Saturday July 14: Our group of 19 left Huntsville Airport at 12:55 pm, changed planes in Houston and arrived in Quito, Ecuador at 11:13pm (they are on Central time - same as us). We spent the night (Sat. & Sun.) with missionaries Steve and Mickie Hermann in Quito. The Lord has allowed them to rent a large house to house missionary teams who come to the area. Quito is 8,000 feet altitude.

Sunday July 15: We had a wonderful breakfast and had our own service at the missionaries' home. We began about 9am and went to about 12:30pm. We all shared our testimonies. Many shared burdens and experiences that they had never been able to share before. This time of sharing helped to to really bond together as a group. It was an awesome time. We also had a wonderful time of prayer.

After a quick sandwich lunch we got on a bus to Riobamba which was our headquarters for the next few days. We actually stayed on an Ecuadorian military base, slept on military cots. Riobamba is 9,000 feet altitude.

Monday July 16 - Wednesday July 18: Breakfast at 7am in the "mess hall" with the soldiers. We then had a long ride (about 2.5 hours) up to the area where we ministered to the Quechea Indians. We went through the mountains and around Chimborazo which is the highest mountain / active volcano in Ecuador. We actually reached an altitude of 14,500 feet on the way but the village where we ministered was only 13,500.

The altitude affected us as soon as we arrived in Quito. We adjusted to that but we never fully adjusted to the higher altitudes the first 3 days. We did learn what to do to make it better and we adjusted to it somewhat. Several of our group got altitude sickness. Most all of us got headaches. Everyone had a great attitude and kept on keeping on even when they really did not feel like it sometimes.

After we arrived at the village we set up in a school building (one large room) to wash feet. The children lined up and were checked off a list. 8 to 10 were brought in at a time. We washed their feet, spoke to them in the few Spanish words we knew. We did have some interpreters that helped us communicate with them. They actually speak "Quechua" but seem to understand most Spanish. We told them that "He-sus" loved them and them they were "bonita" (beautiful). We sang to them and just loved on them as we washed their very dirty feet. We then massaged lotion onto their feet. Then powder and placed a brand new pair of socks and shoes on their feet. They were very excited. They were then escorted to the area where the gospel was presented.

We had a different building used for our "spiritual clinic" where we shared the gospel. Bill Conlee (director of Happy Feet) shared first each day with the Quechua adults he gathered together. Then all of us would take turns sharing with the children and other adults who accompanied them. We would each take a group of 12-15 or so and go over the plan of salvation using salvation braclets. We all shared through an interpreter.

Black bead - sin
Red bead - blood of Jesus
White bead - forgiveness of sin
Blue bead - baptism
Green bead - growing in Christ
Gold bead - heaven

We would ask "Do you understand? See or No - they would answer "See" most of the time. If they seemed puzzled or answered "No" - we would go back and explain again until they were able to "See".

Bill taught us how to use the bracelet and weave in our personal testimony as we shared.

The Quechua are precious people and were very responsive to the gospel. On our last day up in that area they put on a program for us. The children sang and a group of 6 Quechua ladies sang for us. They gave us each a gift of a small basket they had weaved from grass. Before we left that day as we were all outside enjoying the program Bill shared the gospel one last time just in case some had not gone in to hear it.

Each day a group of soldiers from the base had gone along with us (sort of as public relations with these people). The Quechua Indians are very poor and most Ecuadorians don't even consider them as real citizens. The soldiers were very stand offish the first day. By the 2nd and 3rd day some of them were helping us wash feet.

On that last day when Bill shared and asked if anyone wanted to come forward and kneel to pray to accept Christ, the first one down was one of the female soldiers. A few other Quechua joined her. Then all the soldiers (except one) knelt and prayed also. I had to peek during the prayer and take a picture (click on the website below and you can see some pictures, including this one). This was an awesome experience. There was one soldier who had prayed earlier that day so this may be the one who did not pray at this time. This was an awesome day.

(Ecuador has beautiful roses and they are very cheap there, especially in Riobamba. The ladies of our group had had some problems with hot water, no water, etc. so one night Bill went out and bought 26 bouquets of roses and put them all over our room. I think he paid about $40 for them all. That was neat! A pastor in Riobamba had helped him, Pastor Ramone. We were to minister in his church on Thursday.)

Thursday July 19: We had to pack up this morning so breakfast was a little later at 8am. The soldiers had really noticed everything we did. We had a devotion in the mess hall several days and though most could not understand anything I think they knew we were "different". Before we left that day they were asking for our Westmeade hats and acting like they were sorry we had to go. We had hoped we could have a service for them but it did not seem to work out. As Bonita was leaving one tapped her on the soldier and pointed to her salvation bracelet. He could actually speak some English. She was able to share with him and he prayed to receive Christ. She came to the bus and shared that with us. With him being saved and the soldiers who went with us up in the mountains, hopefully many on that base will come to know the Lord. Please pray for the Ecuadorian soldiers on the military base in Riobamba.

From there we went to Pastor Ramone's church. However Pastor Ramone did not get to be there. He was in jail. Someone had given him a car 2 days before. He did not have a license and needed to take someone to the doctor. He was arrested. The last we heard he may have to stay 21 days and then pay a fine.

Pastor Ramone said he had many poor families in his church that could use shoes for their children. Also they gathered in poor children, some homeless, from the community. We had the largest group ever that day. We probably washed at least 400 feet that day. We began to run out of the larger size shoes for the older children. Several of our ladies took off the boots, tennis shoes they had on and gave them to the older children. We had to take them off and put them with the other shoes, though, because if the boys knew girls that been wearing them they did not want to wear them.

We shared the gospel with all these children and adults who came. Some of these were already Christians but many were not.

Before we left, everyone there gathered in a circle and we prayed especially for Pastor Ramone.

We got on the bus and traveled on back to Quito. It took us about 4 hours that day to make it back to the missionaries home there. Steve had gone and ministered with us along with his 2 daughters, Katty and Marian. Katty was the interpreter for our spiritual clinics. She did an outstanding job. You could see on her face how much she loved the Lord and enjoyed sharing Him with others. Katty and Marian are both adopted daughters from Ecuador. Steve and Mickie are from the US and already have children and grandchildren here.

We had a great devotion and prayer time. The home here is much more conducive to share time that the military base.

Friday, July 20: We had breakfast, devotion and then went to the soup kitchen that Steve and Mickie started for poor children in one area of Quito. They have about 170 children who come for lunch 5 days a week. We got to love on these children, help serve their lunch and then spent time just playing outside with them. They were all so precious. The cook's daughter was having a birthday so there was a special celebration. A mariache band even came and played outside for the occasion.

We were then taken to the market in Quito to shop for a couple of hours. Some spotted a McDonalds and just could not resist.

This was our last night here so Bill wanted to share the devotion. He shared a few minutes and then wanted us to pray silently for a while. He said he wanted to share a minute or so with each person individually. Then I realized what was happening. We were in a circle around the room sitting in chairs. He was coming around and washing each of our feet and sharing encouraging comments, obserations about us. It was an extremely humbling experience. I think everyone was crying. We had been washing feet all week and had not even considered about someone washing our feet. I know that is not a normal Southern Baptist practice but it was very appropriate and meaningful for our situation.

After that we gathered the missionaries along with their daughters and Bill. Scotty washed their feet and we all shared with them what a blessing they had been to us this week.

Everyone in our group shared the plan of salvation during this week, many for the first time. We saw over 700 pray to receive Christ. To God be the Glory!

Saturday July 21: Some of us didn't even bother going to bed that night because we had to get up at 2:30am to get ready to go to the airport. We left for the airport at 3:20am. We got some breakfast at the airport. Many of us bought roses to take home. You could get 25 roses boxed to take on the plane for $12. Of course when we got to Houston we had to go through the Agricultural inspection at Customs but it was worth it.

There were at least 2 other mission groups on the flight with us that had been ministering in Ecuador. I sat by a 74 YO lady from Montevallo who has been going since 1994. I am 53 - I am praying that the Lord will give me at least 21 more years to serve Him in missions.

We arrived at the Huntsville airport at 5:30pm. I think we all got a great night's sleep back home in our own beds.

Back at Westmeade
Sunday July 22: We had an awesome Sunday morning service. It was one of those days when God just showed up. Our students had been to MFuge that same week. Several students had made decisions for the Lord during the week, one was saved, one surrendered to missions. We then had 3 adults who came to get their baptism on the right side of salvation and some other adult decisions as well.

Sunday night was our share time about the Ecuador trip. Pictures scrolled on the screens as we shared about our experiences. It was a privilege to be a part of God's work in Ecuador.

Pray for the ministry of Happy Feet International. This is a young ministry. Scotty and I are going to be working with Bill to try to establish a base of support so that he can continue to share the gospel to the poor in third world countries. If you would like more information about this, please let me know.

Bill needs some of us to partner with him so that he will be free to continue to be faithful to the task our Lord has called him to. Talk with Bro. Scotty or Kathy if you are interested in being a supporter of this ministry.