Ismael & Amy Cortez
Guayaquil, Ecuador
Happy Anniversary! (Summer 2025)
On Sunday, our church celebrated seven years together. It’s lovely to look back and think about how we began…just a small group of friends with a desire to live in community and seek God and serve others together. What began as just a few has grown into many! We have been through good times and hard times together, and we have experienced God’s help and transformation and blessing in all of it.
This year our church has seen new faces, had new babies, grown in the ways we serve our friends in Downtown, and discovered some of the gifts we each have that allow us to serve one another--all in the midst of perpetual nation-wide power outages, political tension, and the day-to-day insecurity caused by high crime. Ismael and I are grateful every day that God brought us here and has used our family and our home to grow his church in Ecuador. And, in a few weeks, we'll be taking a church trip to celebrate new baptisms!
We have had a lot of big things happen during the last year, both in our church community, as well as in our own family, and we invite you to read about a couple of those things below!
Thank you for being part of our life and ministry!
With love,
Ismael, Amy, Eleonor, and Ivy
On Sunday, our church celebrated seven years together. It’s lovely to look back and think about how we began…just a small group of friends with a desire to live in community and seek God and serve others together. What began as just a few has grown into many! We have been through good times and hard times together, and we have experienced God’s help and transformation and blessing in all of it.
This year our church has seen new faces, had new babies, grown in the ways we serve our friends in Downtown, and discovered some of the gifts we each have that allow us to serve one another--all in the midst of perpetual nation-wide power outages, political tension, and the day-to-day insecurity caused by high crime. Ismael and I are grateful every day that God brought us here and has used our family and our home to grow his church in Ecuador. And, in a few weeks, we'll be taking a church trip to celebrate new baptisms!
We have had a lot of big things happen during the last year, both in our church community, as well as in our own family, and we invite you to read about a couple of those things below!
Thank you for being part of our life and ministry!
With love,
Ismael, Amy, Eleonor, and Ivy
Something I love about our small church community in Ecuador is that it is made up of people of all ages. And age doesn’t seem to be a barrier in the way of genuine growth and connection here. Those more mature in our community are quick to respectfully listen to and glean wisdom from the young people. There are solid friendships here that span generations. Our children count on care and nurture not just from their own parents, but from a company of trusted adults and teens who cherish them. In spite of our faults and failures, this, to me, is a beautiful embodiment of the church!
But even within a loving and steady community, I think our young people need extra care. There is a pivotal time between childhood and adulthood in which a person really begins to become who they are. And if we are not paying close attention, and pouring into their lives, we can easily miss opportunities to point them toward their identity in Christ.
But even within a loving and steady community, I think our young people need extra care. There is a pivotal time between childhood and adulthood in which a person really begins to become who they are. And if we are not paying close attention, and pouring into their lives, we can easily miss opportunities to point them toward their identity in Christ.
Our church started seven years ago this month, and all our children were children then. But they’re not anymore, and it’s time for something new. We tried game nights and movie nights and music as ways to try and connect with our young people. But nothing was really a great fit to spark interest in all of them. You’ll never guess what each and every young person in our church is interested in.
Mmhmm….tennis. They ALL want to go to the park and learn to play tennis. (Who knew that the $20 racket from target back in 2012 would be such effective ministry preparation?)
We started going to the park after church some Sundays, just because Ismael and I wanted to play. Then it was, “maybe David wants to come.” And then, “maybe Adrian and Santiago are interested too.” “Let’s see if Teresa would like to play tennis.” And then it was, “How are we going to get all these people to the park? We need an Uber budget!”
You know, playing sports together just has a way of dissolving timidity. Maybe it’s the healthy competitive spirit. Maybe it’s the trash-talk. Whatever it is, we’ve noticed our young people talk more now during church gatherings. They’re louder. They laugh out loud more. They want to do more things together like play games, and music. They are connecting more with each other and with more adults in the church. It’s just what we hoped for. We believe God has good plans to nurture and guide our young people, and we are hopeful that God has also been equipping and encouraging someone in our church to take on leadership of that.
Mmhmm….tennis. They ALL want to go to the park and learn to play tennis. (Who knew that the $20 racket from target back in 2012 would be such effective ministry preparation?)
We started going to the park after church some Sundays, just because Ismael and I wanted to play. Then it was, “maybe David wants to come.” And then, “maybe Adrian and Santiago are interested too.” “Let’s see if Teresa would like to play tennis.” And then it was, “How are we going to get all these people to the park? We need an Uber budget!”
You know, playing sports together just has a way of dissolving timidity. Maybe it’s the healthy competitive spirit. Maybe it’s the trash-talk. Whatever it is, we’ve noticed our young people talk more now during church gatherings. They’re louder. They laugh out loud more. They want to do more things together like play games, and music. They are connecting more with each other and with more adults in the church. It’s just what we hoped for. We believe God has good plans to nurture and guide our young people, and we are hopeful that God has also been equipping and encouraging someone in our church to take on leadership of that.
Nativo Percusión: A New Rhythm
Ever since I’ve known him, Ismael has had a dream to one day start a business. It’s a dream that goes back a long way and holds a deep meaning for him. From his childhood, he recognized the difficulty of the job situation here in Ecuador. He watched his parents and family members struggle with the lack of job opportunities, and with the unethical way of doing business here.
How many friends and family members have we seen over the years caught up in the struggle of unemployment? And for so many, when they do find a job, they are exploited—overworked, underpaid, cheated. Too many employers find ways around the laws that require they pay for health care benefits for their employees. Many employers don’t pay their employees’ wages on time. Or they don’t pay what they are owed. But there are no other options. And it’s so ingrained in the culture, that most people don’t have any expectations or hopes of a different way. It is what it is.
Well Ismael has never been satisfied with “it is what it is.” Somewhere inside, he has always seen the possibility of a different way. Over the years that dream started to become a prayer. And during this past year, that prayer has been answered, and the dream has become a reality...
How many friends and family members have we seen over the years caught up in the struggle of unemployment? And for so many, when they do find a job, they are exploited—overworked, underpaid, cheated. Too many employers find ways around the laws that require they pay for health care benefits for their employees. Many employers don’t pay their employees’ wages on time. Or they don’t pay what they are owed. But there are no other options. And it’s so ingrained in the culture, that most people don’t have any expectations or hopes of a different way. It is what it is.
Well Ismael has never been satisfied with “it is what it is.” Somewhere inside, he has always seen the possibility of a different way. Over the years that dream started to become a prayer. And during this past year, that prayer has been answered, and the dream has become a reality...
Missionaries Joni & Nangsar Morse
Chiang Mai, Thailand
June 24, 2025
Dear Friends and Supporters,
We are sending you our Newsletter for June. Nangsar and I have just finished hosting a Missions Team from Christ's Church of the Valley in Bakersfield, California.
All of us were blessed beyond measure by their brief visit. We wish we could have spent more time with them -- but such is the nature of short-term mission trips!
One village benefited from a water project, while another village school benefited from experiencing a Vacation Bible School program.
Many village leaders received Bibles, and a number of churches received new communion trays.
Dear Friends and Supporters,
We are sending you our Newsletter for June. Nangsar and I have just finished hosting a Missions Team from Christ's Church of the Valley in Bakersfield, California.
All of us were blessed beyond measure by their brief visit. We wish we could have spent more time with them -- but such is the nature of short-term mission trips!
One village benefited from a water project, while another village school benefited from experiencing a Vacation Bible School program.
Many village leaders received Bibles, and a number of churches received new communion trays.
We are so grateful for these contributions. God's work goes forward on the momentum of such visits and partnerships. We pray that we will be able to host many more Mission Teams like this in the future!
Your Coworkers in Christ,
Joni & Nangsar
Your Coworkers in Christ,
Joni & Nangsar
Larry & Ginny Niemeyer
Harvest 21 Ministries: Nairobi, Kenya
February 2023
Here's what God's grace is unfolding before our eyes for 2023:
With Harvest Community Discipleship Trust registered in Kenya, it will manage the Harvest21 Endowment Fund (a task previously done in the USA). Jeff and Anne Kimari have joined with us to be Founding Trustees continuing indefinitely and Michael Ndungu is the current Trust Chairman.
It's Vision: to see Christ's gospel transforming the lifestyles of people, families, and churches in Kenyan communities and beyond.
It's Objective: to make disciples and contribute to discipleship mobilization that leads to community services by individuals, families, churches and ministries committed to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Harvest Heralds, Inc. serves HCDT by administering the Endowment Fund. Together, we will...
Here's what God's grace is unfolding before our eyes for 2023:
With Harvest Community Discipleship Trust registered in Kenya, it will manage the Harvest21 Endowment Fund (a task previously done in the USA). Jeff and Anne Kimari have joined with us to be Founding Trustees continuing indefinitely and Michael Ndungu is the current Trust Chairman.
It's Vision: to see Christ's gospel transforming the lifestyles of people, families, and churches in Kenyan communities and beyond.
It's Objective: to make disciples and contribute to discipleship mobilization that leads to community services by individuals, families, churches and ministries committed to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Harvest Heralds, Inc. serves HCDT by administering the Endowment Fund. Together, we will...
- continue what we all began as Harvest Heralds in 1967 (Zimbabwe), 1972 (Zambia) and again in 1982 (Kenya) - distribute 3,000 books this year, seek 630 new disciples, 395 disciple-makers and 63 teams.
- keep the dream for discipleship mobilization alive from 2000 onward - a 21st century built on a 20th century foundation.
- manage the Harvest21 Endowment Fund we started in 1996 when Larry's dad died and what the families and loved ones of 135 other people have honored.
- utilize the Fund's annual interest accumulations (about $35,000), ensuring it is invested in the lives and ministries of people engaged in Christ-centered discipleship mobilization.
- invest in 1) the publication of discipleship tools, 2) the mobilizing and training of born-again disciple-makers, and 3) the combining of discipleship with community service and compassion beyond church walls.
