On May 25, 1999 our team began this journal. The work continues and we will continue posting news about our Team Work and developments in the prisons. Please continue to pray for us, for the volunteers in Prison Fellowship Ecuador and (especially) for those who live in Ecuador's prisons. May God have mercy.

A Field Journal - Day by Day

5/25 A few of us from the team met one last time this morning to pray and go over logistics for travel to Ecuador in the morning. We are taking several computers, two shipping containers of medicine and boxes of Bibles and study guides for use in the prisons. We plan to arrive in Guayaquil at 8:30 pm on Wednesday.

Please pray for:

  1. Arrival of us, our stuff and the passage of all of us through customs
  2. Rest and recovery on the way - one student (Mark) is taking an exam which I will proctor for him from 6-9 am
  3. Renewal of our relationships with the volunteers with Prison Fellowship Ecuador

Ecuador Home


5/27 We arrived on Wednesday night without a hitch and were met at the airport in Guayaquil by friends from Prison Fellowship International (PFI) known in Ecuador as Confraternidad Carcelaria del Ecuador(CCE) and Medical Assistance Program (MAP). Thursday the Harvard group met together in teams with volunteers from PFE to concentrate on our four areas: The time was filled with frank discussion, prayer and good humor. Praise God! Late in the afternoon we held a press conference which was picked up by evening news programs and several newspapers. Our visit has generated some interest again this year and we are glad to tell the story of the prisons and the PFE ministry. Later that night as we gathered around the TV to watch the news we were happy that they used one of our strongest statements in the story, "We are here to show we agree with the Scriptures, namely that God is a God of Justice."

Please pray for:

  1. Our understanding of the different issues which discourage the PFE volunteers and limit their effectiveness
  2. A new agreement between PFE and the Federal Government of Ecuador - The former agreement is no longer being honored by the government
  3. Pray for an easing of tensions between PFE and the Prison Administration in Guayaquil
Camera crews, journalists and newspaper reporters crowded into the Prison Fellowship office in Guayaquil to talk with the students about their hopes for the visit to the prison in the morning



























Jeff Barneson talks and Jim Oehrig translates about the work the students are undertaking and the hope that these days will be a expression of God's greater justice and mercy




























Well-scrubbed and eager, the team is joined by President Gloria Montano of Confraternidad Carcelaria del Ecuadorfor a picture after meeting the press



























Ecuador Home


5/28 Today we left early for the prison in Guayaquil (known by some as the most dangerous prison in the country). We were joined by the press again as we visited with the new director of the prison (4-daysinto his position) and met with prisoners in the carpentry shop, a rice and citrus tree agricultural project and several educational initiatives. We eventually made our way to the CCE APAC (Amando a Preso Amando a Cristo) program pavilion. Here again we joined together in teams, this time with inmates as well as PFE volunteers.

Please pray for:

  1. Renewed relationships between prisoners in the APAC program and the PFE volunteers who administer their program. Pray for our work over the next several days as face difficult conversations which limit the effectiveness of their ministry
  2. Pray for both prisoners and volunteers who are severely stressed at this time and tempted to lose heart. We will be meeting with dozens of local volunteers from Prison Fellowship Ecuador tomorrow in the afternoon to pray and brainstorm about needed changes and opportunities
  3. Praise God for our safe travel to and through the prison today as we met with inmates and officials
  4. Praise God that we are all healthy (if tired) after 3 days and looking forward to another trip to the prison tomorrow!

Television reporters joined us again the next morning when we met with the new Director of Guayaquil's Prison. Our meetings with him were to no good end as he was fired in just two weeks


























Enroute to the prison in Guayaquil - a 30 minute bus ride each morning

























Inmate-carpenters in the Prison Fellowship shop work together each day on housing components to repair homes damaged during the floods of the 1998 el Ninoweather



























Volunteers, including several law students from the University in Guayaquil joined the team each day





















President Gloria Montano led the team on a site visit where Prison Fellowship Ecuador (CCE) hopes to develop a residential (stage III) facility for inmates in the APAC program

























Ecuador Home


5/29 We traveled again to the prison today and visited the APAC introductory program. Over 50 (including many new prisoners) attended the late morning event, which included singing, prayer and a sermon. Lou Soiles preached about the parable of the different soils. HA!  After the formal part of the meeting we divided into groups to hear about the prisoners' experiences and their interest in Jesus and the APAC program. One highlight for the time was when one prisoner who was Polish introduced himself but said that he didn't speak much Spanish. Fortunately we were able to introduce him to David Nancekiville (a PhD candidate who is amazingly fluent in many languages - actually 30 or so!). David was able to speak to him in Polish - you should have seen his expression! During the day we were also able to visit the site at which the PFE team hopes to develop the third stage of their APAC program. It is a site of several acres about two miles uphill from the prison and will be called "Hogar Vida Nueva." It is a God-Sized vision and would include dormitory space, workshops, offices and an agricultural project.

Please pray for:

  1. A gathering with members from PFE for prayer and listening to God for his direction and next steps
  2. Arrangements for a meeting between the prisoner council and PFE to be held Monday morning
  3. Arrangements for a formal dialogue between the Director of the prison in Guayaquil, PFE and others who work in prisoner rehabilitation. We hope to facilitate a meeting on Monday afternoon
  4. Arrangements for a possible meeting with the President of Ecuador Jamil Mahuad. The President is also an alumnus of the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard - the school which most of the Harvard team members are students
The moral of the story is, "Always be ready to preach!" Lou preached (Jim translated) somewhat miraculously from the same text which the reqular preacher felt called to on this day - What kind of soil are you?



























David Nanckivell (on the left) with a surprised young inmate from Poland - there are not too many polish speakers in the prison in Guayaquil!



























Ecuador Home


5/30 We celebrated a wonderful worship service this morning with the volunteers from Prison Fellowship. The event followed two days of conversations with volunteers, prisoners and ourselves. The more we talked, the more issues we discovered and the more overwhelmed we became! Finally we decided we just needed to stop and listen to God. We spent time with the volunteers at lunch before coming over to the office to try and get news to the web site.  In the end that effort failed again.  Our inablility to get news out to our praying friends has been frustrating but we know they are praying for us all.

Please pray for:

  1. Meetings tomorrow night with the board and staff of Prison Fellowship Ecuador - We hope to offer preleminary observations from our research and discuss next steps in our ministry relationship
  2. Renewed energy and health among members of the team - The heat (it has been 90+ each day) has taken it's toll and several in the team have stomachs which are... uh... fragile
Janice Lee hard at work bringing the unruly forces of the internet into submission. Well, sort of...


























Jim Filippatos having a perfectly reasonable conversation with a representative from Jeff's unnamed ISP about problems posting our news to the web - meanwhile Jeff had crossed over to the dark side



























Ecuador Home


5/31 Today our "Mediation and Conversation" team returned to the prison to facilitate two difficult conversations Ñ one among inmates and the other between Prison Fellowship Ecuador and the prison administration. We met with the prison director and a dozen other rehabilitation staff for over two hours and explored interests and points of tension. The time was difficult but exceptionally productive. Praise God! Our hope is that the space created by these initiatives will enable these conversations to continue and have a lasting impact. As I write this we are preparing to make presentations to the Prison Fellowship staff in Guayaquil. Each of the 4 teams will be presenting their observations, recommendations and the next steps they hope to take as a team. Tomorrow morning we fly to Quito and hope to be in the prisons there before noon!

Please pray for:

  1. Good closure with clear next steps in our relationship with Prison Fellowship Guayaquil
  2. Transition of the team up to Quito and quick adjustment to the altitude and new relationships
  3. Thanksgiving for our protection and work in Guayaquil
  4. A possible meeting with the President of Ecuador (Jamil Mahuad) later this week

Ecuador Home



6/1 This morning we flew to Quito (a 45 minute jump from Guayaquil) and arrived without a hitch. The city is over 9000 feet higher in elevation than Guayaquil so the transition left us a little breathless. We were met by members of the Prison Fellowship Ecuador board and went off to lunch with CCE President Dr. Jorge Crespo. Dr. Crespo described some of the challenges which their team is facing in gaining access to the prisons to work with inmates and the APAC programming. He described several meetings for our team with members of the government which he hoped would lead to a breakthrough - one meeting later this afternoon with the subsecretary of the government seemed especially promising as we described the need for CCE to have access and continue their work.

Please pray for:

  1. A breakthrough with the prison administration and the governmental officials allowing Prison Fellowship the prison access they require to carry out their programming
  2. Increased patience and trust among members of our team in the midst of increasingly stressful and changing work and expectations
  3. Our scheduled meeting with Jamil Mahuad, President of Ecuador on Wednesday afternoon - especially that our contact with him would be helpful for reestablishing the place of the APAC programming in the prisons
  4. Health and renewed energy for members of the team struggling with the altitude and other health issues
APAC program on one page? It's all here - really! Inmates produced this comprehensive chart describing the philosophy and program elements for the APAC program






































Ecuador Home


6/2 This was an amazing day! We began with prayer at 7 am and worked straight through till nearly 10 pm. Members of our teams met with Dr. Crespo in the morning before going to the Prison to meet with inmates. The highlight of the day came when we arrived at the Presidential Palace for our meeting with the President of Ecuador, Jamil Mahuad. Members of the team had briefly met Jamil (MPA'89) during his spring visit to Harvard where he addressed students and faculty at the Kennedy School of Govermnet. While we were waiting in the reception room we learned from the Minister of the government that, Prison Fellowship and the APAC program were being reinstated. We were elated at the news but went on with our presentation to President Mahuad in which Janice highlighted the need for imporved Public Defense and Partnerships with NGO's which foster volunteer work with prisoners - e.g. Prison Fellowship Ecuador. We were assured that a formal document would be drawn up and were invited to come back tomorrow for a signing party.

Please pray for:

  1. Thanksgiving to God for the openness and encouraging comments from President Mahuad and the Minister of the Government
  2. Commitments being made verbally - especially that they will be carried through to formal written policy and implemented at the prison and pavillion level by administrators and (especially) the guards
  3. Thanksgiving to God for some new orgainization and leadership in our team which is helping us manage our stressful work load and relationships
  4. Members of our team visiting the women's prison - especially that they would build relationships and understand the needs and issues quickly
  5. Meetings tomorrow with a large committee of prisoners who represent diverse interests and constituencies in the prison
  6. Members of our team who continue to feel tired and ill
A not-so-candid picture of the team sidling up to Jamil Mahuad (arrow), President of Ecuador after receiving news that the Prison Fellowship APAC program would be reauthorized throughout all Ecuador's prisons




















Ecuador Home


6/3 Meetings today were very interesting and productive but we have more new information than we know what to do with right now. During the visit to the women's prison members of the team learned about a regular "soccer match" which guards play each week INSIDE the women's prison. Aparently it is common knowledge that this event occurs, facilitating and promoting sexual abuse of women inmates. In the men's prison, members of the team met with prisoner council which represents inmates from different countries and other interest groups. During this conversation we learned more about how the US "war on drugs" has impacted many of the prisoners while the rich "drug bosses" remain free. We were shocked to hear that the US pays for drug arrests and that Ecuador's law does not distinguish between 10 gr. and 10 kilo. of cocaine - both are systemic flaws which foster abuse and injustice. Late in the afternoon today our Mediation and Public Relations team met with Dr. Crespo and other members of the CCE leadership to discuss and role-play new options (ways which might be seen as less hostile) for engaging the government and the prison system.

Please pray for:

  1. God's direction in how we ought to understand and communicate information concerning the conditions in the prison - especially issues concerning American prisoners
  2. Women who are sexually abused and raped by guards
  3. Establishement of strong Bible study groups in the women's prison
  4. Further meetings with American inmates in the prison
  5. Dr. Crespo and new/creative conversations which lead to openness and better relationships with those who provide leadership in the prison system
Dr. Crespo and Jim discuss artwork in the presidential palace while connoisseurs Victor, Janice and Paul look on and wonder


























At yet another opportunity to wear ties and jackets, the group joined volunteers and the national board of Prison Fellowship Ecuador for a final banquet


























Ecuador Home


6/29 When Jim Filippatos decided to remain in Quito for a week after the group left none of us imagined that he would spend that time navigating the bureaucracy of the Executive and Judicial branches of the Ecuadorian government on behalf of one poor woman in prison. Carmen Colon Rivera had been imprisoned for many years for charges related to transporting drugs - apparently for her boyfriend at the time. Today she arrived home in Puerto Rico with new freedom as a believer in Jesus. Her release is a miracle, perhaps moreso because of all the people in Ecuador who said it couldn't be done in a year - she was released in a week!

Please pray for:

  1. Carmen and her adjustment back in Puerto Rico, for work and especially for her family
  2. Prison Fellowship connections in Puerto Rico who may be able to support and mentor Carmen now that she is back home

Ecuador Home


7/11 This weekend 8 members of the Ecuador Project Team met in Washington, DC to continue to pray and work on our various sub-projects. While the demands of summer jobs and the distance has slowed our progress on parts of the work, we are making steady progress. We were especially glad to be joined by Adreinne and Angela from Prison Fellowship International and to hear of their long-term committment to the Harvard/Ecuador relationship.

Please pray for:

  1. Reports now being written - especially that these would be completed in a timely manner and in a form that is truly helpful
  2. Translation into Spanish - much of this will be coordinated by Ruben
  3. Victor, who will be spending several weeks outlining a grant proposal strategy

Ecuador Home


7/20 This week a group of 8-10 began meeting for prayer and to study Spanish together, specifically for the purpose of being able to work more effectively in Ecuador. In the midst of preparing for the General Examination for his PhD in linguistics David is preparing curriculum and tutoring us. This is a real gift and we all know it.

Please pray for:

  1. David and his preparation of lesson material
  2. Motivation for students working on this skill for the purpose of minsitry

Ecuador Home


8/21 A few days ago we received word from Ruben Ortiz in Quito. His e-mail message follows below and describes an increasingly desperate strike being waged inside the prison:

Please ask the rest of the group to keep praying for the situation in the jails in Ecuador. A number of prisoners who had not yet received sentences have gone on strike to obtain their freedom. Things have reached the point where they have started crucifying themselves and sewing their own mouths closed so they can't eat. This morning I talked to Gloria Montano, who said that it is almost impossible for them to get into the prison in Guayaquil because the prisoners have taken over the corridor in the APAC wing. The prisoners are demanding that they be freed in accordance with an amendment of the constitution that says if a prisoner has not been sentenced after a year he should go free. I am enclosing two photos of the situation, which you can share with Jeff for the webpage.
Prisoners sleeping in the hallway of Garcia Morano Prison, Quito

























Prisoners protest illegal sentencing and slow process in the Ecuadorian judicial system
























Please pray for:

  1. Protection for the prisoners, guards and prison officials during the strike
  2. That God might show mercy and establish justice for the inmates
  3. That the ministry of Prison Fellowship Ecuador (especially the volunteers) would be strengthened - especially that volunteers would again have access to the APAC wing in the prison

Ecuador Home