March 25, 2008

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.