Genuine Forgiveness

Watching Ecuador play with the kids at Casa de Fe!

I went to church here in Shell this morning, it is the one Marcela's husband is the pastor at. It was fun going there and seeing a few other workers from Casa de Fe too! God is doing great work in this city for both the kids and staff at Casa de Fe. Right after the service I stopped by a bakery to grab some food, then went up to the orphanage. I hang out with the little ones watching Scooby Doo while I waited for the soccer game! The kids just want to be near you and feel loved, they all want to be the one sitting closest to you. For example, this morning a little girl named Evelyn came up to me and sat on my lap, then another little guy named Samuel decided he could sit there too. While those two were sitting nicely a different little boy sitting on the chair next to me leaned his shoulder against my arm. There is an extensive space in their hearts to feel the love of a parent and though we love them as much as we can their longing cannot be satisfied until they have parents that can take care of them 24 hours a day 7 days a week. It never ceases to amaze me how special these little kids can make me feel loved too. By the end of the movie it was Nayeli's turn to sit on my lap and she kept telling me I was beautiful, when I would tell her the same she would giggle and her face would light up! I started dancing like the actors in the movie were at the end and pretty soon Nayeli was getting really into her own little dance as well! 11am was game time and after a couple of minor technical difficulties the game was on! Ecuador scored the first goal, then it was tied up for the whole second half until the last few seconds when Switzerland pulled ahead. It an awesome game to watch, but crushing to see them lose at the very end. I have been meaning to make it to the Balsa Wood Store in Puyo for a while and the time was now! I hopped on the bus and took an adventure on my own. I spent I while looking at all of the stuff around the store and enjoyed this relaxing Sunday afternoon on my own, it was the perfect opportunity to take a little trip and re-explore the area. It's crazy to say this already, but I began repacking my suitcase. I still have this coming week here in Ecuador, but I know it will go all too fast and I didn't want to worry about trying to pack when I am trying to say goodbye to friends. I had just enough time to bake cookies before a Bible study/prayer at Dwight and Tandy's. The whole staff was gathered up there and the lesson was about freedom that comes with confessing our sins to those we have hurt. It was a good reminder and important lesson about self-righteousness that can get in the way of genuinely asking

We lost at the very end, this is how we felt.

for and freely giving forgiving. It is an invaluable and ever important topic to reflect on. We are not called to look at people's actions and compare others or ourselves to them, but to look at Christ and the life we have been given from Him. At the end there were prayer requests and they prayed for me as I already prepare to leave Shell. It was a much needed prayer and reminder to continually turn to Christ in my need, not looking to external things for comfort, and seeking God first. The evening ended with a tea party on our roof watching the stars and clouds in the sky, I even saw a distant shooting star.