Who did I bring back? #3

 Two members of the formula club who are thriving.




N and friends model their new glasses.





Waiting to see the eye doctor at his office with no air.  If it had air, it would have been of little help since the electricity and water were off most of the time from Wednesday til Saturday.  I can make it without electricity but it is hard without water.  Fortunately our hosts have a reserve tank which they can use when the public water stops.

Since last year this little girl was able to go to the capital to have spina bifida surgery.  She was afraid of me but she loves L.  She is a regular visitor to the compound.

Who did I bring back? #2

 The pharmacy opened up on Monday with the packaging of the meds and formula. 

I got to reconnect with my friend G.  Last year she let me spend the morning with her.  She tried to teach me to cook African style in her outdoor kitchen.  I failed the first lesson which was throwing up the rice.  This year she came over to help me.  We put ribbon around baby gifts that had been sent.  That afternoon we took these to the maternity ward at the local hospital to be given to mothers who deliver their babies at the hospital instead of in the bush. 

On Tuesday the held the first clinic.  M and N were our first sunglass models.
There were lots of women and babies who came.  The formula club members come every Tuesday and Friday so they were there along with all the others who came for the eye clinic and to get over the counter medical items.

Who did I bring back with me? #1

 On Sunday we went to native church.  There we reconnected with old friends from last year and worshipped with them in their language and some of ours.  In the afternoon, the next UVA baseball star organized the baseball game.


 The first village we visited was the same one where we held our first clinic last year.  We visited in the same compound where S and I had prayed for each individual who came out of last year's eye clinic.  As there was a pause in those coming out, we prayed for the ladies of the compound who were pounding their grain behind us.  How wonderful to see God answer prayer.  This year one of the ladies sat and read scripture to me.  She and her husband, the chief,  are believers.  Please pray for Z and H.

Baby M from across the street was a year old last year and was very ill.  This year her health is much improved.  She isn't quit walking but she is always playing with the kids.  We know she is an answer to prayer.

To the ends of the earth

 Since my body clock is now set on GST (go standard time), I was not surprised to be waking up at 2 am CDT with a story in my head that must be written down before my next adventure that begins today.  I am sure that the story will never come out on paper as good as it was in my mind but I am going to try. 
 On September 20, my team of three men and I started our journey to the ends of the earth.  I went last year and knew that I must return this year.  It is a long, hard journey.  The trip includes a three hour van ride, three flights with two of them over 5 hours, a wonderful nights sleep in the capital and a 14 hour ride to our town.  Thankfully the 14 hour ride was in a Toyota truck with friends instead of the public transportation ride we took last year.  There is a lot more water to see near the capital this year due to the severe flooding that they received.  Crops have been washed away and many mud homes destroyed.  Since this country is listed as one of the poorest in the world, this was not good news to hear.
One of my team leaders from another part of the world, always ask us who will we bring back with us from our trip.  In the next few entries, I will try to show you in pictures and words who I am bringing back with me so you can join me in praying for them.

Elf Sewing Night for ACM

The  elves came out in full force on Tuesday. Armed with their sewing machines and glasses, two hundred of the four hundred stockings for African Children's Mission are complete.  The cutting is done so now it is up to the monogram elf to get her stacks of stockings monogrammed. 
Hopefully by Friday she will be done with her part.

The elves who came were fed by Paula who made some delicious Lemon Chicken Pasta, Chopped Apple Salad, and Blueberry and White Chocolate Chip Cookies.  

School

First, second and high school (9th grade).  Girls are growing up too quickly.

Good bye

 Photo time with the ladies at the hostel who took care of us all week.  Great to see friends on our way to the airport.  We even had time to visit the rim of one more volcano.  No trip to Ecuador is complete without getting your picture made at 0 0 latitude.  Some of our heads were in the Southern and some were in the Northern hemisphere.