Ecuador 08 Missions Trip - Crosswinds Wesleyan Church

The team arrived safely. We are all adjusting to the altitude. We accomplished much on our first work day. Nine columns were made using rebar and wire on the second floor of the seventh grade classroom we are building. Today members of the team are covering them with plywood and hopefully will be filled with concrete. Yesterday we also had Vacation Bible School with about 180 children which went very well. The children were so receptive to our puppet show and craft activities. The children are so amazing. They come up to you in groups and say "Hello, what is your name?" in English and then ask for you to write out your name in their notebooks. We feel like celebrities signing autographs. We woke up this morning to a beautiful sunrise and the hour trip through the Andes to our worksite was breathtakingly beautiful. We stopped to take pictures of three volcanoes. Today some of us who are not working on construction are taking groups of children to purchase shoes in the town. ...and this is only the first two days!We miss you all. We will give you updates when we have the opportunity to go to the Internet cafe.In Christ,
The Team
(written by team member Jeanne Guastaferro

Updates from the field - Wed, April 9

Dear Family and Friends,It's hard to know where to begin. I just left the school for a minute to write this to you. Pastor Romero just called all the children and faculty to the courtyard to present all the gifts that Crosswinds gave to the school - supplies, soccer balls, 2 big exercise balls that the children are just going to love throwing around. When he finished presenting the gifts ALL the children came up and gave all of us hugs en mass. They are so appreciative and so freely show their love. They are so openly affectionate. Yesterday cement dust had irritated my eyes and they were teared up. I was sitting alone wiping my eyes and suddenly out of nowhere a little girl around 7 or 8 years old came up to me and gave me a big hug to make sure I was OK. I smiled, she smiled and she ran back to her classroom. To show their appreciation they are going to give us roasted guinea pig (cuy) for a special treat tomorrow. This is a delicacy given to special friends.The Lord is continually showing us how to trust in Him in all things. The first day we were here, our bus driver, Reuben, had to go to the bank in Quito. It was cheaper for him to take the public bus. He left Rich with the key, the only key, and instructed him to push the door very hard while turning the key in order to open the door. I guess Rich didn't turn it hard enough. The key broke off and the part of the key left in his hand was twisted. He knew he shouldn't panic knew that the Lord would take care of this precarious situation. Franklin, Pastor Romero's brother, took a paper clip and fished the remains of the key from the lock. They found a window that was not completely latched and 2 men boosted Rich up through the window. He was then able to open the door from the inside. Franklin took the remains of the key and came back an hour later with a new key that actually worked. Ecuadorians are so resourceful. God is so good.Yesterday a group of us went to town with groups of children and fitted 26 of them with new sneakers. We went to a couple of stores to find the best price. Josh Ford, the young man from Palmyra who has been here since last August, bargained for the best price. One store wanted $12 per pair, but we were able to find another store with the same good quality shoes for $7. Again, we got hugs from all the shoe recipients. Our construction team noticed that the 2 maestros (masters or leaders of the work teams) were in desperate need of work shoes. Maestro Seguendo was wearing shoes with large holes, no socks, and skin was bulging through the holes. We took them both to the shoe store and bought them new shoes. We found out later that Maestro Jimmy's family was the victim of a robbery and lost everything. He had been praying specifically for new shoes. In their culture they would never ask for anything, but pray for God's blessing. God blessed him through us and we were so blessed that we were able to bless him. Blessings all around. I must stop now and go back to the worksite and see what God has in store for us today. Oh yes, 5 columns were filled with cement yesterday and there are 4 more to fill today and hopefully we will be able to put the columns on the roof. One last thing, for those who were wondering, Frank WAS there at the airport waiting for his sweetie. Frank came 6 weeks early before Darl joined him with the team. God bless all of you for your continued prayers. We feel your presence daily.Love in Christ,
Written by Jeanne for the Team

Updates from the field - Thurs, April 10

Dearest Family and Friends,The construction of the 7th grade classroom is going well, but we need your prayers. To complete the project it will cost more than what was budgeted. We have the financial resources to solve the problem, be we want to be sensitive to the Ecuadorian culture and want them to take ownership of this problem. The original plan was to have a cement truck which could pump and pour the cement to make the 2nd floor roof. That would take about a half day to complete. To keep within budget and save $400, we would have to mix the stone, gravel and 110 bags of cement (110 lbs. each) by hand. This would entail backbreaking work for 30 team members and church volunteers and would take at least twice the time to complete. The cement has to be poured all in one day. Please pray for discernment in this situation.The desk crew (el grupo de escritoria) have been very busy. Ralph, Alora, Joe Sevier, Darl and Jane are transported daily a couple of miles from the school in a vehicle affectionately called the "Bullet". It is an open-aired Jeep-like vehicle that jostles the group as they ride over enormous potholes. The one passenger door flies open rounding corners if it not held shut. It is rumored to have no brakes. Faith in action! All parts of the 30 desks have to be fabricated. It is a long, tedious process. The team has already worked 4 days and there is a good chance they will never see a finished desk in the 2 weeks they will be working on them. The piping for the legs have to be cut and then bent. They do not have the power tools we are used to. Maestro Jimmy is an incredibly resourceful and talented man. He designed and engineered a portable machine that bends pipes at desired angles and also includes levels, gears and vises. In America the idea of building school desks from scratch would never cross our minds. We'd be off getting bids for the best price. The Ecuadorians' work ethic is so strong. They either work to the wee hours of the night or get up early in the morning because so much more has been done since the previous day and they have everything prepared for the volunteers when they arrive. Templates are used for the desk tops, backs and seats. They are cut, sanded, shellacked, re sanded and painted (green). Little baskets are also fabricated from small steel rods which are cut, sanded, bent and soldered together. All the young girls and women in the neighborhood are fascinated watching Alona working on the machines! The team and local workers have no trouble getting along even with the language barriers. They have fun trading words for tools. Ralph's brush up course in Spanish is really coming in handy as well. We thank you again for all your prayers. You are so close to us even though we are miles away. We love you and miss you all.In Christ,
Jeanne and the Team

Updates from the field - Sun, April 13

Dear Friends and Family,

On Friday we began an adventure north. We started by visiting Sea La Luz, a one-room school for 35 children in the community of El Tambo. Then we continued to “The Hacienda”, a beautiful ranch donated by a wealthy Swiss woman to be used for Christian education. We visited the site of the equator, stayed overnight in Otavalo, an Indian market and on Saturday traveled to Cotachachi, a leather shopping town and San Antonio, a wood shopping town.

Let me share a story about our first stop in El Tambo, Here we visited Sea La Luz (Let there Be Light). It is nestled in the lush green slopes of the Andes Mountains. A husband and wife missionary team, Dave and Sharman Injerd, run it. As our bus approached the narrow bridge that led to the steep footpath to the school, we were met by the entire population of the school, children ranging in age from 4 to 13 years old. They were standing in the middle of the bridge holding a welcome sign. They had walked down the steep, winding path from the school to greet us. As we walked off the bus, a little hand reached out to each of us and we were guided up the mountain path, many of them offering to carry our bags. Joe Sevier shared with us later that last year he could not complete a similar trek to the missionaries’ home. Because of the high altitude (12,000 ft.), he became totally breathless and had to turn back. This day, a little boy took his hand and just started walking up. Joe speaks Spanish and told his guide that he would run out of air and may not be able to make it. The boy simply said, “No, no.” Miraculously, Joe made it up the mountain and never once struggled for air. As Joe reached the top, he told his little friend that he would pray for him and the boy replied that he would pray for him, too. Once we all arrived at the top, we entered the school and the children removed their shoes and those who had them, donned well-worn slippers. They proceeded to sit on long wooden benches. After Sharman greeted us, she asked a few children to come up and pray for her. She had fallen the previous day and had stitches on her lip. About 6 children came up to the front and surrounded her. As she bent down among them, one by one a little voice would ring out in prayer. Tears welled in her eyes as the innocent spirits of the children poured into her heart and lifted her up. Tears turned to smiles as they danced and sang for us, not to perform, but to sing God’s praises in both Spanish and English. Sharman told us that these children are the fruit of the school that God provided for them. Not one of us left without a lump in our throats. The Spirit of the Lord is so alive there!

Please pray for our team member, Alona. At the hotel in Otavalo, she tripped down a step and broke the fibula on her left foot. She has an immobilizing cast for the present and must ice her foot for 24 hours. Please pray for her comfort and that her spirits be lifted.

Regarding the cement situation, Pastor Romero had a collection at his Thursday night service and will be having another one at the Sunday service where the team will have an opportunity to contribute. It’s been a busy weekend and this is the first time I’ve been able to communicate with all of you. Internet service is not always available. Our team camaraderie has been strengthened through fellowship, prayer, praise and song. Lots of laughter, including pranks and much joy. The Lord has renewed our spirits and energy and has prepared us for week to come.

Again, thank you for your prayer support and love. You give us strength knowing that we are in your thoughts and prayers.
God bless,
Jeanne and the Team

Updates from the field - Tues, April 15

Dear Family and Friends,

I have a praise report. $1,550 was donated at the two services for the construction project. This was more than we ever imagined. Thank you so much for your prayers. This money will allow the crew to have a cement truck to pour the roof and will also cover any other unexpected expenses that might arise. Other good news is that both the desk making and construction projects are ahead of schedule. As a matter of fact, there is a good chance that the desks will be completed tomorrow.

Some of the tasks that the construction crew has been working on are building scaffolding, tying steel for the structure, framing, putting down deck for the roof, loading block that will be used on the second story to make the floor, and pouring cement. Unlike the United States, Ecuadorians are not proactive regarding safety issues. Safety is not on the forefront of their minds and it often appears that they are not aware of the consequences of safety hazards. Homemade ladders are uneven and lean to one side. We brought our own safety glasses and steel toe shoes, but they are rarely seen on the Ecuadorian workers. Wires, nails, and chipped blocks lie everywhere, even in the courtyard where the children are playing. Second floor areas are open to the concrete below. There is no approval process or inspections of any kind. Ecuadorians have very unique ways of accomplishing tasks and they make due with what they have at the work site. Many times the American team will wonder why they are doing something a certain way. Inevitably, the job gets done. The Ecuadorians are proud of their ingenuity and they have a common expression, “Heads are not just for hats.”

Vacation Bible School has been going very well. We have had three sessions at the Pifo church, one in Tablon and one in El Tambo. At Pifo there were 180 children the first day, 320 the second day and 280 on the third day. We are planning one more session. Yesterday we forgot the bag that contained the puppet show material. Shirley and 2 Ecuadorian helpers took a cab and went to the house of one of the helpers who teaches in a nursery school across town and got puppets, story books and sheets for the puppet theater. They took a taxi back and the puppet team was able to improvise without a problem. We could have panicked, but the Lord is continually showing us how to trust.

We have been able to meet a few other needs of these beautiful people. A few of the team members sponsor children from Pifo through the organization, Compassion International. Each of them purchased $20 worth of non-perishable groceries for these children’s families. $20 goes a long way in Ecuador. Also three of us went into Quito yesterday with Pastor Romero and Josh Ford, the young from Palmyra who has been working at the school since last August, and purchased a medical cot, a chair, a medicine cabinet and a storage container for the first aid room at the school. These items were purchased for less than $150. Josh brought this need to our attention a few months ago and we brought first aid supplies that were donated from churches and organizations back home. Today we purchased some more supplies to supplement the donated items. They have no nurse and they had no specific first aid area. The room we are using is actually a storage area for school supplies. It had a sign, Enfermeria, which means it is a first aid area, but it was not equipped as such. The school does not have a nurse. The children play on a concrete surface and, as you can imagine, there are many skinned knees and elbows. As a matter of fact, Pastor Romero asked me the other day to take care of 2 children who scraped their knees after VBS. He told one tearful little girl that it was OK and that I was the doctor. Thanks to the donated items, I was able to don surgical gloves and then clean and dress the wound. Today a few of us are totally cleaning the little room, sanding and painting an old storage cabinet and organizing the supplies. When it’s done, it will be quite a transformation.

Joe Guastaferro ran a “soccer clinic” after lunch. Gary Ennis whipped up some awesome mini soccer goals. Both Joe and Gary are on the construction crew, so this was a nice diversion. I think the little children think that Gary is the Jolly Green Giant. They cannot wait until it’s their turn to be picked up over his head and swung around.

Your prayers are so important to us. We can’t wait to come home and tell you more of our individual stories and blessings.

In Christ,
Jeanne and the Team

Updates from the field - Thursday, April 17

Dear Family and Friends,

Today I would like to describe our living arrangements in Ecuador and our road experience to and from our work site. The team’s home base is in Papallacta, a town about an hour’s drive from our work site in Pifo. In contrast to the poor living conditions where we work, we stay in a very large, modern and well-accommodated guesthouse. There is more than enough room for the 22 of us. A huge, bright kitchen with two refrigerators and all the conveniences of home greet us as we first walk in. There are two living rooms, one upstairs and one downstairs with spectacular views of the Andes Mountains surrounding us in all its glory. The house boasts six bathrooms and seven showers, six bedrooms with two single beds, and three rooms with two or three bunk beds. The hour drive to and from our work site in Pifo can only be described as a faith experience. The road we drive on winds through the mountains and is very narrow by our standards. It cuts through the mountain terrain with steep drop offs or steep cliff faces that tower above us hundreds of feet up. You can’t but notice the lack of safety standards. The road is so steep sometimes that we hold our breath and wonder what would happen if the brakes failed. There is no such thing as a truck run-away. Small landslides are common with occasional boulders partially blocking our lane. The guardrails, if present, are battered by vehicle strikes and are sometimes knocked completely away. The guardrails are not replaced when damaged or gone. The roads are so narrow that it appears that the bus is only inches from an unguarded cliff. The best advice is, “Don’t’ look!” Discarded windshields can be found and we pass a number of memorials dedicated to the victims of the highway. At certain curves you will see many blue hearts painted on the road signifying where people died. At times there is heavy truck and bus traffic and vehicles pass one another even when passed by a third vehicle. Two signs on the road typify our journey: “only one car in a lane” and “curve of death”. We travel from Papallacta which is approximately 12,000 feet in elevation to,000 feet where we cross the continental divide, and down again to Pifo at 9,000 feet. Because of these high altitudes, many of us have experienced altitude headaches and shortness of breath when doing simple tasks or even when sitting down. For the second year, Reuben, a 28-year-old young man has been with us the entire trip. He leaves a wife and two little girls behind while keeping us safe on the road. We are not fearful because he is so alert, calm and safety conscious. He is an amazingly skilled driver who not only lives with us, but works along side of us. As you have prayed for our safety, know that the Lord has provided it.

We will be spending the next two nights in Quito at the HCJB guesthouse. HCJB, headquartered in Colorado, is a worldwide radio and hydroelectric power Christian mission organization, HCJB also sponsors mission trips such as ours. They also have two hospitals in Ecuador, Shell and Quito, which members of our team, past and present, have visited. Alona has been the most recent visitor.

God bless all of you. The experience with the culture of Ecuador and our daily fellowship in prayer and devotion has changed our lives. If you ever feel the Lord tugging at your heart to serve in this way, let Him in. You will truly be blessed .

In His Love,
The Team

PS Although I have been writing these updates, every member of the team has contributed and given me feedback. We are truly a team.
Jeanne and the Team

Updates from the field - Friday, April 18

Dear Family and Friends,

“Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Jesus Christ.” Phil. 1:6

Yesterday was a day of completion. The cement was laid on the roof, the desks were finished, the first aid room became operational and teachers were given an orientation of the new facility, shoes were all given out, and VBS was finished. Even extra projects were completed. Classroom windows were washed, the faded letters of the name of the school were freshly painted, and a sidewalk was laid with the extra cement. Last night the team shared a final meal with the Info school and church staff, and experienced an emotional farewell service.

This afternoon we visited one of the dump sites in Quito. Just a few years ago, people lived there in shanty towns. It is now a transfer station and The Ecuadorian government allows unpaid workers (miners) to sift through recyclables to sell to recycling companies. This is how they make their living. We visited a day care center run by Extreme Response International that is set up for the children of these workers.

We will be leaving Quito in a few hours. Pray for a safe trip with no delays during our red eye flight!

We can’t wait to see you all and share our personal experiences. We will have a presentation on May 2 at PM in the Crosswind’s Chapel. We welcome all of you and your family and friends to hear our individual stories.

Ecuador 2008 Trip - (April 6 - 20)