October 2021
Labor not in vain
28/10/21 14:11
“Let you light shine before men that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” Mt 5:6
Which is a stark contrast to chapter 6 of Matthew where Jesus exhorts not to do your religious rites before men.
Since the break-in at our apartment building in Riobamba, I have spent about two weeks changing door locks, figuring out how and who to repair the electric fence, plus trying to see what went wrong with the security cameras, and finally deciding it was time to buy a new video recorder for the cameras. All as a volunteer service to the 17 families who live in this apartment complex. And as a result, we’ve had many conversations with our neighbors and been able to get to know each other better.
Next week a group of international artists are going to paint murals on the side of our building. The lot next to our building has been a dump for some time. We finally convinced the City Hall to clean up the lot, even though it’s private property. So we heard bulldozers at 5am a couple of mornings.
Today I installed an alarm on the front door. Many people were surprised to hear a buzz above their ears when they entered the building.
“Our labor is not in vain.” I Cor 15:58. Some day we shall see the fruit.
All part of ministry
19/10/21 23:29
Last night, here in Riobamba, we made a quick visit to three of my Sunday School Zoom students. When we arrived the kids looked a bit sad and reserved. Turned out that I had called beforehand to announce our visit, and the kids, in their excitement had taken to wash the dishes and clean the kitchen! Somehow in the process, Josue managed to hit the kitchen faucet and break it off the wall, causing a shower of water which drenched both them and the kitchen. Upon our arrival, the kids had changed clothes, and their mom had plugged the faucet hole with a wooden spoon wrapped in plastic. My purpose was to give the kids some puzzles and crafts that were impossible to do over ZOOM, but Faby insisted we help fix the faucet. Since I’ve fixed just about everything in our old house in El Tingo, chiseling the broken thread out of the faucet piping didn’t take me long with a screwdriver and a big wrench, used as a hammer. Their father had found the shut-off valve and soon came in with a new faucet. I quickly installed it, and everything was back to normal. The kids could now enjoy their puzzles. All part of ministry.
Here in our apartment building, where I am the volunteer administrator, we had a break-in over last holiday weekend. So I spent a couple of days changing the keys to the main doors. Then I found out that the security cameras were not recording. And on top of that, the electric fence had never been working properly! In all the confusion and conversation, we have become better acquainted with our neighbors. All part of ministry. (Still working on the cameras and electric fence.)
Investing in People
13/10/21 03:24
Thirty-three years ago we worked in this orphanage with over 30 boys. Leonardo, top row, second from right, was the oldest and most mature. Sunday, he paid us a visit with his wife. I found the photos of our time in the orphanage, and we spent time reminiscing. Leonardo has never forgotten the impact we had on his life at the orphanage, and now we are seeing the fruit of our labor, 33 years later.
As I teach these kids on Saturday nights over ZOOM, I can only continue to work and pray that one day I will see the fruit of my labor. 1 Cor 15:58
In Riobamba, at our apartment, we held a meeting of the Directors. Saturday night we had a break-in, when almost everyone had left for a long weekend. We discussed tightening security. For Faby and me, our service to this our community is an opportunity to invest in them. I have no idea what the results will be. Prov. 3:5-6
Adults and Kids
04/10/21 16:28
Saturday afternoon a couple of families came over for a visit and some counseling. The two carloads held six adults and five kids of various ages. We ushered them into our lower living room, and I immediately saw the need to separate the kids from the adults so the latter could talk without interruptions. Faby has the gift of counseling. (Plus she’s Ecuadorian.) And I have all the games and puzzles for kids. So we divided the work load. The kids enjoyed the puzzles and games, although the ages ranged from 18 months to 22 years. And the adults held an encouraging session on marriage and family.
After ice cream and coffee, and more conversation and puzzles, we ended at 7:30pm. Yet in typical Ecuadorian fashion, they saw the ping-pong table and tether ball in the back yard, and stayed for another hour and a half enjoying the two games among both adults and kids.
