Fortnight in Guayaquil

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I spent 2 weeks in Guayaquil, Ecuador with a team from Queen´s Park Baptist Church. We lived and worked with a missionary couple, Peter and Vicki Butchers, and their family.

There are many new, small churches in the slum areas of the city like Los Vergeles, San Francisco, El Recreo and Valle de la Flor. We worked in all these areas doing a variety of jobs including painting, clearing land and helping with the pre-school education programme that is run from 2 of these churches. It was amazing to see how happy and thankful the people were and to see how God is working in their lives.

As well as these practical activities we went to 5 or 6 church meetings where we were very warmly welcomed and invited to lead the meetings which was a new experience for all of us! If you´re interested you can read more about what we got up to at www.mytb.org/team-ecuador-2009.

Although most of our time was taken up by the mission work we were able to visit the Malecon and Santa Ana, the national history park and the beach where I swam in the Pacific Ocean for the first time in my life - not quite what I had dreamed it would be since it was a cold, cloudy day but I enjoyed it all the same!

My top 5 highlights from my time in Guayaquil:

1. Seeing my beautiful girlfriend Lidia at the airport when I arrived
2. Measuring the church walls with Miguel... roughamente
3. Clearing the land at Valle de la Flor with a machete and burning the waste
4. Discovering "Tropical" - Ecuador´s national drink and answer to Irn Bru!
5. Peter "Pastor Pedro" Butchers´ wonderful sense of humour

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Photos

Painting - Day 3
Ricardo forgot his painting clothes...

Comments

[pete and liz smith]

hi richard
i asked your mum today how your trip was going and she told us about your blogg great idea. it was great to see your photos. it seems an experience of a life time. keep up the good work love liz and pete .ps dylan says hi.

[Jane Dunn]

Hello again
Are you still picking up entries from here? I've lost track I'm afraid re where you are now. Is it Peru or are you in Spain now? Hope and pray that you are keeping well. Peter is out with Street Pastors tonight and I can just hear the rain has started, heavily! Ruth and Tim went off to SU camp yesterday too. God bless you. Jane xo

[AKT]

Final lap ...... prayer contact
Hi from me, just to let you know, you're not forgotten, either in thoughts or in prayer. Thanking the Lord for good reports from your Mum and for all His protection and provision for you. Praying you will have His blessing directing your paths, helping you in every decision both great and small, making you a blessing to others and continue to have a great time all the way back to Bonnie Scotland. love you - AKTx