Mission to Ecuador 2015 - Days 10 and 11

We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brethren, as is only fitting, because your faith is greatly enlarged, and the love of each one of you toward one another grows ever greater; therefore, we ourselves speak proudly of you among the churches of God for your perseverance and faith.... 

2 Thessalonians 1:3-4

Dear family,

On Friday the team spent its last day of medical work providing a clinic at Galilea Baptist Church. The people of this Body have been our partners in the work we do here in Ecuador for quite a few years now. Led by pastor Wilman Varela and his wife Clemencia, the team from Galilea work hard and long everyday in providing our team with food, transportation, Bible School assistance, advice and encouragement. They are God-given friends!

Because Galilea is located in Otavalo, many of the church members there do receive regular medical care. Most of my work there is spent in either providing care for acute minor illnesses, or in reviewing the results of lab tests and X-rays that have been performed at local facilities. The day's tasks are lighter than on other days, and we get to see many of our Christian friends and acquaintances.

In the afternoon, the team performed its annual chore of discarding supplies that will expire and of storing and taking inventory of the remaining medications and supplies. Afterwards, we all cleaned up, had a nice dinner at Restaurant SISA in Otavalo, and then had our nightly time of devotions.

Evening devotions have been a very important time for our teams all these years. We sing a song, read a favorite scripture, and then one team member briefly shares their life story and journey of faith. This year the team is praying over the team member after they share. Then, we all share what happened that day, and what we heard from God. We close in prayer, and retire for the evening.

Saturday (today) has been a day of rest. We got to sleep in until 7am, then took our time in doing a bit of shopping, eating, and then packing for the trip home on Sunday. We will share a Celebration meal with our friends at Galilea, replete with games and a surprise. We will retire early, in order to get a very early start on Sunday morning. The team will depart Quito at 7am, and will have a six hour layover in Miami before returning to the airport in northern Kentucky about 10pm Sunday night.

Blessed by the love of His whole church,
Tim