We are missionaries in Ecuador, South America. We work with The Master's Mission and the Christian and Missionary Alliance and currently live in Archidona, Napo, where we are trying to be a visual aid of the Gospel.
We wanted to keep you up to date as to what has gone on in our ministry here in Ecuador over the last month.
In September, we sent out an update about a possible land purchase of 15 acres outside a community called San Pablo. San Pablo is a small community located about 10 kilometers or 25 minutes outside of Archidona. It has a small police post, two "tiendas" or carry outs, a rural health clinic, a grade school and a small high school. It is surrounded by several smaller communities, some of which do not have any common services such as suitable water and sanitation.
Three weeks ago, we decided to purchase the land. There are no churches in this area and we hope to eventually be able to move to and work in this area. Logistically, this would be an ideal area to begin a new church. However, we recognize that only the Lord can make this work, and we will wait on his timing to begin such an endeavor. In the meantime, we plan on getting to know people in the community and using the opportunities that the Lord gives us. Last week, I met an older woman who gives a Bible Lesson once a week for children in the community and she has asked us to help.
I (Kevin) have also been able to visit some of the communities deeper into the jungle. In September, I accompanied a medical team from the San Pablo health clinic to a community called Ishkiñampi. It is located about 4 hours from our house here in Archidona: an hour in the truck and then nearly 3 hours hiking into the jungle. The team included a Kichwa guide, a dentist, a nurse and the doctor. We spent 3 days and 2 nights there and I came away very excited about the possibility of working more in that community. I have told them that I would like to visit them once a month and would like the opportunity to teach the Word of God.
I returned to Ishkiñampi for my second visit last week. The school there gave me permission to give the children a lesson from the Word of God, so I taught them about God´s Creation and the Fall of Man. The people there seem open to the Gospel. However, pray for wisdom as we deal with these communities. There is a tendency to embrace any ideology, philosophy, or religion if there is a promise to receive things materially. Many religious groups and even some Evangelicals have gone to other similar indigenous communities and have offered them generators, class rooms, and other things that are good and helpful, but seem to blur the lines between those who are genuinely following the Lord and those who are simply involved because they are hoping to receive material things. We want to teach, for example, that a man changed by the Gospel and the Word of God will no longer spend his money on moonshine, but instead, will provide for his wife and family. In that way, the Gospel brings about material change. With the life changing power of the Gospel comes personal responsibility that will radically change these communities.
If you want to read more about Ishkiñampi and my two visits there, click on the following links below: Ishkiñampi I Ishkiñampi II
We would like to thank you all for your faithful prayer and financial support. Please pray that the Lord will continue to open doors for us. Kevin
We wanted to keep you up to date as to what has gone on in our ministry here in Ecuador over the last month.
In September, we sent out an update about a possible land purchase of 15 acres outside a community called San Pablo. San Pablo is a small community located about 10 kilometers or 25 minutes outside of Archidona. It has a small police post, two "tiendas" or carry outs, a rural health clinic, a grade school and a small high school. It is surrounded by several smaller communities, some of which do not have any common services such as suitable water and sanitation.
Three weeks ago, we decided to purchase the land. There are no churches in this area and we hope to eventually be able to move to and work in this area. Logistically, this would be an ideal area to begin a new church. However, we recognize that only the Lord can make this work, and we will wait on his timing to begin such an endeavor. In the meantime, we plan on getting to know people in the community and using the opportunities that the Lord gives us. Last week, I met an older woman who gives a Bible Lesson once a week for children in the community and she has asked us to help.
I (Kevin) have also been able to visit some of the communities deeper into the jungle. In September, I accompanied a medical team from the San Pablo health clinic to a community called Ishkiñampi. It is located about 4 hours from our house here in Archidona: an hour in the truck and then nearly 3 hours hiking into the jungle. The team included a Kichwa guide, a dentist, a nurse and the doctor. We spent 3 days and 2 nights there and I came away very excited about the possibility of working more in that community. I have told them that I would like to visit them once a month and would like the opportunity to teach the Word of God.
I returned to Ishkiñampi for my second visit last week. The school there gave me permission to give the children a lesson from the Word of God, so I taught them about God´s Creation and the Fall of Man. The people there seem open to the Gospel. However, pray for wisdom as we deal with these communities. There is a tendency to embrace any ideology, philosophy, or religion if there is a promise to receive things materially. Many religious groups and even some Evangelicals have gone to other similar indigenous communities and have offered them generators, class rooms, and other things that are good and helpful, but seem to blur the lines between those who are genuinely following the Lord and those who are simply involved because they are hoping to receive material things. We want to teach, for example, that a man changed by the Gospel and the Word of God will no longer spend his money on moonshine, but instead, will provide for his wife and family. In that way, the Gospel brings about material change. With the life changing power of the Gospel comes personal responsibility that will radically change these communities.
If you want to read more about Ishkiñampi and my two visits there, click on the following links below: Ishkiñampi I Ishkiñampi II
We would like to thank you all for your faithful prayer and financial support. Please pray that the Lord will continue to open doors for us. Kevin
Yesterday, I went to Ishkiñampi (not Ishkiñambi as previously written) for the second time.I told them during the first visit that I would like to visit them once a month in order to teach God´s Word and talk about ways we can improve the community.Last week, I informed some of the locals that I happened to see in San Pablo that I would be there this week.
We left Archidona in a heavy rain at 5:30 AM.I took the Hyundai so that I could take as many people and supplies as possible.I was a little concerned with the truck’s ability to make it up to Para since it is not four-wheel drive, but I figured with all the weight in the back, that it would be OK.We arrived in Para at 7:00 AM and parked the truck at a local’s house who said he would watch it for us while we hiked to Ishkiñampi.We waited around for 30 minutes, hoping that it would stop raining or at least slow down. While we waited, the guide and the 3 other men with me began to drink a little sugar cane moon shine called “trago” or “veinticinco”. The smell of the alcohol is nauseating, especially when smelling it on the breath of the others. It smells like the combination of rubbing alcohol and raw meat. We finally left the trailhead at 7:30 AM in a heavy rain. The trail, as always, was a muddy mess. Parts of the trail actually became a creek bed during the heavy rain, but that also happened to be where the ground was harder and so that’s where we walked.
Upon arriving in Ishkiñampi 2.5 hours later, we stopped by the house of Claudio Salazar. Claudio is one of the leaders of the community. He actually is a high school graduate and is very articulate with a vast knowledge of subjects ranging from medicinal plants to Barak Obama. He and his wife, Maria, were in Archidona the previous day in order to bring their sick son to the Shaman, who happens to be Maria’s father. While at Claudio’s house, I was given a bowl of chicha de yucca. I don’t particularly mind the taste of this drink, but I don’t care for the water they use to make it (nor does my body a day later).While we drank chicha, Claudio asked if I would be his son’s padrino or godfather. I tried to explain a couple of times biblical baptism, and baby dedications, etc. I’m not sure he ever fully understood, but he insisted that I least think about it as he wants his son to be influenced by someone like me, which is very flattering.
After drinking as much chicha as I could muster, we went over to the school. As we arrived, the director of the school was standing on the front porch of the store/bar of the village with one of the 3 teachers of the school. The store sells pop, tuna, suckers, and of course, trago or moonshine. The director motioned to us with his hand to wait a second, and then he came to greet us. A month ago, when I first met the director, I noted his neat dress and clean clothes, despite being in a muddy place. He seemed like a mild-mannered man who was well respected in the community. This time however, something had changed.It was clear from his countenance and his squinty bloodshot eyes and undone shirt that he had been drinking.As he spoke, it removed all doubt.The repugnant smell of trago flowed from his mouth. He came up to me and shook my hand, thanking me for the visit and invited me to come accompany him to the school.
We went into the school and I greeted the children. There are 20 children who attend the school. They range in age from 6 to 12.Some of the kids had boots, but most were barefooted.Other than the bare feet, most of them look relatively happy and healthy, despite a steady diet of only rice, canned tuna and chicha.I told them that I would like to speak to the adults, and have time for a short Bible lesson with the children. They organized an agenda for the meeting.Kichwa Indians love the formality of meetings.The meeting was opened by the drunken school director who welcomed me, the representative of The Master’s Mission (TMM). As I was being addressed, I couldn’t help but to feel like I was looked upon as the chicken who lays golden eggs as he once again mentioned the needs and wants of the community. He was followed, or interrupted by Claudio who was upset that the president of the parents association was not present and seemed to be using this as an opportunity to criticize her. Most of the speeches were in Spanish, but when they began to argue, it quickly switched to Kichwa.
After the argument died down and order was restored, I stood up and told them that my first visit had left a deep impression on me. I said that they had become my friends and that I saw the many physical needs of the community. I went on to say that the biggest need was spiritual and that a change of heart would bring about more long term permanent change than 10 new computers for the 20 students of their school. I went on to share how Jesus had changed my life. Several of the men readily admitted that a change of heart was needed, but didn’t seem to be particularly interested in having their hearts changed.
I also reminded them that the foundation, or TMM, was not here to hand out money and give them things. I told them that our principle function is to teach God’s Word.However, I will use my influence to try to help them as they solicit funds for various projects to help the community.Most of the men seemed like they understood this, although the inebriated school director seemed a bit surprised.
After another heated argument between Claudio and the school director in Kichwa, the meeting was brought to a close.The director gave me permission to do a Bible Study with the children, but mentioned that it would be better pedagogy to do something fun with the kids so we could “become friends”. I wonder if it’s good pedagogy to be drunk in front of the students while at school, during school hours? So, after taking the advice of the well intentioned school director, I taught the kids 2 songs. After breaking the ice, we gave a lesson on God’s Creation and the Fall of man.In other words, how we got here, and why the world is the way it is today. The kids did a good job paying attention, and one of the sober teachers actually seemed like he understood a little bit of the stories.
By 11:45, I concluded my study with the children and we were invited to the makeshift kitchen/dining room to eat a plate of beans, rice, tuna, banana and yucca with an oat drink or colada on the side. After eating the meal and trying to make small talk with the teachers and director who were coming down from their trago buzz, we embarked on our return journey.
Before leaving, we went to Claudio’s house to pick up a couple of chickens he had given me to pay back for money I had loaned him the day before.We put them in a bag and carried them home.The trip home on the trail was rather uneventful. We went much faster as we didn’t stop to rest as much.I did manage to fall at one point, which was rather embarrassing. As I started to fall, I put my hands down to brace myself and my hands sunk into about 6 inches of mud.We all laughed and continued.We also came across a drunken Indian passed out on the trail.We stopped for a moment to make sure he was just passed out and not dead.When we got about 20 feet away, he sat up and began to scream like a baby. Later, Ruben, the guide told me that the man was his brother. When we arrived at the end of the trail, Claudio and the guide stopped by a house and apparently bought another bottle of trago.I say apparently as I didn’t realize that they had bought more until we got back to Archidona and realized that they were all drunk as skunks and apparently had finished a bottle on the way home. In Archidona, we unloaded some sacks of naranjilla at the market that they had brought back from Ishkiñampi. That brought my day with them to an end.It was 4:00 PM.
So, what are my observations?I have never seen people so controlled by alcohol in my whole entire life.The only thing comparable would be the heavy drug users and drinkers that I knew (and was) during my college years.However, the majority of them (or should I say “us”) still managed to obtain degrees and become productive or semi productive citizens. The typical rural Kichwa male is unable to function without trago. If it’s cold, they need trago to warm up.If they’re hiking, they need it to give them strength. If they are happy, they need it celebrate.If they are sad, they need it drown their sorrows.So when do they not drink?When the men sell their produce in the markets, the majority of themspend their money before getting home on trago and their wives and children never see a dime.
The other troubling observation is that I daresay these people would become Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses or any other cult if they were promised something materially. Of course, they wouldn’t really become one of those aforementioned groups, but they undoubtedly would give lip service to any creed or religion in order to receive something. They are not ideologically tied to any religion besides Shamanism, but not opposed to any other religious view, especially if it could lead to material gain.
Finally, what an outsider like me would perceive as their greatest need and what they perceive as their greatest need are very different. I come in and see one outhouse for a community of more than 50 people. The one outhouse goes directly into a creek.(See Photo) Their is no water treatment. The children have obvious parasite problems due to the water and walking barefoot. Men can't go a day without drinking trago while the women and children suffer from malnutrition. To many of them, the greatest needs of the community are computers and new desks for the school. Good things, indeed, but not the top priorities when the community is exposed to several health risks due to its poor sanitation.
The problems I see are so overwhelming. The ideas and enthusiasm I have are often tempered by non Kichwas who have written them off as an ignorant people destined for failure. So what do we do?We pray. It’s easy to look at the people in these communities and give them up for a lost cause, but who are we to say that? Aren’t we all basically lost causes without Christ?I know I was. We need to pray that God, who is Sovereign, will reach into the communities like Ishkiñampi and draw people to Himself and that He will grant them repentance from their sins. We need to pray that He will give them a desire to obey His Word and please Him with their lives. God does not work any differently here than He does in Ohio or the Bible belt.
In the past week, there have been teacher strikes, and indigenous groups setting up road blocks as they protest mineral and water rights. Roads have been block here in Archidona and Tena with burning tire. Click here to read more about it.
You never know how the Lord will use different people and open up different doors of opportunity for us. Here's is yet another example of how the Lord works.
Earlier this year, I met Dr. Abel Velóz. In May, he purchased a lot behind our house here in Archidona and we have been friends ever since. He is the Rural Health Director for the Eastern Part of Archidona, an area that includes 37 communities. Part of his job is to lead a team of doctors and dentists into each of these communities at least once a year. They offer basic medical care-mainly giving deparisiting medicine and vitamins to the children while the dentist spends most of the time pulling teeth.
Two weeks ago, I had a meeting with Dr. Velóz, and he invited me to accompany him and his team to a community called Ishkiñambi. It is about 4 hours from our house: an hour in the truck and then nearly 3 hours hiking into the jungle. The team included a Kichwa guide, a dentist, a nurse and the doctor. We spent 3 days and 2 nights there and I came away very excited about the possibility of working more in that community.
Here are some of my observations:
There are no bathrooms. There is just one outhouse in the entire community of over 50 people-mostly children.
Several of the children do not where shoes and walk in the mud.
No electricity
There is water, but it doesn't arrive to the houses at higher elevations.
There is a grade school, but after elementary, many of the children do not continue due to the distance between the community and the nearest school.
Travel between Archidona and the community could be much faster with a completed road.
There is an abandoned Catholic Chapel that has been visited just one time in 7 years by the Catholic priest.
Alcoholism is rampant. From 10:30 AM through 7:00 PM, most of the men and a few women drink moonshine.
The people of the community have asked if we could help them, both physically and spiritually. They have even offered us the use of the chapel. We are praying about how we can help. I'm thinking about visiting once a month, teaching God's Word, and helping out with community development. Please pray that the Lord would use His Word to change the hearts of the people living in darkness in Ishkiñambi.
As many of you know, one of our main goals for this term on the field was to find an area where we could eventually move and establish a new church. One of the areas that we had been thinking about was a community called San Pablo, or San Pablo de Ushpayacu. San Pablo is a small community located about 10 kilometers or 25 minutes outside of Archidona. It has a small police post, two "tiendas" or carry outs, a rural health clinic, a grade school and a small high school. It is surrounded by several smaller communities, some of which do not have any common services such as suitable water and sanitation.
We are considering the purchase of an approximately 15 acre property, 2 kilometers outside of San Pablo, centrally located among other communities. This property is right along the main road, is high, drains well, and is suitable for building. The property also contains lots of wood, bamboo, and other materials that can be used for construction which will cut down on building costs. Finally, there is a spring on the property which could possibly be used for drinking water.
We are friends with Abel Veloz, the Director of Rural Medicine of this district. He has informed us of the great physical needs of the indigenous in San Pablo and surrounding communities. We also know that there are great spiritual needs in the area; alcoholism, witchcraft, and the lack of a strong work ethic plague these communities.
We believe that this property could be a key for the development of The Master's Mission in Ecuador, but most importantly, for the spread of the Gospel.
Please pray with us for wisdom and the Lord's leading.
I am the youngest of 6 kids from Putnam County Ohio. I grew up in a good Catholic home and had great parents who did their best to raise us to be good people. While in college, I did a lot of crazy and stupid things. Eventually, I realized how empty it it all really was. Since I was "open minded", I began to read God's Word and realized that Christ, and not religion, philosophy or anything else would bring me the peace that I was seeking in my life. Out of gratitude for allowing us to be His children, we serve as missionaries in Ecuador.
to visit some of the communities deeper into the jungle. In September, I accompanied a medical team from the San Pablo health clinic to a community called Ishkiñampi. It is located about 4 hours from our house here in Archidona: an hour in the truck and then nearly 3 hours hiking into the jungle. The team included a Kichwa guide, a dentist, a nurse and the doctor. We spent 3 days and 2 nights there and I came away very excited about the possibility of working more in that community. I have told them that I would like to visit them once a month and would like the opportunity to teach the Word of God.
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