Child Sponsors Find Their Next Step in Ecuador

Kristen and Mark Ghesquiere, MD, run a medical practice in Simcoe, Canada. They have been sponsoring children in poor countries for 20 years.

While the sponsorships have helped meet the couple’s desire to help others, they found themselves seeking the next step. So along with their teenage daughter Madi, they joined a team from Canada headed to Ecuador to help throw Christmas parties in community centers located in impoverished sections of Quito and at the Zambiza Dump.

“When Mark started his practice, we dedicated funds for World Vision kids and have increased the number of children we sponsor over the years,” said Kristen Ghesquiere.

“We felt we were being called to extend ourselves a bit more,” Mark said. “We were looking for an organization to become involved with when we heard about Extreme Response and decided to do a little reconnaissance.

“We wanted to come and see what Extreme Response is about,” Mark added. “We really liked the fact that ER is a streamlined organization and the staff demonstrates humility.”

“I’ve been so impressed by Jose Jimenez and his work in the dump,” Kristen said. “In Canada, the government takes care of the needs of the poor. There’s none of that in Ecuador. Jose takes responsibility for the dump families and makes things happen.”

The Ghesquieres also have been inspired by the willingness of nationals to step up and support the work and partnerships of Extreme Response.

“I was working alongside an Ecuadorian volunteer at the dump and she shared her personal situation with me,” Kristen said. “She’s a single mom with three kids. She chose to be a volunteer at the dump instead of a victim.”

By Tim Fausch

Gabriel Kpodi, the director of ER partner REAP Institute in Ivory Coast, wrote from Monrovia, Liberia earlier today:
“I leave for Accra, Ghana on this coming Sunday and then ride into Abidjan. I will keep you posted on happenings after my assessment. I am thankful that the building was safe and that no looting took place there.”

The REAP Institute is a school (pre K – 12th grade) that is education refugee children from 7 African countries. The families of these children have sought a safer life in the Ivory Coast. Over the past several months the school has been unable to function due to political unrest. Many of the students have been forced from their homes due to the fighting. Several families took refuge in the school building while others fled to Liberia or Ghana. Banks in Abidjan the capitol of the Ivory Coast have been closed for months hindering commerce and our ability to send in finances.

We trust REAP Institute will be up and running for the 2011-2012 school year. Financial help is needed to reopen the school. Please e-mail info@extremeresponse for more details.

True Grit: Extreme Needs Impact Joe and Julie Wendel

Like many people, Joe and Julie Wendel statistically comprehended the humanitarian needs in other countries. However, the Noblesville, Indiana, couple was busy raising two sons, running a successful business, and enjoying many fulfilling relationships with friends.

They were happy to help support people like Ruth Arteaga, a friend of Julie’s for 25 years, who is on staff with Extreme Response (ER) in Quito, Ecuador. The Wendels also knew Paul and Susan Fernane, who serve in Ecuador through ER.

Then Julie agreed to join a volunteer team headed to Ecuador to help throw Christmas parties in some impoverished areas of Quito.

The stories of Ruth, Paul and Susan became more than just stories. They became personal and very real. They had their concepts of overseas volunteer trips turned upside down. Julie has returned to Ecuador twice more to volunteer.

“Prior to going on my first ER Christmas team trip, I had a lot of preconceived ideas on what it meant to help people, such as digging wells and building buildings,” Julie Wendel said.

“Volunteering through Extreme Response was the perfect first volunteer trip. There is so much interaction with the people you are helping. You see the grit of their lives. The trip makes it more personal and impacts your perspective.

“Christmas at home in Indiana has not been the same,” she added. “Our involvement with Extreme Response gives us a different view of our stuff. We’ve been challenged to live and give sacrificially.

“We have focused our giving on needs-based ministries that focus upon orphans, widows and children who are marginalized in societies throughout the world. ER is a critical and trusted partner in these efforts. We are on a giving journey with real goals that we are challenged and burdened to reach.

“Leader Mundial (ER’s leadership training arm) has been one of the most influential things in our lives. Joe has been impacted deeply by the chance to pour into leaders in other parts of the world. He Skypes regularly with Gabriel Kpodi, who leads a school for refugees in Ivory Coast.

“One of the things we love about Extreme Response is that it is small enough to know everyone and, as a result, there is a naturally higher level of accountability. From a donor perspective, it’s exciting to be part of an organization filled with people we love caring for people we want to help. At the same time we are provided opportunities to get to meet those we want to help and love them with more than just money.”

by Tim Fausch

Dump Visit is Defining Moment for Paul and Linda Cripps

For much of their lives, Paul and Linda Cripps were defined by their successful auto dealerships in Simcoe, ON, Canada, and by their commitment to family and church.

But when cancer struck Paul, it forced the couple to re-evaluate their lives. They sold one of their two dealerships and focused on Paul’s treatments, which were successful.

They also expanded their vision to look more closely at how they were investing their time and resources.

In 2006, they traveled to Ecuador. It turned out to be a life-changing trip.

“Our first trip to Ecuador we ended up in the home of (Extreme Response founders) Jerry and Dawn Carnill,” Paul said. “Just seeing their heart and passion for the Ecuadorian people excited us.

“The following day they took us to the Zambiza Dump in Quito. Back then, the children and babies were next to their moms picking through the trash.

“We fed them a real simple meal. They were actually living in crudely constructed homes among the garbage. It just broke our hearts. It was one of those defining moments in your life when you have to make a decision to either act on what you saw or you turned your back,” Paul said.

“I ended up having to hunt for Linda that day because she was carrying food for moms with kids. We were kind of concerned. We found her in one of the shacks helping a mom feed her kids.”

“On our second trip to Ecuador, we went to Manta and visited an orphanage,” Paul said. “They had bread and they had bones they got from the butcher with no meat on them. They were trying to make soup. That is how they existed.

“They had no support structure at all. We were sort of an advanced scouting party to see if the orphanage would be a suitable project for ER to support. We’ve been able to bring a team back every year, plus we’ve had other teams from Canada go without us.”

Paul and Linda were so moved by their experience in Ecuador, they started Extreme Response Canada to help expand ER as an organization. They have made 10 trips on behalf of ER to impoverished areas of several countries.

“If you asked anyone who knows me, they would tell you I’m an entirely different person” Paul said. “It goes back to that defining moment in my life. I had to make a decision to either let it change me or harden my heart to it.

“ER helped me put priorities in place,” he added. “It’s not just about us. There is a greater purpose in what we do.

“No matter whom the poorest person in North America is, he or she is extremely wealthy compared with 98% of the world. We are extremely blessed to have so much. Understanding this has caused me to look for ways to use what we have to help other people.”

By Tim Fausch

Ana Pallikan Discovers Silent Killer

Ana Pallikan never dreamed of going to Ecuador. But her friends kept talking about their positive experiences there, so she agreed to join a team of volunteers to help throw Christmas parties in several impoverished areas of Quito.

“Julie Wendel is a forced to be reckoned with,” Ana said, referring to her friend and trip recruiter. Ana and Julie attend the same church in Fishers, IN, so there was little chance of escaping the invitation.

Ana’s team from Indiana joined a large international team in Quito. The volunteers proceeded to put on seven Christmas parties in five days at community centers, a retirement home, and the Zambiza Dump.

The team spent many hours preparing crafts, assembling gift bags for children, and preparing food for distribution. The parties were high-energy, with games, face and nail painting, and family photos.

Ana said she the trip was eye-opening.

“I really noticed the immense needs,” she said. “I don’t know how much food the people have, but the gratitude they show is tremendous. What we would consider a little, they consider a lot.

“I was surprised how people can find joy in joyless situations,” she added. “It speaks to how we let materialism in the U.S. blind us.

“This trip was a reality check. Our wealth is a silent killer.”

by Tim Fausch

Retiree Ruthie Mattox Celebrates Christmas in Nepal with Street Kids

At 67-year-old, Ruthie Mattox could have stayed comfortable and warm in her Shoreview, MN, home in December 2010. Instead, she traveled half-way around the world to Nepal and India to reach out to street kids.

The retired nurse had to deal with Minnesota-like weather in Nepal. The team she joined worked in buildings with no heat and 30-degree temperatures. Ruthie was up for the challenge.

“A big obstacle was how to pack winter clothes for Nepal and summer clothes for India. I ended up wearing layers of clothing on the plane and in Nepal while sleeping, working and using the outhouse,” Ruthie said. “It was all good. We found many ways to keep warm.”

Ruthie had previously participated in Vision Trips with HCJB and a work team in Ecuador with Extreme Response. The trip to Nepal and India was her first to that part of the world.

She said the Christmas parties her team helped throw in Pokhara, Nepal, impacted her dramatically.

“Fifty street kids were rounded up and brought to a city park by bus. They ranged in age from five to 18. These kids have been thrown out of their homes, abandoned, and literally survive by living on the streets. Many sniff glue, beg, steal and gather recyclables in order to buy food.

“The kids arrived cheering and poured out of the bus, jumping off the roof and doing cartwheels. They were ragged, dirty, scantily dressed, and yet all smiles,” Ruthie said. “We were in the mountains of Nepal, where it is very cold at night.  Somehow, they survive the frigid weather.

“Our Christmas program began with singing, guitars and drums.  Kids were keeping beat and clapping.

“We began painting faces with hearts and rainbows. Many kids wanted crosses. They loved the puppet show and our clown. They laughed hysterically.

“When it was time to eat, they were beside themselves. Tiny kids consumed two or three huge platefuls of rice, peas in gravy, and meat. The place abounded with smiles.

“The kids were so excited to receive gifts and warm wool caps.  As they prepared to board the bus, each picked up their gunny sack which they use all day to pick up recyclables.  They sleep piled up in clusters, or inside their bags in door fronts on the street.

“The Extreme Response staff and the Napali YWAM team did a tremendous job of organizing the party and the program.  What a joy it was to be in there and experience this. I’ll be praying for these children who fight daily to survive on the streets of Pokhara.”

Ruthie (left) with Barb Cline

by Tim Fausch

Dan Smoker Finds Joy Serving Others

Dan Smoker has experienced life challenges no one wants to face. Having lost a loved one and his job, Smoker turned his focus outward.

Smoker left York, PA, and has been serving others, including a three-month stint in Quito helping Extreme Response by doing maintenance and team preparation work.

“I have had some serious changes of direction in my life,” Smoker said. “I am looking for a time of personal healing and to help people.”

“I was laid off last September. Without a job, I worked in New Orleans in the 9th and 10th wards and really bonded with the people.

“I love Latin America. I’m here in Quito on a tourist visa, but I hope to come back.

“I love the way the local leaders are taking charge to reach their communities and Extreme Response is partnering with them.”

Smoker said his efforts to serve other people have challenged him on several levels.

“I have trouble trusting people. I don’t reach out. But I want to open my heart.

“It’s easy within an organizational situation, but not when you are isolated. I want to break down my skepticism and fears.”

by Tim Fausch

UK Computer Consultant Finds Joy in a Dump

Louise Carver’s co-workers in Winchester, England, think she is “slightly mad”. That’s because she prefers to spend her holidays taking care of other people’s kids thousands of miles from home.

In 2007, Carver decided it was time to take a trip where she could see and do something extraordinary. She wanted to experience a new culture, different weather, and a foreign language.

More than anything, she wanted to invest her time working for an organization that was helping people living in difficult circumstances.

After a bit of research, Carver found an organization that was placing volunteers in the Zambiza Dump in Quito, Ecuador. So she signed up for a six-month stint and stayed with an Ecuadorian family while working with children in the dump’s daycare.

The experience was life-changing. Each day Carver was able to work with the babies and small children of dump workers. She witnessed the transformation of children who often entered the nursery as malnourished, unvaccinated, and poorly stimulated.

Before the daycare (launched and managed by Extreme Response) opened, parents had no options. The children played in the trash as their parents “mined” for recyclable materials for hours on end. The families often ate food taken from the trash as well.

When Carver’s six months were up, she identified a way to continue serving the poor in Ecuador. She now returns as part of Extreme Response’s Christmas in Quito team of volunteers from around the world.

The team partners with local community centers, including the Zambiza Dump, to present annual Christmas parties where adults receive food staples and the kids receive gift bags. All participate in games, crafts, and family photos.

“After returning home, I found myself appreciating what I have that others don’t have and made a decision to do something about it,” Carver said. “I came back to be part of the Christmas parties so I could see the kids again.

“I enjoy taking a break from my paid work to come back to Quito,” Carver said. “It refreshes and recharges me.

“I like working with ER because it doesn’t just do projects that the volunteers want. ER focuses on the needs of the people and the culture. The organization stays in touch so a relationship builds over time.”

by Tim Fausch

Canadian Teen Lauren Moyer Expected Tears, Found Joy in Ecuador

Most teenagers are focused on themselves and their friends. After all, self-focus is one of the signatures of being a teenager.

But when people from her church in Simcoe, ON, Canada, returned from a humanitarian trip to Ecuador in 2009, Lauren Moyer was inspired. She listened to their stories and wanted to join them on the next trip.

So in 2010, the 17-year-old Moyer became one of the youngest volunteers to go to Quito, Ecuador. For a week in early December, Lauren joined an even larger international team that helped throw Christmas parties in several community centers and the Zambiza Dump.

The teams ventured into impoverished areas of Quito to work with leaders who were passionate, but under-resourced. Lauren and the other volunteers provided the energy and help.

They participated in five Christmas parties in five days, serving thousands of people. In addition to providing games, face and nail painting, and family photos, the volunteers distributed food staples to the adults and gift bags to the children.

“When I first signed up to go, I thought it would be sad,” Lauren said. “I thought I’d be crying a lot. But instead, I’ve experienced real joy.

“Everyone here is so happy and polite,” Lauren said. “They have so little but are so happy. They are less greedy. I volunteer at an after-school program in Simcoe and the kids are never this polite.

“Coming here has helped make me see more clearly people who are in need. I am hoping to change the way I see things in my life. It’s been a lot of fun. I had a great time in Quito.”

by Tim Fausch