There and Back Again in the Middle of the Earth

Ecuador is an amazing country that is about double the size of New York State.  It is packed with jaw-dropping scenery that sings glory to God with all of its beauty, variety, and grand majesty spanning from tropical jungles  to glaciated alpine peaks towering over 20,000 feet – all in the middle of the earth.  LIFT 29 has been taking it all in as we have traveled over the equator and the Andes Mountains several times to sojourn in our places of ministry (Oyacachi & Chaco).  The western side of the Andes is lush, rolling highland farms of the Quechua people, all linked together as a great quilt of green, yellow, brown, and purple patterns. Higher up in the mountain passes is the Padamo (alpine grasslands – the Ecuadorian version of tundra).  Dropping down the eastern side is extreme terrain with precipitous drops of hundreds of feet, creating a mystical land of waterfalls and impenetrable jungle.

Larissa White, Nate Knyfd, Ryan Delgatti, and Ariana Hydro
face Cascada Malo's fury
Photo credit: Tim Trezise

We have had some excursions to get out into it all. . .  being blasted at the thundering power-shower of Cascada Rio Malo, seeing two of the tallest waterfalls in the country,  hiking two different trails into the jungle, and rafting the large, raft-tipping class III-IV rapids of the Rio Quijos.

LIFT is wrapping up its time of ministry here with the excursion the students have been training for with the winter hikes in the Adirondacks . . .  mountaineering on Illiniza Norte, the eighth highest peak in Ecuador, standing over 16,800’, higher than any peak in the U.S. except Alaska.  On Sunday we will say goodbye to our homebase, El Refugio, to set up basecamp at 13,500’.  Around 3:30 a.m. we will start our trek with headlamps up into the high altitude of rocks and snow in several teams and hope to summit mid-morning and return by 1:00 p.m. to break camp. We then journey into Quito to a hotel then downtown to celebrate with some of the El Refugio staff at our last dinner together.

Our hearts are full with emotion as we leave such a beautiful country and beautiful people, seeing God’s hand in it all.  It has been very good to be here, to experience God working through us and in us and in those we have met – all deepening our perspective of how the Holy Spirit is advancing the kingdom of God.  It will also be good to be back again and pour into our families, friends and communities.  This brings our chapter in Ecuador to a close.  Thank you for following along in this LIFTers’ tale.

Tim Trezise

LIFT rushes Cascada Malo, pictured is about half of the
waterfall's total height.
Photo Credit: Tim Trezise

 

Ministry at El Refugio

Andrew Burger tackling
the arch of the wall

Part of the continuing ministry LIFT has had with El Refugio has been to be the many hands that make big projects light work.  Those in ministry at El Refugio training center are very grateful for the faithful help of teams coming and completing work that would otherwise take them weeks to accomplish and a lot of time away from them investing directly in the ministries at El Refugio. The following are pictures of the LIFT 29 team doing a variety of projects over the period of two days: building a 30’ cross at an outdoor worship area, a new large-group campfire pit with stadium seating, a retaining wall for a high ropes course element, a platform for the zip line, a new storage locker for climbing gear, scraping and painting the main entrance gate and fence, and planting hundreds of cactus along the boundary line.  There also is a photo of the 40’ state-of-the-art climbing tower that LIFT has helped fund and build over the past three years.
Tim Trezise

Jesus in School?

After coming from a country that strives to keep religion and Christianity out of the school system, we were all astounded when the school administration system in Oyacachi invited LIFT into the school to teach. They requested rudimentary English lessons for the children, giving us license to share a basic rendition of the Gospel. In two days, we were asked to present lessons for children in second through sixth grade on the first day and seventh through tenth the second. A challenge in that the teaching methods for these two age groups can be vastly different.
The first day, with the young children, our Children's games, worship, puppet, skit and testimony teams were called to action. Centering on active games and personal interaction over traditional lecture-style lessons, the teams put together a sensational program of events for the kids. Colors were taught through a rigorous round of "four corners", a game which requires much sprinting. Energy drained, the kids then watched performances by the worship and skit teams and listened intently to Andrew Burger's testimony. A game of "blob tag" was initiated after this, with Grace Green using it as an illustration of the inescapable nature of God's pursuit of, and love for, each of his children. The puppet and skit teams then compounded this further with renditions of Bible stories.
The next day, with the older children, these same teams came back with another itinera of activities formulated for the older crowd. The games were much less focused on venting of pent-up, sporadic and chaotic energy typical of young kids through running, but, instead, centered around intellectual excercises to practice basic English phrases. I feel fairly confident every seventh through tenth grade youth in Oyacachi is proficient in asking "how are you?" and "What is your name" now. The skit and worship teams also elevated their performances to be less attention grabbing and more thought provoking. Susan Linn and Larissa White delivered their testimonies pointedly towards the issued of identity that tend to plague children of this age demographic.
In all, this highly unusual missional opportunity went quite well. It took a lot of intentionality to find the proper balance between evangelism and  academics, but we left knowing we had found it and God had moved during our time with the young people of Oyacachi.

N. Arthur Knyfd

Service in Oyacachi

After a short time back at El Refugio, our LIFT team headed off to the small Quichua village of Oyacachi, in the Andes Mountains, on Tuesday. Many of the Quichua people speak Spanish, so we did not have to change our ministry techniques too much in order to communicate with them. Our aim was to support the small church and pastor in any way possible; from reaching out to the children by playing games to putting on a service for the youth in the church.
Wednesday night we went to the church for a service: half of our team went to the adult service and the other half went to the youth service for people from ages 13 to 19.

Lauren Cottings, Jordan Sandwick,
Kate Trezise, Rob May, and Drew Walker
leading worship Wednesday night

The worship team started the adult service off by performing a few songs in Spanish. Nate Knyfd delivered a sermon while Rick Borman translated, Jake Biedebach then followed him up with a testimony. Finally, Kirk Gambrell finished the service by giving a final message and brought everything together. The people of the church were all quite appreciative and got up to shake hands with everyone involved in the service.


Jake Biedebach giving his testimony
while Rick Borman translates

The youth service (this is the first year that the youth has been in a separate service) started out with Liam and Bekah Campbell introducing what LIFT stands for and what we are trying to do in the community. As soon as the worship team ended their time at the adult service they came down to the youth and performed a few more songs. Soon afterwards, the skit team performed the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego with good reactions and laughs. Caleb Burke then gave his powerful testimony to the crowd, and Abe Howell gave his sermon on temptation. The worship team finished the service off with one more song. The youth then came up to ask questions and just hang out with us.
Both services went very well and were obviously spirit-filled; God was so faithful and pierced the hearts of those that He wanted to reach through us. Keep praying for our team! We have about 3 and a half days left in Ecuador and we're sure that God will continue to work through us and teach us.

Psalm 77:14

"You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples."

 

Jameson Young

Sunday is Gameday!

Our purpose here, in Ecuador, is to support and encourage the local church in the towns we visit. While construction projects and playing sports can do this to an extent, the heart of the Church is the proclamation of the Gospel, reaching of the lost, and stimulating the growth of Church members. In El Chaco, we have had the privilege of joining with the church’s leadership in accomplishing these tasks.

Nate Knyfd preaches, Kate Tresize translates
Photo Credit: Tim Tresize

Beginning with the Saturday afternoon excursion to San Luis, LIFT was in full-bore ministerial mode. Our worship team, comprised of Rob May, Jordan Sandwick, Drew Walker, and Lauren Cottings joined the regular worship team of the Chacoan church. Contributing instrumental and vocal talents, the diverse worship team led praise in both Spanish and English. This unique worship experience culminated with a simultaneous singing of “Open the Eyes,” or “Abre mis Ojos,” in both English and Spanish; a small taste of the worship of heaven as two languages praised the Lord in harmony.

The church also handed over the responsibility of delivering sermons to the LIFT team. Abraham Howell was the speaker of the Saturday night service. Abe spoke on the importance of fleeing temptation, while Rick Borman, establisher of El Refugio and our guide in Ecuador, provided translating services. Borman also translated for Brian Hebert on Sunday morning as Hebert waxed eloquent on I Corinthians 9: 24-27, where Paul writes on the importance of finishing the race. Nate Knyfd also spoke at a Chaco-church-plant in the small, poor and neighboring village of Chontaloma. Knyfd spoke about forgiveness, and how it is the “lifeblood of the Christian heart” with the translation support of Kate Trezise. Rob May, Liam Campbell, Caleb Burke, and Jacob Biedebach also contributed in the public speaking arena as they delivered portions of their testimonies to the congregations of El Chaco. Directed particularly to the youth, these messages managed to challenge the audience to examine their faith.

The worship team leading praise on Sunday morning
Photo Credit: Tim Tresize

LIFT’s drama, children’s worship, and child ministry teams also got a chance to contribute to the excitement of Sunday’s activities. While not behind the pulpit, the members of these ministry conglomerates ministered greatly to the needs of the church.

Lauren Cottings, Ariana Hydro, and Julia MacCready
instructing children on crafts
Photo Credit: Tim Tresize

By all appearances our attempt at aiding the church in El Chaco went well. Our time with the congregation ended with dancing, picture taking, and soccer as both Americans and Ecuadorians reveled in the unity and fellowship of the family of Christ. The El Chaco church also surprised us as they gathered around our group to pray blessings on us, our time in Ecuador, and our future strivings for the kingdom of Christ. They then presented us with necklaces and bracelets the members of the congregation had handmade with seeds exclusive to the El Chaco area. These gifts were presented to us so we can remember we have friends in El Chaco and to pray for the church. With or without the jewelry, I am sure all members of our group will always remember the hospitality and fellowship we experienced in El Chaco.

N. Arthur Knyfd

El Chaco

These past few days have been so amazing!

Nate Knyfd helps install a stone patio at the Chacoan church
Photo Credit: Tim Tresize

Our LIFT team worked very hard in El Chaco (meaning “the flats” in a beautiful mountain valley) this week! Arriving Thursday afternoon, everyone was ecstatic about this new adventure that God had prepared in advance for us to partake in. We stayed in a small hostel run by a woman named Hermana Theresa who was extremely kind and hospitable. She certainly made us feel at home whenever she got the chance. Most of us went for a tour of the town later and just took in the general feel and culture of El Chaco, which by Ecuadorian standards would be a lower middle class area with stores, a market, a few churches, and a town center with basketball courts and a small turf soccer field.

Several LIFTers paint a new outdoor bathroom at the church in el Chaco
Photo Credit: Tim Tresize

On Saturday, our ministry teams worked with the local church to reach out to a small lower class community, San Luis. This was the church’s first outreach to this town, and we got to be a part of it! We went into the run-down town and asked the people to come to our group presentation at a small soccer field made of cement and rock. All we had to do was start kicking a soccer ball back and forth with a few of the curious little boys and we soon had a crowd. From there, our ministry teams went to work. We started playing tag, and then sang some children’s worship songs in Spanish. Andrew Burger shared part of his testimony to the crowd, which grew every couple minutes as children and adults decided to see what was going on. The skit team performed the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego as soon as the puppet team completed their stories that easily captured the attention of the youth. We sang a few more songs with everyone then had to say our goodbyes; leaving a few soccer balls as a gift to the older men in the community and handing out tracts to some of the adults.

Rick Borman delivers a lesson to the youth of San Luis
Photo Credit: Tim Tresize

Even though we did not personally get to pursue lasting relationships with anyone in San Luis, we know the Holy Spirit moved and seeds were planted to start a church. Please pray for this community! There is no church there at the moment, and many of the people are starving spiritually. God is using the Church in El Chaco as tools to minister to and save these people from darkness. Pray for God to soften hearts and minds to His Word and Truth. God will be faithful, as He always has been, is, and will be.

Be sure to check out Rick Borman’s blog on his website for more information and photos of our time serving with El Refugio in Ecuador. 

www.elrefugioecuador.com

Jameson Young

We made it!

LIFT 29 arrived safe and tired in Quito, Ecuador on Monday the 11^th at 11:30 p.m. We arrived at El Refugio at 2:00 in the morning. After a good, but short, sleep we began our first day in Ecuador, with a delicious breakfast of eggs and ham with bread very similar to a croissant the food here has been some of the best food I have ever tasted. That may have something to do with how busy we have been going up and down mountains, though the Ecuadorians would call them hills. After breakfast we were briefed on El Refugio, a ministry of Youth World. Then we took a short hike and were shown around this beautiful 300 acre piece of property. From lunch to dinner our day was filled with hiking and climbing the 40’ outdoor rock wall that previous LIFT students have helped build. Then with much excitement we were able to go to bed for a full night of sleep!

Wednesday the 13th was our first work day; we started work at 9:00 and split into four work groups, which consisted of building a platform for a new high ropes course, digging out old tree stumps and leveling the ground off for a storage shed/bouldering wall, digging a fire pit with amphitheater seating, and the group I was in built a huge cross (30’ tall), dug the hole and removed some trees out of the way so that it can be seen from Cale Cali in the valley below. We ended work at 4:00 and this evening we are prepping for ministry in Chaco for the next four days. We leave in the morning and will stop at the equator for some shopping and continue over the Andes Mountains to the small city of Chaco. The ministry teams are going over the last details for their various outreaches and are getting excited to love on the youth in Chaco.

The next blog update will be in a few days. Please continue to support us in prayer.

Kayla Deuling

LIFT 29 Ecuador Schedule

• 3/11- Depart Camp of the Woods 6:30 AM to JFK

3:05 PM flight- Arrive in Quito Ecuador 11:00PM

• 3/12- Rest day, Orientation session at El Refugio
• 3/13- El Refugio work projects- pack for Chaco
• 3/14-, depart for Chaco 10:30 AM, Evening service in Chaco
• 3/15- Chaco ministry opportunities with children and youth-work project
• 3/16- Jungle Hike with Klever or Rafting, Evening Church Activity
• 3/17- Sabbath Rest, Worship service in Chaco, Evening Activity with youth
• 3/18- Depart for El Refugio AM, Travel/Rest day and laundry, debrief ½ trip after dinner
• 3/19- Pack for Oyacachi, Work Project, After lunch depart for Oyacachi, Meet/Mingle/Games with Quichua people
• 3/20- Oyacachi Ministry with kids and youth in schools, evening church service
• 3/21- Oyacachi Ministry with kids and youth in schools- depart mid afternoon for El Refugio
• 3/22- Work projects at El Refugio, evening activity/worship with Ecuadorian facilitators
• 3/23- Activities with facilitators/ropes course with them, Mountaineering class with Rick Borman
• 3/24- Worship service AM- after lunch depart for Sincholagua Mountain, set up base camp
• 3/25- Summit Attempt, break camp-back to Quito, stay at hostel-have dinner out/debrief the hike
• 3/26- Debrief trip in AM/1 hour of sightseeing Quito, Bus to airport-Travel to NYC/flight out 2:55 pm-arrive NYC 12:25am/ drive back to Camp of the Woods

Flight Information:

3/11/13 COPA Flight# 831 from JFK to Panama 3:05 PM - 7:38 PM

COPA Flight# 211 From Panama to Quito 8:58 PM - 10:58 PM

3/26/13 COPA Flight# 828 From Quito to Panama 2:55 PM – 4:50 PM

3/27/13 COPA Flight #804 From Panama to JFK 6:23 PM - 12:25 AM  

T- 48 Hours!

"Ecuador? Thats cool! What are you doing there?"
A question all twenty-eight LIFT students, and our six leaders, have had to answer over the past few months.
So, in a few sentences, we would like to try and begin answering that question for those who will be following our upcoming trip.
As part of our discipleship process during the semester, we partake in a class called "Holistic Ministry." Lead by Tim Trezise, we spend time examining the Biblical basis for ministry beyond evangelism, seeking to learn how to address people's spiritual, physical, and psychological injuries and needs. It is the model of Christ, one we all personally and conjointly aspire to see: God's love and justice lived out in this world. "[His] kingdom come, [his] will be done on earth as it is in heaven." (Matt. 6:10, the Sermon on the Mount)
This will be the lens by which we see the people and mountainous villages of El Refugio, Chaco, and Oyicachi in Ecuador.
Our LIFT team of 34 lead by our guide and connection to Ecuador, Rick Borman, has been praying for this upcoming trip for the entirety of the semester, and everyone is ecstatic to finally be on there way to fulfilling Jesus' great commission.
We have all split into different ministry groups for separate outreaches to the people in the communities we'll be working with:
Sharing testimonies: Rob May, Jen Boeve Caleb Burke, Jake Biedebach, Andrew Burger and Natalie Scott.
Music and worship: Rob May, Drew Walker, Lauren Cottings, Jordan Sandwick.
Preaching: Abe Howell, Nate Knyfd, Brian Hebert.
Sports: Laura Robinson, Tyler Marsh, Kayla Deuling, Susan Linn, Mike Rose, Ryan Delgatti.
Kid's games: Craig Setzer, Grace Green, Mary Boyle, Ariana Hydro, Jordan Sandwick, Josh Mullen.
Puppet ministry: Connie Snyder, Amanda Connor, Larissa White, Abe Howell.
Skits: Jameson Young (Hi mom), Brian Hebert, Josh Mullen, Amanda Connor, Natalie Scott.
Sunday School: Julie MacCready, Andrew Burger, Ryan Delgatti, Mary Boyle, Susan Linn.
Crafts: Larissa White, Ariana Hydro, Laura Robinson, Connie Snyder, Jen Boeve.
Kid's Music: Lauren Cottings, Craig Setzer, Mike Rose, Julie MacCready.
Blog Writers: Jameson Young, Nate Knyfd, Kayla Deuling.
Planning Ecuador Forum: Drew Walker, Grace Green.
Slideshow: Tyler Marsh, Jake Biedebach.
Everyone is doing their finishing touches on preparation for these ministries this weekend! Things are shaping up and prayers are filling minds and mouths. Keep praying every day for safety and efficiency in ministry, that we may do God's will and work.

In Him,
N. Arthur Knyfd & Jameson Young