Day 11: Coming Home

You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men; being manifested that you are a letter of Christ, cared for by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. 

2 Corinthians 3:2-3 

On the second Sunday, the team of 26 Kentuckians and one Floridian travelled back to their homes. By all accounts, God’s will was fulfilled in the lives of many people, both Ecuadorians as well as Americans. God’s name was glorified, and He was praised for all that He has done, for all that He is doing, and for all that He will do. All 27 of us can testify to that! 

In addition, each team member is a part of the Body of Jesus Christ. Each of us are returning to a church. About 12 different churches were represented on the team. Each team member served as a letter from their church, written not with pen and paper, but with the Holy Spirit upon human hearts. Each church shared in the work that God did through our lives and work. Each church was blessed as much as any team member. Moreover, the Holy Spirit will continue doing in each Body what He started in Ecuador in the individual lives of the team. Each church cannot help but be changed by the lives of its members, including the lives of the members of the 2023 Mission to Ecuador team. 

In English: Hallelujah!! 

In Spanish: Hallelujah!! 

In Hebrew: Hallelujah!! 

In Greek: Hallelujah!!

Celebrate today the blessings and wonders of being a member of the Body of Jesus Christ! 

In the midst of His Mercy and Grace,

Tim and Kim

Day 10: Otavalo

I had many things to write to you, but I am not willing to write them to you with pen and ink; but I hope to see you shortly, and we will speak face to face. Peace be to you. The friends greet you. Greet the friends by name. 

3 John 1:13-15 

Dear Saints, 

Kim with Olga

The last Saturday is always a day of rest for some, a day of shopping for others, and a day of organizing and packing for all. Additionally, it is a bittersweet day of seeing old friends and of saying goodbye. This is especially true for those of us who have been to Ecuador before. The photos below are representative, but by no means complete. 

The first photo is Kim with Olga, now a young mother who we have known for twenty years. She brought her one year old daughter for a medical checkup. 

Mary

The second photo is of Mary, a wonderful teacher who is a member at Galilea church and who has translated for us for many years. 

Tim with Kathy Bruce

The third photo is of Tim with missionary Kathy Bruce. Tim met Kathy at the Lita Center in 1999, when he was introduced to a few of the Awa people. 

Sheila and Wilman

The fourth photo is of Shelia and Wilman , the pastor at Galilea, greeting and embracing each other after a four year absence due to the pandemic. 

Kim with Israel

The fifth photo is of Kim receiving a gift from Israel, the son of Wilman and Clemencia, who is now serving as an associate pastor at Galilea. 

Sheila and Lucy

The last photo is of team leader Shelia Duncan being hugged by Lucy, who has served our team at Dona Esther hotel and restaurant for over twenty years. Shelia was the main person in encouraging Lucy to keep and provide care for Brandon, her son who was born with Downs Syndrome. Today, Brandon is doing very well and will soon be starting high school. 

Many new friendships were formed as well. Dr. Tim got to spend much time with his new young friend Carson Magill, who benefitted from exchanges of wisdom and humor. The last Saturday was also a time for Tim and Shelia to have meaningful conversations with Arthur and Wendy, the Dutch couple who have owned and managed Dona Esther these past twenty years. They are planning to sell the property, in order to spend more time with family in Europe. They expressed their love for our teams, and we advised them that not not only do we love them, but that God loves them yet more through His Son, Jesus. They understand this, and the question as to their love for Him is weighing on their minds. 

Saturday was a full day, covered with the peace of Jesus. 

Sincerely, 

Tim and Kim

Day 9: Laplata in Intag

Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and report to John what you hear and see: the BLIND RECEIVE SIGHT and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the POOR HAVE THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO THEM. And blessed is he who does not take offense at Me.”

Matthew 11:4-6 

Dear Saints,

We take a lot for granted in modern life. We expect that it is a normal and reasonable expectation to be able to see well, hear well, sleep well and walk well. However, as we go through life, we realize that all of those expectations and many others are often times either temporarily or permanently unmet needs. Many people in Ecuador have mild, and sometimes severe, disabilities. Our team helps people receive or find help. 

I met a young woman in Laplata who had painful feet. While examining her feet, our fifteen year old helper Charlie noted that she had a hole in the sole of one shoe. Noting that my shoes were about the same size as hers, we traded shoes. She was very grateful. As I wore her shoes the rest of the day, I understood why her feet hurt. We also treated many patients who could not hear well by irrigating their ears and relieving them of cerumen impaction. They were amazed at how much better they could hear. 

The dental unit had a dentist, Johana, from Otavalo, and a hygienist, Jan, from Kentucky. They relieved people of pain they had suffered from dental abscesses for months. Their patients were very grateful. The vision team helped people who had painful pterygia of their eyes as the result of chronic sun and wind exposure by giving them protective eyewear, and they helped people whose sight was poor by measuring their visual acuity and giving them corrective lenses. They praised God for the help. 

Missionaries served the team throughout our days of work. Kevin and Kathy Bruce have served the Awa people for many years in the villages near Lita, and David and Carrie Wells have served the people who live in the Intag valley for several years. All four helped with intake and translation throughout our time with these people. We were very blessed to know these warriors of faith, who had committed their lives to serving Jesus. 

The team was awed by the deep natural beauty of the Rio Intag and its valley, as well as by the surrounding mountains and deep blue sky. As we headed home at the end of the day, we could not help but sense the longing of the people for us to return again in the future. Indeed, we felt the same longing.

Awed by the compassion of our Saviour, 

Dr. Tim and Dr. Kim 

Postscript 

There was a man at Laplata, a carpenter by trade. While the team worked with the village that last day, he made 27 wooden gifts inscribed with meaningful verses from the Bible. Here he is presenting David Keene with his. The team was moved by his gifts.

Day 8: Laplaya in Intag

By the river on its bank, on one side and on the other, will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither and their fruit will not fail. They will bear every month because their water flows from the sanctuary, and their fruit will be for food and their leaves for healing. 

Ezekiel 47:12 

Dear Saints, 

The Intag Cloud Forest is a remote and ecologically diverse area of northwestern Ecuador. The Intag River is completely surrounded by a circle of high and steep mountains, so that to journey there one must journey up to the top of the mountains, then descend into the bowl shaped valley below. There are many small villages within this unique valley, which usually is sunny in the morning, and then covered with clouds in the afternoon and evening. Today, at the request of the community, we visited the village of Laplaya, where a weekly Bible study has been started by Galilea church. 

Usually, when we travel to such places, the Ecuadorian part of the team will travel to the site early in order to set up petitions in existing buildings, or set up plastic tents outside. Today, we did both. 

One case that was different for me this day was the case of an elderly gentleman. He was very outspoken about the poor health care in his country, and was very distraught about his suffering from many, many vague maladies. At last, Shelia and I decided that we should seek the assistance of pastor Wilman, who prayed at length with the man. Prayer seemed to help to give him hope. I did recommend that he return to see one of his surgeons. 

It was a very nice day. The weather was sunny, with a nice breeze and the constant song of the Rio Intag nearby. The children loved the VBS activities, and the community was very grateful for the health care. I believe we all knew that God the Father was caring for His family. That evening, the team enjoyed a wonderful meal and a great night’s sleep in a recently established hotel alongside the River. 

Blessed and very much so, 

Tim and Kim

Day 7: Lita

Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness; you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God. 

2 Corinthians 9:10-11 

Dear Saints, 

The day serving Lita had many components. Most of the team worked in the dining area of the Liebenzell Center. The vision unit had four people serving, and they served many people every day. The dental unit consisted of dentist Johana from Ecuador, Jan Moore as hygienist, and Carson McGill as assistant. That unit used our most technical equipment, and required electrical power. Aaron from Galilea served as our physical therapist, and was very popular Missionaries Kevin Bruce and Andy Shaub performed intake duties, while Kathy Bruce served as translator for Awa speakers. 

All of these people worked very hard every day, as did the medical providers (Kim, myself, Dana and Leah), translators (Shelia, Kathy, Joe, Impact group), helpers (Charlie, Carson, Rory), and pharmacy (Jess, Corey). The team worked very well together, and demonstrated a strong Christian witness. The 75 people served that day in Lita were very grateful. 

That afternoon the team travelled for three hours back to Otavalo, where we each appreciated getting a hot shower. That evening, before and after our regular evening devotion time on the roof of Dona Esther, we unpacked and repacked in preparation for the journey to the Intag Cloud Forest on Thursday. 

With dependence on His love and mercy every day, 

Dr. Tim and Dr. Kim

Day 6: Rio Verde Medio

The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’ 

Matthew 25:40 

Tuesday was a demanding day. The team was excited because it was the birthday of our mission leader, Shelia Duncan. After a good night’s rest, as well as a great breakfast prepared by our Galilea brothers and sisters, we all sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to Shelia, replete with cake. 

We then headed to Rio Verde Medio, loaded up into the back of four pickup trucks. RVM is one of the poorest communities in this area. Situated in the hills of the Awa Reserve, they are literally the “poorest of the poor”. Our team had been there once before, about five years ago. Many people were waiting for us when we arrived. 

The majority of our team was devoted to working with the children of these communities through the ministries of Vacation Bible School and of baseball. The members of Sonora Baptist Church poured out their hearts in playing and working with these children. Ben is a baseball coach at St. Xavier high school in Louisville, and Lauren is a division one softball player. Their unit was thrilled to teach and watch the children display innate athletic skills. Several of the men on the team were deeply moved to see the children’s joy. Such relationships have long-term benefits. 

On the way home, along the steep and winding gravel roads, a motorcyclist collided with the side of one of our trucks. He was thrown to the ground, damaging his bike, and impacting his knee. Remarkably, he sustained no serious injuries. Two of our truck drivers rendered mechanical aid, straightening the kick-start with an eight foot pipe from their truck. They got his bike started, and once his knee felt better, he was on his way. We all gave thanks to God. 

That evening, back at the Liebenzell center, one of the ladies on staff was developing severe abdominal pain. She had previously been found to have gallstones, and it was clear she was experiencing a gallbladder attack. We gave her what medication we had, and prayed for her. Within fifteen minutes, her intense pain was relieved…clearly the result of prayer. 

Through these and other experiences, the team felt very much in the middle of God’s sovereignty and providence. Tomorrow was planned to be a more ordinary day serving the people of Lita proper. 

Humbled by how He takes care of and protects us, 

Dr. Tim and Dr. Kim

Day 5: Palmira

When evening came, after the sun had set, they began bringing to Him all who were ill and those who were demon-possessed. And the whole city had gathered at the door. 

Mark 1:32-33

Palmira is an Awa community that used to be small, but seems to have grown greatly in the last four years, when our team last visited. This year we took care of 250 people there, and many people had to be turned away at the end of the day. This once quiet, unexpressive people were very eager to see us. Our eight unit team, composed of vision care, dental care, physical therapy, pharmacy, and four primary medical units, was kept busy all day. And it took the team two hours to travel to this remote location, and two more hours to travel back to Lita. We were exhausted at days end, but it was a good tired. 

Things that Dr. Kim and I saw were routine, including fungal dermatitis, URI’s (tests for Covid were all negative), UTI’s, muscle strains, low back pain (called espalda, affecting every adult), earwax impactions, several cases of pediatric pneumonia, roundworm infections, and eye irritation from wind and sun. Kim and I also served as consultants for the nurse practitioner (Dana Benedict) and nurse (Leah Duncan). Each unit has a translator, which of course are essential to providing good care. At the end of the day the team would sing songs of praise to God, and then tell stories of how He revealed himself through the events and people of that day. As usual, both Ecuadorians as well as Kentuckians worked together in preparing and serving our meals. 

It was a big day, full of blessing. The sunset was spectacular. We sang and prayed with whole hearts. 

Sincerely from the western woods of Awaland, 

Dr. Tim and Dr. Kim

Day 4: Galilea / Lita

Lift up your eyes on high

And see who has created these stars,

The One who leads forth their host by number,

He calls them all by name; 

Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power, 

Not one of them is missing. 

Isaiah 40:26 

Dear Saints, 

The days we spend in Ecuador are very busy, filled with preparations and travel. On Sunday, the team arose and gathered on the roof of Dona Esther. We reviewed the words of “Waymaker”, our theme song for this year. Since all of our supplies had already been sent ahead via truck, we were able to pick up our personal items and walked over to church…Iglesia Bautista de Galilea. We have developed close relationships with the people at Galilea, including the pastor and his wife, Wilman and Clemencia Varela. Kim and I consider Wilman and Clemencia to be very good friends. 

Worship at Galilea is always spirit-filled, but especially so on this Sunday. Wilman brought the Word, and Baptist missionary David Wells led us as we took communion. The Galilea praise team led us in worship, and our team was privileged to witness the baptism of an older Ecuadorian woman. Our team then sang “Waymaker”, first in Spanish, then with the congregation in English. The Holy Spirit presided wonderfully over all. The Body of Galilea served the team a home-cooked lunch, then we all boarded a bus and journeyed for three hours to the small town of Lita. 

Unlike Otavalo, which is high in the Andes, Lita is at an elevation of about 4000 feet. The air is much warmer and humid, with lush vegetation everywhere. The team stayed at the camp facilities built around the Liebenzell Awa Center. One historical treat this year was that George Hege was visiting from Pennsylvania. He is the first missionary assigned to the Awa people. He received a strong call from the Lord and first came to live in the area in 1989. He subsequently helped to develop a written Awa language. He worked directly with them until 2000, then as regional director until 2006. He now serves as a pastor in the USA. When I offered my thanks to him for pioneering this great work, he quickly stated that all of the original start as well as all of the subsequent progress was wholly accomplished by God’s grace. Kevin and Kathy Bruce, also in attendance, said the same thing. 

Once all of us…the team from Kentucky, the missionaries, the members from Galilea, and various translators from the local area as well as from Germany…had settled in, we were serenaded by various songbirds and the occasional rooster. We were all tired, and sleep came easily. The tasks of Monday would come early. 

In His Grip, 

Dr. Tim

Day 3

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.

Matthew 11:28-29

Dear Saints of Tatesbrook, blessed family and friends,


Today was a day of rest and enjoyment. Following a peaceful, long night of sleep, and then a good breakfast filled with praise and prayers to God, the team ventured forth together on market day into Otavalo. More than just a day of exploring the wares of the market, Saturday is also a day to spend knowing the people who live here. There was Dolores, the lady selling bread just outside our hotel. I bought bread from her, and gave her a hug. There was the lady who sold me a gift for Linda, explaining to me how her husband hand-carves each piece out of hardwood, and then she hand paints them. Then Joe, the last minute addition to the team who is bilingual and felt a call to mission work, explained how the seller at one of the stands where our ladies had made purchases, was deeply moved when Joe had answered his questions about why we were there. The Gospel seemed to spread easily and naturally as we went through the day. There was much learning, and laughing, and loving. It was a day of joy.

Shelia and I reminisced with Arthur and Wendy. I realized that they feel a strong tie to our purpose and call. They have labeled the door where Shelia and the rest of the Duncan family has stayed over the past twenty years as “Casa Duncan”. Actually that is a developing theme, as many are sensing a call to be home in God’s family.

Tonight during devotions, Ben Cottrell, who serves as baseball coach at St. Xavier High School in Louisville, spoke surprisingly passionately about how marvelous God is in connecting people, calling people, and guiding people. He was impressed that God has fulfilled every need. Earlier in the evening we practiced our music for worship tomorrow at Iglesia Bautista at Galilea, where Wilman is pastor. We will be singing “Waymaker” in both English and in Spanish, with all the people at Galilea. Shelia said we sounded angelic!

After church tomorrow, we travel to Lita, where we will be working with the Awa people over the next three days. Please remember to lift us up to the Lord, as well as the Awa people, that many will be healed and that many will come to know Jesus.

With a soul at rest,

Tim

Day 2

The disciples went out and came to the city, and found it just as He had told them; and they prepared the Passover.

Mark 14:16

Dear Saints,

Friday was a good day. Our large team had settled into Dona’ Esther in the early hours of that morning, and were able to sleep a few hours before we walked to the church. At the church, each of our four units (VBS, dental, vision and medical) repacked and reorganized our supplies in preparation for the days of service ahead. The floor at the church was like a beehive, covered with supplies and busy workers. We pulled out old supplies stored in the supply room from 2019. Kim and I placed some supplies in our trunks, while other items that were expired were discarded. Everyone worked well together, assuming different roles. We were the Body of Christ. The portable dental chair was assembled and powered up. The nine member medical team was readied. The pharmacy, with its myriad of components, was efficiently prepared by our pharmacist, Jessica Marsee. The VBS team (our largest unit) was wonderfully organized, and excited to get started.

That afternoon, Kim and I attended to a few patients, all members of the Galilea church. Those people are so patient, tolerant and welcoming!!  One long time friend, Luis, had suffered a partial amputation of a finger on his right hand ten days earlier while working. I was assigned the difficult task of removing all six sutures from his fingertip. We finally accomplished that task, and will see Luis again on Sunday.

God is providing for health, safety and His guidance and purpose. We know His abundant blessing in all things.

Sincerely,

Dr. Tim and Dr. Kim

Welcome Back to Ecuador

 

Day 1 - continued

"I will lead the blind by a way they do not know,
In paths they do not know I will guide them
I will make darkness into light before them
And rugged places into plains
These are the things I will do,
And I will not leave them undone.”

 Isaiah 42:16

Dear Saints,

Over the past twenty-four hours, there have been a number of people that God has intentionally set in my path.  There is Charlie Duncan, grandson of Shelia and her now deceased husband Phillip. Charlie is recovering from bilateral corneal replacement surgery…a fulfillment of our mission verse this year (listed above). Charlie has grown physically and intellectually since I last saw him four years ago. I pray that he receives full healing of the grief he has suffered following his grandfather’s death. I pray the same encouragement and emotional healing for his grandmother, our mission leader. Shelia has suffered greatly following Phillip’s death, as has their daughter, Leah. I pray that God uses Ecuador and its people to emotionally heal both of them.

I met an Ecuadorian man at the airport in Miami. He lives in Quito and is in the flower business. He was very touched that our teams had been coming to his country to provide heath care and Christian sharing for nearly twenty-five years. He asked that God would bless our ministry in Ecuador. Likewise, we met a man who took care of our team at the American Airlines ticket counter in Louisville. He asked Shelia how one becomes a mission team member. Shelia told him that first you must be a believer in Jesus Christ, and he whispered to her that he was one! Over the next two hours he encouraged and challenged every team member.

Finally, I sat beside a grandmother from the Chicago area. She is 74, and is taking her 12 year old grandson on a National Geographic trip to the Galápagos Islands. Moreover, she is a nurse who worked for 35 years for a family doctor in Little Rock, Arkansas. Last year, she worked with a mission team from her church serving an indigenous group in Ecuador while traveling on one of the tributaries of the Amazon. We shared stories about how good God is, and how to do church, as well as stories of mission work  for much of the journey to Quito.

As the end of this very eventful day approaches, I must say that - though I am very tired - I am also remarkably filled with the Father’s hope, purpose, and mighty love.

Blessings to all, and Good Night,  Tim

Day 1

So the word of the Lord was growing mightily and prevailing.
Now after these things were finished, Paul purposed in the Spirit to go to Jerusalem after he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, saying, “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.”

 Acts 19:20-21

The team of 27 all met up yesterday, brimming with enthusiasm and adrenaline. And although with less energy ( after only a few hours of sleep), the team is still eager to arrive in Ecuador in about five hours from now. Currently in Miami, we will arrive in Quito about 10 pm, and will then travel by bus to Otavalo, our base site for much of the mission. After a much needed rest tonight at our open court hotel, we will work at the local church in Otavalo, providing health care and conducting VBS. The team is all healthy. Please pray for us all as regards health, safety in travel, and effective ministry as we meet many people along the way. There have been God appointments made already.

Until tomorrow,

Drs. Kim and Tim