Ecuador Elections
Missionary Retreat
Earlier this month, our Ecuadorian missionary staff gathered together for a time of rest and relaxation and time to be together. It was nice as we were meeting new missionaries and spending time to get to know one another at a deeper level with no particular agenda or really set schedule or anything like that. It was a very nice time to be together without having to worry about needing to accomplish any ministry during our time. Enjoy the photos of our retreat!
Thank you Tara!
This past week we had a visit from a friend and Santiago Partnership Board member, Tara Euler. She had said last year when she came down to volunteer that if we ever wanted her to come down and visit for a week and help with the kids and around the house. So, we took her up on her offer and so she came down this past week. It was such a blessing to have her with us as she helped Kim with a medical caravan as well as took care of all of us around the house. Tara has the gift of photography so below are some of the pictures that she shot this past week. Muchas, muchas gracias Tara!!!
A New President is elected
A week ago, Simeon and I (Joel) traveled to the Covenant Campgrounds in Santo Domingo in order to attend IPEE’s (The Covenant Church of Ecuador) Annual Meeting. This is the season of elections and so this is the case with IPEE as well. President Henry Burbano has completed his second term in office (5 years in total) and so the presidency was changing hands. The new President was elected and his name is Pastor Franklin Reira, pastor of Betel Covenant Church in Ibarra, Ecuador. We also had 130 students graduate from our Seminary’s Certificate Program as well 3 pastors were ordained. It was an exciting time for all of us, especially Simeon as you can see he got to play in a boat in the river as well he and I went camping in a tent for the weekend while we were there. That was Simeon’s first time camping outside. Please be praying for President Franklin and IPEE’s new leadership as they transition into their new positions and guide our denomination.
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This year’s theme was “Strengthening the nets on our knees before Jesus”
![20170121_121529](http://blogs.covchurch.org/delp/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2017/01/20170121_121529.jpg)
We had the most people at the Annual Meeting that I had ever seen, 220
![20170121_123024](http://blogs.covchurch.org/delp/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2017/01/20170121_123024.jpg)
Leaving President Henry Burbano addressing the assembly
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The voting taking place for the new President
![20170122_132943](http://blogs.covchurch.org/delp/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2017/01/20170122_132943.jpg)
Simeon having fun in a boat on the river with friends
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Leaving President Henry Burbano commissioning the new leadership team of IPEE
![20170122_164752](http://blogs.covchurch.org/delp/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2017/01/20170122_164752.jpg)
Pastor Henry praying for the new president, Franklin Reira
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Our friend and fellow long-term missionary, Cheryll Clark, with Breck Hoskins and the Restrepos
![Erik_Pied_Piper](http://blogs.covchurch.org/delp/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2017/01/Erik_Pied_Piper.jpg)
Erik Amundsens giving the kids a tour of the plants on the campground property
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President Franklin praying for the new ordinands
Restrepos pay us a visit
A little over a week ago, we received a visit from our “bosses,” Pia & Eugenio Restrepo, from the Covenant Offices in Chicago. They are the Latin American and Carribean Regional Coordinators for the Evangelical Covenant Church and thus they are our superiors. However, they are more our friends and partners in ministry and for this reason, we were so excited to have them come see our project, meet with our ministry partners and learn about the needs that we have as a project. They hope to help us in promoting our project to volunteers and groups that would like to assist in medical caravans and other ways to support the ministry of the medical clinic and home for at risk children. See the pictures from our time together.
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Our friends and Regional Coordinators, Eugenio and Pia Restrepo, with Dr. Abimeal
Santiago Partnership 2016 Year in Review
We will provide a year in review of what all transpired in 2016 through pictures. Each picture can be clicked on to follow the link to read about it. Thank you for all of your support in 2016!!!
Christmas Fun
It was a little sad for us that we could not be in the States this year for Christmas to be with family and enjoy snow and the fun Christmas traditions we have up there. We did make the most of it and we had a very full December with many Christmas activities for the kids as well as some we created on our own. Enjoy the pictures!
![20161221_073554](http://blogs.covchurch.org/delp/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2016/12/20161221_0735542.jpg)
Wearing Christmas pajamas to school
![20161222_114945](http://blogs.covchurch.org/delp/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2016/12/20161222_1149452.jpg)
Esther was a reindeer in her Christmas program.
![20161225_103446](http://blogs.covchurch.org/delp/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2016/12/20161225_1034462.jpg)
Our church’s ladies choir sang Christmas carols on Christmas day.
![20161225_120555](http://blogs.covchurch.org/delp/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2016/12/20161225_1205552.jpg)
Simeon was an angel in our church’s Christmas drama.
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Christmas cookie making fun.
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Simeon’s school Christmas program.
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Post school Christmas program sillyness.
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Simeon’s soccer team had a big end-of-year soccer tournament.
![img-20161227-wa0029](http://blogs.covchurch.org/delp/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2016/12/IMG-20161227-WA00292.jpg)
We got a surprise delivery of pizza from Santa.
Christmas Party
A couple of days before Christmas, the Santiago Partnership team members had a party to celebrate Christmas and the Year End as well as thank all of our employees for their hard work this past year. It was a lot of fun as Kim headed up the cooking as we did it Thanksgiving style with turkeys, dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy… oh and guinea pig too of course! We had fun with games with prizes for the kids (and kids at heart!), toasted to a new year and ate some delicious food. Good times!
IWU Nursing Team
We are committed to education in Ecuador. This past week we hosted a team of nursing students from Indiana Wesleyan University, the first group of nursing students to visit and work with our project. They were a fabulous team that were very excited about teaching and helping in Ecuador. The team first visited the project in Juan Montalvo and did educational workshops on bacterias and virus, hand washing, tooth brushing and women’s health with the help of donated kits from Days for Girls. They also worked at different extension projects in Cayambe as well as in 4 Lote, a small Kichwa community. We are so excited about this first (of hopefully many) nursing teams. Thanks ladies for a great week! You did a fantastic job! Thank you for partnering with us!
Serving the Community
Our Medical Clinic in Cayambe serving the community. Yesterday, we held a training event free of cost and open and available for anyone who was interested. We covered first aid, emergency prevention and some basics of the treatment and prevention of the flu. Everyone left very satisfied from what they had learned.