Latitude Zero

2011-10-08T14:14:00.001-05:00

The Great Divide is a brilliant essay by Mark Greene, Executive Director of The London Institute of Contemporary Christianity (LICC). It explores the stifling, pervasive, life-denying impact of the sacred-secular divide on Christian mission and living, and reveals how overcoming it can:

expand our vision,
inspire our mission,
release our churches,
broaden our minds,
enlarge our hearts,
nourish our souls,
thrill our spirits,
free our imaginations

for faithful following and fruitful living in all of life.

I cannot recommend strongly enough that you get hold of a copy of this. It only takes 20 minutes to read and will be the best £2.50 you spend for a long time. Go to the LICC home page to order your copy, or better still a handful for your church. It makes a great group study.

ISBN 978-0-903452-43-4

mail@licc.org.uk

The London Institute of Contemporary Christianity

Community Transformation

2011-10-05T11:16:00.000-05:00

Story by Cristian Zurita - Ecuadorian Journalist/Radio Presenter with HCJB Global

Translation by Ralph Kurtenbach - Missionary with HCJB Global

Photos - Martin Harrison

In Ecuador’s Andean region thousands ofpeople, mostly indigenous, live together. The people of these communities periodicallycombine their efforts to collectively accomplish a task. These efforts arecalled in the Quichua language, mingas.

Through the minga, these rural communities complete their planting andharvesting, irrigation canals and other tasks as well. Along with HCJBGlobal’s Community Development team, I was recently witnessand participant in the conclusion of one such minga. A clean water system was inauguratedin the community of Santa Rosa de Gauñan, just an hour south of Riobamba inChimborazo province.

The community of Santa Rosa, high in the Ecuadorian Andes.

After a year of hard work at high altitudes(3,200 meters above sea level) in this community and eight surrounding communitiesof the Moste Chico sector, the joy of children, young adults and older adultswas indescribable.

“We’ve not only received this water, butalso the water of life; we have received the gospel, said Carlos, a pastor from the Santa Rosa de Guañan area “Indeed, some arenow preaching the gospel. For us, for me personally, I say thank you. We’veworked to construct this Moste Chico piped water system.”

Community members praise God at the inauguration of the water system.

By digging many kilometers of 1.2 meters-deeptrenches for PVC distribution pipe, constructing spring protection structures, and building threereservoirs for storage, the community built a water system that serves some 40families. Expressing his delight at the ceremonial ribbon cutting during theinaguration, HCJB Global Hands missionary Bruce Rydbeck called it “a pleasureto be present and dedicate the water system to the service of this communityand to the glory of God.” Throughout the year, Rydbeck’s team also providedinformation on hygiene, health, nutrition, among other topics. A children's Bible club event was held for the children in July with the participation of a missions team from a church in the USA.

The change will be pronounced, asbeforehand people have spent four hours a day carrying water for their homes andtheir livestock. The system will free up children’s time now that they won’tneed to carry water for their homes. I spoke with a year 7 boy, Diego, abouthis schooling. He gets up at 5:00 o’clock in order to go to school at 6:00 a.m.Around 1 p.m. his school finishes and he runs home to have lunch with hisfamily. Older adults recalled that over the last several decades, they’ve onlyreceived empty offers in answer to their requests for help. That has changed with completionof this clean water system, but not before many young people left in search of what they hope is a better way of life in the cities.

Safe and plentiful drinking water will revolutionize life for the community of Santa Rosa, especially for the children.

The most important lesson out of all thisexperience was this: they worked really hard together to build this system. Nowthey need to work together to maintain it so that they can remain healthy. After all, a healthy body is pleasing to God.

“Aspresident of the Junta Administradora de Agua Potable of the nine communities (MosteChico sector), I’m happy we have a water system,” said Ricardo , adding that itserves to illustrate Jesus, the Living Word. “This project has brought thegospel to us and many have become believers. They are in the Lord’s work now.”

Hundreds gathered to praise God and many young people came to Christ at the evangelistic celebration. Twenty years ago there were few if any Christians in this area of Ecuador before HCJB Global began to assist communities with their water and sanitation needs.

Water Projects Team in Haiti

2011-09-27T16:43:00.000-05:00

This story just came out through the HCJB Global communications team. Thought I would share it with you...

Haiti’s reconstruction needs loom large after damages inflicted by the devastating January 2010 earthquake. But in the country’s north, Ecuadorian civil engineers César Cortez and Alfredo León anticipate going deep with one specific community by helping reconstruct its water system.

Cortez, who has worked with HCJB Global Hands for many years, is surveying the area about six miles south of Cap-Haitien. He is being accompanied by León who joined the team a few years ago. They are collaborating with Lifewater of Canada and One Mission Society.

“The water projects team we have sent is on the ground with two purposes,” said Martin Harrison, director of community development for the Latin American Region, who has had satellite phone contact with the engineers who are in Haiti for 10 days.

“Firstly, they want to build relationships and confidence with the communities that have expressed interest in a water project,” he explained. “Secondly, they will be collecting information and conducting topographic surveys with a view to producing a long-term solution to the community’s water and sanitation needs.”

The Sept. 12-23 trip objectives are similar to those of Cortez in January 2011 when he surveyed the Cap-Haitien area’s wells and documented his findings. “There are about 100 wells in that area,” he said. “Really, the first option is to rebuild one of the water projects that, maybe 50 years ago … the Red Cross had built.”

“Right now it is completely destroyed,” Cortez added. Reestablishing Cortez’s ties to the community is key to the Ecuadorian duo’s visit. Just as the Vozandes Community Development team’s efforts emphasize community involvement and empowerment in Ecuador, so too Cortez and León are seeking to guide a Haitian effort, not eclipse it with foreign intervention.

“A key element is relations,” said Cortez. “Everything is based on relations—relations with God, with churches, with leaders and with the people in these communities. So the best way to pray for us is that God can help us in these relations.”

During three weeks in Haiti earlier this year, Cortez was also able to teach in a seminary and in local churches around Cap-Haitien.

Source: HCJB Global (Ralph Kurtenbach)

News from Alejandra

2011-02-18T07:59:00.000-05:00

All is 'well' in Haiti!

2011-02-15T21:32:00.000-05:00

All is well in Haiti, or to explain the play on words … all is about wells in Haiti! César Cortez, an Ecuadorian missionary with HCJB Global Hands’ community development team, is spending three weeks in Haiti, providing strategic assistance to Lifewater International, one of our long-term partners.
Cortez is working in the Cap-Haitien area of northern Haiti. This city, although not directly affected by the January 2010 earthquake, has received an estimated 30,000 refugees from the capital city of Port-au-Prince. There are no facilities for this influx of people, and most are living with family or friends in cramped and unsanitary conditions.

The water and sanitation infrastructure is either inadequate or absent for dealing with a population crisis such as this. HCJB Global and Lifewater are playing an important role in addressing this situation, seeking to improve the water and sanitation situation and shine the light of the gospel in the process.

A typical day for Cortez—if there is a typical day in Haiti—involves visiting six or seven wells. He tests the water quality and begins repairs on them. He is able to repair one per day, but there are more than 100 that require urgent attention. Many wells have been drilled in the past but sadly have fallen into disrepair.

Truck used for repairing wells and as a mobile water quality testing facility.

Our community development ministry is committed to completing projects in a different way. We find that a participatory approach—where the community owns the project from the outset—is a far more sustaining solution. Cortez is sharing this approach and other similar ideas about biblically based community development with local pastors who long to see positive and lasting transformation of their communities.

Locals gather to watch their well being repaired. Cortez also helped train community leaders how to repair their well so that it will not fall into disrepair so readily in the future.

“Sanitation is another urgent need,” says Cortez. After traveling around a number of communities he concluded that although many water wells have been drilled there has been virtually no focus on sanitation and the population has little understanding about sanitation, hygiene or the spread of diseases such as cholera.

In addition to repairing water wells and hand pumps, Cortez has been able to preach on Sundays and meet Christian leaders during the week. He senses a strong desire for change amongst these peoples and the communities they represent. Christian leaders are hungry to hear more about what the Bible says about healthy living, both in the physical and spiritual sense. They want to begin to apply these concepts in their communities, yearning to see the transformation that only God can bring to reality.

Cesar preaches in church via a translator.

The interactions among HCJB Global, Lifewater, local Christian leaders and the communities are proving to be a tremendous learning experience for all. Reflecting on this, Cortez shares, “I think God brought me here with a message that can change the way missionaries and communities can work together, but I also can see from here so many mistakes I have been making back in Ecuador that I want to change when I return.”

You know you're not in Yorkshire anymore when......

2010-09-17T20:23:00.000-05:00

You know you're not in Yorkshire anymore when........ you have a two hour meeting and the team leader has his pet boa on his knee!!!! I would forget it was there and then it would poke it's head up over the desk! When it came to the time of prayer I kept one eye open!!! But I finally plucked up the courage to do what the kids have done loads and actually hold the snake! Thanks Earl!

Burglary Blues

2010-09-04T22:50:00.000-05:00

We've got the burglary blues! In many ways we are used to living in a large Latin American city with its exuberance and excitement as well as the noise, pollution and robbery that are unfortunately so commonplace. However every now and again things get too close to home. In the last two weeks there have been three incidents in our neighbourhood, all of them involving missionary friends of ours.

First off we have had robbers in our garden and they have stolen Ben and Lottie's bikes. This is despite a high wall, an electric fence and a German Shepherd guard dog! (It's possible that somehow the gate was left open by accident?) Our missionary insurance does not cover bikes unfortunately. Up until now we have been mostly able to shield Ben and Lottie from a lot of the crime and reports of crime (apart from the gun shooting incident we mentioned last year!). But it is getting more difficult as they get older and wiser. The loss of the bikes hit them both very personally.

The next incident that happened last week was in many ways much more serious but at least nobody got hurt. An HCJB missionary was robbed at gunpoint as he walked home from one of HCJB's clinics close to where we live.

The third incident was at the house of one of Lottie's best friends. Robbers poisoned their pet dog and killed it. Then they entered the garden over a wall and proceeded to strip their car of all its parts. The car was damaged to such an extent that it is a write off.

Please pray for our friends and for us too. There is quite an oppressive atmosphere right now as we live under the constant shadow of crime knowing that we are probably being watched. We have been encouraged by the words of a song by Matt Redman - Never Let Go. We know that God will not let go of us neither in the heights nor the depths.

Entre Nosotras - End of Year Celebration

2010-09-04T22:34:00.001-05:00

On the 4th of June forty ladies gathered for a wonderful brunch to celebrate the end of an amazing year meeting together. Entre Nosotras was started three years ago to help Mum's at Alliance Academy get to know each other, share concerns and joys and learn together in a safe environment. The group has gone from strength each year and this year we had two groups.

I have been part of the group since it started but this was the first year that I helped to lead. This year we studied a book together in Spanish about living in community called "Everyone is normal until you get to know them" by John Ortberg. It spoke powerfully to everyone in the group and several ladies found Christ for themselves during the year. During the brunch each lady was given a letter of the alphabet and asked to think of a word beginning with that letter to share what Entre Nosotras had meant to them over the year. There was hardly a dry eye in the place as ladies shared comments such as it being "a refuge", "an environment of love", "a space for me", " a place where I could gain confidence" and "a place to find truth". One lady who now has a personal relationship with God shared that she felt she could lift "the veil" from off her face and truly live!

Our new year together starts on Sept 17th and we are excited to see what will happen this year, now with three groups.

Ruth with one of the Entre Nosotras groups

Microfinance as Mission

2010-05-25T15:21:00.000-05:00

We have just completed a one week training course learning all about how to establish community based savings and loans groups. These groups are a great way to help a community help itself by learning the discipline of saving money and then making appropriate loans to members of the group, using only money that has already been saved by the group members themselves. When Christians are involved in such groups either as members or facilitators they become an excellent way to share the gospel and demonstrate Christlike ways to manage finances.

The training was led by facilitators Smita Donthamsetty (Dominican Republic) and Mike and Robin McMahan (USA) and included role playing by the approximately 30 international delegates on the course. The role playing helped us to anticipate the realities that go with establishing small savings and loans groups and was an excellent learning method in addition to the regular teaching approach used.

The 30-hour class, “Microfinance as a Missionary Strategy,” was sponsored jointly by the Chalmers Center for Economic Development (Covenant College, USA), Misión al Ecuador de la Iglesia Presbiteriana en America (MEIPA) and Corrientes, a newly launched coalition of mission agencies based at HCJB Global in Quito.

“Latin American missionaries generally understand living with limitations and in a context of poverty, but haven’t had the techniques or abilities to provoke or facilitate a transformational change so that the community may achieve its self-support,” said Carlos Pinto, a charter team member of Corrientes.

Delegates gather for an end of course photo. Great friendships sprung up during the week.

Many in the development world perceive microfinance as a silver bullet to diminish poverty. Controversies have swirled around it, however, as banks and financial institutions have entered the field. As these traditional lenders began to dominate the arena, a microcredit pioneer, Mohammad Yunus, recently denounced high interest rates when he spoke financial officials at the U.N. Analysts say that worldwide, borrowers pay 37 percent in interest and fees with loan costs in Mexico nearly double that.

“The microfinance initiatives that we were dealing with on the course (where all the money for savings or loans is generated within the community) differ from larger scale loaning systems where there is an outside injection of money by a well-meaning institution,” said Martin Harrison, who heads Vozandes Community Development at HCJB Global in Quito. “The former fits very well with our existing experience in community development since these groups are so strongly community based.”

Discussions began with foundational principles, explaining that sin leads to societal discord and broken relationships. Churches and individual Christians sometimes have faulty assumptions about the causes of poverty and, because of this, often do not realize that their efforts to help the poor can actually do more harm to the poor than good, according to the Chalmers Center, whose materials the McMahans used in the sessions.

Venezuelans, Bolivians, Colombians and a facilitator from the Dominican Republic participated. Sara Manani promotes savings and loans groups in her native Bolivia, coming to Quito to learn more about more complex modalities.

Pinto called the Quito workshops “a tool offered to the Latin American missionary movement in its desire to do holistic mission work where they go to serve.”

A Colombian who anticipates Christian work in a similarly war-torn area of southern Europe, Klara Zapata, said she better understands poverty from a biblical perspective. She views microfinance as potentially helping spread the news of God’s kingdom. “It’s a great opportunity to begin with the community, moving toward Christ instead of doing the opposite,” said Zapata. She and her husband are gaining firsthand community development experience and learning its fundamental principals as Corrientes candidates.

Working on a team exercise together.

“I hope to begin a microfinance group within a week with my immediate family, mostly females,” added Tannia Lascano, who works with HCJB Global Hands. Two-thirds of the attendees indicated that they want to begin such groups within six months.

MEIPA is one of the partner organizations of the Corrientes coalition. In addition to timely and relevant workshops throughout the year, the coalition calls on various volunteers from different disciplines. They mentor Latin Americans during the final stages of mobilizing these Christian workers for cross-cultural ministry.

Getting our certificates at the end of the week.

Home again

2010-01-28T09:20:00.002-05:00

Thanks for asking... yes the team are home again in Quito safe and sound but very tired.
We had a good de-brief yesterday. Martin continues to give interviews and work on his photos but i am hoping he might take some time off today! The kids enjoyed going to the airport to meet him on Tuesday and are so pleased to have him back. I think it has made quite an impact on their young lives! Thanks again for all your emails, phone calls, prayers and support! We have so many good friends! Thank you we couldn't do all this without you!
Our thought are very much still with the people of Haiti and the staff at the hospital. Other trips to Haiti are being planned!

Haitian Culture - a lesson to us all

2010-01-25T21:56:00.002-05:00

I received this from one of the other wives whose husband is on the team and i thought it was so interesting i would like to share it. It was written a week ago i think.

An interesting note on Haitian culture from my friend who has been there 20 years: The majority of the journalists reporting on Haïti come from wealthy countries, thus they are interpreting events through the eyes of cultures who have not been bathed in this kind of adversity. An example, one headline states that Haitian people are fleeing PAP. No, they are not fleeing, they are benefiting from the extensive system of networks that are here. Let me explain. Haitian people do not function either as ‘lone rangers’ nor as a community per se. Rather they form small networks of family and friends within which they reach out and receive help. These may include neighbors, but they often are comprised of people in different parts of Haïti and/or overseas. When trouble hits, they seek help through their networks,and that’s what we’re seeing now. It’s much more logical and organized than those not from Haïti would see or appreciate, it’s stood the test of over 200 years. And it’s because of these networks that people have survived—literally being pulled out of rubble, fed, clothed, and housed—and will continue to survive regardless of whether wealthy countries supply aid and assistance or not. We are interpreting a disaster through eyes inexperienced in adversity, and that is not the real optic.

and the hamster is still alive!

2010-01-25T11:35:00.004-05:00

Thanks for all the emails asking how we are back here in Ecuador!
Well it has been a strange couple of weeks really. But the kids and I have done well overall.
It was strange but fun to hear Daddy on Radio 4 and to keep getting emails from the BBC and calls from them on my mobile (they were very nice, polite people however!) It was hard getting your head round the facts of the worst disaster the UN has had to deal with. Hard to imagine the suffering being endured. There was a little uncertainty when we heard of the second earthquake/aftershock. But life here with an 8 year old and nearly 7 year old has gone on much like always with piano practise, spelling tests, making sure we have had our "5 a day" of fruit and veg, friends to play and school projects to do! I have managed some of our mission responsibilities as well but have declined any supply teaching! We do however still have our Christmas tree up!!! Just not had the time nor inclination to take it down.But through it all the hamster is still alive!

Thanks again for calls, emails and Facebook messages. Thanks for passing on info via FB as well.
If all goes to plan Martin will leave Haiti today and arrive back in Quito tomorrow night. Ruth

Reflections

2010-01-24T21:58:00.003-05:00

Once again here are Martin's thoughts from Haiti. He will be on his way home soon we think. But i have a feeling he will be planning to go back to help with the re-building

It is now 9 days since I arrived at the Baptist Haiti Mission Hospital on the edge of Port Au Prince as a member of the HCJB Global emergency response team. As I have interacted with the Haitian people, whether victims of the earthquake or medical and technical professionals, I can only marvel at their remarkable resilience in the face of such devastation and human tragedy. I work alongside people who have lost homes, family members and close friends, yet they continue to push on relentlessly to save as many lives as possible.

I have been equally impressed by the incredible stamina and ingenuity demonstrated by many of those involved in the relief effort. The HCJB Global surgeons who have given their own blood in the middle of life saving operations; nurses who improvise by cutting casting pins in half to make dwindling supplies go further; water engineers who have used fish ponds and emergency water filtration units to produce life saving drinking water and keep a hospital functioning.

Whilst impressed with the speed at which aid workers were able to get into Haiti, it has been frustrating to work with such limited supplies, knowing that many of those essential life-saving items are at the airport. I truly hope there will be a post-disaster investigation into the bottlenecks and confusion surrounding the logistics of delivering supplies to where they are most needed. At the same time, I realise that the scale of this disaster is almost unprecedented and that Haiti already suffered from very poor infrastructure.

The situation at the mission hospital is much more stable now although the frequent, strong aftershocks send cries of panic around the wards periodically. Samaritans Purse has sent a team of doctors and surgeons to supplement the efforts of HCJB Global. This will enable much of the backlog of patients lining the corridors and filling store cupboards to be cleared by the end of the month. I have achieved the goal of securing and stabilising a safe water supply for the hospital, clinic and surrounding houses.

The water of life

2010-01-21T21:21:00.002-05:00

The team in Haiti continue working at full speed and are now receiving patients from other hospitals. We welcomed two of the team - Sheila Leech and Dr Leonardo, back home tonight at the airport! Seven of us were there to make them feel welcomed including Ben and Lottie. The team has received a big donation of tetanus vaccines from the US and these are on their way to Haiti right now! Very few people have had the tetanus jab so there is a real risk of this dreadful disease with all these injuries.
They had another strong after shock today and Martin was sent to examine a big crack on one of the buildings but all was ok. He has been fixing auotclaves today, these are used to sterilize surgical equipment. And he continues to give BBC interviews though we are expecting this to trail off some now we have passed the one week mark! Other news items are headline stories i guess! Such as Cadbury take over talks!!!!

This is the link to yesterday's photos on the BBC website
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8471617.stm

The photos i tried to send on the news email yesterday didn't send:( If you would like photos to use in church or for fund raising events for Haiti please email me or the HCJB office in Bradford and we will be happy to pass any onto you. Like wise feel free to use any of this info.....anything to help the people of Haiti.

Martin wrote this on Monday this week.

One of the main tasks I have been able to perform here is to install a water filter system from Water Ministries International at the hospital and I am currently operating and maintaining it to keep a supply of water running to the hospital, clinic, outpatients, and missionary housing on this compound. It is the dry season here and at this time of the year the hospital is more or less dependent on reserves of rainwater captured during the previous rainy season. They do have a well with a pump but this is damaged and there is no prospect in the immediate future of getting a drilling rig up here to pull out the 360 feet of metal pipework so that a new pump can be fitted down the well. Who knows if the drilling rig on the island even still exists now.

The huge demand on the hospital as a result of extra patients has depleted supplies drastically. Up until yesterday the hospital was in danger of running out of water, in fact for an hour or so it did. Supplies are now improving as the WMI unit produces 10,000 gallons per day of drinking water at full output. We are taking water from a fishpond of all places, passing this through the WMI water filter and filling a cistern under the hospital.

One of the Baptist missionary wives came to us this morning and broke down as she tried to thank us for the help that is being provided with medical care and water supply. The hospital would have ceased to function by now if HCJB and SP had not sent people in. The missionary staff here were completely overwhelmed and are near to breaking point as we approach the one week point after the earthquake.

photos of this on :http://www.flickr.com/photos/hcjbglobal/sets/72157623085046733/with/4280954404/

"A shake more than a quake"

2010-01-20T15:02:00.002-05:00

You may have seen that another earthquake shook Haiti today this time 6.1 on the Richter scale.
But to quote Martin for them is was "more of a shake than a quake" but it did last for 2o seconds and scared a lot of people so maybe it is just relative!
Martin has changed his plans and will stay in Haiti for another week. Two members of the team fly back tomorrow as planned. Will try to post more tonight.
But i will leave you with today's link to Martin's diary on the BBC website. From this you can view yesterday's diary as well.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8471212.stm

A Doctor's Story

2010-01-19T10:26:00.002-05:00

This is an email from fellow team member Dr Steve Nelson sent on Sunday i think. He normally works in Community Development with us here in Quito and is our GP when he isn't on a disaster relief team! Steve and his wife Dorothy have made many trips of this kind over the last few years. This time Dorothy stayed in Quito.... she came over and cooked us pancakes for tea on Sunday!

Steve writes.....Arrived friday morning to Haiti airport aboard a luxurious Leer jet ...
flight donated apparently by the owner for relief.

Arrived Haiti Baptist Mission friday around three o'clock ... brief
greeting and prayer from the exhausted folks who were manning the guns
until we arrived and then waded into the foray ... with hundreds of
people in the corredors since the beds were long ago full and most of
whom needed urgent surgery. In spite of a two ortho guys and an
anesthesiologist there are so many other limiting factors for how much
surgery you can do ... but managed to get about ten cases in before
quitting at midnight. Unfortnately the fastest ones are often the most
urgent ... amputations. Six hours sleep and yesterday had a full day
and did about 15 surgeries. Us non surgical types were out on the
floors trying to triage which cases were most likely to get complicated
if left longer ... Sepsis, infected compound fracturs and little kids
made up our priority list. 15 cases on saturday ... still finishing
after midnight ..more complicated cases that second day.

Now ... everything is short ... diesel for the electric plant to keep
the OR going, cast material, surgical supplies for "fixing" fractures,
food water .... everything except patients who continue to come in ...
changing the surgery list for the day as more advanced cases come in.
But ... praise the Lord ... people are trickling out too which is sort
of a miracle in itself. I have asked almost all my patients that look
like they could go home soon ... do you have a home to return to ...
100% "no" so far. Some have relatives who lived higher up in the hills
... but many of of the ones who could go home would eventually need
surgery and getting back and forth would be so hard.

Yesterday's hardest moment was being called to take a picture of a
little girl who looked to be 10 years old. She had just died ... we
didn't even know she was in the hospital. I suppose the docs who were
here before us knew she wouldn't make it so put us to work on the ones
who could. The lady who translated for me ... whispered into my ear ...
"this is the sixth of their nine children who has died from this
earthquake. They just want a picture" ... (We'll figure out how to get
it to them). Heartache and tragedy are soooo relative.

Last night's last patient to be seen by Mark Nelson ... a two year old
with a large wound to her left leg and complete fragmented bones ...
tibia and fibula ... and lots of infection in wound. Mark wasn't sure
what he would find so decided to clean the wound under an anesthesia
called Ketalar which leaves kids looking like they are sort of awake but
not feeling anything. Cleaning the wound and finding such an important
injury put her first on the schedule today ... she will be next in when
the "lights go on". Then we all heard her start singing ... first in
sort of a low voice and later stronger ... and it seemed happier!! It
was in creole so of course none of useless Spanish and English speakers
could know what she was saying ... but a translator brightened up nearby
and said she is singing "I am saved, I am saved, I am saved ......"

Hope amid the suffering

2010-01-19T10:04:00.002-05:00

This was Martin's diary from yesterday Monday

It has been a frantic day at the Baptist Haiti Mission Hospital where I am part of a multi skilled team who arrived last Friday. The hospital is one of the few which survived the earthquake. News continues to spread that the hospital is open and that foreign doctors and surgeons are attending to patients. The hospital remains extremely stretched and is having to make difficult decisions about both the living and the dead in terms of priorities.

We have had to dig a mass grave for patients who died and who have no family to collect the body – presumably the rest of the family perished in the earthquake. The smell of death is in the air, something I have not ever really had to deal with before.

In terms of the living we are having to make patients wait with what would normally be high priority injuries because there are others who arrive without warning in a critical condition. People say they are still pulling bodies out of the rubble, even after six days.

The hospital is under extreme pressure and came close to running out of medical supplies, diesel for the generator and water. However it can only be described as miraculous how these needs are met at the last moment. A lorry arrived laden with fresh medical supplies just as the final cast on a broken leg was being completed. Somebody sourced some diesel as we ran the generator to keep the hospital functioning on its last gallons. As the hospital was reporting that it was out of water, we got the emergency filtration unit running!

Despite all of this there are smiles of hope. A man grabbed me as I walked through the ward with my camera and insisted that I took a photo of his son who, after being operated on by the HCJB Global medical team, is going to live. Whilst still in the same ward a Haitian hospital chaplain led the patients in prayers and singing of hymns. It was quite overwhelming to experience the sense of peace that descended on this ward in the midst of such tremendous suffering.

Estima Yonel is another person with a big smile on his face. A 12 year old shepherd boy, Estima was walking back down the mountain with his herd of goats when the earthquake struck. Boulders tumbled down the mountainside and his leg and arm were crushed. The surgeons worked late into the night to save him. His brother and sister sit by his bedside with equally big white grins on their faces.

There is photo of this little chap on the BBC http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8466989.stm

The sad reality of the situation

2010-01-19T09:58:00.002-05:00

And to continue the update this was the report from Sunday

Doctors continue to do an incredible job. Martin is so amazed by their stamina. They start at 8am and work until 11 or 12 at night. But they are exhausted. So it is good that 12 more Doctors arrive tomorrow Monday. They will open the other operating room and work shifts i think.
The injuries they are seeing are getting worse due to infection/ gangrene etc So they are having to perform amputations. The team are working with two Haitian doctors as well Dr Claude and Dr Bernard who are a great examples working non stop since it all started despite having lost staff members and family members so please pray for them as well.
Martin describes a smell of death in the air at the hospital. And the morgue is full and over flowing sadly. They are having to consider a mass grave as no-one is claiming the bodies perhaps their families have all died. The normal channels for contacting relatives have broken down as well so that may be the only option.

Not many positive stories today sorry mostly because the Doctors haven't stopped to talk and also Martin was working on the water supply for the hospital which he now has working thanks to a water filter and a fish pond see photos on Flickr.:http://www.flickr.com/photos/hcjbglobal/sets/72157623085046733/with/4280954404/ They were just about to run out of water so it was good timing!

The team receives one meal a day from the missionary families on the compound well actually from the kids of the families! The older kids seem to have taken over the running of the homes as their parents work. Most of the Mums are nurses so are working flat out. So the kids have cooked everyone pizza tonight! They are baking bread and soup. Isn't that a wonderful testimony. The other two meals are snacks bought in Florida!

News links with Haiti info

2010-01-19T09:51:00.002-05:00

Tuesday News

Once again for those of you who are following this with us
Martin has some more photos on the BBC website
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8466989.stm

His next diary entry should appear soon on the BBC
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8458915.stm

And a couple of videos on You Tube

http://youtu.be/jLd8kxoRLEk?a


http://youtu.be/tMJ2ms7pxF4?a

He will do a live interview on BBC Radio York today 4.30 pm i think during Drive Time

News from Haiti

2010-01-19T09:46:00.002-05:00

Just catching up a bit. This was the update last Saturday just to fill people in on the details. This was in the email i sent out to those on our news list.

Saturday 16th January 2010 Haiti
The team have been incredibly busy today. The situation is very serious. They tried to make a list for surgery but more urgent cases arrived during the day. People are still being pulled out of the rubble with dreadful injuries. They have saved lives but there have been deaths as well. They worked until 12am last night (Friday) to save a baby and the mother, the mother survived but sadly the baby didn't. And today they were treating a 15yr old but she died - she was the last child of her mother - all her other children had died and she was the last one. They had to carry her body out of the hospital on a door as no stretcher was available and carry her one mile to be buried.

It seems that word is getting out that the hospital is functioning and has foreign doctors so people are travelling there for help. One problem that may be developing is that once people have been treated they don't want to leave as they have nowhere to go and the hospital is safe and has some water. But this could overload the hospital so we need to pray for wisdom for the hospital staff.

An exciting development however is the fact that there is a team of Billy Graham chaplains there working with translators. They are sharing Christ with the patients and 20 people have given their lives to Christ today. The chaplains have been helping our team as well.

The Doctors are working long hours. They started at 8 this morning and were still going when Martin called at 19:20 but they are well. They felt another after shock when they were in surgery this morning but overall that side of things has eased now. They need more materials but Samaritan's Purse has two planes arriving tonight with hosp supplies, vehicles, water filters and much more. So pray it will arrive and be distributed without delay.

Martin completed a survey of the water supply for the whole hospital compound today and will fit the filter system tomorrow. Sam. Purse is trying to come up with a strategy for water distribution in the city. They have heard that there are water tankers out and about with short lines but other reports talk of fights for water. It will be hard to find a water source amongst the rubble but if they can they could pump water into tankers and distribute from them maybe with security?

Haiti links

2010-01-18T22:18:00.002-05:00

Hi in the last post I mentioned the BBC are covering the role of the team in Haiti. These links maybe interesting as you follow events.

This is the blog of the Baker family who work at the hospital where the team are if you are a blog person ....interesting to hear someone else's view of events. Pray for them too
http://www.bhm.org/bhm/lang-en/news-and-resources/our-life-in-haiti-blog.html

Martin was on BBC Radio 4 yesterday if you would like to hear (and Radio Five Live this morning if you want to look for this on too!)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00psrcs/Six_OClock_News_17_01_2010/

Now he has a site on the BBC Website for a diary along with other aid workers. I have just sent them today's photos
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8458915.stm

These are Martin's photos on the HCJB Global site
:http://www.flickr.com/photos/hcjbglobal/sets/72157623085046733/with/4280954404/

Any moment now some of his video should be on You Tube on the HCJB Global channel

HCJB team to Haiti

2010-01-18T20:49:00.002-05:00

After hearing about last Tuesday's earthquake in Haiti, Sheila Leech the HCJB International Healthcare director based here in Quito began to arrange a team. So by lunchtime last Wednesday we knew Martin was going.
They left Quito early on Thursday morning and then waited in Miami until they were able to fly to Haiti on Friday morning. They flew on a Lear Jet kindly loaned by it's owner!
The team are based at a Baptist hospital just outside of Port - au - Prince. Sheila a nurse and the five Doctors on the team have been treating the wounded from dawn till dusk and beyond. Martin has been getting the hospital water supply working again using a fish pond and a water filter. He is also in charge of communication for the team. This means he phones at set times , sends photos and has been doing interviews for Radio and other media. There has been interest in the team from here in Ecuador, the US and from the BBC! He is also trying to check the Doctors well being as they in turn serve the patients flocking to the hospital.
Many of you have emailed and it is wonderful to know that we are all in your thoughts and prayers at this difficult time. Please pray for the people of Haiti, their suffering is unimaginable.

Starting with a bang!

2009-12-03T22:47:00.003-05:00

Just when we thought life was calming down after the recent events with gunfire outside the house and Ruth's narrow escape in a rural community we started today day with a bang!

It was 5.57am and we were just stirring into consciousness when we heard a huge bang. It woke us all with a start. Once we discounted the possibility of a firework display (which can happen at 6am in Ecuador!) we assumed it was a gas tank exploding. Many people including ourselves use gas tanks for their water heaters and cookers and from time to time we have heard these explode due to some fault or other, which is scary in itself! However we later learned that this was no ordinary gas tank explosion. Rather it was a bomb attack on the TV station at the bottom of our street. Fortunately it was early in the day and nobody was injured. The police and army have been there all day doing forensics and using sniffer dogs to locate any further explosive material or clues to the attack.

The motive for the attack isn't clear. The TV station claims to provide impartial news coverage and in recent months has aired stories that although not apparently anti-government in sentiment drew fierce criticism from the administration. The TV station was closed down by the government for several days whilst we were in England this summer but reopened after many people protested about freedom of speech. The TV station is speculating that pro-government supporters are behind this latest incident although this remains to be seen.

Click here for a link to the national newspaper "El Comercio" which provides further information. (Good if you want to practice your Spanish!)

Our house is in the top right corner of the photo. The TV station is obvious in the foreground.

Power cuts!

2009-11-09T22:19:00.006-05:00

Every day is full of surprises in Ecuador! The latest surprise to hit us was the news that the country is running out of water and that with immediate effect electricity will be rationed. We are in the midst of what experts say is the worse drought in 45 years. Normally by November it is raining every day in most areas of Ecuador. This year is very different. It remains very dry, warm and sunny. Whilst we like this kind of weather it has a direct impact on the country's power generation capability since the vast majority of generation is through hydroelectric. The government has decreed that electricity will be rationed and has declared a state of 'electrical' emergency. Each day now the power is turned off for between 4 and 5 hours. We may remain in this situation (or worse) until March 2010 if the rains do not come soon. Today the government announced that it will buy more electricity from Peru and Colombia but this is not adequate to prevent power cuts.

There has been more traffic chaos than usual as the power cuts mean no traffic lights! Every junction has 3 or 4 police officers directing traffic.

HCJB has been asked to disconnect from the grid and will run 24/7 from a diesel generator. This is a voluntary decision at this stage as the governent asks businesses to help ease the burden on the national grid. HCJB engineers have been looking at ways to use the HCJB radio generator to provide more electricity to the HCJB hospital in Quito whose generator is not adequate to provide 100% coverage for the facility.

Ben and Lottie read by candlelight!

At home life is getting interesting too! We are running down our food supply in the freezer in case the power cuts become more drastic. Martin has rigged up a car battery and invertor to provide a limited amount of 110 volt power - enough to run some normal lighting indoors. We don't really want to spend the next few months burning candles all the time!

Businesses do seem to be increasingly affected unless they have their own generators. Also five hours a day without power according to our calculations is more than the quoted 5% or 10% disruption mentioned in news reports! The kids are excited about it all. Ben is pleased because he doesn't have to do his piano practice on the keyboard. Although his face fell a little this evening when I finally rigged up the piano to the car battery! Lottie has been charging round the house in the dark with a headtorch on!

Click here for a link to a BBC news release about the situation.

Safe water in unsafe places

2009-11-09T20:38:00.006-05:00

Each year a group called "Safe Water in Ecuador" (SWIE) from Michigan in the USA visits Ecuador for a week to tour the water projects they have funded and to discuss funding for the following year. Each member of this group works in the water industry in Michigan and they raise money to fund many of the community projects we are involved with. This year I travelled with Bruce, Roberto and Francia from HCJB's Water Projects team along with the group of six from SWIE to Chimborazo Province and then out into the jungle.

The SWIE team along with Bruce Rydbeck (right) in the community of Obraje. Despite the incident everyone went ahead with the inauguration of the water system!

We visited more than 10 water projects; some that have been completed; others that were in the planning stage. I really enjoyed the opportunity to help out, be in the communities and see more of the work here. The trip into the Ecuadorian Amazon Jungle was an amazing experience, we flew with MAF in a small 6 seater plane then walked along jungle trails for 3 hours and stayed overnight in a Shuar community in the jungle. The Shuar are an indigenous people group found only in the Ecuadorian Amazon region. We even ate meat that had been hunted in the forest the day before!

One of the small MAF planes used for flying to jungle water projects.

Ruth and the SWIE team along with Shuar community members on the jungle trail to Mutins.

We did have one moment that was not so enjoyable. Whilst in the community of Obraje in Chimborazo Province we hiked up to see the spring that supplies the water system. Thirteen of us were crowded around the cement tank protecting the spring when we heard a sound like a tree falling from above. We all dived for cover. In fact I was pushed by Bruce with some force to help me move out of the way. Something came crashing down the steep mountainside making a lot of noise and dust. When it had passed we realised that a huge concrete slab one metre square had actually come tumbling down and landed right where some of us had been standing only moments before. No-one was hit by it but there were a few cuts and bruises from the scramble to escape. Understandably we were all very shaken. We left the site very quickly because we had reason to believe that it wasn't an accident. This community has really struggled to build their water system. They have faced strong opposition from the neighbouring community and from within as well despite the fact that the springs legally belong to Obraje. People often say that the next world war will be over water. It really is a scarce resource for many people and one that is frequently fought over. In Ecuador this is also the case and I have now had first hand experience of this. I later learned that two community members had been killed in the last few years in violent disagreements over water rights.

The big slab that was pushed down the mountainside towards us!

We give thanks for God's protection over us and want to share that we don't believe it to be a coincidence that the support group who met monthly to pray for us in Harrogate were meeting at almost the same time that the slab fell. They knew I was travelling and were praying specifically for me and for the group. Thanks again guys! You are good friends and thanks for sharing in the work. And thanks to all of you who pray for us out here. We remind you again that you don't just pray for the work, prayer is the work! Praying saves lives!

"Corrientes" is Launched!

2009-10-06T22:52:00.006-05:00

Since returning from the UK at the end of August, Ruth and I have been very involved in helping to launch a brand new initiative called "Corrientes". In English this means "Currents". The name is indicative of what the new project is all about. We are seeking to establish a flow of Latin American bi-vocational Christian workers out of Latin America and across the world. Bi-vocational workers are those who go as Christians with a profession to another part of the world, to share the love of Christ in a very practical way. There are openings for people like this in many parts of the world where you cannot enter as a "missionary".

The Latin American church has huge potential to send many people to all corners of the globe and whilst it has been doing this to a certain degree for many years it has not been without its problems. Many Latin American workers were sent out with inadequate preparation and have returned home earlier than planned - damaged, disillusioned and destitute.

Corrientes has been set up to specifically prepare Latin American believers in the best way possible so that they can go overseas fully prepared and remain effective for long periods of time. We have looked extensively at research that has been done on missionary attrition (e.g. the book Worth Keeping and ReMAP - our friend Rob Hay who is now Principal of Redcliffe College, UK was heavily involved in these). Corrientes aims to provide training, support and development in the key areas of weakness that these projects identified. For Latinos these include financial support models, spiritual wellbeing where there is no church, cross-cultural preparation and working in multi-ethnic teams. We will also ensure that candidates get the necessary vocational training.

Corrientes has five areas of emphasis: spiritual formation; cross-cultural preparation; language acquisition, theological development, bi-vocational training.

Last week Corrientes was officially launched in Ecuador. Carlos Scott, the President of COMIBAM (an important Latin American missions network) spoke at the launch event, as did Wayne Pederson, President of HCJB, which has been one of the key backers of the project. Corrientes is a coalition of mission agencies, churches and seminaries of which HCJB is one of the members. Part of the weeks' celebrations included the commissioning of Corrientes first candidates. A couple from Costa Rica will be going to work in a country in West Africa.

Ruth and I are now part of a cross-cultural team which will run the Corrientes programme. We have Ecuadorians, Peruvians, Germans, Venezuelans, North Americans and of course us Brits! In the months to come we will explain more about how Corrientes will work and how we are involved, but for now here are a few photos from the launch...

Being a Latino celebration there was much dancing...

...and indigenous music

...and speeches (Wayne Pederson - President of HCJB Global)

...and speeches (Carlos Scott - President of COMIBAM)

...and more speeches (Les Hirst and Junior from Costa Rica)

...and more dancing

Click here to see more photos...

An afternoon with the President

2009-10-04T16:57:00.007-05:00

It was just a normal Saturday outing for us - well normal for the Harrison family - we were 15,500 feet up an active volcano peering into a steaming crater! The mountain is called Pichincha and is the one we live on. If you were not aware already the city of Quito is built on the flanks of this snoozing monster! It last erupted in 1999 but it was pretty spectacular when it did!

Anyway, after enjoying a quite remarkable (and rare) view into the crater 2000 feet below us we began our descent to the climbers refuge where our car was parked. When we got back down we were met by a small group of elite special forces, the police and the mountain rescue team. Quite a welcoming party really considering that we had only done a one hour hop to the summit with the kids! Upon asking what all the fuss was about they informed us that somebody important was coming up the mountain - the President of Ecuador no less - Mr Rafael Correa! Well we weren't really sure what to do! Should we make ourselves scarce and just get out of there quickly or should we stay and meet him? Ben and Lottie (and us too) have been longing to meet him but didn't think it would really ever be a reality - we have his picture up in our kitchen! The Bible suggests that we should pray for our leaders. We decided to wait for him.

After a long wait a vehicle showed up and some friends of the President got out. We spent a good time conversing with them and eventually we saw a cloud of dust rising from further down the mountain. Four white 4x4 vehicles finally emerged from the dust with red and blue lights flashing. More security men got out and eventually so did Mr Correa with some friends and family members. They climbed a little way up the mountain to where we were. Mr Correa came right up and introduced himself to us! This was a private outing so there was no press or television. Apart from a couple of other members of the public who were up there on the mountain we were the only ones! We had a chat for almost twenty minutes where I was able to talk to him about HCJB and our community development projects amongst other things. He loved the kids and called Lottie 'preciosa' several times! The President had come up to the refuge to go on a walking and camping expedition.

After a while we decided to leave them to it so we got in our car to go back down the mountain. As we drove off the President waved us off, as did the special forces! The whole event was quite surreal, and for several days afterwards we kept looking at each other as a family and saying "did that really happen!" Living in Ecuador really is an adventure and you never know what or who is around the next corner or up the next mountain!

On the edge of Gua Gua Pichincha crater.

Inside the crater.

The President arrives!

Lottie with her new found friends!

Photo with the President!

Gua Gua Pichincha seen from the city of Quito in 1999 during the eruption.

Visit to Pichan

2009-04-28T22:20:00.000-05:00

Pichan is a community of around 120 families situated close to the impressive Chimborazo Volcano. The community development team has been working there since summer 2008 on a water project. It is the community to which Skipton Baptist Church in the UK sent a work team.

In April Martin visited with a small team of missionaries to meet community leaders and began to explore with them the possibility of providing training and assistance with the establishment of a savings and loans group. These are small community managed groups where families participate by paying a small amount each week to a central fund, perhaps just $4 or $5. If 20 families participate then each week $100 is available as a loan and each familiy takes turns to receive this. With the loan they can invest in seed or fertiliser for example. The great advantage of these groups is that there is no external injection of cash nor involvement of banks or other lenders with their high interest rates. Consequently a situation of dependency is avoided.

In Pichan some families are talking about cooperating together to buy a bull to increase the size of their herds. This in turn will increase milk production to supply their new cheese factory which the Evangelical Church has set up. The factory has been a great way for the few Christians in the community to really connect with their neighbours and provide much needed income in this very poor area whilst modelling honest business practice; paying a fair and regular price for the milk supplied.

The idea of savings and loans group is very simple however it opens up opportunities that would otherwise not be available to communities such as Pichan. The HCJB community development team sees a lot of potential with this idea as a way to empower communities to continue the process of development along with clean water systems, sanitation and improved hygiene. What is also exciting to us are the evangelistic possibilites that this concept may open up as seems to be taking place in Pichan.

Community members at a training session on health and hygiene.

The cheese factory which has been started by members of the Evangelical Church.

Community members bring milk to the factory next to the church every morning.

Patent pending - the donkey brake! How to stop your donkey wandering off!

The McMahans (Mission to the World) have a lot of experience with microfinance projects. Here Robin is providing some advice on book keeping.

Visit to Macas

2009-03-05T21:48:00.006-05:00

Macas is a small town on the eastern fringe of the Andes in Ecuador, surrounded by tropical rainforest. I have just returned from a five day visit to a vibrant church there who are very interested in missions, both locally and internationally. They requested the help of HCJB to look at the different projects they are involved in and how they can better utilise and organise the resources they have. I travelled with Les and Priscilla Hirst who have many, many years experience as missionaries in Latin America and Asia. They are helping to promote mission in the Ecuadorian church and are specifically working towards establishing an Ecuadorian agency that can recruit, train, and send Latin American Christian professionals overseas.

View of River Upano near Macas

Lois Price at the womens Bible study

Our time in Macas was full to say the least! Lois Price, who has been a missionary in Ecuador for around 50 years had arranged in conjunction with the church a programme which enabled us to get a reasonable overview of the whole structure and ministry of the church in the shortest time possible. The idea was that we could hopefully offer some very specific advice which would get to the heart of the issues the church wanted to deal with.

A real highlight for me was to spend time with a group of young people who have real passion to serve the Lord both in Ecuador and internationally. Ranging from age 14 to early 20's these people have been lapping up whatever practical or theoretical preparation they can get. They have helped with church plants deeper in the jungle amongst the Achuar indigenous group as well as very practical construction projects. They have taken various courses including one on Folklore Religions that the HCJB Community Development team recently organised in conjunction with Wheaton College, Illinois, USA. Les, Priscilla and I were able to spend time with them doing a question and answer session on missions. We also were able to broaden their vision of what a 'missionary' is, helping them explore the concept of being a bi-vocational missionary – going overseas with a profession as well as being equipped to evangelise and disciple new believers.

The young peoples missions group

On the Saturday evening we were at the young people's group and again as a larger group they wanted to hear about what is involved in being a cross-cultural Christian worker. We also sang some really funky songs!

Sunday was also a full day as we went to church in the morning and evening, and were expected to share something in each service. In the afternoon I got out for a while with a family who showed me the surrounding area.

Iglesia Columna de Verdad (Pillar of Truth Church)

This time Ruth, Ben and Lottie stayed in Quito but I will take them all with me the next time! Macas is a very friendly laid back place and I have made some great new friends in the church. Since the culture is so family orientated I will be expected to return with them and we already have several invites for meals!

Christmas Cookies!

2008-12-21T21:55:00.006-05:00

Lottie and Ben's dream came true today when they finally got to make cookies in their own kitchen! The last two years we have been invited to other people's houses - friends of Ruths who have taken pity on her! But finally today we had a go ourselves and they worked!