July 16, 2022
Buenas tardes, Amigas,
Hopefully, this finds you all well in your home. After over two super busy months of attending our grandson’s wedding, fundraising sales, and an Ecuador wedding we finally returned to Ecuador for another mission trip.
Richard and I just returned from two more eventful weeks in Ecuador. Our arrival in Quito was marked by 20,000 Indigenous that have descended on the city a week earlier and were blocking all major highways throughout the country with piles of dirt and boulders. They presented thirteen demands of the current president regarding education, healthcare, the price of gasoline, food, job availability, etc. Unable to travel to our friend’s home, we had to stay at a hotel close to the airport. We were unsure if we could continue to our Manta flight the next day since our taxi driver pointed out rocks, boulders and dirt mounds that had been pushed to the side of the highway and said, “I’m not sure if we can return to the airport tomorrow. . . Depends on what the indigenous do.” United had cancelled two days of their daily flights prior to our leaving Denver because the Quito Airport had been shut down by the indigenous uprising. They were only able to continue because they managed to get their staff around the blockades and put them up in the hotel right across the street from the airport.
We were able to return to the airport and fly as planned the next day. And that is how this trip began. Grocery stores were looking grim: not an egg to be found, no meat or poultry, and so forth.
Once in Floron I/we prepared for a lunch meeting with the two local pastors (Gabriel and Jhon), Cliff (our board member who was back to visit family) and Music Director Chris Lang from Colorado Community Church. Chris was on a scouting trip to investigate a possible ‘music mission’ in 2023. (This was a new venue for us, so we were eager to hear more about it.) It was great – with Cliff translating – to see the warmth and eagerness between the pastors, Chris, Dra. Silvia (our Medical Director) and Fabricio (our custodian and lawyer). With his music musician team Chris has travelled the world evangelizing. Besides concerts, they bring donated instruments and teach musicians in the church - which he actually did on this trip. Have any unused instruments that need a new home? Multiple ideas were shared, and we are excited about this possibility! Parks, the Floron 8 chapel and other possibilities were visited. Jhon, Chris, Gabriel
As always, the Cherry Creek Quilter Ladies continue blessing new moms coming to the clinic. I should have been counting but I am sure over a thousand quilts have been brought down and gifted. . . and if I am giving a quilt to a new mom, it is my joy to tell them it is ladies in my church in the United States that made these cheery quilts for their new baby. Many thanks Cherry Creek quilting ladies!
Richard has busily been making updated manuals for the water technicians. . . Appears very comprehensive! Every water problem imaginable, cost, responsibility, etc. I would say more but that is his department. . . plus unending facility repairs in the clinic and water plant! Mix in with that, car problems – water pump had to be replaced. We are so thankful that we were in town and not stuck out in the country!
Cherry Creek Pres has continued to donate many Bibles that we continue to bring down and give at the clinic plus we have been able to also give Bibles to Pastor Gabriel and Pastor Jhon who were more than pleased to have for new members in their churches.
And the day after we returned home Dra. Silvia contacted us requesting permission to give Bibles to a seminary student who is evangelizing at the toll booth between Portoviejo and Manta.
Currently we hope to return in October and possibly accompanied by Candy McCune who will again present Peacemaker Principles. If you are not familiar with this, it is Bible based techniques for resolving conflicts between Christians. . . or in other situations. She and Flori (our Ecuadorian lawyer) will lecture since many of the staff did not work at the clinic when this was presented many years ago.
It is spring in Floron, and temperatures have been cooler than usual; and thus, water sales are critically low. In part due to the cooler temperatures but also many non-legal small in-home businesses have popped up in Floron that give us more competition than we desire. Please pray that we can find a large venue for water sales such as the university or a restaurant. The situation is critical, and these four young men really need their jobs as un-employment in Floron seems to be an ongoing issue.
The night before we left Floron we were able to enjoy a night out at the restaurant right across the street from the clinic – enjoying barbeque chicken wings, fried pork, and fried bananas.
Thank you for your prayers and continued support. May we all continue to run His race and be encouraged by the goal that awaits us!
Dios los bendiga,
Elizabeth, Richard and FYTA Board
Comments