Tag: Ecuador

Beyond Ourselves

On By Betty OwensIn Betty Thomason Owens1 Comment

lonely-273629_1280If you live your life for yourself alone, never reaching out to others, it is as though you sleep. It’s a great waste of a life.

Opportunities arise, just to be ignored because you just want to be left alone, to live your life and be comfortable.

I want that, too, but I can never be comfortable with that itch irritating me.

The itch to do something real.

To reach out to others and help them past a difficult time.

NewbornPhilMothers know how it is. Once that tiny creature is in your care, you know you’re locked in for a certain number of years and maybe, forever. All your life, you will be Mother. Whether it’s the middle of the night, or halfway through your workday, when they call, you have to answer. You have to go and see to their needs.

I made it past some obstacles in life. I made it through because of God’s grace. First, there was grace, then there was faith. And I overcame through that faith because I found the strength to move beyond my past. I, who am forgiven, found strength to forgive others, and to forgive myself.

And now I have the opportunity to help others do the same. It was like being awakened in the dead of night by a child’s cry. My mother’s heart said yes.

alpaca-984891_1280In less than eight weeks, I’ll step onto a jet that will set me down in Ecuador–into the direct path of God’s call. Not that I am anything. He could speak through a donkey, or an alpaca, for that matter.

The opportunity came, and I will go.

My life will change and  probably never really be the same afterwards. That could be a good thing. When you get too lazy, you end up wasting your life. Yes, I’m writing words on paper and cluttering your screen with ‘isms, but my life is a blank sheet. I’m hoping to end up with a page filled with life-giving words. A story well told. A life well lived.

note-pad-1215425_1280I would appreciate your prayers over the next few weeks, as I prepare my heart, mind, and spirit for the task God has placed upon me. I want to carry the good news of His forgiveness and grace to those whose hearts are in deepest need. And I want to be a vessel He can use. Just an ordinary vessel, prepared and ready.

There, when needed.

To encourage those who need strength to believe in themselves, that they can accomplish what may seem to be impossible. A dream? Perhaps, but we must dream in order to achieve. I dare to dream and even if my dreams never come true (to the extent I dream them) I want to be able to say I ventured.

Nothing ventured. . . nothing gained.

I am especially grateful to all of those who have sent funds to help us on our way. You’ve pledged your thoughts and prayers and the wish to be a part of the call. I can’t really put into words how grateful I am for your faith in us and in the God who called us. I pray God’s blessing over your life.

Below these photos, you’ll find links to several places you can go to help. Some of these are long-term missions–in it for the long haul. They need strong shoulders to help them bear up under pressure. Even if you can’t help them financially, maybe you can commit to pray, or just help them by publicizing their presence and what they do.

Our team...
Our team

Owens to Ecuador Facebook Page

YouCaring for Contributions – Owens to Ecuador

If you’d like to help with the Spanish version of Annabelle’s Ruth, you can click the link below to make your contribution (and please type “Annabelle’s Ruth” in the comment box): https://giving.ag.org/Give/Details/600001-693941?MinistryName=unsion&Page

Unsion Foundation, a Christian World-View television network is actively “Engaging the culture with the gospel.”

http://www.lacworldmissions.org/home
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/lacworldmissions

Ecuador Hope House

Joil & Leah Marbut, Jungle Missionary

For more information about Cuenca, Ecuador:

http://www.ecuadorexplorer.com/html/cuenca.html

Springtime and Ordinary Days

On By Betty OwensIn Betty Thomason Owens1 Comment

It’s raining as I write this, washing away the green dust that coats every outdoor surface. I call it “oak dust.” It makes me sneeze. Makes my eyes water.

0417121830I’m happy for the rain. My flower garden was a bit too dry, and I’ve a bumper crop of iris blooms. Gerbera daisies, red geraniums, roses, and sage are open for business. I love this time of year.

This is Derby week where I live. Many of my friends already bought their hats. I don’t go to the Derby–I watch  it on television. I love to see the horses run, and oh, those hats! If you’re anywhere near Louisville, Kentucky on Derby Day, you’re bound to see women decked out in colorful hats, on their way to Churchill Downs.

For my husband, Derby Day means golf. For me it means I can plant annuals without fear of frost killing them. Both of us have our priorities well in place.

TakeoffAs the excitement of spring fades into ordinary days, I turn my attention to summer. Instead of our usual vacation this year, we’ve opted to spend our time serving others on a mission trip. I’m writing this post just a few days after the devastating quake that hit the coastal region of Ecuador. We may see some of the damage as we leave Guayaquil, but our travel plans will send us into the Andes mountains, to Cuenca, Ecuador.

For a writer, every new scene in life is an opportunity to tell a story. I assure you, my eyes will be wide open, and my imagination will be well engaged. I hope the beautiful sights and sounds of Ecuador will inspire a story or two. The long journey may provide plenty of time for contemplation. If I’m awake. In which case, my eyes will not be wide open.

hiking-1220297_1280I have several friends who are full-time in the mission work of Ecuador. Some of them trek into the Amazon region, carrying gifts from the outside world, along with the message of the gospel. Yes, this is the region where several missionaries were killed in the last century.

One thing these men and women share is a call. They’ve turned their backs on the world and its desires to fulfill the call on their heart. A purpose they believe is God-given.

There’s nothing ordinary about that.

Have you ever experienced what you believe is a call from God to leave your home and family and go to another place? If so, did you heed the call?

Whether or not you accepted that call, I’d love to hear from you. Leave me a comment here or on my Facebook page. If you’d like to help with the mission efforts in the Amazon region, check out the links below.

10425158_10205772526809279_9049688175581175135_nUnsion Foundation, a Christian World-View television network is actively “Engaging the culture with the gospel.”
http://www.lacworldmissions.org/home
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/lacworldmissions
Ecuador Hope House
Joil & Leah Marbut, Jungle Missionary

Sobre Cuenca (about Cuenca): http://www.ecuadorexplorer.com/html/cuenca.html

Owens to Ecuador Facebook Page

Pray for Ecuador

On By Betty OwensIn Betty Thomason Owens

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  • This morning the news is filled with pictures of people coming together to help their fellow man and rise from the ashes of this disaster together. Please keep Ecuador in your prayers. Relief efforts are just beginning. #prayersforecuador #godisbigger

 

–From the Instagram post of one of my friends in Ecuador. The news is devastating, as the death count rises, videos reveal the massive damage to the beautiful coastal villages of Ecuador.

Please pray for the people of Ecuador.

Ecuador Isaiah 49

Cuenca Update

On By Betty OwensIn Betty Thomason Owens

11110509_10204170624365310_3489856107082246488_oRemember this checklist?

  1. Write first post for 2016.
  2. Complete book 2 of Kinsman Redeemer Series: Sutters Landing.
  3. Get passport photo.
  4. Get passport.
  5. Fly to Cuenca, Ecuador for mission trip that includes a speaking engagement.
  6. Did you see #5?
  7. Omgosh! I am actually going to Ecuador!

This was part of my first post for 2016. Can you tell I was excited?

It’s now the second week of March. We have barely four months left to prepare for our mission trip to Cuenca, Ecuador. I’m really starting to feel the excitement (mixed with a tiny bit of anxiety). Here’s an update on our progress:

  • Applied for Passports
  • Annabelle’s Ruth is being translated into Spanish

Okay, the list looks short, but it represents a lot of time and work. In the meantime, I’m familiarizing myself with the needs and interests of the women I’ll be speaking to in Cuenca. You know, looking at the photos, many of them look just like you and me. And their needs? Very similar to ours. So what’s the difference? Why do I need to go?

Step 1 – Calling. That’s a big thing. Has God called you to do something? What was your answer? Sometimes, we “feel” called, then nothing happens. Perhaps it didn’t happen because you didn’t go. If you’re looking for a job, do you sit at home waiting for a phone call? How will prospective employers know you’re looking, if you don’t let them know?

Step 2 – Prayer. Prayerfully consider, contemplate, meditate on the calling. This is an important step that should not be overlooked. When my son approached me about going to Ecuador, I was hesitant. But I promised to pray about it. My prayer was simple. “Show me Your way.” I kind of needed a sign. I got a big one. Our contact starting planning around my latest book, and formulated plans for me to speak. Was I ready for that? No, but I’ll get ready. God showed me His way and I’m stepping into it.

writing-923882_1920Step 3 – Make a Plan. Someone else made my plan, I didn’t have to. This happens to me a lot, but I’m okay with it. God knows me pretty well. If He left it up to me, well…it probably wouldn’t get done. I’m a champion procrastinator. Or at least I have been in the past. It’s something I constantly battle. But you may be on your own. So…

  • Make a plan.
  • Write it down.
  • Don’t be afraid to change or adjust the plan as you work toward the goal. Sometimes, your plans don’t fit the situation. Be flexible.

In the coming weeks, I’ll work to finish my preparations. The translation of Annabelle’s Ruth will continue. When it’s ready, we’ll print the books. The plan is to have that first printing fully paid, so we can use whatever funds the sale of the books bring in, for the women’s ministry in Ecuador. If you’d like to contribute to the first printing of the Spanish version of Annabelle’s Ruth, you can click the following link, and please reference “Annabelle’s Ruth” in the comments: https://giving.ag.org/Give/Details/600001-693941?MinistryName=unsion&Page

Ecuador-2If God touches your heart to do so, please pray for our team over the coming weeks, as we prepare for this journey. If you’d like to pledge your prayer support, please comment on our Facebook page. Click this link – Owens to Ecuador 2016.

If you’re not on Facebook, you can leave a comment on this post, or use the Contact Me tab above to send me an email. To help with the costs of this trip, you may contact me or visit our GoFundMe page. Any funds collected above the cost of our expenses will go directly into one of the wonderful ministries for women in Cuenca. I’ve supplied additional links below for your information about some of the ministries in Ecuador.

 

The Translation of Annabelle’s Ruth

On By Betty OwensIn Betty Thomason Owens
Ecuadoran Women
Photo by Tiffany Sexton Riggs

If you’ve been keeping up with my blog, or my Facebook page, you already know about my upcoming trip to Ecuador. I’ll be ministering to women while I’m there. These women have specific needs. More than anything, they need love and the assurance that God is for them. No matter what life has dealt them, His redeeming power can help them overcome. Take for example, the women of the Book of Ruth.

After losing everything, Naomi returned to the land of her birth. She felt God calling her back there, where she’d be safe, among her family. Her daughter-in-law Ruth didn’t have to go with her. Naomi excused her from doing so. But Ruth insisted. Her love for Naomi kept her by the woman’s side. God saw Ruth’s obedience and great sacrifice. He chose to bless her. Not only that, but He provided for Naomi through Ruth’s obedient service.

Annabelle's Ruth FRONT final CoverI knew Annabelle’s Ruth was special as soon as I began writing. Actually, even before that, when the idea “popped” into my head. As the story fleshed out and became real, I knew in my heart, it was destined for greatness. Not long after it was published, the comments started coming in.

“This story is such a blessing!”

“Annabelle’s story has revived my hope, when I thought all was lost…”

It’s good to know that so many are enjoying the story and being blessed by the message of the book. So, I was especially excited to learn that Annabelle’s Ruth will be translated into Spanish. In fact, the process has already begun.

What excites me even more—the first printing of the Spanish version will be sold to benefit Unsion Ministries in South America.

In order for this to be possible, we need partners who would be willing to help pay for the preliminary printing of five hundred books. The cost will be an estimated $2500 – $3000. With the cost of printing the books paid in advance, we’ll be able to use all the proceeds from the sales to bless the women’s ministry in Ecuador.

I’m not asking anyone to give the full amount, though that would be amazing! Whether you can give a few dollars or a few hundred, that would help us on our way.

If you’d like to be part of this opportunity to be a blessing, you can click the link below to make your contribution (and please type “Annabelle’s Ruth” in the comment box):

https://giving.ag.org/Give/Details/600001-693941?MinistryName=unsion&Page

If you have any problems with this link or have further questions, please contact me via the “Contact Me” tab above this article (or contact me through my Facebook page).

God bless you, and from the bottom of my heart, I thank you!

For more information about the mission trip to Cuenca, Ecuador:
https://bettythomasonowens.com/2016/01/26/into-all-the-world/

https://bettythomasonowens.com/2016/01/19/when-youre-not-looking/