Ecuador: At Last, We Meet

Sunday night and we were headed to the Gozo de Dios Church for the first time. The excitement in our bus was nearly palpable, but the emotions within me were more of a jumble:
--- Excitement- Of course. Excitement that the real purpose of the trip was about to begin.              Excitement that we would be meeting the children we had been supporting, communicating with and  praying for.
--- Uncertainty- Would I meet Alejandra tonight? Would I recognize her or had she changed since the last photo we received? If I do, what do I say? What should I ask?
--- Doubt- How will I communicate even the most basic of things? My Spanish is so poor.

Not long and we arrived at the church building. As I stepped off the bus, I saw before me a row of little boys lined up to greet us. The boys were all younger, standing one after the other, each with a huge smile, and I found myself being slowly pulled forward, moving from one little boy to the next, giving hugs to each as I went. It was one of the incredible, unbelieveable moments where the sensations never fully leave you.

Pastor Guillermo, Maria and some of their family in front of the Gozo de Dios Church.

At the gate I was greeted by Pastor Guillermo and his wife Maria and from there I passed through to a sidewalk lined on both sides with children and family members. As I continued to greet the people and give hugs to most everyone along the right side, I became aware of the fact that I was missing so many others off to the left and as I turned to focus a bit on those children, a taller girl ran up to me and gave me a huge hug. It as Alejandra. She had picked me out of the crowd, and yes, she had grown from the last photo we had received. Alejandra took me over to the family who had come with her: her grandmother, her aunt Sarai (8 years old) and her cousin Mateo (6 years old). Immediately I could tell that I had been embraced by the entire family. The smiles on their faces were as big and beautiful as Alejandra's. With the help of a translator, we were able to exchange some basic greetings and details. After which we headed into the church building, so we could make space for the many still behind us.

A look at that first meeting from one standing inside the church building.... and yes, off on the right side, you can see where I am speaking with Alejandra and her family (not visible).

As we headed into the building, the excitement continued to build though the other emotions didn't leave me. Without a translator, we found ourselves trying to speak/ask questions but unable to understand each other. Personally I was frustrated that I couldn't understand her, wishing I had learned Spanish and not French. This language barrier also left the silence feeling a bit strained and awkward. Still with each glance Alejandra and I shared, the smiles between us only seemed to grow. We would sit down for a joint church service, a beautiful time where language wasn't a barrier, and love and worship for our Lord brought us together as one.

My first picture with Alejandra

After the service, we were asked to stay for a special celebration. Each year on June 1st, Ecuador celebrates Children's Day (along the same lines of Mother's Day and Father's Day). The project had postponed their celebration so that we could join in the festivities. Alejandra headed off with her aunt, cousin and other children, their excitement only growing. I would follow along after, all the while seeing members of our team holding and hugging children, giving piggy back rides and playing a bit outside. By the time I entered the project's kitchen/dining area, the room was full. Children lined both side with adults filling the back and kitchen area. Behind them, the kitchen staff were hard at work preparing a dinner for the children to eat after a little fun and entertainment. 

A lady in full clown gear led the children in chants, songs and dance. The eldest member of our team, an incredible man in his 80's, led the way for all of us Americans, heading out to the center to dance and hand out high fives to the children. As I watched, many of the doubts and uncertainties left me, for while my Spanish was no better, there are many ways to show love and friendship that don't require words. Craig had reminded me of that. 

Craig out with the children

One song later, they asked all of our team to head out and join the children. This was all the invitation I needed and as I stepped forward, the children nearly engulfed me. I couldn't take even the tiniest step for fear I would hit someone's toe.... or more. With a bit of manuevering though, I would make it to the middle of the room, near Alejandra, Sarai and Mateo. Many others from the team would find themselves surrounded by children as well. Throughout the song, we all danced, sang and laughed. Then we laughed some more. It was a joy to see Mateo's grin and amusement at my efforts. Taking that first step and joining the children in their fun and amusements helped to break the last of my doubts, and I found myself letting my instincts take charge- scooping up Sarai and sitting down with the three of them, until it was time for them to head to their classrooms for dinner.

We would help to serve dinner to the children, running trays with plates of food across the open space from the kitchen to the classrooms and then helping to clear them as the children finished. Although we couldn't fully communicate with the kitchen staff and had never been in this situation before, everywhere I looked our team was moving together to help accomplish this feat. As one need was fulfilled, we moved to the next. It was another beautiful thing to witness.

Before we knew it, our first evening with the children was over. I think it is safe to say we were all exhausted but we were all energized and excited for what the next days would bring as well. 

As we left the town and headed back to our hotel for dinner ourselves, my prayer was simple:

"Lord, bless them and help us to love them even when the words aren't possible."

Ecuador: The Journey Begins

As I headed to the airport on the morning of June 4th, I was feeling unprepared. Don't get me wrong- my bags were packed. I had all the necessary items for a week in a foreign country (plus probably a fair number of "extras) as well as gifts I had put together for our sponsored girl and her family. I had attended the preparatory meetings that focused on language and guidance on entering a different culture. Outwardly I was ready, but when it came to my head and my heart, I just didn't feel like I had found or made the time to prepare the way I wished.

23 of our 25 member team ready to depart from Colorado Springs

Straight out of my journal: Stillness

"The last many weeks have been busy. It has been a good busy- babies to celebrate, weddings to attend, cakes to bake, end of school year events,  graduation parties, increased work with the missions ministry all while still striving to maintain a pleasant home and home life. Oh and how could I forget the preparation and beginning of the class for special needs children. I'm thankful for the friendships that have led to so many reasons for celebration, and I love the opportunity presented in my role with missions and the special needs class. Yes, the busy-ness has been good, yet so is the stillness.

For now I find myself on a plane headed for Miami and from there on to Ecuador with little to do now but rest and be still. And stillness is just what I need at this moment- a chance to "Be still and know that I am God." (Psalm 46:10) A chance to slow down, reflect on Him and seek Him out as I prepare for this next event....

Ecuador!

I am excited that I can go, grateful for Drew's encouragement and flexibility, and eager to meet Alejandra and learn about her and her community. I want to pour love and joy into her life and show her that, despite my failings, she is so frequently on my mind. I want to thank and encourage those who work with her at the center- those who are on the front line in reaching out to her and sharing God's love. Yet I cannot do that if I am empty or weary from all the wonderful busy-ness.

So I sit here in the stillness (if you ignore the turbulence) and the relative quiet and ask....

Lord, use me. Make me your hands and feet to go and share your love to a lost and struggling world. Take my mouth and fill it wholly with Your words and Your love. Make my thoughts and actions captive to Your will and guide me through this week.

Use me- for Your glory and Your kingdom."

I would have hours to focus on God and ask Him for His guidance throughout this trip as the journey to Ecuador was comprised of three separate flights, totalling approximately 3,600 miles in the air, and I intended to make the most of those miles. Honestly as is often the case, after praying over the whole situation and reading some from my Bible, I found myself feeling far more calm about the whole situation. I had found peace and rest in His presence- once again.

By the time we arrived in Guyuaquil, Ecuador, it was early Sunday morning. We would make it to our hotel for that "night" at 3am and I would find myself laying down by 4am. As tired as I was, I found it hard to sleep due to the excitement at being so close. 4 hours later, my alarm would go off so I could prepare for the remainder of our journey.

I found myself journaling again: Refreshing

"After only 4 hours of sleep, we are up again and preparing to head down for a meeting after which we'll head to the coast.

4 hours isn't much for a night's sleep. Both my roommate and myself decided to take a quick shower just to rinse off. My roommate came out saying it was worth it and I was left feeling refreshed. Thank you Lord for that.

Lord, may we not be the only ones refreshed. Give everyone an increase of rest within our group and prepare us so that we may refresh those who work and serve You here in Ecuador. They have been through so much lately due to the earthquakes and we know spiritual forces are at work here as well. May we bring Your refreshing to this region and Your servants here.

Isaiah 40-29-31 "He gives strength to the weary, And to him who lacks might He increases power. Though youths grow weary and tired, And vigorous young men stumble badly, Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary."

Before we boarded the bus to take us out to the coast of Ecuador in the town of La Libertad, we held a meeting where we met the in-country Compassion workers who would work with us and assist us with translations throughout the week. During the meeting, we also learned a bit more about Compassion's work in Ecuador and the region around La Libertad. During the meeting, one of our translators shared a story with us about a well-known pastor in the La Libertad region and how he got his start. In his early 20's, this pastor was taken out to the La Libertad region by his pastor and told they would be holding a church service. They went through town announcing and inviting people to a service that evening. They then went to clean up the space where they would meet. The door to the meeting room was locked and no one had a key. In the end, they would break the lock, so they could enter the building to sweep and later hold service. At that first service, only a handful of people attended, but that first step would eventually lead to a thriving church body that would help to plant numerous churches throughout the region.

Breaking Chains
"What a perfect image!

Without God, a place or a person is like an unkept, locked room with no key present. Love and Christ are the key. Joy can be found within.

We have been called to loosen the chains of injustice, set the oppressed free and break every yoke. Just as the pastor broke the lock on the door, so we can break down the chains that bind us and others through the power of Christ.

Isaiah 58:6-8 "Is this not the fast which I choose, to loosen the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free and break every yoke?“Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into the house; when you see the naked, to cover him; and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? “Then your light will break out like the dawn, and your recovery will speedily spring forth; and your righteousness will go before you; the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard."

From Guyuaquil we then travel by bus to the coastal town of La Libertad, where we would stay for the remainder of our trip. On the bus, I was feeling the effects of only 4 hours of sleep. In some ways, I wish I could say that by the grace of God, I experienced no headaches or migraines for the duration of the trip, but that wasn't to be. Less than 12 hours in country and I was struggling with a migraine. All I could do was pray that God would give me the energy and clarity of mind when it was needed so that my physical ailments wouldn't limit me during the trip. This will be the only time I mention my headaches because each and every day and with every headache, I can say the same thing: "God provides." I can remember dealing with headaches almost everyday that I was in Ecuador, but I have no memory of pain or impairment of thought (a common issue that I have with my headaches) while we were at the church or with the children. I may not have been free from headaches, but God brought me through each and every time as needed. God be praised!

Looking out at La Libertad- to the east

and to the southwest

And so the majority of our traveling was over. We had made it to La Libertad. We would have to drive on to the town where the Gozo de Dios Church and Compassion project were located, but we had been brought safely this far. With the traveling behind us, we could now look forward to the work and fun that lay ahead.

Ecuador: How did I get there?

As I began to think about sharing my Ecuador story, I realized I really must start at the very beginning- as Maria says in the Sound of Music, "a very good place to start. When we read we begin with ABC," when I think of what took me to Ecuador, I begin with a church service two and a half years ago.

Christmas time 2013- We had recently begun to regularly attend Academy Christian Church. This particular Sunday, the church was taking up a final offering to cover the costs of a church plant in coastal Ecuador through Stadia.

Fast forward several months to the summer of 2014. The church complex in Ecuador had been completed including facilities which would house a new Compassion International children's project for the local town and community. After registering all of the initial children for the project, Compassion brought their packets to our church so we could have the first opportunity to sponsor the children from the community where we had helped to plant a church. During service, someone spoke about this special event and explained the connection and sponsorship program. They then went on to say that we could go out and choose a child(ren) to sponsor, or if we didn't have a preference, we could raise our hand and individuals would be around to hand interested families a child's packet. As I began to think about how we might look for a young girl- possibly close in age to Naomi or with a birthday on or near one of our girls' birthdates, Naomi's hand shot into the air and someone handed her a packet for an 8 year old girl named Alejandra. After receiving the packet, she looked at me and asked, "We can, can't we?" I told her "yes," but briefly wondered if we should still look for someone closer to Naomi's age. However the thought was fleeting. Instead of trying to choose from a myriad of children, God used Naomi's actions to bring us the girl we would sponsor. I couldn't say no to Him or to her. And so through the compassion of Naomi and the providence of God, we began to sponsor and communicate with Alejandra.

The following spring (2015), our church family sent a team down to Ecuador for the first visit to this town and the Gozo de Dios Church to which we were so closely connected. The reports they brought back were incredible, but it seemed impossible that I could do something like that any time in the near future. After all when it came to schedules, I always needed to take into consideration the girls and they were far too young for a mission trip yet.

In December 2015, the church announced they were looking into a second mission trip to Ecuador and would be holding an informational meeting in January to see what kind of interest there was within the church body. I remember talking to Drew and telling him how much I would love to go, though I also quickly noted that I'd just have to wait for the girls to get older. Days later, a letter arrived in the mail from Alejandra. She had written it several months earlier and mentioned the visit from the church members earlier in the year. She stated that she had hoped we would be a part of that first team and wished that we might come down sometime soon. This letter pulled at my heart. There was nothing more I desired than to fulfill that wish and yet I just couldn't see how it was possible.

The informational meeting was held in January and as the day approached, Drew told me to go. He said he was certain we could work things out for the girls and it didn't hurt to find out more details on the trip- at the very least. By the time of the meeting, Drew had determined that he would submit a leave request for the duration of the trip so that he would be free to watch the girls while I was away. During the meeting, I was excited but continued to think about all the reasons "why not." The cost was not insignificant and was so much to spend on something I would do alone. Where would the funds come from? Would Drew actually be able to take leave? We typically plan family trips around dates that work for Drew's work schedule, but this would require that his schedule worked around my dates. That's just not something I generally expect due to the nature of the Army. Then there was the reality that we anticipated another military move sometime in 2016. We have rarely received more than 4 weeks notice when it comes to his PCS orders, and at the time, Drew was talking about the possibility of a change of command in April/May with a PCS shortly after.  This idea appealed to us as we figured it would make things easier for Naomi in regards to school. What if we ended up being scheduled for a move within days or weeks of the trip? How would I get the house prepped for the move if the dates fell too close together? What if Drew needed to report while I was gone? The questions were many (though some were far-fetched) and left me with doubts. Yet despite all of the hesitations and "obstacles" I raised, Drew continued to tell me all would work out. And so, I found myself registering for the trip and turning in my deposit.

So Naomi brought us Alejandra. Drew made it possible for me to go to visit her and above and through it all, God guided us and provided for each need and wish.

I was going to Ecuador!

 "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28

Unwavering

This morning our daughters had the opportunity to wave palm branches during our morning church service. Their excitement was nearly tangible and definitely unmistakable. As I watched their joy, I couldn’t help but imagine what it was like in Jerusalem so many years ago when Jesus actually did enter the city to a crowd praising him in words and actions.

Yet just a few days later, we see the culmination of plotting and bribery and find Jesus before Pilate, left to go to the cross while another notorious criminal’s punishment is commuted. It is quite likely that some of those who waved branches and shouted “Hosanna” on Sunday were also crying for his death by Thursday. Oh the fickleness of man!

I love this week though because although the emotions swing wide- from joy and celebration on Sunday to plotting and anger on Thursday, despair on Friday and triumph the next Sunday- God’s love and faithfulness are unwavering.

No matter where my life has taken me or how this next week goes- when my emotions swing wide and I feel the lowest- even then God remains faithful. His love and mercy continue to reach out to me and offer me a hand up, a chance for victory. All I have to do is grab hold, let Him lead and never let go.