No. 18 BuildingHope September 2016 Project EC538 in a depressed neighborhood of La Libertad: Captivating talks on health and hygiene for parents Professionals cooperate with the project to teach the parents of sponsored children topics intended to help themselves and their children and to engage the families to the Gospel.

Amor de Dios Church COLOMBIA OCÉANO PACÍFICO CDSP EC538 Quito MANABÍ La Libertad Canton SANTA ELENA Province of Santa Elena Cuenca Once de Diciembre Citadel PERÚ GUAYAS SANTA Lunch ELENA time. Entrance to La Libertad Santa Elena La Libertad. after lunch, provided by the project. Those Guayaquil who come in the afternoon leave the project after receiving their dinner. Playas The percentage of attendance is 95% and when a child is absent, the tutors visit their homes to ascertain what happened and how they could be of help. In addition to studying the regular curricula Once de Diciembre Citadel and evangelism, the children pray, sing, play Basic Services Comments and make crafts. La Libertad is an Ecuadorian city and Potable water No, there is only piped water. canton of the province of Santa Elena on the Sewage No. The church in the community coast of Ecuador. It has 96,000 inhabitants Electricity Yes. Miguel Angel Parrales is the (2010) and lies on a very dry and hot area, Street lights Yes. Pastor of project EC538. Currently, with a low rainfall. Telephone Only mobile lines in the area. they work with a group of 15 Those living in fringe areas such as Public transportation Bus, taxi or walk on foot. mothers by training them in life ciudadela Once de Diciembre live on fishery, skills: teddy bears and custom jewelry. Talks construction work, some others own a small The nice-looking on reproductive health and hygiene are also business, others sell juice and candy on the entrance to the project. delivered by professional guests. So, nearly 40 streets. Very few are formally employed. people attend, among them, a few fathers. Hence, very often many families have no means to eat all three daily meals. No major crimes take place in the citadel, however, some concern has began to arise due to drug Pastor Parrales and his microtrafficking. wife, Maria, work together with parents. Many households of the area are unsteady for the usual reasons: fathers who abandon their children and partners to start new families Time to pray in class. somewhere else, infidelity, abuse. Single mothers and cases of early pregnancy abound. The latest activities have been used to The project in the community introduce the parents in spiritual matters. Project EC538 began their work in Evangelism and discipleship meetings are this citadel in January 2015. The Project held on Wednesday and Saturday nights and “Love” assists 270 children and is a service is performed with the children and conducted by Lupe Tomalá with Tuesday and Saturday and those who study adults on Sundays. Several isolated believers the cooperation of three tutors. in the afternoon come in the morning. The have begun to attend the church and be The project gathers on every children who come in the morning go to school ministered as to their needs.

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Angela Pincay, mother of Francisco, from EC538: “I will also do my best for my son, thank you” A single mother commits to strive for her son’s health care, who was a victim of an unfortunate home accident at four years old.

In a house made of cane and zinc in the In the classroom, ready middle of a dry piece of land, full of yellowish Haciendo tareas escolares ento la beginhabitación the lesson. que dust in ciudadela Once de Diciembre in La Francisco shows one o f the photos comparte con su madre. Libertad, lives Angela Pincay with her four of his sponsor, the children: Vicky (11), Francisco (7), Ruth (5) child Dylan Rapp and Karen (3). Currently, she devotes her time and his family. taking care of them. She used to work selling bolos (a flavored frozen drink) on the street but she had to quit when she became pregnant with Karen. Angela has not been able to form a stable household. The father of her three younger Angela, Francisco, Praying with his children and Karen’s father left them long ago, Karen, Ruth and classmates. Vicky, the oldest and now she is trying to move on with her third child. partner, Leonardo, a street seller of mangoes. “My new partner supports me, but he barely has money,” she explains; “He helps me with breakfast, dinner and has nothing left.” Despite the hardships, the children enjoyed good health in general, but that changed one day when Francisco was four years old. Two weeks after Karen’s birth, Angela was visiting her father when one of her sisters came to her When Angela informed about Painting Bible alarmed. “Have you seen what the kid has characters. drunk?!” she demanded. Francisco’s health issues, he At first, they had no idea how he found was happily registered, in that bottle. “My dad had brought a flask, spite of not complying with which the children took to pour some water and freeze it in my father’s refrigerator,” the required age. informs Angela. Francisco drank the water and her child at the hospital 24 hours a day, as she shortly, he was in deep pain. He was taken to was allowed to sleep in the room where he was the local hospital and then to Santa Elena and intubated. For a moment she even had to face Guayaquil seeking better care. That moment, Jairo comparte el refrigerio de the alternative to leave Fernando, as he did cumpleaños con sus amigos. the child was unconscious and fell into a coma. not come out from the coma and the doctors The bottle with the contaminated assured her that they could not keep him that water disappeared and they were asked to way indefinitely. Fortunately, the little one bring it to the hospital to ascertain how to woke up and although he complained about the treat Fernando’s intoxication. An analysis Occasionally, Francisco has pain in his throat, he began to recover. performed right after they found it, revealed some eating problems, but Three weeks later, Fernando was he will do better. carbamate residues, a poisonous component discharged very weak due to this test, but he used for pesticides. walked out. “I was given medication, we with his sister Ruth. The project has helped “He almost died,” recalls Angela. When came back home, but he did not want to eat,” with several expenses and is attentive to the the father of the child found out about the tells Angela. Indeed: “I cannot eat, it hurts, it evolution of his case. He has been diagnosed accident, he went to see him at the hospital and hurts,” complained the child. with esophagitis, a disorder that even now, gave the mother $50 dollars to help her with “When I went to the hospital, they told me causes him problems to swallow, chest pain and the expenses, but he never came back. During that he was fine. ‘if you do not make him eat, throat ache. As part of his treatment, he must three exhausting weeks, Angela took care of he will not eat,’” she was reprimanded. Angela undergo six endoscopies, and two have already told them that her child was in pain, so they been carried out and have found a narrowing of provided her with pain relievers, serum and the esophagus, which explains the why’s of his then, he would eat for a while, but then again symptoms. Nevertheless, the physician assures he would not eat, so, he lost much weight. that Francisco will eventually get better. This was their situation until Compassion The project is now attentive to the child arrived in the life of this family. When Angela and his comprehensive needs, and Angela informed about Francisco’s health issues, recognizes: “I am very grateful for the help he was happily registered, in spite of not provided to my baby and for taking my children The house of the family. complying with the required age. into account, please keep going. I will also do Currently, Francisco is sponsored together my best for my son. Thank you very much.”

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Plenitud de Dios Church in Playas COLOMBIA The dining area assists the OCÉANO PACÍFICO CDSP EC570 Quito MANABÍ children in several groups. ECUADOR SANTA ELENA Guayaquil Province of Guayas Cuenca PERÚ Cooperativa 25 de Julio Neighborhood GUAYAS SANTA ELENA La Libertad Santa Elena Playas is a popular tourism destination for Ecuadorians. Guayaquil Children from both morning and afternoon Playas schools receive lunch to conclude their activities, or prior to start them, depending on their schooling schedule. The project has sought to add more activities to their regular ones, in order to involve the children’s parents Cooperativa 25 de Julio Neighborhood such as community cleaning around the place Basic Services Comments and family outings. Olympics will be organized Potable water Yes, it is poor, water must be bought. soon with the children and their parents. Sewage No, septic tanks. General Villamil, better known as Playas, Electricity Yes. The Church in the community is a city and bathing place located in the Street lights Yes. Not good. Carlos Carbo is the pastor of province of Guayas on the Ecuadorian coast, Telephone Land lines and mobile. EC570. Since July, he conducts a about 100 kilometers from Guayaquil. It has Public transportation Taxi, station wagon, truck, on foot. nearly 35,000 inhabitants (2010), a figure School for Parents with the dual that increases in the summer thanks to the purpose of educating adults on The project facilities were family issues and introduce them to the Word abundant tourists visit. opened last March. Artisanal fishing is one of the main activities of God. The attendance of the mothers and in Playas. Currently, a few commercial, shrimp some fathers is irregular and varies between 20 and tuna companies have settled, but the and 70 people. The difficulty for transportation sources of formal employment are not as many. at night is one of the causes of this irregular Therefore, a large number of families dedicate attendance. their time to earn a living with temporary People from Cooperativa 25 de Julio is jobs, either as cooks and dishwashers in the generally open to the Gospel but some have diners and restaurants nearby the beach or on had unpleasant experiences with alleged their own, offering goods and services during believers in the past, and they mention this holidays when there is a tourist inflow. in every opportunity they have. According to As in many places of the Coast especially, Pastor Carbo there is no hostile resistance, the families are born to a large extent of but a polite refusal of some parents to accept cohabitation and the lack of family planning invitations from the church, they commit to gives rise to unstable families with a number attend but never go. of children, difficult to support. Being a resort, Yet, 14 people have received the Lord and Playas is a fertile land for drug trafficking and have to be discipled one by one. According abuse, a problem that is already present. to the pastor, this method is more difficult, but 100% effective so he prefers to do it this The children from way. The project in the community morning school start to Project EC570 in Playas began arrive to the project. To support the work with children, Pastor a year and a half ago but opened Carbo trains tutors in the spiritual area and its facilities in March, assisting expects to open a “Saturday School” for children (in the style of the traditional Sunday 231 children. Emanuel Loor is the Explaining Director. the lesson. School) with the help of a group of brothers The project meetings are held every from Guayaquil who are interested in helping. Wednesday and Friday morning and afternoon Therefore, he has contacted a missionary to assist children who attend school during the agency, requesting workers to come and work morning and the afternoon. in the project in Playas between six months The current average attendance of 70% and one year.

Pastor Carbo in The project is located a meeting with in the outskirts of the parents. city of Playas. is because some registered children live far from the project, their parents do not have the means to pay for transportation or cannot take them, because they have gone to work. To alleviate the problem, the project has organized express transportation to collect the children, who live far away, from pre- established stops.

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Javier Araujo, husband of Gabriela Lara, from project EC570: “I want to be with you, I want to be with my children” A young couple gets a job, restoration and hope thanks to the pastoral work of the church projects of the Church “Plenitud de Dios” in Guayaquil and Playas.

Javier Araujo and Gabriela Lara is a young married couple from Guayaquil, the The entire family largest city in Ecuador, who were about to at the entrance of project EC570. confirm concerning statistics: according to recent data from the National Institute of Statistics and Census (INEC –Spanish Acronyms) of the country in the past 10 years the number of divorces in Ecuador increased by 95.3% compared with 11.1% increase of Antonio and Angel pray marriages. In other words, the number of for the food their mother, divorces has nearly doubled in this period. Gabriela, prepared for them. Because of typical relationship problems, Javier, a brick layer, and Gabriela, a manicurist, decided to take different paths notwithstanding, they had already fathered two children from their relationship: Antonio (3) and Angel (6). Both were believers but rarely went to church. The break-up was hard for Javier, who dearly loves his children and the fact of not Javier monitors seeing them and his wife made him suffer the entry of daily. On the other hand, Gabriela could not children. ascertain how to solve the economic problems of both, which was the main trigger of the in Playas. He takes care of the property and separation. They both loved each other, but the cleaning and maintenance of the project the situation had no solution, and despite Angel participates facilities and the church. She is in charge of all appearances, the family was falling apart actively in his class. the kitchen. irreparably. Both look different now. “I feel calm and Brother Freddy Loor, pastor of the mother happy,” says Javier; “We have problems like Church “Plenitud de Dios” in Guayaquil every household but now we know how to where he began to help Gabriela following the handle it and not like we did before. We registration of her two children in the project sit down to talk, we agree, we raise our of this church a while ago, learned about the children in our own way, not separately. It problem and decided to do something about is something beautiful, a harmony,” he says. it, by taking advantage of the church which Gabriela states that the change affected also had a project in Playas. He immediately He has restored my family, my her at the beginning. “But not anymore,” she home, He has brought me out says; “I rather live far from bad influence. The wide facilities of the Today I feel calm.” project: almost one acre. of the problems I had. I have They both feel blessed for this new opportunity. The pastor of project EC570 learned many things. continues to work with them and he nurtures contacted Javier with a concrete proposal: their faith and trust in God. The couple and “He spoke with me and offered me the family are definitely on the path of restoration opportunity to go to Playas,” he recalls. and they show it at work. “I feel good here Similarly, he spoke with Gabriela announcing and I help with everything I can,” says that he wanted to send her to Playas: “Please, Javier. Gabriela instead is comfortable with ask your husband if he wants to go,” he their responsibilities because in Guayaquil she suggested. Obviously, the pastor wanted to was already kitchen assistant at the project Javier and Gabriela tell bring the family back together. and she knows the job. their story. “God will work in our lives,” Gabriela Touched, Javier expressed his gratitude to thought hopeful. When Javier received the job God: “He has restored my family, my home, offer, he says, “I saw it as an answer from He has brought me out of the problems I God so I accepted.” When they spoke to make had. I have learned many things, to give a decision together, he assured her, “I want to a hand to someone else without expecting be with you, I want to be with my children.” anything in return. God will always be The picture started to become clearer. with us.” Gabriela feels the same way. By the Javier and Gabriela accompanied by grace of God, this couple turned a sad statistic their two sponsored children, currently live into a hope for other couples.

4 BuildingHope Family Centers Growth Report - September 2016

CDSP Mother People People Candi- No. Project CSP Church Place Children child attending bapti- dates for registered units church zed baptism 1 EC 153 - Alianza Horeb Church Tejar, Ibarra Canton, Province of Imbabura 202 - 55 10 5 Belén de Oyacoto 2 EC 160 ECC55 Oyacoto, Calderon, Province of Pichincha 253 40 65 20 5 Baptist Evangelical Church 3 EC 282 - San Pablo of Nazarene San Pablo de Atenas, Province of Bolívar 200 - 15 - - 4 EC 299 - Guranda Church of Nazarene Guaranda City, Province of Bolívar 204 - 50 - - 5 EC 488 ECC71 Chillanes Church of Nazarene Chillanes Canton, Province of Bolívar 237 40 55 5 5 6 EC 496 - San Miguel Church of Nazarene San Miguel Canton, Province of Bolívar 226 42 55 2 - 7 EC 497 - Caluma Church of Nazarene Caluma Canton, Province of Bolívar 217 - 60 5 - 8 EC 498 - Cumandá Church of Nazarene Cumandá Canton, Province of Chimborazo 201 - 70 15 5 9 EC 499 - Echandia Church of Nazarene Echandía Canton, Province of Bolívar 224 - 55 7 - Chinimpe, Palora Canton, 10 EC 229 ECC72 Emanuel Church of Nazarene 214 40 70 30 - Province of Morona Santiago 11 EC 230 - Presencia de Dios Church of Nazarene Santa Clara Canton, Province of Pastaza 220 - 90 40 - Punta de Piedra, 24 de Mayo Canton, 12 EC 500 - La Gloria de Dios Family Center 200 - 120 - 5 Province of Manabí Los Bajos de la Palma, Montecristi Canton, 13 EC 507 ECC47 Monte Horeb Family Center 242 40 150 35 - Province of Manabí Las Lagunas, Montecristi Canton, 14 EC 508 ECC48 El Faro Family Center 236 41 120 10 - Province of Manabí Costa Mar Community, Jaramijo Canton, 15 EC 509 ECC49 Jerusalem Family Center 219 40 150 100 10 Province of Manabí Las Brisas, Jaramijó Canton, 16 EC 510 ECC50 Betania Family Center 213 40 160 36 - Province of Manabí Colinas de San José, Rocafuerte Canton, 17 EC 513 ECC54 Jerico Family Center 226 40 130 20 - Province of Manabí Nuevo Community, 18 EC 514 ECC58 Monte Sion Family Center 273 40 180 126 2 , Province of Manabí Habitat Sector, Tosagua Canton, 19 EC 515 ECC63 Monte Olivo Family Center 239 40 120 30 20 Province of Manabí Elva Gonzalez Sector, Tosagua Canton, 20 EC 516 ECC64 Nuevo Amanecer Family Center 248 40 160 35 10 Province of Manabí Pueblo Nuevo, Portoviejo Canton, 21 EC 517 ECC65 Nueva Vida Family Center 218 40 100 10 6 Province of Manabí 22 EC 518 - Alfa y Omega Family Center Canuto, Chone Canton, Province of Manabí 214 - 120 11 2 El Milagro Neighbordhood, 23 EC 519 - Efeso Family Center 231 - 110 0 7 Portoviejo Canton, Province of Manabí San Juan del Toro Community, 24 EC 526 - Bethel Family Center 221 - 130 8 3 Junin Canton, Province of Manabí Valle de la Virgen Community, 25 EC 529 - El Shadday Church 200 - 70 16 3 , Province of Guayas Grelia Reyes, Santa Elena Canton, 26 EC 530 ECC53 Misericordia de Dios Church 231 40 90 65 6 Province of Santa Elena Las Minas Community, La Libertad Canton, 27 EC 531 ECC57 Gracia de Dios Church 306 40 60 27 7 Province of Santa Elena San Vicente Community, 28 EC 532 ECC61 Bondad de Dios Church 244 40 70 16 10 La Libertad Canton, Province of Santa Elena Los Ficus, La Libertad Canton, 29 EC 533 ECC62 Verdad de Dios Church 289 40 60 10 5 Province of Santa Elena Vinicio Yagual, Salinas Canton, 30 EC 534 ECC67 Paz de Dios Church 256 40 35 3 4 Province of Santa Elena Gonzalo Chavez, Salinas Canton, 31 EC 535 ECC68 Fe en Dios Church 239 40 25 1 2 Province of Santa Elena Monteverde Community, 32 EC 536 - Gozo de Dios Church 191 - 30 7 4 Province of Santa Elena Velas ibarra Community, La Libertad Canton, 33 EC 537 - Poder de Dios Church 195 - 30 - 7 Province of Santa Elena 11 de Diciembre Community, 34 EC 538 - Amor de Dios Chruch 200 - 45 30 5 La Libertad Canton, Province of Santa Elena Velasco Ibarra, La Libertad Canton, 35 EC 539 - Favor de Dios Church 200 - 55 - - Province of Santa Elena Primero de Mayo Neighborhood, 36 EC 540 - Bendición de Dios Church 200 - 50 - 4 Santa Elena Canton, Province of Santa Elena

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Colinas de Salinas Neighborhood, 37 EC 541 - Familia de Dios Church 200 - 80 - - La Libertad Canton, Province of Santa Elena 25 de Julio, Vilamil Playas Canton, 38 EC 570 - Plenitud de Dios Playas 189 - 55 15 - Province of Guayas Flor de Bastión, , 39 EC 574 - Plenitud de Dios Flor de Bastión 224 - 65 - 10 Province of Guayas El Mirador, Jipijapa Canton, 40 EC 585 - Family Center Shalom 200 - 100 - 12 Province of Manabí Machalilla, Puerto Lopez Canton, 41 EC 586 - Cristo la Roca Church 249 - 80 - - Province of Manabí 42 EC 587 - Provisión de Dios Church Urbirrios, Manta Canton, Province of Manabí 250 - 120 - - Jaime Roldós Aguilera Neighborhood, 43 EC 588 - Divino Redentor Church 250 - 100 14 5 Montecristi Canton, Province of Esmeraldas Las Brisas Tululbi Community, 44 EC 598 ECC56 Roca de la Eternidad de Tululbí 286 40 40 15 5 , Province of Esmeraldas Pampanal de Bolívar, Eloy Alfaro Canton, 45 EC 599 ECC66 Roca de la Eternidad del Pampanal 243 42 25* 14 - Province of Esmeraldas Luis Cevallos Community, San Lorenzo, 46 EC 600 ECC69 Roca de la Eternidad de Luis Cevallos 311 39 75 - - Canton, Province of Esmeraldas Roca de la Eternidad Nuevo San Lorenzo Community, 47 EC 601 ECC70 394 40 25* - - de Nuevo San Lorenzo San Lorenzo Canton, Province of Esmeraldas Palestina Neighborhood, 48 EC 602 - Roca de la Eternidad de Palestina 454 - 30 3 - San Lorenzo Canton, Province of Esmeraldas Carondelet Community , 49 EC 603 - Roca de la Eternidad de Carondelet 221 - 40 2 - San Lorenzo Conton, Province of Esmeraldas Concepción Community, 50 EC 604 - Roca de la Eternidad de Concepción 118 - 30 1 - San Lorenzo Conton, Province of Esmeraldas Selva Alegre Community, 51 EC 605 - Roca de la Eternidad de Selva Alegre 233 - 50 - - San Lorenzo Conton, Province of Esmeraldas Limones Community, San Lorenzo Conton, 52 EC 606 - Roca de la Eternidad de Limones 329 - 35 3 1 Province of Esmeraldas Borbón Community, Eloy Alfaro Canton, 53 EC 607 - Roca de la Eternindad de Borbon 350 - 40 25 4 Province of Esmeraldas Chachi del Capulí Community, 54 EC 608 - Centro Cristiano Bíblico Rio Onzole 200 - 25* - - Province of Esmeraldas Roca de la Eternidad San Francisco de Bogotá Community, 55 EC 609 - 130 - 35 20 - de San Francisco Bogotá Eloy Alfaro Canton, Province of Esmeraldas Tambillo, San Lorenzo Canton, 56 EC 610 - Roca de la Eternidad Tambillo 182 - 30 - - Province of Esmeraldas Palma Real, San Lorenzo Canton, 57 EC 611 - Roca de la Eternidad Palma Real 199 - in proccess Province of Esmeraldas 12 de Octubre, San Lorenzo Canton, 58 EC 614 - Roca de la Eternidad 12 de Octubre 201 - in proccess Province of Esmeraldas Camal, San Lorenzo Canton, Province of 59 EC 615 - Iglesia Jerusalmen de la Santidad 200 - in proccess Esmeraldas Km 9 Community, San Lorenzo Canton, 60 EC 617 - Roca de la Eternidad Kilómetro 9 200 - in proccess Province of Esmeraldas

* Attendance in the churches in these communities is highly irregular because there is so much migration in this region.

Highlands Region Amazon Region Coast Region

Building Hope is Compassion progress and impact on different Country Director Editorial Coordination Spanish Stories Edition International-Ecuador’s quarterly communities where Stadia-sponsored Fernando Puga Cecilia Yépez & Design newsletter published to inform the churches are serving. Jenny Balcázar Iván Balarezo Pérez Quito, Ecuador, 2016

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