Monday, August 23, 2010

Summer time closing while coffee shop opening!!

We are in the process of renovating the coffee shop yet again! Now we are expanding it so it is bigger! We also had a group of youth who helped paint it as well! They did such a good job! This summer we have gotten to continue our youth group at our house. One week we went bowling. Another week we went to a real Chinese restaurant where the menu's were in Chinese too! Thankfully a student was with us who could read what was on the menu! The students have asked us to continue the youth group time into the school year! Pray we can find a good night to meet and students will encounter GOD! I love all the fresh fruits and vegetables I can have here year round. I also am enjoying the juicer we are borrowing from my parents because we can make fresh juice drinks!

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Living Waorani Style 2

Loren got to play in the river a game the team made up that was a mix between soccer and american football. Looked like so much fun! We had soccer tournaments that were going on with all the Waorani tribes represented at the Conference. Loren and I were on the Gringo-pare girls and guys teams.

During the week they found a lethal snake. If this thing bites you they said you would be dead in 20 minutes

. It was only by God's protection that the Wao killed it before it harmed anyone!

The Waorani men and youth broke up into their Bible study classes.

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These women are literally racing to their Bible class destination to gain a prize. The whole time they were running by I heard them giggling and trying to keep their babies in the sling! Many of the young mothers I talked to who have one or two children are about 19 years old. If you see the lady in all blue: her ear lobes are all stretched out from the old tribal style. The new generation does not practice that anymore.

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These children

are listening intently to the Bible story. Some of the younger ones do not know Spanish and only Wao. While others understand Spanish better and don't know much Wao. This proved to be quite the challenge to little ones' attention span as the teacher would have to give the lesson in both languages! The reason some children know Spanish better is because of school. Their schooling is all in spanish while their home life is all in Wao. Talk about third culture kids, you can even find them way out in the jungle. Loren and I can relate to how they feel with living in two languages growing up.

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The greatest part about the conference was the 49 people who got baptized! Loren got to help baptize people. It was a great testimony of God's work!

I took this photo of this precious Waorani girl named Naida on Dan's (works at Youth World with us) great camera! Thank you to the US team and Dan for these great photos! It really captures the timid personality that most Waorani people have when you first meet them. Give them a few minutes, hours, or days to warm up to you and you won't want to leave! I enjoyed learning about their culture. Every tribe I have been around (Venezuelan tribes and others here in Ecuador) I have noticed how unique God has created them. One thing I love about the Waorani are their patience. Food might be right in front of them but they don't grab and run, they wait with hungry stomachs until the food is given to them.

Thank you for those who pray for us, in whatever ministry we find ourselves in!

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Living Waorani Style 1

For the past two weeks we were in Waorani land! We had the opportunity to help put on a Bible conference in the community of Nuneno.
Reynaldo and his wife Blanca ran the whole family Conference in the jungle.
The Williams family are missionaries with Youth World and invited us to go with them. We are so thankful!
This is the team from Rancho Baptist Church in California who helped us in the jungle.
Traveling to the Waorani village.
We got to hike through the jungle while Nanto showed us what all the plants are used for!
Everything from diapers to red die to what they make baskets out of. Nanto is the leader of the community Nuneno where we stayed for 10 days.
Loren got got to spend many hours talking with him and hearing his many great stories.
We braided many
heads during the week because they saw how the US team wore braids.
The one in the middle with the grey shirt is
Dana. She also works with Youth World and is a wonderful leader.
We would have a service in the morning with all the people and one at night. Telling everyone about the love of God. Loren helped translate for the conference. The message went from English to Spanish to Waorani.
I asked a 5 year old girl what was her favorite
thing to do. She answered "washing clothes". I asked her sister who was 7 what her favorite thing was and she said "cooking". What would a 5 and 7 year old say to that question in your hometown?
During the week we not only fed ourselves but also all of the Waorani who were in Nuneno for the conference. After every meal we would wash all the dishes in the river.
Cecelia (wonderful
Christian woman who
cooked for
200+ people breakfast, lunch, and dinner all week!) and Kasey (Youth World Intern who is a wonderful example of Jesus with skin on) working in the kitchen.
Cooking fresh meat that was just hunted. When you worked the kitchen you cut up many Platanos (a type of banana), potatoes, tomatoes, onions, and yucca.