Here is our travel itinerary for while we are in the States:
December 22—30: Goshen, IN
December 30 — January 7: Hartford City, IN
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January 2: Speaking at Trinity United Methodist Church (Hartford City, IN)
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Serving Christ in Ecuador |
Our Christmas newsletter is available for download (Just click the link above!). You can see what has been happening with us in our first six months in Ecuador. Also, please note the address for Covenant World Mission has changed. If you are sending checks, please send them to:
Covenant World Mission
Joel & Kim Delp STM Support
8303 W. Higgins Rd.
Chicago, IL 60631-2941
This past weekend we had the opportunity to experience the Festivals of Quito. Basically, December 6th is the city of Quito’s Founding Day, so there are many celebrations that go along with the week that leads up to this day. We were able to spend some time with the Burbano’s and the Hoskin’s in celebrating these days by attending a parade and a fair. At the fair we were able to try a lot of typical Ecuadorian food which we had never tried before like Guinea Pig, which is a special Ecuadorian plate. See the pictures for evidence:
Instead of having giant ballon characters - they have these large home-made figures which are carried by people, which are actually very cool!
We have a tradition in our house to spend a day out which includes getting a Christmas tree, getting good coffee, a good breakfast, and then decorating for Christmas. Last year, and other years past we would spend A LOT of time picking “the perfect tree” that would help bring Christmas to our house or apartment. Last year we probably spent 1 or 2 hours picking our tree in the snow. This year was different. We heard there were real trees here in Ecuador for purchase, but we figured they would be really expensive. Today we were on our way to do some Christmas shopping at the artesan market and saw a place that was selling trees. We decided to ask how much they were from the window. Within 3 minutes, we had a tree tied to the top of our car with a wooden “tree stand” to put it in. All for about $14! (Labor included!) It was quite a change from the hour or 2 last year! There was no turning the tree to see all angles and imaging it in our house, there was no smelling it or feeling it to see what it was like. When she told us the price and we said OK, that’s all it took! It was an interesting experience. We decided we bought our tree through the “drive thru” today! Since we are all about traditions, today started a new one in the Delp household in Ecuador! Here are a few pics from the day. Simeon likes the tree, probably the lights and sparkles of the bulbs, maybe the smell too!
Probably the first time this has ever been posted by missionaries, but it’s the truth. This Sunday is National Census Day and everyone must remain in their homes until 5 p.m. (you can actually get arrested for being outside with your “I’ve completed my census” slip) for having your census taken. All business are closed and, of course, churches can’t have services. It’s actually a great way to get a good count, but not sure if would work in the States.
So, on this Sabbath, we will be having family devotions and “resting in the Lord!”
We wanted to take a second to wish everyone out there Happy Thanksgiving from Quito, Ecuador. This year we are thankful to all those who partner with us ministry. Without you, our ministry would not be possible. Thank you so, so much for your love, prayers and support!!!!
We just got done having a big Thanksgiving Day party with our new friends here in Ecuador. We had around 15 people over from the office of IPEE (The Evangelical Covenant Church of Ecuador); in fact, we were the only gringos!!! It was neat to be able to share of this Holiday tradition with our new friends and they seemed to like the food.
Here are some pictures that gives you a glimpse of our evening:
38AS JESUS AND his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him.39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said.40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
41″Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things,42 but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
In this passage, we have the story of Mary and Martha. The fact that a woman can be portrayed in such a positive light, as one worthy to sit at the Master’s feet, is significant in a first-century culture where women were often deemed unworthy of receiving instruction. Grace knows no boundaries of gender. The openness of the Lord to cross gender and social barriers is instructive for us, for often such barriers become obstacles to potential ministry. The Lord was willing to teach all, and so should we.
This text is not just about the role or status of women, but about discipleship. Yet the fact that Jesus pictures women as disciples shows that they are treated with respect as people and as full disciples. In a culture that tended to regard women as little more than children, this is a significant step by itself. Luke has several accounts that highlight the value of women to the cause of Jesus (see ch. 1 and 8:1 – 3). Today the gender battle is often fought in a different way, as opportunities open up for women that were unthinkable in the first century. Men and women are almost at war. This is most unfortunate, for Jesus foresaw a time when men and women would both contribute to the cause of Christ, working together rather than fighting for power. When service is elevated to its proper place in discipleship, then battles over power become less relevant. Thus Mary’s sitting at the feet of Jesus portrays a person willing to learn from him, while Martha’s busyness pictures someone serving him. Disciples need to do both.
From the standpoint of Mary emerges the example of someone willing to sit at Jesus’ feet and fellowship with him as his disciple. There is something tranquil in what Mary does. Often in the hustle and bustle of life, we need to pause for a moment of reflection before the Lord. Jesus’ emotion-filled reply to Martha, speaking her name twice, indicates just how appropriate it is for this sister to sit before him. She has chosen a needful thing, a good thing, that will meet with her reward for time well spent with him. Discipleship sometimes requires that tasks be suspended while fellowship is maintained.
I (Joel) am definitely the busy body. I need to make plans for an event and work rediculously hard to get everything accomplished for the task at hand and make sure it is done perfectly. If someone is not doing their part in making the preparations, I am quick to judge, as Martha does. It only helps that our Western-culture mindset applauds this type personality and effort.
Unfortunately, as those who are married know, the person you are most quickly to judge is sadly the person you are closest to, so I’m sorry to say that Kim too often receives my Martha-type judgements. How quickly I forget how she is the leader in our family in depth of spirituality: basking in the glory of God, thanking Him for his goodness to us, seeing God’s work in the common every day activities, ensuring that Simeon receives the same type love that we receive from the Father.
Dear Heavenly Father, in this day, forgive me for my shortcomings with my wife, help me to be a better husband, and teach me to be a disciple like Mary.
Bock, Darrell L. “Contemporary Significance” In NIV Application Commentary, New Testament: Luke. By Darrell L. Bock, 305. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, © 1996.
We had the Burbano’s over for dinner last night and it was so cute watching Caleb and Simeon play. Caleb can crawl much faster than Simeon and so Simeon was chasing him around all night. They are very cute playing together.
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On Tuesday, we had the opportunity the share together with our mission friends and ministry partners in celebrating the holiday in Ecuador called El Dia De Difuntos (The Day of the Dead). This is a very big holiday in Ecuador and most all Latino countries. It’s a day when families are together, eat a special meal, go to church, and then visit the tombs of their deceased family members. You can kind of think of it like a Memorial Day in the States but with a lot more tradition. Their are two very special foods that are prepared on this day; both of which you can see pictured below. Colada Morada is a special drink that is pepared and GuaGuas de Pan is a special dessert that is made. The Colada Morada (translated as the purple colada, or oatmeal drink) is a drink made from cooking blackberries, blueberries, cinnamon, cloves, and other fruits and spices with a little oatmeal in the water until thick. The drink is then blended until smooth. GuaGua is actually a Quechuan word meaning “child” so, as you can see, it’s litterally “children of bread.” We all enjoyed this very much, including Simeon who tried the Colada Morada.
If you read our last blog post you know we visited Isla Corazon (Heart Island) in the Bahia of Caraquez in the west side of Ecuador. Visiting this island was our best experience yet here in Ecuador and we have had a lot great experiences. It is basically an island of Mangroves. Mangroves are the type of tree in which the roots are above ground and you can see them spread out. We had the opportunity to get a tour of the island taking a canoe trip through the Mangroves. It was awesome! Isla Corazon is also the area of the largest population of frigate birds in the western coast of South America.
It was really an awesome experience. I describe it as going to the zoo and seeing exotic animals, but not actually being at a zoo and it actually being real life. Some of the highlights were seeing tiny crabs crawl up the Mangrove roots out of the water and looking like giant spiders. Also, seeing the White Ibis with it’s long beak trying to get the crabs out of their holes with it. Also, seeing the red-bellied frigates also was really, really neat.
The coolest part of this whole thing was learning about how the island is being maintained. Basically, the local fishermen in the area have formed an organization for the promotion and sustenance of the Mangroves and the Island. They don’t really get a lot of government sponsoring; most of the funds come from folks like ourselves that come for a visit. It’s just so neat to see a grassroots movement like this of people who live off of the land organizing and working in this kind of way to sustain the environment. If that’s not being good stewards of God’s creation, I don’t know what is.
Here is the website that tells about the island and the organization. If you are ever in Ecuador, you should definitely visit.