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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Ecuador Cities

When I was looking up a details about Cuenca for my last post, I came to a realization about how ridiculously long the official names of Ecuadorian cities are.
In truth, Cuenca is just a "short version" of the city's name.  Full name: Santa Ana de los cuatro rios de Cuenca.  Translation: Santa Ana of the Four Rivers of Cuenca.  Most cities in Ecuador are similar in keeping very long names.  For example, I live in San Juan de Cumbaya, right outside of San Francisco de Quito, and I helped on a medical brigade in Santo Domingo de los Tsachilas.  Notice the trend of including the name of the Catholic patron saints in the name of each city.  If that's not enough, most of the original city names had "Muy Noble y Muy Leal Ciudad de..." before their titles.  I find that ironic because "Very noble and loyal city" doesn't really fit with the whole revolution and independence from Spain part that happened a few years later.

Speaking of independence, Ecuador does have an independence day (August 10), but the real celebrations are on  the independence days of the three main cities of Ecuador (Guayaquil - October 9, Quito - May 24, and you already know Cuenca's).

As if Ecuador doesn't have enough holidays with its 4 official independence days, the days on which the principle cities were founded by the Spanish are often celebrated as well, albeit on a regional level.  Personally, I'm looking forward to Quito's founding on December 6, but there are also celebrations in Guayaquil on July 25, in Cuenca on April 12, and probably in some other cities on other dates as well.

This trend toward regionalism is important for understanding Ecuadorian culture.  You can tell just by the way a person talks whether they are from the coast (Guayaquil), Quito, Cuenca, or an indigenous group.  Quiteños call people from Guayaquil monos (monkeys), and the monos respond with something like "potato eaters."  Diet, agriculture, and industry change dramatically when one moves east from the Pacific Coast to the Andean mountain highlands to the Amazon jungle.  While Ecuador might be about the size of Colorado, the regional diversity noted in the distinctions between cities goes far beyond that which is noted in any one US state.

Innovation

I must admit that I've always been a proponent of change.  If I were a scientist, I would probably study enthropy or chemical reactions, but as things stand, I'm more of a social scientist.  Thus my college degree in International Development shouldn't come as a surprise.  Development--as in progress, as in changing from less-developed to more-developed.  Those words are quite charged with meaning that I could explore, but I'd rather focus on another word associated with change--Innovation.

Mirriam-Webster defines innovation as an action--"the introduction of something new" or that new thing itself--"a new idea, method or device."  My thoughts focus more on the action, or at an even deeper level, the creativity and imagination necessary in order to spur on innovation and persevere until a little thought floating on a cloud grows into a ground-breaking invention.

While some people might have been blessed with a greater propensity to create, I believe that we all have a stroke of creativity in us.  After all, if we were made in the image of the Creator God who spoke all things out of nothingness, shouldn't at least a little of that rubbed off on us?  And what then are we supposed to do with that impulse to innovate?

Recently I have seen a number of people dreaming about and attempting new, innovative things.  A businessperson from a recent training class wants to start a business unlike any in the world.  Two people connected to revitalize an industry that had closed when there were no links in the distribution chain.  Another businessperson wants to bring business training and environmental sustainability together in one economically- and ecologically-sound model.

Innovation can be daunting.  Making a new idea a reality is not something that happens overnight, and it takes daring to overcome the very real risk of failure.  However, when I think of innovation in the context of the huge needs in the developing world today, I'm inspired by those who are willing to think creatively in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles.  We aren't going to eliminate poverty tomorrow, even if we yearn for a world without poverty.  However, if we are going to make progress toward that vision, we need innovative businesspeople who work to create dignified jobs, preserve the environment, and keep working to solve problems with innovative solutions.

Latest training graduates - equipped to create innovative business solutions

One final thought: Gandhi famously said, "Be the change you wish to see in the world."  So be innovative--bring positive, lasting, ground-breaking change.

Cruz de Ilaló

I still remember the first time I really saw mountains.  Sure, I had been out to Colorado when I was little, but when I was 10, my family went the Appalachians.  As we left the flat Midwest and approached those ancient towering masses on the horizon, I was overcome by awe at the majesty of God’s creation.  Now I live in a valley high in the Andean mountains, but that amazement still hasn’t ended.  Today was a relatively clear day for the start of the rainy season, and as I look across the valley to where the ridgeline forms a jagged border with the deep blue sky, it reminds me of the song “Hear our Praises” by Hillsong.

From the mountains to the valleys
hear our praises rise to You,
from the heavens to the nations
hear our singing fill the air.

Standing in awe at the beauty of creation quickly reminds us who our Creator is, and praise flows naturally from our awestruck wonder.  But when we don’t have those realizations, it’s easy to go about the day without doing “it all in the name of Jesus” (Colossians 3:17).  Working for Partners Worldwide, I’ve been challenged to explore what it means to do Business as Mission—to run a business or work at one’s job in service to God and others. 

I’m still learning and hope to share part of my journey here in the future, but in the meantime, let me share some pictures of my last time mountain climbing.  This particular mountain has a cross at the top that serves as a reminder that every inch of creation belongs to Him, and we are called to praise him wherever we are—mountains, valleys, or flat prairies!

The view of Chillos Valley at the start of the climb

At the top of the mountain

The Cruz (cross) above the valley

The neighboring hill in patchwork farming plots

Partners Visit

For those who don't know much about Partners Worldwide (PW), let me preface this post by explaining a little about the structure of PW.  Instead of going to a country and setting up an office and staff and following a set model for international development, PW works internationally by connecting Christian businesspeople from the US (or another more developed country) with Christian businesspeople already living and serving in a given country (like Ecuador).  Really we're all about relationships.  We want to build a strong international partnership between those 2 groups of businesspeople.  We foster relationships with the businesspeople we serve.  This year we're also putting a special emphasis on mentoring relationships, both locally and with international mentors.  All that said, face-to-face contact in a weeklong visit from the North American partners is an important part of strengthening the partnering relationship.

Thus, the end of June/beginning of July was a time of lots of meetings, visits to businesses, and dinners with the various people with whom I work.

The day after everyone arrived, the North American and Ecuadorian leaders talked over plans for the year and had an evening dinner with trainers who help out with the business course.


About 2/3 of our binational team

A special musical surprise during dinner

The second day, we split into two groups to visit businesses in North Quito, South Quito, and the two valleys.  A few of the businesses we visited...

 That evening, the two groups met up in the Old Town colonial area for dinner, and we had a view of the city from the 5th floor Vista Hermosa Restaurant.

Dinner entertainment--halfway thru dinner an elderly man took over the piano at the back of the restaurant.

Looking south--Independence square with Panecillo in the background.

Looking north--La Basilica on the horizon with Toma de Asis in the foreground.

After two days in Quito, I headed to Las Mercedes on the coast with 3 members of the North American team and Edwin, who had led a training course there at the start of this year.  Since Las Mercedes is an agricultural community, we saw lots of cows, pigs, and chickens and ate food that was picked that same day.

Eating fresh cheese at the production site

At the Las Mercedes rice mill

Motorcycle repair--in the past 10 years motorcycles have replaced horses as the main form of transportation within the community.

Lester chopped open a few coconuts so we could finish the day with coconut milk

Scooping out the fleshy coconut meat

 After a quick flight back to Quito and some time together in the airport, most of the team left to spend the 4th of July with family.  A few of us had one last meal together until next time.

 

Commodities Trader Invests his Talents in Ecuador

I have the immense blessing of working with 9 dedicated North American business people and farmers in addition to the 5 board members here in Ecuador.  Their commitment to service has been an inspiration to me. Here is the story of one of our North American team members, as it appears in the Partners Worldwide June Newsletter:  

Story by Jacqueline Klamer

 For Felix Hernandez, trading commodities in the New York Stock Exchange has always been an exhilarating career.  When he became a Christian, he decided he needed to build on those talents and serve others in his Christian walk.

Investing and expanding businesses comes naturally, says Felix--one company he launched grew from three employees to 300 within the eight years he managed it.  Yet, within his church in New Jersey, he had trouble finding any opportunity to use his strongest gifts to serve.  For years, he and his wife Sandy volunteered through a Samaritan's Purse program, helping out at local food shelters, and even building houses in Mexico.  "I started thinking that I'm not using my God-given abilities in business," he says.  "And, frankly I'm pretty bad at building houses."

In 2008, Felix searched online for ways to use his business knowledge to serve when he learned about the need for small and medium business loans in developing countries.  He heard about Partners Worldwide, attended a conferece, and soon got connected with business members of Partners for Christian Development - Ecuador (PCD-E).

(Continue Story Here)

The Parents meet Ecuador

For anyone who has spent an extended period of time outside of their native country, having family from back home come visit is a special occasion.  For me, that opportunity came last week when my parents flew down to Quito to see my work, visit the historic district and the equator, and try authentic Ecuadorian cuisine.  My mom had said that she just wanted to see me and put one foot on each side of the equator.  We did that and a little more, so here are the pictures to prove it:

 

Notice that there are 2 different shots at the "equator."  It's actually a 25km thick line, so the whole area is called the equator!

Crappy Resilience

For the past week, I’ve been debating whether to share the following story.  It’s not one of those fairy tale, life-is-a-pleasant-adventure-in-Ecuador stories, but it is something that needs to be told because the hard lessons are the ones that we learn from the most.

Last week, while my parents were visiting, we were robbed.  It wasn’t an intense robbery at gunpoint, nor was it a story where we realized the next day that some things were missing.  Almost the moment it happened we realized that a backpack had been taken and yet we were powerless to recover it.  It began with poop being thrown at us, and then the Andean drug that it contained, burundanga (scopolamine), kicked in and made us compliant with any suggestion of those who were robbing us.  First they feigned kindness—pulling out tissues to help us clean off the poop.  But moments later they had whisked away the backpack and left us still half covered with crap.

As soon as I realized what happened, I tried to chase them down, yelling in Spanish “Thieves!  They stole my backpack!”  I even chased a bus a whole block only to find that they weren’t actually on that bus.  By now the backpack and the camera, jackets, and umbrellas it contained are long gone, but the memory remains.  I didn’t want to forgive them at the time for doing something so despicable.  I didn’t want to trust anyone anymore, and because of the drug they used, all I wanted to do for the rest of the day was cry.

But with time come perspective and the ability to forgive.  And as hard as it is to believe, I also have to admit that God let this happen to us for a reason.  At the same time He protected us from anything worse happening.  The struggle to move on from experiences like this one reminds me time and again that we live by faith.  We live each day with the faith that an earthquake or tornado won’t suddenly destroy our house.  We live by faith that our job will still exist tomorrow and that crops won’t fail to extent that we can’t find food.  Far too often we take these things for granted.  And then every once in a while, the earthquake hits or there is a car accident or someone robs us and our world stands still for a moment.  It’s hard to move on and be optimistic.  Sometimes we need to cry it out and be angry at the world for a while.

But then there comes the time to move on.  We call it resilience—bouncing back from whatever happens.  In reality, it isn’t a quick bounce but instead slow, feeble steps toward solid ground.  Walking down the street again, smiling or making small talk on the bus—these are the very things the worst Thief wants to steal.  But I refuse to let him steal my joy.  As long as God gives me breath on this earth, I’m going to live with joy and will not cave into fear, especially fear of those who cannot touch my soul.  Yes, I’ll be careful and prudent, but Jesus never said that following him would be safe or easy.  He promised us something better—that he will never leave us nor forsake us.  And that’s why I can walk by faith.

Waterfalls

For the past two weeks in Ecuador it has been raining.  I don’t mean the cloudy-all-day-no-sun rain, but “winter” aka the rainy season, Ecuador style.  Every morning I wake up to a brilliant sun and any clouds that existed at 6am are burned off by 8am when I’m headed to the bus.  To an outsider, it would appear that rain showers would be impossible.  But between noon and 1pm, without fail, it starts raining—sometimes with a downpour and thunder and sometimes even with hail.  If you ever want an example of the phrase “appearances are deceptive,” I’ve got a great one—Ecuador weather.

The upshot of all this is that more rain=larger, faster rivers=better waterfalls.  Last weekend, during Easter break I spent some time with a family in Pintag, and we hiked through a river canyon to several spectacular waterfalls.  From now on, when people talk about the beauty of Ecuador, these waterfalls will be one of the things I think of, along with the volcanoes, jungle, and patchwork fields on mountainsides.  So, come along for a picture tour of the hike out to the waterfalls.

And not to overlook my countdown...

1 day until my parents arrive

65 days 'til I meet a new niece or nephew in Michigan!

Now let the waterfall tour begin...

Hiking down into the river valley

The adventurers - on a more well-beaten trail

The first waterfall - more of an occasional, rainy season addition to the river below

Another small waterfall

Under the waterfall (pretending that we like the ice cold water!)

Valeria and her sister stand on a tree beside the river

We came across some horses on our hike, and someone convinced me to mount this one bareback

First river crossing (the second was up to my waist!)

Wilson went fishing for river trout every chance we got along the way.

The first major waterfall

Second major waterfall

The Waterfall!  We could hear it a 1/2 mile away!

Lunch break at 2pm on the return journey.

Looking down on the largest waterfall in the distance.  It started raining right after lunch, so we opted to hike straight up the canyon wall, with some bouldering and scrambling included.  We arrived back at the house 6 hours after we left and completely exhausted.