10/21/08 (Tuesday)
9:00 AM. My night was short in that I didn’t sleep well and then finally got up around 5:30. I have this continual dull headache that is from the altitude. I am pushing fluids to see if that will help. Usually it does. I have been packing and repacking trying to arrange all the things in the luggage so I can stay within the weight limit. My suitcase now weighs 49 pounds and I have my carry on and my backpack packed and ready to go. Jane is coming by to get me about noon and we will then go and eat lunch with Alex and talk about the maintenance needs at the clinic. After that Jane and I will be running some errands and then I will be back to the Dawson’s place to get ready for dinner. I am treating Tim and Amy to dinner tonight and we will leave about 6 PM.
11:30 AM. Amy and I went for a walk around the neighborhood and she took me to meet another Fort Wayne missionary who has been in Quito for some time. He started with HCJB and then a few years ago left that organization to develop another organization called Extreme Response. Their mission is to reach out to the poorest of the poor all around the world. Their work here in Quito is helping the people who live at and work to make a living at the city dump. These people will glean through the trash that comes right out of the garbage truck. They will climb up on the trash and tear open the trash bags to sort out anything that can be recycled and even to find food. They may make 50 cents a day doing this. The living and working conditions are deplorable. The entire family will work the trash including the kids. The people sort the trash without gloves so there are lots of injuries, needle sticks, lacerations, etc. They are constantly getting infected and every now and then a death will occur because of being run over by a bulldozer or some other accident. Extreme Response brings in short term teams to help build a support system for these people. They had built a day care center and have even prepared the children so they can go to school. They have a medical clinic to treat the injuries and also to vaccinate the children. They teach life skills and help these people rise above the level of extreme poverty they are stuck in. It is an incredible ministry and outreach. The missionary couple is Mike and Carol Bishop and they come from Fort Wayne. I enjoyed learning to know Mike and hear about the work he is doing here in Quito. We can learn more about this ministry at www.extremeresponse.org.
3:15 PM. We had lunch with Alex and spent a couple hours getting him up to speed on what problems there are at the clinic and learning from him what options there may be to fix them. The biggest problem appears to be the electrical circuitry, especially to the washer and dryer. At least he knows what the problems are and can now plan appropriately on how to fix them. We then dropped him off at HCJB campus and went to a shopping plaza to the SuperMaxi store to get a couple items. Then Jane stopped at the bank to withdraw some money and now I am back at Tim and Amy’s for the rest of the afternoon. We plan to go out to a restaurant tonight and Jane and Damarys will come by to pick us up. Amy and Tim are trying to find a babysitter so that may make a difference in what we do tonight. Amy wants to send back some cards and some chocolate for the staff at Matthew 25 clinic. I should have some room for that.
9:00 PM. We went to a restaurant called Mosaica. It sits up on the mountainside and overlooks the city. It is located in Old Quito and was about 20 minutes drive from Dawsons. The view was spectacular. Looking over the city after dark was stunning. Several large churches had their steeples illuminated making them stand out above all the street lights. The food was delicious and we had a great time. We are now back and I will soon be going to bed. I need to get up early in the morning and Jane will be here about 4:30 to take me to the airport.
Father, Thank You for the great time I have had here in Ecuador. I have been able to participate in Your ministry to the people of San Lorenzo. I have been able to work with Jane and her team once again. This is all because You have made it all happen. Lord, You have been glorified through all this. You have made Yourself visible to those we served and to me in several ways. Thank You for that. Father, I pray for a restful sleep and safe travel tomorrow. Thank You, Father. Amen.
Medical Missions 
Thanks for being so faithful to this blog–sharing parts of your day and your reflections on God’s word. I have been blessed!