truth # 18: I am older now

CS Lewis' book Perelandra includes a very interesting character, the green lady. When she would learn something or gain more knowledge in an area she would say something like "I believe I am older now." This is exactly how I feel. It is not everyday that I grow older, but the last four months it feels like I have turned from a baby to an old woman. What is it about knowledge that makes us older? It isn't that the knowledge didn't exist before I knew it, only my awareness had changed. In some ways it is nice to be oblivious to some knowledge but to knowingly avoid these things would be to live in denial. Some might claim that we are all self deceived and are probably thus living in denial. I am not sure that I would agree. I think if I were to turn from what I have learned and gained, that would be deceiving myself. Not all knowledge is nice.



Ah what a nice uncomplicated start. This has only taken me five hours to come up with. I am not sure how to describe my last four months only that now I am older and it was not an painless process. Today has been very nice for me. It has been almost a debriefing of the past few months, a time of allowing myself time to think. I am not ready yet to put it all into words.



I have had many many changes during this time. In May we had a lovely couple visit for two weeks considering joining our field. And with everything in the Lord's hands we are expecting them to join us around January. Then the first of June three Germans arrived to work with us for the following two months. Philipp, Becky and Jonny were a wonderful addition to our team and we already miss them. Yashira and Johanna came in the first of July each staying a month more or less. Yashira taught english in our mission school that OM Andean Region puts on every year (I will write more about that soon). She also was an incredible help in my new apartment that had at times 8 people living in it. Johanna worked with the Germans in our ministry projects and was a great encouragement to all those who worked with her. And then my old roommate, Vibeke from Norway, came back to Ecaudor for a month to visit her fiance but she stayed with me during that time. It has been a busy but very interesting time.

truth #17: el equipo Ecuador (The Ecuador Team)

I wanted to give you a profile on my current team as it will be changing in the very near future. Right now we are 8 full time people in our office. There are numerous volunteers as well but for today I will just talk about the full time people.

First, Roberto Facanha and his family. His wife, Shura and four children: Gabby (12), Emily (7), Michaela (5), and Sebastian (1). Roberto is the Field Leader for the Andean Region (Ecuador, Peru, Colombia and Venezuela). This sounds like a simple title but it includes so much. He has also be working as the Area Communications Coordinator for Latin America. Also any position that is empty on our team, he fills in. He is a great leader and both him and Shura have been a great help to me during my time here. Roberto just discovered last week that according to the Myers-Briggs Personality test that I have the same personality as Shura, ENFP (if you want to read more about this go to this website www.metaphysicalzone.com/types/enfp.shtml) . His response was "OOOHhh, now I understand!"

Carmen Gonzalez. She has been with OM for over 10 years now. She is the person in charge of Communications. She is very talented with graphics and design. I even saw her transplant a face on a photo, she is incredible! This is only a small part of what she does as all of us spend time in ministries outside of the office too. She works with a discipleship and evangelism with prostitutes, the children's foundation and teaches a sunday school class at her church. She is a great friend and has recently learned the word "loopy" from me as this is how I like to refer to her when she gets tired.

Cira Zambrana, also with OM for over 10 years. She is our Finance lady and irreplacable! Majorly overworked but always smiling! I cannot imagine doing half of what she does. She works all week with figures and errands, also with the orphanage and on the weekends, Saturday and Sunday she attends university classes the entire day! I imagine she spends all her evenings working on homework. She has been great blessing to me with her encouragement and inspite of all she does she never complains!

Darren van Rensburg, from South Africa and has been with OM Ecuador for 2 years. He is the Evangelism Coordinator but very sadly he will be going back home for a sabatical of 6 months on the 18th of August. He will return the 1st of March. He has been a great encouragement to me. Also he has put up with my constant asking of definations of Spanish words (his Spanish is very good), help with writing in Spanish and of course the random talking to myself out loud (which he sometimes thinks is pointed at him...). If you haven't guessed, he has the desk next to mine. When he comes back we will be looking at sending a team to another town to increase our impact on Ecuador. He has felt a call to go and work among the Saraguro people. He has been the one in OM to head up the Santay Island ministry team but now has finished his time in this area.

María José Baños and Johanna Jaramillo, these lovely Ecuadorian ladies joined the OM Andean Region team the very same week as me! Mariá José, aka. Majo, is the administrative assistant and helps in various thing in the office. She also is very active with the children's foundation, works with Santay Island, has a ministry with children on the streets and is also active in her church. We had great fun together my first few months going out to lunch and trying to have conversations. Her English was at the same level as my Spanish during this time making for lots of crazy mistakes and lots of use of the dictionary! Johanna, aka Johi, is involved with Church Moblization. She contacts the churchs in Ecuador and helps us to set up presentations and workshops. She helps Darren with the Evangelism training, works with the Children's foundation and is very active in a outreach ministry of her church to the neighborhood Parabamba. She is the only one in our office who is currently involved in a relationship. I enjoy going out with her and Romeo her boyfriend. They are a very intelligent couple and fun to hang out with.

Lennart de Vries from Holland has been with OM Andean Region for one year now and will return from a six week visit to home for another six months. He has been in charge of heading up the work with the Children's foundation and hopefully with take up the responsibilty for all of our social ministries once he returns. He was a police officer while he was in the Netherlands and even after a year in Ecuador he has not lost those police instincts. He has taught a couple of self defence classes. I signed up for one of those after my robbery but after several practises he told me that it would be better if I just remember to scream next time...

My name is Tabitha Moore, I am from Texas in the US of A. I have been with OM here in Ecuador for 10 months now.. half way to 11. I started out with my first three months just studying Spanish. In January I accepted the position of Personnel Coordinator. That means I am the contact for all those going from the Andean Region and all those coming as well. I get to help with Visas, insurance, application, screening, hiring, job descriptions, appraisals.... Also I have taken the position of Global Challenge Coordinator. This means that I am in charge of all the short termers, coming and going. I also help with Member Care, that is taking care of the current members in Ecuador and checking up with our Missionaries on the field. I also help with the work in the Children's foundation and the discipleship on Santay Island. I still have the intention of taking Spanish lessons but have not had time in the last three months to continue. I am praying for someone to come along and help me with the positions that I hold as I never seem to have enough time to devote entirely to a project. I enjoy my work and hope to continue to help wherever it is possible.