A Recharge…Una Recarga

Posted on August 21, 2014 by Joel & Kim
Cayambe volcano and quechua family harvesting onions

Cayambe volcano and quechua family harvesting onions

Cayambe 2

 

Recently, when we were up further into the mountains with the team from Coshocton (we were in 4 lote, a small Quechua village).  We were there listening to a local worship band who played pan flutes, drums, etc…The windows were open and I was looking out over the volcano that was close, Cayambe.  We were surrounded by local church members from the Quechua church.  We were all worshiping together, one God, one voice, one place where we were all gathered.  It was a significant reminder to me that being called to this place as a missionary is a precious gift, a privilege.  As the Quechua ladies and I were talking and they were holding Esther I realized the amazing gift this is to be here and I was SO thankful for it.  Over the last few months we have had difficulties and it has been a challenging transition for us, but in that moment, God reminded me of His presence that is with us always.  That His call on our lives is greater than all we face and it makes it possible TO face what difficulties come.  I love these pictures because they are such a sweet reminder of Ecuador, at least the part of Ecuador where we live.  The mountains and volcanoes, people working in the fields, the beautiful sky.  It’s beautiful and all God’s.  So, we praise Him in the storm and have peace, His perfect peace, knowing that we are where we are supposed to be.

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A word of thanks from our Camp Administrator, Ruben Rocha

Posted on August 20, 2014 by Joel & Kim

[youtube id=”gBqz5_MNyNA”]

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News from the Camp in Santo Domingo

Posted on August 20, 2014 by Joel & Kim

 

We finally had the opportunity to go see our good friends the Rochas…. Rueben, Amparo, Lisseth, Maria, Mayra, Jeymi, Caren and Rubi, at the Covenant Campgrounds in Santo Domingo this past week.  We’ve been wanting to get out to see them since we arrived in Ecuador but haven’t had the opportunity because of our incredibly busy schedules.  It was a blessing and a true joy to be able to spend a couple of days with them.  And we were reminded of how difficult the conditions can be a the camp yet they were so hard to accomplish everything that is needed for the ministry to thrive and do well!

We were excited to be able to see first hand the progress that is being made on the improvements at the camp!  We were especially excited to see the new main pavilion that is going up to hold worship services and conferences.  Take a look at the pictures below to get a glimpse!

 

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The new main pavilion being constructed.

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In the process of building a newly renovated kitchen, they are utilizing this space for a provisional kitchen until the new one is built.

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The older pavilion which will now be utilized primarily as the dining hall and the covered area where people can go to get their food from the kitchen.

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Camp Administrator Ruben Rocha standing in front of the new main pavilion.

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This is where the old out-dated kitchen used to be and is now been opened up as more free space, today being utilized for laundry services.

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Any body want to come down and help us with our construction at the camp in Santo Domingo???  One last picture… here’s Simeon’s highlight of his time at the camp… catching a chicken!!!

Chicken_Simeon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Shaken Up!

Posted on August 13, 2014 by Joel & Kim

Earthquake

 

This was the scene outside our window yesterday as an earthquake measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale shook all of Quito with its epicenter just kilometers away from us.  Thankfully, because of the way that construction is done here, the buildings were prepared for the earthquake, so there wasn’t a lot of major damage.  The last reports we heard was that there were only 2 fatalities, numerous injured and a few people trapped in the wreckage.  The news doesn’t make it any easier for those affected, but we are just glad to hear that in a city of over 2 million people that the results were not worse.

For us, it has caused a little minor damage in our apartment but not much.  The big thing is that after the initial scare of the big one we have counted about 10 additional smaller aftershocks.  Each minor earthquake has us on the edge of our seats and huddling for safety as a family.

The picture that you see was taken of the mountains that you can see from our apartment.  When the original quake hit, you could see dust rising out the mountains as there were minor landslides that came down the hills.

Though the damage was not extensive please pray for those who were affected and that there are not any other major aftershocks that cause further damage and loss of life.  They are reporting that the earth’s plates still have not settled yet and that is why we are feeling so much continued disturbance.

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Missionaries sent out!

Posted on August 13, 2014 by Joel & Kim

Mission_TeamThis past Saturday I had the exciting privilege to help send out a team of missionaries from Iglesia Emanuel.  A team of 20 individuals, pictured above, have traveled all the way to Guayaquil, to partner with a church there participate in ministries and help with a construction project.  Please pray for them this week as they minister and travel back!

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And So it Begins…

Posted on August 12, 2014 by Joel & Kim

It has been over 12 years since the dream of starting a medical clinic and a home for at-risk children was born.  That dream is getting closer and closer and as of last week, the dream is becoming a reality.  Two work teams came down to help out with breaking ground for the first home for at-risk children.  Teams from Coshocton Christian Tabernacle and Pleasant Community Church both came down to help.  Construction started last Monday, August 4th.  In the afternoons on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, the team from Coshocton did children’s ministry in a small Quechua village called 4 Lote.  Tuesday through Friday, the team from Pleasant Community Church worked with the VBS at Iglesia Emanuel.

Day 1 of construction included getting organized for jobs and digging and evening the footers.

Day 2 The teams continued digging the last of the 28 deep footers and then poured the remaining 19 deep footers. In addition, 7 rebar columns were built and half of the block was laid for the tool shed.  The team from Pleasant Community Church also held a VBS and ministered to 200 kids in Cayambe!

Day 3: It was another busy day on Wednesday as the teams continued construction on the home. They built 9 more support columns, raised and cemented all 16 support columns, and laid the block for another section of the tool shed.  In the afternoon, the team from Pleasant Community Church again held a VBS for almost 200 children in Cayambe, and the team from Coshocton Christian Tabernacle ministered to children in Lote Cuatro.

Day 4:  Thursday found the teams finishing all but one of the remaining support columns, and then building forms and pouring cement for the first section of 10 columns. The remaining block was laid for the tool shed and the roof was started. The Pleasant Community Church team also continued the VBS for almost 200 kids from the Cayambe area!

Day 5: What an amazing week! The work teams from Coschocton Christian Tabernacle and Pleasant Community Church have accomplished so much and have been such a blessing.

On their final day of construction, they finished the tool shed, poured the last cement footer & 10 more column bases, and backfilled around the column bases that were poured on Thursday. What a great start for the home! The teams also finished up their week of children’s ministries in Cayambe and Lote Cuatro

Here are some pictures from each day

Day 1-4 lote

Day 1 playing in 4 lote

Day 1 Nati and Simeon

Even the young ones helped like Simeon

Day 1 COnstruction

Day 1 Construction

 

Day 2 Construction

Day 2 tying rebar

Day 2 Kids helping

It was so impressive how EVERYONE from the team got involved

Day 2-Pastor Jose bending rebar

Bending rebar

Tim and Pastor Jose

Tim and Pastor Jose

 

Day 3 4 Lote

Kids ministries in 4 Lote

 

Day 3 Construction with Ron

Day 3 Construction

Day 3 Tying Rebar

Day 3-PA team tying rebar

 

Day 4 Construction

Day 4 Construction

Day 4-Kids Jumping

Our kids had fun playing at the work-site with their new friend Antony who lives nearby

Day 4-Tying Rebar

Tying Rebar

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 5 End of Construction

End of Day 5 Construction

Working Day 5

Ohio Team working Day 5

Santiago Partnership group with 1st brick

SOME of the Santiago Partnership board of directors with Pastor Jose

Group Picture from Mission Trip

Group picture after construction ended on Day 5

 

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Harvesting changed lives

Posted on July 26, 2014 by Joel & Kim

Harvested_Land

 

The final crop of wheat has been harvested, now this land will be utilized to help harvest changed lives for the Kingdom of God.  Pray for us as we grow and build together a new ministry for extending His Reign and the ministry of the Evangelical Covenant Church of Ecuador!

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Vision Team

Posted on July 25, 2014 by Joel & Kim

This past week we had the wonderful opportunity of hosting a Vision Team from New Harvest Christian Church of Oregon, Oh, one of our sponsor churches.  Pastor Sharon McQueary and three church members, Andrew English and Doug and Kimberly Zoltani all came down to Ecuador for the very first time to be a part of the Vision Team.  We took them to visit churches and ministries in the Quechua District around Cayambe as well as up to Iglesia Betel in Ibarra.  We had a blast and enjoyed introducing them to Ecuador and we look forward to when they return to visit us.  Here are some pictures from our time together:
Team Sharon Kids-playing Kids Food Construction_Team Construction ArrivalTeam

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Busy Week

Posted on July 15, 2014 by Joel & Kim

NHCCWe’ve got a lot happening this week!  We will be welcoming and hosting a Vision Team from one of our primary supporting churches, New Harvest Christian Church of Oregon, OH.  They will be arriving Wednesday night and Joel will be taking them to visit ministry locations in Quito, Cayambe and the surrounding area and Ibarra.  Please be in prayer for Pastor Sharon McQueary, Doug & Kimberly Zoltani and Andrew English as they will be visiting Ecuador for the first time for the purpose of learning and understanding how their congregation can further partner with ministries and churches in Ecuador.  They will be here for 5 days through July 21st!  Please be in prayer for safety on our journeys together and that God will bless our time together with our brothers and sisters in Christ in Ecuador!

There is a lot happening with our project right now.  This week our official FACE project coordinator has begun with us working part-time on our project.  We will introduce him through a post later on.  This week we are looking to finalize the purchases on two lots of land in Juan Montalvo (just outside of Cayambe) that will be used for the home for at-risk children as well future developments for this home.  You can see the pictures of the land that we are purchasing here.  In addition to this, we are still working with and getting closer to getting permission from the customs officials in Ecuador to get our container sent all the while we are getting the needed permissions to open the clinic.

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Third Property - Second Section

 

Finally, we are blessed to have a visit from Kim’s mom, Noritta.  Safe to say she was excited to come and see her new granddaughter, Esther, as well as spend time with Simeon.  She did say hello to us when she got in!

Grandma Carter and Baby Esther

Grandma Carter and Baby Esther

 

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Cayambe Meeting

Posted on June 28, 2014 by Joel & Kim

DSC_0564Joel ran up to Cayambe last evening for a 4.5 hour meeting to discuss the launch of our project in collaboration with Iglesia Emanuel.  It was an incredibly blessed time.  To see the folks of that area and from the supporting churches who are so excited about the project and ready to help out.  Many of the church leaders there pledged their support and the support of the denomination.  They also talked about the needs in the area and how a medical clinic that provides a high level attention is so needed.  This is getting very, very exciting!!!

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