If you can’t personally go, but your heart is drawn to reaching the lost for Jesus, then there are many things you can do to help us prepare or even to help send others in your place.
Yarn Dolls
Yarn dolls are simple and inexpensive, but bring such joy to the children and families that we meet. Every year, we need approximately 3,000 yarn dolls to take with us. We give every single one away, and the joy on the faces of the children that receive them? Priceless and beyond compare. So, how can you help? You can collect yarn for our team, or you can make yarn dolls for us to take! We can never have too many, and they only take a few minutes and a few pennies to make. Here is a link to a video that shows you how to make a simple yarn doll. If you make them, I will make sure to either pick them up from you or arrange to have then shipped to a member of our team! Yarn dolls are so simple, yet they open doors for us to tell others about Jesus. Won’t you make a yarn doll today?
Donate Medical Supplies
There are several ways that you can help! We have a wish list on Amazon, which you can check out here. We desperately need otoscopes, blood pressure cuffs and pulse/oximeters. If you order them from our wish list, they get sent straight to Ecuador 2023 headquarters in Skipperville, AL.
If you happen to have a friend or family member that receives medical supplies for home health care, we can always use their extras! Just let me know and I will arrange to have any extra medical supplies picked up. We can never have enough gloves, hand sanitizer, syringes, alcohol wipes, bandages, bandaids, etc.
We also desperately need paper lunch bags to use in the pharmacy (3,000), as well as snack sized ziplock bags to use in the pharmacy.
Reading Glasses
Next time you are Dollar Tree, CVS or Walmart, consider grabbing a pair or three (or 50!) of simple reading glasses. We need all strengths, Reading glasses are not accessible to people in Ecuador like they are here in the USA. A simple $1 pair of reading glasses can change the life of an Ecuadorian, forever! One of the services we offer in our clinics in addition to medical and dental services is an eyeglass clinic. Seeing the joy on someone’s face when you slip a pair of simple reading glasses on their face, is indescribable. Many of the people that come through our clinic haven’t been able to see clearly enough to read for YEARS. Watching tears roll down someone’s face when you give then a $1 pair of glasses is heart wrenching. So, if you would love to make a difference, consider collecting reading glasses! A pair or two every time you make a Dollar Tree run, gives us the ability to share the gospel with one more person. Can you imagine getting to heaven and someone hugging your neck and telling you that they are their because YOU donated a pair of glasses?
Children’s Ministries
Every year, we hold “Vacation Bible School” for the children during each of our medical clinics. During this time, we love on the children, tell them about Jesus, do arts and crafts, blow bubbles, paint fingernails, give away those yarn dolls! And every year, it is one of the most joyful and wonderful places to serve. You can be a part of this! Consider picking up a few supplies, or sending us a Dollar Tree, Walmart or Amazon gift card so that we can purchase the supplies we need. Every little bit helps, and you never know, what you do, may be the very thing that helps lead a child to Christ! If you have crafting materials or supplies that you are willing to donate, just let me know and I will arrange to have them picked up!
Items Needed:
- Packs of balloons (long skinny ones that can be made into balloon animals)
- 2-3 small plastic lightweight air pumps for balloons and balls
- 15 Soccer balls (deflated)
- 15 Jump ropes
- Sidewalk chalk
- Fingernail polish (we will even take your old bottles!)
- Stickers (all kinds!)
- Wedding favor sized bubble bottles (these are light weight and we can easily give the away)
- Small packs of crayons (like restaurants use!)
- Coloring Books, Bible story coloring sheets
- Rainbow colored parachutes for group activities (the children love playing with these, but most often, we use them to sit on as the areas we are in are usually muddy or dusty) We have suggested ones in our Amazon wish list, which can be seen here.
- Containers of beads for salvation bracelets (red, black, white, yellow, green, blue)
- Leather or string for salvation bracelets.
- Construction Paper
- Scissors
- Pencils
- Colored Pencils
- Face Paint
Donations and Fundraisers
At this time, there are several fundraisers going on for this year’s trip. Do you need a colorful bookmark? How about a beautiful Christmas ornament? Need a unique gift for a friend or family member? Following is a list of current Ecuador 2023 fundraisers, or if you don’t need stuff, you can donate simply by contacting Stephanne.
Kay’s HeARTworks Gorgeously unique pieces that are wonderful gifts for all occasions! For a limited time, Kay is generously donating all proceeds from sales of select HeARTworks to Ecuador 2023. Be sure to check her website out! She ships anywhere!
Mikayla Kent’s Bookmarks Mikayla is selling unique bookmarks. Each one is handcrafted and all proceeds benefit Ecuador 2023. You can contact Mikayla on Facebook to place your order: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100010700100202
Heart for Ecuador 