Carnival...Cuenca-Style

While Travis and Alicia were in Brazil, all I heard about Carnival was that it was a week long party with an equally long parade of the world's most elaborate floats and costumes.  I was pretty excited that the timing of this short term experience coincided with Ecuador's Carnival.  What a cool cultural experience it would be to take in such an amazing celebration.  Upon our arrival here, we learned that Carnival officially lasted a weekend, but that the festivities started a couple weeks before.  What might those festivities be?  Spraying strangers with water guns, tossing water balloons from the back seat of your car or the box of your pick-up truck, dumping buckets of water on unsuspecting pedestrians from your second story window, throwing your friends in the river, getting people wet and then tossing corn starch on them, and spraying people with "carioca"- a spray foam with a fresh flowery scent.  Yep, Carnival in these parts is a little different from Carnival in Brazil.  Apparently some cities in Ecuador have parades, but those we talked to here were either unaware of the parade or certain that one didn't exist.

We were told that in the past Carnival was a time when communities came together to enjoy each others' company and share meals.  One Ecuadorian told us that it was not uncommon to eat at a different neighbor's house every meal, every day.  The custom was that you would invite your neighbors (from either side of your house and across the street) over for a meal that you prepared.  At that meal, one of the neighbor families would invite everyone over to their house for the next meal.  And so on.   Now-a-days, Carnival has become more about spending time with family.  People take the weekend off, head back to their home towns, and spend time eating, drinking, and getting other people wet! 

It is tradition in the Church of Christ here to host a youth event on the Saturday of Carnival.  Early in the week, Travis and I were asked to come up with 4 hours of organized water games for the youth.  Going back to my days at Bible camp, I came up with a couple good ones and then filled in the gaps with games I found on the internet.  As the youth arrived that Saturday morning, they were greeted with a bucket of water.  The students were wet from the moment they set foot on the property.  I tried my best to stay out of the line of fire but eventually made a fatal choice to walk across the church grounds to where lunch was being barbequed.  A family of two sisters and one brother who attend English classes, chased me down like heat-seeking missiles.  I was wet for the rest of the day. 

When lunch time arrived, the water valve for the whole place was actually shut off!  Extreme measures needed to be taken in order to get the youth to sit down and eat.  Who would have thought?  The organized games went well, but at the end of the day, both Travis and I commented, "We didn't actually need them.  These kids would have been content with a six-hour water fight!"  I noticed two differences in how the youth from the church interacted compared to how the Canadian youth that I have worked with interact: 1. Age didn't matter -- from 13 to 30 everyone was 'cool;' and, 2. Complaining wasn't an option -- I never heard, "This is boring," or "I don't want to play."  If they didn't want to play, it only took a little convincing from their friends and they were smiling and laughing with the rest of them.

So what can I take home from this experience?  Simple fun and generosity build community.  I remember neighborhood barbeques when I was growing up.  What has happened to them?  Community happened outside of official church events.  If we as Christians claim to be about loving our neighbors, maybe we need to take a page from the Carnival book and apply it to our lives.  Let's ditch the independent, individualistic Western ways and have a little fun sometimes.  Who knows, maybe friendships will develop that lead to others coming to Christ!

A "Chance" Meeting

Some might call it chance.  Others might call it coincidence.  I call it Divine Intervention.  It may seem like a trite, insignificant moment in time to some people, but the casual acquaintance that I made with a university music professor in a corner store last night was what I believe to be a meeting initiated by hand of our Heavenly Father. 

Realizing that Lena was out of diapers, I headed out on a heroic mission to save her bed sheets from the inevitable soaking that comes during a relaxed night of rest.  As part of the mission, I was also given a list of other necessities to purchase.  With list in hand, I walked the ten minutes to mall only to arrive just as the grocery store was closing.  Apparently on holidays they close an hour early.  Undeterred, I tried to convince the armed security guard and the manager at the door to let me rush in a get a package of diapers.  My best sob story in broken Spanish was not convincing enough, so I headed home a little disappointed.

About a block from the mall, a light bulb flashed over my head! Alicia said that some corner stores cell diapers.  I made a quick b-line to the corner store.  I was greeted by a nice elderly couple who laughed when I tried to communicate my need for diapers.  After a couple minutes, I was ready to begin another search for a corner store with diapers.  Fortunately, a young man entered and was quick to offer assistance. His translation efforts were well received and the kind store owner produced the needed diapers.  She open the packaged and pulled out five.  Another cultural experience that would never happen in Canada!  I paid the required $2 and was on my way triumphant. 

Over the course of that short interaction, I discovered that the young man was actually a music professor at the university.  He had learned English because his classical piano teacher was from Canada.  I asked him if he was interested in improving his conversation skills as my brother-in-law works at a foundation that offers free English classes twice a week.  He was ecstatic.  He told me that he was planning to take the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) test so that he could further his education in the United States.  When I mentioned that my wife was high school music teacher with a vocal specialty, he suggested that she could teacher his daughter voice lessons.  I told him that we were only here for another two weeks, but his daughter could come to English lessons.  This sealed the deal.  He told me that he was going to call Travis on Wednesday and he and his daughter would be there.

This 'chance' meeting really helped me discover that being able to use the skills that I have acquired to help people free of charge is an amazing way to show the love of God.  The people who come to English conversation evenings are aware that we are Christians and as relationships get built we pray that they we see the difference in us and desire the freedom and hope that we have in Christ.  May God place 'chance' encounters in your day today!

Simply Serving Satisfies the Soul!

I love the feeling I get when I help others.  There is something about helping out that enlivens the spirit, that fills the lungs with fresh air, that relieves the mind of burdens, and is simply satisfying to the soul.  How long has it been since you've experienced similar sensations?

These feelings were spurred on by yesterday's fence building experience.  Travis, Len, and I returned to Fabian and Marie's house in response to their invitation to see the finished shower that we recommended on our last visit.  By using monies set aside in their work fund, Travis was able to help them purchase both the supplies and the manpower to have their shower installed.  The plumber/electrician did an amazing job.  Unfortunately, the photographer (yours truly) forgot to snap a photo. 

Before Marie invited us in for lunch, Len, Travis, and I shored up the pallet fence they have in place for their chickens.  On our last visit, the chicks were escaping and the fence was barely standing.  For the cost of our $.35 bus tickets and a pound of nails ($1), we were able to stabilize the fence and repair some of the holes. Len even fabricated a makeshift gate out of random pieces of wood!  Seeing the finished product made my heart smile as fixing up the fence was something I wanted to do for them since out last visit.  Fabian's hands work well for shoe-shining, but are not strong enough to hold a hammer.  I can swing a hammer just fine (it is hitting the nail that sometimes causes frustration :), so why not give an hour of my time to improve their living situation? 

Maria made us a home-cooked meal of cauliflower soup, cooked beans with onions and cilantro, and rice.  She scolded us when we tried to excuse ourselves before eating it.  We had to allow her to say thank you in her way, even if it meant eating food that is sometimes scarce for the family.  She told us when we were done, "If you don't eat, you don't leave!"  We all had a good laugh. 

May God continue to open our eyes to simple opportunities to serve and may we simply take them as we learn to love our neighbors as ourselves!

The After Thoughts of a Whisper of a Prayer

Feeling drained by not sleeping and giving a lot of energy to helping out with English class, I did not want to go out for coffee with Jonathan.  After spending the better part of an hour talking to Leah about how much I was missing life in Canada, I got myself ready to meet Jonathan at Casa del Pollo--a five minute walk from our apartment.  When I got to the restaurant, there was not even any wait staff to be seen.  As I sat on the concrete half-wall outside the patio, I said a quick, half-hearted prayer, "Lord, I don't have the energy to do this right now and I wouldn't be surprised if the little coffee time ended poorly.  I just don't feel like I can invest much of anything."

Jonathan and Sandra, both 27 years old, have been married for 2 years.  Jonathan is a chef at a restaurant in city center and Sandra isn't working at the moment.  I saw the two of them walking up the street about 5 minutes after I had whispered my faint prayer.  I motioned that we go sit in the restaurant and they both said no.  Jonathan told me that we could have coffee at his house which was just behind the restaurant.  How could I refuse?


We turned the corner, passed a little store front and made a right down the alley.  After passing two barking dogs (a sight so common I would have barely noticed them if Jonathan hadn't told me their names!), they both pointed to a quaint little brick house no more than twenty feet away.  They invited me in and offered me a candy from a pretty cool candy jar on their coffee table.  Their two bedroom house was well furnished and well kept, considering the budget they are on.  Jonathan makes approximately $250 a month and they pay $130 a month rent!  We conversed as best we could for about an hour and forty-five minutes.  We covered everything from their personal backgrounds to the kind of music they like to the breakfast menu that Jonathan prepares at work.  They are both quite funny, so we had a great time laughing at our language difficulties and joking with each other.  It was like a really bad, bi-lingual game of charades!

The charades got serious when I asked what Sandra was up to during the week.  She proceeded to tell me that her 62 year old father was recently diagnosed with Cancer (from what I could tell, it was some kind of abdominal cancer that was pretty serious).  She said that she had spent the previous two days helping out at her mother' house five blocks away because her father had chemo treatments on Tuesday and Wednesday.  We talked a bit about the effect that it had on her family and then moved to brighter. more cheerful topics.  I was able to communicate to both of them that I will be praying for him (don't know his name, but please join me).  They were quite appreciative.  I later learned that Jonathan is nominally Catholic and I'm not sure what Sandra's background is.

Nearing the end of of time at their house, Sandra stepped out to put some money on her cell phone.  When she returned, we sat a the table and had a quick cup of coffee and some crackers.  Supper?  Ya, this was likely all they could afford and their hospitality was a humbling thing.  I used Sandra's phone to call Alicia to let Leah know I was going to English class with them and we headed out to catch the bus.  On the bus we continued our humorous game of get-to-know-you.  As the conversation played out, I noticed the young mother in the seat across from us laughing along with us.  We included her in our conversation, handed her a piece of paper about English class, and Jonathan and Sandra explained it to her.  When the bus reached the stop in front of the Bible Institute, this young mother and her six year old son hopped off the bus after us.  Apparently, a free English class was a good idea and mom thought she'd try it out.  As she joined the class, the laughter continued.  She told me that it was only her and her son--no father or other children. 

These are the people that the English classes exist for--the Jonathan and Sandra's who are trying to get their feet under them and the Elizabeth's and Brian's who are just scraping by.  If learning English can help them down the road, than count me in!  Travis has said that he is not teaching English to be the best teacher out there.  He is doing it to build relationships and share the love of Christ.  Teaching English is simply the tool...

Speaking of tools, we had another new student last Thursday night--a migrant laborer named Louis.  We met Louis after Travis told the taxi driver to stop early one day.   We had just passed the mass of migrant workers waiting at the outdoor market to see if anyone would pick them up for a day's work.  Len (Travis' dad and mom are visiting now) spotted of one of them reading a "How-to-Speak-English" textbook.  We walked over to the man and Travis had a short conversation with him.  While he was talking, half a dozen other men came over to see what was going on.  One of them was Louis.  He was handing out handshakes and quite humorously exclaiming, "Hey man, how are you? (with a Spanish accent of course).  Never did I expect to see him at English.  And then the door bell rang.  There was Louis.  "Hey man, how are you?"  I had the privilege of helping out in class that night.  Boy was he eager to learn.  Turns out, he is from Azogues and comes into Cuenca looking for work.  I told him that I'll be in Azogues on the 19th and he was quite surprised.  If he returns on Wednesday, I'll invite him to come to the little space that the church rents and participate in a worship service with us.  With a little prayer...even a half-hearted, faint whisper of a prayer, maybe the Holy Spirit will prompt him to show up!!!

The lesson this time (one of many I'm sure): God is greater than we will likely ever know and desires to use us to impact lives for eternity.  May he use you in ways you least expect!

A Diamond in the Rough!

Yesterday I got another glimpse into the life of  cross-cultural missionary.  I now can see why nailing down a job description is next to impossible: the act of loving others has as many different angles as a brilliantly cut diamond.

On Sunday, Travis was approached by a gentleman in the church to see if he could help his family install a shower.  Having never been to their house, all he could go on were the descriptions he was given.  He was told that the family was given the land and the house by a priest in the area.  He was also told that the shower should only cost about $50 for the parts and that the installation shouldn't be that difficult.  He arranged to meet the husband and wife in the city center on Tuesday morning and invited me and his father to join him in assessing the situation.

Taxi Truck Ecuadorian-style

What a humbling experience!  We met the husband and wife at his place of employment: his shoe shining stand in front of a restaurant.  His wife took us, by bus, out to their home.  We had to transfer from the city bus to an inter-city bus that took us out the highway towards Azogues.  After close to an hour of travel we stepped off the bus and into a taxi truck.  It was a good thing we got into the truck as we found out later that it takes the family about 20 minutes to climb the steep, winding dirt road.   When we came to a stop, the three of us climbed out of the box and were quite surprised to not have to walk more than ten feet to their home.

Cistern for drinking H20 - $5/month to fill

Laundry station

Relationships are definitely more important than tasks in this culture.  Maria was happy to show us around, explaining their water situation, describing the plants in her garden, showing us their 2 roosters and 2 hens, letting us in on how they raise the 10 chicks they have, and giving us a bit of the history of their home.  We had a look at the washroom situation (which was surprisingly newer than some I've seen over the past 5 weeks!).  She told us they would like to build a shower room on the side of the washroom.  She said that she calculated it to be about $300 worth of work.  We talked a little longer about what it would take to build the little addition and then that conversation drifted onto other topics.  She welcomed us into her three room house, asked us if we'd eaten and offered to prepare a snack for us.  Knowing that the family lives on very little we declined.  It was touching to see how, even though their furniture was aging, they really took care of their household.

The washroom and the pallet-fence for the chicks

After about 20 minutes, conversation again turned to the shower situation.  This time we were brainstorming how things might be done at less cost and by an earlier date.  We moved out to the washroom once again and began to envision how it would look if the shower were in the same room as the toilet.  With all three of us having seen the shower/toilet shared washroom before, we managed to convince her that this was a better option.  Right in the midst of our discussion, I noticed that the kitten was chasing four of the chicks that had escaped from their roughly fenced in area.  This turned my attention to how the fence might be reinforced to keep the chicks in.  These little birdies mean a to a family that works hard to make a living.  By raising them themselves, they save a lot of money by not having to purchase them from the store like we do ($.50/chick compared to $8-10/roasted chicken).

When our time came to a close, Maria had a list of items that she was going to price out and we had roughly set a date to meet again.  As we walked the steep, road down to the highway I snapped the picture above.  What a contrast between rich and poor--and only a hillside apart!  One might say that, on this little day trip, I discovered a diamond in the rough of sorts.  All of the extravagant haciendas in the world can't compared to the beauty of a family living on what the Lord has given them.  These are the kind of experiences that I pray we all have someday as I am certain that God uses them to help us see the world through his eyes.  If you haven't had the privilege of sharing time and conversation with someone less fortunate then yourself, step out of your comfort zone and watch what the love of God can do!

Mysterious Joy

"How are you so happy all the time?" asked one of the youth at the youth event yesterday.  She'd only just met me a couple of hours before she mustered up the courage to compose the question in English.  Apparently she saw something different in me.
"Honestly, I'm not happy all the time.  Yesterday I was sad.  What you see in me today is the joy of the Lord,"  I replied.  Did I just say that?  I usually have a tinge of doubt when I hear people say, "It's the joy of the Lord," or "She's so full of the joy of the Lord."  Sure... 
"Why were you sad?" she wanted to know.
Knowing she wouldn't understand the term culture shock, I simply said, "I miss Canada."
The conversation carried on with both Travis and I trying to encourage her to find a Christian girlfriend to confide in.  It was apparent that she really needed a friend she could trust.

I share this little snip-it of the youth event to say that I was surprised to hear myself recognize that Joy of Lord at work in me.  Two days prior, I was wrestling with feelings of frustration with how this culture operates; with desires to be back in Regina where I could share my life with others without a translator; with longings to have a little space to be alone with my wife and daughter (we are blessed to live next door to Travis and Alicia and have Len and Carol visiting, but sometimes I crave more independence than we have right now); and with the unfamiliar urge to have a rifle to play target practice with the neighborhood canines!--sorry all you dog-lovers,they are not this man's best friends at the moment.

The youth event, a photo scavenger hunt, was like an oasis in the midst of the dry disorientation that comes with culture shock.  I found myself soaking in the energy that youth exuded in all the games.  I loved their laughter and embraced their enthusiasm.  Over the course of the afternoon, it was like I had switched over to the reserve tank and forgot that the main tank was bone dry.  Simple put, I had so much fun.  And this is what the young lady unknowingly summarized as me being "happy all the time."  I was surprised by the joy that I received from seeing a youth event that I had planned workout so well.  I was even more surprised that I acknowledged it as joy from above and not simply the energy of the moment created by all the efforts of everyone involved in making this event a success.  This mysterious Joy showed up and gave me the strength to make it through the day!

To add a little icing on the cake, God capped off my afternoon with a touching sight that reminded me of how He loves His children.  Nearing the end of my walk home I saw a family on the grassy slope beside the river.  The father had three balloons in his hand: one pink, one purple, one blue.  He was kneeling side his wife and his two children were joyfully looking into two boxes that we in front of them.  As I looked closer the boxes were green shoe boxes with red lids.  A smile came to my face.  I was getting to witness  the joy of children opening shoe boxes sent as part of Samaritan Purse's Operation Christmas Child.  I wanted to take a picture of them, but I didn't want to intrude.   I walked past, giving thanks to God.  When I got the bridge, roughly a hundred meters away, I turned back to see if I could take a picture from a distance.  To my dismay the old camera wouldn't zoom that far.  As I looked up from the camera I saw to other families starting down the hill and the children were holding green and red boxes!  I took a few pictures of the river below and waited to get a good shot of one of the families.  One of the boys ran ahead and as he approached I asked him for a picture.

 I don't know much about Samaritan's Purse.  In fact, Operation Christmas Child is their only program that I've encountered.  But I do know, by seeing the joy these packages brought these children, God works through them.  I've never put much thought into how the joy of Lord presents itself day to day in the lives of His children.  Yesterday's experiences have certainly sparked my curiosity.  And I pray that God would give us all glimpses of, if not full on, experiences of His mysterious joy in the days to come!

Holistic Development on a Personal Level

This one goes out to all my health conscious, working out, running, physical training friends...and everyone else interested in my random thoughts :)

Being that I've been reading about holistic child development, I thought that I should consider my own development in a holistic way.  I've always enjoyed physical exercise but just never been able to make it a consistent part of my life.  Travis, my brother-in-law, does his best to run three times a week.  I figured that I used to run, so maybe I need to join him and try to become a healthier person.  He runs pretty much uphill for the first 20 minutes and then downhill for about ten and then finishes his run with a little uphill stretch and a three or four block cool down.  Thinking I was up for the challenge, I changed into my running gear, plugged in my earbuds and followed close behind. 

Running at 8500 ft.  is a little bit different than running on Regina's prairie flatland roads where the biggest hill you encounter is a pothole!  Oh did I mention that the last 6 or 7 minutes of the 20 minute up hill is a staircase?  Ya, I counted 555 steps (give or take a few) as I was definitely not running up them.  What I was doing was more like the slow climb of a crippled over elderly man combined with the winded wheezing of punctured tire!  After the 5 km 'run' was finished (in 42 minutes)  I felt quite a sense of accomplishment (after I caught my breath).  I told Travis that I started the run in Chariots of Fire mode and finished in Eye of the Tiger victory!  It felt good.

So why do I share this little victory?  Because little victories can be built on.  I have been running with him twice since that run a couple weeks ago.  I even went for a run on my own a couple days ago.  I elected for the much more picturesque run along the river though.  I'm not so much a sucker for punishment when I don't have positive peer pressure (encouragement right?) to motivate me.  The 35-minute run at this altitude was still enough to get the heart rate up and make me feel as though I'd run a marathon.  And that sense of accomplishment makes me want to go again.  Maybe later today?

If you struggle to be in the Word, to spend time in prayer, to eat healthy, to develop close relationships, to exercise, build on the little victories this week and ask God to continue to mold and shape you into the image of His Son. 

Culture at Midnight

So over the past few weeks we have been adjusting pretty well to living in Cuenca.  The one obstacle that we have yet to completely overcome is nighttime noise.  Leah figured out in the first week that she could play music from the i-pod to get Lena to sleep at night, and for that I am grateful.  When we moved into separate rooms in the apartment that we got to rent right next door to Travis and Alicia's, Lena took the music with her into her room.  We managed to sleep at night by alternating between plugging into our i-pods via headphones and using ear plugs.  The ears just didn't cut it.

The didn't cut the noise volume of the four dogs that surround our apartment.  The random fireworks still broke the silence in the wee hours of the morning. The ear plugs didn't drown out the mini-school bus that parks across from our place or the 3/4 tonne truck that parks next door.  And they had no effect on the confused rooster that lives somewhere in the neighborhood and feels it is his duty to warn everyone at 5 am that the sun will be coming up at 6!  Last week, Travis and Alicia took us to the only store they knew of that could help us answer our noise issues.  For $30 we purchased a sound machine that has a number of drown-out the noise, relaxing sounds.  We replaced the i-pod docking station in Lena's room with sounds machine and tried out some of the sounds over the next few nights.  The 'rainfall' track is the clear winner.  Lena sleeps better at night and we get to play music that helps us catch a few more "z's."

However, last night there was nothing that could drown out what we heard at midnight.  With no warning, loud Spanish music started blasting through the neighborhood and it sounded like it originated right outside our apartment.  I went outside to have a look.  As I was tracking down the origins of the Mariachi music I came to a spot just across from Travis and Alicia's apartment.  A large, solid iron gate prevented me from seeing who playing, but a young lady who had stuck her head out of the second floor window clued me in to the fact that band was playing in front of her complex.  Between songs the lead singing would have a little commentary and then they fire up some more tunes--trumpets, violins, backup singers and all!  I returned to bed and tried to sleep.  About the sixth song, I recognized the trumpet line, "Happy Birthday to you, happy birthday to you..."  What?  Someone had hired a live mariachi band to play happy birthday songs for a friend or family member at midnight!  And as best as I could tell, the neighborhood embraced it.  I never heard any police sirens or loud yelling.  Something tells me my neighborhood back home might not react the same.


What an interesting cultural experience.  One I'll never forget because boy am I tired today :)

Sunday School Lesson Part Two: A Lesson in Life

This Sunday I participated in a Sunday school lesson I will never forget.  The school:  The Lifestyle of a Low Income Ecuadorian Family.  The Lesson: God Provides.

After the Sunday morning service at the little rental place in the city concluded, we were invited to one of the families' homes for lunch.  Knowing the family had little to offer us and would be super generous, Travis suggested that we bring two roasted chickens.  The men went to pick up the chicken and see if they could find someone to look at Bolo's car that broke down just as we pulled up to the church building (Bolo is a national missionary that Travis works with who kindly drove us to Azogues--I'm sure there will be more written about him later).I accompanied the ladies on the journey to the house as I knew Lena couldn't make the journey on foot. 

So up on my shoulders she went.  Not knowing that we had to go twenty minutes up hill, the walk started out pleasantly.  After about 8 minutes, things started looking steep.  We were told that where there house is we couldn't take a taxi too.  This was not a good sign.  As we walked up the road we noticed that the houses started to get poorer and poorer.  At about the half-way point, we walked past a donkey and some goats tethered on the side of the road.  Lena said, "I ride donkey."  We laughed.  A couple steps later, we walked past a lady, in a reasonably large house doing her laundry by hand.  It was such a juxtaposition.  The house looked like it should have been equipped with a washer and dryer.  Nearing the end of our trek, we came to a tight concrete walkway between two houses.  At this point we were told we had 80-120 stairs to climb.  What a unique experience.  As the stairs switch-backed upward, there were entrances to several 'housing complexes.'  I say housing complexes as I'm sure families and extended families continue to add rooms on to them as families grow.  Finally we reached the top and entered a rusted, paint-chipped gate.  We had arrived.

The site was a little shocking.  The family presented themselves so well at the church.  Don't get me wrong this family had what they needed.  It was just that things were so old and seemed poorly kept.   we stepped up three steep, rustic concrete stairs, ducked under a clothesline, and went into a bedroom.  It was nice enough, furnished with an old wardrobe, a double bed, a couch and chair.  They looked as though they were the original ones, bought used 15 years ago.  There was a small concrete patio outside the entrance of the bedroom with lines and electrical wires strung across it.  As you left the bedroom and walked the opposite direction past the stairs that you came up as you entered (the "hall" and stairs are all open air.  We are not in an enclosed building) there was another bedroom on the left that was like the first.  On your right, was a second small staircase made of wood that led to an 'upstairs' room that was smaller, but had old, dirty hardwood floor.  If you passed the staircase instead of going up, you had about three paces before you got to the small kitchen on the left and the chicken 'yard' on the right.  Straight ahead of you is the guinea pig pen and chicken coup combined, which as you can imagine had a scent all its own.  The bathroom was as small room no bigger than your average closet, with a flush toilet and a shower right beside it.  The walls were unfinished, old concrete.

The family is a family of eight with six children aged 14 through 25.  Manuel is a shoemaker.  He told us that he mainly does  repairs because people won't pay the $20 for his handmade leather shoes.  If I am correct, he said he makes about $290 a month!  Yet this family doesn't appear to be lacking.  They are close and love each other a lot.  They work hard and have long days.  These people are not focused on retirement and living 'comfortable' lives.  They are focused on providing for their children as best as they can and taking care of each other.  And God is their Strength.  He is their Provider. 

Sunday School Lesson Part One: Preaching and Teaching in Azogues

Here is a little commentary on a lesson I learned this Sunday:

It all started shortly after nine when the two-family congregation in Azogues (half an hour drive from Cuenca) looked around at each other after singing three songs.  They were looking to see who was going to teach the Sunday school lesson.  Travis was slated to give the lesson.  However, early on in the week he phoned one of the leaders and said that he wouldn't be able to do it as he had too much on his plate this week.  To the best of our knowledge, they were going to find another teacher.  The silence in the small two-room rental space was telling.  Apparently there was a gap in the communication and they were waiting for Travis to teach.  Having taught the youth and young adults in the Cuenca congregation last week, I volunteered to give an adult version of my lesson from 1 John 1.  It felt kind of like doing improve acting:  I had no script in front of me and was working of what I could remember, shaping it into a lesson that would work for adults.  While Travis translated one thought, I was searching for the next.  By the grace of God, the lesson went well and actually set the tone for the sermon I would deliver during the service.

The sermon went well too.  Travis did an amazing job translating his second message of the morning.  As the message neared completion, people in the congregation actually helped him with words he couldn’t quite find.  I joked, “It is encouraging to see that you are following along.”  Being that we celebrated worship with them two weeks earlier, I felt that I could encourage them to keep functioning as a community of Christ.  I affirmed their efforts in serving each other and keeping close relationships.  I challenged them to keep focus on building each other up.  They are without a minister and have seen their little congregation shrink to where it is today.  I wanted them to know that God was in their midst and has a plan.  It may not look like what they think it will look like and that is why they need to focus on loving each other and seeking him together.  When it was all said and done, I’m told it was well received.  I was exhausted and couldn’t get my mind to try to understand what the leaders were communicating from the front at the close of the service.  However, the handshakes, smiles, and looks in their eyes as they thanked me afterward spoke a language I didn’t need to translate…gratitude.  

Though they were grateful for our presence with them on Sunday, I can’t help but wonder how much greater the blessing could have been for everyone if I only spoke the language.  This experience is helping me see just how important language acquisition is for the cross-cultural missionary.  It is frustrating to not be able to share stories and interact with other people on deeper levels.  And I’m noticing that others can see that you care about them when they see that you are trying to learn something so intimately connected to them as their language.  I can see the truth behind the teaching in my textbook about being flexible and humble when you are on the field.  

Might there be a greater lesson to be learned about the importance of flexibility and humility in your life as you interact with those around you?

The Biggest Service I Can Offer

I knew coming to Cuenca that not speaking the language was going to frustrate me.  While I notice my understanding of the language growing when I listen, getting the words to come out of my mouth to carry-on even the shortest conversation is almost always a battle.  Like most things in my life, I want to be able to do it now.  Having the patience to realize that language acquisition takes time and effort is frustrating. 

On up side, I can speak English and I can be a blessing to the people I meet here by praying for them.  This encourages me.  The little things I say and do with other may bring a smile to their faces or brighten their day.  The prayers I offer on their behalf have the potential to change their lives for eternity.  Remember, prayer works when we take the time to pray and if you find yourself handcuffed and unsure of what you can do to make a difference in someone's life, try prayer.  Better yet, pray first...then act!  Don't worry about making a fool of yourself or not doing things perfectly.  God smiles on steps taken in love. 

There are lives here that are going to change--not because they met me--but because I'm praying for them!

Food for Thought

Two conversations happened yesterday that really made me think.  The first was a phone call the my brother-in-law received from his English conversation instructor Hermel.  I believe I mentioned him in an earlier post.  Hermel called to tell Travis that neither he nor his wife has been able to find work over the past month and things are tight.  Travis said after getting off the phone that he is going to have to purchase an emergency food hamper for the family to make it until the end of the month.  Things must be bad.

The second conversation happened last night at a Bible study that he invited me to take part in.  Travis meets once a week with a man he met at English conversation named Ivan.  This man has a wife and three children (the oldest a 22 years old culinary student stayed and conversed with us for a time).  Travis and Ivan spoke about economics, politics, and family while I tried to piece together what they were saying.  Travis translated so that I would feel included and I got to ask a few questions.  Ivan told us of his wife's sister and family who live in a small two-room structure in the back yard.  It has no kitchen so the five of them cook outside over a fire.  The husband works on the coast and is away three weeks at a time and home for one.  He makes $290 a month.  The wife doesn't work.  With three children to provide for, the oldest in his mid-teens and the youngest around five, this family barely scrapes by month to month.  It has caused some conflict between Ivan and his brother-in-law as some months this struggling family can't make rent.

We never looked at a single Bible passage last night.  It was simply a needed conversation over some crackers and coke.  Travis tells me that the majority of the people in the church that he works with relate well to the two stories I just shared.  It really makes me think...and think...and pray.  I think Hermel will be giving me Spanish lessons for $5 an hour and I pray that all three families described above will come to know the hope and provision that only Our Heavenly Father can provide!

Open Door Policy

While we were sitting outside just before dinner time, the kids (my daughter, niece and nephew) were playing in front of the condo.  The condos are in a little alcove that is gated and quite safe. At one point Leah asked me, "Have you seen Calen and Lena?"  "Ummm, they were right here a moment ago," I replied.  So Leah went inside and to see if they had slipped past us.  Nope.  I check our place which shares a with our Travis and Alicia's.  No sign of them.  It was interesting the Travis and Alicia didn't seem too concerned that there son wasn't around. 

It turns out that a little girl that they like to play with lives in the house at the end of the alcove.  Apparently Calen and Lena decided to walk right in and head upstairs to play with their little friend.  When I went to the open door and poked my head in, the parents and grandparents were seated at the table eating.  They greeted me as if everything was perfectly okay. After a couple seconds Calen came down the stairs and Lena came following after him.  I said good-bye to the family and the two children wandered back home.

I can't say that this kind of situation would go over very well in our neighborhood back home in Regina. We are so independent and the first thing on this dad's mind would be, "Call the cops!  My daughter is missing."  I'm learning.  In Ecuador, community is simply the way things happen.  It is nice to know that neighbors still talk to each other and in fact literally keep their doors open to each other!  What a cool experience.  Maybe we as Christians might learn something from this...hmmm...

A Guest Speaker in the Special Youth Class

Yesterday I taught my first special youth class with Travis as my translator.  No sooner did I start teaching, when I found myself saying, " I need to learn Spanish.  It was frustrating to not be able to interact with the youth and young adults in the same way that I do in Canada.  Because Travis was translating, I had to try to stick close to the notes that I had prepared so that I could stay within the allotted time.  I found myself veering off course a couple times as I sensed a need to clarify things or ask different questions.  Travis adjusted amazingly to my little rabbit trails and the 30 or so youth and young adults actually laughed at some of my jokes.  All in all, I think it was a success and I hope that some seeds were able to take root.  The pastor/teacher in me wants so much to develop mentoring/discipleship relationships with some of the guys, but given our short time here and the somewhat full schedule I have I'm not sure that I can head in that direction very far.  Guess we'll see how it plays out. 

A little bit of my itinerary for you:
This Sunday, I am preaching in a small town an hour or so outside of Cuenca named Azugues.  We visited there on the 8th and it was hard not to fall in love with it.  The church was started a few years ago, but has struggled to keep a minister.  They are down to two faithful families who meet each Sunday with a little help for other churches when they can find it.  The two men in charge seemed so full of joy and determination and every member of the families who was old enough helped make the service happen.  I had a lot of fun trying to speak Spanish with them and enjoyed their fellowship even though I was sick.  Pray that the Lord will give me a message that will encourage their hearts and move them closer to His heart! 

Next Sunday I will be preaching (with Travis translating of course) here in Cuenca.  I will be the clean up hitter of sorts as it will be the last Sunday of the woman's conference.  The elders told me that I could follow along with their topic (which has yet to be clearly communicated to me) or I could speak about the importance of being a contributing member of the Body of Christ as they will be introducing this year's youth sponsors and the members of the leadership team that will be guiding them.  With these two things happening, it should be a fun message to deliver and again I hope the Spirit touches lives.

So now ya know :)

PS: My apologies for not including more pictures on the past couple blogs...my photographer uses a different computer and I'm a little bit illiterate when it comes to photo finishing on these things!

The Teacher in Me

So last Wednesday and Thursday evenings I joined Travis at the Bible Institute to help teach a couple classes.  Being that these conversation classes just started five or six months ago, I was surprised at the turn out.  One of the men who came to learn has actually been teaching the beginner class for the past few months.  He is a Catholic man who is in his 50's who is currently unemployed.  Travis has a growing friendship with him and has visited with him in his home on a couple of occasions. 

He welcomed me into his class and for the next hour I did my best to help him teach.  He used memory and spelling  to teach conversation and didn't seem to explain key grammar points.  It was difficult for me to assist him when I knew that he was doing his best to teach but was teaching some fundamentally wrong things.  At one point  I said a quick prayer in my mind, "Lord help me graciously correct this man so the class might learn the appropriate way ask and answer these questions."  I couldn't quite gauge how he accepted my correction, but I think it turned out for the better.  I am a highly communicative teacher that likes to get the class interacting in creative ways.  Travis has plans for me to teach some of the beginner classes so that his teacher might take a few pointers.  Pray that things go smoothly with this idea as I don't want to offend him or make him feel belittled.  It seems to me like a it could be a fragile situation, but I am new to this culture and maybe it will be a positive situation for all of us.

On Thursday I helped teach Travis' class.  I say helped because I was the basically the topic of the class. We did introductions and his five students of various "intermediate" levels introduced themselves to me.  Afterward, I introduced myself and gave them opportunity to ask me questions.  It was a blast.  By the end of the class the students actually came up with the idea that they would like to make one of our classes a field trip where they got to take me and my wife and brother-in-law to local attraction--kind of like personal tour guides I think. 

Anyway, I'll be helping out again this week and I'm really looking forward to it.  Please pray that in the short time I have with these students I will be able to build relationships that will bridge relationships between the students and the missionaries and church members here.  Thanks following me!

A Lesson in Culture

Last night was my first Ecuadorian Church of Christ planning meeting.  I knew going in that these kinds of things function on "Ecuadorian Time," but I didn't know just how that worked until I experienced it.  We arrived at the church building for the 7 pm start time.  Travis told me that we were "on-time" because Bolo, on of the Ecuadorian leaders, has worked with North American missionaries for years and has adjusted to our time orientation.  However, the other 6 men have no made such an adjustment.  We stood outside for half an hour and talked as the others arrived "on-time" in their own way.  Finally we went inside and continued to talk.  The last of the leadership team arrived at 7:45 and the meeting began 7:50, right on schedule!  Had I not done some reading on time orientation in different cultures and not talked about it wiht Travis beforehand, I think I might have been a wee bit frustrated at how "inconsiderate" these guys were to each others' schedules.  I now know, by experience (and reading), that schedules are not the main priority, people are.  And if people are late, the others understand and spend the time bonding while they wait.

The meeting was great once it started; however I noticed another difference between my culture and theirs: there was no written agenda handed out.  Evidently, in an oral culture agendas are spoken about when the meeting is scheduled and there is no need to follow something on paper.  One elder chaired the meeting and the others entered the discussion as they saw fit.  There was a relaxed flow about the meeting--perhaps because they didn't feel the time pressure that we do in North America.  One thing Travis noted was that the agenda changed on the fly.  The previously discussed purpose of the meeting was to set the preaching, teaching, and youth schedule for 2012.  By the end of the meeting, schedules were set until the end of February and it was agreed that they would meet again on Monday night to pick up where they left off!  From this Western's perspective, it all seems so inefficient.  This is because of a difference task versus people orientation.  My focus would definitely have been on accomplishing the goal of setting the schedule.  Their focus was on making sure that everyone had input in the decision-making and was comfortable and on board with the plan.  I am learning to think, "It's not wrong.  It's just different and that's okay."

It is amazing to ponder how cultural diversity reflects the creativity and immensity of God's love!

God at Work

I learned a new Spanish phrase yesterday and got to use it today: Que trabajas?  -- What do you do for work or for a living?  Leah, Lena, and I took our first walk around the neighborhood without Travis and Alicia.  Alicia pointed us in the direction of a park and away we went.  As we walked we commented on the beauty of the mountains surrounding us and on some of the differences between S.Korea and Ecuador.  Anyone know of a good Korean restaurant in Ecuador?

We reached the play structure at the same time as another couple with a boy about six months older than Lena.  I took Lena up on the structure because she wanted to meet the little guy.  Our paths crossed when we came to the bouncy bridge.  I said hi to the little guy and then attempted to greet the little guy's father in Spanish.  He replied in English and we carried on quite the conversation.  Praise God for little children that bring two people together from different cultures!  In my best Spanish accent, I asked him what he did for a living.  Nelson is man in his late 40's and the owner of construction company that builds condominiums.  He has been working on his English for years as he saw the need to be able to speak well in order to sell his condos to Americans who seem to be flocking to Cuenca to invest and retire.

While I spoke with Nelson, Leah was able have a little conversation with his wife while the children played on the swings.  Nelson told me that he and his wife met in the park so that he could see his little boy.  He said that they are having marriage problems so they live separately.  As I told him what I did with Compassion last week we had quite a conversation about "doing what you can to help out."  I told him about Travis' Conversation Classes and asked if I could get his contact information.  As we finsihed our conversation, I had to ask if he was a Christian because he seemed like a pretty kind, caring guy.  He told me he was a Catholic with a desire to learn and be a good guy.  He said that he often listens to some of the preaching on the religious channel here in Cuenca.  He gave me his cell number and I told him I'd get back to him with the information about the English classes.  I called him when I got back to Travis and Alicia's and he said that he'd try to make it tomorrow night, if not next week.

What does God to for a living?  He uses his Church to call his lost children home!  How is he using you?  If you are an intercessor, please pray for Nelson--that I'd get to minister God's love to him during my time here.  No matter what you do for a living, be a light in darkness and watch as God illuminates lives around you!

My Week With Compassion

As promised, I am entering the blogger world in an attempt to share what God is teaching me here in Ecuador.  If my thoughts appear to be somewhat random and scattered, it is probably because they are.  The first week of my experience in Ecuador was with Compassion Canada.  The course was designed to introduce the students to holistic child development in the context where it happens: in the lives of children and families experiencing love of God through Compassion Projects.  The contrast between where we were staying and studying (Peurto Lago Resort) and the projects and homes that we visited increased the shock value 100 fold

Waking up each morning in a clean, warm, dry bed and being able to order a filling meal from a menu seemed almost greedy or gluttonous after visiting a home where 5 kids shared one bed with no mattress and ate breakfast only if there were leftovers from the night before. 

The week was full of conflicting thoughts, questions, and emotions:  What makes me so fortunate as to not have to experience the poverty other face?  What would it be like to scrape out an existence everyday, wondering where the next meal will come from?  How would I handle it if I was expected to provide for Leah and Lena the same way that the young fathers I met had to for their families?  On a personal level, my heart was broken several times and teary eyes were a daily occurrence. 

Academically, I was challenged to recognize God's heart for children and to see them a valuable people who can teach me about faith, hope, and love.  As we walked through the Bible (with our textbooks close by) our professors helped us realize how much God cares for children and how he used them to accomplish his purposes.  They also dedicated a significant amount of class time to discussing how children around the world are exploited and abused.  I had to purposefully pay attention to the stories and statistics as I noticed how easy it was to numb myself to the injustices that too many children face everyday.     Fortunately, it was impossible to close my eyes to those realities while we were on the home visits.

 I purposely tried not to take pictures of the hardship.  It was hard to take pictures as I felt like I was a tourist from my rich world, making a spectacle of those who are less fortunate.  The families in these pictures are all benefiting from Compassion's programs. The young mother in the top right is part of the Child Survival Program -- Child Survival Program  Each of the families in the other two photos have a son in the Child Development Sponsorship Program -- Child Development Sponsorship Program

I will be digesting this experience for a long time to come and the stories attached to these pictures will never be forgotten.  Ask me about them sometime over a coffee.  I'll be glad to share them.