Ecuador: Intern Luci’s First Week in QuitoEditor’s Note: High school junior Luci Bryson, daughter of SIFAT training director Kathy Bryson, is spending six weeks this summer as an intern with SIFAT Ecuador. Having already been part of Learn & Serve programming and training events both on our Galilee Campus and internationally, Luci is helping our teams in Ecuador and improving her Spanish translating skills. This is the first installment of her trip journal. June 11 — Today marks day 11 of my internship here in Ecuador. It seems that there hasn’t been a single moment to sit down and write. This past week, I worked with a medical team from Pensacola translating, and wow, how very eye opening it truly was for me! Literally. One time, I translated for an older gentleman who had never experienced glasses. Being able to translate his words to the doctors– connecting two languages for a clearer vision really cleared my own. I’m not only here to translate, but I am here as a bridge between two cultures. This first week, I have been hit hard with how much of what I considered “common sense” to really be another word I used for past experiences. It amazed me how shocked many were, even in tears, at the poverty that is so prevalent here in Quito–especially during the home visits at Villaflora.
 Luci Bryson, SIFAT Ecuador intern, translated for VBS and a medical clinic, hosted by the St. Luke UMC (Pensacola) mission team, during her first week in Ecuador. Ecuador: Mission Team Members Needed!We need you to join with us this year to serve the people of Ecuador! Several of our 2018 teams need extra members now to complete their teams. In February, SIFAT broke ground on a new construction project in Aida Leon in the southern part of Quito. Teams will be working with SIFAT graduate Pastor Wilson and his church for the next three years on a project called Gotitas de Esperanza, Teardrops of Hope. When completed, this building will allow for care of an additional 200 children who might otherwise be on the streets when not in school. We need construction and VBS workers on each team. Please consider joining one of the teams listed below today while airline tickets are still available.
 Construction has begun on the Aida Leon project in Ecuador! Team members are needed to fill spaces on several teams this year! Available DatesThe following teams have openings and are asking for people to join their teams: 5/12 – 5/20 Clear Lake UMC, Clear Lake, Texas (all ages welcome) 6/2 – 6/9 St. Luke’s UMC, Tupelo, Miss. (youth team; great for youth, college students & young adults) 6/9 – 6/16 Faith UMC, Pinson, Ala. (all ages welcome) 6/30 – 7/7 Eufaula FUMC (youth team; great for youth, college students & young adults) 10/13 – 10/20 Bonifay FUMC, Bonifay, Fla. – medical team (doctors and nurse practitioners needed; may be serving a different SIFAT Ecuador project site) Ecuador: New Regulations = New Concrete EquipmentIn 2018, the Aida Leon project will break ground in Ecuador! However, new building codes and government regulations will not allow us to mix concrete by hand, as teams have done for the last 17 years in the traditional building style of Quito. SIFAT Ecuador’s engineer, Edwin Contreras, told us that inspectors were enforcing these new rules and even requiring some buildings to be torn down because of a lack of compliance. While it is the improving codes that are requiring the new equipment, we know many of our team members are excited about how much easier preparing concrete to pour columns will be!  Because of new building codes, SIFAT Ecuador must buy a concrete mixer and vibrator before the first mission team to Aida Leon arrives in February. Ecuador: Summer Intern Wrap-UpBethany Lake interned in Ecuador with us this summer. She has now been back for a few weeks, but wanted to share her final journals with us. Thank you, Bethany, for your service in Ecuador and for sharing your experiences on our blog! You can read Bethany’s previous posts here (introduction) and here (first two weeks).  Thank you, Bethany, for all of your energy helping our Ecuadorian teams this summer! We could not have done it without your enthusiasm and hard work.
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