Dayenu!

Recently, we heard a speaker talk about the Jewish term Dayenu, which basically means, "...it would have been enough..."  As the weeks have gone by and we have thought about this, the impact on our lives has been profound.  For example, recently when Danielle's car was stolen, instead of saying, "Why did this have to happen to us, we can't afford another car."  We said, "Lord, you gave us that car and she was able to drive it for almost two years, that would have been enough or Dayenu!"  With our current circumstances our time with our family is very limited.  When we are with them we could complain that the time is to short, instead we rejoice and say, "Lord thank you for the time you have given us and it is enough or Dayenu!."

As believers this term, Dayenu, is significant because we can say quite literally, "Lord, if you had only provided Calvary,  salvation would have been enough."  And simply put, it is.  Dayenu!

Feliz Navidad y Feliz Ano Nuevo

The El Refugio 2011 Christmas party celebrated at Mitad del Mundo (The Middle of the World)

The next generation of El Refugio
Caleb, Vladimir, Carleigh, Jack, Rebecca, Kenard, Marli and Lili

Don Pedro y Howie

"Celebrate with us as 2011 closes and we start 2012"

After many conversations, Pedro committed his life to Jesus Christ.  We ask that you pray for Pedro as he starts his walk with God and that this may be the start of salvation for his entire family.

Extreme Response Christmas Parties 2011

Howard and I helped out with Extreme Response for their week of Christmas parties around the Quito area.

Howard helped out each day with setting up and tearing down the games at each site

My main job was hospitality but the last day I got to paint fingernails :)

Extreme Response actually grew out of a small kids’ club in the garbage dump of Quito, Ecuador (also known as the Zambiza Dump). In June of 1997 the Extreme Response founders began working with the 300+ people that lived and worked right there in the trash. These people gleaned their living by digging through the garbage that flows out of the back of garbage trucks, living in small shacks made from pallets and other building materials they found in the trash. They survived on what they found to use, eat and sell.

The very first Christmas Party in the Quito Dump was held in December of 1997 with more than 300 people in attendance. 

In March of 2006, ER opened the Zambiza Daycare Center & Preschool - over 50 children ages newborn through 5 years now attend. In December of 2006 a medical clinic opened in conjunction with Hospital VozAndes Quito.

ER also provide family counseling, hygiene classes, education assistance, a weekly kids club and moms club, weekly feeding for night workers and much more.

The dump has changed drastically over the past 12 years, but the people have not. The Zambiza location was permanently closed as a dumping site in 2005 because the landfill was full. The site then became a transfer station. Garbage is now trucked in, dumped in a roofed area, sorted through and then reloaded back into trucks to be taken to a location outside of the city.

So what?  So why does Extreme Response return year after year?  Because in the midst of all the games, crafts and craziness, there is a team of people presenting the good news about Jesus Christ as the young man on the right in picture is and that is why we do what we do, so that even just one may come to salvation.

Did I mention we hosted 41 for Thanksgiving Dinner???!!!

Holidays can be some of the hardest days to be serving and living so far away from family.  So when our team asked if we would host Thanksgiving dinner, Howard and I decided maybe with the craziness of hosting people in our home, the day wouldn't be so difficult.  We ended up having 31 expats and 10 Ecuadorians, everyone shared in the cost of the turkey (super expensive here) and they also brought a side dish.  We actually ended up really enjoying ourselves and hanging out with the very people we work with!

 Waiting for the turkey's to bake, (did I mention we had 3?!)

Tables set and ready to go

Thanksgiving Dinner, once everyone sat down it was a little hard to move but well worth it

Good, good times :) Check out Jake and Christy bottom left

Sarah, Christy and Cameron, women I count an honor to call friends

Cover for the Climbing Wall

Right smack in the middle of this photo you can see the new cover (green) on the climbing wall

Just a reminder of why I blog so much about the climbing wall and why each step is progress toward the completion of a new tool for ministry.  This was written last spring.

A climbing wall in itself is not much of a big deal, but we are so excited about how God will hopefully use this wall in the future ministry of El Refugio. For one thing, it will be one of the best climbing walls in all of Ecuador, which will serve as a draw to this place for both Christians and non-Christians. In addition, the Facilitator program utilizes a lot of outdoor challenges for their Facilitator discipleship process. The climbing wall will play a large part in that process, as they use it to develop teamwork, instill confidence, and also humble those who already have too much confidence! Some may look at it and see only a wall, but we look at it and see a huge tool for discipleship. We look forward to hearing reports for years to come of what amazing things God can do with a couple pieces of plywood and some old scrap radio towers.  Tim Owens, Camp of the Woods

Prior to raising the roof, Howard, Holgar (in the photo) and Enrique had to weld the umbrella supports off of each of the three towers

Tarp on the ground and ready to be lifted, Howard is on the right holding one of the supports

Up...

...up...

...up it goes!

Howard on his way up the tower to help out Holgar

Holgar, Howard and Lydia stretching the tarp over the third tower

Enrique and Ryan working on tower #2

Daniel on tower #1 stretching to make the tarp fit

Holgar happy to have the job done!

A view from below

You may be asking, "So why did they go to all the trouble of covering the wall?"  Let me give you and answer.  Really the main reason is to protect the wall from our constant rainfall every day.  Now, it can be worked on and used 365 days of the year :)