Catamayo 2007
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Last month it was our pleasure as the Illinois ...
Last year, as one of our evening activities, we ...
As a Pentecostal congregation, there was a lot of ...
The Holy Spirit is very important and much time ...
There were several mini-sermons, each being ...
One of the special music numbers was by a young ...
Our own Pastor Ted Engelsdorfer from St. John UCC ...
But more seriously, one of the things that was ...
Now ostensibly we were there to lay foundations ...
The other family was that of Ruth and Alejandro ...
Their three sons, left to right, Santiago (18 ...
But at the close of his sermon, Pastor Segundo ...
That is exactly what they did last month. Seven ...
Boy did we get a surprise welcome. Thirty or ...
By mid-afternoon we were on-site and at work. ...
Some of the money that we had sent ahead had ...
New shovels would not be new by the time we left.
And wonderful friendships would be developed with ...
Job one, put those shovels to work. The back hoe ...
Wheelbarrow by wheelbarrow the clearing of the ...
It was a regular chain of the full ones going ...
We had two main jobs; one, to finish the trenches ...
Meanwhile, each day there was more dirt to be ...
And another wheelbarrow to be moved.
Evening would bring a chance for a shower, some ...
On Monday evening we were invited to a welcome ...
Like last year, it was filled with music, hand ...
The kind of music that gets everybody, even stogy ...
The juniors presented a dance to a piece of ...
Not to be outdone by their elders, the younger ...
The evening was closed with several ice breaker ...
Tuesday and each morning saw us back at work. ...
That was mixed on the ground by turning it over ...
Others moved the bricks a few at a time, by hand, ...
There they were wet down and prepared for taking ...
The first row goes into place...
Under the watchful eye of Maestro Patricio, our ...
No we are not done digging.
There are still more trenches to be finished.
And you guessed it, there are more wheelbarrows ...
But if you take just a moment to notice, on ...
Once the trench was dug to grade, they filled the ...
Then the concrete was poured over and around the ...
They took some of the buckets of concrete and ...
Even Pastor Segundo gets into the act with a ...
A sidebar to our church construction was the fact ...
He was introduced to a local carpenter, Arturo, ...
Before long their efforts began to take shape ...
We also had many opportunities to get to know the ...
We recognized that rural housing was even more in ...
We learned that though local residents' dress may ...
For their children are not really that different ...
That became clear when we visited with Ruth ...
We were delighted to see that what had been just ...
In fact, it had become a home, not just a house, ...
At the Villavicencio house we were welcomed again ...
Patricia served us empanadas from the bowl which ...
Not only has the house been finished and ...
They have added a section to provide more family ...
The addition houses a spacious and convenient ...
Not a few tears were shed at this reunion.
Meanwhile, back at the church, things had to be ...
Many bricks, laid lovingly one on top of the ...
A good foundation has been laid. From this ...
Ezra 3:10 - 11
How can we do any less? So we gathered on ...
Again lead by Pastor Segundo and his wife, Julia, ...
The strings vibrated again with the sounds of ...
The new lectern was presented to the congregation.
We made some music of our own, in English of ...
The team presented a set of banners made ...
They shared gifts of appreciation with each ...
Pastor Segundo moved the lectern into place and ...
With fervent prayers,...
And dance...
And food-the traditional quimbolitos,...and hugs ...
So what is next for our partnership with Ecuador? ...