Thursday, February 24, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
The Mission really IS Ecuador
Hello to my friends in different parts who continue to follow their investment (on all levels) of Mission: Ecuador.
I have some country updates that I think you´d be interested in knowing,, whether you´re supporting Compassion children, participating in medical missions trips, or maintaining a prayer or economic ministry here.
1. I saw yesterday on the news that the Ecuadorian government is planning on handing out contraceptives free, to control the alarming teen pregnancy rate in the country.
2. Ecuador has now been listed the second most dangerous country on the continent according to El Barómetro de las Américas, cited by Vistazo Jan 5, 2011. Assaults, kidnappings, and murder-for-hire have been increasing at an alarming rate (which I have alluded to in previous blogs), to the point that Ecuatorian citizens have demanded government action. In response, the government has gathered statistics and one gentleman has offered a 10-point plan to keep from becoming a "narcosociety".
I also saw on the news last night that a (particularly white-looking) couple was kidnapped in the province of Pichincha (the city of Quito) and taken to Santo Domingo de los Áchilas,,, with demand of $100,00.00 ransom. The Ecuatorian Police, Kidnap Unit apparently did an outstanding job of finding the couple and capturing their kidnappers.
There are lots of reports of murders at the ATM´s at all hours.
3. Although the list of signatures that was being collected early this year apparently has been abandoned, there is evidence of growing dissent related to the current govt.
4. Healthcare is in apparent crisis, with many reports of overtaxed hospitals, unqualified workers, inadequate supplies --- and just announced last week by the govt., 24-hour care for all hospitals and clinics. Medical professionals are being pressed on all sides. There are reports this weekend about the death of 10 babies in one single hospital.
M
I have some country updates that I think you´d be interested in knowing,, whether you´re supporting Compassion children, participating in medical missions trips, or maintaining a prayer or economic ministry here.
1. I saw yesterday on the news that the Ecuadorian government is planning on handing out contraceptives free, to control the alarming teen pregnancy rate in the country.
2. Ecuador has now been listed the second most dangerous country on the continent according to El Barómetro de las Américas, cited by Vistazo Jan 5, 2011. Assaults, kidnappings, and murder-for-hire have been increasing at an alarming rate (which I have alluded to in previous blogs), to the point that Ecuatorian citizens have demanded government action. In response, the government has gathered statistics and one gentleman has offered a 10-point plan to keep from becoming a "narcosociety".
I also saw on the news last night that a (particularly white-looking) couple was kidnapped in the province of Pichincha (the city of Quito) and taken to Santo Domingo de los Áchilas,,, with demand of $100,00.00 ransom. The Ecuatorian Police, Kidnap Unit apparently did an outstanding job of finding the couple and capturing their kidnappers.
There are lots of reports of murders at the ATM´s at all hours.
3. Although the list of signatures that was being collected early this year apparently has been abandoned, there is evidence of growing dissent related to the current govt.
4. Healthcare is in apparent crisis, with many reports of overtaxed hospitals, unqualified workers, inadequate supplies --- and just announced last week by the govt., 24-hour care for all hospitals and clinics. Medical professionals are being pressed on all sides. There are reports this weekend about the death of 10 babies in one single hospital.
M
Saturday, February 05, 2011
If anyone wondered
Having passed through a series of medical appts. (taking advantage of a very good health insurance policy I have here in Ecuador), all vascular problems have been ruled out behind the swelling issues. That´s good news, and since I had mentioned something briefly earlier, thought I´d update the post. There´s still question about other issues, but at least this one was cleared out.
M
M
Thursday, February 03, 2011
Davicho
Well, the group today was David, Paul, Miguel, his little brother, and the 2 Otovalo brothers. 6 little guys between 10-12 years old from the Iñaquito market group... this is I think the 4th group (or 5th) of kids I´ve worked with over the years, and they´re the ones that have shown the hardest hearts and most inconsistency.
David (a.k.a. Davicho) is the one from this group that I´ve known the longest,,, I think I mentioned the portrait I did of him years ago that I still have in my sketchbook. He seems to be the authority in this bunch of kids. And I think he really does get this God-thing. (A bunch of little tiny but important interactions happened during this whole game give me hints about it.) His little brother Paul was there (for Michelle & Steve Schario,,, you guys will remember he´s the one that was so little he could run through players legs, playing soccer down in the park --- and who also got angriest fastest.) ... they call him "Pony" or "Ratón" .. today it was Pony; 2 days ago it was Ratón. He was actually looking at me and winking when he had to give up a turn for some dumb reason. For the Otovalan brothers, it was the first time really to sit down and play as a whole group. They blended well. (I haven´t learned their names yet.)
I wasn´t sure how it was going to work out, for all the rules, and patience, and sharing, and turn-taking the game requires,,, but 2 days ago I decided to take Sorry! down to them on the sidewalk and see if they could do it. They loved it. And that´s an understatement. Today they sat with me for 2 hours straight to play. I actually didn´t get to play any,, taking a supervisory role as referee should emotions get out of hand. I think the most amazing thing was that they were actually getting along with each other and helping each other out (actually giving good advice to their opponents on how to use his turn...). It was my job to take kids out of the game who let a hand fly to hit another one (that´s a typical thing they do, even when they´re happy), or when "bad words" came out. I only had to pull one out for hitting,,, and since the rest of the group decided forgiveness was an option, they let him come back in the game after missing 2-3 turns... with hugs (you-know, the "boy kind" that looks more like a wrestler´s hold around the neck). Actually, that was Paul/Pony/Ratón --- and he was the one who had been hit...
But something else happened today while we were playing. After 6-1/2 years of working with these kids, and praying, and offering and asking for help with these guys and getting not much more than lukewarm responses, a chef came over today while we were playing and gave us a 2 liter bottle of Coke. He looked like his heart was breaking. He apologized for not having cups, and I said not to worry we´d find some. Then the 2 friends who were with him started scrambling around, and before I knew it, they had brought proper tall glasses over for the kids to drink from. The chef wanted to know was I taking them to Church, and I let him know I had my Bible with me ... and he suggested I look them up in case we could do a kind of Thanksgiving Dinner for them somehow. He said he was from Cuba and there was so much poverty... and he just looked like his heart was breaking the whole time he was talking and watching them.
Apparently these guys were a catering service who had finished some function at Hospital Vozandes (we were playing out front), and while they were waiting with their mirror-topped table, Cokes, and glasses for the catering van to come pick them up, they saw us playing and came over to help.
Who´d of thought --- a chef?
M
David (a.k.a. Davicho) is the one from this group that I´ve known the longest,,, I think I mentioned the portrait I did of him years ago that I still have in my sketchbook. He seems to be the authority in this bunch of kids. And I think he really does get this God-thing. (A bunch of little tiny but important interactions happened during this whole game give me hints about it.) His little brother Paul was there (for Michelle & Steve Schario,,, you guys will remember he´s the one that was so little he could run through players legs, playing soccer down in the park --- and who also got angriest fastest.) ... they call him "Pony" or "Ratón" .. today it was Pony; 2 days ago it was Ratón. He was actually looking at me and winking when he had to give up a turn for some dumb reason. For the Otovalan brothers, it was the first time really to sit down and play as a whole group. They blended well. (I haven´t learned their names yet.)
I wasn´t sure how it was going to work out, for all the rules, and patience, and sharing, and turn-taking the game requires,,, but 2 days ago I decided to take Sorry! down to them on the sidewalk and see if they could do it. They loved it. And that´s an understatement. Today they sat with me for 2 hours straight to play. I actually didn´t get to play any,, taking a supervisory role as referee should emotions get out of hand. I think the most amazing thing was that they were actually getting along with each other and helping each other out (actually giving good advice to their opponents on how to use his turn...). It was my job to take kids out of the game who let a hand fly to hit another one (that´s a typical thing they do, even when they´re happy), or when "bad words" came out. I only had to pull one out for hitting,,, and since the rest of the group decided forgiveness was an option, they let him come back in the game after missing 2-3 turns... with hugs (you-know, the "boy kind" that looks more like a wrestler´s hold around the neck). Actually, that was Paul/Pony/Ratón --- and he was the one who had been hit...
But something else happened today while we were playing. After 6-1/2 years of working with these kids, and praying, and offering and asking for help with these guys and getting not much more than lukewarm responses, a chef came over today while we were playing and gave us a 2 liter bottle of Coke. He looked like his heart was breaking. He apologized for not having cups, and I said not to worry we´d find some. Then the 2 friends who were with him started scrambling around, and before I knew it, they had brought proper tall glasses over for the kids to drink from. The chef wanted to know was I taking them to Church, and I let him know I had my Bible with me ... and he suggested I look them up in case we could do a kind of Thanksgiving Dinner for them somehow. He said he was from Cuba and there was so much poverty... and he just looked like his heart was breaking the whole time he was talking and watching them.
Apparently these guys were a catering service who had finished some function at Hospital Vozandes (we were playing out front), and while they were waiting with their mirror-topped table, Cokes, and glasses for the catering van to come pick them up, they saw us playing and came over to help.
Who´d of thought --- a chef?
M
Tuesday, February 01, 2011
Marcelo
Thought I´d give you a little update on Marcelo and his family. He and his whole family works different shifts parking and guarding cars out in front of my apartment all week. Marcelo, himself generally does construction during the day, then shows up for late afternoon and weekend shift. He and José (his son) and his daughter-in-law María usually work my street,,, his wife Blanca and the 2 daughters work Veracruz, the cross-street.
Marcelo has been out of construction work for quite some time. You should have seen the smile on his face all last week as he told me that he had a job starting on Monday (yesterday).
Then the city (finally) decided to prohibit parking on Veracruz last week. So technically, Blanca and the 2 girls are now out of work. Then Marcelo showed up for his job yesterday, and he was told to come back in 2 weeks,,, because the work was being given to family members for now.
It´s not all sad, though,,, I do believe God is working something out. Jesseña is José and María´s daughter (she´s a little over 2 now),, whose only real options have been to either be in daycare (expensive for the family, and not so great health-wise for Jesse) or on the sidewalk with her mom. Now Blanca and María are rotating weeks on my side of the street,,, which means Jesse gets quality time at home now. And perhaps gives Marcelo more opportunity to look for work. Easier for me to find the bright side, though.
They´ve been sure to watch out for me and my place over the years, and help me take groceries up from time to time. And I´ve helped here and there with different gifts to help keep them going over the years. I´d like to give them an extra, more purposeful hand in the food/grocery area in the next 2 weeks, and increase my purposeful prayer support for them -- for work and for faith, hope and complete trust in God in the meantime.
I think there are times when all of that can get pretty shaky, even though you know inside that God really loves you and is working out His best for you ... in ALL things.
I´m grateful for Marcelo and his family in my life. Thank you to all who can collaborate with me in prayer for him and his family.
Sincerely,
m
Marcelo has been out of construction work for quite some time. You should have seen the smile on his face all last week as he told me that he had a job starting on Monday (yesterday).
Then the city (finally) decided to prohibit parking on Veracruz last week. So technically, Blanca and the 2 girls are now out of work. Then Marcelo showed up for his job yesterday, and he was told to come back in 2 weeks,,, because the work was being given to family members for now.
It´s not all sad, though,,, I do believe God is working something out. Jesseña is José and María´s daughter (she´s a little over 2 now),, whose only real options have been to either be in daycare (expensive for the family, and not so great health-wise for Jesse) or on the sidewalk with her mom. Now Blanca and María are rotating weeks on my side of the street,,, which means Jesse gets quality time at home now. And perhaps gives Marcelo more opportunity to look for work. Easier for me to find the bright side, though.
They´ve been sure to watch out for me and my place over the years, and help me take groceries up from time to time. And I´ve helped here and there with different gifts to help keep them going over the years. I´d like to give them an extra, more purposeful hand in the food/grocery area in the next 2 weeks, and increase my purposeful prayer support for them -- for work and for faith, hope and complete trust in God in the meantime.
I think there are times when all of that can get pretty shaky, even though you know inside that God really loves you and is working out His best for you ... in ALL things.
I´m grateful for Marcelo and his family in my life. Thank you to all who can collaborate with me in prayer for him and his family.
Sincerely,
m
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