Martin Chambers Ecuador Trust

So last week we were off to Ayangue for the monthly meeting. As I mentioned I was able to get off on Sunday night, rather than Monday so it meant an extra night’s peace. You do get used to Nueva Prosperina but the daily noise here (and even through the night) does take a bit of getting used to. Ayangue was good – it is great to meet up with the other St. James’ priests, hear their chat and their jokes and share stories about how projects are going. Since there was no meeting on Monday morning, I headed up the coast with Disco Dave as far as Olon. There is a dramatic monastery there perched on a cliff top from where stretches an enormously long beach. The whole coastline is beautiful dotted with small fishing villages. On the way back we went into a village called Barcelona where they make “Panama Hats” – don’t want to bore you with the details but the light, straw Panama Hats do not in fact come from Panama but Ecuador! Once we were back in Nueva Prosperina it was back to the day job. While I got going on the home visits, Dave got going on the school. I think it would be fair to say that Ecuadorian school life is not as organized as it is back home. He is taking English classes with Freddy’s sister, Yessenia, but there does seem to be a bit of improvisation in teaching methods. Still it is great to be involved with the school and know that truthfully education is the only way that so many of the world’s poor can eek their way out of poverty. When I came back last week, Colm Hogan, the Irish priest that has been staying with me since December, was still here. During the summer his house in his new Parish of Monte Sinai had been getting built but was not yet finished. I had been over a few days just to see how it was all getting on. Some furniture going in, some painting still to be done. And then suddenly he was away – on Thursday. I had a mixture of emotions: sadness that a friend was moving away; but also great happiness as Colm steps out on an exciting path. To be with your people, to actually live there takes time in our set-up here but, once you are actually there, so much can be achieved. Good Luck, Colm. I took Dave on a few home visits and it was great to see the people again. This week it was mostly sick and housebound and I was happy to see my friends again, people in real need. In some cases, there was money to be given to help them buy medicines but in most cases we simply prayed and had Communion. It was also back to the usual round of Masses (eight between Friday and Sunday) and there were also three Baptisms. An interesting feature of being back here is that, for the first time in over three years, I have no building projects. There will be a Medical Centre being built once we raise some money but at the moment nothing. Having said that, we finished two chapels just before I went to Scotland so those communities are busily preparing their inaugurations for next month. No doubt there will be dances and eats as well as the Mass itself. I am looking forward to these days as the chapels stand proudly in the midst of poverty as a symbol of change, a prosperous change that the can also achieve in their own lives..