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.