My planner makes me feel so grown up! |
“Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you,
saying, 'This is the way; walk in it.'” Isaiah 30:21
“Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart,
that I may fear your name.” Psalm 86:11
“Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ
loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Ephesians 5:1-2
“For we walk by faith, not by sight.” 2 Corinthians 5:7
saying, 'This is the way; walk in it.'” Isaiah 30:21
“Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart,
that I may fear your name.” Psalm 86:11
“Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ
loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Ephesians 5:1-2
“For we walk by faith, not by sight.” 2 Corinthians 5:7
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Have love
I had a relaxing morning off which consisted of getting some cold medicine from Tandy, resting, and reading. I read 1 Corinthians 13:1-7, " If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." God has given each of us the ability to love and it is a sacred gift from Him. This scripture reminds me that every single thing I say and do needs to be done in love. I am forgiven every time I fall short, but I always want to show people a glimpse of who God is through my love! I went up to the orphanage a bit early to say hi to the team before heading up to the school to work. Gym class with the 2nd and 3rd graders consisted of playing soccer right outside the school. Genesis, Veronica, and I were kicking the soccer ball and had some great passes going for a while, then they went back to trying to kick the ball up the stairs.
Towards the end of class Genesis tied a rope around one of the balls and started swinging it around. It turned in to a fun game, of them standing in a line and I would swing it around in a circle for them to jump over! They loved it and would giggle every time the ball came back around. Right after that class was done I went down to the cancha with the oldest girls to play basketball. On the way there they picked some fresh fruit for all of us to share and it was good. I'm not really sure what it was, but it was a white fruit with a leaf like covering. Then it was time for a lunch before the last class. During the introductions one of the statements each student makes is about how they are feeling. Since I work with the students who are mostly behind grade level, every day until today I have heard the same feeling from all of them, "I am happy". However, one of my girls said she was sad and this is very unlike her. I had the other girls work on the letter names while I briefly talked to her and found out she was homesick. I thought it would be best if she wrote down what she was thinking to help her deal with her emotions, I know it is a good method for dealing with many situations. I know I find it helpful to write about how I am feeling in hard times. It was time for a nice nap after the sunny walk home! I woke up feeling ready to go, so Cheralyn and I went to the Guest House to participate in the Concordia debrief. As I was sitting on the couch waiting for things to get rolling the Freeman's arrived and Abby ran up to give me a big hug! It is definitely things like this that make my day, I felt so cared for it was great. I enjoyed being a part of this time with the Cobbers, it was a nice to hear about their experiences and I look forward to what the Lord has planned for their lives. I know teams come here on mission trips to love and serve, but sometimes it is just as much as a ministry for the person that came as it is for the organization. God works in wonderful ways!
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
The Lord is my shepherd
Cobbers hard at work! |
Bible club games. |
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Splendid outdoors
I woke up with a bit of a sore throat this morning, it's not anything too bad, but many of the kids are sick too. It was a good morning of preparing lessons and gym classes. The first grade students have been learning the parts of the body in class and today they each drew their own "cuerpo" (body). It was good for me to see each of their drawings and gain a better understanding what they understand and the schemas they have. Sometimes things seem obvious, but only because I learned about it at one point in time. For example, one little girl drew three fingers on each of her hands and it wasn't until I sat down next to her desk and counted each of the fingers on her hand that she realized each of the hands has five fingers, not three. With the littlest group we went on another walk! They seriously enjoy exploring nature, which is exciting for me to watch them explore and be a part of asking them questions. On our adventure some of them pulled up long weeds, put them over their shoulders and drug them along behind them as if it were a pet. Lunch consisted of a ground beef with broccoli, green beans, onion, carrots, and green pepper over rice, it was really good. In English class today the girls did a nice job and my newest
student was able to pick up on a couple of new things too! I am blessed to work with these girls, they are pretty quiet most days, but I know they are anxious to learn and try SO hard. After school library was pretty slow, because there weren't very many kiddos checking out books. Then I got to chat with some Cobbers as I went up to the house to figure out plans for the evening, it is wonderful getting to hear about how they are experiencing Ecuador! In after school enrichment the kids were busy doing all different things, but I was with the group drawing. It was rather fun I might add, because I enjoy drawing and these kids do too. I walked home in a downpour and enjoyed every step in the rain. There were streams forming on the gravel road from the orphanage to the bridge and I could hear the actual stream loudly running! I have really learned to embrace the rain since living here, don't get me wrong I used to enjoy a nice rainy day to curl up and watch a movie, but I actually appreciate the rain in a new way now. When I got home I put on dry clothes, curled up, and took a nap! Then it was time to celebrate Paola's birthday with Rick and Rebekah. They take all of the kids in fourth grade and up out for supper around their birthday and I get to join them. We went to a tiny restaurant serving fried chicken and french fries. On the way there Paola was telling us crazy stories about some of her experiences with wildlife, such as pumas and snakes, in her home town. When we arrived at the restaurant we ordered our food and played a game until it arrived. When the food arrived the wait was worth it, the breading on the chicken breast was delicious and the fries were good especially when I covered them in mayo. I have no idea what it is, but the restaurants put something greenish in the mayo here and I really enjoy it a lot. There have been a few times now that I have wondered if I would you like some fries with my mayo...but it is that good! Paola and I walked arm in arm to the Coliseo for dance class when all of us were done eating, but discovered there was no dance for an unknown reason (it happens fairly often), so we continued back to the orphanage arm in arm without saying much. I spent the walk praying for her and thanking God for the kind, quiet, yet spunky girl that she is. She is a very level headed and loving young lady, I am ineffably thankful to have her in my class! I heard frogs croaking and many different sounds of the splendid outdoors on the walk and was so filled with peace and excitement for her, I know God will do great things in her life. When we arrived back at the house I was a bit surprised to find the older girls were not there since there had been no dance. The Tia was convinced there was dance even though Paola and I had just been there and nothing was going on, so I decided it would be best to just go back to the Coliseo and figure it out for myself. When I saw the night guard from Casa de Fe approaching the house he scared me at first, but when I was able to see who it was he very generously offered to walked me down the hill since it had gotten dark. I went back to the gym and saw the arranged taxi driver sitting outside, I asked him if he was waiting for the Casa de Fe girls and he was. After I asked around and found out they were at the park we went over there, rounded them up, and took them back to the house. Then it was time for Cheralyn and I to run some errands before heading back to our house to prepare food for the pot luck tomorrow.
Diana is my newest student! |
Monday, February 25, 2013
Different gifts
I woke up a little sleepy this morning, because I didn't sleep very much this weekend, but there were so many fun things going on there was no time! Anyways, I made myself a nice iced coffee and I was good to go. For chapel this morning we introduced a new fruit of the Spirit, kindness. We presented a skit to the kids where a kind robot was being built. The kids enjoy watching short plays, so it was a great way for them to see how to treat others kind. Gym class with the two littlest groups consisted of a nature walk, the kids loved it! They enjoy being outside and when they are given an opportunity to explore their learning really thrives. The 4th grade class had velocity testing, so I got to watch them run as fast as they could and some of them are quick! The teachers made a delicious bean, onion, and carrot salad to accompany the rice for lunch, then I was off to English class. Today was a lot different in class, because one of the kids in the family of four that just joined Casa de Fe is in my class now. She is a kind young lady, but doesn't know any English, so my Spanish was put to the test! With some help of the other students I taught most of the class in both languages to help her follow along. It was a good challenge for me and I hope to see her English blossom this year.
I got to speak a lot of Spanish throughout the day which was awesome, I have learned so much since being here. I often doubt my ability to speak it, but today I spoke a lot! Library and after school time were pretty clam today. The beautiful sunshine this afternoon was a wonderful change of pace from last week, it was the second day of sun like this in a row! When I was saying goodbye to the kids at the house I saw Nayeli playing house in between two of the hockey nets and I had a flashback to my childhood immediately! It is crazy to think I used to do the exact same thing. It shows that no matter where children are, even if they are thousands of miles or years apart, kids will be kids! I love the simple and pure ability for children to be content in all circumstances. It was a hot walk back to my house since it was warm and sunny, and I was ready to take a short nap before going out to supper at Johnny's. Cheralyn, Kelcy, and I enjoyed the nice view of Shell's market street from the second floor seating at the restaurant. Johnny's has a lovely view of the park with the mountains in the background, it is wonderful! When we were all done we stopped by Alexander's market for ice cream and we walked around town. Kelcy knows a ton of people around town, so as we walked around I enjoyed getting to meet some of the local people. 1 Corinthians 12:4-6, "There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men." I thank God for another good day in Ecuador.
Nayeli and Tati playing house in the soccer nets! |
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Tu eres mi respirar
"Tu eres mi respirar, Dios tu presencia vive en mi" (You are my breath, God I live in your presence) were the lyrics to a songs sung before and after the message in church this morning. It is a translation of "Breathe" by Michael W. Smith, and I like it! I have really enjoyed going to this church and appreciate hearing a song almost every week that is a translation of a song in English I am familiar with. When church was finished I took a little nap before going out to lunch at Vista Hermosa with the team. I had a yummy chicken platter with the best french fries I have ever eaten. When I was all finished there were some fried fish fins left over, so decided to give one a try! I was told it tasted like chips and I would have to say chips are a good thing to compare them to, they were crunchy, salty, and greasy. I won't be eating them all the time, but I am glad I tried it and have to admit it was pretty good. After lunch Cheralyn and I took the team up to Casa de Fe to hang out with the kids for the afternoon. Talia ended up spraining her ankle and was pretty shaken up, we took her to the hospital to make sure everything was alright. I stayed with her and Geidi at the hospital, it was hard to see her hurting and I just wanted to be there to care for her. When I was going through all of the appointments and tests after tearing my ACL my family was there to take care of me. That hard time for me painted a beautiful picture of the unconditional love my parents have for me and the even greater love of my Father in Heaven. I was glad to be there to support her in a moment of hurt and uncertainty. The Lord answered my prayers for her health, and we were able to be in & out of the hospital rather quickly! After getting her into the car with Jeff I walked back to the orphanage to rejoin the team for a little bit. On my way back I was thankful
for the ability to walk from place to place, I really do love being outside and getting where I need to be by walking. As I ventured back I was thinking about how many people there are in the world, and how I am just one person. Although I am only one person on this earth for a short amount of time, I know when I serve others with all I have I can make a difference in this crazy world. All big things started somewhere and although it may be hard to pinpoint, there was a small moment or little incidents that created the moment. I had some time to eat and rest before going up to the Martin's for prayer. It was another wonderful evening of fellowship and worship, one of the songs we sang was Shane and Shane "Yearn". It is an incredible song, some of the lyrics are: Holy design, this place in time, that I might seek and find my God, My God. Lord, I want to yearn for You, I want to burn with passion, over You and only You. It is really powerful and I recommend listening to it on YouTube. When prayer was all over Cheralyn, Kelcy, and I enjoyed eating ice cream and popcorn while having a wonderful discussion about life!
Joel and I on the bike trail! |
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Seek first His kingdom
Precious Jhan after the brunch! |
The girls with their dolls. |
Friday, February 22, 2013
Love one another
Happy Birthday Paola! |
So much love from home. |
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Healed by His wounds
I
had a nice slow morning, because I go in to work late every Thursday. I
started by doing laundry and dishes after eating my strawberry (Rice
Krispies type) cereal for breakfast. I didn't teach until 11:35 today, so I was able to get some chores done before heading to work.
When I got to school it was another good day with the kids. We made
some paper airplanes and tested how they flew, all of them really enjoyed
this activity. Then it was time for gym class, the oldest girls are
starting a gymnastics unit. They chose a partner and are creating an
aerobic routine, I would have loved this when I was their age since I
was dancing all the time...honestly part of me wanted to make one up
too! When gym was over it was already time for lunch. English
class went well again today and I enjoy getting to work with the girls each day. They always stagger in at different times after
lunch, so it is nice getting to chat with a different girl each day.
It is those short periods of time before class that I am getting to see
their personalities which is great! After school enrichment was quiet
today, but we got to play with a LeapFrog book reader.
Unfortunately the batteries were dying, but thanks to the
handy dandy trick of shaking batteries to
make them last a bit longer they were able to play with it! I was
pretty happy about the batteries, I just learned about the shaking trick earlier this year, and I got to listen to Bible stories
on the LeapFrog because of it. I went down to hang out with the kids
at the house for a little while before heading home to get some more things done. I started by baking cookies for Paola's birthday tomorrow
and to share with the teachers. While I was subbing in Moorhead there
were treats every Friday and it was always a perk for subbing then, I hope the teachers here enjoy a treat. I also am stitching
up my shoes, they had a couple of little holes when I left, but they
have grown since being in Ecuador and I needed to take care of it. I tested my shoe repair when Cheralyn and I went out to supper, it seems to be holding up well! It seemed like everybody decided to go out to eat at Johnny's tonight, so it was fun seeing a ton of people that I knew walking through the restaurant. We ended up joining Rick and Rebekah for supper which was great. We enjoyed playing the "Ungame" which is basically a bunch of get to know you questions, and it was a great way to learn more about my friends. It ended up being a long evening out to eat, so it was time to read and get ready for bed by the time I got home. 1 Peter 2:21-26, "To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls." God's power to heal every area of our lives continues to be brought before me and is a constant reassurance for me! The Lord will heal every physical, mental, and emotional area of our lives when we give Him control...not as much control as we want to or are comfortable with, but COMPLETE control. He is always faithful!
Duvi and I, with some classic bunny ears! |
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Por el gozo de Dios
The pretty flowers a student picked for me. |
Cake to celebrate her birthday! |
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Created in God’s image
Two of my students, we're working on the letter K! |
Monday, February 18, 2013
Renewed day by day
Classes started up again and it was a busy day at Casa de Fe! I was in awe this morning as a 4 year old girl comforted her friend who was crying during chapel. She took her hand and held it until she calmed down, the compassion shown in this gesture was touched my heart. There are simple acts every day that reveal more of the Lord's love in this place, and it is incredible to experience. As always the gym classes today were filled with adventure, especially the class with the smallest kiddos who like to run in all different directions! We got to go down to the "cancha" the covered basketball court/soccer field with the oldest class to play some soccer. I was the goalie which reminded me of the good ol' days of being on a traveling soccer team. For lunch I had a small celebration feast with the teachers, before teaching English. It was the first day I had my own class and I loved it! It was great to see how they responded to me being their teacher and I gained a greater understanding of where they are at. I have a great group of girls to work with and I look forward to the days to come. I help one of the girls in my class after school every day, she is behind the others and I know this extra time will help her catch up. She is a bright young lady who works hard,soon the light bulb will shine and it will all click! After school enrichment was good, but my knee was bothering me and I was distracted. I am reminded of 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." God is THE healer! I am created exactly as He planned, the Lord is taking care of me at all times, and my life has been shaped to be a light in every circumstance. Although there are times where I wonder why my body hurts and doesn't want to keep up with me, I know the Lord gives me opportunities in situations desirable and undesirable to work in wonderful ways. My prayer is that God may be given glory in every area of my life! I thank God for the incredible people I have encountered, He has placed you in my life for a purpose and I have been deeply blessed. I am amazed by His goodness and how He knows exactly who I am supposed to encounter, when I will encounter them, and how they will bless me! This evening I got to have dessert and watch a movie with some ladies. It was a nice way to wind down the day, I was thankful for a relaxing evening with the girls!
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Soar on wings like eagles
Laura and I at the beginning of the hike. |
We ate lunch at this lake! |
A beautiful view of the volcano. |
Friday, February 15, 2013
You have entrusted me
Sheila and I! |
Thursday, February 14, 2013
God is Love!
Viviana, Caila, and I! |
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Tu amor es grande
This morning I was moving a little slow, because I was sore from yesterday and it was rainy so I wanted to stay in bed and watch a movie. Instead I got up, fixed myself a nice bowl of cereal, and enjoyed continuing to read through the book of 1 Peter! When I was all ready for the day I journeyed up to the school to work for the day. I worked on library tasks for most of the day and enjoyed a mid-morning snack with the Ecuadorian teachers. I really love working with them and appreciate the great effort they put forth to make me feel like an important team member! I went out to lunch at Alexander's with Dwight, Tandy, and Cheralyn and enjoyed a nice meal with great company. When we got back it was a busy afternoon of getting ready for Bible Club and trying to organize more at the school. An hour or so before leaving the kids got to color their verse of the
week, Luke 3:22. I got them all settled in much better this week and brought the materials to them instead of bringing the kiddos to the school, so it went much more smoothly than last week! The music before the message at Bible Club was awesome, my favorite was "Tu amor es Grande". The lyrics were repetitive and I was able to catch on and comprehend what was being sung. "Tu amor es grande, mas grande de lo que pueda imaginar" (Your love is great, greater than I can imagine). Simply brilliant, I enjoy the truth and beauty of these words! Bible Club just kept getting better, because the message made me tear up. The woman who shares the message each week presents the content in a way that is very kid friendly, I followed along really well this week! It helps that I am quite familiar with "The Parable of the Lost Sheep" and there were pictures, but I am understanding more too. Luke 15:1-7, "Now the tax collectors and 'sinners' were all gathering around to hear him. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, 'This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.' Then Jesus told them this parable: 'Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the
same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.'" This paints such a vivid picture of what the Lord has done for each of us and I am eternally grateful! God goes far above and beyond what I could hope and dream to care for all people and I want to love and serve others the way He does. After we were all done and got the children back to the house it was time for supper followed up by a delicious chocolate covered doughnut from the bakery! Then it was time to prepare for babysitting tomorrow by baking cookies :)
Ruby working on her Bible Club picture! |
I tested them and they are good! |
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Living hope
The Ecuadorian teachers, Cheralyn, and I! |
We joined the oldest kids in a muddy tug-of-war type game! |
Let Carnival begin! |
Monday, February 11, 2013
Muévete en mi
Dancing time at the Freeman's house! |
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Blessed are those
It was a
beautiful morning at church today and I am beginning to understand
more! I wasn't able to follow very much of the message, however, I do
know it was focused around our heart condition. When I say
it like that it seems rather vague and simple, but the message was about our
hearts being fixed on God. One of the readings we looked at was
Matthew 5:1-12, "Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him and he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you." There are certain things in life that I question how it could be blessed, but this scripture looks straight to the creator in all situations and He fulfills each need. Through every circumstance that life will lead me through, God provides comfort and reassurance. After church it was time for a late breakfast, I made some microwaved omelets...sounds weird, but they turned out very well. I was pretty tired so I turned on some "Needtobreathe" music and worked on a photo book before napping. I wanted to make sure I was well rested for frisbee this afternoon. When I woke up I had time for a late lunch, then it was off to the field. Since it was so rainy there weren't very many of us, but it was great playing in the rain! There were times it was hard to see and there were puddles all over the field, but it rains here a lot and playing in the rain can be fun! By the time I got back to the house it was getting close to prayer and worship time with the Casa de Fe staff, so I made the trip upstairs for a great evening of fellowship. It is a wonderful way to start the week and I am thankful to work with this team!
It's been raining all afternoon, but it is relaxing to listen to and watch! |
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