Our Tulcán study

Earlier this year, a young couple that we had never seen before showed up to our Sunday gospel meeting in Ipiales with their two little girls.  After the meeting, one of the little girls ran up to Ookyoung and said, "Are you going to come to our house?"  Ookyoung said that we would, requiring that we would get a bit more information.  As it turned out, the idea had come from the parents, so an invitation was extended, and we agreed to go to their house in Tulcán for a study the following week.  

What we learned when we arrived was that while Daniel and Alicia (the couple who had come to the gospel meeting) were indeed the owners of the house, they were not living there.  They rented it to Patricio and Socorro and their three children.  So, when we got there, Daniel and Alicia as well as Socorro were waiting to hear what we had to say.  We began the study, and partway through, Patricio arrived home from work.  It was quite evident that he had no clue that we had been invited, and I felt a little uncomfortable.  However, he was friendly, and we felt that they had a real interest in learning more about the bible, so we arranged to have another study at the same time the following week.

Our studies continued, and all four adults were always present along with their five children (between the two families combined) and every once in a while some of Socorro's family members.  As time has gone by, they have asked more and more questions, and it seems increasingly evident that they are receiving something.  It's lovely to see them wanting to apply these things to their lives rather than just listening to gain a sort of head knowledge.  

And Patricio told us a few weeks ago "how it happened" for him.  Indeed, when he arrived home during that first study, he had had no idea who we were or that we had been invited to his home.  He said that he decided that day that if he didn't like what he heard in the time we had left there for that study, we would never see him again.  However, in that short amount of time, he came to the conclusion that we were different.  He liked what he was hearing and seeing, and so he kept coming.  "I wasn't looking for anything," he told us.  "My wife would ask me to go with her to the church down the hill, and I would say no.  I didn't need anything.  But then you came, and I realized that I do need something.  God sent you to our home."  

It's a beautiful story so far, and we are hoping for a "happy ending."

Patricio and Socorro

Daniel & Alicia with Daniela and María Belén

Crístofer, Patricio and Socorro's youngest son, is in the background.