wanted to surprise my kids. It was fun to see Courtney’s face when I walked out of the airport instead of Darryl (he was held up in Houston due to the tropical storm that passed through that day!) We had a much needed time of relaxation, fellowship with dear friends and family, and even got the chance to speak at a couple of churches which was an absolute joy for us. Thank you for your prayers for us as we traveled.

We returned October 4th, and hit the ground running. We had a medical team coming in on the 9th, so we went to San Juan (where we held the medical clinic) on Wednesday, the 6th, to make sure everything was in working order and ready for the team. The bathroom was not working, so we had to return Saturday and spend that afternoon and most of Sunday getting it ready. Together with my mom and dad, we were able to get both stalls and the sink working and ready for the clinic, which started on Monday. It was a fun time, even though we were dripping sweat, and once again I was reminded how blessed I am to be able to serve the Lord alongside my parents.



The "Triage" Team



We saw 822 patients during the week. We had two Ecuadorian doctors and a team of five who came from the states to serve the Lord and the people from Ecuador. Darryl made sure order was kept and that the medical group’s needs were taken care of during the week. I had the opportunity to visit with EVERY patient who came in, as I wrote down their reason for wanting to see the doctor. Oh, if I only had the time to tell you just how interesting it is to ask Ecuadorians what their problem is! There were several decisions made to accept Christ that week, but one of the great things I noticed is that many of the patients who came   already had a relationship with the Lord. That was very encouraging.

Now, we have a couple of months of break time before we start working on next year’s teams. We will continue to have guests in the guest house, but no teams. During the next few months, we are tackling some projects that need to be done at the guest house. These are projects that we have needed to do for a long time, so we are excited about having the opportunity to get them finished.

Praise Reports:

• Praise the Lord for a successful medical team, for good health during the week and for the new brothers and sisters we have in Christ.

• Praise the Lord for time to work on some guest house projects.

• Praise the Lord that Josh has made the decision to get involved in church again.

• Praise the Lord for faithful ministry partners who continue to pray and to give financially so that we can

  can continue to serve the Lord here in Ecuador.

Prayer Requests:

• Pray for the “Pastors’ Day” that we will be a part of on November 2nd. We will be working with mom and dad in their district to honor the pastors and their families. Pray that we will have safe travel and that we will be a blessing and encouragement to those who sacrifice so much to serve the Lord in the role of pastor.

• Pray for Courtney. She is facing some tough decisions in her life and needs God’s guidance.

• Pray for our support account. We are watching it go down little by little each month. Pray that God will bring in new supporters and that he will put our ministry on the minds of those who have supported us in the past.

Have a great week!

Serving the King,

Kelly, for the Chambers

Rest for the Weary

Silence, glorious silence!  It has been a busy four months, with groups and guests in and out of our home, lots of travels and many, many ministry opportunities.  Now, we sit in silence.  For the first time in months we have a quiet home.  Of course, it will only last until 11:00 P.M., when Darryl brings the next group of guests from the airport, but for the next couple of hours, we will enjoy the silence.

Another month has passed since my last update.  How in the world that continues to happen I have no idea!  In our last update we asked you to pray for our mission retreat that was being held here at the guest house.  We had a wonderful time.  The team that came from Canada really came prepared to serve.  Darryl and I especially enjoyed it because it meant we didn't have to cook.  We definitely left with our bellies filled to overflowing!  Our speakers for the week filled our hearts and our minds to overflowing with the Word of God.  The children learned about the armor of God, and everyday the kids came from class wearing a new piece of armor and telling us all about what each piece meant.  We were so blessed!  Thank you for praying for us and for the team.  It was an absolutely wonderful and much needed week for our mission family.

The house has been full ever since our retreat, and we have thoroughly enjoyed getting to minister to those who have come to Ecuador to bring God's good news and his love to the people here.  It amazes us how the Lord can use any gift we offer him to bless others.  We are so thankful to be able to serve God through this guest house. 

Now....REST TIME!  We are going to take the next month off to recuperate.  Darryl will be traveling to Texas for the month of September.  He has some personal business to take care of.  We would appreciate your prayers as he is trying to get everything taken care of while he is there in order to avoid having to make a trip back.  We thought he would be able to easily get everything done, but it seems that is not the case.  Please pray that God will supernaturally intervene to speed up the paperwork and the entire process.  While he is there, he is also hoping to do some speaking at some churches and small groups about what all the Lord has allowed us to be a part of over the last two and a half years that we have been back.  Would you please pray with us that the Lord will provide opportunities for Darryl while he is there? He will be there from September 7th through October 4th (that is for our Texas panhandle friends who might be interested in having Darryl speak at your church or small group).

When he returns in October it is back to work.  We have a medical team coming four days after his return.  We will be ministering in San Juan, a town located in the North Coast District, where my parents minister, so we will get the privilege of ministering with them again.  Yippee!!  Please pray for all of the last minute details to come together and for God to be preparing the hearts of the team that is coming as well as the team here in Ecuador.  Pray that he will already be working in the hearts of each person who comes to the medical clinic.  Physical healing is why they come, but spiritual healing is what we pray for!

We pray that all of you have had a blessed summer.  As we begin preparing for next year's teams, would you pray about possibly coming on one?  Maybe you can lead your church in it's first mission trip ever!  If you are interested, we would love to visit with you about the possibilities for next year.  Our email address is dkchamb1@gmail.com .  Pray about it...it could be a life-changing experience!

Serving the King,

Kelly, for the Chambers

Oh, The Places You Will Go!

Oh The Places You Will Go…if Dr. Seuss hadn’t already written this book, Darryl and I certainly would be able to. We have definitely traveled all over Ecuador during the last five weeks. It has been a wonderful experience, leaving us feeling tired yet ready for more! Thank you so much for your prayers for us as over the past weeks. God has been our source of energy and strength throughout each trip we have taken. His faithfulness has been so evident with each team. How we LOVE what we do! Here is a little of what has been going on recently….


Wayland Baptist University Team, June 9-23

We had a group of 10 come down from WBU. It was very exciting for us, as that is the university our daughter attends. This was what is known as a “scouting team”, as they came to see what ministries they might like to partner with in the future. They combined college credit classes with a mission trip, so we were able to do lots of things. We climbed a mountain, trekked through the jungle, went canyoning and white-water rafting, worked at a construction site for a new orphanage, held a three-day VBS for the kids of the orphanage, and attended a church service of a new church that has joined the association we work with. We all felt challenged many times during the trip, but that was when we were able to see God come through and to draw our strength from Him. It really was a wonderful two weeks, and we are so excited to form a partnership with WBU

Murphy’s Landing, June 26-July 4

A group of 13 came with this group. We went to La Union to hold a VBS and a marriage seminar. We had our hands full with an average of 300 kids coming to VBS (we had over 350 the last day!). At night, we had over 100 couples attend the marriage seminar based on the movie Fireproof. Darryl and I found ourselves in constant prayer during this week, as the group was definitely stretched to their limits. God was so good to completely take care of all our concerns…the lodging, the food, the weather, the mosquitoes…everything we were worried about ended up being taken care of. We saw several couples give their lives to the Lord during the marriage seminar. We were the first mission group to ever come to this town, and they were so appreciative. The church we worked with was able to take great encouragement from this team, and many doors were open for future ministry opportunities in La Union. Thank you, Lord!

Ovid Community Church, July 6-14

This is Ovid’s third time to come to Ecuador. This year they brought a group of 17, many of whom had been here before. Ovid has committed to partnering with the Central District, and it has been such a blessing to see so many wonderful friendships formed over the past three years. This year they worked at Betel, a church in South Quito. They painted all of the Sunday school rooms and held a three-day VBS in the afternoons. On Saturday, they held a church summit where they offered several workshops for leaders in the churches of the Central District. They closed the summit with a foot-washing ceremony.  There are no words to express that afternoon.  It was the first time any of the Ecuadorian in attendance had ever experienced anything like that.  We were all moved to tears as we saw husbands washing their wive's feet, mentors washing the feet of the pastors who mentored them, and so many more touching pictures of people humbling themselves before others.  It was a wonderful afternoon.  Darryl and I were so touched to see the union of hearts between brothers and sisters in Christ who don’t share the same language or culture. They truly show an example of one church, one body, one calling.

We wanted to say a special thank you to Alan, Tandi, Olivia and Anna Landes. Alan has led the Ovid team for the last three years. This summer he and his family came down two weeks before the Ovid team arrived to help run the guest house while we were gone with teams. They were such a blessing to us, as well as to the

guests who passed through our house during those two weeks. May God richly bless you, Landes family, for your sacrificial service to your King!

We also have a special prayer request. While Alan was here, he, Doug Tankersley and Pastor Antonio Zabala held a meeting for our FLET students. FLET is a program that allows people to study at home and at their local church to become leaders of our churches. On the way home from the meeting, the FLET students returning to Ibarra were in a very serious accident. Three students were killed and many are still in the hospital. It was a devastating blow for all of us. However, God has continued to strengthen the church at Ibarra, and we have had several members of the church who have called asking to be able to join the FLET program to carry on the work of those who died. Please pray for Pastor Hebert and the members of the church in Ibarra. Pray for the family members of those who died and for those who are still in the hospital. We know that in all things God WILL be glorified!

Field Retreat, July 27-31

We ask your prayers for our last team of the summer. They arrive from Canada on Monday. Some of them will stay here at Quito and work on the guest house. The others are headed to Loja to do a Vacation Bible School for a week. Then, starting on Tuesday, July 27th, this same team will minister to all of the missionaries here with OMS. We will have our annual field retreat here at the guest house. Please pray for strength and health for the Canadian team. Pray that the Lord will guide them as they do their VBS in Loja and as they minister to each of us during the field retreat. Pray also that our time together as a mission family will be a time to reconnect with each other, a time to get some much needed rest and just a sweet time of fellowship.

Thank you so much for your faithful partnership in this wonderful ministry in which God has placed us. We pray that our Heavenly Father will bless you with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

Serving the King,

Kelly, for the Chambers

“Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength…But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him.”
Jeremiah 17:5,7

It is always about this time, when Darryl and I are “knee-deep” in teams, guests, and so many things going on, that we get a little nervous. Have we done enough? Have we thought of everything that needs to be taken care of before the teams arrive? Have our Ecuadorian partners done their parts to prepare for the teams? What else can we do? Today, during my devotion time, I read these verses in Jeremiah. I could barely keep my mind on what I was reading because of thinking about what all needed to be done today and in the next couple of days. It seems like Darryl and I tend to put the focus on us, and what all we must do to make these trips a success, when really, our trust and confidence need to be in the Lord, who is the one in control anyway! Please pray that as the time quickly approaches for the arrival of our teams for the summer, that we will realize who is in control, that we will seek his will, and that we will not be focused on us and our ability to put together a meaningful experience for these teams, but that we will allow God to “do his thing”, and that we will give him the glory for what he accomplishes this summer with our teams.

Before I get into the upcoming events, I want to give you an update and a praise report on our medical team and the women’s retreat.

Medical Team:
We always enjoy the nursing students from UIndy who come every May. This year they were accompanied by three doctors and a dentist. We held medical clinics in two different places: Biblian and La Villa. We were able to see about 500 patients during the week and had over 250 decisions to accept Christ. Praise the Lord! We had a wonderful team of Ecuadorians who counseled with each person. This Ecuadorian team is also responsible for the follow-up of each person who made a decision for Christ or requested a home visit. I had the chance to talk with two of the team members recently, and they are so excited about what God is doing. So far, they have been able to locate each family they have looked for, and have been invited in to visit with the family every time. That is not always the case. They are praising God for the results that they are seeing. Please keep Sergio, Jacob and Pablo in your prayers as they continue to make home visits and get these new believers plugged into a church.


Women’s Retreat:
I asked you to pray for the Central District women’s retreat that we held at the guest house on May 21-23. Up until the actual time that they were to arrive, we had no idea how many were coming. We had planned for 30, but, as often happens, even though they were supposed to be registered to come, there was no one registered ahead of time. We did some serious praying that day because we were afraid that there would be 50 show up, and not enough room, food or materials for all of them. When it was all said and done, there were exactly 30 women who came to the retreat. God is so good! Thank you for praying for my mom and for me, as she spoke and I led the worship. She did a great job, and even though it was definitely confirmed that I was not called to lead worship, we were able to have a good worship time. The women had a wonderful time, and were truly blessed by their time together. They were also very touched by Darryl, Doug Tankersley and my dad, who served them all weekend.  I think that might have been their favorite thing of the whole weekend!  One of the things we realized is that there are a lot of hurting women here in Ecuador. We have received several prayer requests from women with very serious issues. Please pray, along with us, that these women will see victory in their lives and in each situation they face.

Upcoming Teams:
Our first team arrives on Wednesday. They will be here from the 9th through the 23rd. This is a group of college students from Wayland Baptist University in Texas (where our daughter attends). We will be spending the majority of our time near the jungle. Right now, Tungurahua, a volcano located right where we are going to be, is very active. We have not come up with a plan B, but we are praying for God’s wisdom. The group is scheduled to work at an orphanage, to attend a jungle course and to do some adventure sports (all for college credits). It is going to be very difficult to come up with something else this late. Please pray that God will either calm down the volcano, or miraculously bring to our attention some other opportunity. Either way, we pretty much need a miracle!

Our next team arrives on June 26th. They are coming from Murphy’s Landing, a church in Indiana. They will be doing a VBS, a marriage seminar and some work on the church there. We are taking them to a very poor area called La Union. My parents are the liaisons for this area, so we will be working with them during this week. We are expecting up to 300 children and 100 couples, so we are going to have our hands full! Please pray for the team as they prepare to come. Pray that all of the last minute details will work themselves out, and for safety and health for all of us.

We have two more teams after that, but I will write about them in the next email, as this has already turned into a small novel!

One big praise note:
Our support account continues to remain in the black. Last month we even brought in more money than we spent! Thank you to all of you who support us financially. Having a positive support account allows us to focus on what God has called us to do here in Ecuador.

Thank you so much for your prayers. We sense them every day. It brings us such comfort to know our ministry is the hands of so many amazing prayer warriors. We love each of you, and we are praying for you, too.


Serving the King,
Kelly, for the Chambers

Praise & Prayer Update

"This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us--whatever we ask--we know that we have what we asked of him." 1 John 5:14-15

I don't think we realize how busy we actually are until I look at how long ago I sent out our last update. A whole month—WOW! It's definitely been an eventful one.
(Of course, lately, they all are!)


We had a full guest house this past month, which seems to be the case these days. However, we had one special guest who really touched our hearts. Gelen (you would pronounce it Helen) was dropped off at an orphanage in Shell by a desperate mother who had nowhere else to go. The lady who runs the guest house immediately brought her to Quito for medical attention. She was 11 months old, weighed 10 pounds and was struggling for every breath that night when she arrived. Of course, Darryl and I, being the baby-lovers that we are, took her immediately when she arrived and held her for the longest time. Our hearts were taken with this baby. She was quite the fighter in the hospital, but her little body had been through too much, and it eventually shut down. Heaven has inherited one precious, little girl. We don’t really know anything about Gelen’s family, but we would ask you to pray that they would see God’s love revealed to them in an amazing way through the loss of their daughter.

Thank you for praying for the women’s retreat. We had a wonderful time of fellowship. We were able to pamper ourselves, shop, eat at great restaurants…all of those girly things! God has really blessed us with a great OMS Ecuador family, and we are truly grateful for each of them.


Darryl and I will be heading out tomorrow to drop off some furniture at our camp and take some VBS material to one of the churches that we are going to bring a team to this summer. As I have mentioned before, traveling is always a concern (especially for me, the second most nervous passenger I know…my mom would be the first, so it runs in the family!). Please pray for safe travels, for good health and for a productive meeting with the VBS teachers in La Union. I just spent three days being sick, so I am not anxious to go there again! We will be back on Friday in time to receive some guests.

On May 4th-14th we will be working with a group of nursing students from University of Indiana. This is the third year for us to work with this group, and we always look forward to them coming. We will be having a medical clinic in Azogues. As always, pray for travel safety and good health, but we would also ask you to pray that we would be a light in that community that would draw people to come and know the true healer.

One last prayer request: May 21-23 we are hosting a women’s retreat for the women in the central district. That is the district we live in. My mom will be speaking on the fruits of the spirit, and I will be leading worship. The thing is, I am really just learning to play the keyboard, I am not a worship leader and all of this has to be in Spanish. Okay…you can guess my prayer request. That’s right—A MIRACLE! I’m sure my mom would appreciate your prayers as well.

I have the verses from 1 John 5 posted on a note card that I can see every day. They not only remind me of the confidence I can place in my prayers, but they also remind me of the confidence I have in you as our prayer warriors. We know that you pray for God’s will in every situation that you lift before the throne concerning us, our ministry and our children. Thank you so much for your partnership with us in these ministries that we are so blessed to be a part of!

Serving the King,
Kelly, for the Chambers

Praise & Prayer Update

“He made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in him." 2 Corinthians 5:21

Easter is my favorite holiday, simply because of what it stands for. The fact that God sent his son to earth is an amazing act of love, but the fact that Jesus died on the cross in my place…well that is just mind-blowing to me. This verse is particularly meaningful to me this year, as I think about Jesus’ death on the cross. When God looks at me now, he sees me as righteous. Not because of anything I am or because of anything I have done, but because of Christ took my place on the cross. Thank you, Jesus!

This month has been a busy one for us. We have made two trips with my parents to the North Coast District. The first trip was to get to know the pastors of that district. The second was to attend a joint worship service between two churches. Reality set in when we got to San Juan for the joint worship service only to find out that the host church didn’t know anything about it, and had already made plans for a mini marriage seminar. Most of the pastors of this district live in poverty, not owning a computer, a cell phone, or even a land-line phone…the things that Darryl and I take for granted. Therefore, communication becomes a big issue. Please pray for Xavier Borja and my parents, Mike and Bonnie Shrode, as they work together to find ways to improve communication within the district. One praise note…we saw the Lord move in a very touching way among the couples that attended the marriage seminar. Displays of affection are not common among married couples, but it was so touching to see so many couples asking each other for forgiveness, crying and praying together. We went for one reason, but we were totally blessed in a way we didn’t expect. God is good!

We have had a full guest house, which has been fun for us. We had three days in March with no guests, so that gave us a chance to catch up on some rest. April looks to be another very busy month. Please pray that God will continue to provide us with the energy that we need to serve our guests.

Darryl will be traveling quite a bit this month. He is scheduled to travel April 8-11 to Cuenca and Yantzaza. Later on this month he will be traveling to Pallatanga. Traveling in this country is always a safety issue, so please pray for God’s protective hand to be on Darryl as he travels. Pray for me as well, as I will be running the guest house “solo” during those times.

April 16-18 we will have a women’s retreat for all of the missionary women here with OMS. There are few times during the year that we get to see each other, so I am looking forward to that weekend. Please pray for each of us as we travel, and that the Lord will bless our fellowship.

We pray that you have a very blessed Easter.

Serving the King,
Kelly, for the Chambers

Praise & Prayer Update

"Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain."

1 Cor. 15:58

This verse is one of the verses I have posted on a notecard in our house where we can see it every day. What a wonderful promise and word of encouragement this is from the Lord! There are times when we wonder if we are making any difference in God's kingdom by being here. We deal with daily frustrations and often don't see the "fruits" of our labor. Then, we come home, see this verse, and are reminded that our work is not in vain, and we are encouraged to press onward. Dear friends, we pray that you will receive the same encouragement from this verse. Know that anything you do for the Lord, whether it is on the "front lines" or supporting those who are is never in vain. Thank you, Lord!

It has been a while since our last update, and I apoligize for not doing better at communicating with you. I always have such great intentions, but...well, you know how it is with my good intentions--they often go unrealized! We do think about you and pray for you every day. You are so important to our ministry through your prayers and financial support, and we pray for God's blessing and protection over your lives as you continue to partner with us in such sacrificial ways. We are so thankful for each of you.

The guest house was very busy in February. There were only four days when we didn't have guests! The Lord has really blessed and grown this ministry over the past year. It is quickly becoming a full-time ministry in itself. Because of that fact, we would ask you to be in prayer for us as we seek guidance for our future. We want to be in God's will concerning our ministry here in Ecuador, whether it is running the guest house or coordinating the short-term mission teams.

We recently completed a ministry trip with my parents to the North Coast District. My parents are the liaisons of that district, and we are looking at bringing some teams into that area. My heart was burdened for the pastors of that area. It is a very poor district, and many of our pastors live in extreme situations, yet they faithfully serve the Lord with grateful hearts for his blessings in their lives. The question that continued to plague me throughout the trip was, "Lord, why is it that I was born in such a blessed nation, in a loving family, with every need I ever had met without even giving it a second thought?" I believe the Lord's answer came in the form of a verse that he brought to my mind, "...From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded." Please pray for us as we begin the process of finding teams to come to this area. We truly believe that God has laid it on our hearts to bless the pastors of this district. Pray that as we seek God's will concerning the North Coast, he will reveal himself clearly to us.

A year ago I had the opportunity to share my testimony with a group of women at the English Fellowship Church. There wasa high school girl in attendance that night who had suffered a very similar past as mine. She asked me if I would be willing to meet with her, and we had our first meeting three weeks ago. The Lord has really blessed that time, and each week I am able to recognize more and more just what a wonderful work of healing God has done in my life as I share with her and listen to her. Please pray for me as I meet with this young lady. Pray for wisdom as I try to guide her closer to the Father, who can completely restore her life as he is doing in mine.

Darryl is at a men's retreat as I am writing this update. He is with the other OMS missionaries from Ecuador. Please pray that they will have a wonderful time of fellowhip, that they will each return refreshed, and for safe travel home on Sunday.

Thank you for your partnership. We know that we are only able to be here because you said, "Yes!" when the Lord laid us on your hearts. May he richly repay you for your obedience and for your faithfulness.

Serving the King,

Kelly, for the Chambers