Advent 2009

Dear friends and family,
 
As we enter Advent and the time of waiting for the birth of Jesus, we remember you all and thank you once again for all your prayers and support for our life and work here in Ecuador.  It was wonderful to see many of you during our brief time in the States, and we wish we could have spent more time with you all!
 
We returned from our visit to the States in late October.  During that time we visited, either together or Chris alone, several churches in Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Jersey, with Chris preaching seven times in three weeks.  We also met with the mission personnel director and others at the Episcopal Church Center in New York City, and were fortunate to meet with the Companionship Committee of the Diocese of New Jersey, with whom the Diocese of Central Ecuador has a companion relationship.  We also had a service and an evening with folks from the Seabury Deanery, Connecticut, who have come to work in Puyo for the last three summers, and met representatives of the Lower Naugatuck Deanery, Connecticut, for the first time, which is in the process of exploring a relationship with Central Ecuador.  Within the midst of all that, we were able to see friends and Trish’s family in Massachusetts and New Jersey, with the girls getting lots of grandparents’ and cousins’ time in.  So it was a busy and fulfilling time.
 
Since our return Trish has been working on continuing to find partners for the refugee project for 2010.  The project has received some funding from the Episcopal Church and individuals in the past month, and with the elaboration of a thorough project description she hopes to find more funding in the next couple of months.  Meanwhile the project continues, with the community lunches and workshops every two weeks, and a couple more microloans being loaned out.  Trish continues to learn a lot and is very appreciative of the partners and team on the ground here in Quito.  She is also now in the process of helping to put together the website for the Diocese’s theological education program, designing and supplying information for the library aspect of the website.
 
Shortly before our trip to the U.S., Chris was asked by the Latin American Council of Churches to be the Coordinator for the Environmental Citizenship Program (www.claiweb.org/ambiental/principal.htm).  He accepted and will now coordinate the program and occasionally represent CLAI in Latin American conferences and seminars concerning environmental issues.  He just returned from Lima, Peru, where he attended a conference on water issues facing Latin America, and was named to the Steering Committee of the Ecumenical Water Network of the World Council of Churches (www.oikoumene.org/activities/ewn-home.html).  Because of that, he will be going to Geneva, Switzerland, for a EWN Steering Committee meeting on December 15 and 16.  That trip will come at the tail end of a meeting of the Palestine Israel Ecumenical Forum, which he was asked to attend in Bethlehem, facilitated by the WCC as well, as they explore the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and how the WCC can be an advocate for peace in its midst.  So Chris will be away for nine days, but back in time for Christmas, much to his girls’ relief.
 
The girls are doing very well in school and daycare.  Claire received her first report card where she got a 94% average overall, which everyone is very pleased with.  She is in a new school this year and has adjusted very well, with the challenges of a new school, new classmates, and new teachers.  She has some more homework to do as well, and is being challenged to a greater extent.  And it’s fun to watch Isabel become a “big girl,” and not the baby of the family anymore.  Her language skills and mix-ups continue to amuse us, but she picked up a bit more English after our trip to the States.  So everything will even out in the end.
 
We are very happy to write that we are renewing our commitment with the Diocese of Central Ecuador and CLAI for three more years. As we approach the end of 2009, and after more than three years of life and work in Ecuador, we would like to ask you to consider continuing your financial support for us, to those who do so support us.  And for those who have not been able to support us up to this point, we would like to ask you to consider doing so.  Our budget next year will increase a bit, due to an increase in medical insurance costs and expenses for the girls’ schooling not covered by scholarships.  Therefore if you feel called to support us and help provide the resources we need in order to continue the work of the church here, please let us know and/or use the attached form.  We are extremely grateful for whatever financial support we receive.  Each donation is closer towards meeting our budget for 2010.
 
All your prayers and thoughts are felt.  Know that we cannot be here and continue on without them!
 
Much peace,
 
Chris, Trish, Claire and Isabel Morck