Ecuador-here we come

On our way home

2010-06-13T16:13:00.002-06:00

We are sitting in the Miami airport waiting for our connecting flight! We still have a little over an hour...had 5 when we landed. Everyone is ready to be home and we are all hoping and praying we have no trouble leaving once our flight is called! Already will be 8:30ish before we get there. Will have more pictures once I am home and can find some time.

We are planning on doing the newsletter with (I hope) an article from everyone on the team. It will take a little while to collect them all and them put them together for the newsletter but be on the lookout! It was a fruitful...enjoyable tip and hope it reflects that.

CYA in a few....love all of us!

2010-06-10T20:36:00.001-06:00

Sorry this took so long but I was in the middle of uploading the pictures last night when the wi-fi went out and did not come back up until this afternooon! Hope you enjoy them!

2010-06-09T16:43:00.003-06:00

Today is Wednesday and it was another hard working, busy but fruitful day! I worked the construction site today tying rebar for columns to pour concrete in for the start of the 2nd floor. Not hard but standing on the open floor of the start of the 2nd floor on scaffolding is not one of my favorite things to do. Wednesday the church has a women's group that comes to the church to pray for the teams working and then we met with and prayed with them for a few minutes. It is always nice when we can meet and spend time with some of the people! After lunch another woman came with jewelry to sell...bought some of course!

The VBS topic of the day was Daniel and the Lion's Den...the kids made lion faces and had a lot of fun. Monday was Noah's Ark, Tuesday was the story of the Lost Sheep, tomorrow will be the resurrection story (or something similar...we have older kids that day and Friday will be Jonah!

Putting pictures in for today....will add more later.

Travel Day

2010-06-07T16:22:00.002-06:00

I never did update on our departure issues...and there were many! First when we got ready to check in we were told as of that day there was an embargo on plastic totes (we had 4 full of VBS supplies) so Kerry and Lori had to run to Wal-mart to purchase suitcases so we could swap out the supplies. They made it back with a couple of minutes to spare! Then once we got to Miami...we boarded just fine but had to wait for late arrivals before takeoff...they were all boarded and seated...we started down the runway and a storm hit so we had to wait. Well we waited until the pilot decided it wasn't going to stop soon and we were low on the amount of take off fuel he likes so we went back. Sat there while we waited on the fuel truck (which took forever) and it was then decided that by the time we got to Ecuador the flight crew would be way past the hours they are permitted to work so...we deboarded! It is now the time we should have been landing and we are waiting on a new flight crew. We all volunteered to serve the coffee and cokes but they did not take us up on it so we continued to wait! They finally got the needed people and we re-boarded! Well....then there was no available push us off thingy so we...again...waited! It showed up and amazingly...we finally took off!!! Got to Ecuador around 1 in the morning but was 2:30 by the time we got to our rooms. But...God is good...we made it safe and sound!

Us

2010-06-07T16:13:00.002-06:00

See Cheryl...Matt is here! Jonathan and Melissa playing on the playground, Katie and Christian as animals, arriving at Mama Yoly's and leaving Mama Yoly's

2010-06-07T16:06:00.002-06:00

Today all 4 females and Brantley went to a small day care in the south of Quito to do VBS. We had 45 kids from 3-5 in the morning and then more than 50 from the neighborhood in the afternoon. The morning went pretty well with Noah's Ark complete with boat, water, mountain and rainbow! The kids were the animals...they really liked being the animals. The afternoon was way over 50 kids (they told us 45) and much rowdier than the morning group but we still had fun!

Everyone else went to the construction site to put a concrete roof on the 1st floor of the new building (or I guess you could call it the floor of the 2nd). They just got back so not sure yet how it went.

Tomorrow it is the same thing although the names and faces may change from the different jobs.

Pictures from Mama Yoly's

2010-06-07T15:49:00.003-06:00

First day of VBS

2010-06-07T15:41:00.004-06:00

2010-06-04T22:02:00.002-06:00

This time tomorrow and we will be there! Long flight but that's ok!

Ready to go!

2010-06-03T12:30:00.003-06:00

This is Thursday, June 3rd...we leave in exactly 48 hours! Tonight we meet to "divvy" up the supplies we will be taking so everyone has their share of the weight and it helps if anything happens to 1 person's luggage, we still have plenty of stuff. We are at the excited...last minute questions and suggestions stage....and of course...rounding up last minute items!

We will do everything our power to update (if not daily) the blog on a fairly regular basis with what is happening along with pictures so keep checking in! We love comments if you want to leave one while you are browsing! Talk to you soon....Sherri

2010 and we're doing it again

2010-02-10T17:01:00.002-06:00

This is the first posting to let everyone know that we are in the preparation stages of this years trip to Ecuador. Stay tuned as we update you with all the happenings around the trip!

2008-06-25T10:11:00.002-06:00

A few final thoughts on this year's trip.
For the experienced travelers, it was a chance to bond with old friends. For the newbies, it was a chance to make new friends and experience all that Quito has to offer. The daycare and church offices will be completed by the end of the year. The health of local children continues to improve thanks to SIFAT medical team visits. The Sisters to Sister organization continues to grow, and the women have plans to sell jewelry in local markets. And SIFAT is planning new projects in Quito. So there is much work still to be done, and many more opportunities to serve the Lord for years to come!

2008-06-25T10:08:00.002-06:00

Monday, June 23, 2008
On arrival, there was a problem with our transportation-- the church van broke down. We had to rent a van and then someone back for the luggage, but luggage and all were back in Clay by 4:30 Monday afternoon.

Sunday, June 22, 2008
Today at breakfast, we were surprised this morning with eggs and potatoes! After a church service by pastor Mark, several of us took a trip up to the top of Pichincha, one the local extinct volcanoes. We traveled via the Teleferico cable cars. Although the weather was cloudy, the trip up was exciting, with six of us in one small cable car. At the top it was cold, and even more cloudy. There are many shops there, and trails that continue up to the peak at around 14,000 feet. We found 13,000 feet was enough for us. Plus, the U.S. Embassy recommends not traveling past the main buildings due to recent assaults on tourist.
On the way down, the clouds lifted enough for some spectacular views of Quito.
After lunch, there was more packing and shopping, while the rest of us took a trip to the Equator. We participated in many experiments that can only be performed on the Equator. And we visited the Equator monument, which was built too far south of the actual Equator.
After dinner at the hotel, we packed up and headed for the airport. Ticket check-in, paying departure taxes ($40 US per person!), customs, security, and carry-on inspection took a while. Then some of us were treated to another inspection of our baggage on the tarmac.
Our plane left late, around 10:15 pm. Later we arrived in Guayaquil, Ecuador for refueling. That flight left around midnight, and we arrived in Atlanta around 7:00 am.

2008-06-21T20:23:00.003-06:00

Today was the first day of winter in the Southern Hemisphere. Which doesn't really mean much here, since the weather doesn't change that drastically. After a breakfast of- you guessed it- ham and eggs, we headed north by bus to the cloud forest. This is an area north of the Equator that is at an altitude of around 4,500 feet. The ride took us through the dry mountains of Quito and into the lush, thick jungle. The roads were very curvy. If you have ever been on the road to Hana on the island of Maui in Hawaii, this area looked exactly like that.
Our destination was Toucanopy, a ecological park run by an Ecuadorian family. Their family members took us on hiking trails and described the forest, and then we rode zip lines over the top of the forest. It was quite exhilarating. After a great lunch we headed back to Quito. We've spent the rest of the evening (after dinner and a devotional) packing up and separating our our clothing donations and souvenirs.
Sunday (after our ham and eggs) we are having a church service, then most of us are going to ride the cable cars up to the top (over 14,000 feet) of one of the local inactive volcanoes. After lunch another group will be heading to the Equator. And after dinner at the hotel, we'll be headed for the airport for the trip home. Sunday will be a VERY long day.

2008-06-20T21:19:00.005-06:00

We started the morning with another ham and egg breakfast in the Hotel Tambo Real Cafe Oro. Later we boarded the bus for the ride to Atacucho. Some of us stopped at the daycare, while the rest went on to Moma Yoli's.
After the steep walk up to the daycare, we were greeted by some of the same smiling faces we saw the day before. Many were wearing the pants we had brought on Thursday. We performed a Bible skit about Daniel and the Lions, then the kids made lion faces. Around 10:00, after many hugs, we said a teary goodbye and headed back down the hill to the bus.
At Moma Yoli's, we sorted clothes donated to the women of Sister to Sister. Others had worked on the third floor interior walls and the wall on the roof.
During lunch we received a special surprise-- A roasted guinea pig, served on a silver plate! Many of us got a taste, and most of us agreed it wasn't awful, it was just weird.
After lunch, some set off for a quick soccer game. The rest of us were part of an emotional farewell by the women of Sister to Sister. We exchanged gifts and many hugs.
The afternoon was free time, and many of us took the opportunity to go shopping. Later in the evening, we went to a special dinner for both of the teams here this week. Then took a short tour of the city.

Saturday will be an all day trip to the rain forest to zip line in the trees!

2008-06-20T05:43:00.004-06:00

Friday morning, and it's raining. Of course the weather constantly changes here, so we may all be sunburned by this afternoon.

Today we are going back to the same daycare, then to Moma Yoli's to finish up our work there. We will have a break in the afternoon, then we are all going out for dinner.

BTW, whether you are at a daycare in Quito, Ecuador or Clay, Alabama, when a kid says, "pee pee," it means the same thing, and you better let them go to the bathroom!

Saturday we are all going to the rain forest to zip line.

Everyone is well, and each of us have had many emotional moments with those we are here to serve.

Lonnie and Donnie have been able to make frequent photo updates to their site, so visit http://www.wfirelaw.blogspot.com/ for more photos.

Skip

2008-06-19T06:43:00.003-06:00

Today (Thursday) some of us are going to the local daycare, while others will be doing work on the walls.

2008-06-19T06:37:00.002-06:00

2008-06-19T06:13:00.002-06:00

With the slow internet connection, it's been tough to post photos. We're posting them as we can squeeze them in. Here are links to other sites that have photos:

http://www.wfirelaw.blogspot.com
http://www.bridgepointchurchonline.org/missionteam.html

2008-06-19T06:08:00.001-06:00

The interet is still slow. But Wednesday was another action packed day with many blessings! Here is a quick soccer game from Wedensday afternoon.

2008-06-18T05:32:00.004-06:00

Sorry for the late post, but we've had a slow internet connection and Skip forgot his camera cable! We'll try to give a more detailed trip description later today, (Wednesday).

Here's the short version of the trip so far:

Saturday-- a long day of travel, but everything went well with only a few delays.

Sunday-- Quito is a bigger city than I thought. Some of us took a trip to Old Town and visited the "big angel on the hill". Others went to the market. Later we took the trip to Mama Yoli's and had a great afternoon church service.

Monday-- some of our group went to a community daycare, while others tied rebar in preperation of the concrete to be poured on the roof of the building. In the afternoon, we had vacation Bible School at Mama Yoli's, while some continued the work on the roof. Skip lead a lesson to the youth on the importance of education. Later we took a trip to the local market.

Tuesday-- we all helped mix concrete on the ground and pour concrete on the roof of the building. This was very hard work, but the job was completed by the end of the day. Afterwards some went to the Hilton and KFC for dinner. And some went to the SuperMaxi, a shopping mall that includes a grocery store.

I'm not sure what today has in store for us, but we're guessing block walls, visits to local daycares, and vacation Bible School in the afternoon.

Thanks for your continued prayers. The work here is tough, but the rewards are amazing.

Skip

Cotapaxi...the volcano

2007-06-27T08:09:00.000-06:00

These pictures were taken from the airplane as we were taking off to come home! Yes that is snow on top of the volcano!!! Pretty awesome pictures...aren't they?

Sister-to-Sister sewing machines

2007-06-27T08:03:00.000-06:00

Here are 2 of the sewing machines we were able to buy from the very generous donations made by a lot of you! These were in the homes of 2 of the Sisters we visited. Two of the pictures actually show one being used to make some of their back-packs! Thanks to all of you who helped make this dream a reality!!!

Adam at the wall

2007-06-27T08:01:00.001-06:00

Hhhhmmmmmmm....he should be about here! This is where we kept telling Adam that John was saying..."no son, a little higher and to your left"

Pictures of John becoming a wall

2007-06-27T07:50:00.000-06:00

These pictures were taken when we were adding some of John's ashes to the concrete used in making the wall....notice Glen's shirt!...it was not planned but couldn't be cooler even it had been!!!

Home safe and sound

2007-06-25T15:30:00.000-06:00

Well, we made it home! Had a few suitcases not make it back with us but they did show up on Sunday so all is well. As usual, it was a long day (had to be in the hotel lobby by 3:50 am so got up at 3...between flights and layovers and turning in lost luggage claims, it was about 7:00 pm by the time we actually got to the house.

All in all it was a good week! We accomplished a lot....the doctors and dentists saw about 450 to 500 kids of the community for much needed immunizations and dental work....it was very hard to see the little ones having teeth pulled (or whatever was needed) but we all know that in the long run it will be the best thing for them!

We said farwell to John while there although he will be there every time we go...you see we put some of his ashes in a batch of concrete that was used to build the wall....so John will forever be a part of Mama Yoli's! A fitting place considering that if not for him, we may have never made it there ourselves! We had a more "traditional" type service on Sunday when we actually scattered some of his ashes from the roof of Mama Yoli's but saved some for the wall! That part was actually done very quietly without a lot of fuss....exactly how John would have wanted!!! It was a very fitting farewell to our beloved John!

The trip was more tiring and stressful this year due to a number of additional situations....way more people than normal (50+ as opposed to our typical 25 to 30)....the construction was harder than normal (hauling and pouring concrete for a wall that is probably 12 feet tall and 25 or more feet long)...the VBS had an extra component due to the medical and dental part (kids coming and going when it was their turn to see the doctors)....however, it was well worth the extra stress and work! As always, the only truly important thing is to spend time with the people of the community....show and spread the love of Jesus....and hopefully leave a little something of ourselves behind! I know we all brought back many different thoughts and memories with us! Again....we are already talking about next year....I will keep you posted!!!

In the words of the "sisters"....Dios le bendiga....God Bless!

p.s. I actually saw one of the sewing machines....and saw it making a back-pack! Too cool!!!

I would have to say it was a successful trip!

Thursday Night

2007-06-21T20:40:00.000-06:00

I have finally got some more pictures posted! Today was a killer...we saw another 130 to 140 kids...almost everyone sick!!! We had (during the afternoon VBS) nothing but sick kids....screaming...crying...throwing up and going to the bathroom (both 1 and 2) on the floor....not my kind of day but they were at the right place....getting treated and hopefully well. Of course we all hope we do not catch anything! It was a difficult day but well worth it for the sake of the kids. It is heartbreaking to watch the little ones getting their teeth pulled and then the doctors probing and sticking...but again...so much better for them in the long run.

The construction was lighter today so most of us either did VBS or helped move the kids from doctor to dentist to VBS. That is where I met my buddy Estaban...he was the 1st and one of the only kids NOT sick....just look at his smile....I guess you can tell he didn't need the dentist either! The ones doing construction were moving dirt....doing the back fill on the wall once it was finished. I have posted a picture of the wall so you can see how tall and how long it was....we hauled and poured the concrete for the whole thing.

The week is flying by as it usually does when we are down here...tomorrow is about it! We fly out at 6am Saturday morning so it doesn't count. We bought a bunch of Sister to Sister jewelry and backpacks Wednesday...they are bringng more on tomorrow so we'll see!

Been a long hard day so signing off....talk to you soon...Love...s

Tuesday

2007-06-19T20:00:00.000-06:00

Today we hauled concrete...taught VBS for 50 little ones and had another 100 go through the medical and dental clinic.

Monday

2007-06-18T19:38:00.000-06:00

Well....we have finished our first day at Mama Yoli's and I must say we are exhausted! We shoveled and hauled buckets of sand all morning and then in the afternoon we had 50 2 to 3 year old kids for a 3 1/2 hour VBS! Not easy! We had been told we would have the older kids in the afternoon so had planned our crafts and games based on that.....we had to quickly regroup and come up with something they could do!

We had 50 kids go through the doctors and dentists in the morning and then another 50 in the afternoon.

Tomorrow appears to be another day like today except that of course it will be 100 different kids and instead of sand...we will be mixing and hauling buckets of concrete. The kids we will have tomorrow afternoon are to be babies to 5 years old....that one will be interesting to try and get through....we are trying now to try and figure out 2 crafts instead of one....one for older kids and one for younger ones....same thing for the games!

I will send you more tomorrow and hopefully will have pictures to add.....love to all...talk to you then! S

Almost time to go

2007-06-13T11:31:00.000-06:00

We are all getting very excited! Today is Wednesday the 13th...we leave Saturday the 16th! We have several that are very excited and anxious since they have never been and then we have others that are excited and thrilled because we have been and know what to expect.

It has been a long haul and a lot of hard work getting us to this point but it was well worth the time and effort and we can finally say YES! It's done and we are on our way!!!

We want to thank all who have responded to the letters with financial support, all who particpated in any of the fund-raisers, and most importantly we want to thank all who have been and continue to keep us in your prayers! Without all of the prayers, we would most likely not have been able to get there but even if we did, would it be for the right reason? Probably not! Please continue to pray that we have safe journeys...that we show the love and spirit of Jesus to every person we meet....and that all our words and deeds are the will of God and not our own!

Keep watching...we will keep you posted with stories and pictures as our week in Quito unfolds!

Much love to all......Sherri & the Ecuador Mission team!

Dinner and a Show with a silent auction thrown in!

2007-04-24T13:45:00.000-06:00

Well...the dinner and a show has been set! It will be Saturday, May 12th from 5:00 p.m. until it's over! We will be serving a full sit down meal with soup and salad, an entree with vegetables and desert. Brent Orth's group (Ain't Dead Yet) will be playing and entertaining during dinner...they have a real gig that night at 8:00 so will be leaving early. After they are finished performing, we will have a wide range of people providing different types of entertainment, finishing out the night with a stand up comedy routine provided by none other than our own Joe Hobby!

The tickets are on sale for $15.00 per person or 2 for $25.00....considering the amount of food and entertainment...you just can't beat it! If you would like to purchase some tickets...any team member will be more than happy to get them to you. Also remember to bring your checkbooks...or lots of cash...for the silent auction/raffle! We hope to have many cool items up for grabs! We hope to see you there!

BTW...an unrelated (sort of) item of information...on Saturday, May 5th at the 2nd annual Clay May Days (9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.)...Faith UMC will have a booth set up and the mission team will be selling hand made items from the Sister-to-Sister program! We have jewelry, purses, back-packs, hats and several other miscellaneous items. Send everyone you know out to buy some very unique and beautiful items!

The Sister-to-Sister products and tickets to the Dinner and a Show would all make great Mother's Day gifts!!! Don't forget the women in your life...Sunday May 13th!

Dinner and a Show with a silent auction thrown in!

2007-03-30T14:25:00.000-06:00

OK...just for a starter...mark your calendar for May 12th! That is when we will be having the dinner and a show! We will begin pre-selling tickets soon...what you will get for your money is a full meal served by the Ecuador mission team, comic relief by Joe Hobby and many assorted musical productions...well...people singing anyway! You never know who might show up or what they might do. I'm secretly working on a command performance of the old Faith men and women's quartets!!! Don't know that I can pull it off but I am trying! I will get back with you soon with more details but for now...save the date!

A picture of Mama Yoli's in Atacucho

2007-03-22T11:49:00.000-06:00

Many of you know that last year while in Ecuador, we helped build a daycare in Atacucho. This year we will be doing some finishing work on the existing building and starting on an addition to the building. The addition will be a church, pastor's living quarters, SIFAT office space and larger kitchen/cafeteria for the children of the daycare. This is a fairly current picture of the daycare (Mama Yoli's). Last year we were on the 4th floor building columns to support the 5th and final floor. As you can see, it is pretty high up there and extremely windy! When you are looking at the picture, imagine a fence around the top of the building and children playing on swings and monkey bars...kind of hard for us to do isn't it? In Atacucho, there is so little available land, they build their playgrounds on the roof. This year in addition to digging footers for the new building and finishing out the old building, we will be teaching VBS programs at home daycares in the morning and Mama Yoli's in the afternoon. Added to all of that, this year, there will be a medical/dental aspect to our trip as well. The team members who will be working with the medical and/or dental professionals, will also be at Mama Yoli's. They will provide dental work, give immunizations, perform minor surgical procedures and as many other needed health related check-ups as possible. We look forward to having that aspect added to our trip! I will send more later but did want everyone to see the picture of Mama Yoli's!!!

Getting Ready

2007-03-21T12:02:00.000-06:00

As most of you are aware, getting ready to go any where can be a major undertaking. Add international travel to the mix and it gets even harder, you have to get shots, passports and fill out mounds of paperwork. Since we are going on an international mission trip, we need to add fundraisers as well. We have flipped and served pancakes at Applebee's, sold turkeys and M&M's, we are currently selling Honey Baked Hams for Easter and have written and mailed letters to family and friends. We are in the initial planning stages for a dinner/show/silent auction scheduled for some time in May and last night, as you can hopefully tell by the picture, we met the cow as we worked at the Chik-Fil-A in Leeds. Whew!!

We will keep you apprised of the dinner/show/auction...maybe you want to buy a ticket!?! Let me know....LOL...s

Creating a Blog for Ecuador

2007-03-20T08:17:00.000-06:00

Well, we said we wanted to create a blog for our next Ecuador trip...here we go!