3 Days = 3 Weeks by Nelson Wilkinson

After hearing rain all night long the rain finally let up just after breakfast time on Monday morning. You always expect rain in a rain forest but this year there has been a lot!  The rivers are both up quite high and are flowing very quickly.  The temperature has been I the 60s at night and 70s during the day.  At breakfast we celebrated Suzanne’s birthday! The kitchen staff made her a special pancake “cake” with a candle and she got a small gift.

After breakfast we prepared to go to teach Bible school to the 1^st grade class as the rain was finishing up. The first graders are a very energetic bunch!  And it was good to see so many familiar faces from last year.  We taught them a song about trusting the Lord and the Bible story of Daniel in the lion’s den.

The Tony awards called to ask us to perform on Broadway but we had to turn them down.  We have real work to do!  After returning to the Hostel for lunch we returned to do the typical “unskilled” labor jobs that short term missionaries typically do and the same questions start to pop up.  Are we making a difference?  How is clearing brush or moving concrete curbing or varnishing boards doing any good?

At the end of the day the school director welcomed us and thanked us for coming.  He told us about the history of the school.  How the school provides not only and excellent education but brings the kids up in a Christian environment. They are training the future leaders of Ecuador!  He also said that in 3 days we can get as much done as the maintenance staff can get done in 3 weeks and that we provide a real momentum in what they are doing. Also in doing the manual labor it frees the skilled staff to work on the building and doing other skilled work.  The school is beautiful, the kids are so loved and cared for.  It is a privilege to work alongside the Ecuadorians in building the school.  You see, right now they have 1-6 grade which is the equivalent of our K-5.  They add a new class to the top every year so that the 6 grade class can go on to the next step in the fall.  I am glad to be here helping to make that happen.