ECUADOR 2012--A first hand look at the mission experience

ECUADOR 2012--A first hand look at the mission experience

I have seen photographs, I have heard stories, and I have listened to other people's accounts of past trips to Ecuador with our student body, but I finally was able to get a first hand look of what our students experience.  I just returned from a week in Ecuador with our students and sponsors, and it was a tremendously inspiring, humbling, hurtful, growing, exhausting, and totally awesome experience for me personally, spiritually, and professionally. 

I was fortunate enough to experience almost everything, as I was put on the fast track to see as much as possible in the time that I was there.  Julia did a fantastic job of organizing the trip so I was able to see most of the sites that our students visit and serve.  I first want to say that we have an amazing group of students on this trip, and I was able to visit with most of them and get to know them a little bit better.  They have a humble servant's heart and I never heard one of them complain about anything.  They were always willing to step and and help where needed. 

We had a fantastic day at the Equator with the compassion children, and I know that both the compassion children and our students were very blessed.  Andrea, the compassion coordinator, mentioned that the compassion children look forward to this day for months, and it is a very special experience for all involved.  Compassion supplies a interpreter for each compassion child, so the communication barrier is not present, and the students are able to have conversations with them. 

In the photo above, Hannah gives some of the gifts with her compassion child.  He (I don't know his name) is the newest addition to our compassion family.(5 or 6 years old)  We shared lunch together and then the student had a couple hours with their compassion child to play, eat ice cream, and spend some time together.  One of the parents of a compassion child brought some corn sweetened with sugar cane that she had made, and most everybody tried a taste.  Most of the compassion children came with a gift for the students as well, which were very special, as they have very little materially, but were made with a lot of love. 

The second day we spent at Carmen Bajo, with Pastor Fabian and Grace, a very special couple.  The day started with some praise and worship with the children and I was touched by how the children were so eager to receive hugs, and exchange smiles, and to climb up in your lap, even though they didn't know you.  The ministry of Carmen Bajo is in a very poor area, and the people live in extreme poverty.  Most of them living on 1-2 dollars/day, with many children, (many with 4-7 children) living in less than 100 square feet.  Homes made of crumbling cinder block, and leaky roofs.  As poor as they were, I never heard one person or child complain (that I know of...my spanish is very limited. :)  We worked most of the day on several different projects, as well as having some singing time, art time, and fun tim in general with the kids.  That evening, the church hosted a very nice dinner for us, on white table clothes, with silverware.  The most memorable time for me at Carmen Bajo was when pastor Fabian shared about how he went on a mission trip to Cuba, and was heart broken by the poverty and oppression that he saw in Cuba.  He said they had next to nothing, and he felt led to take a group to Cuba from Ecuador because his heart was broken for them.  Here I am, my heart broken for them (at Carmen Bajo), and Fabian was just as broken for the people of Cuba.  It brought tears to my eyes, and perspective to my world. 

The third day was spent on the road to El Coca, and 7.5 hours later, and 8 mudslides later,(evidently they occur regularly) we arrived at El Coca.   We arrived at El Coca, to many anxiously awaiting children.  Many of the students played in a 2-3 hour soccer game and a water fight that lasted forever.  The kids had a lot of fun, but a poor chicken met his maker when a soccer ball decided to find it's head.....of a beautiful cross. (I won't say who it was.....the chicken killer)  We compensated the owner.  5 Ecuadorian dentist and Dr. Cloud from Albuquerque put on a dental clinic for the kids, and worked hard to serve as many people as possible before it got too late.  There were a lot of kids still there after dark, and nobody had eaten since lunch.  The students decided to forgo their supper so the children could eat another meal instead of going home hungry that night.  (they needed it more than us)  About 8 of the indigenous children performed a dance for us in costume, they practiced just for our visit.  We left a group at El Coca, and the rest of us, with the dentists, loaded the bus to head off to Maderos and Sardinas, a 3 hour bus ride, we left about 8:30 pm. 

We arrived in Maderos (sorry if the spelling is wrong) and initiated the new building that was just completed the week before we arrived.  In fact it was so new, we took the plastic off the new mattresses, and put up shower curtains the next day.  The next morning, some students stayed in Maderos, and Talia and I went down with the Dentists and Mrs. Wofford down to the dental clinic in Sardinas.  All of the people live in the jungle, and we only saw the ones that lived by the road that provides access to the community.  The dentists serviced about 40 people that day, and many were saved from severe pain and tooth decay.  Mrs. Wofford gave a great rundown on what happened in Maderos and Sardinas so I won't go into too much detail.  It was amazing to see how these people lived.  We are very blessed in the United States.......very humbling. The picture below is the new Maderos Foundation Sight. 

On Sunday, the group headed off to the the local school in Maderos to hold a dental clinic and the morning service.  Mrs. Wofford, myself, and Alejandro headed back to El Coca, to catch a plane back to Quito.  The bus ride that took 7.5 hours, took 25 minutes in a plane.......We met up with the Santo Domingo and Quito group in Quito, took a bus to a Chinese restaurant, and had a wonderful meal (about 40 of us).  The Santo Domingo group headed off from the Chinese restaraunt, and the Quito group caught a different bus back to Eloheim.  We played a little soccer with the local kids, and shared for a couple hours about some expereiences, and also had a bible study, until I had to leave for the airport.  Pictured below is the group at the Chinese restaraunt. 

 
I was so priviliged to be able to be a part of the trip and see first hand what is happening in Ecuador.  I can see why our students have come back changed and their "DNA" has been altered forever.  The Lord is being represented and glorified in so many ways:through the work, testimonies, music, worship, play, listening ears, helping hands, a smile, a hug, tears, and most of all through open hearts.  I am still "disgesting" it all, and I have seen the many good things that are happening because of our relationship with Alejandro, Fabian, and many others that we have partnered with.  It is neat to see the reciprocity of a trip like this.  Our presence blesses the people of Ecuador, and the people of Ecuador definately bless us.......and most importantly the Lord is glorified. 

I John 3:17--"If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?" 

   
---Terry Heisey