the best news ever

today is my birthday. i'm 24. it's been a good day, but i'd rather tell you about the message i received from my friends in Ecuador....

"Last week we took a team out to El Chaupi. MIRIAN AND BOANERGES WERE BAPTIZED ON SATURDAY!! AND one of their daughter, Marcela, is incredibly broken and interested in how to get close to God since she has now realized that there is nothing she can actually do to gain His favor. :) El Chaupi girls, the work that you did last summer is a direct correlation to Mirian and Boanerges wanting to get baptized. So many times they mentioned the things that you did last summer, or showed them or told them, and it just encouraged their hunger and thirst for God... The time you gave up to God last summer and served Him here is still echoing. It has made a bigger impact than I think any of us have realized."

it would not have been possible for me to receive better news on my birthday. i am simply overjoyed!

Praise God, and God alone, for what He is doing in the lives of this precious family and the people in El Chaupi, Ecuador! I know that I will see these sweet faces again one day in Heaven, and just the thought of that brings tears of joy to my eyes.

faces

At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

- Matthew 18:1-4

I have been looking at pictures from Ecuador today. I found myself being moved to tears when I saw these kids and still recognized their faces. We invested so much of our time and our hearts with the kids that we met. I pray that I never forget about their eagerness to hear what we had to say. May that serve as an example of eagerness that we should have in listening to our Heavenly Father. I thank God for the opportunity to spend time with these precious children. I pray that the Gospel message that we took to them is embedded deep within their hearts and minds. I realize that I may never see them again on this Earth, but I pray wholeheartedly that I will one day see their sweet faces in Heaven. Lord, let them see you.

Pictured above: Polett

culture shock and more

I returned from Ecuador one week ago today. After spending a little over 6 weeks in a foreign country, using a foreign language, surrounded with brand new people, I have come back to the land of the familiar. The land where things move faster and people are out to fulfill their own agendas. In our debriefing, one of the missionaries told us that we would experience a little bit of culture shock upon reentering the country where we have spent a large majority of our lives. I expected this, but I didn't realize how it would affect me until I actually got here and experienced it.

A few days after returning, I walked through the Wal-Mart parking lot and said hello to a stranger who only stared blankly back at me. This was the first time that I realized how truly different the people are from the ones that I have spent my summer working with. Ecuador (and most other Latin American countries, I would assume) is the land of "buenos dias" (good morning), "buenas tardes" (good afternoon), and "buenas noches" (good night). It is considered rude not to speak when passing strangers on the street. I realize how simple this is, but it makes me wonder what kind of witness we are giving to people day-to-day. When someone says hello to us in a parking lot, do we automatically assume that they have other motives? Sure, they may not be a nice, genuine person... But do they not deserve courtesy? Do they not deserve to be treated as Christ loves them? I have news for you... He does. Is the way that we even simply greet people reflecting the message that Christ died for them?

Do we live our lives as if we have something life-changing and bigger than anything we could find on this Earth? Do we live with what Jesus did on the cross before our eyes and at the forefront of our minds? I have a feeling that if we did, we would be more sensitive to the emotional, physical, spiritual needs of the community around us and to the nations.

last day in el chaupi

Amid rainy weather, cold wind, and children hanging from all of our limbs at all times, I feel so privileged to have had the opportunity to live in El Chaupi for the past 4 weeks. Today is our last full day here in the village. It has been quite sad to say goodbyes to all of the people we have gotten to know here (especially the children), and the worst is yet to come tomorrow when we say goodbye to the family that we have lived with for the past month. The Lord is doing an amazing work in them, and it has been a true blessing to witness. I pray that the Lord will continue to work through their family and that they will reach out to their community to share the Good News that they have come to know. They have been an incredible encouragement to us and have truly been a family away from home. It is bittersweet to know that this time is coming to an end. It feels like we arrived just last week. We will leave here at 9am tomorrow with tears in our eyes and joy in our hearts for what the Lord has done here and for what we are leaving behind. As we prepare to leave, I am humbled by the fact that the Lord is all-powerful and does not need us to accomplish his tasks, but still he chooses to use us. That is still amazing to me and I pray that I will never lose sight of how huge that is. He created the world that we live in, the air that fills our lungs, and our very bodies. Yet, still he wants to use us to further his kingdom. He wants to know us personally. He loves us beyond any other of his creations.

The past two weeks have been filled with many ministry opportunities and a lot of fun. We spent our usual Tuesday/Thursday mornings at the large elementary school teaching English and Bible Studies. We never quite knew what we were getting ourselves into when we walked through those gates at 8:40 on those mornings, but we were usually put into a class as a substitute teacher. That was nice because it gave us free reign of what we taught them (more opportunities to do Bible stories YAY!) but it also came with its frustrations when all that the students wanted to do was "jugar futbol" (play soccer) or "sacar photos" (take pictures). All in all, it was a great experience and these children now have more of a knowledge of Jesus Christ - and that's all that matters. We also got a visit from Ruby and Fletcher who were on their way to do some research in another area! What a blessing it was to get hugs from them!

As I mentioned before, we are leaving El Chaupi at 9am tomorrow. We will head to Quito for a couple of "jungle preparation days" before we head to the Oriente. We are excited to be reunited with the rest of the team and to spend this last week together in ministry to a people group in another area of Ecuador! Please pray for our travel on Monday and on Friday, as these are the days we will be driving to and coming back from the Oriente and for the people that we will come in contact with while we are there.

Since I did not have a chance to send out an update last week, there are some things that you should know.. The first being that the rooster that we so affectionately called "Dodo" because of his constant state of confusion was killed and fed to us for supper two Sunday nights ago. I did not believe it at first either, but it is true. Our Ecuadorian parents killed him and didn't tell us what we had eaten until after supper. They did it so that we could actually sleep. I told you that they are great! Haha they do have another rooster - a small one who has found his voice in the past few days. But thank goodness he is sane and only crows at sunrise.

This past Saturday, we went horseback riding for a few hours despite the fact that we were unaware of Spanish commands for horses. My horse started off being a wonderful creature, but halfway through our ride decided to take of sprinting down the country roads that we were walking down. I was not expecting it, but pulled back on the reigns as I yelled "PARE" which means STOP in Spanish. The horse eventually listened and slowed down to its usual trot, only to do the same thing a few more times before our ride was over. Despite my crazy horse, the ride was beautiful and we saw parts of the Ecuadorian countryside that we would not have otherwise seen.

On the same day, just a few hours after our return from riding, Mirian came upstairs and extended an invitation to eat CUY with her and her family. Cuy is Spanish for guinea pig. She and her family had cooked the cuy, chicken, and potatoes for us so that we could have this experience before leaving Ecuador. Although we were eating a strange food, we had a lot of great laughs and conversations with our precious family. (In case you were wondering, cuy tastes a lot like chicken.)

I am going to miss this place tremendously and the people that we have met here. I will miss milking cows, crazy roosters who end up as dinner, children hanging on to us all of the time, watching pigs get slaughtered, and most of all, being able to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with these amazing people. I pray that the Lord will continue a great work in their lives long after we are gone.

See you in a couple of weeks!

Pictured above: Marcela, Peluchin(the dog), Boanerges, Mirian, Noami, and Peluchina (the other dog).

another ecuador update

I just wanted to send a quick update and let you know how things are going here in Ecuador! Specific prayer requests are in bold...

The bible study with the family has continued to be a success. We are learning more and more each time we meet with them about their hunger to know more about the Word. It is exciting and encouraging to see them stand up in the face of the judgement they are receiving from their neighbors and friends. I praise the Lord for their strength and desire to know more! Please pray that this bible study will continue to be a source of growth for them and that they will take what they have learned and continue to apply it in their lives. Pray that they will read and study on their own (which I believe they are doing) and be bold in sharing their faith with others.

I have good news and bad news about the weather here. The good news is... Rainy season is over. The bad news... It is now winter. All that means is that rain will be more scarce, but it will be windier and colder on a daily basis. Please pray that the weather will not affect our attitudes towards ministering to those who are outside in the community. Pray that people will still be outside so that we will continue to build relationships with them as we walk around the area. Pray that hearts will be warmed with the Love of Christ despite the cold external temperatures.

Tomorrow we have a HUGE open door to travel into el campo (the country) with the town doctor to meet people as he gives children vaccinations. We will be taking a van in the morning into the areas that are more difficult to reach by walking in order to take the Good News to these people. This is something that the doctor only does once in a while, and so I praise God for the opportunity and the willingness of the doctor to allow us to tag along for this. Please pray that the people that we visit will be welcoming and receptive to the message that we are bringing. Pray that the Spirit will guide our actions and our words, so that we deliver nothing but a saving knowledge of Christ to these people.

Our dear sisters in Tabicundo (Katie, Brittany, and Joy) are experiencing many victories in their area. Please pray specifically for their bible studies and for their ministry to the family they live with and the people that they encounter everyday. These girls are such a source of encouragement for us here in El Chaupi, so please lift them up so that they too may be encouraged.

We milked cows last Monday. Yes, really. Cows. We were out on the playground with a group of children and began to talk to one of the mothers (who was actually one of the first people that we met here in El Chaupi... Her name is Rosio). Somehow, she got around to inviting us to help her with milking her cows. We jumped at the chance because really... how often do you get asked to milk cows? We walked to her house and had a chance to help her and her friend milk a few cows. Milking cows is more difficult than it looks. But it was fun :) The most encouraging part about our milking adventure was the conversation with the two women that occured while milking. We learned a lot about the culture and about what the local Catholic church is teaching. They admitted to not reading the Bible, and they told us a lot of why they worship the Virgin Mary. Rosio´s friend told us that she came to the bible study that the group who was here before us had and that she did not like some of the teachings - which were straight from the Bible. This seems to be the attitude in a large part of El Chaupi. They have invited us back to help milk cows whenever we like, so we will gladly milk a few cows in order to tell someone about Jesus Christ. :) Please pray that we will have more opportunities to share with them in the 2 weeks that we will remain in El Chaupi, and for Rosio and her friend´s heart to be opened to the true message of the gospel. Pray that the people of El Chaupi will realize that the Word of God is alive and active and TRUE.

We have been eating fried food (such as chicken, shrimp, or beef) and vinegar-soaked veggies for breakfast. Along with the normal breakfast foods such as fresh fruit, bread, and juice. It´s really weird and has been difficult to adjust to. Plastic bags have become our good friends at breakfast time. Other meals are fairly normal, although we do have the occasional weird dish like beets or mystery vegetables. We say the missionary´s prayer often - Lord, I´ll put it down if you keep it down. :) Yesterday was Barnabus Day - a day of encouragement from our friends in Quito and Tabicundo. Thankfully they sent us some goodies that make up for the strange Ecuadorian food that we have been eating. There has been very little sickness on our team... Praise the Lord! :)

As for Dodo the rooster... He´s gone. We ate him. Okay, not really. BUT I think that his cock-a-doodle-dooing affects us less than it did at the beginning of our time here. Either we are used to him or he has found his mind. Either way, that´s good news.

Thank you for all of the encouragement that you are sending through your messages, and I ask that you please continue to pray. The Lord is working in mighty ways here in Ecuador, and you are a big part of that through your prayers!

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!