Prayer Requests: June 2013

Answer to Prayer:

This past Friday I received news from my family in Minnesota that my cousin Joey Ferguson had had a stroke.  Since he is only 21-years-old this was a huge shock to all of us.  He had an open heart surgery a couple years prior to repair a valve in his heart that wasn’t working properly.  I was very anxious the whole day because I was in meetings and had no way of hearing updates.  So I did the only thing I could do and prayed and hoped he would be okay.  The girls that I am living with this summer were very caring and prayed with me.  Immediately after my meetings had finished for the day, I ran home to talk with my family and see if there was any update on Joey’s condition.  With an anxious heart, my mom told me that he was going to be okay and that he was starting to act like himself!  What an answer to prayer!

This situation was especially difficult since he was brought to the same hospital that my cousin, Terry, had been brought to last year after his stroke.  Unfortunately we did not have the same outcome in both situations.  Terry passed away five days after his stroke.  Joey, on the other hand, was awake and well a couple hours after he was brought to the hospital!

Walk to the project site in Washinsta.

Here are some recent prayer requests that I have.

1. For the rest of Joey’s recovery in the hospital.  For strength and wisdom from the doctors in determining what caused the clot.

2. For the pastor and his wife in Washinsta.  That his trip to the United States in August might be an encouragement.  That he would be able to share his passion for serving the Lord in the jungle with students and churches.

3. For the Washinsta community.  That they may have open eyes and hearts to see the Lord in all of His splendor.  That young men may grow into spiritual leaders alongside the pastor in that community and that young women may pursue you.

4. For the students and young children in Washinsta.  That they may continue to pursue education and that some of them may be able to study in a university someday.  For their continued joy, laughs, innocence and smiles.

5. For my team members.  For the girls as we work in the Hospital the next couple days and for the guys as they continue to work in the jungle on the water projects.  Also for a chance to celebrate David and Mark’s birthday!

6. For our leaders.  That they may be able to rest throughout the summer while they coordinate work and trips for us.

7. For all of the missionary families in Shell and Quito.  That our team in some way could encourage, serve or care for them!  Since we are only here for a short time, I hope to lift up the spirits of the missionaries who have been here for 10+ years.

8. For the patients in the hospital.  That we may be able to affectively and thoughtfully care for them spiritually and physically.

Thank you for your continued support and encouragement!

Confianza, Cirugías y Cafécito

I have officially been in Ecuador for two weeks!  During the first couple days in Ecuador I was able to explore Quito.  I then was able to experience the hustle and bustle of the hospital in Shell during the rest of the first week, and after that I traveled to Washinsta, a jungle community.  I have become more acquainted with the climate, food, language and culture.  So far I have been able to see the Lord working in many ways whether that has been through a conversation in the grocery store or through singing and playing with the children in the jungle.  He is all powerful, merciful and the portion that we all need.  I am so grateful for all that I have experienced so far, for my team and for your encouragement and prayers.  So, read on and rejoice with me in what the Lord is doing in Ecuador!

Flowers in front of my house in Shell. 

The two other medical interns and I spent the first part of last week in Hospital Vozandes del Oriente in Shell observing the doctors and surgeons.  I spent my first day in the emergency area of the hospital on Monday last week.  It was very interesting!  Many of the patients that we saw in the ER had abdominal pain as a result of food they ate or from a parasite.  Others were in more critical condition with lesions or other conditions that were past the point of prevention.  On Monday, I observed two of the missionary doctors, Dr. Patton and Dr. Allison, perform an endoscopy on a woman.  One aspect of that procedure that stood out to me was the compassion Dr. Patton and Dr. Allison had on the woman.  Despite all of the cultural barriers, I saw Dr. Allison wipe the tears from her face before the endoscopy.  With gentle words they both reassured her that she was going to be fine and that the procedure was going to be over before she knew it!

We spent Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday morning in the hospital as well.  We shadowed a couple of the missionary doctors on Tuesday, and Anna and I had a unique opportunity to assist a family practitioner named Dr. Allison.  He asked us if we would help him change the dressings of a man who came in with extensive ulcers on his legs.  They ruffly covered his legs from his knee down to his ankle.  He has had them for three months, and they have impaired his ability to walk.  Even though it was really painful for him while we changed his dressings, he was still very patient with us and never ceased to smile.

A view of the Hospital on my walk to work.

On Thursday we went to the Community Development office for meetings all day.  Mariam and Tannia, two of our leaders and coordinators for the summer, taught us all about Shwar culture, community development and teaching lessons in the jungle.  It was very helpful to learn about how to best introduce ourselves in the culture as to not offend any of the community members.  On previous trips that I have taken to different countries and cultures I have never had a cultural orientation so I was glad that I was able to learn about the Shwar culture before traveling there!

My house in Shell.

We were also able to observe three surgeries on Friday morning.  The first surgery that we got to see was to remove a plate and three screws from a man’s femur.  The second was for a woman who had an ectopic pregnancy that ended up rupturing her right fallopian tube.  That was the hardest surgery for me to observe out of the three because of the demeanor of the woman.  She was very sad because the outcome of the surgery wasn’t going to result in her holding a baby in her arms, rather she would have to leave the hospital empty handed since the majority of ectopic pregnancies end with the death of the baby.  The third and final surgery that we saw on Friday was for a woman who had a previous cesarian section.  After the surgery she had some complications and tearing in her small and large intestine.  All of surgeries on Friday were finished by 10:00am.


One aspect of the hospital that I enjoy is called ‘Cafécito’.  It is a designated coffee and pastry break from 10:00am-11:00am.  We were able to join the other nurses and doctors at Cafécito after our three surgeries on Friday.  It was a very productive morning!  One of my team members, Anna, is committed to bringing the idea and practice of Cafécito back to the States.  It was a wonderful time to introduce ourselves to other co-workers!

We were able to rest on Saturday with a trip to Puyo, a city close to Shell.  My team of seven, two of our leaders, Alex and Alfredo, and their children, Benjamin and Camilla, took the bus to Puyo.  For one person, one way it only costed 25¢!  We walked around for the day and enjoyed the happenings of another city.  We were able to see some shops and venders and then took a nice walk along a river after lunch.  It was a beautiful day to explore, and it was nice to be able to walk around in the wonderful scenery.  After our walk we went and got gelato.  I treated myself to some coffee gelato!  We then took a bus back to Shell.  

After we arrived back in Shell we went to a neighborhood dinner.  We were able to meet all of the missionaries who are living in Shell and in our neighborhood.  It was inspiring to hear all about what has improved and changed over the time that they all have been here.  Some of the missionaries came to Shell on a summer internship like I am doing this summer and are still serving here 15-24 years later!  We welcomed a couple families who have just arrived in Shell and said goodbye to the Allison’s who will be leaving at the end of July.  I really enjoy experiencing the Christian community that is present here.  I feel as if I am living in the 1950’s for many reasons.  Life is simpler here.  You can walk over to your neighbor’s house and ask for sugar or to take their dog on a walk.  It is also common for all of the kids in the neighborhood to play together at all times of the day since school is done for the summer.  It is very refreshing to experience life that is so inclusive.  

Sunday was very relaxing.  I went on a run with David and Kevin in the morning.  We then got ready for church.  We went to a service at La Luz de Evangelio which is where many hospital employees and missionaries attend.  It used to be Raquel’s church that she attended while she lived here in Shell.  The entire service was in Spanish including all of the worship.  I really enjoyed it!  It was wonderful to hear and understand what the pastor was saying without much difficulty.  I have definitely gained more confidence in my ability to comprehend and speak Spanish since I have been here!  After church we went to lunch outside of Shell and then the girls rested the rest of the day while the guys played ultimate frisbee with some of the missionary families.  We then packed up for our trip to the jungle.

Enjoying the scenery of Ecuador!

I was privileged to be able to travel to Washinsta, a jungle community near Shell, on Monday and returned yesterday on Wednesday.  I flew to Washinsta with the three other girls from my team in a small plane that only had room for the pilot, some gear and us!  The flight was 30 minutes.  We experienced a bit of turbulence and rain during the flight, but for the most part it was beautiful to have a bird’s-eye view of the jungle!  We landed on a dirt runway in the middle of the community.  Immediately swarms of children ran to the plane to welcome us!  Before I knew what was happening all of the children were carrying our luggage to a building that was going to be our home for the next couple days.  We stayed in a class room on the edge of the village.  We each set up our bug huts to protect from mosquitos and then went to visit with everyone in the village.  We had dinner that consisted of yucca, potatoes, plantains, tuna, rice and lentils.  A typical meal in the community would only consist of yucca, plantains and potatoes, but we were able to bring some of our own food to supplement theirs since we were such a large group.

The airplane we flew to Washinsta on.

They were very hospitable and generous to us while we there.  I was able to teach a couple hygiene classes to the kids with the other girls from my team.  The guys arrived a day after us and will be working on a water project in the community until Friday.  They are working on installing a filter system.

There also happened to be two nurses there while we were visiting.  They were going from community to community setting up clinics with medicine for the communities.  Since they didn’t speak any Spanish, I had the opportunity to translate for them for two of the days that they were in Washinsta.  I also had the opportunity to meet a missionary pastor from Cuba who has been in Washinsta for the past three years.  He is living there with his wife.  It was wonderful to talk with him about all that the Lord has been doing in Washinsta in the past couple years.  I felt so encouraged after talking with him!  I will continue to pray for the Washinsta tribe in the days and years to come.  Please join me in praying for more laborers to go out into the world to share the good news of the Gospel.

Sunset in Washinsta.

“The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

-Luke 10:2

The Beginning Days

My first couple days in Quito, Ecuador have been filled with joy and excitement.  I have gotten the opportunity to explore places in this city that is home to three million people!  On the 12th of June I arrived in Quito after 16 hours of traveling!  I met my team for the first time in the airport.  My team this summer consists of six other individuals from around the United States.  Raquel was born in Shell, Ecuador but is from Tennessee, Anna is from Idaho, Kathryn is from Nebraska, David goes to school in Illinois but is from Quito, Ecuador, Mark is from Maryland, Kevin is from New York and I am from Wisconsin!  Raquel will be working in the hospital in Shell specializing in nursing, Anna and I will be working in the hospital in Shell spending time shadowing doctors there.  Kathryn will be working in administration in the hospital office.  David, Mark and Kevin will be working on engineering and clean water projects in Shell.

Tammy Kooistra, full-time missionary; DeNise Love, intern coordinator; Kevin Ng, David Edgren, Mark Wagner, Anna Moate, Raquel Velasco, Kathryn White, Riva Macbeth (me), Jennifer Kendrick, intern supervisor; pictured at the HCJB Global campus in Quito.  

On the 13th of June, my first day in Quito, I went with my team to the HCJB Global campus.  We had our first day of orientation where we were able to learn more about the culture of Ecuador and how best to embrace it.  We also had an opportunity to hear from some of the permanent missionaries here.  We then went to a cafe called “Bom K-fe” for lunch.  I had told my Spanish professor from Northwestern before hand that I was going to be going there for lunch, and she was able to come and say hi since she has been spending some time in Quito!  After lunch I spent some time with my team, playing games, before going out to dinner.

View of Quito from a restaurant as night quickly approaches. This city is even more beautiful at night.

After dinner we explored Quito and got to see the Presidential Palace, La Basílica, El Panecillo and La Ronda.  La Basílica is one of the oldest Catholic Cathedrals in Quito.  It even had gargoyles on it!  El Panecillo is a statue in Quito of the Virgin Mary.  La Ronda is the oldest street in Quito that was constructed in 1400.  

In front of the Presidential Palace with Raquel, Jennifer, Kathryn and I.  

Walking on La Ronda at night in Quito. 

The next day, on the 14th, we spent another day in orientation.  We also got a tour of HCJB Global and learned more about the history of this wonderful ministry.  After the tour we helped prepare a meal for the missionary families that live here in Quito.  We were able to pray for some missionaries that will be leaving the field and going back to the United States as well as for others who just came to Quito!

Yesterday, the 15th of June, I went with my team to a retreat center called “El Refugio”.  It was absolutely breathtaking.  It consisted of 100 acres in the heart of the mountains that focused on facilitating and encouraging team building.  We were able to play some getting to know you games, and we went on a low-ropes course and high-ropes course.  In all, it was a wonderful opportunity to get to know my team through celebrating each other’s strengths and encouraging one another through each other’s weaknesses.  I am looking forward to what the Lord has in store for us this summer!

My group at El Refugio for a day of team building, high ropes and laughter.

                                        Flowers at El Refugio

I went to church yesterday with my team to a church close to HCJB Global in Quito called English Fellowship Church, EFC.  Many other missionary families were there, so it was a wonderful opportunity to meet everyone who is serving in Quito.  After church we packed up and made our way to Shell which is going to be my home for the next six weeks.

The drive to Shell was stunning.  We drove through the mountains there and got to see waterfalls, rainbows, steep cliffs, El Río Pastaza and places where you could bungee-jump and zip-line.  It was amazing to see the landscape change from mountains to jungle within a couple of miles.  While we drove we were entertained by a little girl called Nicolé who was the bus driver’s daughter.  He dropped us off at our home which is behind Hospital Vozandes del Oriente.  I will be staying there with the girls.  The guys will be staying in a house next to us.

Nicolé, our entertainment for the five hour bus ride from Quito to Shell. 

We were able to go on a couple tours today.  We went to the Nate Saint house, the Nate Saint school, Hospital Vozandes del Oriente and around Shell.  I was able to buy a bracelet that the Waorani tribe hand crafted.  It is a joy to say that the Waorani church is now larger than ever before.  If you want to know more about the history of Nate Saint and the Waorani tribe you can go to the Hospital Vozandes tab or click here.

A picture of Nate Saint, Jim Elliot, Ed McCully, Pete Fleming and Roger Youdarian at the Nate Saint School in Shell.

My first day of work starts tomorrow at 7:30am and goes until 5:30pm.  I will keep you updated with everything in the days to come!  I am excited to spend the next six weeks serving in the community here along side the other doctors and missionaries.

The Journey Begins

I am en route to Quito, Ecuador.  My day began this morning at 3:00am!  I was able to get a whole three hours of sleep; luckily I was able to sleep on my first flight from Minneapolis to Miami.  I am currently in the Miami airport waiting for my flight to leave after being delayed for two hours.  I will be arriving in Quito at 9:00pm and will hopefully be meeting my group there once I get to the airport.  Traveling by myself has been an adventure so far.  A lot of my interactions since I have been in Miami have been in Spanish which has been wonderful but also challenging.  One of the agents that helped me with my connecting flight told me that I spoke Spanish well.  That was comforting to hear especially since it is easy to feel inadequate when you aren’t speaking your native language.

I have an answer to prayer.  I am officially fully supported!  I am so thankful for all of your support and prayers in making this goal a reality.  I am looking forward to this trip.  It finally is real to me that I am going!

Below is a picture of my with my luggage before embarking on my adventure as well as my mom and I!

   

From a Grateful Heart

I am overwhelmed with gratitude to everyone who has supported me thus far, whether financially or through prayer.  I am excited to say that I am 95% supported of my $4,800 goal!  Although I was anxious about support raising, the Lord is showing me His provision.

I am enjoying the many conversations with others about my trip and have received much affirmation and encouragement from my family and friends.  The countdown for my trip is now to 7 days!  Recently, many people are asking me if I am anxious or not. To answer this question, the Lord is teaching me each day of His faithful provision and enduring peace.  Through experiencing this and having people in my life remind me of the Lord’s plan and desire to be glorified through this trip, I am able to feel more excited and less anxious about the upcoming adventure.

I am so thankful that I have a wonderful group of people eager to pray for me as I travel, serve and further the Lord’s kingdom in Ecuador.

And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. 

-Philippians 4:19