Discerning what is right

Wilson crossing the finish line!

May God from whom all good things come, grant that we, at His prompting discern what is right, and by His guidance do it. I was encouraged by this school email I received. I am constantly striving to discern God's will and it is my continued prayer that I may do so more and more every day. As I was downstairs greeting the Tias, little Telmo crawled right under my feet to say hello! I couldn't resist picking him up and talk to him for a while. He is so sweet and longs to be held, talked to, walked around, and just look into your eyes. It is sweet to see how much he has learned to do in the last year, I didn't get to spend very much time with him last year, but I have seen such great progress! After spending some time holding and talking with him I was back upstairs to get to work. I

Here comes Alondra running fast!

was working hard until the 100 meter dash for the school kids. The were participating in physical fitness testing for the kids, so they had to find a stretch of land with 100 meters of flat surface, this left the road to Sacharuna in front of Patti Sue's house. They kids participating had a great cheer team, because the whole school was there as well as their teachers and almost all of the missionaries! I had lunch at Cheralyn's house and paused to watch the clouds move across the sky. There is are huge awesome windows at house she is living at, they face towards Casa de Fe and have a nice view of the dique. The clouds were moving at different speeds and the "friendly clouds" were overtaking the storm clouds, I've never seen anything quite like it before! I worked the rest of the afternoon, and before I knew it, it was time to head home. I got to play soccer (2 on 2) with some of the girls, it was great competition. Caila and I played against Diana and Alondra, even when it started raining it didn't slow any of us down! Right from work I went to check on flowers for the Quinceañera tomorrow, but they didn't have the right ones, so we will have to try again in the morning...the day of the celebration! I had just enough time to buy ingredients to make applesauce for Cheralyn's birthday party! The evening was filled with good waffles, games, and giggles. It was a much needed evening with the missionary women at Casa de Fe!

Carry your cross

Time well spent with this little beauty while the power was out!

I started my day of by standing on my roof, looking at the jungle with mountains in the background, and listening to all the critter sounds. The music within nature is truly something glorious! After a warm walk to work I did my usual rounds of greeting the Tias. It wasn't until I got upstairs and saw all the missionaries waiting that I realized the electricity was out! I wondered now what? So much of what we do requires electricity, seriously initially I couldn't think of any work I could do that didn't require it! I hung around for a little bit while I was waiting for a job, and was helping burned the fringy ends of safety rope key chains, apparently it was a fire kind of day, because my next job was baking. I was given the task to back the playdough-like necklaces the kids made at school and I gladly accepted. I got to use the gas stove to bake them and the first three trays turned out great, I put in the next three and one of them did not turn out so well. I scorched all of the playdough on a try, it was fried to a crisp. Though the other two turned out well the biggest tray was totally ruined. When the electricity is out there is always my favorite job as an option, playing with the toddlers! They are a hoot to be around and it is always priceless to be out on the playground playing with them. For lunch I was planning on going home, but needed to wait at Alexander's and decided to stay and I'm sure glad I did. Lunch with the Martin's and Kelcy was a huge blessing! Upon returning to Casa de Fe I, with the help of the missionary kids, added string to the colorful necklace pendants! As I was pondering life on my way home I couldn't stop thinking about the changes we face throughout life. Every day life presents us with changes, both big and small, but all of them help shape who we are. I continued my thoughts where I started my day, back on the rooftop. It was really powerful for me to reflect on the life changes the Lord has brought me through. In honor of the opening day of the World Cup 2014, I reflected back to the last FIFA soccer festivities four years ago. I had just undergone reconstructive surgery on my ACL and was beginning the slow road to recovery. Looking back I am thankful for all of the physical and emotional strains I experienced that summer, because He drew me closer to Himself. It was not easy, in fact, it was one of the most difficult few months of my life, but I grew in beautiful ways! "Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?" -Mark 8:34-36. I received this in a daily devotion this morning and some of the other context Kyle mentioned spoke to my heart as well, "The cross that the Lord calls each of us to carry has various shapes. We may have to openly confess Jesus before those who do not want to be reminded of Him or His good news. And we may be called to walk through this fallen world with a bright smile on our face while our heart is breaking. Jesus is never as near to us as when we lift our cross, lay it submissively on our own shoulders, and welcome it with a patient and uncomplaining spirit. He draws us close in order to mature us, deepen our peace, and increase our courage. He does all this so that through the very experience that is so painful and distressing to us, we will be of greater service to others". God is good and speaks to our hearts in beautiful ways, He guides us through the mountains and the valley to reveal more of His perfect love and plan for our lives. Supper and an evening of fellowship was a great way to end a day of reflecting on life experiences, people, and places that have changed my life and helped make me who I am today!

Help through prayer

Lydia and I were twins today!

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort. We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many" -2 Corinthians 1:3-11. Each day I am reminded more and more that I cannot get through a day on my own, and I don't just want to "get through" any day. I want to live each day, hour, and moment to the fullest, so I rely on the great Provider! God is my daily hope, the gracious giver, and wonderful counselor who hears my pleas. Not only does the Lord walk before me, but He goes with me and is faithful to each prayer I lay at His feet. When I come to Him with a ready heart and truly present my requests to Him, He provides in His perfect way. I went through donations this morning and got to visit with Sharon this


Beautiful rainbow at Bible Club!

morning! Then I got to spend the rest of the morning sewing away, such a great way to work and relax at the same time! Christy invited me over for lunch and it was delicious! When I was back at work it was time to help with sponsorship information. I went along to Bible Club to help out with the little guys, I also got to ride it the truck and had forgotten how excited the kids are about going places! It was so entertaining to see their responses to all the bumps from the road construction. There was a great message about how important it is to tell the truth and speaking kind words. When we got to go outside to play there were a bunch of different things going on, but jump rope and soccer were the two big events. There was a beautiful rainbow too! Such a beautiful reminder of God's promises! I walked straight to supper afterwards and it was a great time of fellowship.

We are Gifted

I woke up to thunderstorm this morning, not the bus, not dogs, not any other nice by the relaxing sound of the thunder and rain! It was great, I was really excited about the storm and went to the window to see if there was lightning along with it. Unfortunately I did not see any for the brief amount of time I watched, so I went back to bed, however, shortly after laying down to go back to bed I was quite certain I saw a flash through my curtains. The storm did pass by the time I went walked up to work, Kelcy and I walked part of the way until we were picked up by another missionary. I got to spend the whole morning sewing! I wouldn't mind doing a whole bunch more of this, I think my grandma would be proud of my work too! Use the gifts God has given you! We all have our specialties, we are one body and have unique skills! I was flattered today by a comment about coming back as a house parent someday. I know it would be a challenge, but I know God works here in incredible ways and maybe someday He will call me back for this purpose. As we were heading out for lunch we sang happy birthday to Cheralyn and ate some cake. You can't go wrong starting lunch with dessert. Tandy and Dwight invited a group of us over for lunch and it was great catching up, laughing, and sharing stories! I left work to go to Super Tias in Puyo with Cheralyn and Christy. I finally made it to Super Tias! After arriving home from Puyo I put my groceries away and somehow took a two hour nap. I was super tired, so it was a much needed nap! When Cheralyn, the birthday girl, and I were ready to head over to Patti Sue's for supper it started torrential raining again, somehow nether of us were prepared with ANY rain gear so we had

Sausti and I!

to improvise. We constructed raincoats with garbage bags and I made a little skirt with a towel so my pants wouldn't get so wet. We were even more preventative by calling a taxi and getting dropped off, let's just say everybody got a kick out of our attire when we arrived. We were stylish to say the least! Supper at Patti Sue's was build your own pizza and there was real pizza sauce, yum! When we were finished eating we watched silly videos and ate ice cream!

Amazon Rain

Our newest baby girl at Casa de Fe.

This morning there were four new children at Casa de Fe, the youngest in the family is a sweet baby girl only a couple of months and so sweet. The other ones were off at school, but she was sound asleep in the baby room. The song He Reigns by the Newsboys has a much deeper meaning when you get caught walking in a big rain or hear it beating down on the metal roof. This morning I did not get stuck in the rain on my way to work, but hearing it pour on the roof brought it this song to life this morning: "It's the song of the redeemed, rising from the African plain. It's the song of the forgiven, drowning out the AMAZON RAIN. The song of Asian believers, filled with God's holy fire. It's every TRIBE, every TONGUE, every NATION, a love song borne of a grateful choir. It's all God's children singing glory, glory, hallelujah, he reigns. Let it rise above the four winds, caught up in the heavenly sound. Let praises echo from the towers of cathedrals, to the faithful gathered on the ground. Of all the songs sung since the dawn of creation, some were meant to persist. Of all the bells on a thousand steeples, none rings truer than these. It's all God's children singing glory, glory, hallelujah, he reigns. And all the powers of darkness tremble at what they've just heard. Because all the powers of darkness can't drown out a single word. When all God's children sing, glory, glory, hallelujah, he reigns. It's all God's people singing glory, glory, hallelujah, he reigns". This power of this song struck me this morning, though I have heard it many times and seen rain in Ecuador many more. We are redeemed, we are forgiven, and our lives can set a fire in the hearts of others! I got to have a brief talk with kyle about separation between people in the church and not in the church and how important it is to fill the space and welcome people in. It is our job as the body of Christ to reach out to others, set a fire in the hearts of others and show them the true love of God through His son Jesus Christ. There was a big meeting for the long term staff with an organization at the multiuse building today and I was helping organize the snack and setting/serving the catered lunch. My childhood dream of working at a restaurant was kind of fulfilled! When I was all done helping serve the food I got to sit down and eat lunch with the group. At the end of the day I got to follow along and help Christy with the team visiting this afternoon. They were excited to be here and enjoyed spending time with the kids even though it was brief. We got to spend a little bit of time in the toddler play area with them and right before they left one of the men said he could tell how much I loved being here. I was flattered that he could see my passion to care for and serve in this place. Cheralyn hosted Anna and I for supper, we ate French toast and I think I have found just the right recipe for it! A day isn't truly done until the last errand is run and ice cream is consumed, so that is precisely what I did!

Leaders

This is only part of the market in Puyo!

I picked up breakfast from the bakery on my walk to Freeman's house, then they ever so kindly took me to Puyo. I met up with Heidi's team at the El Jardin hotel, then we were off to the market. We went to the big Sunday market in Puyo to pick up food for lunch at the finca (farm). While we were there we enjoyed eating some new foods and I bought a beautiful necklace and another soccer jersey! We checked out the fish part of the market, walked up and down the rows and rows of food, then were off after a solid hour and a half. The farm was about 30 minutes away from Puyo and naturally I slept the whole way there! Upon our arrival we went on a hike, thankfully before we got too far Nube handed me a hiking stick, it really is incredible how much they help when you are walking through the mucky mud in the jungle here. We walked through a river, toured different plants (such as sugar cane, sour cane, mandarine oranges, banana, plantain, and guyaba),

Ready to swim!

then looked at the ant farm. It was really a beautiful sight to see countless ants carrying their greenery. They marched purposefully in a line with their little fan-like greens. As we finished up the hike we crossed a rickety three log wide bridge, then "muddy" mountain hiking climbed up a steep hill. I thought I would five it a new name, because it was not a traditional hike, if it would have been any steeper, we would have been mountain climbing! When we reached the top I feasted on mandarin oranges with Nube, they were a great treat after the hike. Swimming in the stream and a very informal game of EcoVolley happened before our late lunch. Nelly's sister spent hours from the time we got there until when we ate, at 3:30pm, preparing the food. They were so hospitable! I was moved by the amount of work and kindness they showed by hosting us and it makes me want to have a nice space to host people! On the way home we went to Casa del

The tree house.

Arbol (between Shell and Puyo). It is very different than the one I've been to in Banos, but awesome! The man who built the tree house took us on the tour. We started at the caverna (caves) which required making a human chain. I will admit I was more than a little nervous as he lead us into this black cave with no light, it was pitch black. The whole group was fully relying on every step he took. When at last we made it the center cavern he told us about how leadership is required in troubled times, through fears and anxiety a leader must step up for survival. He mentioned the Chilean miners, they survived for 69 days which required leadership to ration food and keep moral up. It is a sweet lesson on leadership and submitting to leadership for me. Hebrews 13:17-19, "Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you. Pray for us. We are sure that we have a clear conscience and desire to live honorably in every way. I particularly urge you to pray so that I may be restored to you soon." It is invaluable for groups of people to work as one so that all may be of gain for them as a whole! Once we completed the cave tour it was a

My beautiful friends! Nelly, Dany, Nube, and Heidi <3

short distance to the 11 story tree house this man had built. It was really quite the sight and climb. From the top of the tree house there was a great view of Puyo! I had just enough time to make my treat for Micheal's despedida and head over to Patti Sue's with all of the other missionaries to send him off. I love how we come together as a Casa de Fe family to support and celebrate with one another!

 

Care beyond measure

So precious!

This fine Saturday morning I went up to Casa de Fe with Christy to meet Heidi's team. Although they were quite a bit later than I anticipated, it was a sweet time of reflecting and watching the kids interact outside from upstairs in the therapy room. These were some thoughts that crossed my mind as I pondered life: When things appear to be broken it doesn't always mean they are, and when others seem to be perfectly together it doesn't mean it is true. Every day we are all facing battles and fears of some kind that others will probably never know. Though God works all things together for our good, this does not mean life is easy and everything goes the way we want. Our dreams are invaluable, but God's are so much bigger than we could ever hope. I thank the Lord for knowing the deepest desires in my heart and His vision for me, He fulfills all things in His precise timing. Trusting Him is all we need to even when it is the hardest. He cares for each of us far beyond our ability to measure. Seeing the faces of these precious children I am reminded of

Heidi visited Casa de Fe with her group of
Middle School Students!

how He guides us all, young and old, in the act of leading one another. If today was my last day on this earth all I would want to do is help people to know God's good and personal love! The boys were being boys and digging in the mud, I was a blessed to watch them work for a while. While they were working Jimmy was showing the little guys how to help build their mini fort, he was literally holding their hand and guiding them. Christy, Thalia, and I went down to the bridge to meet Heidi's team and take them up to Casa de Fe for a tour and day to play with the kids! It was an easy going morning and all too shortly it was time for lunch at Esmereldita's. I couldn't stop drinking the guaynabana juice, it is so yummy! As soon as we were done eating we headed back up to Casa, played Frisbee for a while, then I got a rockin' hair style. When I wrapped things up at Casa for the day I walked in to town, met up with Olivia, then went

Making empanadas at Sylvia's!

to Sylvia's (in Moravia) for empanadas and coffee with some of the other teachers! It was a great time of conversation and getting to know each other better. It was great practice for comprehending and speaking in Spanish! At the end of our time there we caught a taxi back to Shell and went over to the Freeman's for some food and intense games of Scategories! I forgot how much I like that game and I love spending time with good company!