A little jungle time...

Chris flexing some muscle while helping
clear a fallen tree in a jungle community

Chris' jungle home - up and away from the
elements (i.e. snakes, bugs, floods!)

Chris was honored to be invited on a trip that took him deep into the jungle here in Ecuador. He was able to spend time in the village of one of our dear friends and serve alongside others - both tribal and foreign - to care for one of the elderly Waorani couples in this area.

Here you see how a little jungle rain can take
over quickly. 

The group traveled almost 20 hours by canoe.
The trip included navigating log jams and fish jumping out of the
river and INTO the boat! 

Chris ate every well on his trip into Waorani territory.
Fish, plantains, manioc, noodles, tuna, banana drink and more!
He also hunted to stock up food supplies for a local family and
was granted the honor of carrying a monkey back from
the hunt before it was tossed onto the flames of the fire
for fur removal!

He returned home with a nice sun burn but a full heart after having enjoyed serving others and learning more about the tribal context and realities. Experiences like these allow us to put together the puzzle pieces of stories we have heard from our tribal brothers and sisters and begin to grasp their reality. Understanding this reality will aid in our ability to love them well through discipleship and support services.

Ants in your...mouth?!

The ants go marching one by one into our mouths here in Ecuador. It's a tribal custom to catch large leaf cutter ants when future queens and their crew leave their nests to make a new home. Somehow the indigenous know when they will fly and wake up around 4am in the morning and head out with buckets to catch them when they fly! 

Chris caught his share and brought these large ants home! We were shown how to cook them up in a frying pan and salt them with a salt water solution until golden, crispy and ready to eat!

They actually aren't bad! After you pop of the head and the wings the hind quarters is eaten whole. The flavor is like a roasted peanut with a white puree center. Yum!!  

Funny story? We have indigenous friends in our home all the time. They've eaten chili, chicken and dumplings, and pancakes. But when Tina's friend Silvia was visiting and we gave her a handful of our recently caught ants her face lit up and she chewed with delight! It was very clear that this small handful of ants what the best thing she'd ever eaten in our home! 

Crocodile Surprise!

 We are often asked what a typical day looks like for us here in Shell, Ecuador. The answer, just like our days, is never the same. Plans in Latin America tend to zig and zag based on weather, bus schedules and more. 

We could write story after story to describe this reality but we will just share our most recent adventure of everyday life in Ecuador.

Chris was called by a friend and asked to drive to "pick up lunch". Naturally, Chris assumed that lunch consisted of large bags of rice that would be difficult to schlep on the local bus and thus, he was asked to help. This was not the case.






Chris was the transport for a crocodile lunch -- lagarto as they call in here. Our friends led him to a crocodile farm and picked up a crocodile! The bagged crocodile was thrown into the back of our car. Upon arrival to our friend's house the croc was thumped against a cement wall and processed to cook over the fire. 

The intestines and other organs were cleaned and wrapped in banana leaves to make maito -- a local favorite. 






After much laughter and excitement discussing the catch of the day we enjoyed a meal together. Our friends proudly shared with us the tail of the crocodile and we must say it's something we will eat gladly in the years to come. 

It's often we lay in bed at the end of our day shake our heads and laugh saying, "Yep, that just happened!" 

Ministry Goals/Prayer Needs - 2016

Tina wrote a little article!!

Tina has been thoroughly enjoying the benefits of a weekly Skype group put on by Velvet Ashes. The group of women meet virtually each week to discuss the realities of living and serving abroad. Although the group members live in China, Africa, Mexico, Ecuador and North America the reality of life abroad is something they have in common.

Tina took advantage of the opportunity to share what God is doing in her heart regarding the concept of "Home" and was able to share this with the Velvet Ashes online community. If you'd like to read her article click here!

If you know any women living abroad please encourage them to check out Velvet Ashes for encouraging articles, book suggestions, online community and connection groups!

Foundation of TRUTH -

God's been using scripture to hold us up. His truth never changes and this foundation is invaluable. Here's how these truths have impacted us. Hopefully they will be an encouragement to you as they apply to your everyday reality.

2015 Family Verse

Joshua 1:9 - Be strong and courageous, do not be terrified, do not be discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. 

* We weave in and out of daily life declaring this truth as we have learned to live with the necessary realities of bars on our windows and doors. Living with this constant reminder of compromised safety and "interesting" law enforcement regulations can seed fear, especially in Georgia and Reese. We meditate on the TRUTH that we are not to be afraid but to LOVE HARD and TRUST. 

When The Struggle Is Real

Zechariah 4:6 - Not by power, not by might, but by my Spirit says the Lord. 

* We only want to do what He would have us do. "Fake it until you make it" or "Muscling It" just isn't an option. Without God's wisdom, we will mess things up and fast! We rest in the TRUTH that we are being led by the Holy Spirit as we seek Him and surrender to His leading and obey. When the language barrier seems too big or the cultural differences too confusing we remember we are being led by the One who KNOWS and IS and HAS BEEN and WILL BE forevermore. 

Deep exhale.

2016 Family Verse

I Thessalonians 5:16-18 - Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you.

* After one and a half years of living abroad we've noticed a dullness in our spirits. An "Eeyore effect" if you will... We know the answer to a downtrodden spirit is worship and thanksgiving. So, we've resolved as a family to create a culture of thanksgiving and rejoicing in our home. We plan to pick apart everyday life and highlight all that we have to be thankful for, rejoicing as we reach for high heights -- all while laying every need and desire down before Him who can. We want to shine the joy and hope that comes from personally knowing Jesus -- it starts in our hearts, then overflows into our home and then into the world. May it be so in 2016.

Burning the Old Year!!!

Our dear friends, Birgit, Amelie and Ricci, taught us the local New Years tradition of "Burning the Old Year!" The idea is that you pick something from the old year to leave behind.  Birgit and her kiddos build upon this idea and burn something from the old year and write a note to God asking Him to help them strive into the New Year.

We were able to make our dolls representing what we would like to burn and leave in the old year and then write our notes to God asking him to help us strive into the New Year.

Georgia and Reese embraced the experience and have declared it a new Ferry tradition!

We loved hearing each person's reasoning behind their doll. It was a wonderful way to close out the year as a family.