June 24, 2026

Dear Friend of FEDICE:

Blessings on you and thank you for your support of the FEDICE ministry in Ecuador.

We are not getting all of the pictures and stories in exact order, so today we are telling you about Monday (2 days ago) in Spanish and English, as well as today, Wednesday.

Make sure and check out our web page with

LOTS of pictures and videos of the trip. HERE

Wednesday in Ecuador journey

Ah.... mornings in Ecuador are very special for me. I sit on the painted wooden logs and sip my coffee and prepare for the day. Today that earworm song finally delivered itself.  “Good morning you know it’s hard to walk cause the sun's in your eyes and sometimes life really sucks, but you’ve got this and hey, there’s a hundred million ways that it can go. But hey I just came to say “I hope you have a beautiful day”

Well, we did have a beautiful day..,for the most part. Three of our team went down with headaches and upset tummies. One bounced back before the end of the evening Malachi band celebrated the end of our projects. 

Work is done in the upper classrooms. The walls at the daycare center and the outside wall are shining with fresh bring paint and a beautiful mural, too.

There are women at the Methodist church who know new techniques to bandage wounds - even the really bad ones. They know a bit of CPR and how to help the children who are choking. 

The courtyard at the church shines brightly, but one lower basement room was bypassed due to an infestation of scorpions…hey, not all of God's creation is huggable. 

Supplies and gifts totaling in the thousands of dollars were purchased for the daycare and church. Some will be for over the counter medical needs, and the kids will have lots of supplies for future Ecuadorian leaders who are still in diapers.

Hey I just dropped in to say, “I hope to say, I hope you have a wonderful day."

Neil Allen

First Work Day, Monday, 6.22.26

This is the first day of our work activities at two sites, one at Pijal Daycare Center and also at the Methodist Church in San Pablo.

We began the day with 8:00 a.m breakfast at the hotel, with fruit, bread, scrambled eggs, fruit juice and TEA/COFFEE! Breakfast was blessed and UCC Pastor Carla shared a thought provoking meditation.

Our group of 27 volunteers were split up at the two sites into three groups, painters, construction and medical care. One site had construction and painters and the other site had painters and a medical team. At 9:30 am, we were met with great joy at both sites with local volunteers that had already prepped the areas for painting and supplies were at hand for our projects of the day. Local volunteers then worked side by side, sharing “Minga”, working together for common goals and friendships.

The church crew, where I was at, got busy finding out what surfaces needed painting and what colors were chosen. I’m sure the very same process was happening at the daycare. Some used paint brushes, while others had rollers, some on very long poles.

Meanwhile, though, I didn’t see the carpenters or their projects, they were busy gathering supplies and beginning their projects with the daycare volunteers. A new parachute and large beach balls entertained the daycare kids with fun play. The medical team, along with volunteers, were shown where the children from the school, class by class, would have a craft project while, one by one, each child was taken to their medical room and assessed with a small amount of history. The child was assessed for potential malnourishment problems by the use of their height and weight, to be graphed to view their progression in future measurements.

Lunch was graciously served by members of the congregation of potato patty, fried corn kernels, corn on the cob, pork, a banana, sucker and varied juice drinks. Special food needs were also met.

The afternoon continued with the painting projects. As the work finished for the day, we all rode back to The Yamor Continental in Otavalo for rest, dinner, birthday celebrations of two volunteers, a wonderful reflection story while one of the members drew an Ecuadorian Nativity. 

God is good all the time.

Blessed,

Nora Allen

Nora's reflections translated into Spanish by Bernice Rivera:

Este es el primer día de trabajo nuestro en dos lugares diferentes . Uno en el Centro Infantilde Pijal y el otro en la iglesia Metodista en San Pablo.

Comenzamos el día con un desayuno a las8:00am- en el hotel con frutas pan, huevos revueltosjugo de frutas y Te/cafe! La pastora Carla bendijo los alimentos e hizo una corta reflexión

Nuestro grupo de 27 voluntarios fue dividido en tres grupos para dos lugares • El trabajo enel Centro Infantil se necesitaba pintores y constructores. En el otro lugar - la Iglesia -pintores y un grupo médico que luego lo nombramos el equipo médico - Asi terminamos conlos tres equipo. Uno de constructores, pintores y medico

Llegamos a las 9:30 a-m llenos de alegria en amboslugares que ya habían sido preparados las areas para ser pintadas - Los materiales yherramientas fueron provistas. Esto por los voluntarios locales que trabajaron junto connosotros uno al lado del otro.Compartiendo el trabajo (Ming a) y la amistad en con una misma meta.El grupo que trabajo en la iglesia que fue dondeyo estaba, estuvieron ocupados escogiendo los colores deadecuados de pinturas ya provistaspara la superficies y paredes. Estoy segura que este fueel mismo proceso en el Centro Infantil. Algunos utilizaron brochas otros y rolos con palosmuy largos.El equipo médico fue asignado a la iglesia..Trabajando con los niños de la escuela local cercana que los llevaron a la iglesia tomandoturnossegún su grado-Uno a uno los niños fueron pasando al salón médico - Los niños fueronevaluados paradetectar potenciales problemas de de nutrición usando las medidas de peso y alturas quefueron recolectadas para ser comparadas en un futuro y determinar su progreso. Mientrasesperaban su turno le ofrecimos una pequeña charla de historia, hehicieron una manualidad.En el Centro Infantil hubo otros niños quese divirtieron muchísimo jugando con nuevas bolas inflables y un nuevo paracaidas.

Llegó la hora del almuerzo que fue provistopor los miembros de la congregación. Este era papas maiz tostado; maiz en la mazorca,

To see more pictures, stories, and videos from each day, go to our Website.

The group will be in Ecuador June 19-26.

This trip is a combined effort of the Christian Church in Oregon and SW Idaho and Good Shepherd United Church of Christ in Cary, North Carolina. The picture above is one of the North Carolina group. Pictures from the Oregon/SW Idaho group coming soon.

Our FEDICE USA website will carry stories multiple times during the trip updating you on what is happening with this group and our partners. You can look HERE to see details of the trip as it is happening.

We hope you will join our Minga remotely and be a part of this time of connection and service.

Board of Directors, FEDICE USA

Hello Friends of FEDICE

In 2025, FEDICE USA forwarded more than $45,900 to FEDICE Ecuador for use in more than ten communities in northern Ecuador.

In 2026, FEDICE USA has sent additional funds for work at a church in Pijal and a day care

center in San Pablo.

The visitors this month will work

at both locations.

 Ongoing FEDICE projects include: 

• microloan support for families engaged in agriculture and livestock production,
• individual and cooperative businesses,
• and community child care centers.

Gifts to FEDICE USA also provide an important backup, if needed, for salary support to our dedicated and talented FEDICE staff in Ecuador.

Thank you to all for your support in prayer,

in gifts of time, and in financial support.

You can find more about FEDICE's activities in Ecuador and how to support these projects through the websites at www.fediceusa.org or 

www.fedice.org.

FEDICE USA is a North American based nonprofit that connects North American partners and FEDICE Ecuador.

FEDICE USA has no employees or office space which keeps overhead low. FEDICE USA has a board that meets to keep information and finances flowing.

Through our new website, you can support FEDICE

with a one time gift or a monthly amount.

Gifts to FEDICE USA are tax deductible.

You can donate HERE

You can also donate by a check sent to:

FEDICE USA, PO Box 19466, Portland, OR 97280

Thank you for your interest in FEDICE and

it's life changing work.