Pizza Nostra

After years working in a nonprofit organization, Patricio took a step of faith toward his dream of running his own business.  With constant guidance and mentoring from Carlos, a leader in the Cuenca affiliate of Partners Worldwide, Patricio learned business skills, evaluated the market for pizzerias, tried countless sauces, dough recipes, and ingredients, and finally open the doors of a pizzeria in a residential area that lacked restaurant options.  He had invested over five months of planning, and his business was already growing when we visited Pizza Nostra a mere two months after the restaurant's grand opening.

When we arrived, Carlos went back behind the counter to help Patricio, his wife, and their two workers finishing up appetizers of veggies and buffalo wings.  Pizza and lasagna soon followed, the latter being a new option Patricio is adding to the menu.  While the restaurant is still in its initial stages, Patricio has large plans for its growth.  Eventually he would like to make Pizza Nostra a franchise with locations all over Cuenca and beyond.  He is already training a nephew who hopes to eventually run a restaurant, and Patricio is taking steps to differentiate his product, such as offering a seafood pizza with shrimp, crab, and fish.  From talking with customers, Patricio knows that there are small improvements to make, but he is on the right track.  He already has many repeat customers, and with Carlos' continued mentoring he looks forward to implementing daily improvements in the business.

End of the Season

The last time I had played on a sports team was 2010, but back in September I had the privilege of joining the Santa Ines basketball team that competes in Quito's "neighborhood" league.  Coming back to the sport and getting to know a great group of ladies from my part of town has been so much fun.

We just finished up the season this weekend, losing by one point to Las Casas to place 4th overall. While ending on a losing note isn't the best way to end the season, it was a great game and I would say that losing a close game is much better than an easy win.

Our team after the last game of the season

Turkey Day and Tree Hunting

I missed the previous two Thanksgivings, so spending last Thursday with my family was extra special.  In addition to my immediate family and Beppe (grandma), we also were joined by the Cho family.  Joe, Kelly and their 6-year-old daughter Ohana drove in from Ohio to spend the day with us.

Between my 16-month-old niece shrieking with joy as we chased her around the house and showing off her animal sounds, Diego the dog trying to convince everyone to play fetch with him, and Ohana challenging us to virtually every game in the house, there was never a dull moment.  Oh, and we ate a lot.  But that goes without saying on Thanksgiving.  Overall, I absolutely love Thanksgiving when it's spent with family hanging out at home without anywhere to go or any agenda for the day.

Too big

The next morning I did cave into the US consumerism culture and participated in some Black Friday shopping in the morning.  But the highlight for the day was definitely driving out to a Christmas Tree farm to do some tree hunting.  Both my siblings have reverted back to real trees even though my parents continue re-using the same 18-year-old tree.

It was cold.  As in snowflakes-falling and wind-whipping-around-trees cold.  But we braved the elements to find that perfect tree.  My brother-in-law showed off his mad jumping skill by trying to jump over a few trees (unsuccessfully), and eventually everyone found that perfect tree.  For me, it was the first time in...18 years? to go tree hunting.  Fun times.

Too small

Just right!

The tree I tried to import to Ecuador...just kidding!

Congrats Rachel and James!

One of my reasons for spending an extra week in the US after the Partners Worldwide conference and training (besides being home for Thanksgiving) was to attend my friend Rachel's wedding.  The two of us go all the way back to high school, and we had weekly coffee dates during the last two years of college.  While we've barely been able to see each other in the past two years due to the distance, it was fun to share in her and James' special day on Saturday.

College friends

High school friends

Eat Drink DANCE - we even learned contra dancing :)

Receiving Training

Most of the time when I write about training, it's something that I'm teaching or that I'm helping to organize.  But in order to be effective at teaching, it is important to first learn.  And that's exactly what about 15 other Partners Worldwide country representatives and volunteers did this past week.  

Over the course of five days, we spent time studying in-depth the materials from Partners Worldwide's small and medium business training curriculum.  After learning more about everything from Business as Mission to balance sheets to customer service to SMART goals, I believe more than ever in the value of practical business training.  As I return to Ecuador, I look forward to supporting our local training teams as they improve their materials and teach courses that have a lasting impact in the lives of Ecuadorian businesspeople.

Part of our train-the-trainer group

Moving to Cuenca

Over the past six months, I have spent an increasing amount of time traveling to one specific location--Cuenca Ecuador.  Located about 265 miles south of Quito in the same mountain chain, Cuenca is the third largest city in Ecuador and the home to colonial architecture, artisan crafts, the production of Panama hats, and countless ornate Catholic churches.

At the same time, the Verbo Christian Church of Cuenca has been at work, following the Spirit's leading to grow from one small congregation in the 1980s to three vibrant churches that today support a radio, English language school, hospital, dental clinic, orphanage, K-12 school, ministry institute and much more.  One of their newer ministries is growing out of a connection with Partners Worldwide and the strong desire to affirm businesspeople in their calling and help them to see their work as their mission field.

To better support the Verbo Church and our joint ministry--Cuenca Partners, I will be moving to Cuenca at end of January to be involved in the ministry full time.  This is very much a new development, so I look forward to the challenges, joys, and adventures of spending the next three months getting to know the city, exploring apartment options, and figuring out how to move my "stuff" over an 8-hour drive through winding mountain roads.  God has truly been leading and preparing me up to this point for this move, so I trust in him and his providence as I begin developing new connections and putting down roots in this city to which I have been called.

I'm just gonna eat worms

Literally.  But not because no one likes me.  It's because worms are considered a delicacy in the Amazon jungle of Ecuador.  They also are high in protein and are supposed to help with asthma.  But I'll stop with the propaganda trying to convince people to eat worms.  The basic fact is that grub worms are a healthy staple of the diet of most families in the jungle, and they have become a delicacy that is served to curious tourists willing to try unusual food.

Last week when we visited the family of Bolivar Andi, an indigenous farmer in Guacamayos, his wife was preparing maito--a dish made of palm heart and some form of meat (in this case worms) seasoned with salt and wrapped in a palm leaf to cook on an open fire.  They showed us how they pull out the animal's intestines and then cover them with heart of palm.  When we asked where those squirming fat gusanos (worms) came from, Bolivar took us out to the forest that surrounds his house and pointed us to a palm tree he had chopped down about three months earlier.  Over time, the larvae grow into the worms we had seen inside, and they chop out 2-foot sections of the tree to harvest 5-10 worms each time.  As soon as Bolivar opened a new section of the tree trunk, we saw one of the worms, and Lenin, one of the Ecuadorians with us, picked it up and offered to prepare it for us to eat.  He carefully snapped off the head, pulled out the guts, and then asked, "who wants to try a worm?"

Everyone was a bit hesitant, so one of Bolivar's daughters demonstrated how to bite off a piece of chewy skin.  And yes, I followed her lead.  Let's just say that I'd eat that again over guinea pig, but it's definitely a new experience.  Back inside the house, we also had the opportunity to eat the maito, which I would say is much more appealing and actually quite delicious with the palm heart flavor baked through.  It's not something I plan to do everyday, but when I'm in the rainforest again, I'm just gonna eat worms. :)

And now for the story in pictures:

Bolivar's wife sprinkles salt over the worms mixed in with palm heart

Lenin opens up a section of the felled palm tree to find worms

I'm going for it - first time ever eating a worm

Biting off a little piece.  Yes, that is a worm in my mouth!

Bob checks out the unusual food selection for the day

This little guy absolutely loved eating the rest of the worm.  He was definitely savoring it.

Trying maito hot off the fire

A New Partnership

Introducing the newest Partners Worldwide partnership--Cuenca Partners.

Last Tuesday, during the visit from North American members of the Partners Worldwide team, we signed a partnership agreement to begin actively working together with Cuenca Partners to bring business development under the vision of Business as Mission to the city of Cuenca.

As a volunteer-led group of businesspeople from the Verbo Christian Church of Cuenca, this local partner seeks to engage Christian businesspeople in service while supporting small businesspeople and entrepreneurs through business training, mentoring, and access to capital.  While there is still much work to be done, we hope to host a mentor's training day on October 20 in order to prepare mentors to connect with small business owners who need that extra support of a knowledgeable business profession with expertise in a certain area such as marketing or bookkeeping.  We will be offering a 3-day business training course in January to officially launch this ministry.

Partners Worldwide Visit Begins

Tomorrow I will be joined by four other members of the US-based Partners Worldwide team to travel to 3 cities and 5 provinces in the course of the following five days.  All four team members fly in tomorrow evening so that we can get an early start on Monday with a flight out to Cuenca.  There we will spend 2 full days meeting with church leaders, visiting businesses, and getting to know the city.  On Wednesday, we plan to return to Quito for two meetings before catching another flight, this time to the jungle city of Coca.  We will spend two days there in order to visit communities along the Napo River and below the Sumaco Volcano before returning to Quito for one last meeting before team members catch their flights on Friday evening and early Saturday morning.

Sound like a whirlwind?  Maybe, but it's full of anticipation for great things.  We are looking forward to signing a partnership agreement to begin formally working together with the Cuenca Partners group based at the Verbo Church there, and the trip to the jungle will be the start of a potential connection with Kaya Foundation, which works in rainforest conservation through business innovation with jungle farming communities.  I look forward to giving updates on the highlights from this trip.

God's Promises in Ecuador

This morning I enjoyed the cooler mountain weather on my first morning run since returning from a few weeks in the United States.  It was great to watch the sun rise at 6 am and hit the nearly-vacant streets before the morning rush.  As I arrived at the reservoir where I usually run a couple laps, I was surprised to see many of my fellow runners looking into the sky behind me.  Curious, I continued jogging while turning my head to look back.  What I saw stopped me in my tracks and brought a smile to my face.  

There, stretching over the Cumbaya valley, was a double rainbow.  Immediately a couple of God's promises came to mind:  " I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." Genesis 28:15 and "See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared." Exodus 23:20.

Some people may wonder why I would live so far from my family and from the familiarity of the country where I grew up.  The truth is that I committed years ago to follow God where he leads, and he promises to go ahead of me and to go with me along the way.  His promises are very real today and every single day that he calls me to spend in Ecuador.

Double rainbow over Cumbaya valley

Double rainbow over the entrance to Quito proper

Visitors Coming!

A group of North American businesspeople who support us in the work of Partners Worldwide in Ecuador confirmed today that they will be coming to visit at the end of August.  It has been just over a year since the last visit, so we are excited to welcome them again to meet with business people, help develop new connections, and see the beauty of God's creation in Ecuador.  I will be traveling with those who come to Cuenca to meet with local leaders.  From there we will also make our first visit to communities in the Amazon jungle  in order to consider how we can support them as they develop sustainable agricultural businesses and simultaneously work to conserve the rainforest.  We pray for the God's blessing in this visit and that he will open doors for service and to walk alongside even more Ecuadorian businesspeople.

Gloria Rodriguez - Pharmaceuticals

One of my favorite parts of working in business development as "field staff" is getting to actually go out of the office and meet the amazing businesspeople we serve.  A large part of my time is spent more on "administrative" work - ensuring our local partners have the business training materials they need, helping to create a mentoring handbook, ensuring that finances are in order and that both Ecuadorian and North American partners are well informed about what their counterparts in another part of the world are doing.  But when I can meet with a businessperson like Gloria and hear how the work I do in the office to support our partner organizations like PCDE equips them to in turn empower Gloria, it brings an extra ounce of joy to the day.  So here is a story from a recent visit with Gloria and her husband.

Gloria Rodriguez is no stranger to work in pharmaceuticals.  With over 30 years experience working for multinational pharmaceutical companies to develop formulas, Gloria learned every aspect of production.  However, within large companies any formula she developed belonged to someone else, and she was powerless to help underemployed coworkers find extra hours of work.

Using her work experience and a class taught by Partners Worldwide affiliate PCDE, Gloria wrote a business plan to expand the laboratory she had slowly built with small purchases over several years.  Her goals were to meet the needs of aquaculture and poultry farming contacts, provide employment, and develop new product lines based on her knowledge of biochemistry.  With a small loan, she finished the production areas in the laboratory next to her house and purchased the machines she lacked.

While growth is slow and requires many government permissions and patents, Gloria has already begun to expand her business and give weekend work to underemployed workers.  And with the growth of the business, she already has fulfilled one of her hopes--to provide employment that would allow her husband to return.  He had spend many months living in another city during the week in order to keep his job.  Now he is able to be with his family and put his energy into expanding a family business that they hope will create many more jobs in the coming years.

Latin America Blog Launched!

Come visit Partners Worldwide's new blog for Latin America at la.partnersworldwide.org.

After months of hard work by our four regional team members, we have a new platform for posting stories from all the countries from the region--Nicaragua, Honduras, and Ecuador.  This comes in answer to a need that has arisen over the years.  As the only Partners Worldwide region with a unified language other than English, we in Latin America have looked for ways to ensure that our businesspeople and partnership leaders have the same access to general Partners Worldwide information and stories in their language.

Hence, this new blog will share stories and information both in English and Spanish and will hopefully help to bridge the gap between our English-speaking teams from North America and our Spanish-speaking leaders and businesspeople in Central and South America.

So enjoy more stories about Ecuador and other countries in the region at the Partners Worldwide Latin America Blog.

Connections in Cuenca

Two years ago during the visit of the Global Business Affiliate to Ecuador, a team member from New Jersey took the opportunity to connect with his wife’s cousin, Boris Ordoñez.  Through the experience, Boris accompanied the local Quito leaders and the North American team members to visit a bakery owner and strawberry growers, all the while learning more about Partners Worldwide’s vision of working through business as ministry to alleviate poverty in communities. 

As a leader of his church in Cuenca, Boris was already involved in a number of ministries in addition to being the successful owner of four businesses.  Over the years, Verbo Church of Cuenca had established orphanages, a hospital, a radio station, a school, a language institute and many other ministries.  However, a ministry that could connect Christian business leaders and empower them to have an impact in their community for Christ was missing.  Boris saw the potential to develop a ministry for businesspeople and began conversing about the possibility with Partners Worldwide.

Through subsequent visits and conversations, the Verbo Church led a business training course for 40 people, developed a group of businesspeople in the church willing to serve as consultants, and formed a team dedicated to launching the ministry.  At the beginning of April, I met with the Verbo leadership team to formalize plans for a partnership in the city of Cuenca.  By formalizing this partnership, the group in Cuenca plans to offer more frequent business training, establish a mentoring program, and eventually provide access to small loans through an independent lender.  While there is still much work to do, this is a concrete step toward providing Christian business development support for businesses in Cuenca, Ecuador.

Maria's Chickens

Maria Iza grew up in an agricultural family on the outskirts of Quito, so it is no wonder that she currently raises chickens, as well as an assortment of ducks, turkeys, guinea pigs, and rabbits. However, her experiences leading up to this point were not quite as predictable. Maria’s parents helped her enter into work as a seamstress at the early age of 16. After the birth of her four children, Maria decided to return to agriculture, and was able to help provide for her family with the milk production of 14 dairy cows. When the country became unstable and several of her cows were stolen, Maria chose to sell the rest and start a small business with two sewing machines. As her children grew, she sent them to high school and then the university, but she did not have money to buy a computer, which her daughter needed to finish her thesis and graduate from the university. Maria made the difficult decision to sell her sewing machines and buy a computer.

Today it is quite obvious that this was the best decision that Maria could have made. Joy radiates from her face as Maria explains that all her children graduated from the university and are professionals. Maria, in turn, has also built up her current businesses. Without any experience with chickens, Maria decided one day to buy a box of 200 chicks. She had seen a man on the street selling newborn chicks, and it piqued her interest. There was a steep learning curve when Maria started. Of that first group of 200 chicks, she was only able to sell 100 full-grown chickens. However, she has grown and diversified the business over time, most recently adding the traditional Ecuadorian guinea pig as one of the animals she raises. With a loan from the local PW partner in Quito, Maria was able to renovate her chicken coops, adding ventilation and replacing the old, leaky roof. She also built separate nests for the ducks and “wild” hens. As her business continues to grow, Maria hopes to purchase more cages for guinea pigs and rabbits, and possibly buy a truck one day to help her bring the animals to the market. In all this work, Maria relies on God to give her strength for the present work and provide for whatever plans He has for the future.