Camp Project 2012

Making Improvements to the Covenant Camp in

Covenant World Mission 8303 W Higgins Ave Chicago, IL 60631 CovChurch.org/mission under “Projects” [email protected] 773/907-3321 IPEE (pronounced “ ee-pay -ay”) stands for “Iglesia del Pacto Evangélico del Ecuador” which literally translates as the Evangelical Covenant Church of Ecuador. IPEE is a well established national church with 82 churches nationwide. It has one campground located in Santo Domingo, which serves as a vital part of the “glue” that holds the church together because of everything that takes place there throughout the year. In one year, the campground serves the national church by hosting the Annual Meeting, the annual retreats for pastors, women, young adults, and adolescents, as well as, a variety of other training seminars and smaller gatherings. In addition to these events, the campground functions as a meeting place for many other retreats, seminars and groups from other Christian churches. The camp is also serving as a light to the growing city of Santo Domingo, which is nearby.

IPEE strongly desires to improve the camp. The current structures and facilities are outdated and insufficient. To improve the camp, the national church has created an in-depth, well thought out plan. Though IPEE is large and well-structured, financial resources are limited for developing the camp.

This year’s camp project comes alongside of IPEE to help provide some needed upgrades and renovations to the camp. By providing a pool for the children to swim in, renovating the kitchen and beginning to construct family cabins, this project will help the camp make huge strides in what it is seeking to become. Thank you so much for your willingness to partner with IPEE in making the camp and even better place to meet.

Packet Contents Page Project Overview 3 Project Goals 5 Information on Ecuador 7 History of IPEE & the IPEE Camp 9 Customs, Verses, Activities/Games, Songs, and Recipes 11

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Project Overview

Camps in Ecuador are not that different from those in the United States and Canada except that they are much fewer and farther in between and maybe do not have quite as many accommodations. That is why when a national church is fortunate enough to have its very own campground it is considered a very precious commodity. Could you imagine if there were only one campground for the entire church to use in all of the U.S. or Canada? And that campground was so important that every major meeting, seminar, workshop, and retreat was held there every year? Well, that is what occurs in Ecuador and that is why, as the facilities are getting outdated and rundown, it is so important to have upgrades and additions made to it.

Camp Location

The location of the campgrounds is shown on the picture on the left (delineated with a yellow heart). It is located just southwest of the city of Santo Domingo. The camp is located west and about a three-hour drive from the capital of Ecuador, (delineated with a red star). Quito is also where the headquarters for IPEE can be found.

Santo Domingo, which is near the camp, is a centrally located city which is found at a much lower altitude than much of mountainous Ecuador. For this reason, its is usually very hot and muggy. During the country’s rainy season, it rains almost every day. This causes the vegetation to be full, very lush and green, much like that of a rain forest. As a result, even though the camp is not located in the rainforest it has conditions very much like that of a rainforest.

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Santo Domingo is a city full of history with its culture closely linked to the indigenous people from the area, who are called the Tsachilas. The Tsachilas’ men (pictured on the right) traditionally dye their hair red. Today, the city is usually called Santo Domingo of the Tsachilas.

Importance of the Camp in Santo Domingo

As has already been mentioned, the camp has an importance to the national church that may be unimaginable to those in the U.S. and Canada. The camp is central to the life and ministry of IPEE as well as many individual Covenant churches which utilize the facilities.

In addition to the services that the camp provides to IPEE, it is also open to other Christian denominations and churches that utilize the facilities. Many local churches from the Santo Domingo area come to the campgrounds for retreats, special services (including baptismal services and weddings), seminars and other events. Some come for a weekend but others also come for one-day special events. In fact, groups come from all over Ecuador, including the coast (west), the central Andes region (where Quito is located), and the jungle area in the east.

Though the city of Santo Domingo has a rich history and culture associated with the Tsachilas, there is another side. It is a bustling city with a population of over 300,000 which makes it the fourth largest city in all of Ecuador. Santo Domingo is one of the fastest growing urban populations because of its location in the center of the country and the fact that it serves as a crossroads between central Quito, the coastal cities and the cities of the south. Because it is growing so quickly, the social services and ministries in Santo Domingo have not been able to keep up with the quick growth. This has led to an increase in the problems of prostitution, human trafficking, domestic violence and abuse, alcoholism and drug abuse. Considering all of this, the IPEE camp, located just outside the city limits, is also able to serve as a light to the darkness that is found in the city and give witness to the hope in Jesus Christ.

Finally, one of the reasons IPEE has put together a significant plan to make improvements to the campgrounds is because of its long-range plans. Because of the changing role of foreign support for IPEE, it can be foreseen that the national church will soon be facing difficulties in funding national ministries. By improving the campgrounds and making an investment now, the leaders of IPEE see the camp as a resource that can potentially provide additional financial support for national ministries. In other words by developing the camp in Santo Domingo, funds from this ministry can serve to support the other ministries at a national level.

More information and resources can be found on the Covenant World Mission website at CovChurch.org/mission under “Projects.” or on the camp’s Facebook page by using this email address: [email protected] .

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Project Goals

This year’s project to assist the Camp in Ecuador is seeking to provide three specific upgrades which will meet four goals.

Camp Upgrades

1. Renovate the kitchen $12,500

2. Construct a swimming pool $30,000

3. Construct two family cabins $12,000*

Total Cost $54,500*

*One or more family cabins can be constructed depending on the amount that is donated, so the number of cabins can be increased or lessened based on the amount raised.

Goals

1. Increase the Level of Safety – This project will provide a safe alternative to swimming in a very dangerous nearby river. The funds from this project will allow a pool to be built so that folks do not have to swim in the river. In the hot climate of Santo Domingo, swimming is a very popular activity to cool down while at the camp. During the rainy season, the very large river by the camp has an extremely fast current which makes for exceptionally dangerous swimming conditions.

2. Provide a safe and sanitary food preparation area and improve service standards in the kitchen. The kitchen is extremely basic and very outdated. It is very difficult to keep it clean because all the surfaces are concrete and are not very smooth. In addition, the kitchen does not have hot water for washing dishes properly.

3. Make the Camp More Family Friendly – Currently when there is a large group staying at the camp, there is no place for families to stay together. The sleeping arrangements consist of large dormitories with bunk beds which are fine for people who come by themselves. The challenges occur with large church groups. Can you imagine a family retreat under these conditions? In these cases, the families have to split up by gender because that is the only way the camp can accommodate them. The funds from this project will allow the camp to begin the

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process of adding family cabins so that there is a place for families to stay.

4. Provide More Opportunities for Enjoyment – really enjoy going somewhere for a dip to cool off. Ecuador has many types of vacation spots, but pretty much all of them include a place to go swimming. The beach is of course the most visited location, but there are also hot springs, large community pools, small water parks, and rivers that are very popular swimming spots. By adding a pool to the campgrounds, the camp will be an even more enjoyable place to visit. Also, as previously mentioned, it will provide a safer option than the river, which can be dangerous. Also, during the rainy season, the river often does not allow swimming to take place.

5. Increase Revenue for IPEE which will support National Ministries – IPEE has developed and approved a plan to make over 30 changes and improvements to the campgrounds which they call the “Super Camp” plan (see page 10). The desire to vastly improve the campgrounds is based on the idea that the camp can be an investment which will later provide funds to benefit all of the IPEE ministries. Because of the changing role of foreign support for IPEE, the church can foresee that it will soon be facing difficulties in providing funding for its national ministries. The Covenant churches of Ecuador try to tithe 15% to the denomination. Unfortunately, some churches cannot even afford to pay their pastors so you can imagine how little is actually tithed every year by many of the churches that have lower incomes. By improving the campgrounds and making an investment now, IPEE sees the camp as a resource that can potentially provide financial support for national ministries.

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Information on Ecuador

Ecuador, about equal in size to Colorado, is in the northwest part of South America with the Pacific Ocean forming its western border. To the north is Colombia and to the east and south is Peru. The country also includes the Galápagos Islands in the Pacific, about 620 miles west of the mainland. The capital of Ecuador is Quito (population of 1.6 million), its largest city is the port of Guayaquil (population of 2.2 million) and its historic capital and third largest city is called Cuenca (population of 330 thousand), located in the south. Quito, Cuenca, and the Galápagos Islands, were declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. With an elevation of over 9,200 feet, Quito is the second highest capital in the world. The equator runs through Ecuador just north of Quito from which Ecuador received its name. The country has a population of over 15 million people.

Fun Facts about Ecuador Perhaps you can use this information for a trivia game.

 What are things in the U.S. and Canada that may come from Ecuador? Oil, bananas, cut flowers (roses), fish and shrimp.

 What’s the going rate for roses in Ecuador? 25 roses for $5.

 When you travel to Ecuador, what currency do you have to convert your money into? You might not need to convert it at all! Ecuador uses the U.S. Dollar and cash from the U.S. will work there.

 Are there lots of different kinds of animals, plants and insects in Ecuador? Yes! Ecuador is considered to be the country with the most biodiversity per kilometer in the world. Ecuador has 1,600 bird species (15% of the world's known bird species) in the continental area, and 38 more can be found in the Galápagos. In addition to over 16,000 species of plants, the country has 106 reptiles, 138 amphibians, and 6,000 species of butterfly. Ecuador’s Flag  Does Ecuador have Daylight Savings Time? Nope! Because of its location on the equator, the time that the sun rises and sets every day never really changes. An Ecuadorian can

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pretty much count on the sun rising and setting around 6:30 all year round.

 Are there any really high points in Ecuador? Yes! The volcano Chimborazo (cheem-bow- RAW-so) has the highest point in Ecuador and its peak is the furthest point on the surface of the earth from the earth’s core and is the earth’s closest point to the sun (because the earth is the thickest at the equator). The volcano Cotopaxi (co-tow-POX-ee), just south of Quito, is considered to be one of the world’s highest active volcanoes.

 How many volcanoes are there in Ecuador? 72!

 How many languages are spoken in Ecuador? There are 22 different languages spoken throughout Ecuador with the vast majority being indigenous languages. Spanish is the predominant and official language of Ecuador.

 Is there diversity in the climate of Ecuador? Yes there is! Ecuador is divided into four geographical regions, namely the Coastal Area, the Andean Highlands, the Amazon and the Galapagos Islands. Each of these has their own unique climate.

 Where does the Panama Hat come from? Not Panama – it actually comes from Montecristi and Cuenca, Ecuador.

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History of IPEE and the IPEE Camp

The Evangelical Covenant Church was invited into Ecuador in 1947 to serve alongside the ministries of HCJB Radio to work specifically in the area of education. Through the hard work of missionaries, schools were eventually developed and so were churches and other bodies of believers. The church grew and formed its own leadership and became “La Iglesia del Pacto Evangélico del Ecuador” or IPEE in 1961. Since that time, though Covenant missionaries have remained and worked in partnership with the national church, the leadership of IPEE has been guiding the direction of the national church and its ministries. Much of its IPEE Camp Sign history can be characterized as having an emphasis on evangelism, specifically to those facing persecution or oppression. Many churches have started by ministering to refugees or oppressed people groups. IPEE even helped in developing the Covenant Church of Colombia and its seminary there in the late 60’s.

The Evangelical Covenant Church of Sweden began work in Ecuador in early 1971. Through their work and seeing the way that God was already working through IPEE’s ministries, they helped to develop a new social outreach and development branch of the church called “La Fundación Adelanto Comunitario Ecuatoriano” or FACE. It soon became a separate, recognized organization in Ecuador (though it remains under the umbrella of IPEE), which has received much national and international respect and is given special consideration by the Ecuadorian government with its projects. FACE has been involved in ministries of community development and education in the areas of agriculture, radio, health, water, hospitality, environment, and scholarships.

Land was purchased for the camp in 1989 in Santo Domingo. IPEE has been diligent in developing its facilities slowly but surely. Usually, overflow funds go to ministries with more urgent concerns, though the camp, since the beginning, is the primary meeting place for national gatherings. The Covenant Camp Projects have come alongside IPEE by helping to develop the facilities in 1991; by bringing electricity to the camp in 1993; and by helping to build the dormitories in 1998. This most recent initiative to bring about large and dramatic improvements to the campgrounds was initiated by the IPEE leadership in 2010. The national church also requested ECC missionary involvement in this project.

Today, IPEE has 82 churches with another 12 small groups that are developing into churches. These churches are in six districts located throughout the country. The youth ministries are growing and the annual retreats at the camp have more campers every year. IPEE also has a seminary to train pastors (SIPEE) which collaborates with other seminaries and provides courses by correspondence. There are Covenant schools as well as a national women’s ministry. IPEE ministries include strong emphases in the areas of evangelism, church planting, discipleship, community development, compassion, education, youth, children, and camping ministry.

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IPEE’s Super Camp Plan Step 1 : Change #1 (Purchases Needed Immediately) – In Process! Change #2 (Implement Incentive Bonus Program) – Completed! Change #20 (Create a System for Water Purification) – In Process! Change #25 (Establish a System for Recyclables) – Completed! Change #13 (Help in Making Effective the Productivity of our Camp Administrator) – Completed! Change # 16 (Restore and Fix all of the Deteriorated and Broken Items) – In Process! Change #9 (Reinforce the Identity of the Covenant Churches with the Camp) – In Process! Change #3 (Construct Family Cabins) – In Process!

Step 2 : Obtain a Loan

Step 3 : Change #4 (Complete the Renovation of our Main Pavilion) – In Process! Change #7 (Renovate the Kitchen and the Dishwashing Room) – In Process! Change #10 (Implement Internet Service and an Internet Café) Change # 12 (Create a Web Page with an Email Address) – In Process! Change #17 (Add Tubes or Boats for Floating Down the River) Change #6 (Add a Pool) – In Process! Change #8 (Add a Fishing Pond) Change #15 (Construct a Protection Wall for the Bank of the River) Change # 22 (Construct an Additional Dormitory) Change # 27 (Construct One or Two More Huts for Meeting Space) Change #21 (Purchase a Tractor for Cutting the Grass) Change #31 (Construct a New Auditorium for Services)

Step 4 : Change #11 (Put up New Billboards)

Step 5 : Change #19 (Add a Fence and a Walking Path that Goes by the River) Change #5 (Add More Natural Beauty) Change #26 (Setup a Space for Campfires) Change #29 (Make a Small Zoo Area) Change #28 (Add Signage throughout the Property)

Step 6 : Change #14 (Add Extreme Sports) Change #18 (Create a Space for Table Games) Change #24 (Complete the House that is in Construction) Change #23 (The Camp as a Place for Spiritual Retreats for Pastors) Change #30 (Hire a Program Coordinator for the Camp)

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In Ecuador they have many customs that have to do with greeting and saying goodbye to your friends and family. When Ecuadorians see each other it is considered polite to greet each person individually by saying good morning (buenos días), good afternoon (buenas tardes), or good evening (buenas noches) and by shaking hands or kissing the air near the other person’s cheek. Then when people part ways they again make sure to say goodbye to each person in the room. Maybe you can practice this way of greeting this week at camp!

Another custom in Ecuador is to say “Buen provecho ( boo-en’ pro-bay’-cho )” to others that are eating. “Buen provecho” is similar to saying “Bon appétit” or “Enjoy your meal”. Ecuadorians say this when they see someone else eating. For example, if an Ecuadorian enters a restaurant where others are eating, they will often say “Buen provecho”. Also if an Ecuadorian leaves the table before the others are finished it is customary and polite to say “Buen provecho” as he/she gets up to leave the table. Can you guys say “Buen provecho”? Can you practice that this week at mealtimes?

Perhaps campers can learn this Bible verse during camp.

“Ama al Señor tu Dios con todo tu corazón y con toda tu alma y con todas tus fuerzas.” (Deuteronomio 6:5)

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” (Deuteronomy 6:5)

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Trabalenguas – Tongue-Twisters Just like in English, Spanish also uses tongue-twisters. Ecuadorian youth like to use tongue- twisters in camps and youth events. The goal is to say the phrase as fast a possible without mixing up or mispronouncing the words (which can prove to be quite the challenge). Here are some popular English tongue-twisters for you to practice:

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked. If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers, Where's the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?

Sally sells sea shells by the sea shore. But if Sally sells sea shells by the sea shore then where are the sea shells Sally sells?

Do you think you could try one in Spanish? Here are a few easy ones in Spanish that are used by Ecuadorians at their camps and events (the “v” sound in Spanish sounds like a “b”)

Pablito clavó un clavito. ¿Qué clavito clavó Pablito?

Como poco coco como, poco coco compro.

Él Corre, Corre Trenecito (He/She is Running, Run Little Train) Another popular game among Ecuadorian youth is called Él Corre, Corre Trenecito (He or She is Running, Run Little Train)

Formation: Each player receives the name of a part of the train: engine, caboose, wheel, whistle, crank, car, door, etc.

How to play: The player who is assigned to be the engine moves away from the rest of the group and says, “The train is going to leave, but it can’t because it is missing the …” and names one of the parts. The person that represents that part runs and puts his/her hands on the shoulder of the person who is the engine. The engine continues like this until all the parts have been called and each part has joined the end of the line with his/her hands on the shoulders of the person in front of him/her. When all the parts have been called, the engine takes off running followed by all the others; the player who lets go of the shoulders of the person in front of him/her must move to the end of the line or be penalized with a “penitencia.” Penitencia is the Spanish word for penance. It is common in Ecuador for the loser(s) of a game to have to do a “penitencia” in front of the whole group. Many times “penitencias” involve singing or dancing in front of the whole group. Another example is having to act like a cow, dog, or other animal.

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Tu Nombre Levantaré/Lord, I Lift Your Name on High A commonly sung song in Ecuador is the Spanish version of the well-known English song “Lord, I Lift Your Name on High”. These are the lyrics first in Spanish then in English:

Tu nombre levantaré Lord, I lift Your name on high Me deleito en adorarte Lord, I love to sing your praises Te agradezco que en mi vida estés I’m so glad you’re in my life Que vinieras a salvarme I’m so glad you came to save us

Coro (chorus): Dejaste el trono para You came from Heaven to earth Mostrarnos la luz To show the way De tu trono a la cruz From the earth to the cross Y mi deuda pagar My debt to pay De la cruz a morir From the cross to the grave De la muerte a tu trono rom the grave to the sky Tu nombre levantaré Lord, I lift Your name on high

Al Son del Cocodrilo This is a children’s song with fun motion) that is popular in Ecuador. The English translation and motions are included.

Al son del cocodrilo y el orangután Like the crocodile and the orangutan  (Clap hands like crocodile mouth, beat chest) La pícara serpiente y el águila real The crafty serpent and the bald eagle  (Move both hands together like a slithering snake, flap wings like eagle) El topo, el conejo, y también el elefante The mole, the rabbit, also the elephant  (Use pointer fingers to make beaver teeth, put hands on top of head to make rabbit ears, put left hand on nose and use right hand to make the trunk of the elephant) Por opo opo son de la creación Por opo opo they are from the Creation Por opo opo son todos del Señor Por opo opo they all belong to the Lord

After singing through the song once the group sings through it again but instead of singing it all they hum the part about the crocodile (while still doing the motion) and then continue to sing the rest normally. The group continues to repeat the song replacing the singing with humming one animal at a time until all of the animal names are being hummed. It can also be sped up each time as well for added difficulty.

You can find a sample of this song on youtube by typing “al son del cocodrilo”. To find the chords, visit adventista7.com/social/en/?option=com_acordes&t=canto&id=273

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NOTE: Please make sure that children are not handling sharp or hot items.

Llapingachos - Potato Patties Ingredients: • 2 lbs. potatoes • 1 ½ teaspoon oil • 1 ½ t teaspoon annatto • 2 tablespoon chopped green onion • 6 oz. chopped fresh cheese without salt (also called Mexican cheese) • 1 tablespoon salt

Preparation: • Peel the potatoes • Cook the potatoes with water and salt until soft • Mash the potatoes • Heat oil, annatto, and onions in frying pan • Add oil mixture to potatoes and cheese • Form mixture into thick patties (about four inches in diameter) • Fry the patties in a frying pan • Serve with a simple avocado, lettuce, and tomato salad.

Batido de Fresa y Banano - Strawberry & Banana Milkshake Ingredients: • 1 and 1/2 cups crushed ice • 1 cup whole, medium-size strawberries • 1 banana • 2 tablespoon sugar (very fine) • 1/2 cup milk

Preparation: Place crushed ice in blender or chop the ice in your blender if possible. Add remaining ingredients and puree in blender until smooth. Serve immediately. Yields 3-4 servings

Twice-fried Plantain Slices - Patacones Ingredients: • Green plantains - you can get about eight patacones per plantain • Canola oil for frying • Salt to taste • Garlic salt (optional) • Water (optional)

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Preparation: 1. Peel the plantains, the easiest way to peel a green plantain is to make the lengthwise cut on one of the angles, the cut should be skin deep without touching the actual flesh of the plantain, then use the knife to raise the skin and peel it off. 2. Cut the plantains into thick slices, you can make straight cuts or slightly diagonal cuts (about 6-8 slices per plantain). 3. Heat the canola oil over medium high heat in a frying pan – use enough oil to almost cover the plantain slices – or a deep fryer, temperature should be about 350 F, fry the plantains until they start to get yellow, but not golden. 4. Remove the plantains and place on paper towels to drain the oil. 5. Use a wood mortar and pestle (or the bottom of a glass or plate) to smash and flatten the plantains, do this gently to keep the slices from breaking, a few cracks is ok as long as the whole slice remains in one piece. 6. Sprinkle the plantain slices with salt and other seasonings (or dip the plantain slices in a mixture of water and garlic salt for a crispier end result). 7. Reheat the oil, temperature should be about 375 F and fry the plantains until golden on each side, about 1-2 minutes per side. 8. Remove from the oil, drain again on paper towels, and add additional salt if desired. 9. Serve warm as a side dish or as an appetizer.

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