Faviola is a 24 year old woman who likely has multiple sclerosis. Despite the many tragedies in her life (the onset of her disease two years ago, the death of her baby three months ago, abandonment by husband two months back, and her near complete immobility) she is a strong woman. I've visited her a couple of times and have met her mother (foreground), who is a dedicated caretaker, despite her many other responsibilities as a member of a subsistence farming family.
Hno. Segundo is the husband of my friend Maria. Here he is working on a poncho in a little room next to his house. He is the only gentleman in the area who makes these and buys wool from his neighbors to make the traditional garment.
Here are some of the women who participated in the Women's Health Course Bonnie and I taught in Apunag on December 16th. There were women of all ages and back grounds: single, married, young and old. Many are my friends!
Bonnie and I with some of the course materials, which included supplementary booklets and laminated diagrams of reproductive organs so the mothers could go home and teach their daughters. Fun, eh? :)
After explaining some principles and options of family planning, we made sure to explain the process of birth (uterus with IUD in the background)!
Mural of topics to be covered! This course emphasized the basics of a healthy pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, family planning, and domestic violence. 
So I`ve been going back to school again, high school that is, and my fellow classmates have finally realized I`m not 18 years-old anymore. In case you didn`t know, I`ve been in Quebec, Qc, Canada the last few weeks (there to learn French and help out in the life of a small reformed church), and things have been interesting. Yesterday, while I was supposed to be preparing a presentation on my work with HCJB and Ecuador for the spanish class, I accidentely triggered the school firealarm (by innocently toasting bread in the cafeteria). The ENTIRE school was forced to go out in the blistering MINUS15degreeCelcius weather (including the little kindergarten children and the elementary school kids in their gym shorts) and the firemen came in with hatchets. It was THE talk to the cafeteria ladies today (I helped out making gallons of noodles and buttering bread today in the cafeteria- and YES I wore a hairnet). Anyway, am heading back to Ecuador on Monday (yippppeeee!) and very glad to be `going back home.` My heart is there and I want to get back to work. Pray for my ticket issues, if you would, but thank the Lord for the opportunity to head back. 
From left to right: Alexander (the quiet gentleman), Genvieve (the gentle lady), Catherine (the vivacious teen), and Guillome (the quimsi winter-sports specialist).