Time is passing!

It's quite amazing how quickly time passes-actually, it's terrifying if I really look at it. Even though I am still young, I see and feel how fast time is going. For example, I graduated 2 years ago! For some reason that is just crazy to me. I have my journal here from the past few years. Kristin gave it to me as a high school graduation gift. (yeah, I’m not an everyday journaler-so it's the same one) Every so often, I start from the beginning and read through the years. Each time I am moved by the strong presence of God leading and directing my life and providing my needs-even if I don't see it until years later when I'm rereading. I think what I’ve noticed the most while reading today is how God has always provide a loving community of friends, regardless of where I am or the phase of my life. I have and am truly blessed.  This really has nothing to do with my blog but it’s been on my mind lately so I figured I would share! :-)

In 2 weeks the three of us will be back in Michigan, home for Christmas and home to be reunited with friends, family and the English language :-) Anticipating the holidays brings back lovely memories of past Christmases and new years with friends,...God is so GOOD.

Really quick before I go on about my last couple of weeks here I want to show some pictures from our Thanksgiving in Shell!! I actually had two Thanksgiving dinners! The first was with our Spotlight group.(a group that meets twice a week to learn English). The second was during my surgery trip to San Lorenzo!

 During the week of Thanksgiving, I had the opportunity to travel to the Ecuadorian/Colombian border city of San Lorenzo. I went with the hospital’s ophthalmologist, his family and our friend who is the ophthalmology technician. We spent the week doing cataract and other various eye surgeries. Although Ecuador is a small country, its diversity culturally and economically is astonishing. During the 12 hour drive we went from our small city of Shell on the edge of the rural jungle up through affluent areas of Quito and it’s suburbs with gated communities/homes, malls and KFCs and finally up to the coastal region near the Colombian border where the poverty, crime and danger are not hidden. Because of the danger in SL and our busyness in the OR we were only able to leave the property twice and kept our time after dark to a minimum. But I really enjoyed SL and could see myself living and working there if the opportunity presented itself in the future…only God knows!

Beautiful view from the clinic rooftop in San Lorenzo

-Side Note: on the way home we had a beautiful view of Volcano Tungurahua doing what she does best…unfortunately the pictures don’t give the view justice.

The week after San Lorenzo was a bit crazy for me. Before leaving, I received an email with a possible opportunity, with a relief org. partnered with HCJB, to fly with docs from Ecuador to Haiti for the cholera epidemic-we would fly out the following Saturday(Dec. 4^th) for 2 weeks! The past couple of months have been really hard being here in Ecuador with such hardship and suffering in Haiti. Part of my heart is still there and it breaks every time I read the news or speak with friends who are there helping. So when the opportunity arose I was thrilled! But the Lord had other plans and due to the quickness of the trip and other details, this opportunity didn’t work out. BUT other trips are hopefully being planned for January where I hopefully can help! Along with the uncertainty of Haiti, I also had my first week in the inpatient area of the hospital! Prior, I had been helping in the clinic trying to improve my Spanish. Starting on the floor is a huge change yet rewarding to be finally helping as a nurse. Spanish is still difficult, but the Lord is already providing wonderful nurses and aids that are patient and willing to help and teach, despite my broken Spanish. :-)

Well I'm I hope I get to see and catch up with many of you in a few weeks!! Thanks so much for your prayers and support! Much love to you all-Kim

The BIG Day!!

We are moved!!! Last weekend, the rest of the children moved to the new property! What an exciting, but crazy day. Due to the various infections at the old orphanage, all of the kids got clorox baths, lice treatments, and then traveled to the new property only in bathing suits and shoes. Unfortunately, lice was so bad in some of the girls heads, almost all the girls received a short hair cut and the boys' heads got buzzed. It became a Casa de Fe event...even some of the teachers cut their hair too, so the girls would not feel alone!

Greis getting her hair cut!

The boys all clean, in their bathing suits, and waiting for a ride to the new orphanage! :)

Lice treatments

The day after the move, on Sunday, a church service was held at the new property, with all of the kids and volunteers involved with Casa de Fe. It was also a time to celebrate Dwight's 30th birthday. Dwight has been head of the construction of the new property. He and Tandy have put so much time and effort into Casa de Fe...they are awesome!! We are sad to see them leave this week :( Who knows what the Lord has for has for their future...maybe they will return! :)

Church service at the new property!

Tandy and Dwight--a couple we are really going to miss!

It has been very nice to be in the new property.  Still a lot to organize, but we are getting there!!  All the children are in one place, which is wonderful!!  However, since this facility is eventually going to be a multi purpose facility, there is still a lot to cram into one building.  The building is currently housing all 53 kids, and is a school as well.  Therefore, it has taken time to figure out where physical therapy, medical care, social work, general office space, storage, and other items are fitting. The next structure being built is the school.  Once that is ready, it will open up rooms for the previously listed needs that are right now classrooms.  Overall, it is so exciting to be here!  What a blessing!!

The boys playing with their new toys!!

New toys/books, and tea party time! :)

Please continue to pray for the medical side of things.  There is so much I want to help with before I leave at Christmas (who knows...the Lord may provide me or another nurse to come back! :)), but it is coming so quickly.  Mary Jane and I are only 2 people, so obviously not everything can get done medically...especially without the Lord's help.  Please pray the Lord gives us the knowledge and strength to get as much done as possible...focusing on the essentials. 

Gabi, Ariel, and I after church.

Beautiful Shell, Ecuador.

I am really starting to love these kids so much.  Their smiles, energy, and determination amaze me.  Pray for their hearts, that no matter where they live, what they have been through, or what they do or do not have, that they realize God loves them more than anything.

Ashley

ME: I can do it all by myself! GOD: Okay. Let me see you try.

I guess I should first apologize that I am super behind in blogging. I cannot believe we have been here almost 2 months! It surely has been a busy two months! As with many experiences, through working at Casa de Fe Orphanage, the Lord has opened my eyes to more important things than the trivial items I dwell on sometimes.

Since I have been here, it has been overwhelming at times. Not only is there a lot to do, but emotionally, it has been a difficult couple of weeks for me. I am reminded that the power of prayer and faith in God is greater than anything I or anyone else can do. It is not until I completely surrender myself to God (through integrating Him in everything I do) that He can use me and work in ways unimaginable to me. I am still working on that though. Sometimes I finish my day and think “I never talked to God today”—bet things could have gone a little smoother if I did. I want to be so passionate for God that I cannot go a day without relying on Him and spending time with Him. That has not been easy for me this year.

The orphanage currently has 10 infants and 44 toddlers and school age children. There is a wide range of disabilities among the children. A few children/infants are not able to respond appropriately or communicate due to disorganized brain activity and/or brain structure (secondary to various diagnoses). Other children have unique congenital disorders, such as a single heart ventricle or chromosomal defect. Some children have cerebral palsy or orthopedic problems that require special devices to improve mobility. There are others who have no physical or developmental handicaps. Overall, many of the children have emotional and spiritual needs because they have endured abuse or negligence in the past.

Below are just some random pics of the kids! :)

The boys got a little hyper with the camera :)

Samy and Jhony, chillin after bathtime--I love Samy's hair, all combed back!  Handsome fellas!

Snack time!

I have been working closely with another nurse, Mary Jane, to try and organize health care at the orphanage. We are the first full time nurses the orphanage has had and many of the children have special medical needs. There is a pediatrician and Ecuadorian nurse that visit occasionally, but unfortunately, there is so much to keep up with! We are all needed!

Since we have been here, A LOT of the children have had bad skin infections due to staph bacteria erupting in the orphanage. Unfortunately, the kids rarely receive showers with warm water, and usually they each take 2 minutes or so (unless it is freezing, then it is- jump in and jump out). Therefore, hygiene is a big factor. We have been doing countless amounts of Clorox baths, along with giving the children antibiotics occasionally. We are thankful to be moving in a week to the new orphanage!!! I am praying sooo much that this situation will improve. They will have warm water, longer showers, and soap dispensers! 

                                                Greis and Kevin taking clorox baths!!!

Javier, Edy, and Pablo--Pablo is a little big for his tub :)

                          
This past month we were able to update weights, heights, vision, and hearing. For the new orphanage, we are trying to implement a more organized system so the children have consistent care from the caregivers and problems are communicated well. We just finished making medical folders for each room in the new orphanage in order to improve quality of care and continuity of care. We REALLY hope it will help!

After we get moved in, the next big chore is to organize all of the kids’ medical charts. I CANNOT WAIT until every child has a pretty medical folder  I am excited to get them going!

Please pray for the BIG MOVE this week. Patti Sue and the babies are moved in, but all of the rest of the kids move in to the new orphanage on Saturday! Please pray it goes smoothly. It has been a very stressful time for many. Please pray that everyone is able to get rejuvenating rest and strength from God. Also, please pray for these infections…maybe the Lord can take them all away when we move!

THE NEW ORPHANAGE!!!

I hope the Lord blesses you (in whatever way that may be), so you can bless others with guidance, knowledge and strength from the Lord.

Ashley

October Highlights!

*Hiking through the mountains, climbing a volcano, AND viewing a waterfall in the same day. Love the beauty of this country!

*Watching a Korean break dancing crew (Last for One) and eating sushi with friends in Quito (oh how I missed you little rice rolls!)

*Learning some Ecuadorian recipes and getting one step closer to killing and preparing my own chicken by buying a whole dead one, cutting off its toenails, and frying it. Note that I said only the toenails. The feet are prepared here. Yummy!

*Jovencitas (young girls) Bible study on Friday nights with Daniella and the girls from Casa de Fe orphanage

*Learning Spanish worship songs

*Successfully shopping and bartering in Spanish!

*Flowers and a card from Solomon! -- via Kimmy

*The discovery of a coffee shop in Puyo (15 mins away) with mochachinos!!

*Zoos galore!

*Helping my students learn to play their marimbas for the parade next month. Although, nine girls playing their instruments in a small room for an hour helps me remember why I chose to teach English instead of music. :-)

*Meeting tons of new people to share life with here in Shell. God is so good!

Love you all,

Kristin

A Few New Encounters

I am blessed to have had a handful of opportunities to travel abroad.  Each trip to a different country has brought unique encounters.  Here are a few of my Ecuadorian experiences and findings:

~Ecuador has the most beautiful scenery EVER with mountains surrounding all!

~The weather changes rapidly here. I understand that our weathermen don’t always predict the weather correctly in Michigan, but here, it could be dead sun with a clear blue sky and thirty minutes later there is a down pour. Not sure we could predict anything here. I love it…we have variety!

~Need some amoxicillin? Bactrim? Don’t have a prescription? No worries! In Ecuador, you don’t need a prescription…just walk in the pharmacy and buy it.

~You can legally ride in the bucket of trucks here—even on the main roads! So fun!

~Rats are not uncommon visitors; we have had 2, along with a mouse!

~Construction galore! Adding a plumbing system underground has been quite the event here in Shell. Instead of tearing up one road at a time, the workers seem to tear them all up at once and then go back to fix them one by one.

~Went bridge jumping (not quite bungee jumping, but similar); NEVER thought that would happen!  I have a video, but unfortunately it won't load :(
~Had my first motorcycle ride here—granted, it was for ½ mile, but still!

~In Ecuador, dogs are EVERYWHERE. I like dogs, usually. Some are household pets here, but many are stray dogs roaming the streets. One day Kim and I were walking when I began talking to a child playing a construction hole. Apparently, I looked like I was going to harm the child because the next thing I know, the child’s pet dog, a Saint Bernard, ran up and bit my butt. Thank goodness rabies has not been present in dogs here for about 15 years. Still have the hole in my skirt to prove it haha!

~Babies ride bicycles and motorcycles here…a lot!

~Ecuadorians don’t love peanut butter nearly as much as gringos—very sad; granted, it is $7-8/jar here—CRAZY! I guess I only bring this up because I am pretty much obsessed with peanut butter…I eat it by the scoop.

~It only costs $5 to ride the bus for 5 hours ($1/hr)—what a deal, huh!?

Ashley

Learning to share

Ok. I'll admit it: Teaching elementary school isn't all that bad.

Now, that's not to say that a room full of first graders doesn't strike fear into my heart anymore. When they stream into my classroom and begin touching every new object in sight, it still overwhelms me a bit; however, their exuberance and easy laughter is absolutely contagious. It's completely foreign to me how I can rather severely discipline my fifth grade class (who might be my personal nightmare), and five minutes later they're laughing and enjoying testing each other on body parts while calling me over to show off how well they're doing. Their recovery time is astonishing.

Moreover, they're extremely generous. Smiles, hugs, stickers, pictures, food. They'll give them all away. If one of my students bought food during lunch they will inevitably share it with me and their classmates. I mean, today four of my fifth graders gave me candy, a seventh grader gave me shrimp, and a third grader gave me a pear. Like many Haitians I've seen, they will take whatever they have and share it with the five people around them -- without thinking otherwise! I've not yet heard a kid ask another for something (like food) and received, "No!" for an answer. Really? Does this happen in the States too?

My Ecuadorian friend, Mika, expressed that one difficult aspect of adapting to life in the States was their independence. It's something we value, right? If we can have our own car, job, house, and dog we've reached the height of success. We're proud that we did it on our own and only used people if we needed something from them. And so we sit back in our houses, turn on the tv, and enjoy being independent of those around us.

Is that it? Is that all we have to live for?

Now, I'll be honest: I'm hugely independent. It's difficult for me to rely on others for help. Call it pride (for that's what it is really), but there's something about showing my weaknesses that scares me. My tendency leans towards serving others while maintaining a steel wall around my own life. Why bother them with my own struggles if I'm supposed to be helping them, right? Wouldn't my ministry be compromised if people saw that I struggled too?

Due to hateful talk of hypocrisy in the church, many Christians have retreated into themselves. They display a beautiful, composed exterior as they rot away on the inside from trapping all their addictions and sins. Instead of sharing, confessing, and praying for healing together, they try to handle it on their own.

Nowhere in the Bible does the Lord support this habit. The early church was built through community. Even in the days of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob people lived in massive family groups that supported each other. When did we decide that independence was a better way to live?

When did we decide that independence from God produced happier, healthier, and wiser people?

I am learning here that community is essential. There's no way I'd survive here in Shell without others. Hearing their stories of struggles, hurts, breakthroughs, and healing strengthens me and reminds me that I'm not alone in this battle. Maria, my house mom, cries at least once a week. Actually, many of the women I've met here in Shell cry. . .often. Their hearts break for others and themselves and they're not afraid to show their emotions. They're not afraid to call out to God for help. They're not afraid to share their short-comings and their walk towards redemption.

And what's produced is renewed strength, peace, understanding, wisdom, and eventually joy.

Why are we forsaking this?

Praise be to God that He loves me so intently that He won't let me retreat into independence. Instead He pursues me fiercely through his Word (read Jeremiah 31) and through situations that force me to rely on him -- particularly those dealing with language, conflict, and cultural differences.

As I watch my students interact with me and their peers, the Lord gently reminds me to learn from them. To learn to share with Him and with others.

I guess working with little kids has some benefits. . . other than free food. :-)

Grace and love to you all,

Kristin

Photos

Here's the link to my online album: http://picasaweb.google.com/Kim.Kirk81

-Kim :-)

La Selva

Hi Friends!!! Wanted to write a little update on my help with the diabetic/metabolic study in the jungle! Last time I blogged (which was quite awhile ago...slacker, I know :-p ) I mentioned about a possible opportunity to help with diabetic and metabolic research designed and funded by a doctor in Sweden. Kerstin, a nurse from Sweden and Florence, a nurse and missionary in Shell were organizing the study in Ecuador and asked if I would help! (and I of course jumped at the opportunity.) The study was first conducted 7 years ago and published in 2004

Lindgarde, F., Widen, I, Gebb, M., & Ahren, B. (2004) Traditional versus agricultural lifestyle among Shuar women of the Ecuadorian Amazon: effects on leptin levels. Metabolism, 53(10), 1355-1358

The study originally was comparing metabolic statuses of women from villages who still practice the hunting/gathering lifestyle of diets vs. those in a neighboring village who have adapted to an agricultural lifestyle diet. During this research we examined the same women and also a group of women living in Shell, who had grown up in the Jungle but had moved to "the city."  The study consisted of a social questionnaire regarding diet, lifestyles, activity, family, ect., a simple exercise activity which tested heart rates, blood pressures, a biometric exam which included BMI and fat and muscle indexes, fasting blood glucose and obtaining blood samples to exam back in the hospital lab in Shell.

So, the three of us flew in Monday morning! Our first stop was in Makuma to pick up a doctor who would be seeing patients in our first village. So the four of us took of again and headed to Yuwientsa. Yuwientsa was beautiful and we actually stayed in a 'guesthouse' with running water and a SHOWER. :-) Once we arrived we set up and got started right away. Everyone in the village was very welcoming and friendly. Along with the study we were able to spend time with the families and have a mini tour! They kindly provided all of our meals...which was interesting but yummy!

Giant flying ants...a delicacy. They're only in "season" in the fall-so it was a treat to try! :-)

Where we ate all our meals

The clinic/guesthouse in Yuwientsa

Wednesday we packed up and flew to our next village of Yampuna. The doc did not go with us to this village-though I wish he did. Through miscommunication, the village thought we were a medical caravan seeing patients and giving vaccines. It was heartbreaking to turn away patients, but without any supplies, there was little we could do but refer them to make the journey to Makuma or elsewhere for medical care. Yampuna was pretty different from Yuwientsa, with no running water and river for a shower :-) We set up camp in a community/school type building and starting to see the women. This village was beautiful as well and reminded me more of the communities in the mountains of Haiti. The people here also provided all of our meals, by which I experienced grubs-giant grubs.... :-)

Bath time!

We flew out Friday afternoon and I was pretty ready for running water and a shower :-) But my time there was amazing. God is good and His beauty is so evident through his creation and people. I'll hopefully post more pictures from the jungle and Shell of facebook-so be lookin' :-)

Much love to you all and I am truly blessed by your love and support!
-Kim