|
Greetings family and friends!
It has been a long day about the length of two days, actually; punctuated by a couple of hours of sleep. But despite a few delays and a mile long customs line; it has been a joyful and exciting time!
We arrived in Curia at about 4:20am and greeted our wonderful host, Carlos and settled in. We awoke a few hours later to a striking ocean view. We had a fabulous breakfast and then the school children from San Jose (a neighboring town) excitedly came to introduce themselves and sing a song. We walked with them along the beach to San Jose´ and had a meeting with the leaders of the town where they welcomed us whole heartedly.
The grateful and loving attitude of the people is such a blessing! We saw one of the sites that we would be working on and talked and played with the children (who are all so sweet and joyful). Then we took a hike into the jungle - they call it a ¨´Chundle´´ as a sort of "Ecuador initiation".
We saw some National Geographic worthy wildlife and picked some heavenly oranges. We were all dirty and exhausted after the 3 & 1/2 hour hike, but everyone kept good attitudes and we had a good time.
God has definitely provided a level of joy and energy that wouldn´t have seemed possible in normal circumstances.
Later, we met with the people of Curia. They all welcomed us enthusiastically with ceremony, gifts, singing and dancing. Afterwards we walked around and talked to the people and played with the kids. They took to us immediately and didn´t want to let us go. When we got back to the house, we had some worship time and reflection and talked about how God´s hand had been active in different ways. Carlos shared some ministry opportunities with us and told us more about our mission in the community.
It is evident that God has been working in us and in the people here. We can´t wait to see what he will continue to do through this week.
With love..
Ecuador Mission Trip Missionaries June 2010
Tuesday, June 29
Today we woke up to the sound of the ocean, ate breakfast and headed off to two separate job sites. -- One group went to Curia to do landscaping work and another went to San Jose to sand the walls of the community center in preparation for paint.We worked for several hours and then each of us was invited into a local home for lunch. The people here such generous spirits. After lunch, one group surfed and another played soccer with the Ecuadorian girls team (we lost 5 to 3 but put up a good fight) Then we put on an unexpected improv bible school with a quick song and skit of the Good Samaritan. The children seemed to like it.Then we headed back to the house where we ate dinner and celebrated the birthday of little Carlos, the son of one of the sweet ladies who cooks for us.Then we all went down to the beach and had our worship and discussion around a big bonfire.We sang to God and stood in awe of his power in His waves pounding and the wind.Carlos talked to us about the impact we had on the community and how we were an answer to his prayers. We are all so excited as we realize more and more how God has been preparing the hearts of the people...
Buenos Noches...
The Ecuadorian Team
Wednesday, June 30
-- Today after breakfast we all headed down to the community center in Curia and finished the landscaping job.We shoveled and raked sand, planted grass and built a rock border.Then we played with some adorable children at the preschool ...a preschool that Blitz and element camp 2009 raised money to build!What a wonderful experience. We then went to different homes to eat, pray and form a bond with the people. We met back at the community center and played with more beautiful children. The flock to us! We painted their nails, played jump rope and frisbee.Afterwards, we gathered our guitars, crafts and snacks and made the trek over to San Jose´ to begin Bible School. As with most Latin America ¨plans¨ this one took a while to set in motion, but by 5pm we had a full crowd of around 50 kids and adults. We sang, we performed a skit and bible lesson, played games, made crafts and ate snacks. The children really seemed to love it and can´t wait to come back tomorrow. It is so wonderful to love on these kids, sharing Christ´s love with them directly. After VBS we walked back to Curia along the beach for dinner.After dinner we gathered out on the beach for worship and fellowship.After hanging out with some local kids for an hour or so, we were joined by some locals. We talked and sang and then 2 locals Spanish guitarists came and amazed us with their music.We played some Christian worship at the end and prayed for the people, for the team, the line between ¨us and ¨them¨¨ is growing fainter as we bond and share Christ´s love.
Buenos Noches!
Thursday, July 1
Today we were asked to do the same landscaping job we did at the community center at the Catholic Church. We shoveled and raked Philip never missed a trip for dirt!After we finished we all went to separate homes for lunch in San Jose´ and Curia. Lea used her Spanish skills and Madeleine perfected her sign language!After lunch ¨Chicas¨ (girls) we challenged to another soccer game with the locals. Despite Chris’ stirring motivational speech, we were...dominated. Then we all walked back to the San Jose´ Community Town Center to begin VBS. As we played with the children outside, the crowd grew and grew. Today we had more than 70 children at our Bible school...20 more than yesterday!!They are all so joyful and genuinely love our company and our Bible lessons. After VBS we walked back Carlos´ house, some surfed and some collapsed in a hammock. We played with the sweetest kids...Rachael and Kelly are Ecuadorian child magnets!! A couple hours later, we headed into Montañita for dinner. We rejoiced over our first American food in a week! We walked around the city, shopped for souvenirs, and drove back to the house. We were all exhausted after a great day.
Buenos Noches!
Friday, July 2
This morning we visited the elementary school in Curia. We received an enthusiastic welcome as always - grinning kids waving and tackling us.The generous and joyful spirited people never cease to amaze us.While some toured the school and invited the kids to VBS, others stayed at Carlos´and prepared for tomorrow´s ¨movie night¨ for both towns in San Jose´. Then we all headed to the Catholic church to finish the landscaping. We played with the kids while we worked and their parents watched from afar. Later, Megan told us that one of the mothers had wept with joy.After we finished landscaping we separated into houses for lunch and we saw God move again and again. One example - Victoria happened to go to a house where a little girl was very sick. She saw the need and she along with Logan, Dylan and some others were able to find the things she needed and brought them to her.After lunch we all came back to the house for an afternoon siesta. We rested up and walked down the beach to San Jose for VBS. We found a crowd of kids eagerly waiting for us. Today we had 85 children!!Phillip and Anabeth lead worship along with Kelly and a few others from the group and Maria (the children´s leader).Chris and Sean portrayed Peter and John in a skit as Courtney and Dylan read from the bible (in Espanol and English) we made witness bracelets and talked about how Christ´s blood covers our sin.After VBS we drove in Montañita again for dinner at Carlos´ favorite pizzeria. We looked around the town, soaked up some local color and then headed back to the house. We sat on the porch and talked about how we had seen God move today.His presence here is so tangible!!
Bueños Noches!
Saturday, July 3
¡Hola!
Day 5 started out with the children of Curia greeting us. They have made such a huge impact on our lives and we will be forever grateful for this opportunity that God allowed for us. After breakfast we rested up, the children always gather at the front of Carlo´s house waiting for us to come out and play or just sit in our laps. We picked up trash around Curia with the kids alongside eager to pick up more than the next. Chris´s God Sighting was a little girl who walked beside him picking up trash. After we had stopped to start the soccer game, that little girl kept running ahead picking up more and more trash.The soccer game in Curia went well with Dylan and Sean being awesome goalies and Catherine sitting back in awe how much amazing talent the kids have.After lunch we had a VBS with the children of Curia. There were 50 kids patiently waiting for it to start, earlier than what we told them. Logan and Lea helped fasten bracelets and make visors.We went on to San Jose that night for their first ever movie night in the church we are helping to build. It was a Christian cartoon with English subtitles. It was emotional to see Carlos´ dream come true, after seven years of praying, there is a church and it was full. He hopes to offer a movie night every Wednesday and hopefully a dinner with it.This morning Kristen, Ashley and Jamie walked to San Jose to buy a bracelet but were just overwhelmed by the generosity that was shown.The household gave the three jewelry they made, and Kristen prayed to God to bless them and their home...in Espanol!!Phil shared with us something that was told to him, if your heart is breaking at least you know its working. We said goodbye and our hearts filled with so much love. We have been given so much more than was ever given to us.
We will treasure this week with all our hearts...
|
