Viernes

Friday was our last ministry day and we had a later start.  We did not have to leave until 10:20!  Today I got to take a taxi to the Shimpis church.

We had an easy morning setting up and listening to the testimonies of Pastor Domingo and Miguel.  Pastor Domingo had been involved with communist guerrillas and with making and selling drugs.  He heard the gospel from a Russian in one of these groups. He escaped and was able to make it back to his hometown of Macas.  He was still using drugs and alcohol when he returned to Macas, however, he eventually accepted Christ, and then started going to and serving at the church in Macas where he is now the Pastor.

Miguel also had a powerful testimony.  He had been a shaman, or a witch doctor in the Shuar tribe.  He got involved with this because  he had problems with his arm that the shaman could not fix.  They told him that if he became a shaman, that he might be able to heal himself easier.  It did not work.  But he did become a Christian in Quito and then moved to Shimpis and became involved in the church in Shimpis.  He is the man whose house was burned down because of his faith.

Chickens are everywhere!

Nathan, Alexia, and Christian walking down to the river

This was a pretty river, but used to throw out sewage so not clean.  The clean water for the people who lived there came out of a pipe beside the river.

The path to the river.  There was a foot bridge that people used to get to the other side.

More birds

We then had lunch, pork chops and rice, and finished setting up for the block party.  While we were setting up, a lady and Pastor Domingo's son made wayusa.  We got to help by gathering wood for the fire.  It was interesting to watch!  They burned the brown sugar first and then added the leaves and water and let it boil.

Children starting showing up between 2:30 and 3:00.  At first there were just a few, but then more showed up.  I was in the salvation bracelet station and we got backed up as everyone wanted one.  We had laminated papers of what the colors in the bracelet meant.  I usually let the child read them out loud to me as I didn't want to butcher the verses by trying to pronounce the Spanish words!  We were able to get all the bracelets finished right before they called us into church! 

A girl reading about the salvation bracelet

  

Tattoos were also popular

Nail polish was fun for the girls

We also had a volleyball net set up.  All the nets we saw in Ecuador were very high and narrow compared to what we have in the US.  This was interesting as the people in Ecuador are generally shorter than Americans!  

The Shimpis pastor, Pastor Clemente, and Tony both preached during the church service.  Fortunately for us, there was an interpreter for Pastor Clemente.  The ladies of the church sang in both Spanish and Shuar.  At the end of the service,  the church presented Tony with presents; and Tony presented the church with a projector.  

Pastor Clemente

Presents and a plaque were given to Tony

Ortensia and Miguel

After the church service, we headed back to the Macas church for dinner in a chartered bus with air conditioning!  A treat for us Americans used to AC!  We bought a birthday cake from a bakery and went back to the hotel to have a surprise birthday party for the daughter of an American missionary named Emma.  We listened to her testimony, ate cake, and went swimming in the freshly cleaned pool.  

After swimming, everyone wanted a shower; but the water cut off!  Harrison, Mitzi, and Brittney were all in showers with shampoo in their hair when it cut off.  Brittney was yelling that it was not funny, but it really was!  Finally the water came back on and we all were able to shower and get to bed!  It had been a long week.  

Sunset in Macas

One of the hotel dogs