Quito is a magnificent city located in the Andes mountains of Ecuador. Flying in on Friday night, we were a mere 100 feet off the ground when the pilot suddenly pulled the plane into a steep ascent because he could not see the runway. Speaking with the captain of the plane while on the tarmac in Guayaquil, we learned how close we came to a scary landing. Thank God we were safe and made it to Quito the next day.
We had a number of projects to work on during the week. Not long before we arrived, a land dispute developed for the property the church is on because the owner wants her land back. The building plans had to change to create a structure that can be removed if need be. This change slowed the progress on getting the beams up as new strategies for the building had to be determined.
We dug 16 holes approximately 3’x3’ and 4 feet deep for footings for the building. Meanwhile, steel plates for beams and a rebar structure for the concrete was created. We poured concrete and set the plates available in place. We also sanded and primed the beams.
We painted a huge mural featuring Noah’s Ark in a room used by children. It took four people almost four days to accomplish this task.
We purchased and installed ceramic tile for new bathroom facilities. A new challenge was cutting out the path for the bathroom pipes because the cement had already been poured. We then put the pipes in and covered them with cement. This process slowed us in getting the tile in place.
Perhaps the most challenging job involved renovating a meeting room. The original builders of the room used actual mud as the mortar for the blocks. I don’t think cement was available when this building was first created. The team had to scrape out enough mud to then apply new mortar that stuck to the blocks because the mud would not hold any paint. Next, we added a thin coat of plaster to the walls, sanded, primed and applied paint. Finally, a ceiling was dropped in.
One morning we visited a school to give children clothes and toys the team members brought. The neighborhood is called “The Mouth of the Wolf” and lives up to its name. These children were extremely grateful and gave each of us a gift (ours hangs on our refrigerator). We were able to raise additional funds to purchase blackboards and desks for the school as well.
This project was wonderful to work on and we made some new friends. We have been invited to return to Quito to work on a special project with a television station that sends a signal to all of the Americas. Thank you for helping us make a difference in Quito!
