Dinner Conversation

[Zac is eating dinner while his 6 & 12 year old sisters keep him company]

12 y/o sister: So…are you married?

Zac [laughing]: No, I´m not.

12 y/o sister: Are you sure???

Oh yeah, I helped make bread for 300 kiddos and helped dig a trench by hand today.  Hooah!

 zc

Almost Lunchtime

It´s almost lunchtime and thus far today I have spent two hours working on a strategic action plan, milked a couple of cows (by hand), hauled leftover food yumminess from the cafetaria and fed the pics, watched a sow being bred, fed the fish, and helped chop down a tree in the forest.  We cut it into pieces and hauled it back to the farm to make posts for a barn (again, by hand).  I love this job.

Pics Available

Howdy Friends! At long last pics are available. Just click on the link at the bottom right-hand side of this page that says “Zac’s Photo Album”. The best way to view the pics is in “sets” (just click the “sets” link toward the top of the page, just below “Your Photos”).

Friends and Family: Check out Peace Corps Training…
Fellow Volunteers: If you want pics from Family Day, check out the Family Day “set”.

Moving

“I never thought I would be leaving so quickly,” I thought to myself as I crammed the last few odds and ends into my already full duffle. The room that had become my home over the last four weeks once again looked barren and dull; all that remained was a bed without a mattress, two empty tables, and the few odds and ends that I didn’t want to take with me. Leaving was more difficult than I expected. More than ever before I had become very, very attached to my host family. I felt especially close to my 14 year-old little bro who always wanted to hang out, work out, or eat good food, three activities that are near and dear to my own heart. Yet, after such a great start in my first Peace Corps site I was leaving.

I caught a ride into Loja in the bed of a Nissan truck courtesy of a local Catholic priest. And then it began to rain. Mercifully, the priest soon stopped the truck and I climbed inside. We made the rest of the trip into Loja with four people inside the single cab of the tiny truck: the priest, my host family sister, a nun, and myself plastered against the passenger side door. Upon arrival in Loja to find the streets flooded in several inches of water and my bags in the bag pretty well soaked. That night I caught a bus into Quito where I would be meeting with the Peace Corps staff and getting ready for yet another transition…let me explain.

Two Fridays ago, I had just finished a meeting with a group of local coffee producers when my cell phone rang. The caller I.D. read, “Cisco.” Cisco is the Country Director for Peace Corps-Ecuador so I knew the call would be important. In a brief conversation he told me that he wanted me to come to Quito the following week to talk about a site change. The next Tuesday evening I packed my bags and headed for Quito.

Upon arrival, I realized that there wasn’t much “discussion” to be had. A decision had been made and I was moving to a new site. Yet, as I learned the details of my new site, I understood why; the need was simply too great not to act. I would be moving to a site about two hours west of Quito to work with a high school of 600 students. The school is relatively poor (half of the students are “orphans” and live on site), but enjoys the blessing of being run by two nuns (one with an MBA) who desire positive change at the school. Part of that plan is for the school to become food self-sufficient since right now a significant portion of their budget is allocated to buying food. My assignment is to begin the process of developing and implementing an integrated agricultural plan that is capable of providing adequate nutrition for the students, faculty, administration, and one hungry Peace Corps volunteer from Texas with an fondness for tenderloin and ‘taters.

The following day I went to investigate the site in person. At first blush I was quite encouraged. The school was clean, orderly, and the students respectful. Furthermore, I saw that the school possesses considerable agricultural resources in the form of land, water, and other infrastructure that will prove essential in moving forward with the plan. Also, I couldn’t help but notice that the natural surroundings of my new home were absolutely stunning. If I am going to “suffer” for two years as a Peace Corps Volunteer, I would much rather do so in a beautiful location! However, all was not peaches and cream. The school boasts a staff of 40 teachers and it was clear that at least one (and possibly more) of the agricultural instructors were less than enthralled about my impending arrival. Furthermore, it quickly became clear that nothing was clear in terms of roles and responsibilities of the school’s agricultural facilities. That is to say, it was opaque at best as to who was the decision maker was for the various agricultural projects, many of which were started, but had never been completed or were being poorly managed.

Tomorrow I will move into my new site. I come at the request of the two nuns who run the school and with the promise that I will be given full authority over the agricultural components. The agricultural instructors will be responsible for the students’ classroom education and I will be responsible for developing an integrated agricultural plan. However, I have a sneaking suspicion that the proposed changes look much neater on paper than they will be in real life. Difficulties notwithstanding, I am “all in” for this new assignment.

A principle that I try to live by is to engage myself in struggles that are worth losing. I can thank of no better investment of my term of service than helping a low-income technical school become food self-sufficient. So much is at stake. These kids come from poor families and will be expected to fend for themselves once they turn eighteen. The school focuses on providing them with the tangible skills they will need to become successful, productive citizens upon graduation. Such a fight is certainly worth loosing, but I can promise you that I am playing to win.

Fundamentally, I see my new assignment as a leadership/management role wrapped in an agricultural cloak. The apprehension of some of the agricultural staff is understandable; they know nothing about me, my motivations, my education, or the organization that I represent. On the other hand, the fact remains that for a number of years the school has failed to utilize its agricultural resources and the nuns have requested assistance in changing this situation. I sincerely hope that, in time, we can foster an atmosphere of mutual respect and collective cooperation; I value the experience and perspectives of the agricultural teachers and consider myself a team player. At 27, I can assure you that I don’t have all of the answers (or even most of them). However, I enter this assignment with the confidence afforded by providence. By God’s grace I am going to do my best, be faithful, love well, work smart and hard, and leave the outcome in the hands of God. My identity is grounded firmly in the accomplishments of Jesus Christ upon the cross and in His resurrection from the dead, not upon worldly endeavors however “noble” they appear.

I do humbly ask for your prayers. Specifically, please pray for:

1) Faithfulness: That I would be captivated by God’s holiness and seek to live a life that calls attention to his glory.

2) A gospel centered lifestyle: Pray that I would actively love my neighbors, pray for them (including those who treat me unfairly), and speak the truth in love (1 Pet. 3:15)

3) Leadership: That I may be able to earn the respect of my colleagues, possess wisdom in making decisions, and build a team committed to the school’s advancement.

4) Maturation: That I would grow in the knowledge of God’s will and for the wisdom to apply it in daly life (Ephesians 1:15f)

Finally, I thank all of your for your love, prayers, and letters of encouragement. Thanks also for your patience with my failure to return e-mails. Know that I love all of you and that I miss you. Finally, be reminded that I love what I am doing and believe that such work matters, both in this world and in the life to come.

By Faith & With a Smile,

zc
Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Zac Coventry
Volunteer in Sustainable Agriculture
United States Peace Corps – Ecuador

My First Week in Loja

Good Friends,

My first week in the countryside of Loja was full and crazy and challenging.  It will probably be months before I clearly discover and define my “roll” in the community.  For now, my motto is “own the streets” which I borrowed from one of my favorite grad school profs, James Olson.  By “owning the streets” I mean that my priority is to be out and about in the community learning people, places, and (agricultural) practices as opposed to “hibernating” in my room.  Also, the fact that my soccer skills should drastically improve is a nice spillover affect.

Slowly, but surely I am getting settled in.  My first two nights I slept on a concrete floor using my dirty clothes and a space blanket for a cushion.  Since then I have bought/acquired a mattress, a cocineta (i.e. a small stove), a propane tank, dishes, and other assorted household items.  By tomorrow night I hope to be able to cook hot meals after I purchase the necessary tubing to connect the propane tank to the cocineta.  I am ready for a break from tuna, mayo, and lemon juice sandwiches.

Yesterday we went hiking to the river where my community will soon be drawing its water.  It took us over four hours of hiking (uphill) at a fast pace with almost no breaks to reach the source.  The “source” river is located in primary forest in (or near…not exactly sure) Podocarpus National Park and the scenery was STUNNING!  Waterfalls abounded.  Then, instead of taking the trail back to town, we bushwacked our way down the (not yet completed) pipeline route.  Thus, the return trip was treacherous!  A number of times we found ourselves traversing class V terrain (i.e. we needed ropes to do it safely) using tree roots to hold ourselves up.  In the words of Louis La´Armour, “Adventure is just a fancy word for trouble.”  All in all we were on the trail over 10 hours and I entertained myself with eating random bits of fruit that I found along the way.  You can safely do that in Ecuador which is another reason why I love this country.  Ecuador is like a All-You-Can-Eat fruit buffet the size of Nevada!

Where/how am I struggling?  More than anything else I miss deep, meaningful conversation.  Lots of people here (my PC peers included) will talk about their notions of God; very, very few truly desire to know Him more and to seek His glory in their life.  Post-modern thought abounds in the sense that “we all decide what is true for ourselves.”  I couldn´t disagree more.

With all of that said, I feel quite “strong.”  Not in myself, but in the faithfulness of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Everyday my needs are met.  I am thankful to be where I am and thankful for the opportunity to seek his glory in all situations, good and bad (Phil. 4:13).  I am blessed with the respect of my peers and a great working relationship with them.  However, both they and I recognize that our common committment to service stems from very different motives.  I don´t mind that.  As Christians, we ought to be different from our peers and we should be ready to be both admired for that difference and persecuted for it.  The irony is that sometimes those opposing views will come from the very same people at the same time.

Don´t be fooled, Friends, I miss home.  It´s not steaks and Blue Bell ice cream that I long for, but the fellowship of family and Christian brethren.  Please continue to pray that the Lord would lead me to a group of people who are seeking to know Him, obey Him, and to serve each other through the preaching, study, and application of His word.

I also yearn for more time to reflect upon what is going on around me.  Right now I am experiencing more “life” than I have time to process.  However, I think a time is drawing near when I will have plenty of time to think, study, and process.  Among other things, I hope to use that time to complete the commentary on the gospel of John that I started in December of 2006.  After that, I may consider writing a book over some relevant aspect of my experiences in Ecuador.  On the other hand, maybe I will just do coloring books.  We shall see…

Looking for My Crayons,

zc

The Ninja Strikes Back

Faithful Friends,

Howdy from the big city of Quito where I am finishing up my last week of CBT (Community Based Training). Today a ninja hit me in the face without warning. I’m not making this up. Maybe he was upset about my whole “machete ninja” comment on my previous blog entry; if that’s the case, my counsel would be that he shouldn’t wear his sensitive ninja feelings on his gee.

In reality, we had a “break and escape” class instructed by the top security guy at Ecuador’s US Embassy. I (foolishly) was standing at the front of the group as he began his instruction; after all, I may need to know this stuff while making compost 50 miles from the nearest city! The next thing I know he is tossing me a helmet and asking me to step out into the grassy circle. I obliged. So there I was, just standing there in the grassy circle feeling rather silly when, with no prior warning, “WHAM!” Captain Ninja hits me in the face with an open hand…and then the ear…and then the face again. By this point my eyes were watering since the plexi-glass that was separating me from his flesh-covered eye gougers had slid back and smacked me in the nose. What did I do? Nothing man, nothing at all. Allow me to cite the wisdom of one of my favorite philosophers, Kenny Rogers, “You got to know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em, know when to walk away, and know when to run.” Since there was no where to run (or hide) I just folded.

Learning That Peace Corps is Anything But Posh Corps,

zc

The Machete Ninja Demonstrating His Craft

Tech Trip #2 Complete!

Howdy Folks,

Just got in from our last and final tech trip. The finish line is in sight! We have one more “wrap up” week in Cayambe and then it’s off to Quito for some administrative work before swearing in as a Peace Corps Volunteer on April 20th. I must say that I am quite ready to complete this initial phase of my Peace Corps experience and get into the “meat and potatoes” of the matter.

To say the least, we covered lots of ground on our most recent tech trip. On day one I could see my breath in the mountain air as I stepped onto a bus with muddy boots and a backpack full of wet clothes–the constant rain in the days between my site visit trip and the tech trip left me with no opportunity to dry my clothes in the sun. Five buses and one ride in the back of a truck later and I was in the muggy, 90° air of the transitional/coastal zone outside of Santo Domingo de los Colorados. I slept that night on top of a bamboo “bed” (no mattress) and under a mosquito net as my clothes dried in the rafters above me.

My first task the following morning was to release the fruit bat that was hanging (upside down, of course) from the inside of my mosquito net. I have no idea how that little critter got in there, but the constant flapping of his wings during the night was handy for keeping the air circulating inside that stuffy mosquito net. We spent the next couple of days with the Tsachila tribe learning about their culture and their various techniques of cultivating yucca, corn, cacao, and banana. The Tsachila are perhaps best known for their tribal tradition of the men dying their hair with the bright red seeds of the achiote plant. I was fortunate enough to get to observe a traditional tribal ceremony including the dying of one of the men’s hair. Best of all, I got to hurl a spear through the trunk of a banana tree. Yeah, you could pretty much call me Tarzan.

The rest of the trip was pretty much all business. Over the next seven days we:
• Practiced various grafting techniques for fruit trees
• Discussed and practiced the different methods of cultivating/producing/mixing green manures, compost piles, worm beds, and organic pest controls
• Studied the basic principles of coffee production including the association of species to provide shade, boost insect resistance, etc.
• Vaccinated chickens and sheep
• Observed various aquaculture techniques (fish farming)
• Transplanted tree seedlings and practiced various techniques of fruit tree pruning

To top it all off I saw a biodigester for the first time at a research facility owned by the Ecuadorian government. The theory behind the digester is that animal and plant wastes are fed into the “top” of a gradual slope inside of a closed environment (i.e. 50 ft. of flexible plastic in the shape of a sausage link) and the “waste” is transformed into usable organic matter as it slowly makes its ways down to the bottom of the slope. Since the process is enclosed, the methane gas created by the decaying process can be collected to fire a burner, which has a variety of applications. Thus, in theory, the biodigester takes waste and creates two viable inputs: organic matter and methane gas. I am convinced that the process works, however I would like to study more the economics behind the contraption to determine its economic viability. Very cool, nevertheless.

On an unrelated, but still very important note, I am acutely aware that this is Easter Weekend. Though I wouldn’t trade my current situation for all of the biodigesters in the world, I do admit that I miss my family, my church, and my friends. Normally Easter Sunday brings a family get-together where I have the opportunity to both eat very well and also “pummel” my nephew, niece, and cousins in the wrestling match that invariably ensues after lunch. Though I am a patient person, my concern is this: those guys are growing up. In two years I may not be able to pummel them without resorting to some sort of trickery. We shall see…As Willie Nelson says, “Old age and treachery will always overcome youth and skill!”

More seriously, I long for the fellowship of other believers and to hear the word of God preached on the Lord’s Sabbath. Though I am thankful for online sermons, they just can’t replace the fellowship of the church body.

For those of you who take the time to read these semi-consistent updates thank you for caring and for your responses. They always brighten my day! And for you prayer warriors out there, please pray for:
• Humility and obedience before a Holy God. May I desire nothing more than His exaltation in my life regardless of the consequences
• For a faithful witness among my peers
• That the Lord would continue to improve my Spanish, my technical skills, and my planning as I prepare to begin two years of service in my permanent PC site
• For my health. Lately lots of us have been sick after spending so much time on public buses, eating questionable food, etc.

By Faith and With A Smile,

zc

Aloha from Loja!

Village People,

Howdy one and all from Loja, Ecuador. Loja is Ecuador´s southern province and 14 hours by bus from Cayambe where I have been in training since early February.

This week I feel like I got a taste of what an arranged marriage might be like! Last week I was assigned a Peace Corps (PC) site…site unseen! This week I visited PC site for the first time. Like an arranged marriage, we are going to learn to love each other and I am excited about that proposition! I spent the week getting to know my Ecuadorian counterparts (i.e. my work partners), meeting the community, and performing a brief needs inventory. For the next two years it will be my distinct privilege to share life with my new community and partner with them to improve their agricultural (and thus economic) situation. No doubt I will learn and grow as much as they do (and probably more)!

So what do I think about my new “bride?” She is beautiful!! I don´t think I´ve ever been in a better situation to ¨succeed¨ in an overseas work/volunteer assignment. My Ecuadorian counterparts are personable and are able to communicate their goals in a specific, well defined manner. Furthermore, my new community seems highly motivated and my living situation is more than sufficient. The icing on the cake is that I happen to be living in one of the most beautiful places in Ecuador.

So what will I be doing in my new site? ALOT!! My hunch is that I was assigned to one of the “busiest” agricultural sites.  I arrived on my first day at 8:45 AM and we spent the day harvesting achira (canna edulis…similar to the semi-tropical ornamental cannas we have in the U.S.).   Lunch was eaten in the field and consisted of two oranges from a nearby orange tree, two pieces of tuna (NOT the fish, but rather the center part of the fruit from a prickly pear cactus) and a glass of Ecuadorian cola.  We returned to the village around 7 PM, ate a quick dinner, and then returned to the office.  At 9:30 PM we called it a day and Zach (the other volunteer assigned to my site) and I walked home in the dark and went straight to bed.  This work environment is definately not typical of Ecuador and I don´t think it will even be typical of my particular job assignment.  My guess is that this is simply the busy time of the year with harvest, etc.

Though time will tell what specific projects I will be working on, the following are very interesting opportunities: improving the production and value added processes of local coffee production, working with the local apiculture operation (i.e. honey) to improve yields and packaging, collaborating with a local womens group to improve their product (handmade paper for stationary and other items) and find new markets, streamlining the cultivation and processing of achira to produce a higher quality chuno (a flour made from the starch contained in the achira bulbs), and also varios small projects to improve small and large animal health.

I parted company with my new community yesterday since I still have one month of training left in Cayambe.  This morning in Loja I enjoyed a hot shower (WONDERFUL) and right now I am getting ready to catch a bus headed north.

For all of your prayers and letters of encouragement…thank you!  I still have high hopes of finding a church where I can worship in Loja.  In the meantime I am content to enjoy the online sermons from my church (www.crbcwinnsboro.com) in East Texas and do my best to observe a Sabbath since I rarely have Sundays off.

May God bless each of your richly!  Also, may we all be content with nothing less than seeking to understand His word more fully each day and then seeking to live that out in our daily interactions.

Besos & Boletos (“Kisses & Bus Tickets”  A pseudo “kiss” on the cheek is a very common greeting and goodbye in Ecuador),

zc

My Peace Corps´Site!

Family, Brethren, & Friends,

I have been assigned a Peace Corps site! Last Tuesday I was informed that I will be working in the mountains outside of Loha, Ecuador. Loha is located in the south not far from the Peruvian border. On Saturday evening I boarded a bus with the five other volunteers who will also be working in my area for a 13 hour bus ride from Quito to Loha. Today was spent visiting a local community bank with a current volunteer; tomorrow I will be formally introduced to my Ecuadorian ¨counterpart¨ with whom I will begin working full time toward the end of April. This purpose of this trip is simply to ¨meet and greet¨ my community and to take an informal survey of their resources, strengths, needs, etc. That information will be used to tailor the latter half of my training to my communities specific needs. My plan is to be back in the northern part of the country by Sunday.

Though I have not yet seen my specific community, two observations are noteworthy at this point. The first is that at least part of my time will be dedicated to working with local coffee growers. This area carries the reputation of producing the best coffee in Ecuador! The second observation is the rediculous nature of the ¨name¨situation. For starters, the name ¨Zac¨ is difficult for Spanish speakers to pronounce. Thus, my name usually gets corrupted to ¨Sac.¨ That´s all well and good.  I am, after all, a team player. However, it turns out that PC Ecuador has four ¨Zac´s¨assigned to sites within a 50 mile radius; three of us spell our name ¨Z-A-C.¨  My site is unusual in that two agriculture volunteers are assigned to the same community to work on two different projects.  You guessed it!  We share the same name, though at least he spells his name with an ¨H.¨  Thus, I spent my day winding around mountain roads in a vehicle with two Ecuadorian nationals and five gringos…three of whom are named, Zac!  I think my first official ¨charla¨(i.e. technical lecture) will be entitled the following: ¨All gringos in the United States are not named ´Zac.´¨

Thanks for your letters and prayers! If it be the Lord´s will, I will be in touch in a couple of weeks.  Motivated, zc