Wow... two weeks of my life (quite possibly the two greatest of my life) flew by in what felt like a few days. It's impossible for me to share every little thing that impacted me because, frankly, so much happened I can't remember it all. Regardless of whether I remember it or not, God used every moment to teach me something new.
Let me just start by saying that my expectations were high for this trip. Last year I had very few expectations and those were blown out of the agua. So this being my second trip, I expected God to do incredibly huge things. Therefore it's no surprise that I was disappointed when my travel team had to leave a day late. But only a few hours into my trip was I shown why we were delayed. You all know about the lady suffering from cancer that Sunny was able to share Christ with. It was a divine appointment and even though I thought I was going to have no influence on this situation, I was again proven wrong. I had been picking up bits and pieces of the conversation between Kathy and Mrs. Schlenker going on behind me, but I just thought to myself, "I have nothing to contribute, this isn't my kind of situation." So I started to dose off. Suddenly I was wide awake and realized that I hadn't started my day with prayer. Thus I began to pray. Without explanation I felt the need to pray for Sunny. She was asleep right next to me. So I prayed for her. Approximately 2 minutes later Mrs. Schlenker traded seats with Sunny and Sunny shared Christ with this woman who had very little hope... and I had been a part of it. The power of prayer was probably the biggest eye-opener for me on this trip. In Ecuador my first reaction whenever we needed something was to pray. Why can't it be like that in the US? My personal prayer life looks very different.
Another divine appointment was named Carlos. Carlos was our bus driver's grandson and acted as our translator in El Coca. He was raised Catholic but never claimed that religion as his own. He didn't believe in God because when his grandmother was dying he prayed for her to be healed yet she died anyway. Myself, Andrew, Lydia, Austin, Sabrina, Hannah and Mrs. Tucker had the incredible privilege of representing Christ to our new friend for a week. I got to use Skillet's music to strike up conversations between us guys during painting. Carlos jumped in and helped us with skits on the fly and picked up on dances for songs like Sapo and Soy Una Taza. And when Mrs. Tucker asked him to explain our Cada Dia and Liberame skits, he gave a beautiful gospel message. God was using a non believer to reach others with the gospel truth.
My biggest take-away from this trip was the strong calling I felt towards worship. In El Coca, after VBS one morning, I had my guitar out (we had opened with worship). I started just simply playing for anyone who would listen. Then a girl and her mother came to listen. The girl asked me if I could teach her. It was hard not speaking much Spanish but she learned a few chords. Soon all the kids wanted to learn. After trying (to no avail) to teach them chords I simply let them play whatever they wanted. A few nights later, after discipleship with the youth in Coca, I again had my guitar out and soon was teaching one of the guys who knew some basic chords how to play "Abre Mis Ojos (Open the Eyes of My Heart)". Pretty soon a group of the teens asked me to simply play my favorite songs. "En Ingles?" I asked. "Si si," they replied. The language barrier didn't matter. I could share the love of Christ with others by merely playing music for them. Just like how I could use Skillet to minister to Carlos, I could use my own favorites to reach out to people who know like three words in English. To preach the gospel is a privilege. To worship God through music is an honor. To do both at the same time is my passion.
One thing that bothered me last year and a little this year was the fact that I never knew if I really had an impact on the people I met. This question was answered for me by Mrs. Tucker during bible study. She said "When we minister to people, we just do what we can to share the love of God with them. Whether or not it changes them is between them and God. We don't need to know." That's somewhat of a paraphrase but nevertheless it answered a burning question in my heart: is what I'm doing making an impact? I may never know. But that's okay.
From playing hours of soccer to eating grubs; fighting off tarantulas to witnessing and praying over an epilleptic seizure, this trip will always remain in my mind as the time of my life when I learned the most. Thanks to everyone who prayed for our team and supported us with funds; thanks to my team for being awesome; thanks to you for reading this; and glory to God for the blessing this trip was.
In HIS name, love and power,
-Drew Bentley... the chicken killer...muahahaha
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
all home safe and sound:)
Thank you for all of your prayers and encouragement! All of us are now home safe and sound.
Much love, Julia Wofford
Much love, Julia Wofford
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
My Ecuador Experience ~ Mari Michel
Hi everyone, now that its the last day of the trip I can finally share with you my experience! This was my first year in Ecuador so I did not have too many expections, but the ones I did have were blown out of the water! I stayed with the group here in Quito, we painted.. and painted, but if I do say so myself its looks beautiful now that its finished. We also put on two VBS's where we got to talk with the kids and just love on them, and of course teach them about Jesus! It was a blast the kids here just love to play and laugh! I wish I could share how amazing it is with just words, but that would be impossible!
I have two "God stories" the first one was with the a little girl named Daniela Mera that I met during one of the days of VBS. She knew a little bit of english so I was able to understand what she was telling me and vice versa. She had three little sisters and and older brother. I could see in her that she was like a mini mom to all of her siblings. She was so patient with me when I couldnt understand her, she taught me how to play a little hand game, but most importantly she taught me that sometimes in life you dont need to have deep conversations with someone to love them, you just need them there with you. That night while I was reflecting on the day not knowing if I would see them again, I prayed that God would some how reveal to me that I did make an impact in those kids life. I really wasnt sure what to expect but I was keeping my eyes open to Gods response. The next day of VBS the Mera family was back! I was so happy I ran to give Daniel a hug, then she handed me a little envelope saying to "Mariana Michel from Daniela Mera." I opend it and inside was the most precious drawing of two girls (me and her) and on top it said "Te Quiero Mucho" and on the bottom it read "Love." I knew that God had shown me the answer to my prayers. I told her I would keep it forever and she smiled. I felt like if that was the only thing I got to experience on this trip I would be forever grateful. We played and laughed and ran around like crazies, but I look back and wouldnt want to change anything. My last time to see Daniela and her family was on Sunday at the church service, I gave her a bracelet and I have a matching one. I gave it to her in the hopes that when she sees it she thinks of me. I know that when I see mine I will always remember the little girl who changed my life.
Now my second story is almost imposible to put into words, but I'll do my best to do it justice. We went to the nursing home on Friday before the other teams had come back. I was nervous because I dont speak enough spanish to communicate with them, and I knew unlike kids I couldnt play patty cake or tickle them to make them happy so I was at a loss on how to build relationships there. We walked in I stopped and gave a few people a hug asked them how they were, but it wasnt until Ms. Wafford called me over and said that this man was blind and almost deaf and he needs someone just to love on him. I thought to my self "Hey I could do that!" So I went over to him held is hand and just rubbed his back with my other hand, at first he seemed a little guarded like he wasnt sure if I was safe. But I stayed there and sooner or later he finally relaxed and he stroked my thumb and searched for my other hand so he could hold both. I could tell that he was thinking hard about something and that he was uncomfortable. So I sent up a prayer to God just begging that whatever pain he is in that its just taken away, and that his mind and heart may be calm. I was sitting there with him for about two hours, not one word was spoken, he didnt know my name and I didnt know his but I was in tears knowing that God heard my prayers and just calmed him and eased his pain for at least a little. I cant explain why that moment meant so much to me, I feel as if he was praying for me too. Leaving was so hard for me because who knows if Ill ever see him again, all I know is that God put him in my life for a reason, and I will continue to pray for him because thats the most I can do for him.
There is so much more I could share but these stories are the ones that touched my heart the most. Its hard to believe that its almost over. I ask that if its put on your heart to pray that my life is not changed for a few weeks but that God has changed my life for good. Its going to be hard to adjust back into American Culture without losing everything I have learned here, but Im willing to accept the challenge! Thank you for reading!
~Love Mari
I have two "God stories" the first one was with the a little girl named Daniela Mera that I met during one of the days of VBS. She knew a little bit of english so I was able to understand what she was telling me and vice versa. She had three little sisters and and older brother. I could see in her that she was like a mini mom to all of her siblings. She was so patient with me when I couldnt understand her, she taught me how to play a little hand game, but most importantly she taught me that sometimes in life you dont need to have deep conversations with someone to love them, you just need them there with you. That night while I was reflecting on the day not knowing if I would see them again, I prayed that God would some how reveal to me that I did make an impact in those kids life. I really wasnt sure what to expect but I was keeping my eyes open to Gods response. The next day of VBS the Mera family was back! I was so happy I ran to give Daniel a hug, then she handed me a little envelope saying to "Mariana Michel from Daniela Mera." I opend it and inside was the most precious drawing of two girls (me and her) and on top it said "Te Quiero Mucho" and on the bottom it read "Love." I knew that God had shown me the answer to my prayers. I told her I would keep it forever and she smiled. I felt like if that was the only thing I got to experience on this trip I would be forever grateful. We played and laughed and ran around like crazies, but I look back and wouldnt want to change anything. My last time to see Daniela and her family was on Sunday at the church service, I gave her a bracelet and I have a matching one. I gave it to her in the hopes that when she sees it she thinks of me. I know that when I see mine I will always remember the little girl who changed my life.
Now my second story is almost imposible to put into words, but I'll do my best to do it justice. We went to the nursing home on Friday before the other teams had come back. I was nervous because I dont speak enough spanish to communicate with them, and I knew unlike kids I couldnt play patty cake or tickle them to make them happy so I was at a loss on how to build relationships there. We walked in I stopped and gave a few people a hug asked them how they were, but it wasnt until Ms. Wafford called me over and said that this man was blind and almost deaf and he needs someone just to love on him. I thought to my self "Hey I could do that!" So I went over to him held is hand and just rubbed his back with my other hand, at first he seemed a little guarded like he wasnt sure if I was safe. But I stayed there and sooner or later he finally relaxed and he stroked my thumb and searched for my other hand so he could hold both. I could tell that he was thinking hard about something and that he was uncomfortable. So I sent up a prayer to God just begging that whatever pain he is in that its just taken away, and that his mind and heart may be calm. I was sitting there with him for about two hours, not one word was spoken, he didnt know my name and I didnt know his but I was in tears knowing that God heard my prayers and just calmed him and eased his pain for at least a little. I cant explain why that moment meant so much to me, I feel as if he was praying for me too. Leaving was so hard for me because who knows if Ill ever see him again, all I know is that God put him in my life for a reason, and I will continue to pray for him because thats the most I can do for him.
There is so much more I could share but these stories are the ones that touched my heart the most. Its hard to believe that its almost over. I ask that if its put on your heart to pray that my life is not changed for a few weeks but that God has changed my life for good. Its going to be hard to adjust back into American Culture without losing everything I have learned here, but Im willing to accept the challenge! Thank you for reading!
~Love Mari
Yandry
The one person who truly opened my eyes on this trip was a twelve year old boy named Yandry. We met Yandry in Santo Domingo on our second day there. I did not really know who he was but he walked into the church while we were painting and went right to work. He spoke very little English and most of us barely speak a word of Spanish but we found a way to communicate. Yandry's family is very poor. At home he and his six brothers and sisters sleep on the floor. He wasn't able to attend school and his older brother, who we met later, was already working and trying to provide for their family. It really crushed me when we were all eating at the Bread Shop in the Church after dinner one night. None of us wanted anymore fruit that we had so we decided to give them to Yandry. His face lit up and all I could think was that the fuit was probably all he had to eat that day. He never complained about work and he always worked as hard as any of us. But he did it on an empty stomach. The entire Santo Domingo team was affected by the heart of this twelve year old boy. On one of our last days in Santo Domingo we were planning to go to the river and go cliff diving. Yandry arrived that morning as always but since he was in charge of watching a five year old boy he could not go with us. Katty who helps run Elohim took the little boy to the nursery upstairs so that Yandry could come with us that day. He was so excited to be able to go with us. The night before we left we all had the opportunity to say goodbye to Yandry. It was one of the hardest things I think any one of us has ever had to do. He was happy to take pictures with all of us and went around giving every single one of us a hug more than once. This boy impacted my life forever. He was so happy and so grateful for everything he had even though it was so little. In America we always need more but he was happy just to receive our hand-me-downs from our donation pile. If I am lucky enough to return to Santo Domingo next year, I would only hope to see Yandry again and possibly find a way to help his family out.
-Adelia Stranko
-Adelia Stranko
The Things We Learn- Emily Nicolaysen
Our brains do not have the capacity to understand all of God's greatness but thats how He designed us. We may not immediately understand His doings but they always turn out to be beneficial to our spiritual wellbeing. They may be painful, exhausting, or just plain amazing but we need all of them to grow. On this trip God brought many things to my attention, many things I already knew but had put in the back of my mind or in other words, forgot about. I had forgotten something very important: we will never be perfect but in Him we are. Everyone tries to give their best effort to be the best they can be and despite our attempts we will not be successful on our own. When we completely and totally surrender all of ourselves to His control, amazing things can happen, plus our overall lives will be affected in a positive way. There were too many miracles that happend on this trip to mention but God's presence was evident wherever we went. I want to use this opportunity to encourage others to be a part of this experience we all know as "Ecuador". It takes experiences like these to teach us and to bring us closer to our Heavenly Father and it is definitely something that made me stronger; I will carry it with me forever.
As time comes to a close. -savannah morgan wright
As time is coming to a close I reflect on all that I have done and seen......
I have seen the heartbreak and struggle. I have seen the tears and sorrow. But still, among all of the pain I have seen the true love & joy of the people that belong to this beautiful country we call Ecuador. They do not have half of the priveledges we are given but they are completely content with their lives. It continues to humble me everytime I come back. I so often find myself being selfish and not content with all of the great things I have. Over these three years I have been, I have been shown overwheleming amounts of love. The children dont even know you and they will run and embrace you like as if you were their mother. At Carmen Bajo i experienced this in a unique way. I walked in and a little girl ran to me, jumped on me, and didnt let go of my arm. She was attached to me like a leech to skin (but in an endearing way). She mumbled something and I didnt understand what she said. I do not speak alot of Spanish so I went to Kristin and the girl repeated what she said. Kristin told me what she said. "She wants you to be her mother." As I heard those words my heart broke. That little girl showed me so much love and felt Christs love through me. i will never forget my experience or that little girl. I was also able to be reunited with Jessica a girl at Elohim. I was afraid she wouldnt remember me but when i saw her we hugged and remembered all the good times of the last year. God has worked through this group in so many ways and I am blessed to be able to be a part of it. As my time here is almost up I am positive that i will never forget this trip and all of the work God is doing in my life and the lives of my fellow students. <3
savannah morgan wright. xx
I have seen the heartbreak and struggle. I have seen the tears and sorrow. But still, among all of the pain I have seen the true love & joy of the people that belong to this beautiful country we call Ecuador. They do not have half of the priveledges we are given but they are completely content with their lives. It continues to humble me everytime I come back. I so often find myself being selfish and not content with all of the great things I have. Over these three years I have been, I have been shown overwheleming amounts of love. The children dont even know you and they will run and embrace you like as if you were their mother. At Carmen Bajo i experienced this in a unique way. I walked in and a little girl ran to me, jumped on me, and didnt let go of my arm. She was attached to me like a leech to skin (but in an endearing way). She mumbled something and I didnt understand what she said. I do not speak alot of Spanish so I went to Kristin and the girl repeated what she said. Kristin told me what she said. "She wants you to be her mother." As I heard those words my heart broke. That little girl showed me so much love and felt Christs love through me. i will never forget my experience or that little girl. I was also able to be reunited with Jessica a girl at Elohim. I was afraid she wouldnt remember me but when i saw her we hugged and remembered all the good times of the last year. God has worked through this group in so many ways and I am blessed to be able to be a part of it. As my time here is almost up I am positive that i will never forget this trip and all of the work God is doing in my life and the lives of my fellow students. <3
savannah morgan wright. xx
Monday, June 18, 2012
Flight safety covering please and Proclaimer update
Please pray for covering for all the groups as they head out tomorrow. Two groups in the morning early and two at midnight tomorrow night. Everyone should be home by Wednesday afternoon. We had a precious time today relaxing in the hot springs and sharing precious memories. Thanks for all of your thoughts and prayers.
By the way, for those of you waiting for an update on the proclaimers in the Lowland Napo Quichua dialect, there was a bump in the road of getting them to the group that went to Sardinas. But when they finally got there, the group took them to Sardinas to ascertain whether or not it was the correct dialect, and PRAISE BE TO OUR GOD AND FATHER, THEY ARE THE CORRECT DIALECT! They did not leave them yet because Pastor Alejandro wants to leave them with a leader who he is sure that he can trust to start listening groups, but we do not have that connection quite yet. We will very soon. Thank you to all who funded this recording and bringing the word to these people in their heart language! When we did the dental clinics there, many of the older patients required two translators because they only speak Quichua and no Spanish. What a gift the audio bible will be to them!
Blessings to all! Thanks again for praying.
Julia Wofford
By the way, for those of you waiting for an update on the proclaimers in the Lowland Napo Quichua dialect, there was a bump in the road of getting them to the group that went to Sardinas. But when they finally got there, the group took them to Sardinas to ascertain whether or not it was the correct dialect, and PRAISE BE TO OUR GOD AND FATHER, THEY ARE THE CORRECT DIALECT! They did not leave them yet because Pastor Alejandro wants to leave them with a leader who he is sure that he can trust to start listening groups, but we do not have that connection quite yet. We will very soon. Thank you to all who funded this recording and bringing the word to these people in their heart language! When we did the dental clinics there, many of the older patients required two translators because they only speak Quichua and no Spanish. What a gift the audio bible will be to them!
Blessings to all! Thanks again for praying.
Julia Wofford
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