"Sparking the Good News" by Gene Clemens of Salem First Christian Church

As we have traveled around the area and while we have been working in the Imbarbura province, we have seen five volcanos, two lakes and some of the most beautiful sunrises over the volcano and sunsets behind another.  God has created a beautiful world for us.

We have also encountered a handsome and welcoming people.  "Good mornings" or "good afternoons" around Ecuador from a majority of those you met.  As usual on mission trips, one feels more blessed than a blessing.  We receive undying thank yous for the work we have done on their behalf.  Here, we have specifically served the children in remodeling a day care center.  The "holas" in the morning and "adioses" each night from the children was instant warmth.

God's blessings are endless when doing His calling.  Somehow, some way, His blessings on this effort will impact lives on the children and perhaps parents and they will in turn serve others,  continuing God's blessings to both servants and recipients.  Sparking the Good News in God's command.

Mark 12:29-31
²⁹ “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.^[a] 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’^[ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’^[c] There is no commandment greater than these.”


Gene Clemens
Salem First Christian Church

"You Never Know" by Rick Ikeda of Salem

You Never Know,

They say you never know how what you say or do will affect others. The other day while our group was working in Cachimuel Marilyn Cooper, a Global Ministries volunteer missionary working with FEDICE, drove Lisa Renz , Sebatian and myself to Tocagon. They were putting on their own VBS for several of the close by churches. We were going there because they wanted Lisa Renz to speak to them. Lisa is a short term volunteer for FEDICE who was a missionary in Mexico for 44 years and had worked on some programming for them. She happens to originally be from Oregon and still considers herself an Oregonian.

When we got to the church there were around 150 kids singing in the courtyard WOW! I pointed to the yellow building across the courtyard called the education center and told Lisa that we (Oregon region) brought a group here two years ago and helped to finish the second floor and the wall around the third floor. She said yes I know part of the reason I am here is I saw the video about that mission trip and it peaked my interest in FEDICE. She did more research on FEDICE contacted them and now she’s here helping. You never know!

The video was created by Dave Van Dyke from Murray Hills Christian Church.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RcXFOuiXEw&feature=plcp

"Cemetery" by Audre Bratcher of Portland First Christian Church

One of the fascinating sites on the road to Cachimuel is a hillside cemetery with multiple tears of graves and above ground tombs.  On Monday, there were people sitting and standing in groups throughout the entire cemetery.  We thought it must be a special day of honoring the dead.  On Wednesday morning, we observed a funeral procession heading to the cemetery and many people were still scattered throughout when we went by again three hours later. 

Victor says this is an indigenous cemetery and their custom is to spend the day of a funeral in the cemetery, visiting graves of ancestors and friends and even taking lunch.  He went on to say that mestizo people or more evangelical indigenous people typically do not follow this tradition.  A cultural map of the Otavalo region clearly indicates separate indigenous cemeteries. 

Audre Bratcher

Portland First Christian Church

Work Day 4: "Feeding of the Four Thousand" by Doug Collins of Albany FCC

Day four of work at in Cachimuel was full of joy and laughter.  “Corazon” the clown (IE Christy Know of Silverton [I didn’t tell you that]) paid a visit to the children and handed out stickers, photos and balloon animals made by our group the night before.  Duane then handed out balsa wood plane gliders, which the children enjoyed very much.  Workwise, we completed many projects including a beautiful mural of a nearby volcano with local elements including corn, dogs, pigs, a donkey, houses, and children designed by Carol Cure, finishing the final coats of the yellow and brown interior and exterior walls, and lots and lots of clean up.  We are tired this evening from laughing about the many jokes that arose over our lunch as most of us tried ostrich meat for the first time!  We look forward to a special program and dinner being put on by the people of Cachimuel and a special visit by some government officials who wish to help us dedicate this newly refurbished day care center.

Tonight was my evening for devotion and no scripture seemed more fitting than the feeding of the four thousand found in Mark 8:1-9 Contemporary English Version (CEV);

“1One day another large crowd gathered around Jesus. They had not brought along anything to eat. So Jesus called his disciples together and said, 2"I feel sorry for these people. They have been with me for three days, and they don't have anything to eat. 3Some of them live a long way from here. If I send them away hungry, they might faint on their way home." 4The disciples said, "This place is like a desert. Where can we find enough food to feed such a crowd?" 5Jesus asked them how much food they had. They replied, "Seven small loaves of bread."] 6After Jesus told the crowd to sit down, he took the seven loaves and blessed them. He then broke the loaves and handed them to his disciples, who passed them out to the crowd. 7They also had a few little fish, and after Jesus had blessed these, he told the disciples to pass them around.”

Today we have felt, given, received and rejoiced in the many blessings, which are abundant in this place.  We have given thanks to God for the opportunity to get to know each other as a greater regional church – even greater, an international language of God which transcends grammar and sentence structure, whether it be English, Ketchua or Spanish.

Praise be to the Artist, who weaves us together,

Deeper and deeper into the same quilt,

Ever-growing and ever-warming all who seek God’s warmth

With no boundaries, beyond comprehensibility.

Amen.

For more on this particular devotion, visit http://www.weekofcompassion.org/mission-trip-devotions/ and scroll down to the Wednesday entry.

Work Day 4: "Flight" by Duane Hesketh of Portland First Christian Church

I have wanted to make this trip for four years.  This time I said I was going no matter what.  It has been more than I have expected.  People are great, food good (most of the time).  I’ve had great joy in grouting tile and painting.  I brought 100 balsa wood gliders, which we gave out to the children today.  I took one to try out yesterday with the kids – it was a big hit with them.  To my surprise, one of the day care teachers, Mercedes wanted to take a good look at it so I give it to her.  To my surprise, in about one hour, she had made one out of cardboard and painted it yellow.  It looked real good.  This is a mission trip everyone should take.

Blessings, 

Duane Hesketh

Portland First Christian Church

Work Day 3: "The Kitchen" by Jim Cure of Murray Hills CC

 I really didn’t know what to expect when we arrived in Ecuador.  The country is beautiful as well as the people.  I love the children, the smiles on their faces and the warm greetings.  We didn’t have much in a way of the description of the project, all I knew for certain was we were working on a Day Care center in Cachimuel, Ecuador. 

The project consists of a complete remodel of the one of the two day care buildings to increase the capacity.  There are three classrooms, a kitchen and one large room in the middle that serves as the cafeteria and general activity room.  All of the rooms are getting new paint and the bare concrete floors will have tile flooring (including grout).  The kitchen requires an expansion of the counter space and a new sink. In addition to washing all of the windows, which are covered with years of grime and splattered with mortar from stucco, we are also painting the exterior.  To top it off, Carol is doing a mural in the large room. 

I spent the day in the kitchen.  We formed up the extension of the counter and then made concrete from scratch.  Back in my college days earning a Civil Engineering degree I only took one graduate level course:  Advanced Concrete Design.  Today was a lesson in opposites.  I hauled wheel barrels of sand and rocks and about 150 pounds of cement for the mix.  The sand was dumped on the floor and the cement on top.  Working closely with Nicholas (maestro) a local resident and expert concrete finisher, we then dumped the rocks in the middle, added water and stirred (Oh my achin’ back). And to top it off, so to speak, we are working at an elevation of over 9,000 feet with a view of Imbarbura—a  15,000 foot volcano.

A view from our worksite of Imbabura Volcano 

Click HERE to watch a Jim make concrete on Facebook

 It has been a challenge with my 50 year old high school Spanish classes to communicate, but somehow we manage.  These are hardworking people and it has been a pure joy to get into action.   They express a genuine appreciation for our efforts and our support.   It’s something to feel good about.

Each family is charged one dollar for each child per month to attend the day care center, and for some that is a high hurdle.  I feel blessed to be part of the mission trip. 

God's blessings to all of you,

Jim Cure

Work Day 2: "A Moment that Stuck" by Steve Knox of Silverton FCC

I think it was Fred Craddock who said you should preach in such a way that people cannot shake off the message while they shake your hand at the exit door of the church.  It should stick like a piece of scotch tape that cannot easily be shaken off.

On this journey in Ecuador, there are moments that stick.  There are images that cannot be shaken off like the dust on your clothes at the end of a work day.

For me, one such moment came as we were heading up the steep rocky road to Cachimuel a couple days ago.  Looking out the bus window at a field of broken corn stalks, stood an elderly woman.  Short, wrinkled with age, carrying a bundle of stalks six times her size.  They were tied somehow to her back.  I suppose she was carrying the stalks home to be used for animal feed.

It was a moment that stuck to me like scotch tape.  An image of human determination, the dignity of work, and the burden of poverty.

That moment reminded me of another moment when Jesus walked into the synagogue and spread open the Isaiah scroll and read about bringing "good news to the poor."

I hope and pray that when that precious little lady with the huge bundle of corn stalks on her back saw FEDICE bus coming up to her village it was good news.  For me, it was a moment that stuck.  An image that cannot be shaken.

Rev. Steve Knox preaching at La Iglesia Evangelica in Cachimuel

Blessings,
Steve Knox

VBS Day One: "Los Niñitos" by Carol Cure of Murray Hills CC

Yesterday was the first day of VBS here in Ecuador, and those of us involved in that part of our mission were a little nervous ahead of time, especially since Christy Knox was having issues with a reaction to bug bites and couldn't be with us.  But it went quite well, with about 48 children.  Several mothers in the neighborhood stayed to help us and were invaluable, rounding up children and keeping an eye on a few of the lively ones.

It was heartwarming to watch some older children with their younger siblings and neighbors, encouraging them and keeping them quiet when needed.

We had a popsicle stick puppet project sent with Lauri Morris from Corvallis, some origami for the older ones, a story about Noah's Ark and a coloring sheet to go along with the story.  We also sang songs.  The time went quickly.  Blanca Puma of FEDICE read the story in Christy's absence and really involved the kids.

Lauri's puppets and Helen's origami were hits.  The room was acoustically challenged and had the volume of sound was high.  Many children had to draw and color on the floor.  But despite lack of supplies, al went well and Emily Killin said she didn't know who worked harder - the people doing manual labor at the day care center down the hill or those involved with VBS.  Everyone enjoyed the first full day of work, but were pretty tired.

Carol

Work Day 1: "Caminando en la Luz de Dios" by Doug Collins of Albany FCC

We are walking in the light of God with the people of Cachimuel.  Day one of working at the daycare center was a big success, thanks to our guides, Sebastian and Jim Cure of Murray Hills Christian Church.  Today, our group spent most of the time grouting the tile floor in the newly remodeled building while Emily Killin, Lauri Morris, Carol Cure, Blanca Puma, Marilyn and her husband Glenn, Audre Bratcher and Helen Thomas spent the afternoon with children of the community just up the hill for Vacation Bible School!  We ask for prayers of healing for Christy Knox, who stayed at the hotel today due to some bug bites which have turned red and begun swelling.  She will be making a trip to the hospital tomorrow to check and see if antibiotics are necessary.  We are hoping to find a solution to the bites before any possible infection could make things worse.  Christy remains positive and upbeat, but we'd sure like to see her getting better very soon.

Today's devotion was lead by Audre Bratcher of Portland First Christian Church.  Audre read an article from a New Day magazine issue featuring the lives of various women throughout Ecuador.  Tonight, we heard the story of a woman whose life had been turned upside down in 1999 when a volcano eruption forced her community to flee the town, never knowing if they would return.  This, and many other stories within the issue highlight strong women's will to be brave in the face of adversity as economic, social-cultural and environmental issues have created many obstacles in their lives.

Perhaps we find it easy to create a caricature of what a day in the life of a rural Ecuadorian may be like.  It seems that in doing so, we miss the piece of common struggle which we ourselves are not free from.  From a death in the family to an economic hard time, we too are put in situations in which we must rely on the goodness of a stranger, exposing our most vulnerable, sometimes most personal hardships in order to seek the help we need.  The people of Cachimuel have blessed us by allowing us to help them expand their daycare center so that parents may work during the week day and contribute to their family's and foster a healthy upbringing.  Truly it is an honor to do this work with such kind, good people.  We are walking in the light of God - caminando in la luz.

A video taken at the beginning of our work day by Steve Knox of Silverton FCC

Tomorrow will bring day two of our construction project.  We will begin painting walls, a mural of Noah's Ark which Carol Cure is designing and more grouting.  On the surface, it is easy to overlook the significance of these simple tasks our group can accomplish.  On the other hand, it is also so easy to overlook the significance of this holy exchange which is encountered when people of different cultures can get together and be one body of Christ - one language interpretable through three.  God is at work with us and for this we give thanks.

Sunday, July 15th: "Worries" by Doug Collins of Albany FCC

Once again, our day was busy from breakfast to dinner. We went to church with the people of Cachimuel (the community we begin working for tomorrow) and heard Rev. Steve Knox of Silverton First Christian Church preach a heart-felt sermon on our unity in Christ, touring our worksite for the week near the church building, visiting the "Archangel" statue and climbing to the top of the angel statue for a glorious view of four volcanoes and the city of Ibarra and eating their world famous ice cream, and bird watching at a lake Yaguarcocha.  To end the day, we enjoyed pasta back at the hotel and a delicious fig dessert.
While comfort zones may not have been pushed as much as they were yesterday at the Otavalo Market, most of the groups' concerns today were regarding tomorrow, as we begin our work project at the daycare center, as well as our first VBS day with the children.  "What do I need to wear?  What supplies will we need?  How long will we be there?"  The list goes on.
Each night, a different group participant leads us in a brief devotional.  This evening, Carol Cure of Murray Hills Christian Church lead the devotion and the scripture she chose spoke to those very concerns that we all have had.  The scripture is Matthew 6:34.  "There, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own" (NRSV). 


Worrying often gets the best of us.  There are so many reasons for us to worry - money concerns, job security, our children's' safety, family health, the list goes on.  So, what does it truly mean not to worry? 


This blog entry is left intentionally short.  Please feel free to comment on this post on what your thoughts are about this particular scripture selection.  What do you worry about?  How do you cope?  How does Jesus' ministry show us to leave tomorrow's worries for tomorrow?


Blessings,
Doug

Victor Vaca of FEDICE and Carol Cure of Murray Hills CC

Blanca Puma Marilynn Cooper of FEDICE

Gene Clemens of Salem First Christian Church on the boat at Lake Cuicocha

Saturday, July 14th: "Critical Presence: Critical Questions" by Doug Collins of Albany FCC

What a wonderful day in Ecuador it has been.  I was greeted last night by Hugo, a staff member of the FEDICE team in Quito and his brother and father who graciously stayed up late to give me a ride to Victor Vaca's home for the night.  I was greeted and welcomed as family by the FEDICE volunteers and staff members staying in Victor's house and had toast and tea before a long needed rest.  This morning, I woke up to catch a bus to Otavalo to meet up with the group (finally) in order to have breakfast at 8 at the hotel.  Again, I was greeted (this time by more familiar faces) and welcomed in just like family.  After a brisk breakfast we were on the bus to make our way to the Otavalo Market.  Let me explain the Otavalo Market in Oregonian terms: picture the Portland saturday market...times 100.  Seriously!  Everywhere we turned, hundreds upon hundreds of local people working hard to sell us their beautifully hand-crafted clothes, musical instruments, souvenirs and foods.  However, as our time at the market went on, I began feeling more and more uncomfortable.  The poverty in this country is so vast - it's beyond words.  To think that we were the "rich American tourists" who got to walk around and barter their already extremely low prices down to an even lower price left me feeling unsettled.
In addition to bartering already low prices for these goods, I think the thing that struck me most was that almost all of the venders were elderly women who had obviously been selling (and attempting to sell) their goods for many many years.  It surprised me to see elderly women who had to bear the sun for hours on end, often sitting on their knees on the concrete ground.  Something just didn't seem right about that to me.  The second piece of this realization came to me as I remembered a series of articles from last year's issue of New Day magazine on critical presence.  If I remember correctly, critical presence is about going with God (on mission trips or other instances where you're out of your comfort zone or cultural familiarities, as I've interpreted it) and allowing yourself to be with the moment, with God - discerning the need and what there is to be learned from a particular situation, opening yourself to discover something you hadn't previously anticipated or imagined.  As a young American, the phrase "you can do anything" bombarded my childhood, teaching me to believe in myself and challenge myself to do what I want to do with my life. Critical presence has its way of not being about choice at all, however.  Perhaps this is where finding and discerning God's presence is so difficult at times. 


Perhaps the lessons and thoughts we gain from being placed in unpleasant situations call us to action, and thank God we are called to action when necessary.  Our hands are God's hands, that is how the world can begin to turn toward justice, only if we work for it - a lesson I've heard and witnessed personally.  However, I believe there are key times when God calls us to let a thought linger and to let ourselves dwell in that moment, as unpleasant as it may be, remaining thoughtful and present about actions that have already been taken (for better or for worse) and to discern, and to listen.


To bring this back to my experience at the market, I've noticed myself feeling pity for the elderly women on their knees all day today.  Why do I feel this pity?  I think it's partly because I look at elderly people like my grandmother in my life and think about how little I would like to see her grueling pounds and pounds of goods on her back and sitting on the ground all day, just to make a few dollars (if that).  Now, again, within my very limited perspective, I want to take action!  I want to save the world - because only I alone can do it all.  If only...  If only, I could fix everything, or better yet, if only everyone just agreed with me and justice as I see it would prevail - wouldn't that just be easier?


There you go again, God... making me think!


There is a balance between how I think these elderly people should be able to live their lives at this point in time and what should be done about it.   My conscience is screaming, asking; "These people have worked their bodies to the bone raising families and working to support them their entire lives, only to be stuck in a street booth all day, going to bed sore and barely making ends meet?!"  


Pause.  


Critical presence makes this conflict a little more complicated.  At what point is action to overshadow intellectual moments?  At what point should I sit down and stop talking so loudly and just listen to the Spirit?  To put it simply, I don't know.  God continues to call our group out of our comfort zones and I am grateful for this.  Unpleasant pondering is in some ways more agonizing than when the wrong action has been taken.  Perhaps it is at those times when God asks us to listen and just be present.  


God of change,
Mystery, movement, light,
Lead us to ask, and not always to know.
Lead us to seek, and not speak for you.
May peace be known in this world.
May the City of God be the work our hands.
Breath of renewal, we are yours.

Amen.

Trusting

Traveling almost always without fail teaches you to trust - to trust technology, to trust strangers to help you, to trust God, to trust yourself. This morning, I woke up about two hours late due to an alarm clock failure with about 40 missed called and 4 text messages from Cathy Myers Wirt checking to see where I am and if I'm still coming! Ah! Not a good way to start your day... I got myself to the airport at 7:55 to meet Doug Wirt and plead to the woman at the desk to see if I could catch another flight to Quito. Her generous and helpful expertise allowed us to get another flight at no additional cost, other than a lowered flight change cost. Trust. Thank you! I am sitting at the terminal now at PDX waiting for my 11:00AM flight to Denver and then to Quito tomorrow morning. Please keep our group in your thoughts and prayers as I understand the group had a delay in PDX with little time to get though customs to make their Quito flight this afternoon. We'll get there.. Surely we will be there soon. 'Til then, blessings.

Tomorrow, our group will be meeting at the airport at 6:00 for our flight to Ecuador.  As we prepare for this journey, we ask for your continued prayer from the region.  When we get there tomorrow evening, the highs are in the low 60's at 9,500 feet in Otavalo, Ecuador.  More information and reflection on our daily activities are to come soon.  'Till tomorrow when we fly away!

Doug