January 9, 2019 – Faith

Ukulele club!

Muscles ache, the brain is tired from trying to speak in a different language, and the belly is hungry – but it feels so good to have done a good days work.  We carried 400 blocks from the truck to the second floor.  We finished weeding 3 sides of the building. We built walls.  We taught English.  We conducted afternoon clubs for the students at Amor y Esperanza. And a few of us were (mostly) successful at plastering a wall.  

The ladder that leads to a beautiful view.

In the midst of it all, we partook of God’s beautiful creation.  The ladder to the third floor was a little shaky, but it held each of us as we went up one by one to look together at the views of the volcano and the mountains in the distance from the top of the building. 

I suppose we put our faith in things all the time – we have faith that the car will start and get us where we need to go, that the chair will hold when we sit down, or that our alarm clock will sound to wake us up in the morning.  Today, we put our faith in that ladder.  And looking back, it can serve as a metaphor for our faith in Jesus.

At first, the ladder felt steady.  But about half way up, the ladder would start to shake with each step.  It certainly did not look like a ladder that you would really want to put your faith in.  But one by one, as I watched others ascend and the ladder held secure – my faith grew. 

We can inspire faith in one another by walking out that faith – that trust – in our own lives. Even when my hands could feel the tremble of the wood and my eyes could see the ladder bending under each step, I had faith that it would hold.

When our walk with Jesus is a little shaky – when others see that – it is okay.  In fact, it is good.  When your faith wavers, yet you continue in pursuit of Jesus, not only will your own faith grow – but so will the faith of those around you.  And when you reach the place that the Lord is taking you, there just may be a beautiful view and a time of rest for you there.  

Trust in Him.  Trust in your experience of the Lord.  He will hold fast. 

The volcano Cayambe as seen from the top of the new school

Drama club!

Random things I noticed today:

Mr. Unsicker can fall asleep very quickly on the bus.  (Lots of experience from all the DC trips maybe?)

Chris hates spiders.

The children in Carmen Bajo are so very joyful!

January 8, 2019 – Taste and See

Tuesday.  Carmen Bajo.  

It is very humbling to work alongside a master craftsman and try to imitate his craft.  Today, we attempted to put cement plaster onto cement block walls which were built by teams that came before us.  We worked alongside three maestros.  After watching the process, we donned our gloves, mixed our cement plaster, and made one giant mess after another.  The men would take a trowel or shovel full of cement, throw it at the wall, and quickly smooth it up the surface.  Maybe a little would end up on the floor, but most of the cement stayed nicely where it was put.  One team member after another – students and chaperones alike – would attempt to replicate this process.  For some, the cement would slide off the back of the trowel.  For others, it would hit the wall but fall on the floor.  We were wearing cement, wiping it from our hair, our faces, and blinking it out of our eyes!  We had cement everywhere!  Unfortunately, only a few of us became even slightly proficient with the skill by the end of the day.  It was a frustrating process.

We did eventually find some other helpful tasks with which we are more adept.  I have never been so happy to whack weeds!  Tomorrow, we hope to play to our strengths by breaking up into groups.  A few will continue the plastering alongside the master craftsmen, while others will build walls, whack more weeds, or teach English at the school.  

The children met us in the patio and shared songs.

Before construction time today, we were able to visit the school to meet the children and to learn some of the history of Amor y Esperanza.  It was wonderful to see the smiling faces of the students and to hear their praises to the Lord.  When Cole, one of the returning team members, entered the patio, the faces of his students from last year lit up with joy!  I was able to greet Laura, Noemi, Jesus, and others whom I have known in past years.  There is such joy to see their faces and to know that the Lord continues to watch over their lives.  And it is good to taste of the Lord and see that He is good.  He is kind to His children.  He gives us His spirit.  His love for us is everlasting.

This evening we shared time together. We remembered Mr. Holland’s encouragement from last night, to taste and see that the Lord is good. We built upon that foundation – the Lord is good, AND He is in control.  It is good to have a solid foundation – postulates on which to build your faith, your worldview.   We also invited the presence of the Lord, and we prayed for one another.  Tomorrow will hold more experience of Jesus – and more togetherness as we pursue His grace for us here, and open the eyes of our hearts. 

Random facts for today:

There are a lot of dogs that live in Carmen Bajo.

Mr. Holland has just recently learned to pronounce certain words correctly – like egg and sweater.

Hudson is fascinated by scorpions.

Claire takes great joy in smashing old toilets with a yard tool.

January 7, 2019 – Open your heart

Please pray for our team: Mr. Holland, Camden, Chris, Jason, KJ, Isabelle, 

Gabe, Everett, Mr. Unsicker

Maria Victoria Zola, Claire, Alden, Joseph, Sophia

Pitty Zola, Kayleigh, Kennedy, Lexi, Meghan, Abbie, Hudson, Mrs. Justice, 

BJ, Sydney, Cole

Not pictured:  Pancho, Danny and Mateo Zola

It is a new year, and with it a new beginning.  This is a first – a Whitefield team sent to Amor y Esperanza in January!  The Lord loves to create; He is in the business of creating.  And here, today, he is beginning a new work.  This new work is on a familiar and solid foundation – the relationship between Amor y Esperanza and Whitefield Academy.  The students have come both to give, and to receive:  sharing their lives with the body of Christ in Ecuador while receiving God’s grace and love from the believers here.  

Following a long day of travel on Sunday, the students finally found their beds about 1:15 am. Each bed held a verse of scripture – an encouragement for the week.  Some were already feeling the effects of the altitude soon after arriving, some were hungry, others feeling down from illness or sadness brought from home, but in our weakness, Jesus is strong!  He gave to each strength for the journey, and we were glad to rest our heads for a few hours.  

Some of the many beautiful colors of the market

Day one brought a breakfast of pan, juevos, y panqueques con jugo de naranja o leche chocolate, and following that, a time of worship together.  Pancho and Pitty exhorted the students to open their hearts to Jesus – to His powerful name and His presence in their lives, to the new beginning to which He is calling us this day.  We then loaded the bus and headed to Otovallo to the market.  Everyone had the chance to bargain for local handicrafts and many purchased the llama jackets which are the distinguishing apparel of the EMT.  Diving into local culture, we then ate lunch at a local Ecuadorian restaurant.  Everett and Mr. Unsicker ordered the cuy (fried guinea-pig) and many were brave enough to try it (not me!) Mr. Unsicker did say that he didn’t expect the cuy to be looking at him (the head was still on)! 

It has been a day of reunions as well – those who have travelled here before were excited to return and see the Zola family, and Kayleigh was able to reunite with her Au Pair, Sandra, from when she was much younger.  Sandra brought Ecuadorian candy for the students to share, and we also stopped at a roadside shop for biscocho con manjar de leche.  

Back at the Seminario Teologico where we are staying, the rain lessened enough for an afternoon soccer match which drew some of the guys, while others took advantage of some much needed down time.  The evening will bring dinner and another devotional time.  Tomorrow, we visit the school and then begin construction.  May the Lord grant us the energy to work hard, play hard, and honor Him during our time here.  

Joseph sporting his new llama jacket

Alden poses for the camera - photo credit for the beautiful
pictures of the market goes to Alden

Cuy - fried guinea pig - traditional Ecuadorian cuisine

View from the bus

Random things I have learned so far:

When there is sunshine in Quito, it gets hot quickly; when it starts to rain, it is suddenly cold

BJ almost never takes off his hoodie

Ecuadorian drivers don’t give a second thought to passing on a two-lane road when there is oncoming traffic

Some of the girls need an hour to wake up and get ready in the morning, and others need only 10 minutes

Gabe travels light, but his pockets don’t secure his passport very well

Kennedy likes to try new things – she was brave enough to try the fried guinea pig

It is possible to download 8 hours of Netflix videos to your mobile device from the free airport Wi-Fi while sitting at the gate for 30 minutes

Updates and Stories from Amor y Esperanza

Hi friends! Dave Mccune here. In early December I had the opportunity to travel to Quito briefly through my church and want to fill you in on some of the exciting work that is continuing with our friends.

First of all, the Zola family sends greeting and would love for you to keep them in their prayers! Following a difficult process of leadership change at the long time school of their children, Pancho and Pitty have decided to homeschool Danny, Mateo and Maria Victoria. While they describe the time leading up to the decision as frustrating and challenging, they now see the Lord's hand in it all and are loving this season of being close. All 5 now share the office at AyE, working through the school day then spending family time after hours. I am encouraged to see the family in such a healthy spot!

Construction on the new building continues, and with solid fundraising the hope is to be operational by next school year. The school will eventually have three floors but the hope is to move in to the first two during the initial phase. The new building will provide more space more for more students and greater visibility in the public to the good work being done. Please consider contributing to the effort here!

I am reminded each visit that school is made up of dozens of individuals with compelling stories. I want to highlight just a few that make me proud of the school we partner with.

If you have kept up with this blog you have heard the story of Abel.

Abel is a young student who does not have the ability to use his legs. In spite of this he remains the most joyful and loving child you have ever met. When he meets you he looks deeply into your eyes and caresses your cheek, offering love without condition that is almost foreign to our performance based realities.

Nearly 2 years ago Susan Justice was able to bless Abel with her gift of occupational therapy, powerfully by bringing him a walking device. For the first time he was able to motor on his own, a beautiful moment met by smiles and tears as his young classmates chanted his name. It is an incredible blessing that AyE is a place willingly and joyfully accommodating students like Abel.

I also want to introduce you to Fabrian, a new 11th grade student this year.

Fabrian is one of several Venezuelan students and teacher refugees who have found a home at AyE. He faces challenges of learning English and recovering from knee surgery but he remains hopeful in his studies. AyE is meeting his needs by providing after school tutoring that will help him find success now...and set him up toward finding success in his dream of becoming an architect one day. That strikes me - AyE is a school training architects of the future, both in the physical and spiritual reality. It is an incredible encouragement that students like Abel and Fabrian have a place to belong and flourish in Quito. Without AyE it is doubtful they have the opportunities they have to grow as students and more profoundly, as followers of Jesus. Lord bless the work, bless the workers!

Bendiciones a todos,

Dave