United Methodists in Ecuador...connections were made

Carolina and Juan at a pre-wedding luncheon.

Seems like I've forgotten the blog lately.   Life got in the way of doing those extra things.  We were blessed with going to Cuenca, Ecuador in September and the blog just didn't make the list of things to be done.  

Our purpose for going to Ecuador was not a mission trip but rather a wedding.   Juan, our exchange student in 2005, invited us to his wedding.  We experienced fabulous Ecuadorian hospitality which started with the Ordonez family.  

Carolina and Juan were married on September 19 surrounded by 600 of their best friends and family.  A beautiful wedding for two special young people.    

After the wedding we flew to Quito, Ecuador and were met by Sara Flores and her husband at the airport.   Sara is a Bolivian woman (who worked with our missionary Ardell Graner) and is now a missionary in Ecuador.  She arranged for us to meet the Bishop of the Methodist Church of Ecuador.  Now that sounds very prestigious and we were definitely very honored to meet with him.  Pastor Cevallos pastors 2 churches and is the Bishop over 22 churches as a gift to the church.   Very personable man with a real love for the church that is reaching people in the outer areas and villages in the Andes Mountains. 
 Following our meeting we were invited to join the Sara, Pastor Freddy, and the Bishop for lunch spot located at the Middle of the World... right there on the equator.  Very special...again radical hospitality was extended to us.
On the following day, we were invited to make a trip to the south of Quito and visit two churches in that area and one of the churches has a wonderful Methodist school for about 200 children.

Notice the greenish sign that the two boys are holding.   It is welcoming the
visitors from Indiana.  

    The children came running out of their classrooms and down to be part of the little celebration they had planned for our visit.   I think we may have greeted all 200 children then were treated with a traditional dance and little play.   Again amazing hospitality.  Pastor Freddie was very proud that his school pulled something together so quickly for our visit.  

We visited a smaller church near there and met the pastor.  Pastor Blanco has a little connection to the ministries that we support...UBL, where Margie volunteers.   She spent her last year of pastor training studying at UBL in Costa Rica.  She had just returned with her cattle (6 of them) and a pick up truck full of grasses to help feed the village cows.   A nearby volcano (Cotopaxi) has been very active in recent months and the prevailing winds have spread fine ash everywhere.  Nothing is growing now and the village animals are suffering.   Some families have resorted to selling their cows which for many is like giving up their pet.   Some families have taken their cattle to some place where they can find grasses to hopefully get by until the ash stops coming.  UMCOR is there and working with those effected by the change in food options for the animals.   They are also interested in working with Heifer International to see if there are other options to help these families with animal options that will better survive in these conditions.   In addition to the ash, the ground was powder dry and the rains are very late.  

We delivered face masks for the children in both schools.  We were in those villages for maybe 2 1/2 hours and coughed all the way back to the city.   The falling particles are so very small but they get into your breathing system very easily.  

I share this story because it shows just how wonderful our connectional church is. 

• Our current missionary was very instrumental in connecting Sara Flores, a current missionary, to the mission field.  
• UMCOR is there whether we are aware of the disaster or not. UBL is one of the places that has our attention now because Margie volunteers 1/2 her life there. UBL is instrumental in training pastors from all over Central and South America.  
• Pastor Blanco shared with us how much she appreciated the inner change of ideas and the message of the social justice that comes from the Gospel. 

We've been once again truly blessed by our visits in another culture.   Just sad that my good friend Margie has failed to teach me to speak fluent Spanish.   Humm... it is the student for sure.