Summer Update: Mission Teams and Traveling

Now that it's July, it's summer vacation here! Woo-hoo! This means I am not spending most of my week teaching English and doing the after-school program. Since I have a lot of extra time, I have been helping with several mission teams that have come down from the states. Two groups have come from South Carolina, and this week, one comes from Wisconsin. Mainly I have been translating for the groups, and helping with the work. They have worked in Pijal doing construction on a dining area for the kids' program, as well as doing a vacation Bible school for about 85 kids. Here are some picture highlights:

The first team from John Wesley UMC, Charleston

With Vanessa, a short-term VIM (volunteer-in-mission)

Visiting Cuicocha Lake on our day off

With David and Santiago, two youth from Pijal

Second team from various UMC's in Charleston district

Marjorie, local church girl helping us paint

Hard at work

With pastors Alonso & Laura and their daughter at the wedding

 

At the park with the kids

Teaching the Ecuadorians how to "bowl"

Translating Pastor Scott's sermon

Hanging out with the teenage girls of the group

In addition to spending a couple of weeks with the groups, I am trying to use this time to travel to some different churches on the request of the pastors (they all want me to come see their church and/or help out in some way!). The first stop was El Refuerzo, where Sara had planned a mini-training for the congregation about mapping their community (which I learned in YAM training!). Afterwards we were graciously invited to visit the farm of one of the church members.

Kids presenting their ideas of the community's needs

Two of the girls in Sunday school

Picking cocoa right off the bush!

Hanging out under the banana trees

So that's what I have been up to the past month. Working with the teams has been super fun, and I'm hoping to visit more churches in August. Also, the second week of August we're doing Vacation Bible School here in my town. Please keep us in your prayers as we plan. May the Lord bless you this summer!

~ John 15:5 ~