Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2014


We worked hard today! We were in three groups. One group spent the morning with the babies working on
physical therapy goals each individual baby has. These can be done by just playing and having the babies stand
or reach out towards objects.

One group continued to clean the school. They are almost done with this project. There are approximately six
classrooms, two sets of bathrooms, and a veranda to clean.

The men worked on building a work station for the staff and then they worked on mixed concrete, shoveled sand(two truck loads), and
carried it by wheelbarrow
The cement crew was soaking wet! You don't stop pouring concrete despite the rain in Ecuador.

Tonight we ate at a nice restaurant. Some of us had a traditional meal with meat and yucca fries. Others had a nice hamburger with fries.
We will sleep good tonight after a long day or work and a full belly.

Please continue to keep us and Casa de Fe staff and children in your prayers. Pray for energy,good spirits and safety.

up the hill (both ways) and poured up into columns. They worked hard and in the rain... YES! It rained again today.

It rained again today! I have actually lost track of how many times it has rained today, but I still love it!
Today we hiked up to Casa de Fe to begin our work week. We split up into groups. One group worked on building a desk
for the staff. Another group had baby time and the third group (my group) worked on wiping down the pre-k classroom toys.
We worked hard. We were all pretty pumped to see the kids and love on them.

For lunch we hike back up the hill and ate at a place called Alexander's. When you go to lunch you don't necessarily order a meal.
They bring you the "special" for the day. We have a soup, real lemonade, and then the main meal of rice and some type of meat. We have
had chicken. Alexander's is right next to the market.

Many people have their own small business. Their shop is attached to their house and their children are with them as they work.
That is pretty amazing. They also seem to have no rules around children and cars. Children are not in seat belts or car seats!

I can't stop looking at the mountain ranges here. They change as the clouds move in and cover up parts of them.

Rebecca


Four of us took a plane ride into the jungle to visit the Waodani tribe. What a site from the plane window, all
that jungle below us.  We landed on a small airstrip and were greeted
them a loaf of bread and orange pop and that was gone in minutes! We were given a tour of their church and treated
to a dance. Dyuwi prayed for us and all the people of the world. Dyuwi is part of the group that speared the 5 missionaries from 1956.


Deb

by Omar one of the tribe members.  We brought

It has rained everyday so far... a number of times during the day!
I have to remind myself that it "IS" the Amazon and it does rain quite a bit! Today we worshipped at the local Nazarene Church.
The pastor's wife lead the service and preached. All of it was in Spanish. For us Lutherans the hour and half service was longer
than we are use to.

This afternoon we went to the Nate Saint House. We have learned quite a bit about about the five missionaries who went into the jungle
to share the Gospel with the Auca (OW-Cah). They were killed and their wives continued their mission. If you want more information about the whole
story there are a couple of books you can check out: Mission to the Headhunters by Frank and Marie Drown, Through the Gates of Slendour by Elisabeth Elliot.
She is one of the wives of the missionary men.

Tonight we are going to a chinesse restraurant for supper. Food here is wonderful! We have tried many fruits! My favorite so far is the Mora jelly and berries.
They look a bit like raspberries.

It has been an amazing experience so far. It is easy to see why people fall in love with this place and come back year after year.
Tomorrow we begin work at Casa de Fe. It will be good to have a focus and place our energy in the children!

Blessings,

Rebecca Breddin

Photos to follow

Well we finally made it to Shell , of course not before we made our stop at Miko's for ice cream.
Quite a few of us were hoping we would see some activity from the volcano  that had been quite active before we came. Alas
no such luck. It was covered in clouds and quiet at that time. Maybe on our way home she will give us a show.
Made our first walk to Casa De Fe Saturday morning and saw our creature of the day.
We also saw the beginnings of the security wall.
The rest of the morning we spent taking a group of kids to the park having a grande time. Then treating them to ice cream, and ourselves of course before lunch!
As I tell all the groups as far as ice cream in Ecuador is concerned there are no rules.
Many in the group received their first Ecuadorian lunch. Large bowl of soup, then a piece of chicken or beef with rice and a salad and a glass of oat drink.
Followed with a stewed peach for dessert.

We have arrived in Ecuador and all is well. Was a long day yesterday - actually starting out at 3:20 am on the 6th ending up at 2 am on the 7th by the time we went to sleep in a guest house in Quito. Soon will be having a breakfast of pancakes, eggs, bacon and of course juice.The team coordinator met us at the airport. We'd been in steady contact with her for some time and it was good to meet Christy face-to-face. She told us about some of the many changes in Shell and at Casa De Fe, making us all the more anxious to get there. After breakfast we will begin our 5 hour bus ride. Our driver's name is Edison. Maybe we'll see smoking volcano!

Jeff and Rae

Isaiah 6:8 “Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.”

and we are off... Casa de Fe 214

We are setting out for Ecuador tomorrow morning, bright and early!!  This is my first trip overseas. I am pretty nervous but I am also very excited. Our bags are packed!

 Here is part of a letter one of our team members, Pat B. emailed out:

"You have probably noticed that Ecuador is in the news. Tungurauha volcano is blowing it's top.  This volcano is near the resort town of Banos. We are scheduled to stay here the last night we are in Ecuador.  Pray that it will cool down. The same volcano was active last year about this time. It is blowing away from the direction we will be going according to Patty Sue.

Then...I ask you for your prayers as the Trinity/Cormorant (MN) Lutheran joint mission team travels to Casa de Fe, Shell.  Pray for our safety both in our travels and as we work and play at Casa de Fe.  I can hardly wait to love over 70 of God's special kids - some abandoned, some orphaned, some handicapped. 

From just VC we have 5 50# bags packed with needs for the Casa de Fe family - 12 dozen diapers mostly made from all the donated t-shirts (thank you for all the donations),  bath towels, kitchen towels, journals, shorts and polo shirts (school uniform), BIC-donated pens, markers, dry eraser markers and jars of peanut butter.  Plus we have learned that we can buy croc-like sandals near Shell for 1/5 the price of crocs here so we will be buying sufficient sandals for the Casa de Fe family."

 

Yes, please keep us in your prayers. Pray for our safety and for our families here at home. Pray that God will meet us in unexpected places and that those we encounter experience God's grace and unconditional love through us.

 

Peace,

Rebecca B.

 Making a trench to divert water from flooding the playground. New placement of fence that expands playground area about 25 percent with a fresh layer of sand.

Grant Richardson and Patty Biel playing therapeutic games and hanging out during baby time at Casa de Fe.