God's Plan Is Never Plan B

In September, a team of 18 arrived from Joplin, MO.  While the Fischers were at the airport waiting to pick up the team, they got a telephone call from the District Superintendent informing them that due to complications the team couldn’t work on the planned project, and that he had another project in mind.  So although it was plan B for the team, it turned out NOT to be God’s plan B.  God had a wonderful surprise in store.

The team worked at the District Center in Riobamba for a couple of days and put the roof on the conference center area, poured a ceiling and put up the walls on the guard’s quarters.  An opportunity for evangelism arose with the children as one team member cut hair and others created new hairstyles for the girls using pretty ponytail holders.  Many of the mothers wanted their hair cut also.  (See photo 1.)

While working at the District Center, some of the indigenous church people worked alongside the team.  Then on Sunday night, the team went up into the mountains to worship in the church of the indigenous brothers and sisters that had been helping.  It took an hour to wind along the narrow, dirt roads to get to the church, which was the next project.   They didn’t have a roof so they worshipped in the cold mountain air.  While singing, there was a rainbow in the sky, and everyone could see it because there was no roof.  The church cooked and served llama afterwards to warm the team up.  (See photo 2.)

During the next couple of days, the team helped the church put up a roof.  The indigenous people proved to the team that carrying roofing and blocks is so much easier when you carry them on your back.  Believe it or not, it is!  The roof was finished just in time before it began to hail.  (See photo 3.)

Part of the team had another evangelism opportunity in a little school at the bottom of the mountain.  One lady on the team is a teacher, and the kids in her school had collected a lot of school supplies.  The parents of the indigenous children came to the mountain school and thanked the team over and over for the little bags of supplies, probably worth $2.00 each.

The Fischers found the team to be a joy to work with because they were so flexible, humble and appreciative of everything.  The team saw a need for the floor to be put in the mountain church so they raised over half of the money needed before they left.  When the team returned home, one of the members shared in his church and they took a love offering and raised well over what was needed for the floor, doors and windows.  Praise God!  Furthermore, the little mountain church been praying and waiting for help to put a roof on their building for over 20 years!  The team shared that working in the mountains was exactly what they needed.  Praise God for putting the Joplin District team with the mountain people and for orchestrating plan B.  Everyone was blessed beyond measure.

McKellips Return to Lead Arizona Team

Bruce & Cinda McKellips, former W&W Coordinators in Ecuador, recently returned to lead the Sun City Arizona team along with Fischers.  (See photo 1.)  The team made great progress on the Sierra Centro District Center.  They finished laying block on the second floor, installed the beautiful front doors and built the kitchen wall.  Also, there is now hot water and working bathrooms.  (See photo 2.)

God's hand is always evident in how He puts a team together, but several special things occurred with this team.  Ken performed magic tricks for the local children as they passed by the project after school and at an orphanage. (See photo 3.)  One team member turned out to be the mother of a special friend to the Fischers who has made numerous trips to Venezuela and has hosted the Fischers a couple of times while they were in the States.  In addition, God blessed two recent widows by putting them together as roommates.

One special day was spent visiting a church in the mountains.  Whey the team arrived, about 50 children playing soccer welcomed them.  The team sang a few songs with the children.  When it came time to pray with them, all the children removed their hats in unison.  The team was touched beyond words.  (See photo 4.)

Thank you Sun City Church for partnering with us in this long-term project.  The District Center will be a place of pastoral training and for the fellowship of District brothers and sisters.  May God richly bless you.

Construction/Medical Team from Calgary First

In April, a construction/medical team from Calgary First Church of the Nazarene came to Riobamba, Ecuador, to work on the Sierra Centro District Center and to hold medical clinics on the district.  (See photo 1.)  The construction team laid blocks, poured floors, installed plumbing in the bathrooms and did a lot of cleaning.  The kitchen ladies took their jobs seriously as they had 35 people to feed each day.

The medical team united with four national doctors from our coast district.  Missionary Nurse Carolyn Rich, along with others, translated for the doctors.  They held clinics for 4 1/2 days seeing over 200 patients each day.  One clinic was held way up in the mountains.  They treated stomach aches, colds, aching muscles and dispensed a lot of vitamins and medicines.  Of course, prayer was the number one remedy as they prayed with most of the patients.  (See photos 2 & 3.)

One of the highlights for the team was attending Sunday morning services in a tent and being warmly received with flowers and gifts for all.  On the day of touring, they rode an open bus, visited a waterfall and took a cable ride across a deep ravine.

Thank you to the Calgary First church for giving of yourselves to further the Kingdom of God.  May God bless you richly.

Mennonite Canadian Team Partners with Us

In March, we hosted a Mennonite Canadian team.  Henry Fehr, team leader, brought 15 team members including his wife and three daughters.  (See photo 1.)  We were deeply blessed that another denomination would partner with our church to help with our building project.  They worked in Riobamba on the Sierra Centro District Center, which is an on-going Work & Witness project.  (See photo 2.)

At first, we were confused by their Canadian "accent" but then realized that they were speaking German!  We became a trilingual team.  The team worked very hard at laying blocks, pouring floors, and working alongside our indigenous men and women.  We handed out invitations to the Jesus Film showing that has held on a cold night in front of the newly finished church at the District Center.  (See photo 3.)  About 20 people warmly accepted the invitation to receive Christ into their hearts that night.  Teens from the mother church were there to talk with the new converts to get names and addresses.

One afternoon, the women took time out from cooking to hold a Bible School for area children.  They heard the story of Noah and then pasted animal crackers, with frosting, on the ark that they had brightly colored.  The group also invited Diego and his family to share his testimony and then encouraged them by praying for the family.  Diego testified how the Lord had delivered him from Satanic worship.  He went to a Jesus Film showing when invited by a friend.  

We say "thank you" to the hard working Mennonite team for partnering with us in our building of the Kingdom in Ecuador.  May God richly bless you for your giving.

Recent Team Partners with National Nazarenes

The recent team comprised of folk from Pennsylvania, Kansas and Michigan had a rough beginning as some team members’ arrival was delayed due to weather and mechanical difficulties.  (See picture 1.) Finally everyone arrived and the team was ready to work on the Sierra Central District Center in Riobamba despite an overwhelming amount of rain and cold temperatures.  Over fifty brothers and sisters from area churches worked alongside the team as they lay over 2000 blocks and poured 17 large columns for the second story of the building.  They also cleaned an underground water tank, made a lid for it, wired lights and cleaned up the new church at the district center.  (See picture 2.)

The kitchen ladies always had a hot meal ready for the workers to eat.  At lunchtime the women, along with the help of Javier, stopped the children on their way home from school and taught them some songs.  On the last day they shared the evange-cube with the children and over fifty children prayed the prayer of forgiveness,

Harry and Marion Rich, the parents of Dwight Rich (Field Strategy Coordinator), led this team. It was a blessing to see the father-son team share the Word of God in two languages, sometimes three, when Harry’s French came to him from previous years serving as missionaries in Haiti.

The team attended the dedication of property, donated by a NAF partner, for an addition to the Christian School at the Bellavista Nazarene Church.  This school has over four hundred students from K-High School and needs a lot more space.  (See picture 3.)

On the last Sunday night, the team visited a church that was holding services in a tent.  The team was invited to a home of one of the church members to eat roasted guinea pig and potatoes, a delicacy for Ecuador.  The team became burdened for the tent church people and are now praying and raising money for property for this church.  We thank God for His servants that have open hearts and are willing to do what God asks them.

Colorado Team Continues Work at Guamaní Church

On January 12, the Work and Witness team from the Colorado District arrived in Ecuador.  This group had many different talents, gifts and professions:  a woodworker, retired art teacher, retired biologist, a home-schooling mom, a pharmacy tech, a real estate agent, a llama farmer, two pastors, a nurse, two teenagers, a pilot, a potato farmer and a boy with a missionary call.  (See picture 1.)

 On Sunday they visited two churches.  The first was the Mount Sinai church where some of the team members or family members of team members had worked at in the past.  The second was the Guamaní church, an indigenous church in the southern part of Quito.  We enjoyed a special time of worship in three languages:  Spanish, Quechua and English.  The worship set the tone for the relationships and friendships that would be built during the next two weeks while the team worked to finish the second floor of the church.  Although the work was long and hard, the team was encouraged knowing that God’s plan will be accomplished through this church and its people.  (See pictures 2 and 3.)

 The team, along with some women in the church, held Kids club twice a week for the neighborhood children.  One day the local school allowed them to tell the Bible story.  The retired art teacher on the team drew a beautiful chalk drawing for the kids during the story depicting Jonah and the Big Fish.  It was a great opportunity to open doors between the church and the school, and we look forward to hear how God uses this opportunity to build relationships in this community.  (See picture 4.)

 The highlight of the trip occurred at the end of the last day when everyone gathered to share in worship in this new place.  It was a beautiful time of sharing and praising the Lord.  Afterwards, the churchwomen announced that they had a surprise.  They proceeded to thank each team member by putting a scarf around their necks as a reminder of their work.  The team was profoundly impacted by the generosity of these brothers and sisters in Christ who had so little.   It was a reminder that “Little is MUCH when GOD is in it.”

Eldon, Missouri, Team Returns

Recently, the W&W team from Eldon, Missouri, came with a lot of work experience and enthusiasm to prepare the Seminary campus for the first semester of NILI.  They built and welded new desks and other furniture, painted, installed new lights, and built a new classroom.  They also touched many lives through their generous spirits.

This was the first time to Ecuador for four of the members; the other members have made multiple trips to Ecuador in previous years.  We praise God for the support these team members have given and continue to give to the North Andean Field.

The team is shown here with the Felix Vargas family who shared an evening with the team.

Texarkana 1st Team

Saturday, July 28, began with much excitement for the W&W team from Texarkana, Texas, but it was to become a day of frustration for most of the team. Due to a series of complications, one person arrived Saturday, three more on Monday and four more on Thursday. After so many days of frustrating travel, the team really worked hard when they finally made it to the job site.

The team was also joined by Mission Corps volunteers Al & Dianne Wright. Their trip here was also a medical miracle for Dianne. Al writes about his time with the team: “Sometimes things don't go as planned, or even hoped, but through it all, God works miracles. The Sunday services in the newly painted and occupied sanctuary were nothing short of blessings beyond measure. The evening service completely packed out the facility. It was such a privilege to work under the leadership of Bruce and Cinda. I was so privileged to be able to work with the Texarkana team and to accomplish what we did with so few there, yet to get as much accomplished as we did. It is just so neat to be able to work with people one has never met before and instantly feel the bond of Christ's love. He is in control!”