Creating Bonds of Friendship
The experience of being in Ecuador has been great, a magnificent opportunity to put love and knowledge into action. This country has everything. Its multiculturalism is admirable and each ethnic group maintains its customs and traditions. There is a lot to learn from Ecuador.
One of the opportunities I enjoyed the most was to find myself every week in the community of Pijal with the Fonte family: Cecilia, a hard-working mother and her four beautiful children Estiven, Yerely, Cinthia and Jennifer. The time spent with them was very gratifying.
In each visit, I could meet them and create bonds of friendship in addition to working on a family program which contributed to their personal, spiritual, social and intellectual development. Their socio-economic condition has limitations but this did not prevent the family and the community from being able to show the fruits of the themes explored. There was a positive change in their lives. This is a family to admire and continue to support, because even with their economic stress, these children do their best and are good students. Their grades were very good which motivated our efforts to find additional support for school supplies.
For Christmas, the FEDICE team joined forces in a personal way to provide them with basic things they did not have at home such as beds, dishes, silverware, etc. Seeing their faces so happy and their expression of gratitude was very inspiring. We are called to share joy – even with what little we have, we can give and make others happy. The coming together of hearts full of love, of faith, and work can achieve truly significant things.
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La experiencia de estar en Ecuador ha sido grandiosa, una oportunidad magnífica para poner el amor y el conocimiento en acción, este país lo tiene todo, la interculturalidad es admirable, cada grupo étnico mantiene sus costumbres y tradiciones y tiene tanto de lo que se puede aprender.
La oportunidad de encontrarme cada semana en la Comunidad de Pijal con la familia Fonte, Cecilia como madre soltera y sus cuatro hijos/as Estiven, Yerely, Cinthia y Jennifer fue muy gratificante, pues cada visita pude conocerles y crear lazos de amistad además dentrabajar un programa familiar el cual aportó a su desarrollo personal, espiritual, social e intelectual, su condición socio-económico es muy limitante pero esto no impidió se pudieran evidenciar los frutos de los temas facilitados y que hubiera un cambio positivo en sus personas, es una familia para admirar y continuar apoyando, pues aun con sus carencias económicas los niños/as hacen su máximo esfuerzo y son buenos/as estudiantes, sus calificaciones fueron muy buenas lo cual motivo a apoyarles con útiles escolares.
Para navidad el equipo de FEDICE unió esfuerzos de forma personal para obsequiarles cosas básicas que aun no tenían en casa como camas, vajillas, etc. ver sus rostros tan felices y su expresión de agradecimiento fue muy inspirador.Estamos llamados a compartir alegría, aun con lo poco que tengamos podemos dar y hacer a otros/as felices, la unión de corazones llenos de amor de fe y obra puede lograr cosas significativas.
Olga Yan-Pardo serves as a Long-term Volunteer with the Ecumenical Foundation for Integral Development Training and Education (FEDICE) in Ecuador. Her appointment is made possible by your gifts to Disciples Mission Fund, Our Church’s Wider Mission, and your special gifts.