Ecuador Mission Trip — 2016

June 26 to July 2

On July 2nd, twenty-two tired but enthusiastic and fulfilled people arrived back in New Jersey from the 2016 mission work trip to La Union, Ecuador.  We had 5 new team members, as well as several members of The Pluckemin and Bound Brook Presbyterian Churches.  There were many accomplishments to remember and exciting ideas of plans for the 2018 trip.   This was our 7^th trip to Ecuador to work with Hogar de Cristo, and our 3^rd trip to our adopted barrio of La Union, a small community located in the Rio Guayas.

At the end of our 2014 trip to La Union, we saw that there were still many critical necessities lacking in this impoverished community.  We continued to be in constant contact with Patricia Moreira, our long-time liaison with Hogar de Cristo.  Since our 2014 trip, our Ecuador Mission Fund provided the materials for the building of a Community Education Center, with the community providing much of the labor. The fund continued to pay the salaries for a nurse, Isabel, and her assistant, Maria.  Together they provide healthcare to the community. The fund also supported continued oversight of the water filter and de-worming programs by Geovanny Santamaria.

On this trip, through the hard work of the team, substantial mission funds from Basking Ridge Presbyterian Church as well as extremely generous donations raised by the team, we were able to complete the following:

Houses: The team, with the significant help of members of the La Union community… it does take a village… built 18 houses… a new record… in just 4 days in the baking sun just south of the equator.  Ask us about climate change!  But, as we looked around at the appalling housing conditions we were replacing, there were no complaints, just  a lot of hard work, water consumption and sweating. When each house was completed, we provided the family with bags of rice and beans for their first meals in their new home.

Composting toilets:  Through our Ecuador Fund, La Union now has 20 composting, ecological toilets, housed in privacy casitas!  We provided the toilets and the materials for the casitas as well as 9 months of future oversight and instruction.  The cost of these toilets is partially subsidized by the Gates Foundation.  The people of La Union built the casitas themselves. The impact on the health of the people is priceless.  Any of us who have had to find a place to “go” in La Union, can just begin to understand the effect this will have on daily life and individual dignity.

 

Dresses: The women of the Oak Tree Quilters, made more than 80 colorful dresses for the girls and women of La Union.  Giving them out was great fun.  The children’s excitement at having a new dress made us wish all the Quilters could have been with us to see how happy they made these children!  When the girls gave us a farewell dance performance, many wore their new Oak Tree Quilter dresses.

 

Sewing School:  Susan and Alex brought and donated a sewing machine for the community. They set up their sewing school in the colorful and airy new Community Education Center.  Currently there is no electrical hook-up in the center, but one of the women brought in a cord from her nearby house.  At first, a few curious women and a couple of men gathered and peered through the windows.  As Susan and Alex busily laid out the machine, sewing supplies and fabrics, more and more women quietly assembled.  By the time the sewing started, there was hardly room to move in the center.  The women crowded around for a glimpse of the wonders of material becoming dresses and shorts.  Soon, the “queens of the machine” had some of the women learning to use the sewing machine.  Pockets were the first to be attempted but soon seams miraculously led to dresses!  At the end of the first day, the women were given the assignment (half jokingly) to finish 20 dresses that night.  When we arrived the next morning, we were surprised to see the beautiful dresses they had created overnight hanging on the walls and, most important, the pride in their faces.  We soon needed to buy more fabric, elastic and thread.  Susan and Alex worked non-stop through the next two days, teaching the women to make patterns and create an assembly line of production.  Alex’s Spanish was also creative… “pocketa”… was quickly understood.  It was an amazing three days of fellowship, skill and confidence-building for the women of La Union.

Health Clinic: We brought with us 50 pounds of medical equipment and supplies for the clinic.  Jenn, our team RN, met with the La Union nurse, Isabel, and her assistant, whose salaries we will continue to pay.  Jenn instructed them in the use of the new otoscope and ophthalmoscope.  The nurses address prenatal care, nutrition, sanitation, clean water, child health issues, and other day-to-day health and first aid concerns.  Isabel also provided first aid for one of our team members.

Water Filters:  While there, our water filter expert, Geovanny Santamaria, spent an evening and a day with us reviewing our water and filter program, as well as discussing other community issues.  Kimberly was the skilled translator for the group. We are planning to install elevated 500-gallon tanks at the Health Center and the Elementary School and provide a large capacity water filter to the school.  Members of the La Union community gave fervent testimonies about the significant difference the water filters have made in the health of the children and parents… a decrease in intestinal parasites, urinary-tract infections and skin diseases as well as richer milk for nursing babies. We plan to continue to support Geovanny’s regular trips from Quito to La Union to work with the nurse to oversee the filter program and conduct tests and treatment for intestinal parasites. Additionally, we will explore more permanent water solutions and possibilities for solar energy.

Worship:  Tuesday evening, Kathy and Bill Savo led us in a meaningful and poignant worship and communion service in the chapel at the Schoenstatt Convent.  Josh led us in singing. We each had a thoughtful daily devotional booklet written by Maureen Patterson.

Planning:  On the 5^th day, some of the team went to Hogar de Cristo’s main campus to see as well as listen to presentations on the full scope of their mission in Ecuador.  It was a chance to have some conversation with the executive team at Hogar about the future of La Union.

The rest of us went back to La Union with Patricia and Geovanny, to meet and make plans with the principal of the school, Treima, the nurse, Isabel and the supervisor of the sanitation program, Ivan.  We listened to testimonials from the community members and discussed how to continue to combine all our efforts to make a better way of life for the families of La Union.  The result of these discussions include an immediate study by two social workers from Hogar and the subsequent drawing up of a comprehensive plan for the social development of La Union.  When the plan is complete, we will make decisions about how we will continue to take part in the future development of the community.

Team:  Although, this report includes a few individual names, each team member made significant contributions to the mission in La Union.  This was an amazing team with an enormous capacity for working with and loving people, as well as accomplishing difficult work in challenging conditions.

Amigos especial:  Over our seven trips, we have made lasting friendships with two Ecuadorian people who worked with us through Hogar de Cristo and have since left to pursue other careers.  These friends and their families, who have also become cherished friends, joined us again this year to work with our team in La Union.  Gladys Merchan and her husband, Miguel, and her brother, David Merchan worked for a day of social work and building.  Wilson Gomez and his good friend, Pepita, joined us building houses. Wilson’s mother, Maria, worked for one day with Susan and Alex.  His sister, Maria, worked with the sewing team for two days and was an invaluable translator.  On the last day, she went with some members of the team to Hogar de Cristo… again, translating as needed.  Wilson and his mother also helped to arrange our last night’s dinner in Guayaquil. What a blessing these friends are to our work in La Union.

“Adios! Hasta 2018!”

Socialization and Fun:  We had 2 teens with us: Gregory and Noah. It was wonderful to see how quickly the children of La Union formed bonds with them… playing soccer, riding on strong backs, joking across language barriers, walking together along the canal or through the neighborhoods.  As with the youth, the older team members also built bonds with the wonderful people of La Union that will last a lifetime in all our hearts and memories.   On the last day, after a farewell party of dancing and music, we said our sad goodbyes… “Hasta dos anos, con la ayuda de Dios”… See you in two years, with God’s help!