A Laptop!

In our last update we told you about our need for a laptop.  Well, someone here in Phoenix has set us up with one.  This will make presentations a whole lot easier.

Mission Trip from 1969 or 1970

Dear Frank & Family,

Paula and I enjoyed our visit with you family while at the dinner on the grounds at The Meadows. The pictures I sent in the last email were People of Ecuador that I took at different places while we were there. These pictures I will caption are also from the trip showing the things we did while there. The trip was around 1969 or 70. We were able to stay a few days after the group went back to the states and do some sightseeing in Quito.

Jack and Paula Lomas

MAF Missionaries home in Shell Mera.

Frank's Note: If you have been to Shell, I think this is the Nate Saint House.

Our group Painting and fixing up the a Baptist Church in Quito. Can you read the name of the church on the right side of the building.

Frank's note: This is Iglesia Bautista Universitaria on Avenida America in Quito.















MAF radio at the hanger or the home.


















Presenting a Bible to The First Lady of Ecuador.

Ecuador in 1969 or 1970

Jack Lomas is a member of Meadows Baptist Church in Glendale, Arizona. in 1969 or 1970 he made a mission trip to Quito, Ecuador and a side trip to Shell Mera. These are his pictures from that trip. The thing that amazed me was that so little has changed.

Jack, thanks for the permission to use these amazing photos. I know that those who have worked in Ecuador for a while will especially enjoy them.

Chip Lamca

Let's Hear It For The Good Guys!

We are amazed every day how God has been sustaining us. So many people have been so good to us during this time of transition and uncertainty that there is a danger in naming some and not naming them all. Despite that, we are going to risk it.

• Arizona Baptist Children's Services www.abcs.org is headed by John Elder. This is the organization that owns the house where we are living. ABCs has been absolutely incredible in blessing our family with this place.

Churches (all of the churches below give toward the operation of "our" house)

• The Church at Arrowhead www.tcaa.com is pastored by Dennis Adams. We were working with a member of Arrowhead in Quito and the church took the lead in getting the ABCs house ready for us to move in. Also, we are driving one of their cars.

• First Baptist Church of Sun City West www.fbcscw.org provided work teams to rehabilitate the house before we moved in. One of their pastors, Paul Kinnison, has been a great encouragement to Julie and me.

• Grand Community Church www.gcombc.org was another of the churches that provided work crews, especially electricians.

• First Southern Baptist Church of Phoenix www.firstphx.org is an amazing church. They provide the accounting and bill paying for the group of churches and are a missions dynamo. The church is not extremely large, but they have four congregations going each week, touching people from 5 continents (my apologies to 1st PHX if you are reaching out to Australians and Antarcticans and I was not aware :)

• First Baptist Church of South Peoria www.spbch.org is a going church, as well. I think the church helped with work crews and furniture. They have a Filipino Congregation meeting in their church each week.

• The Church on Mill www.churchonmill.com has been very involved. It was one of their members who started pushing for a mission house.
  

State Convention

• Just this past week, we learned that the Arizona Southern Baptist Convention www.azsobaptist.org wanted to get involved by paying for our car insurance! We just continue to be blessed.

There are so many others! There is my former Director of Missions, Doug Pilot, who calls and encourages us. Tim Pruit, the Director of Missions in Casa Grande, Arizona does the same. Matt has a friend who picks him up and takes him to class each day and brings him home. God has been good and continues to be.

Things I Am Loving in Arizona

10. Heat
9. Sunshine
8. Family Drops By
7. Knowing the Friends of Our Older Children
6. The Nearby Air Base and Daily Flights Remind Me to Pray For Our Country
5. Sunshine (Nice Enough to Name it Twice)
4. Having Bryan Come By Each Weekend
3. Being Able to Thank The Churches That Support Us
2. Running Into My Mom at the Mall
1. Seeing my Whole Loud Rowdy Family Anytime I Want To But Especially If The Steelers Are Playing.

A Gifted Young Man

It must have been April or May of
1990. Julie and I were asked to
come to come and see Julie's doctor. There was a problem with the baby. We were told that if he lived, he would likely not have much of a life. He would never walk or even be able to think like other children.

In a way, they were right. Matt never did learn to walk. He went directly to running and thinks in ways that amaze us. Just shy of 18, he is entering college. He is a good soccer player, picks up musical instruments with little difficulty and loves to tinker with just about anything mechanical or electrical.

He probably feels more deeply than any of our children but expresses it less.

In a week, he enters Glendale Community College to begin his college career. Please join us as we celebrate with him. If you would like to send a graduation card, you can send it to:

Matthew Lamca
7743 W Dreyfus
Peoria, AZ 85381

The Man In The Background

This picture was taken about 5 years ago when three men from Central Pennsylvania went to Peru on a mission trip.  The white haired man in the background is Herb Rice.  He is my pastor and for the past quarter of a century he has been in the background of our lives.  He has been my mentor, counseled us and performed our wedding ceremony, led my ordination board.  He has been an encourager and a challenger to me personally and in ministry.

Especially during the past 8 years, I have been in a role of pastoring pastors and church planters.  I have a degree in Religious Education and a Masters of Divinity with Biblical Languages.  But I have to confess that I have found myself many times, doing nothing more than translating Herbisms into Spanish.  Those things which have been entrusted to me, I have entrusted to others.  For example:

• I was pastoring a church while I was in college (the church will go without the name being mentioned for reasons you will see).  I thought sure that if Pastor Rice preached at the church, he could get through where I could not.  He preached and then spoke with members and then he and Barbara came over to our apartment.  "Chipper, those folks are a bunch of boneheads!  Get out that mess, son."
  
• On leadership:  "If you're going to take the rap, you might as well take the reins."
• "If you can't listen;  you can feel."  (in other words, God corrects those that He loves)
• So many times, I have sat with a pastor and family going through difficult situations and shared with them, the things that my pastor had shared with me.

Last night, Herb sat down in a chair at his cabin on Wopsy Mountain in Pennsylvania and when he stood he was in heaven.  

I loved Pastor Herb Rice.  For several years we both served in the Conemaugh Valley Baptist Association in Pennsylvania.  When pastors got together, they called me, "Frank" and called him, "Herb."  But between us, I was "Chip" and he was "Pastor."  

I loved to hear him preach, and though my style is very different, I learned to study and prepare from him.  I have had a very different ministry than Pastor Rice, but my understanding of ministry and ministerial ethics come from him.  If pastors and church planters in Peru and Ecuador think that they have learned from me, they have really learned from Herb Rice.  I am so thankful that I told him that.

I will close with my favorite Herbism of all.  His benediction.  That final send off; be it in person or on the phone.

"Giv'em ... Heaven!"

 

Happy Campers

The week of July 14th, we were on
Mount Lemmon near Tucson, Arizona. We were the missionaries in residence for the Gila River Baptist Association's Children and Youth Camps. Katie and Matt helped with Children's Camp. Matt was part of the worship team for Youth Camp.

Thanks to Tim Pruit, Associational Missionary, for the invitation. It was great to be able to spend the week encouraging kids in their walk with Christ.

National Give The Lamca Boys Some Money Day

Okay, this is getting kind of ridiculous even for me. God is giving us blessings and they are coming fast and furious.

I sent out an email at about 5 PM letting family know that Matt received a scholarship. It is called the President's Honor Scholarship at Glendale Community Colleges. It will provide Matt with full tuition for the next 2 years. What a blessing!

Then at 5:30 PM we got an email that Bryan was approved for a renewal of the Maroon and Gold Scholarship. This will provide him with full tuition at Arizona State for the coming year!

Both boys will also be working in the coming year at Federal Work Study jobs on their respective schools. How awesome to see God's provision at this time. Bryan's text message response sums it up: "Thank God."

Matthew Lamca: Academic Juggernaut

Okay, so I am not sure how to spell "juggernaut" but I know one when I see one. Last week, Matt took and passed his Arizona High School Graduation test. Today, he took the CLEP test for Pre Calculus. Can you hear the sound of that one being knocked out of the park? That's right, my non graduate from high school is enrolled in college and has his first 3 credits out of the way.

I just wish I could say he gets it from me.

Eight Years Do Not Fit Into A Large Crate...

...nor do they fit into 10 suitcases. Not even with 9 suitcases taken earlier by the volunteers from Oklahoma. Clean water wells will not squeeze into the largest case. Churches begun in Tumbes will not make it into a foot locker. Not even by shoehorning can you get medical clinics and feeding kitchens into a pilot case.

So, all of these things, the important things, will need to be left here. We will get on the plane Tuesday morning with some pictures, clothes and files. Since we cannot take the important things, we will leave them here, in South America. Lord and Continental willing, we will see our 10 suitcases again in Phoenix.

It may take a while, but we will see the things that do not fit into suitcases, as well. We will see them in a few years when we visit pueblos in Peru where hardly anyone will remember when cholera rolled through back in the bad old days when they had to get water from a stream... back before the well was drilled. We will see them when we read about a missionary or pastor from Tumbes who is doing something great. We will see them and not recognize them when they are healthy adults who used to go to a community kitchen in Quito. We will see the important things down the road and we will thank God that He allowed us to be a part of His work.

The important things are people whose lives are changed and bettered because people gave and prayed and joined in the work. And we got to be there to see it.

Trip Report by Cheryl Wright

Cheryl Wright was just here in Quito for a medical mission trip. Here is her report:

June 19, 2008

We got home yesterday after the easiest route through immigration and customs I have ever experienced. We even had time to eat lunch in Houston.
I am almost embarrassed to tell you what a wonderful time I had on this mission trip! I absolutely loved what I did each day in the clinics! That is not to say, however, that there were no difficulties as we started to work, and during the week. It was so incredibly obvious that people were praying for us! I am not kidding when I say that we would not even consider going on these trips without your prayer support. You most certainly are a critical part of the Team.
We were so late leaving the OKC airport that we were afraid that we would miss the only flight from Houston into Quito that evening. Remember the “running through airports” commercial of years ago—that was us. They held our flight, but were closing the plane’s doors when we got there. It was a comfort to arrive at Eduardo’s guesthouse. Jeanie and I got our room (the same one as the previous two years) and felt instantly at home.
On Wed. morning we unpacked and re-packed all of the medicines (thank you to all who sorted and counted pills!), caps, Gospels of John, and toys into suitcases labeled with each of the 5 days of clinics. It took everyone on the team working together to accomplish this task and it felt good to know that we were mostly ready for the days ahead. We rode the gondola up the extinct volcano that afternoon and shopped in the Indian Market. In the evening the family of Frank and Julie Lamca, our IMB missionaries, hosted a cookout at their home. The group sang to me and had signed a card, and we had cake baked on a BBQ grill—it was a birthday I will never forget! Missionaries Ben and Christine Haley brought their two-week old son.
On Thursday we loaded up all the medicines and supplies, and drove entirely across the city to South Quito and Shekinah Baptist Church, home of Jesus Our Friend School. We set up the exam stations in the sanctuary, the registration table on the porch, and the area for taking blood pressure, temperature, weight, and blood sugar (if necessary) in the doorway. The pharmacy was in an office at the back of the church, and medicine was dispensed through a doorway.
Please don’t think that our people from Oklahoma were the only workers. We had 4 dynamite interpreters—Challo, Salome, Fernanda, and Carley. We also worked alongside church members at each site. On Thurs. and Fri., I was at the registration table passing out stickers to the kids, as ladies from the church filled out the registration cards. We saw about 387 people on those 2 days, probably 225 of which were children from the school, or from a Compassion International after-school program. Every person got vitamins, skin ointment, parasite medicine, and a cap. In addition, the kids got a toy in their sacks.
The clinics on Monday and Tuesday were held at Maranatha Baptist in the central section of Quito. By then, the medicos had added an “express lane,” where a nurse saw people who weren’t really sick, but did need the parasite medicine, etc. and directed them to the pharmacy. This system allowed us to see 465+ patients on those 2 days. 40 children from an orphanage 2 hours away were brought in, and another 20 from a poor school several blocks distance. My job at Maranatha was to escort patients to a doctor or a nurse from the downstairs waiting area. I also got to pass out stickers to the kids and talked with the people, encouraging any who knew some English to practice with me.
On Sunday, our group divided, with half going to Shekinah (including me) and the rest to Maranatha. I sang in Spanish, Lindsey gave a talk in Spanish, and Eddy presented gifts to the pastor and his family. At the end of the service, the pastor called us all up to the front, and people came up and gave us gifts and big hugs, then a prayer of blessings. I wish that all of you could have heard the sincere and sweet words that were prayed over us. After a long lunch with our missionaries, we went to the Equator monument and shopped.
You may have noticed that I skipped Saturday. It was the day that you will probably hear the most about. We didn’t go to the scheduled location, but went with missionary Brett Cargile to Cuidela de Ejercitos (Little City of the Army). Although I wrote a detailed description of the place in my journal, it is hard to explain in a few words. Everyone took a deep breath when we first saw the makeshift church building, with corrugated tin roof, recycled plywood walls, and packed dirt floor. A recent hard rain left deep puddles in the surrounding grass and the muddy road tracks. After a few moments, each one started to work to set up the clinic. People began to gather, and I started trying to have people fill out the registration cards. It didn’t take long to realize that many could not fill them out for themselves. A dear young couple from Shekinah worked tirelessly outside, getting people registered and keeping order in the line. I greeted people and passed out stickers (of course!). 199 folks had cards and were seen, and many more than that received the hygiene kits (wash cloth, soap, toothbrush-- some also with shampoo and a Gospel of John) which IBC members had assembled. Even those who could not be examined, did not leave empty-handed. The leader of that congregation, who translated into Quechua for those who did not speak Spanish, thanked us so deeply, and said that no one had ever come to do anything like this for them.
It was a pleasure to work with each member of our group! Bro. Mark Wright did a great job as our leader, making some difficult decisions with patience and grace. Four members of our team were taking their first mission trip. Each one adapted quickly and played an integral role. The veterans were just so glad to be able to return and enjoy working with the Ecuadorian people.
Thank you again for your prayers! Please continue to pray for the missionaries, church members, and the patients who were treated in our clinics. We were told countless times “God will pay you”, that is, God will repay you for your service. It was our joy to serve in Quito. We were the ones blessed during the week. We do hope that each person will turn to God when he has a need in his life. We pray that when the follow-up is done on each person, they will be open to hearing how to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

God's Small Gifts As We Close Up Shop

There have been a lifetime of such moments in these past eight years, but the two today were just so unexpected!

First was seeing Patricio. Patricio's father is a waiter at our favorite (coffee tinted) watering hole. December 13th, Patricio was knocked under the wheels of a bus. He told us that he saw the back wheels of the bus bearing down him and just knew that he would die. At that moment, someone pulled him to safety and when he looked around, there was nobody there.

I was there when Patricio's father got the call that he was critically injured. I prayed for Patricio while he was in the ER and transported the family to the other hospital where he had surgeries. Later, Patricio asked Christ to be his Lord.

He recounted this all today and gave me much more credit than I deserved. He has been listening to the Bible Story CDs and told me that he is up to the story of Lazarus, a man raised from the dead. "I suppose that is who I am. God saved my life and then He saved my soul."

The second blessing came from Cathy. She is 15 years old and he father is Marcos, who we did training with about a year ago. We said our goodbyes to Cathy's church (Maranatha) about a week ago. When we were with the group doing the medical caravan at Maranatha today, she came up and said she needed to talk to me. "God has called me to be a missionary. I don't know where but I know he wants me to go where others have not gone." We talked about what it means to be a missionary and how she can prepare. My prayer for 8 years has been that Latin American would move from being a mission field to being a mission fountain...that missionaries would be called out to go to their own people and to others around the world. Cathy is one of many that God is calling out.

Random Moments in Ecuador

The following are just some unconnected moments in our lives.:




On May 5th, 2008, Julie and I went out and celebrated 25 years. Not of marriage, but of dating.










Chip and Thomas went to the Magic Bean early on Father's day. They had a nice time even though Thomas would not move far from the gas heater. The rest of the day was spent with a volunteer group at Shekinah and Maranatha churches.

Counting Down To Phoenix

Well, this time a week from now we will be doing the final giveaways and packing for our trip to Phoenix.  As is usually the case, our family has been very busy the past few weeks.

Bryan flew to New Mexico where he is working at Glorieta Camp for the summer.  Matthew had a very tough final week at Alliance Academy.  While he is done with high school, he did not officially graduate, so he watched sort of through the store window as his classmates did the camp and gown number.    He had his wisdom teeth out on Friday and is in a good bit of pain.  Thomas decided to say good bye to the folks at Hospital Metropolitano in his own way.  He broke the small finger on his left hand while playing goalie on the soccer team the last week of school.  The important thing is that he blocked the kick with his left hand (that is when the break happened) but was able to concentrate and block the rebound shot with his right.  What a man!  Katie is just saying goodbye to all of her friends and doing fine.  

We have a team here from Oklahoma.  They will go home tomorrow and take some of our suitcases with them.  Just a few days and we will be saying "but it is a dry heat."

A Time of Transition

When we set up our www.CrossTheFrontier.com and www.crossthefrontier.blogspot.com accounts, the name was meant to have a double meaning:

1. “Cross the frontier” of the things that are holding you back and be a part of what God is doing in missions.
2. Help to establish the Cross of Christ in the southern frontier region of Loja, Ecuador.

Well for us, it has taken on another meaning.  We are going to “Cross the Frontier” and return to the United States for a while.  I know that for many, this will come as a shock.  Frankly, you cannot be more surprised than we are. 

For eight years we have been privileged to go where few can go.  In the desert of northern Peru we established churches, participated in well drilling and even helped get the word out on a pipeline built of Inca Cola bottles.  On the border between Ecuador and Peru we saw new churches established and established churches given new life.  In the mountains of Ecuador we have seen believers strengthened and people given hope.  Now, that all comes to a….pause. Not a halt.  Just a pause.

On June 24^th we will go to the United States for a three month Stateside Assignment.  Following this, we will most likely go on a Leave of Absence.  This is a period of time that is unpaid leave.  So allow me to answer some common questions:

 

• Are you resigning?
• No.
• I thought you were going to Loja.  What happened?
• We thought we were going to Loja, as well.  For right now, suffice it to say that this is the time for an extended break.  Please be assured that:
  
• Our family is doing fine.
• Julie and I have a great marriage.
• The kids are not in any kind of trouble.
• We are not under any sort of governmental pressure to leave.
• There is not some sort of theological rift or shift.
• I am not leaving to take some great paying job (but if you happen to know of one…).
• Our health is fine.
• Where will you be living?
• The short answer is somewhere in Arizona.  We are close to having a place to live in the Phoenix area.  We ask you to be in prayer, as that should be finalized this week.
• Where will you work?
• I have placed my application with several potential employers.  We have one for which we are really praying and hoping.  We will have to wait and see at this point.
• How are the kids?
• They are having a very rough time dealing with this change.  They (and we) were mentally and spiritually headed to Loja.  In the past few days, we received word about the house mentioned above.  This would put our family within about 15 minutes of two uncles and a grandmother, and that has begun to turn the tide for the younger kids.  You have to keep in mind that we came to Latin America when our children were 12, 10, 5 and 4.  THIS is home and the United States is a place to go on vacation.
• How does this impact Bryan and Matthew?
• Bryan is entering his Junior year at Arizona State.  When we go on Leave of Absence, he will lose the grant that he enjoyed the first two years.  We will know in July, but it looks like he will have enough scholarships to live on campus at least through this coming year.
• The same goes for Matthew on the grant.  The changes happened after financial aid and acceptance deadlines so he will be going to Glendale Community College for the first year, at least.  Matt will probably enter with almost a year’s worth of college credit.  He will live at home for the first year, at least, and then apply to a four-year school (probably Arizona State).
• Where can we reach you?
• Through our website www.CrossTheFrontier.com
• Through our blogspot www.crossthefrontier.blogspot.com
• Through our email frank@crossthefrontier.com
• Our phone will stay the same (602) 334-4839
• How can we pray?
• That we would rise to this challenge.
• Physical needs
• A House
• A car
• Employment
• Health insurance
• Tuition
• Family unity in a time of major change
• Loja
• That the people of Loja would come to know Christ in a real and personal way
• For the workers on the ground in Loja to be encouraged and strengthened in their call
• For Lojanos who have gone to the big cities and come to know Christ, to return with good news for their people

For now, we have more questions than answers.  What we know is that God holds the answers.  We will greatly appreciate hearing from you.

Frank and Julie