bible studies, leaky windows, and techno buses

Things have been pretty dreary around here for the past few days. When the sun is out, it is beautiful and people are plentiful. When it is rainy, and a lot of the time it is, the people retreat into their houses and there is less work that we can do. We are relying on the opportunities that the Lord has provided for us to work in the schools and medical clinic to reach people around the area. The language barrier has continued to be a challenge, but Spanish comes more naturally to us every day that we are here. We have learned that we can rely only on the power of the Holy Spirit to break down some of these barriers. In the times where I have been discouraged about not being understood or not understanding completely, the Lord has brought this scripture to mind from 1 Corinthians 2:1-5... "And I, when I came to you, brothers, did nt come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech and wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God." How true it is that the Lord is going to accomplish his work here despite our abilities. He receives even more glory because of our weaknesses!

I am excited to tell you that we had our first Bible study here in El Chaupi last night. We had 3 people there, all of whom are members of the family that owns the hostal where we are staying. However, this is not at all discouraging because we can tell that these 3 really are seeking and searching for the truth of the Lord! Please be in prayer as we continue Bible studies in their hostal every Tuesday and Thursday nights and also that we may have opportunities to present the Gospel to people during the English classes that we will have in the hostal on Monday and Wednesday nights. We also had the great opportunity this morning to go into a girls school to meet the girls, make salvation bracelets with them, and dance the Electric Slide. We loved the hour that we got to spend with them, and we are looking forward to going back on Monday to teach them some English, so please be in prayer for that. We also have a meeting at a local school at 9am on Monday, where we will discuss with the principal and teachers what we will be allowd to teach in their school two or three times a week. They seem quite concerned that we will be teaching against their strong Catholic background. Pray that the Lord will soften their hearts and allow the message of the Gospel to be brought into their school.

Now on to the funny and yet frustrating things that go right along with being in another country... :)

First, I must say that I have had some of the most entertaining bus rides to and from Machachi (where I currently am on the computer and where we come to get groceries). On the way back the other day, the bus had at least 60 people crammed on it. Not exactly a comfortable bus ride when you are one of the people standing up in the aisle. And let us not forget how bumpy the roads are here. Haha Today on the way into town, we had the techno bus complete with flashing lights around a picture of the virgin mary and tassles hanging from the windows. All the while, loud techno music is playing. I wish that there was a way that I could share this experience with you. The pictures and videos we took just don´t do it justice.

As I have mentioned, it rains a lot here. Well, it REALLY rained a lot yesterday. So much, in fact, that the electricity went out,. the roof started leaking, and so did my window. We decided that it was a good time for a photo shoot as we scrambled to hang plastic bags from our ceilings with duct tape and shoved paper towels into the cracks of the windows. It was a much-needed laugh and thankfully the electricity came back on before Bible study... otherwise we would have been teaching about creation with reading lights and flashlights.

The shower... aka the widow maker. It is heated electrically and has wires hanging above it. One must be quite careful not to extend arms while showering. We do not enjoy the widow maker.. Especially since the water pressure is lacking and the cold outside air flows continuously through the bathroom. I suppose we should be thankful to have a shower at all. :)

We have offically named the rooster Dodo due to his confused status. 12:45, 1:30, 4:20.. all of these times seem to be sunrise to him. He cock-a-doodle-doos all the time... mainly while we´re sleeping. Someone needs to call Disney or somebody and tell them that their portayal of roosters who only crow at sunrise is false... and we have the proof here in El Chaupi.

Hopefully I will have a chance to send you all an update again soon. Our days are getting fuller with ministry opportunities, so it will be less often that we will be able to travel to Machachi to use the computers... although it is rumored that the Library in town has turtle-sped internet that we may be able to use sometime. Regardless of how frequent these updates come, please remember to keep praying for us here in Ecuador... as well as for missionaries who are serving all over the world. The Lord is doing great things to further his Kingdom. Let us rejoice in knowing that!

Thank you for all of the encouragement and prayers!

el chaupi

Today is day 4 in El Chaupi and so far it is the only day that it has not rained since we have been here. The mornings are beautiful, but it has rained every day from around 12 to 6. Despite the dreary weather, we have been able to get out among the people of the community and God has really been opening doors wide open for his gospel to be presented. Thanks to your prayers, we are being welcomed openly among the people here and will begin a Bible Study in the hostal where we are staying on Thursday night. We are also ministering in the clinic, the daycare, the girls school, the local elementary school, and will soon begin English classes twice a week. So far the people here have been quite receptive to the message that is being presented to them.. They´re so hungry for more. Please pray that we will be able to effectively communicate the Gospel to them in Spanish and answer questions that they may have.

Let me tell you a little bit about our experience in El Chaupi so far... We are staying in a quaint little hostal called the NiñaRumy which is situated right inside the entrance to the town. The hostal owners (Mirian and Boanerges) are a wonderful family who have really taken us in and cared for us for the past few days... and Mirian is a wonderful cook. We are in a valley of 4 beautiful volcanoes, one of which I have yet to see all of because of dense clouds. In addition to the volcanoes, farm land surrounds us. Dogs, cats, cows, horses, chickens, sheep, and alpacas roam freely in the streets. Just think of it as an Ecuadorian Mayberry. Haha :) This was a little bit of a culture shock at first, so my camera is filled with pictures of farm life. I think that the initial shock of so many animals has worn off by now, as it is just a part of daily life here. For the past 3 mornings, I have been awakened by a confused rooster. For those of you who thought, like I did, that roosters only crow when the sun comes up, we are definitely mistaken. This particular rooster begins crowing around 2:30am and crows throughout the morning. Even though we're fairly close to the Equator, the weather is quite chilly... especially at night.

There is much more that I could tell you, but I am currently restricted on time. To sum things up, Ecuador has been an amazing experience so far, and God is already causing us to grow and stretch beyond our expectations. He has a unique way of doing that. We are excited about the opportunities that are ahead of us in El Chaupi for the next 3 1/2 weeks. I will try to send a more specific update later this week, but please keep the prayers coming! We can definitely feel the presence of the Lord here in El Chaupi!

Here are some more specific prayer requests:

··Please pray for people in El Chaupi to be curious and that God´s word will speak truth into their lives. Pray that in this predominately Catholic culture, they will know that they can pray to God on their own without a priest. Pray that God will send others into their lives to disciple them and take them one step further toward the truth.
··Please pray that the Lord will burden hearts for this community and surrounding communities and that people will step up to partner with us in the ministry here so that they can continue the work when we are gone.
··Please pray for our team to draw strength from God as we strive to be obedient in ministering to the people of El Chaupi during this time of new experiences.

Te quiero todos!

please keep praying

I am limited on time right now, but I want to ask that you please pray for these specific things:

• Unity among the three girls that will be in each village because we are the representitives of the body of Christ among these people.
• That God will provide a person of peace (Luke 10) for each team to open their homes for bible studies.
• That the Holy Spirit will go before us and prepare the hearts of the Quichua people.
• Our personal growth in quiet times with the Lord, that we will be receptive to his direction and be obedient.
• That our Spanish abilities will increase to a level that allows us to effectively communicate with the people of the village.
• Sharing the Gospel and building relationships.
• That in times of weakness, tiredness, loneliness, and discouragement, that we will know that our steadfast hope is found only in the Lord.
• A spirit of peace as we settle into the villages which will be our homes for the next four weeks.

Thank you so much for your prayers. Sorry that I do not have more time to update in detail, but please know that your prayers are being felt here in Ecuador. I can't wait until I can share everything with all of you!

hola from quito!

Hey everyone!

I don't have much time on the computer because there are 5 other girls waiting to use it, but I just wanted to write you a quick update and let you know how things are going so far. Today is day 4 in Ecuador, and so far things have been going really well. We are spending this week in Quito doing cultural and language orientation and getting to know one another. Things will become significantly more challenging on Saturday as we venture into the villages (2 teams of 3 girls each) to spend 4 weeks. We will be totally dependent on the Lord's provisions in our language skills and communication with the Quichua people. Spanish is coming back to us rather quickly, and that is very exciting! We grow more confident each day, and I pray that this confidence increases this week as we are in preparation to go into the villages. I ask that you also PLEASE be in prayer for all of us as we prepare for this. The other 5 girls and all of the missionaries that we have worked with so far have been such a tremendous blessing. We have already faced several challenges, and we are not sure what to expect when we arrive in the villages next week, but we are definitely learning more and more each day what it means to trust God with everything that we are. I hope to be able to send a more detailed update in the near future, but we are not sure of the technology situations in the villages at this point. Thank you for your prayers so far... Please continue lifting us up!

I hope to talk to you again soon!

Te quiero todos! :)

all my bags are packed, i'm ready to go...

I don't think I've ever flown without singing "Leaving on a Jetplane." I do understand how cliche that is, but I'm ok with that today. It's not the only thing stuck in my head.. I have also found myself reciting Dr. Seuss' "Oh, the Places You Will Go" as I've been packing. I'm a teacher. It happens...

I am off to the aeropuerto on the way to Quito, Ecuador. Exciting times are ahead in the next 6 weeks. I will update here and through email as frequently as I have the opportunity. My email address is courtneyhamil@gmail.com if you would like to send me an email (and I would really love for you to).

I am going to re-post my current prayer requests for the trip so that scrolling down and searching through other posts won't be necessary. Again, thank you again (so much) for your prayers and support.

• That I will adjust to life in Ecuador. That I will remember and pick up on the language quickly.
• Relationships among team members as we come together as strangers and spend these weeks together. There are 6 girls on this team: Brittany, Katie, Yvonne, Elizabeth, Joy, and myself. Also, for the missionaries we will work with who are currently there: Fletcher, Ruby, Rick, Kelly, Jessica F., and Jessica B.
  
• Our communication with the people we encounter, that we will be able to communicate the Gospel in a clear way through both actions and words, and that God will be glorified through these encounters.
• That the people will have open hearts and be receptive to the truth of the Gospel. That new believers will find boldness in sharing with others.
• Our health as we will be active in high altitude areas and spend time in the jungle.
• That we will be constantly filled with the Spirit and actively seeking opportunities wherever we go.
• No matter how tired we may get, that we will continue to grow in our faith through consistent reading of God's Word and spending time in prayer.

"But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God." Acts 20:24

details, details

There are so many last minute details to take care of the day before/of traveling. I'm racking my brain to make sure that I don't forget anything of importance. I'm sure the usual night-before-leaving late night WalMart trip will occur.

Just confirmed my flight.. Good thing I did because they had no record of my itinerary under my current confirmation number. We got it all straightened out though. I even checked the places where I will be sitting on the plane, and I am either sitting by myself (from Jackson to Houston and back to Jackson) or on an isle seat (Houston to Quito and back to Houston). So for that I can't complain. I am glad I will be able to get up and move around a bit without climbing over people.

I am getting very excited about being in Ecuador. I know that God has led me to this point, and he has a purpose for my being there. It will be a great joy to find out what those purposes are. I am looking forward to meeting the other five girls who are also assigned to this trip as well as the missionaries who are currently serving there. I always enjoy meeting missionaries. They give me a glimpse into what being on the field is really like, and I think having a realistic view of being on the field will provide me with a more solid foundation for serving in the future.

Bendito Dios, no hay nadie como tú. Te pudo tu dirección y sabiduría en mis decisiones. Gracias porque siempre estás conmigo. En el nombre de tu hijo, Jesucristo, amén.

please pray

I really leave in two days. I'm barely even packed.

I'm going to try to keep up this blog while I am in Ecuador. It is my intention to send out e-mail updates as well, but I do not know how available our technology resources will be. That's something I'll just have to play by ear when I get there. I will update as much as I am able.

Prayer is an important part of being on the mission field. I covet your prayers as my team and I spend these 6 weeks in Ecuador. Here are some specific ways that you can be praying:
- That I will adjust to life in Ecuador. That I will remember and pick up on the language quickly.

- Relationships among team members as we come together as strangers and spend these weeks together. There are 6 girls on this team: Brittany, Katie, Yvonne, Elizabeth, Joy, and myself.

- Our communication with the people we encounter, that we will be able to communicate the Gospel in a clear way through both actions and words, and that God will be glorified through these encounters.
- That the people will have open hearts and be receptive to the truth of the Gospel. That new believers will find boldness in sharing with others.

- Our health as we will be active in high altitude areas and spend time in the jungle

- That we will be constantly filled with the Spirit and actively seeking opportunities wherever we go.

- No matter how tired we may get, that we will continue to grow in our faith through consistent reading of God's Word and spending time in prayer.

swbts!

I got the e-mail today!

"Congratulations! The Office of Admissions has accepted your application for admission to Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. You have been approved to enter the Master of Arts in Christian Education program at the Fort Worth campus beginning the Fall 2009 semester."

I am really excited about it. I have a plan! After months of praying and searching for what the next step will be, God has shown me which direction to walk in. The amazing thing is, God is already showing me his provisions for me to take this step. When I began the admissions process and went out there during Spring Break, I was anticipating moving out there on my own and getting a one bedroom apartment. However, I found out a few weeks later that a friend of mine will also be moving out there in the Fall, so now she and I can live together!

I honestly did not expect to be heading to seminary. Don't get me wrong... I am beyond excited about it, and I know that this is what God is leading me to do. It's just that when I was praying through my options, seminary seemed like it was at the bottom of the list. The way things worked out, it moved to the top. I can't wait to see what God has planned for this adventure!