Sometimes I think we don’t have very much.  Sometimes it seems a struggle to make ends meet. Some days I am very grateful for the chicken a patient gives me that will provide delicious soups for our family for a couple of days.  Sometimes I worry about the future.    

 

But really we have all we need.  We never lack our daily bread (or rice and bananas).  We have plenty of clothes.  We have a safe and comfortable house and beautiful flowers in the garden.  We even have cars to get to work and school. 

 

I cannot imagine what it must be like to be Maria Elena.  She is a widow with two sons to feed and educate alone.  They lived in a falling-to-pieces ramshackle wooden house, with rotting bamboo walls and plastic hung up inside to make the walls of a bedroom.  The rain came through the rusty tin roof.  The mosquitoes entered at will.  Their toilet consisted of some planks lain over a hole in the ground, with some plastic around it to give privacy.  She eeks a living out of selling clothes from door to door and knitting bags.  Sometimes they go hungry.    

 

I could not live like that.  I would think God had abandoned me and did not care.  I would struggle to find the inner will to keep going.  

 

Maria Elena says, “Jesus is my life.  He gives me the strength to live another day, to fight another day, to enjoy another day.”  

 

Imagine her delight when we found a sponsor willing to put her son through secondary school.  Her heart filled with hope for the future, for her son’s future.  The opportunity to study means the opportunity to obtain a full time, long term job, and a wage one can live off.  

 

Imagine her joy when we told her we had funds to build her a new block house, with a flushing toilet and shower.  The house means safety, hygiene, health and comfort. 

 

She is delighted and joyful, but she is not amazed.  She trusts God to provide for her.  She knows He cares for her.  When she had nothing - He was her life.  Now she has a little bit more she gives Him thanks every moment of every day.

 

When I stop to count my blessings, name them one by one, I realise my Heavenly Father pours out His wonderful generosity upon me day by day.  I have blessings in abundance.  His loving care is evident every moment of every day.  I do not need to worry.   

As I write this I am sitting in a queue waiting to be able to request a telephone line for my house.  This is the fourth time I am here already and I have not yet even managed to find out if they have a line available for our house, let alone make the formal request.  I estimate today I will be waiting for at least an hour.  The other day it was two.  I dread to think how many more visits I will have to make until I have a telephone line – and internet, skype, direct contact with my family from the comfort of my home.  It is better not to think about it. 

Sometimes I am tempted to give up.  Sometimes I do.  Sometimes the obstacles put in my way seem insurmountable yet unavoidable.  It would be easier to go home to the UK.  But then I remember the Bible tells us “Do not grow weary of doing good”. 

My patient Mrs A does not give up.  She is 44 years old, and has had breast cancer for 4 years.  She has had a mastectomy and several rounds of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and kept fighting bravely.  Now the cancer is eroding her skin in a smelly, painful mess, and she knows she is losing the battle she has fought so long.  With simple measures I can at least dress the tumour so that it does not smell and give her medicines to control her pain.  I can help make her days liveable still.  And she inspires me daily with her positive attitude and determination to make each day count.  Why should I give up?

Mrs V does not give up.  Her husband of many years has abandoned her for a woman 20 years younger who is expecting his 9^th child.  She is left with the other children they had together with no income.  To add insult to injury her simple 17 year old daughter is pregnant by a married man who was bringing them gifts of food “to help”.   Her daughter is still only in her second year of high school.  But Mrs V keeps fighting for her children.  She does not give up.  I will not give up lending them a helping hand, ensuring the children are able to keep going to school, giving them the chance of a better future. 

So instead of feeling sorry for myself or frustrated today in the small challenges I face, I lift my head and determine to keep on going, by the grace of God, and I  bring these dear people I know who face much bigger challenges to Him.  Let us not grow weary of helping the poor, sick and oppressed.  Let´s keep on fighting. 

Here is a recipe for a typical dish here in Santo Domingo  It is called...

Colorado Rice

This dish takes its name from the Colorado Indians who are the natives of Santo Domingo, because they paint their hair red with a red fruit, and the rice is coloured with the same fruit, achiote.  It is a great dish for making big quantities of, and we have often made this at village events for example at Christmas so everyone gets a portion.  Have a go at making some! It is delicious.

Ingredients (serves 8)

1 chicken

8 cups of rice

1 chicken stock cube

1 green pepper

2 carrots

1 red onion

4 chorizo sausages

1 cup of peas

2 teaspoons fresh coriander

2 teaspoons fresh parsley

Salt and Pepper

Turmeric

Instructions

First cook the chicken – people here boil it, but you could roast it.  Flake the meat off the bones once cooked.  Cook the rice with the finely chopped carrots, peas, stock cube, seasoning, herbs and turmeric to colour it yellow.  Finely chop, then lightly fry the pepper, onion, and sausages.  Mix together the chicken, rice and vegetables and sausage.  Serve hot with tomato sauce and mayonnaise. 

Happy cooking!

This is my prayer for the children who have sponsors helping them attend school;

“Give them neither poverty nor riches, but give them their daily bread.  Otherwise they may have too much and disown You and say “Who is the Lord?”  Or they may be too poor and steal and so dishonour the name of our God.”  Proverbs 30v8-9

I pray it for myself as well. 

I pray these children may learn and grow in wisdom and knowledge so that they may be able to defend themselves against those who would oppress them, and may be able to provide for their families in a dignified manner. 

I pray that they will no longer have to wonder where the next meal is going to come from, work only to eat.  I pray they will have enough to clothe their children, and send them to school.  I pray they will have enough to be able to have a day off and still have food to eat that day.  I pray they might have enough to take a trip to the seaside at least once in their lifetime, to explore their beautiful country and discover the wonders of the world around them. 

I pray they will not seek money but that they might know contentment.  I pray they will not think that riches and wealth will satisfy them, but that they will remember their Heavenly Father who graciously gives us all things.

I pray that they will take their place in this world, that they will realize their potential and serve their communities as nurses, lawyers and teachers, as mothers and fathers, as honourable business men and women, and as community leaders.  I pray that their education and hard work will open doors for them, will give them opportunities and choices in life.  I pray that they will pay forward the help they have received to others in need in the future. 

Most of all I pray that they will seek Jesus as their Master, their Friend and their Guide.  I pray they will discover the joy of serving Him.      

Andes Creations was born to help an epilleptic girl fund her medications.  Now it supports ten families, enaabling them to feed their families and send their children to school.  The ladies sew beautiful crafts that are sold by volunteers in the UK. 

I love sharing my passion for sewing with the ladies.  What a wonderful way to be able to use my God-given talents... the ladies have grown immeasurably in self confidence and dignity as they have learnt new skills and are so proud to be able to provvide for their own families.  As we meet together it is also a wonderful source of mutual support through good times and bad. 

I would like to share with you one of our designs for you to try out.  It is a mobile phone case,  but could be made for a small camara as well.   Simply make  the case to fit your device.

We make the cases using brightly coloured felt.  Cut out one back piece, and one front piece (just cut out the rectangle up to the dotted line for the front.)  Cut out the toucan pieces using the template provided below. 

First stitch the bird to the front piece of  the case using two strands of embroidery thread.  Then stitch thhe front to the back using two strands of contrasting embroidery thread in blanket stitch.  Finally edge the flap in blanket stitch and sew on a popper closure to fasten your pouch. 

If you give it a go do let me see how it turned out!

If you use the pattern and would like to give a donation to Project Ecuador please go to out Justgiving page.  

http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/charities/projectecuador

Thank you and have fun!   

I am privileged to know many heroines.  One of them is called Gabriela.  I first met her when she was thirteen years old.  She lives in a remote village here in Ecuador, far into the countryside along an unmade road.  Her father has been quadraplegic since she was eleven after he suffered a tragic accident.  The family toppled from making ends meet head long into abject poverty.  Gabriela's parents were in Quito for a year while her father was fighting for his life in the hospital.  Gabriela finished primary school but could not go to secondary school.  She dedicated herself to helping her mother once her father finally came home.  She washed and cared for him as he lay in bed all day.  She learned to suction his tracheostomy tube to keep him breathing.  She milked the two cows and sold the milk.  She collected the eggs from the chickens and often cooked dinner.  She was a child losing her youth in her service to her parents. 

I began visiting the family providing rehabilitation and medical support and was impressed by Gabriela's quiet dedication to her family.  She is a child of the King.  She is a precious child of God.  She had to have more of a future.  I could not ignore her plight. 

I found a sponsor for Gabriela to pay for the cost of sending her to school.  She could help her family during the week and make the long journey into town on Saturdays to attend a distance learning school. 

Without education Gabriela's future was bleak.  She was being condemned to an eternal cycle of poverty and hardship.  She would continue to live hand to mouth, fearful that she would go hungry.  Gabriela deserved more.  All children do.  I was filled with joy as I told her she had the opportunity to go to school.  Gabriela's face lit up as hope flooded her eyes. 

Gabriela is a heroine because she has pursued her dream of becoming an agriculturalist with dedication, while never failing to make sure her father is well cared for.  She is now in her final year of secondary school.  She is going to make it. 

I hope Gabriela goes on to find work she enjoys through which she can provide for her family in a dignified manner.  I hope Gabriela receives the love and joy of her own family one day.  I hope she finds a husband who will love and cherish her for the very special person she is.  I hope she knows deep in her soul how much her Heavenly Father loves her, and follows his path for her life. 

I am in Ecuador to have the privilege of lending a helping hand to heroines such as Gabriela.  It is a privilege I enjoy everyday.