So when when three young women (including Ashley the Sociologist, Tannia the Ecologist, and Priscila the future-Gynecologist) arrived in Shanaycu, the community was very surprised: they were expecting a group of men, including my Bruce my Boss. They had killed a fatted calf in anticipation for our arrival. Needless to say we were obliged to stuff ourselves silly (so much that Ashely and Tannia got sick) and apologize profusely. Here is one of the chef's and the remnant of our lunch in the hot, smokey, windowless adobe kitchen. 
Here's another tribute to good mothers and healthy babies. This is a kindly older lady and her almost-toddler, who also demanded a lunch break, though of a different type. Most mothers breast-feed until the age of 1.5-2yo.
Two older ladies taking a lunch break durring our 5 hour course on women's health in Shanaycu, Chimborazo. The evangelical church was responsible for making two full meals for the 50 women who participated, their many children, and spouses!
Here is a 14yo student seeing, for the first time, an IUD (intrauterine device). I was given several IUDs (sterile but used!) from CEMOPLAF, the national org. on women's health and family planning, for use in our classes.
Here are some of the girls in my class reviewing the course materials as we passed around contraceptive information. Challenging to talk of family planning in a primarily Roman Catholic community, but with respect and facts, we broached the subject.
When making home visits in Macuma, a jungle town in the province of Morona Santiago, we meet more than just patients: can you see the monkey flying past?
So over the last four months I've been traveling from community to community, "like a nomad" :) A little tiring, but moments like this are refreshing: consider this bus stop outside of la Pacifica, a lady on one side of the road, I on the other.
When this gentleman, of Puruhuaypampa saw we were taking pictures (which we always bring back to the community and give to the families), he ran over to grab his young son. He is standing here in his growing field of peas with this son, oh so proud. What more to say? Dad, were you this proud of us, your four daughters? :)
I was taken aside by this lady and quietly told, "I can't read, but when I saw the picture of this woman and child I knew it was a book for me. There are so many women here and in other communities who do not know what is theirs, what are their rights." I've put together this booklet on women's health and use it to teach.
My community health class this week was highlighted by a nutricious "stone soup" and the chorus of men, women, and children shouting "Papanicolau!" when I asked what exam that could prevent cervical cancer.
Many years have past, since those summer days
In the Community of la Pacitfica, were I was this weekend with Ashley and Tannia, we walked around inviting the women to the health course later that day. It was a misty morning and the trail was well marked.
"Cotopaxi is Ecuador's highest active volcano at 5897m, located in the Eastern Cordillera... It has an almost perfectly symmetrical cone, rising from a highland plain of 3800m and covered by a mighty glacier starting at a height of 5000m"... and here you are: a chunk of the glacier.
Cotopaxi National park we weren't the only visitors. This is a roads leading through an old lava field. "The last big erruption of Cotopaxi was in 1877 and many scientist think that one is due again, given its historical hundred year cycle of eruptions."
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).
Stopping for minute to check out a creative fishing net on the Macuma River, just before we crossed the river for the second time. The young man pictured here was a member of one of the families who acompanied us. Now adays on the principle jungle trails the only real dangers are the poisenous snakes and swollen rivers.
So Alex and I were waiting at the Macuma regional airport for a flight out of the town, but due to fuel shortages we were told there would be no flights until sometime the following week. So instead of a 30min flight to our desitnation, we would be walking 5-6 hours though the jungle and taking a 4-5 hour bus ride home. Here you have a sick Ingeneira Alex bemoaning the possiblity of the hike.
Sorry this isn't a good picture, but it has a story: I was maybe a little bored with the idea of spending 4-5 days in Macuma just talking about latrines and hand-washing (though this is of very important), so I asked the gentleman who runs the town clinic (building in the background) if he knew of any reproductive health programs for the young women of the high school (girls in the foreground).... next thing I knew I was talking (with the local Shuar Pastor David Chu) to the 150 students (men and women) of the regional high school about sex education from a Chrisitan perspective and promising the director to return in Febuary with more course materials and dedicated teaching time. These kids live in a confusing clash of cultures where traditional Shuar culture demands that girls and boys grow-up seperately and the influencial un-censured sensual modern world says anything goes. You can imagine in such a world, the idea of discernment is a little hard to come by. Teachers in this high school have fathered children of fourteen-year-old students without dismissal and often young mothers are left of fend for themselves and their babies.
While teaching a health and hygiene course in the Shuar town of Macuma one weekend to some community leaders, Alex and I took advantage of the moment and asked to speak with children... in the midst of playing games about hand-washing and trash-picking, we asked for evidence of their clean hands (this is after a very rigorous washing and examination).
