Water Projects in the Jungle

Our first trip into the jungle communities was a success! The Lord was certainly with us proctecting our safety and our health. We flew with MAF (Mission Aviation Fellowship). The plane are 5 passanger, and the flight was incredible.  The picutre hardly do it justice.  As I looked at God's amazing creation from that plane and was in total awe, I realized that it was only a piece of everything that He is...what an incredible God we serve!

We visited 2 communities on this trip, and passed through 1 community on the hike in.  We flew into Macuma on Tuesday morning and arrived about 10 AM after a 30 minute flight.  We had many adventures in our 3 day trip, but here are the highlights.  It began with the invasion of the tarantulas... one safely in between the window and the screen, but the other in the study right out side of my bedroom.  That one was killed using a machete as to protect us from any encounters during the night.

We discovered many biting and stinging bugs that find their home in the jungle.  The hikes were beautiful yet challenging.  In order to align with the culture we hike through the jungle wearing skirts.  In order to hike through the mud we wear knee high rubber boots, also known as "wellies" to the English.  It's quite the get up when trying to manuver through rivers and over logs.  Our hike on Tuesday was only about 1 hour round trip to Amazones, while our hike on Wednesday/Thursday was approximately 6 hours round trip to Mutints.  The 2 and half to 3 hour hike into Muntints on Wednesday ended with a torrential downpour.  Everyone was throughly soaked by the time we arrived in Muntints.  Not only did it downpour as we arrived, it also rained all night.  We had to leave 3 hours later than planned on Thursday in order to let the rivers go down enough so that we could cross.  We still crossed three rivers that were almost waist deep.  You kind of get used to hiking with wet socks and with your boots full of water.

We enjoyed many interesting meals during our visit as well.  It began with a soup.  I had gotten the leg in my soup and the nails and all were still connected to the animal.  They wouldn't actually tell me what I was eating until I was done eating it :)  It was Watusi, which is a rabbit sized rodent.  The men of the community had went out the night before to hunt and were successful.  The meat was really good!  It was really neat too because they would lay big palm leaves over the table and then place boiled yucca and plantains so we could eat those during the meal.  The people group we are working with is the Shuar.  They were so hospitable and kind.

The engineering...Tuesday we hiked into Amazones.  The water system that was installed there consisted of a solar pump collecting water from the spring, a water tower and a distribution system.  The water tower and the pump both serve the distribution system.  There are two houses at the end of the line that are not receiving any water.  We are in the process of trying to determine why these houses are not receiving water.

The water system in Mutints was collecting water from a spring and the water is fed by gravity to the community.  There is only a community tap at the moment for the families to come and collect water.  It is wonderful to see how the communities are so grateful for the clean water source and give the glory to God for His provision.  Here are some pictures of Mutints, so pretty...

We leave in the morning for Cangaime.  We will be installing a solar pump and testing the existing distribution system.  Please pray for God's continue protection upon our group and that the installation of the system will be successful.  We will be in the community until Friday so I'll tell you about that next week... until then!

Over the River and through the Jungle...

...off to work I go :) Last week was our first week in the office in Shell.  I arrived back in Shell on Saturday 10/10.  I am living with an Ecuadorian lady and her son; her name is Martha and she is very sweet and hospitable.  The plan at the moment is to live in Shell for the remainder of my time here, along with my two other co-workers, Lizzie and Steph.  (My name here is Stephy to differentiate between the two Stephanies)  Both Lizzie and Steph are from England so I am not only learning Ecuadorian culture, but learning English culture as well.  They both plan on serving here for 6 months.  None of us knew each other before we came, but it is such a blessing that we have all come at the same time.  We have all been thinking about it for a year or more, but didn´t actually take the steps until now.  God is good!  We walk to work everyday... they live about a 3 minute walk from my house and we are about a 15 minute walk from the office.

Shell is a small town about a four and half hours drive from Quito.  It is located on the eastern foothills of the Ecuadorian Andes.  There are a large number of missionaries here because of the HCJB Hospital and MAF (Missian Aviation Fellowship).  We will be flying with them on our trips into the jungle.  Below is a map of Ecuador to give you a picture of where in the country I am working.  Shell is located just west of Puyo (shown on this map right beside the Ecuador text) and is not shown on this map: 

View Larger Map

Here are some pictures of my journey to work.  The views are spectacular!  Enjoy...

**Guayaquil's Independence Day**

Friday October 9, 2009 was Guayaquil's Independence Day which meant it was a holiday for Ecuador.  We finished clases on Thursday, October 8th since the school would be shut for the public holiday.  My clases went really well, and I renewed my confidence in speaking the Spanish language.  Here is a picture of my graduation day with mi profesora, Doris, and the director, Pablo:

On Friday we decided to be tourists and explore some of the massive City of Quito.  I am working on a slideshow now, and I will post it as soon as it is ready... to be continued :o)

Dios es FIEL!

The translation is "God is FAITHFUL!" I have spent the past week and a half in Quito, Ecuador and will continue living here for one more week before I return to Shell on Saturday.  I'm currently taking much needed language clases for 4 hours a day at the South American Language Center here in Quito.  It's amazing the challenges you can encounter in day to day life when you don't understand the language and culture in which you are living.  My language clases are one on one sessions with a teacher from the language center.  Since my language training is only for two weeks it is important that I am able to connect with my "profesora" and get the most of my time.  I had been praying for the teacher I would have during this time, and that the Lord would provide the teacher I needed.  Can I just say again and again that God answers prayer!  My teacher is incredible... she is an amazing woman of God and she goes to a Church of God here right outside of Quito.  For those of you who do not know, I go to Cary Church of God at home so it was so amazing to have a teacher here who knew of Church of God and knows the history of our church.  It's so incredible because while we are studying during the day we talk about our lives and about the Lord.  She has shared with me so much about her life.  It has been such an incredible blessing!  Not only is she my teacher, but she will also now remain a friend.  Praise be to Jesus!