Overcome

I just finished a bit of cardio and leg exercises, and despite following a routine similar to what I have completed in the past, I found that about a quarter of the way through I felt like I was at my quitting point. My thighs were burning. My heart racing. My lungs and throat felt like they were on fire, and I had a lovely headache building. (I'll be honest. The headache was the tipping point.) I didn't see how I would make it through and felt I might have to quit before reaching the end. The fight to persevere took hold though, and as I neared the midway point of my workout I didn't feel any changes physically, but mentally I committed to the idea of finishing. And as I did, a connection between my physical endeavor and my personal journey came to light.

So often with hardships, the start is daunting and the struggle can seem overwhelming and beyond painful. Yet as you approach the mid-point, the finish line becomes visible in the distance and with it, the will to continue. That is where I found myself in the middle of my workout. And as I pressed on, the end became all the clearer and with it, my determination rose. By the end, I was glad  I had persevered despite the struggles along the way and I knew I would be stronger because of it.

How true this is with the hardships we face in life! Even truer, if we are willing to lay those hardships at the feet of a loving and compassionate God. The road we travel will still be filled with times of pain and struggle, and there may very well be times when we feel that our only option is to give up. Yet if we commit and continue on the path laid before us while resting in the hands of our Heavenly Father, we will look back and acknowledging the pain and hardship, we can still be thankful for the journey and know we are stronger for it.

For me, the current hardship I am facing is deployment and all that goes with that- separation from my husband, best friend and confidant; the responsibility for our home, finances and all related decisions; bearing the weight of both mother and father for our girls and trying to fill in those gaps created by Drew's absence all while taking on the full care and parenting of our two girls, two girls who are facing their own struggles with the absence of their father.

For others, the hardship may be a body that is failing, a recent life-changing diagnosis or the on-going battle with a degenerative disease. The hardship may be financial troubles, the death of a loved one or a strained/broken relationship. For others it may be uncertainty about your future or the loss of a long-held dream. Whatever you face, the hardship is real. The pain is palpable and ever-present, and the end seems impossible.

Yet no matter what hardship you find yourself in or how long the road may be, do not be dismayed for with God you can be an overcomer.

"These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

"Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." Hebrews 12:1-3

Lord- 

You are a loving and compassionate Father, who cares about the lives of his earthly children. Thank you for the grace and peace you offer to all and the strength and endurance you provide to those who turn to you.

Thank you for those you have placed in our lives- the men and women who love on our girls and support us during our time of separation and loneliness. Thank you for never leaving us.

I know many who are facing mighty hardships in this world and for some right now, their road seems unending and unbearable. I pray for them now- as I have in the past. I pray that through you they will find the strength they need for this day and I ask that you would grant them peace in the midst of their turmoil. Lord, surround them with others who can encourage and uplift them and help us all to have open eyes to see those near us who are hurting and in need of a comforting and guiding touch.

And in this moment, may we reflect your light upon this world as we overcome what holds us down.

Ecuador: Busy but Blessed

We have made it to the halfway point in my Ecuador trip, but as I go further along, I am finding it harder and harder to describe each day. How do you fully capture the joy found in time spent with a couple hundred children? How do I express the growing admiration I felt for the in-country Compassion workers (both locally and nationally) and the deepening relationship and care for all of the incredible people from Ecuador that we met? How can I fully describe the growing relationships- forged not through a similar culture or language- but built on respect, love and compassion based on the solid foundation of Christ? Words don't seem enough, but at the same time, I don't want to skip these parts because these moments encapsulate the entire trip. Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words and so, I think I will allow the pictures to tell much of this story.

Besides devotions, training and home visits, we stayed very busy on Tuesday and Wednesday with the people of this little coastal town in Ecuador. As I eluded to in my last Ecuador post, some children arrived early in the day (such as Alejandra did on Tuesday). 

For those of us who didn't necessarily have a defined task to complete, we had the pleasure of playing with the children and interacting with the guardians who brought them. We played uno; we made silly animal faces with stickers.

Others played outside with balls, tractor tires, and more, while still others taught young and old how to make a craft out of yarn- commonly referred to as a God's eye.

A few had taken on more specific tasks. A couple ladies helped where they could in the kitchen while a handful of the men completed a painting project in the kitchen/dining space.

We would all eventually come together for the VBS program, beginning with a large group time of singing and the telling of our nightly story. I found myself sitting in the midst of the children each night and while their excitement about my presence was easily recognizable, it didn't detract from their interest in what was happening on stage. And it was not just the attention of the children who were present but many of the guardians were listening as well.

From our large group, we would split up and head to the classrooms. The children are typically divided into three age groups and we followed suit. I would spend my afternoons with approximately 50 six to eight year olds. Boy were they FULL of energy! It took every bit of my sparse Spanish to keep up with them and try to help keep things flowing.

One of three tables in our classroom of 6-8 year olds.

But our translator was a rock star. He would be hoarse by the second afternoon, but he managed to not only keep their attention during the telling of the story but did so in a way that helped bring it to life.

Telling the story of Jesus walking on the water. The children are all sitting on "the boat," while two of the boys helped to act out the roles of Jesus and Peter.

While the children were still in the classrooms, dinner would be served. This is quite a feat when you have 150-200 children who all face poverty on a daily basis. We will never know for certain, but for some, this dinner may have been their only real, filling meal of the day.

What I do know is the incredible amount of work the kitchen staff put into preparing and cooking 200 meals of what typically consisted of chicken, rice and a vegetable. These ladies are amazing! They work in the kitchen around hot stoves and ovens in the heat of the day for several hours to ensure each of these children receive a nutritious and sustaining meal. I struggle to work in a hot kitchen for 30 minutes a night, preparing a meal for four- myself included- during the few weeks out of the year when the lack of cooling in our house becomes an issue. Yet these women do the same thing day in and day out for hundreds of others.

A couple of the ladies from the kitchen with a massive pot of rice.

As the food was ready to be served, large wooden trays would be loaded with approximately 15 plates of food, walked across the sandy play area and taken up stairs into the classrooms. This trip would need to be repeated multiple times to serve meals to each classroom. In the meantime, the very presence of food in the room would make some of the children absolutely antsy to receive their plate.

One little boy will remain forever in my memory. He was sitting with two other children around a small teacher's desk, where just enough space had been cleared for their plate and cup as we had run out of space at the tables. As the first tray of food arrived, it was clear that he was very hungry and eager for dinner, but he would have to wait until the end as the first plates of food in the room went to the tables. I was sitting directly across from him for the entire dinner time and yet I have no memory of seeing a full plate of food in front of him as he seemed to inhale the food as soon as the plate touched the desktop. His plate was completely cleaned in under five minutes. If the little bit we give each month to help sponsor a child ensures that a child such as that little boy receives a filling, sustaining, nutritious meal on a regular basis, it is well worth it. I can't imagine saying "no" to sponsorship after seeing just this one way in which the funds are used for the benefit of these children.

Once the dishes were cleared, we all made our way outside, and once there, every kind of play and fun seemed to be occurring. Children and adults alike were grinning from ear to ear as they found ways to play together and connect with each other.

Obviously these days were busy in the best of ways but as I think back on them, there is one memory that really left an impression on me that I want to get down in writing.

Before I left Colorado, I picked up a few hundred sheets of scented stickers. I tucked the sheets into a purse as I prepared for the day on Tuesday morning, and I remember feeling a little insecure that stickers were such a small gift. What if the children just weren't interested? Ha! Later that afternoon, I would find out how silly those fears were and be so thankful I brought the stickers with me.

We had some free time to interact and play with the kids while we waited for the auditorium to be prepared for a movie. Two little girls with their mothers were standing near me, shyly smiling at me. I knelt down to their level and pulled out the stickers, using hand motions to get across the idea that they could pick one and smell them. Boy did the idea of smelling stickers make them laugh! Another child or two would notice I had the stickers out and ask me if they could have one, and the crowd around me would grow. At other times, I would watch as a child who had already picked out a sticker would return with friends in hand, having shared the news. It wasn't long until I was completely surrounded by children waiting to pick out a sticker.

All total, I would hand out around 200 stickers. If their initial response to the stickers wasn't incredible enough, what I saw the next day stopped me in my tracks. As we settled down for the large group time on Wednesday (nearly 24 hours later), a little girl would come up and sit next to me, still wearing her sticker on her forehead. The care she must have taken with that sticker and the value she obviously gave it were beyond anything I could ever have imagined when I purchased them back in the States. Even now I am humbled when I consider how little it cost me and how much it meant to her.

Photo from Wednesday night. See the sticker on the little girl in the bottom left corner?

The time with all of these amazing children and adults was truly indescribable. As Wednesday night came to a close and we were told we needed to board the bus, I found it hard to leave, for Wednesday would be the last time I saw most of these children. Only a few would be with us again the next day, and while that was to be a very special day in and of itself, each and every one of the children we met were so incredibly special and dear. No amount of time with them could ever be enough.

Bits and Pieces

Every now and then, a thought will come to me so clearly as I lay in bed that I know I'll never get to sleep until I get it on paper (figuratively in this case). Tonight was one of those nights. I, in no way, believe I am the first to think of this illustration, but once the idea took root, my perception on our whole situation turned the corner.

You see up to this point, we have slowly received little tidbits of information that have given us impressions on what direction things were going, what kind of job Drew might be heading towards, etc. Yet in the last day or so, more information has come our way which has made me realize that what we thought we might know, we didn't. Even though we felt like we had several parts of the picture lined up, our picture was, and remains, a vast mystery. We are still missing a lot of pieces to the puzzle.

And as I thought about a puzzle, I had an idea. I went and pulled out one of our 1000 piece puzzles- a favorite past time for Drew and I. I opened up the puzzle, mixed up all of the pieces- just in case major sections were still connected- and pulled out 10 pieces (or 1%) of the puzzle. This is what it looked like:

Now who wants to play a game with me? From the picture above, can you take a guess at what the image in the completed puzzle might look like? Take a moment.....

For me, the striped pieces jump out and my first thought turns to a hot air balloon. Perhaps this is because we spent several years in Albuquerque, at which time I absolutely fell in love with hot air balloons. That's just me though. What do you see in this 1%?

What if I doubled the number of puzzle pieces to 20 (2%)? Does the picture become clearer?

Perhaps your thinking 2% is still a small amount. That's fine. Let's jump to 50 pieces of the puzzle. (That's 5%.)

And if 50 isn't yet enough, what if I showed you 100 pieces of the puzzle? You now have access to 10% of the entire picture.

I don't know about you, but I can tell you that to me, it still looks like a hot air balloon (or a few) up in the air with maybe some grass and possibly a rock path. That is honestly the kind of image that forms in my head when I look at these 100 puzzle pieces, even though I know what the image on the puzzle is.

My approach to all of the possible changes for our family this fall is no different than trying to identify the image on a 1000 piece puzzle with 10% of the pieces. Even though 100 pieces seems like a lot, in the grand scheme of things, it's still just a jumbled mess without the rest of the pieces and the overall picture. I cannot see the whole picture. I cannot even see a good portion of the picture. All I see are pieces and because of that, I am not the best one to take control of this situation.

Not only that, but when I see how little of the picture I actually possess, I also realize how ridiculous it is to stress about the little tidbits we have picked up. For while I may think I know what those striped pieces and grainy tan pieces will turn into, the reality is that there are an infinite number of possibilities.

So for those of you who played along, let's take a peek at the whole picture:

How close did you come? Did you see a castle in the puzzle pieces or realize there were boats and a water way? If you did, that's fairly incredible and I applaud you. From the guess I made above, you all know I wasn't even close. Not only did I miss out on the big picture, I didn't even come close to seeing all the details that set this image apart.

If I had tried to force the 100 puzzle pieces into a configuration that would have coincided with the image I had created in my mind, I would have ruined some of the pieces, making it impossible to complete, and that would have been a sad thing. For while I would have loved the picture I described, the picture above is also a beautiful setting. (And if you know my husband, you know he would love to find himself in any one of those boats.)

Life with God works the same way. The picture we have in mind for our future may seem pleasant and beautiful to us, but we only see bits and pieces. The plan God has in store for us will be for our ultimate good, but we must hold our own plans loosely enough in the palm of our hand that while we can move forward, we can also let go when led to do so by God- in order that he might take us down the best path.


"For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope."  Jeremiah 29:11

"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




Lord, I find myself time and again comforted in the knowledge that you are not bound by time as we are and therefore can see the picture of my life in a way I will not until I enter eternity. 

Even still I can cling tightly to my own plans, believing them to be the best and, sometimes, the only good answer. Thank you for helping me to loosen my grip so I can enjoy the goodness that comes from walking on your path. 

While I Wait

I still have more of my Ecuador story to share but after all that has been happening the last week or so, I need to take a brief detour.

Before I get into everything, I should begin by stating, "I chose this life." No, I didn't personally choose the military, but the moment I chose Drew, I chose the life of a military wife. And that is a choice I would make again. In past conversations, I have heard people clearly imply that since I chose this life, I have lost the right to find parts of the military life challenging. After all, you can't pick and choose with the military. If you accept one part, you get the rest. I won't outright disagree with this concept as I have found that acknowledging my choice in the matter has helped me accept things more readily and keeps me from comparing my own life to completely civilian households. Accepting my choice though, does not make the aspects of military life which rub against my natural inclinations easier in the moment. The uncertainty isn't lessened; the waiting isn't miraculously shorter.

I find myself in one of those positions right now. I am a type A, take control kind of gal. As part of that, I am a planner and I like to have lots of time to cover all my bases when making major life plans (such as moves, schools for the girls, housing, a new church family, finances etc.). The Army however isn't as concerned with providing us with much time. In fact, we've never received orders for a move more than 4 weeks out; sometimes we've had an idea of where we would be heading while other times we have not.

This time has been a bit different though. We've known for a while that a change was likely in our near future and I have been preparing myself for that, if nothing else. However in the last weeks, situations have changed some without actually changing, and while we thought we'd know more of what was coming, we actually just have more questions and more uncertainty. In all this, I feel as though I have been left with tied hands as I wish to plan but know not what to plan for. For my husband, this isn't a big deal. He cannot do anything more than he has and so he can calming wait for a final answer. I have a harder time letting go. I don't fret much over the actual final decision as I do know that is out of my hands, but I struggle with feeling like I can't prepare at a time when I feel that I need to be doing something.

The stress and concern that has arisen from all of this has left me feeling guilty as this is not a new place in which I find myself. The Lord has brought me through this before. He has patiently waited and gently nudged me time and again to remember him and his provision, but still, my instincts take over and I worry.

I know God is in control. I know he has guided us better than I ever could up to this point and I trust that he will continue to do so. But my concerns and fretting leave me wondering if I have truly let go of the plans for my future so God can fully work in them. Why wouldn't I leave it in his hands? He is the creator and author, the beginning and the end. I could find none better in whom to place my life and that of our family. He has worked in my life as a child, a young woman, and a military wife. Each location to which we have been sent has been just what we needed at that time. The challenges have helped me grow so  I was prepared for what lay ahead. If God has brought me thus far in such spectacular a fashion, why, why do I cling to worries now? Silly girl!

I tell myself I just want to know, but perhaps that is exactly what I need to learn- to let go of my need to know and as I wait, maybe I should get busy with the business God has set before me in the here and now.

I spent much time listening to music today and I found that almost every song held an important reminder for me in my time of doubt and worry, but one song has stuck with me all day.

"I'm waiting, I'm waiting on You Lord

And I am hopeful, I'm waiting on You Lord

Though it is painful, but patiently I will wait

And I will move ahead bold and confident

Taking every step in obedience

While I'm waiting I will serve You

While I'm waiting I will worship

While I'm waiting I will not faint

I'll be running the race even while I wait

I'm waiting, I'm waiting on You Lord

And I am peaceful, I'm waiting on You Lord

Though it's not easy no, but faithfully I will wait

Yes, I will wait."

(From While I'm Waiting by John Waller) 

"Wait for the Lord; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord." Psalm 27:!4

"Therefore, return to your God, observe kindness and justice, and wait for your God continually." Hosea 12:6



Lord, You are my mighty father, the great, awesome and magnificent creator of this world and the author of my very life. You were at the beginning of the world and in the first acknwledgement of my being, and you are already waiting for me at the end. You hold the world in your hands and keep the universe spinning, yet somehow I still struggle to rest peacefully in your providence. 

This is a time of waiting for me and I am not very good at it. I find it especially hard when it feels as though there is nothing I can do as I wait. Sometimes though that may be the point. Perhaps the waiting is exactly what I should be doing. 

Waiting- not idly- but in expectation of your hand in the situation. 
Waiting- not with uncertainty or anxiety- but patiently and peacefully at your feet. 

Help me, Lord, to wait, but as I wait, may I not forget that which you have already made clear to me. May I continue with diligence to tend to what you have given me for this time and may I find peace and rest in you.

Ecuador: To Walk in Her Shoes

Tuesday and Wednesday would have similar schedules. I do not know that I will walk through each moment from each day. In fact I will likely combine similar events fom the two days together. In order to get a quick sense of the overall plan for the days, here is a general schedule:

• Breakfast
• Travel to Gozo de Dios church and project
• Devotion with church and project staff
• Staff training and painting project
• Sponsored child(ren)'s home visits
• Lunch
• VBS prep
• VBS
• Dinner for children
• Movie

Presenting it in such a manner comes off as fairly cut and dry, but the days were anything but. The moments in those days would prove to be so precious and dear.

When we arrived at the church building on Tuesday morning, we did not yet know who would be going for their child's home visits on which day. Still the anticipation was quite palpable as we each looked forward to spending more time with our sponsored child(ren) and the others at the Compassion project. I would not have to wait long as Alejandra arrived at the church building shortly after we began devotions. Like us, she was eager to spend time with me and share her home with me. Almost immediately she began to speak about her "casa." But we would have to be patient. The trip leaders needed time to map out where the homes were and identify which team members would head out together. (We would visit three or four homes, one being the home of our sponsored child.) So what did we get to do in the meantime? We enjoyed a few wonderful hours together. At first we sat down with a translator and had the chance to share a bit. It remained daunting as I found that once I was sitting there face to face with Alejandra, all thoughts, all questions and words seem to flee my mind and I was left just looking at this precious young girl. Thankfully the translator who was assisting us seemed to understand and she helped to get my thoughts rolling.

Alejandra during our game of Uno

After talking a bit, I asked Alejandra if she would like to play a game of Uno. She had never played before but was excited to learn. We invited her grandmother Mariana to join us along with a few other team members and a translator to help explain the game. I paired up with Alejandra for the first few hands until she no longer needed my assistance. It was a truly enjoyable time. I would end up playing Uno with locals on both Tuesday and again on Wednesday and both days, there was laughter and huge smiles all around. Uno truly proved to be a game that easily overcame language barriers.

The game grew on Wednesday. By the end of the morning, almost every team member was paired up with a child, helping them play.

 Finally the time arrived for us to head out for the house visits. When Alejandra found out that her house would be the first one we visited, she was ready to take the lead. We would walk hand in hand through the town on our way to her home. As we walked, I realized just how much larger the town was than I had first imagined. What had first felt like a smaller, more rural village turned out to be a well sized town, of which I had only seen the very southern edge. What a wonderful reminder to use caution and refrain from assumptions at first appearances!

We would walk a fair distance, passing the school Alejandra attends, but we would still have a ways to go. It was quite warm and the sky was clear this day, and so I quickly found myself succumbing to the heat. Yet as I asked about Alejandra's regular schedule, I found that she would make this trip on foot two afternoons each week, both trips on days after she had already walked to and from her school. Without even arriving at her home, the challenges they face and the conveniences we take for granted were already becoming apparent.

Alejandra lives in her grandparents' home, with both her grandfather and grandmother as well as her mother and young aunt (8 years old). Immediately adjoining their house is the home of another aunt and uncle with her young cousin. Knowing that her grandfather was a regular part of her life brought me great comfort as absentee fathers continues to be a big problem for much of Ecuador, and it had become apparent to me at our first meeting that Alejandra's father was no longer in the picture.

Upon arriving at Alejandra's home, I found that in comparison to many of the houses we had passed, her home appeared to be in a better, more sound condition. Don't get me wrong, her home was still very modest- walls of cinder blocks, dirt floors, one door at the entrance, the rest of the doorways solely covered with sheets- yet there was a sense that the family was able to maintain and tend to the basic needs of their home.

We were not able to stay long as we still had two other homes to visit, but I found her entire family to be so very welcoming and generous.

Alejandra's grandfather, grandmother, mother, aunt, Alejandra and myself in her home.

Generosity and graciousness would be the theme for all of the house visits I was a part of as well as others I would hear about. No matter what circumstance these families currently found themselves in, they each opened their homes freely, shared what they had with us (from meals and drinks to fresh papaya and whole watermelons) and many returned with tokens, gifts or letters from their sponsored child. When asked what needs we could pray for, the response I heard time and again was that they had all they needed. They might acknowledge health problems or other issues which we would see as dire, but would still stop to praise God and say they had been blessed and provided for. How humbling to see these people in what were easily the most humble of circumstances, and yet, they could readily thank God and claim they were blessed.

The home of one of the other sponsored children. If I remember the details correctly, the family was no longer living in the house as it was structurally unsound due to the earthquakes.

And another child's home, which also houses a small store in the front to help support the family.

 What lessons we can learn from these gracious, generous people! Even as I write this, I cannot help but think of a recurring conversation that has transpired in our home these last few weeks. The days have been exceedingly warm and our house has no air or whole house fan to help with the heat of the day. We rely solely on a breeze through the windows and numerous fans. Needless to say, the temp in our house has stayed in the high 80's for a few weeks now, and we have commented on the heat and lack of air conditioning. But even without central A/C, we have the benefit of a solid, well built house, a sound roof, windows that let in the breeze and keep out the insects, several fans, fresh, cool, clean water easily available at the flip of a faucet and so much more. And yet even with these conveniences, we complain about what we do not have while the families we met in Ecuador live with little chance for most or any of the conveniences I just listed and still view themselves at blessed.

May I never lose sight of how much we have been given, much of which goes beyond our true needs and may I always remember that the greatest blessings from God are not the things we can touch but His love and grace, forgiveness and salvation.

Ecuador: Supporting the Servants

If you looked at the purpose and mission for our time in Ecuador, it would be fairly safe to say that it was two fold: (1) to meet and spend time with the children from the Compassion project, particularly those whom we sponsor- loving on them and learning more about their day to day life and (2) to encourage and build up the staff of the Gozo de Dios church and the Compassion project located on the same premises.

Monday was a day we devoted exclusively to the second half of that mission. This day was a surprise for most of us on the team as it came about as a result of a late request from the staff in Ecuador with details being worked out possibly even while we traveled. In the end though, we would meet with 10 individuals from the church and project at a nearby water park. 

Some of the amazing staff at the Gozo de Dios church and Compassion project in Ecuador. Pray for them as they continue in their work!

So first things first, a water park? Really? My first instinct says that this doesn't sound much like a mission trip, but the water park provided us with a great venue to gather in the morning for Bible study, devotions, some team building and space to break out into small groups to better get to know individuals from the other group. At the same time, it also provided a relaxed environment where we could enjoy time together even when communication was limited due to our native languages and it offered a bit of respite for the hard-working members of the Compassion project and church.

This day of bonding, learning and relaxing helped to set the stage for the rest of our time together and in many ways knit us together more as one unified team than two distinct groups working together for a time. 

Our entire team- North Americans and South Americans together at the water park

During our break out time, our group- made up of 5 North Americans, 2 Ecuadorians and 1 translator- shared our stories- how we had come to the Lord and what had brought us to our present place. I had the opportunity to learn more about Rosita, the director of the Compassion project, and Priscilla, one of the three tutors (teachers) at the project. Their stories are not mine to share, but I can say that they were compelling and inspiring. Overall, I was amazed at the resiliency, strength and faith of these women, persevering and serving in the light of their pasts and presents. Several of the North Americans also had a chance to share and at the end, one man remarked that although each of our stories were quite different and unique, one string seemed to unite them all: we all had stories that involved great pain and brokenness. Isn't that the beauty of Christ and his love? He meets us in our brokenness, lifts us up and can turn that brokenness and weakness into strength. We were united in our brokenness- in our need for a Savior- and united in our faith in the only One who can redeem us from the same. 

A couple of the break out groups from that morning

That evening, we returned to the Gozo de Dios church and split into groups so that we could walk around town, praying for God to move mightily in this land. As we walked through the town, it was a humbling and powerful time. I would write afterward:

"Nothing can take away from meeting, spending time with and loving on Alejandra, but today was for me invaluable. After spending time with the project staff, we headed back to ***** where we went on a prayer walk around the village. My emotions broke then and the tears flowed. This village struggles with youth pregnancies, absent fathers, adultery, homosexuality and a strong presence of witchcraft as well as facing severe poverty. Of all the things we bring to this village, our prayers in the village will outlast all of the rest. It is the intangible parts of our visit that will likely have the greatest impact."

 Our stay in Ecuador would be short. Our financial support, while consistent, meets only the most pressing of needs. The impact of our presence- the validation and value it inherently implied- and our prayers would last well beyond our short week.

A group of us praying together at the end of our walk

In the days that followed, we would continue to meet with the staff in Ecuador for devotions and meals and it would not be a surprise to see North Americans and Ecuadorians sitting together, playing cards, preparing meals, or working through the details for the afternoon's VBS. We were only to be with them for a short time, but our hope was that in that time, we could join them in their work and encourage and build them up for the days ahead.

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."