2013 Ecuador Mission Report #4: Sun, July 7, at 9:15 A.M. from the GreenField Hotel, Salinas, Ecuador.
Dear Family and Friends:
My translator and I were to be going over the sermon for tonight right now, but he was up late with a swimming/playing group and so may need more sleep first. When we go over the sermon ahead, he does much better, of course. He spent a month or two in New York this year, but that doesn’t help him much with my particular accent.
Yesterday (Sabbath) was very full. Before 9 we went to Sabbath School where our sponsoring church group meets. It is really a church school but also serves them as a church. We could not have the Clinic/Hall at that time of day. I had the sermon and we came back for lunch at 1. It actually came at 2. We were supposed to go over the sermon for that night before going out visiting interests with some church members. They came at three and I visited with them at the homes of three Bible study interests and gave a short study at each one. Then we were able to go over the sermon at the hotel before supper. Shortly after that we left for the meeting.
Fortunately, our meeting hall is just a short drive from the hotel. The members have everything in order, so set-up of my computer and video projector takes little time. They do a lot of singing and other preliminaries, so we are under pressure to get through the sermon with translation before it gets too late. I try to dismiss them right after the sermon so they can get home earlier, but there are more “postliminaries” that take us to at least 9. So we get back too late for much sharing with the group of what is happening at each site.
Last Friday night after we returned, the PR group wanted to interview Mary Alice and me on camera to be part of a video they are preparing for release on Hope Channel and some other TV outlets. Our bedtime was quite a bit later. They will release some things also on Quiet Hour Facebook page. So you might get bits and pieces from elsewhere than our numerous Reports.
Some of our groups have to travel more than half an hour to get to their site. We are very fortunate to be so near to ours.
At Church we had 22 people out. Mary Alice and Katie and Jonathan were asked to give a VBS program for the children in another small room, and did so. Their translator did not work out well, so they borrowed mine to give a boost to their program. Yes,
we know about adaptability!
Last night back at the Hall, we had about 25 people (and one dog) besides the children with Mary Alice and the twins. They had five who were not SDA plus three church kids. We had twelve or more non-SDA in the group including a man and his wife we had visited earlier in the afternoon. They seem very interested. When you look into those earnest faces and try to decipher what their past has been and what these meetings mean to them, it is encouraging to know you are working with God in helping to better their future. The church is delighted with all that is happening.
All the churches have audio/visual equipment and use it freely in their singing. They have the SDA Hymnal in visuals with group singing to encourage the local small congregations. These were made in Brazil but are in Spanish rather than Portuguese. I may bring some back to USA to help with our further study of Spanish.
At the Bible Studies in the homes, I did not have my Bible. Our translator had his and I gave out the texts and commented on them after he had read them aloud. I was glad that I had memorized so many verses. Next, I’ll have to memorize them in Spanish if we are to come again the Latin American countries to have meetings. Since I turned 80 on July 4, it is good to know that I can still do memory work and keep growing rather than settle down on past accomplishments. Glenn Paul reminded me that I am now “in my 9th decade.” Don’t rub it in, Glenn!
We are not going to the Church under construction to help because they had much of it built before our group arrived, so they could have meetings there. We would only be in the way without much to do. We may go to help with the dental clinic some day but not until I am sure our translator is ready for the evening meeting. We have to keep priorities straight.
The twins have mingled well with the other kids on the team and also with the local children and adults. They hold their own in the conversations and use a little Spanish now and then. We miss getting photos of those spontaneous moments like last night when Katie and a little local girl were hugging each other. It seems so natural in this culture.
We are so grateful not to have been sick yet. One of our teens in our group named Micah was supposed to be presenting the sermons but he has been ill ever since he arrived. We are having special prayer for him. His mother has been giving the sermons for him and she did not plan to do that. They also had problems getting a translator at their site, so the one supposed to help our children’s group had to take off and help them. It is something like “musical chairs” in how things work here. It seems that the Mission may be overreaching their resources. They wanted to have more series than they can support with proper translation and transportation. The Lord is working even with the handicaps.
By the way, the mother of Jim Neergard married Dr. Harold Caviness who was a member of our church in Battle Creek.
Here is part of a letter by Mary Alice that will give more details of the children’s meetings:
This is Sabbath afternoon. We are waiting for lunch - supposed to be at one, but it is half past. Perhaps Dad mentioned that the SDA lady who has a restaurant is sending over the noon and evening meals so we don't need to go there. Also the hotel is letting us use their plates, etc., and washing them for us for a small extra fee which is apparently covered. (A happy change!)
Last night our ride came late. Our room was open. A small flannel board was there, so just put our large background draped over it. Out translator was not gifted as a translator but reads English, so after Jonathan would read a sentence, she would read it and then translate, so it was slow. Unfortunately 3 lessons were combined making it extra long, so she suggested shortening the program but it was too late to do on the spot. The kids did well with their respective parts.
I should have mentioned that when we got to the room for the children only the translator and her son, who walked over with us from the meeting hall, were there. She wanted to talk so we didn't get started. Another lady with her daughter came, and then a third lady with her son. They were SDA. That was it. They wanted Katie to write the songs in English, so the kids could learn English. We did sing a couple of the songs that Katie had copied. Finally Jonathan did the story, then the creation wheel was colored and cut out. They were given a sticker because they returned the crayons and scissors. We took the glue sticks out of the bags. Decided to use them as needed. The ladies seemed pleased and excited about the meeting.
Today I went over the story of the flood and highlighted the parts for Katie to use. Glenn's translator did the translating as our part was during S.S., and our translator had told us last night that she would not be with us. That worked very well. Katie did a great job talking, and Jonathan also did great putting the felts up. He left out a few unneeded ones, which made it much easier changing the scenes for the flood story. Our meetings this a.m. were at the church rather than the other halls.
Before the meeting K & J and I went walking with the leader around the area inviting others to come, but I think only members came. Had 5 children. The craft making the ark went very well.
Must close for now. With love,
Glenn and Mary Alice, Jonathan and Katie