Hello from Conocoto,
Ecuador!
I have been in Ecuador
for over two weeks now. In many
ways the time has flown. First,
let me fill you in on my first two weeks here. I have already been in three different cities working,
Guayaquil, Ventanas, and Quito.
Some work has been very tiring physically and some work has just
included having conversations with friends and sharing with them about Jesus
and what the Lord has been doing in my life, how He has grown me in the past
several months.
My third night here, I
had the opportunity to spend the afternoon and evening with university friends
here. First, went by a
girlfriend’s house and had lunch together and caught up. Then, met up with other classmates at a
restaurant. It was encouraging to
hear how God has been working in the lives of several of my classmates. Then, we went for a walk in a very
popular and beautiful part of the city.
It was a great time to get to know one another and encourage one
another. Then, that night, I got
on an overnight bus for Guayaquil where I spent the weekend with my Compassion
child and his family and friends in the area. I had the amazing opportunity to meet the new additions to
the family (2 baby cousins that were born while I was in the States). I spent a lot of time getting to know
him and his family more. His mom
and I also spent a lot of time encouraging one another and reflecting on the
Lord. Also, that weekend we had
the opportunity to travel to a water park on Sunday (Father’s Day). This was a fun experience and helped me
take my mind off of missing my Dad.
And I also had the opportunity to teach Harol how to swim! Fun and unforgettable memories!
Then, this last week
was an especially special experience.
In 2009, God provided an opportunity for me to travel to Ventanas,
Ecuador, with a group from Alabama.
I worked with a Pentecostal church and helped start a church plant in a
portion of the country called Peaje.
This past week, God again graciously provided an opportunity to work
with the same pastor and his wife in the city of Ventanas. The pastor and his wife are dear
friends and it was amazing to get to spend time working alongside one another
again. We spent time in two
different small communities in the country called La Reserva and Peaje. We also spent time visiting with church
members who are no longer coming to the church services and sharing the Gospel
with others in the community. It
was very encouraging for me to watch and listen as my brothers and sisters here
pleaded with their neighbors to consider turning their lives over to the
Lord. The work was extremely
challenging, especially seeing how many people are hard-hearted to the
Gospel. We shared about Jesus with
so many people and in the end they just looked at us with blank stares. While reflecting on this, the verses in
2 Corinthians 4:3-4 “ And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to only
those who are perishing. In their
case the god of this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers, to keep them
from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of
God.” So, the labor is hard. Even at home, in Birmingham, Alabama,
the work is hard. But we have to
keep on striving, because like Paul claims in Romans 1:16- “the gospel is the
power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes”. And PRAISE GOD there was also fruit
last week. We witnessed 8 people who after acknowledging their sin and
confessing and repenting of it, turned their lives over to the Lord!!!! This type of fruit of our labor is
worth every bead of sweat that pours from our earthly body.
On Sunday, we had the
opportunity to go to a river with several of the brothers and sisters from the
congregation. About 20 of us piled
into the back of a truck and headed out.
I was the first adult to go all in and get wet. This shouldn’t be a surprise for those
who know me well. This was a
relaxing and enjoyable time after a week of hard work.
Now, I am back at the
orphanage, where I will be until next Saturday. It has been so enjoyable to see all my kids again and love
on them. When I arrived, I
received a hug from the kids that I shared all my meals with last year,
basically my family here. This hug
almost brought me to the ground, because imagine 11 kids running at you at
once. But it was amazing! I have also had the opportunity to play
with and love on the kids. These
moments may seem insignificant, but it is crucial for every one of us to feel
loved. It is through this love
that we begin to see and understand who God is. We have also shared many deep conversations with housemoms
that I am close to and some of the older girls. One of the girls is so close to turning her life over to the
Lord, and she has a million questions.
Please pray for her with me, I don’t want to share her name for security
reasons, just remember her as L.
And even though you don’t know her name, be comforted that our Heavenly
Father knows her name and knows her well.
Other prayer requests:
Pray for the
leadership of this foundation.
That they would be constantly seeking the Lord and that their highest
desire would be to see the Lord glorified and best meet the needs of the kids
they serve.
Pray for the 8 people
who turned their lives over to the Lord.
Pray that the Lord would guard their hearts, grow them and teach
them. And pray for those who did
not turn their hearts over to Him.
That God would be gracious and soften their hearts so that they might
know Him.
Lastly, please pray
for my health. Due to exhaustion
and change in climate over the last week I have come down with a bad cold. And if you can imagine it is hard to
rest well when there are so many children who desire to play.
That is all for know,
my dear family and friends. Thank
you so much for your prayers and your concern. I know and see that God is working in huge ways here in
Ecuador. May He be glorified and
known by all people in all nations!!!
God bless ;)
