Monday, July 22, 2013

Back from the Jungle

We made it back from the jungle and our time with the church in El Chaco, last night at about 7:00pm

Here is an update with pictures of what all we have been doing.

Thursday digging foundation for bridge supports

All supplies for bridge had to be carried in by human chain
and wheel barrel

Headed down the hill after work

Thursday night on the climbing wall that we helped build
on Newaygo's last trip 3 years ago.

Our fire times each night have been a great time of singing, sharing
and studying about being a disciple of Jesus

Meal time-- we've had a lot of GREAT food!

Friday we poured the bridge foundations
again with a human chain and buckets of
concrete down the hill 

Llama time

Friday evening on the equator

The jungle hike with the kids from the Chaco church

The jungle hike was a great time of getting to know the youth
of the church in Chaco

Brian King sharing his testimony in church Saturday night

Sunday morning "good Samaritan" skit.  The kids loved
"Luke the donkey"

Craft time with 37 sunday school kids.

Singing in the Sunday morning service at the Chaco church.
We drove back from the jungle Sunday afternoon.
Today we are working all morning and will be helping with 2 afternoons of VBS in the church of Cala Cali, 15 minute walk from the camp.

Everyone is doing pretty well.  A couple sore throats/ colds- blisters on hands and feet, and sore muscles, but for the most part very well.

Thank you for your prayers.

Thursday, July 18, 2013

Newaygo First work day

We had a great first work day!
Most of us worked on cutting down a huge hedge (50 feet high)
About 20 some trees that were all tangled together.
This will be replanted with new trees to form a natural
wall for the garden area.

Working on the boards for the bridge below the zip line

Sanding bridge boards

We cut all the hedge wood into fire wood

Painting bridge boards
We all had a great day yesterday, accomplished a lot in the work projects and ended the day with a fire time.  We have been studying the topic of being a disciple of Jesus.

Thank you for all your prayers.

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Newaygo is in Ecuador

Newaygo arrived safely on Monday night.  We were 2 hours delayed in Miami, but besides that everything went very well.

On Tuesday we had orientation and went through some of what would be a retreat here at El Refugio with our Newaygo team.

Today (Wednesday) we are busy working on our first work projects.
Part of our group is working on a bridge that is going under the zip line area and the other group is clearing out some old trees that used to be a hedge next to the Grace Center.  This area will be all walled in where the hedge was, to make a quiet garden area for solo prayer times.
Newaygo team in Miami airport
layover in Miami

programing with Jim and Suzy
Alisha and Allison on the high ropes course
Luke on the high ropes
The wall
Please remember us in your prayers as we will be working the next three days.

We will try and up date this with new pictures tomorrow.

Thank you,  The Newaygo Team

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Geneva's first day

We had a great first day with Geneva.
Geneva arrive Monday evening and we had a good rest and a good start Tuesday morning.
We began the day with orientation and then had an adventure race to familiarize everyone with El Refugio and some of the program elements that we have.  At 2:00 pm we finished the adventure race and began work on the work projects.

Adventure race
Adventure race team

Zip line



Work begins

Preparing for concrete

Sterling sitting on the job

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

High country

Just after Hickory  Creek left for the US, I headed out into the mountains with two of our interns, my son Evan and Marc, one of our program staff, Esteban, and my nephew Isaac.

We hiked for over 12 hours in the Quilindana area between 13400 and 14700 feet.  We experienced some beautiful country, swamps, rain, fog and high winds.  Our camp was at about 14550 on a high and very windy ridge. We were soaked, wind blown and tired, but had a great experience and continue to be amazed at our God's wonderful creation.
The rolling paramo country

Isaac and Evan

Me- very happy to be out in the mountains

Isaac, Evan, Esteban and Marc

Evan and me with the swamp lands below

Friday, June 14, 2013

Hickory Creek

We have had a great trip with Hickory Creek!  They left this morning at 5:00 am and we are going to miss them.  They were such a blessing to all of us and to the work here.  Below are a few pictures our our time together.
VBS at Rio Negro

VBS at Rio Negro

The best tasting trout in Ecuador for lunch

The Pailon falls in Rio Verde

VBS in RayoCucho school just down the road from El Refugio

Ryan and Alex working on the bridge supports

Mark, Sophia, Jenna and Katelynn making seats out of cypress for the fire pit

Rafter poles that we cut and prepared for the laundry facility

Bill, after moving all the dirt into garden area to be landscaped

Ryan, Alex, Rick and two interns, Evan and Mark camped out in the tree house on Wednesday night

Sophia riding one of our llamas

Hickory Creek team at the top of the property