A Beautiful Noise

IMed Class Photo

Being home again feels good. Our training team just got back from our second trip to Camp Mangayacu in Ecuador. Many of the students returned to build on what they had learned in the previous session, and several new students joined as well. In the IMed class we had three returning students and five new students. Once again we did community outreach. Moving past registration and triage, this time the students and I worked together to take the medical history, examine the patient and work out a diagnosis and treatment plan. This was a significant step in the learning process for these students who want to be able to care for the health needs of their communities. Concurrently other clinics were going on too, and doing very well....

Cheering is not something you'd expect to hear in a clinic, but the celebration that was heard last week drew the attention of all those around.

IFix Chainsaw Clinic

We were in Cumandá having a day of clinics with students from our various classes. This was the first time during our training trips that the IFix students went out to hold engine repair clinics alongside the Dental, Medical and Vision clinics. Chainsaws, generators and other small engines play a vital part in the livelihood of many in this region, and the students were enthusiastic about being able to reach a whole different segment of the community through this type of outreach.

A man from the community brought an old dead diesel motor to the clinic, and despite its hopeless appearance Steve B and his students went to work tearing it apart to see if they could get it running again. The motor had been used to power a small sawmill and without it the owner was unable to produce lumber. Marco started praying.

Meanwhile, across the concrete floor under the same giant metal roof the dental, medical and vision clinics were carrying on - the students putting into action the classroom learning from the previous days, and learning alongside their teachers.

Suddenly, above the vibrating floor and the noise of an engine firing there was a cheer that erupted from the students and those watching. A beautiful noise, but not as beautiful as the smile on the owner's face!

Itec's Flying Car

Itec recently won the 2009 Breakthrough Award from Popular Mechanics for the Maverick. Check out this link to the article in the recent Popular Mechanic's magazine. It's exciting to see how God has taken unlikely, but willing men and done great things. I thought you'd like to see it.  Here's a video interview with Steve Saint about the Maverick.    <

Slide Show of Brazil Photos

I have included a slide show of our photos from Brazil. I recommend that you manually advance the photos if you would like to read the accompanying text.

Please pray for Evan as he travels to Ecuador tomorrow. He will be training students in I-Med at the Mangayacu site in Shell Mera, Ecuador.
Please pray:
~ for safety as he travels and his health
~ that he will have wisdom in teaching medicine to his students
~ for opportunities to share Jesus in the clinics.
~ that God will direct the time in Ecuador
~ for the kids and I as we stay behind in Florida. Two trips back to back is difficult for the kids as they miss their dad.

More Photos From Our Trip to Brazil

Here are some photos of the I-See training that I posted on facebook. Click on the link to see the album and on individual photos to see the commentary on the photos.


These photos are more general and give an overview of our time in Brazil. Click here to link to the album.

I hope you enjoy them!!

I Knew You Were Coming

"I knew you were coming," commented the wife of a indigenous pastor we visited on our recent medical/dental missions trip to the Brazilian Amazon. "How is that possible?" a group member queried. "We didn't even know we were coming!"

You see, this pastor's wife had begged God to send aide to her village after record breaking floods ravaged her village, damaging homes, wiping out livestock and crops. Just last week she was assured by a still small voice that God had heard her cries and was sending a team of Americans with aide. What a God we serve! A years worth of plans to visit villages 30 hours from Manaus, Brazil were scrubbed last minute due to rapidly dropping water levels in the tributaries we were traveling on. Our team had to alter our plans and visit villages closer to Manaus. It is clear that God was directing us all along. The Bible tells us "a man's heart plans his way, but the LORD directs his path." Proverbs 16:9. And He did direct us, straight to a village with a pastor's wife with a tender heart for her people and bruised knees from many hours of prayer.

The Gift of Sight

Evan and I returned home last night from a 10 day trip to the Amazon region of Brazil. From October 8th-18th, we joined a short term medical/dental/outreach missions team from South Carolina on a boat that traveled the tributaries of the mighty Amazon River. I plan to update the blog with photos and stories over the next few days, but wanted you to know that we made it home safely and that our trip went very well. Thank you so much for your prayers.

I have included one photo that highlights a favorite moment from our trip. We were able to train a Brazilian national in the I-See program. In just under an hour, Rosie (Hosie), a full-time translator who works with AVM (Amazon Vision Ministries), was trained in the I-See program and able to run her own vision clinics. We were able to see first-hand the transfer of a vital skill to a national believer and the beautiful smiles on the faces of the many Brazilian nationals were given the gift of sight.

Prayer Requests for Brazil Trip

Thank you so much for partnering with us in prayer for this trip.  Prayer is a crucial component of a missions trip.

Please pray:
The Trip
~ that we will be about the Father's business.  God has many reasons for us to be on this trip, and we want to be found focusing on those things He has for us.
~ for wisdom and discernment
~ for God's protection as we travel
~ for learning opportunities and for opportunities to meet with river pastors.
~ for language acquisition...that God will enable us  to understand Portuguese and be able to speak.  It's similar to Spanish, but different enough to cause us problems!
~ for Evan's trip to Ecuador just days after our return.
Family
~ that God will bless Heather's mom and our kids as they stay behind in Florida.
~for God's protection over our kids while we are away.
~ for the Dersch family, who will watch our kids for a few days during our trip. That God will bless them!

Ephesians 3:20-21
"Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us to Him be the glory in the church by Jesus Christ to all generations, forever and ever. Amen."

An Exciting Opportunity in Brazil!

We are excited about the opportunity to travel to Manaus, Brazil next week.  Evan and I will be joining a group from a ministry called Amazon Vision Ministries. 

 AVM operates two river boats on the Brazilian Amazon taking teams to communities along the river to do evangelistic/medical/dental/kids ministry outreaches. The ministry is based in Gainesville (45 minutes from here), and the pastor/leader is very interested in incorporating training into their medical and dental outreaches. He heard about ITEC and has been pursuing possible partnership opportunities both in Brazil and Ecuador. We are going to see how well the vision of AVM and ITEC match, and get a sense of the practicalities involved

The team we will be joining is an experienced medical/dental team that will also be doing kids ministry. This will give us an opportunity to gain some valuable first hand experience in doing medicine in remote areas, the common problems encountered and how to treat them. I am also hoping that I will be able to interact with people from the communities and churches that we visit (people who would potentially be trainees) about their needs and desire for such training. We have been praying for an opportunity such as this, and we are trusting that the Lord has provided this.

We travel from Oct 7-17^th.Heather’s mom is coming to stay with the kids for the first 7 days (answer to prayer) and then we have friends who will be helping out for the last few. I will be leaving again for Ecuador for a training trip on Oct 23^rd – Nov 2^nd.

We are continuing to pray for the Lord’s vision and guidance in all that we are doing, that His purpose would be accomplished. 

A Return Trip to Ecuador

Evan has the opportunity to travel to Ecuador in late October to teach a follow-up IMed course. If you remember back to his last trip, two brothers from the jungle village of Ankuash were in Evan's class. It's exciting to hear that Leonardo and Octavio are planning to attend the IMed course again this time. Over the past year, they have continued to journey to Shell Mera for bi-monthly Bible courses and desire to have further training in medicine.

Since Evan has taught these men before, he will have the opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness of the previous course. Please pray for Evan as he continues to work on the curriculum for this follow-up course. He needs wisdom and inspiration!

I thought you might like to meet our friend Shadow. We have been puppy-sitting for a couple of months and just love it! Shadow, here pictured covered with sand, never tires of walks to the park and catching a ball. We have thoroughly enjoyed puppy-sitting!

As well, I have recently started a separate blog for to keep record of our homeschooling adventure.  If you would like to follow it, the blogsite is www.escuelitaencasa.blogspot.com.  

Thank you so much for your support and prayers.  We appreciate it so very much. 

Wordless Wednesday