Thursday, May 26th and Friday, May 27th

It was an early start for the Harrisburg team arriving at the church at 4:30am! Thank you to all the family and friends who showed up to see us off as we left the church and headed to Atlanta.  The travel shirts didn’t make it to the church before leaving, but we were all shirted up in bright yellow Harrisburg “Volunteer” tees. We looked like a sea of yellow as we wandered through airports and on planes.    The shirts were great eye catchers and sparked many conversations from other travelers.  We had comments in Atlanta from other Tupelonians letting us know they had already been praying for us. In Miami the questions of “Where are you going?” enabled us to tell others about the mission work we would be doing in Ecuador.  There was even a husband and wife team who were returning home after an adventure of church planting work in the Amazon. Wow!  They made our upcoming trip seem like it was going to be an adventure to a spa.  The youth, parents and other team members were all excited about the week ahead and how God might use us as His hands and feet thousands of miles from home.   Though the check-in at the airport took longer than expected, we had no problems making our flight and travel to Quito was smooth.  Upon arriving Carol Thompson met us, our missionary from Camp Chacauco, who informed us her husband Steve was in the hospital and would be having surgery to replace a stint early the next morning.  Also, the two buses, which were coming to pick us up, were stuck in another city in traffic and would not be arriving for quite some time.  It was late in the evening, we were weary from a long day’s travel, and we immediately knew we were in God’s hands.  Our plans for the next day would be changed, indefinite and we would have to be the F.A.T. people (flexible, adaptable and teachable) we had been told about.  We gathered for a prayer for Steve and thanked God for our safe travel.  After several trips of shuttling us to the hotel by one bus, we arrived safe, sound, and all crashed.   

We all had a good night’s sleep and rose early for breakfast and to set out to see what God had planned for us.  We were greeted by several hosts from the camp, as well as Ben Gilliland, from Tupelo who has been working with Steve Thompson at the camp for three weeks.  Brother Glenn informed us that Steve was out of surgery.  The doctors had only found 40 percent blockage and would not need a stint.   We gathered for prayer and thanked the Lord for answered prayers.  We loaded up on 2 buses and set out for Salcedo where we would be playing with children in a park and passing out salvation bracelets the youth had put together.   Ben told us to “drink lots of water” to prevent altitude sickness.  Traffic today seemed to be worse than expected.  David Langerfield said he had never seen it this bad before.  The trip to the park, which was only supposed to take 2 hours, took more like 4.  Though the traffic was extremely bad, the numerous bathroom stops due to the “drink lots of water” added time too.  Ben may have regretted telling us that!  Adjusting to the new bathroom routine of rationing out toilet paper, no flushing the paper, and the missing toilet seats, made for fun conversations throughout the trip.  When we arrived at the park there were approximately 45 of the cutest Ecuadorian children waiting patiently for our arrival.  Because of our long travel time, the children had already played games, but hey sang a precious song for us and we in turn passed out the bracelets.  We spent time introducing ourselves and asking them to tell us the colors of the beads in Spanish.  The children loved having their picture made and the hugs from the team members.  Our time there was a blessing to all of us.   We continued our travel to Camp Chacauco while taking in the beauty of God’s creation in Ecuador.  The land, mountains, waterfalls, and river were breathtaking.  The views from the cities in the valleys looking to the mountains and then the mountain sides looking over the valleys had us all amazed.  The pigs being roasted on the side of the road, cows in the middle of the road, and dogs on rooftops showed us we clearly weren’t in Kansas anymore.  There really aren’t words that can describe the feelings we had as we traveled today.  Expressing our awe of His beautiful work and amazement in the differences in cultures doesn’t even do justice.   Upon arrival at camp, we ate lunch, did some unpacking and getting settled in.  We prepared supplies for tomorrow’s work, rested, played ball, then gathered to discuss Saturday’s agenda.  We practiced some ice-breaking games we would be playing with the Disciple Now students who will be arriving tomorrow from surrounding areas.  The staff cooked another fabulous meal for dinner before we returned to the gym for a time of worship and singing.  It was amazing to hear songs like “Here I am to Worship” and “How Great is our God” being sung in Spanish, yet having a powerful effect on all of us as we worshiped with our brothers and sisters in Christ from Ecuador.

written and submitted by J.J. Thornton

Saturday, May 28th

Disciple Now at Camp Chacauco
As our morning started off, we all woke up to the pounding sound of rain. This isn’t such a big deal to us seeing that we’ve seen our share of storms here recently but here in Ecuador, this type of raining is rare.  We weren’t sure what to expect the rest of the day regarding the activities that were going to take place outside.  With a group of youth and young adults totaling somewhere around 160 including Harrisburg and Calvary, we knew that God already had a plan to make everything work.  Around 9 A.M., the Ecuadorian youth from local churches began to arrive at the camp.  We had the opportunity to fellowship with all of them before we got started.  To break the ice, we played games with them.  It was very entertaining to see all of the youth running around smiling at such a simple game.  Even though it was difficult for us to communicate with them, we found ways using gestures and some of the few words that we knew in Spanish.  After the games, we had a Spanish worship service.  It was so awesome to realize that even though we were singing in two different languages; our God still understood every word we sang.  Bro. Steve then preached a sermon in Spanish to the youth, which he later summarized to us in English. When it was time for recreation, God took complete control over the situation with the rain.  As soon as it was time for the activities to begin, the rain completely stopped. Not only did the rain end but the fields where our activities were being held did not even resemble a place that had received so much rain in such a short period of time. We all realized that God knew exactly what He was doing.  We played a game similar to the Amazing Race.  Each team was given a list of activities to complete, while trying to finish first.  While the adults were judges in the competition, the youth were mixed in with the different teams.  It was so encouraging to see our youth interact with the Ecuadorian youth with a Christ-like attitude.  As soon as the competition was over, the scavenger hunt began.  Once finished, we all gathered back into the gym for our last worship service together.  As soon as we were done outside, the rain began once again.  God’s timing was impeccable.  During the evening English worship service, Steve challenged us to “Look with your eyes, listen with your ears, and pay attention to everything” (Ezekiel 40:4).  As we go into the rest of the week, we look forward to what God has planned for us and all the opportunities He has in store for us.

written and submitted by Mandy Collins and Ben Hudspeth

Monday, May 30th

We serve a mighty God that moves in mighty ways. He is our protector, comforter, and our best friend. How can I describe what an amazing day all of us in Ecuador shared today?  Upon loading up for our first day of Vacation Bible School, it was a day like all the others: drizzling rain and cool temperatures. Some of us loaded up in buses and others loaded into the backs of pickup trucks because some of the buses were not able to travel up the steep, wet, cobblestone roads. These slick conditions also included the roads of the camp. After boarding my bus bound for Trese de Septiembre (one of the ten schools we are ministering to), and exiting the camp, our bus ground to a halt. Why might you ask? The bus exiting the camp after us could not handle the slippery conditions of the road. Upon making the pretty sharp turn at the exit of the camp, the back of the bus slid until one wheel was off the road! Luckily, no one was hurt, but the experience will never be forgotten in the minds of those riding that bus. Eventually, the bus was pulled back onto the road by a tractor, and a repair crew was hard at work on our return to the camp later in the afternoon. Once our startled missionaries loaded on buses with the rest of us, we set out to our sites. My site is an elementary school named Trese de Septiembre in a town called Patate which is about five minutes from the camp in which we are staying. On the journey to our site, I had no clue what to expect other than a rough estimation of the number of children we would be serving (250 if you are wondering). I had no clue that once we stepped out of the bus and took our supplies into the school that hundreds of faces would be peering at us through the windows of their classrooms. I had no clue that on each child’s face would be a smile, and that each of us in the school could speak the same language called love. Our first experience of the children occurred when they assembled before us to break up into groups.  We introduced ourselves to the entire group, and then we set up. The day’s activities included a bible story on Elijah, a craft about the story, and finally recreation for all the children. These kids are adorable! It did not matter that we only know how to ask their names, and how old they are. These kids would just jabber away in Spanish, and included us as if we were one of their own. They loved to watch us crazy Americans act out the famous standoff between the prophets of Baal and Elijah. By the end of the bible study every kid was able to remember the bible verse we gave them for today (1 Kings 18:37). I enjoyed learning the verse in Spanish, even though I am not sure if I can pronounce the words correctly. After the morning’s activities, we got to spend some personal time with the kids in the school yard. We played tag, spun kids around, handed out crafts, talked with kids, and just spent some intensive time loving on these precious angels. Once the kids had all gone home, and we had eaten our lunches of peanut butter and jelly, ham, or a turkey sandwich, the real work began. At our site we freshened up the murals that line the walls of the school yard, and repainted the exterior walls on the school buildings. A few of us (me included) hitched a ride back to the camp to clean up the craft room and the clothes closet. We dusted, sorted, and organized hundreds of supplies that are used by groups just like ours that come to serve our Lord, Jesus Christ. The medical mission team, consisting of William Bell, Doug Hill, Newt Harrison and Chris Maynard (Calvary Baptist Church) was able to minister to around 145 children of all ages. They have been given the opportunity to get into Ambato Baptist Church school and will be able to see and minister to approximately 350 kids over three days.  I wish I could say we have been free of the need of medical treatment for our team, but there seems to be something special about Ecuador for David Langerfeld; he loves to leave body parts here. Last night Brother David had a crown come out so this morning he left out in search for a dentist to help him out. Once there they discovered that the problem was that he had two absesses, so they drained them and packed them with cotton and will put on a temporary crown Wednesday. We gathered around him tonight and laid hands on and prayed that God would remove any discomfort and that complete healing would take place.After all this work, we were all exhausted, and were grateful for a few hours free time before our supper of chicken, rice, and mashed potatoes. Worship this evening was a completely new experience. The camp hosted a choir from a tribe of Indians called the Quichua tribe. These precious people were of all ages, and wore their everyday clothes, but these clothes looked like costumes. The women wore white, embroidered shirts, black skirts, and a poncho. The guys wore white pants, a shirt, and a poncho as well. Their singing is something I had never experience before. I have no words that can adequately express the emotions their songs evoked in me. I may not have understood their words, but I knew that they were singing of our Savior that understands exactly what they said. After their songs, Kara Young led worship in English for us, and I was entirely moved. I have never felt the Spirit move in such a way ever before. Worship tonight was the absolute best culmination of the most tumultuous day we have had so far. It was obvious satan was trying to foil our plans, but God has been and always will be in control. We just need to be ready to follow his will. I pray we will allow Him to work through us for the rest of this week.

written and submitted by Micah Collum

A Note from Glenn

Tonight will be a night that I will remember for the rest of my life! Why’s that you may ask? Simply put I was privileged enough to see a glimpse of heaven tonight and it rocked me to the very core of who I am! Brother Steve Thompson shared a story, or rather a precious memory of his, with us tonight and I feel compelled to share it with you. Approximately twenty years ago, prior to Camp Chacauco, Steve and Carol lived in a town about forty minutes away from their present home. One day someone knocked on their door and when Steve opened the door he saw a small, Ecuadorian man standing before. The man proceeded to ask Steve if he was a missionary to which Steve responded that he was. The man shared with Steve that he was a Quichua Indian and he lived some distance away on top of a mountain at eleven thousand feet above sea level. He was the most educated man in his village; he had third grade education. He shared with Steve that he was coming to Ambato to sit in the school with his son, also in third grade, so that he could learn to read and write. After sharing for a little while he asked Steve if he would be willing to come to his village to show a small group of believers how to pray. The man said that all they knew how to do was to gather together, join hands, kneel down and then start talking to God. Steve told the man that he didn’t think that they needed any help at all because what they were doing was exactly the right thing. The man still asked Steve if he would come and teach them and Steve gladly agreed. The man was extremely excited but told Steve that before he agreed he must know everything. He began to share how this small group of believers was being extremely persecuted in their village. If Steve were to come and teach they would never meet at the same time and they would never announce that he would be coming. In addition they would only meet at night so that they could sneak him in the village under the coverage of darkness. Steve was more than willing to be a part of God’s moving in this village.
     The man continued to share with Steve how this tiny group of believers came to be. A couple of years before this time, the people of the village heard about a concert that would be taking place in a nearby town and they thought it would be a great opportunity to have some fun. Once they got there they discovered that the concert was actually a Christian concert and that night a man shared the gospel with the crowd and eleven of the villagers prayed to receive Christ. They had no idea what to do next but they heard that night how Christians should pray and read the Bible so they began to meet in secret and do just that. One night while they were meeting a mob of 250 people from the village laid siege to the house where the group was meeting. They surrounded the house so that no one would go in or go out of the house. After two days the angry mob broke down a wall and dragged the group out of the house. They did the most embarrassing thing that you can do to a Quichua Indian; they stripped them down naked and began to beat them with sticks, canes and rods. They beat them until not a part on their bodies were not marked with blood and bruises. After they beat them they got a plant, very similar to bull nettles, and began to hit them covering their bodies in thousands of tiny briars that cause severe burning and pain. After that they tied their hands behind their backs and marched them up the mountain in the cold air and took them to a freezing creek, threw them in and left them there. Several hours later one of the group was finally able to get loose and freed the others. They were forced to go back down the mountain naked to their homes and arrived early in the morning, shamed in front of the entire village. The amazing part of the story is that the man who came to talk to Steve was not in that group…but his daughter was! The dad had been a part of the mob that did those horrific things to his own daughter. The man told Steve that when his daughter crawled into their home and he looked her in the eyes he knew that there was something different about her and he surrendered his life to Christ!
     Tonight a group of Quichua Indians came to Camp Chacauco and sang praises to God in their native tongue and it was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard. Many of the ladies singing tonight were the very ones persecuted years ago. They were teenagers and young adults back then and now they are wives and mothers. I have attached a video of them singing tonight! I hope you hear the preciousness that we heard tonight as we listened to people simply pouring out their souls to Christ in praise! I am still overwhelmed because I believe I witnessed a small taste of heaven tonight! My cup overflows and I’ll never be the same!

written and submitted by Glenn Ross

Tuesday, May 31st

     Day six of our mission trip forced us to practice our ability to be F.A.T. (flexible, adaptable, and teachable) people due to construction work being done on a bridge in the nearby village of Baños. Our plan was to go back to the ten schools we had worked in yesterday and then spend Wednesday in the town of Baños. But because the of much needed maintenance work on the bridge leading into the town we were forced to switch days. Postponing the construction aspect of our community projects did not really upset any of us because we all worked muscles on Monday that we had forgotten we had. After we finished our Vacation Bible School time in the schools we hurried back to camp and then off to Baños for some much needed rest and time of fun! We divided Harrisburg and Calvary into four different buses and headed to Baños to spend time at the swinging basket, the water fall and a tour in the Catholic Cathedral. The swinging basket was incredible. Ten people loaded into a basket suspended on a cable and rode across a three hundred yard wide, two hundred yard deep gorge where the controller stopped the basket so that we could take pictures of an amazing waterfall. Then they would pull you back in to where the ride began. Then we traveled a little further to a breath taking waterfall where you can hike straight down a one kilometer trail to the waterfall. Once there we were able to get right at the waterfall and see God’s creation at its finest! I promise you though that we hiked one kilometer down but two kilometers back up. Most of the people on our team said that they were so very glad to have seen such a beautiful place but didn’t feel the need to ever see it again. Then lastly we drove back into the town of Baños to the town square so that we could tour the local Catholic Cathedral.  It's important to note, that the Catholic Church in Ecuador is not like the Catholoic Church we know.  Here in Ecuador, idol worship is an intricate part of the Catholic Church.  Right away you could tell that it had an ominous feeling. Brother Steve Thompson had told us that he desired for us to be people spreading the light of God in a dark place. When you looked around the town every building it seemed was painted white but the Catholic Cathedral was black; somehow ironically displaying the heart of that place. When we went we saw amazing architecture but you could just sense the darkness there. There were pictures all around the church and we could see that the Jesus they worship seems to be either a baby or still in the tomb. They have completely missed the point that Jesus is alive and is on His Father’s throne. At the front of the church they have a glass coffin in it with a statue of Christ dead. We were all very glad to get out of there. I have to say that two of the three things that Eddie Martin shared with me before this trip are true: The ice cream is amazing and the Cathedral is definitely dark and ominous. But he told us that you don’t sweat in Ecuador; he obviously hasn’t ever hiked to the bottom of that waterfall (haha). Once we left the Cathedral we left and went to the Banos Baptist Church where the cooks from Camp Chacauco fed us supper. The pastor the church shared his testimony and his heart with us. His father had died when he was three and then his mother passed away at the age of sixteen. After the death of his mother he moved in with Steve and Carol Thompson. With tears in his eyes he shared with us how he had lived with Steve and Carol for ten years and that Steve, Carol and their two children had become his family. He credited Steve and Carol’s family and their love for helping him develop a renewed understanding of what a family looked like. He told us how he had been called in the ministry while living with them and that his single greatest hope was that his country would discover and surrender to Christ. Brother Steve shared with us how his church is currently renting a space to meet but has a dream of purchasing some land so that they could build their own facility. They have a poster board on the wall of the church that had broken down the financial need into individual blocks of $27.50. They had raised nearly $6000 so far. It was incredible to see God move but during that service God began to speak to several different groups and they all heard the same thing; we needed to help. So right then we were asked if we would be willing to help by taking up a love offering so we did and raised nearly $1400 and purchased 50 squares! If you would like to help this church donations can be made to Global Outreach. Just make your check out to them and in the memo line put Steve Thompson/Baños Baptist Church. After we finished there we walked back to the town square for a time of Praise and Worship. Once again as we were walking out there it started to rain but once we got started God was faithful once again by stopping the rain as we began to sing. Our time of Praise and Worship was amazing! A police officer walked up to see what we were doing and immediately two of our translators began to share the gospel with him. It was powerful to see those two Ecuadorian men lay hands on the officer and pray with him. We also had several from our group begin talking to a Korean couple. They began to share the gospel with them and found out that they were evangelist and were here on a mission trip sharing the gospel as well. Our night ended with church group time where we shared our personal experiences with each other. It was a really sweet time as team members shared how God had worked in their lives and what He had done for them. Brother David was doing better but his tooth began to hurt him again. He has had to go back to the dentist tonight to try and get him some relief. Please keep him in your prayers and ask that God would grant him comfort as he travels back to the states! We asked him what body part he would like to leave in Ecuador next and he said he thought he’d leave his gall bladder next! Also if you have enjoyed experiencing our trip through our website, please be sure and let Steve Hall know the next time you see him. We couldn’t have had it without him. Also Mark and I would like to thank our family for helping make this trip possible. We love you all!

written and submitted by Mark and Carla Weeden

Wednesday, June 1st

As our trip draws to a close and we prepare to travel back to Quito tomorrow to fly home on Friday I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who has prayed for us, for safety, for the Ecuadorian people. Your prayers were felt and I believe without any doubt that God honored those prayers this week. I know that many of you have been keeping up with the events of each day but I’m afraid that the words that we’ve written and the pictures we took fall incredibly short of showing you the amazing ways that God has moved and worked! But even so we want to try our best to describe to you how wonderful and faithful our King has been to this team! As we woke up this morning we all knew that today would be an incredibly difficult day. Over the past week so many relationships have developed and saying goodbye is never easy. After we ate breakfast we started the day off with a sweet time of worship and then loaded up the buses and headed to our schools for the last VBS of our trip. Have I already mentioned that our God is incredible? Isn’t it so wonderful how our God knows just what we need and just when we need it? Today was a phenomenal day with the kids! From what I have heard from our team it was the best day yet! It was indeed tough to say goodbye but God gave us a peace that we had done exactly what He had called us to do; only He knows how many kids heard the gospel this week and one of these days we’ll know too. Once we left VBS we went back to our work sites and finished up painting the schools we had been working in. Several of our teams painting some amazing murals! The teachers and administrators were so appreciative of the work that we had put in to their schools. We were once again blessed beyond measure. After we finished up and came back to camp and wouldn’t you know, God showed off once more. All week long the volcano has been covered by clouds. So much so that many parents accused me of lying and saying that there wasn’t a volcano at all. Well once we got back to camp I was vindicated because God saw fit to blow the clouds away so our team could see the splendor of His creation. And it was incredible! We finished off our night by having a great worship service and getting ready to head out! Please continue to be in prayer for our team (Harrisburg and Calvary) as we travel back home over the next two days. I am so proud to have been blessed to be a part of such an incredible team! This is without a doubt the most incredible week I have ever experienced on missions! I want to thank Harrisburg for supporting us as we’ve been away on missions being an extension of our faith family. We love you all and can not wait to get home to tell you all of what God did! See you soon!

~written and submitted by Glenn Ross

Thursday, June 2nd

Carol and I have had the privilege of working with Harrisburg and Calvary for several years in many different settings and ministry opportunities.  Once again we were blessed. A week with 122 volunteers from Tupelo can change your world. This youth and adult team worked in many communities around the Patate valley close to Camp Chacauco through VBS and Community service. The lives of more than one thousand four hundred (1400) children and countless adults were impacted with the gospel. Through the faithful obedience and service of this team we were given the opportunity to see the way that God breaks down the walls of rejection and resistance. From the very first meeting here at the Camp, our staff and the Tupelo team united in a commitment to let our light shine in a dark world. By being His instruments and His messengers we shared the truths of His word and saw the evidence of His power. He manifested His glory in our midst. All of us at Chacauco have been challenged to keep moving forward by the participation of this team. From the many contacts made this week we will see fruit, the fruit that He will bring forth. Acts 13: 47 – 48 says: 47 For this is what the Lord has commanded us: “I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.”  48 When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed. Thank you Harrisburg for the commitment that you have made to missions.  Thank you for the direct participation that you have made here in Ecuador. May God bless you.  

writtin and submitted by Steve and Carol Thompson