Busy busy busy

Hey Everyone, I've been pretty busy lately so I haven't really felt like blogging. On Saturday we had the staff party here at the Ark, but just before that I had to go to the hospital to take 2 of the babies and the one toddler that were sick. It was freezing in the hospital and it ending up taking 3 hours because of the traffic (the parades make it crazy) and waiting to see the doctor.

On Sunday we went to Calshi (a little village) to sing some songs and do a puppet show for a Christmas program/beauty pageant they had. We didn't get back til late.

Then on Monday I got to go to the jungle (Macas/Sucua) with Isaac and one of the kids named Mariano. I loved it in the jungle... mainly the heat and vegetation... it really reminds me of the Dominican. It was about a 4.5 hour drive and we did mostly visiting people. We went to see Mariano's mom and brothers, a bunch of the old workers that used to work at the Ark home in Macas, and one of the toddlers that used to stay here. The toddler wasn't doing so well... he looked very lethargic and sick. Apparently he lives with his dad and all he eats is plaintain. We also did a mini Christmas program in that same village. We sang some songs, prayed and then gave out little candy bags for the kids. I really enjoyed it... felt like DTS. I got back yesterday late at night.

Today I worked here in the morning, then went to Jessica's to watch It's A Wonderful Life for the first time. Then I went to a Christmas dinner the street church was having. I ended up stirring the rice and veggies/meat altogether and washing a few dishes to help... It turned out I ate rice 3 times today (breakfast, lunch and supper!). Well, now I'm here at 12:30 and we're going to watch some TV shows before a truck load of toys arrives from Quito. Miss you all.

Sleepover and Community Christmas Party

Hello again.

So on Friday morning me and Zoe prepared most of the games for the Christmas party... we had bowling, limbo, a dress up as Santa Claus race, a fish pond and a ring toss. I also helped bake sugar cookies on Thursday so we can decorate them later.

Friday afternoon I went to Jessica's house to have a sleepover. Her family is in Quito so we had the house to ourselves. We ended up watching 4 Christmas movies and talking. It was really relaxing and I slept great.

Saturday morning I went back to the Ark to help with the Community Christmas Party. I was in charge of limbo (just like Vacation Bible School in Haiti). I ended up helping with the toddlers and cleaning up after.

In the evening I went to the Radio where I got to say Hi to everyone in English. Then I went to get something to eat with a girl I just met. Her name is Paola and she actually knows Lana (a volunteer from Kelowna that came here a few years ago). We had hamburgers, which came with fries on the inside (which always happens here in Ecuador).

Then we all went to Street church and I was all nice and warm with my new jacket. I am so thankful for it.

Community Party Prep

"Hola a todos! Soy Anna." haha... my famous quote from the radio...

So lately, I've been helping out with Christmas and the community party we're going to have on Saturday. We've put together more than 300 gift bags for the kids that contain candy, animal crackers, a tooth brush, a stuffy, etc. We're going to plan some kids games (I really hope we end up doing the fishing game)... We're also going to buy some bread and Coke and I think the cook is making a pineapple cake or something.

I've also been wrapping presents and labelling 90 Christmas stockings.
Yesterday I got to go to Ambato because my friend goes every week to buy groceries there. So I go to the mall to buy "american" food meaning a hamburger, fries and a frappaccino kind of thing... Mmmm... so good!

Preschool has also been going very good and the kids are learning lots. We're mostly focusing on the colours, numbers and vowels.

And thanks to my parents I now have a nice warm jacket I can wear for Street Church and outings at night!

Thanks to everyone that has been praying for me and helping me financially. I really appreciate it!

More Photos!!!

Our trip to Guano for the Skateboard competition/concert... this is me in a little park me and Danilu found... Notice the Canadian flag on the map of Guano.












Danilu by a fountain in the park in Guano...


















Danilu on this long, deserted road we found in Guano... we took a nice walk and had a nice chat too.












Isaac skateboarding in Guano.















This is most of the crew that went down to Guano... some guys came to do some graffiti and one of them that we hung out afterward was from Chile. I'm in the back with Naomi and Danilu doing an interview with this girl that also does graphic design... later we put the interview on the radio.







These next pictures are dedicated to my dad... he motivated me to take photos of my surroundings/Riobamba.



This is the entrance to the Ark... they have an intercom with a camera to only let certain people in... almost all properties have fences with broken glass on top like this one.











These are the hills that surround Riobamba... it really looks like Kelowna in so many ways... the hills, the trees...












This is one of the roads near our house... we're in the North and on the outskirts.













This is the main road (the Panamerican highway)... this is where I catch the bus to go into town.

Catch Up

Hey everyone... WOW... it's been a long time! I don't even know where to start...

First, I've been teaching 2 English classes (one for beginners and one for advanced students) downtown for the last week. The most exciting thing happened when I got 2 packages... one from a very good friend from Switzerland (Debora!) and one from my mom. Debora sent tons of chocolate, which I'm so grateful for. My friends have been enjoying it too that's for sure! And I just couldn't wait for Christmas to open my mom's so I had an early Christmas! (hehe) I have put to good use everything she sent me and I'm so happy for it.

On Friday I went to Jessica's house (a missionary from the States)... I got super homesick for many reasons! We played a card game called Phase 10, but it's exactly like the game Frustration that me and my family would always play... then we made homemade chocolate chip cookies! (Mmmm)... and then the best part was watching the first Home Alone, which I've been wanting to watch for years!

That night, there was meeting at the Ark for the older kids where we prayed for a very long time... it was very intense and God showed me a lot of things. At first I saw a little bit of heaven... there was this little black boy that on earth lived in this little dirty shack, but in heaven he had this beautiful, clean, shining place to live... there was also this person just dancing with complete freedom... then there was this baby that had been aborted on earth, but in heaven he was in a different body and was hugging the doctor that had aborted him... the last thing was a bunch of Jews that had been gased in the concentration camps forgiving the Nazis that had killed them. It was so beautiful... the justice, reconciliation, forgiveness, and the joy.

Then God showed me a little bit of the pain he felt about the things that happen on earth... it was really horrible and I couldn't stop crying (more like bawling my eyes out!)... it was so bad and painful I don't even really want to share what I saw and experienced... things like a policeman beating a street child and kids hanging themselves with belts.

Also, Ron prayed for me about me being a courageous missionary.

On Saturday in the morning, I went to Guano (a little town close by) to this skateboard competition... there were a ton of us packed inside and in the back of the truck plus a ramp and a wheel chair. Since I don't skateboard I went exploring the town with a friend. We went by a bunch of touristy shops, then down this long deserted road, then to this little park and then up this mountain where they had all these cultural things. They had stone carvings from the the Indigenous along this path up the hill. At the top we just talked and enjoyed the view.

After we came down the hill and got some ice cream and Cholas to eat (kind of like a bun with cane sugar inside).

Then we came back to do the Radio show that they have every weekend. (haha) Last minute they asked me to say something and all I could think of was "Hola a todos... soy Anna!" haha... then we went back to Guano to go to a concert with a bunch of Hippies... we didn't stay long, but they had this tight rope thing, a climbing wall and some interesting music! After we returned to Riobamba to eat some supper on the street... we all got this huge plate of rice, lettuce, fried chicken and a potato for $1.60! And then we had some Cola too.

This morning I went to church with Naomi and a few kids, but they were having a free medical outreach thing so we just played in a park and came back. Now I'm here catching up... later I think I'm going to go to Calshi where Isaac teaches guitar lessons to do some hiking... and maybe I'll teach English to a few friends if we feel like it.

Chimborazo

On Sunday I went with Isaac to a nearby village to teach guitar lessons. I decided to go for a hike/exploration adventure to go see Chimborazo and take pictures. After climbing up a hill and having no oxygen I met some kids and Quichua farmers.

There were tons of sheep, pigs, donkeys and cows so I took a picture of some sheep.

This is a little forest I went into that reminded me of Canada. The trees are beautiful.

This is Chimborazo... the farthest point from the Earth's center (the bulge of the equator plus the height of the mountain). Around the mountain are farms where the Indigenous work and live simple lives washing laundry in streams and riding donkeys (which I have done in Haiti!)

This is a close up of Chimborazo, which looks even better with a clear sky and no clouds.

Saturday morning/afternoon was a girls seminar on Love/Relationships with one of the missionaries here. A bunch of the teenage girls from the Ark went and I really enjoyed it.

Saturday night I went to street church where we ended up handing out gospel tracts and telling people about Jesus. It was amazing even though I just listened most of the time and prayed. It was a little frustrating because I could understand most of what the people were saying, but I didn't have the Spanish to respond when I really wanted to say something. However, I really enjoyed it and am glad to have helped plant a seed in the hearts of the people.

Sunday morning I went to church and the service was really good. Then in the afternoon I went to the village mentioned above to get some exercise. And at night I went to where the people from the Street church do their radio program. They play music and talk about the christain life as well. Then we all hung out at one of their houses and had some coffee and bread (a typical snack here).

And today I worked in the morning and wrapped lots of Christmas presents. Then I went to teach 3 English classes downtown and now I'm really tired. Hope you enjoyed the post...

Friday

Today I helped with the babies, then helped with pre school since Zoe is back and then I wrapped Christmas presents for a few hours. Then in the afternoon I went downtown because I was supposed to help hand out flyers for the new English classes I'll be teaching, but no one was there. Therefore, I left and found a salon where I got my nails done for only $2! Then as I was walking towards the bus stop I noticed an ice cream shop where the ice cream was only 50 cents so I had to get some! Then I saw some amazing silver earnings with diamonds (fake of course) in the middle and bought them too... only $2! So for $5 I got a lot... After supper I watched some kids on the trampoline and now I'm waiting to see if some friends will be going to the hospital tonight to pray for the people there.

PHOTOS!!!

This is one of the newborns named Sasha. She is all better now, but was in the hospital because she had pneumonia.

This is one of the older boys jumping on the trampoline they have. In the background is the elementary school and some rooms.

This is me and Georgina. She's very easy going and good natured almost all of the time. This is the girl I took to the hospital cuz she was pretty sick. I've been trying to teach her to call me "mama" but it hasn't been working very well. haha. She is orginally from the jungle.

This is where we eat.

This is me and my preschool class. There are 8 students and we classes during the week for 1 hour in the morning. It's funny cuz everyday the kids ask me when we're going to have classes and I tell them the same thing every day... at 9:00 or on Monday (when it's the weekend).

This is where the newborns sleep.

These are some of the "older" babies. One of the babies is blind, one is mentally disabled and one just went to the capital to get surgery on her skull.

This is one of the toddlers from the jungle children's home that just recently shut down. His name is Nacho and is incredibly cute.

This is me and 2 girls that I bond with really well.

This is me and one of the newborns named Alejandro. I'm in the baby room where we make bottles and feed the babies.

Here are some photos since I finally got around to it... actually I'm just editing this because the power went off the last time and now I don't have the rest of the pictures... but here are 2!

This is the outside of the main building, which contains the kitchen, office, living room, the Allan's place, the boy's room, the girl's room and the baby room.

This is the other building, which contains the laundry room, the older boy's rooms, my room and the older Allan kid's rooms.

This week has been very fun and very eventful (in comparison). I got to teach English Monday to Thursday for a hour and get Spanish lessons in return. The students are young and fun to be with and the director of the school really likes me and wants me to teach 3 more classes! I think I will cuz I like getting out and I end up speaking a lot more Spanish when I'm downtown cuz I have to.

Then on Friday a bunch of us went to a hospital with a church group that goes regularly. They talk to the people in the waiting room about Jesus and do programs for the kids in the children's ward and then give them bread and tea.

Then on Saturday I went to the house of another missionary's and just played cards and hung out. Then at night I went to Iglesia de la Calle where had church as usual. It's fun as I'm learning more Spanish so I can understand more of the jokes and what they are saying in general.

Then today I went to one of the churches that's close by in the morning and went to Sunday school for youth with a friend that I see often... she comes to the Ark lots. In the afternoon a bunch of people came over to help and just hang out... then we went to this little village where Isaac taught guitar lessons to a few students. A few of us went for a walk and the view was amazing... you could see the whole valley and then the huge snow capped mountain Chimborazo. This mountain is apparently the farthest from the center of the earth because of the bulge from the equator and how high it is.

Profesora - preschool and English

Hey everyone.

So, Saturday was Iglesia de la Calle (Street Church) where we had a really good time, especially with communion... it went really deep with a lot of us.

Sunday they were short 2 workers so I did a morning shift with the toddlers/preschoolers and then a couple hours in the afternoon with the babies. I'm still learning to renounce my rights (to free time, for example) which is a continuation of my DTS where I had to renounce my right to lots of things!

Today I prepared the preschool lesson, but Zoe wasn't leaving until 11 so she was my helper... tomorrow Jemimah will help me. They're going to learn about the letter N, how to use scissors, hoiw to count and how to glue balls of tissue paper on a fish.

In Spanish lessons I learned that since Ecuador has been getting very little rain, the government decided to turn off the power every so often for a few hours to save energy. Therefore, we were using candles in English class and had a very dark Spanish class. Teaching English was a lot of fun since there were only 3 students and they were around my age. Apparently the directors rarely have native English speakers teach so they convinced me to teach another class... so I'll be teaching from 3:30-4:30 and 6:30 -7:30 Monday to Thursday with a Spanish lesson at 5:30 - 6:30... in betwen I think I might go and buy ice cream or something... Hopefully I'll be able to get another lesson for free or some sort of "reward." Today I had time so I bought ice cream and ended up seeing one of the guys from Street Church so we talked (in Spanish of course) and then I bought a phone card so I officially have minutes on my new cell!

Abandoned Baby and Spanish Lessons

So today was a pretty full day. After feeding babies and helping with preschool, me and Zoe went to wrap Christmas presents for 80 kids... well, we ended up having to go to town to buy 200 sheets of wrapping paper and 3 pairs of shoes. After lunch Jemimah joined us to wrap gifts. Then I went downtown again to check out the Spanish/English school... apparently on Monday I'm going to start teaching English Monday to Thursday 6:30 to 7:30 and get free Spanish lessons in exchange from 5:30 to 6:30. We'll see how that goes... Then when I got back I found out we have a new baby. Leonardo was abandoned on a porch so the police brought him here. He's of course very cute and looks a lot like one of the other babies.

Quito and Halloween

So on Monday at 4:30 in the morning I woke up to begin my journey to Quito. I needed to register my visa since it was the 29th day and after 30 days you have to pay a $200 fine! So we took a taxi to the bus station and took another bus to Quito... then we took the trolley to where we had to go. I made sure to have my passport and money in a very safe place because apparently lots of people have been pick pocketed on the trolley. It's extremely squishy, but only 25 cents for a 1/2 ride.

Then we took a taxi to where we thought we had to go, but of course we were sent somewhere else... this is after the first trip to Quito where we went to 2 places, both of which were not the right place. And after finally arriving we had to get photocopies and deposit money in a bank (meaning more time and effort), but finally I got it registered... However, they told me I'd have to come back in 3 days to pick up my passport because the director needed to sign something. Good thing, Neomi (who went with me) asked if we could see the director right away and it turns out the director had studied in Canada and was more than happy to sign it right away... thank you Lord!

After we got to eat some amazing burgers/fries/pop for only $1.50 and we could barely finish them because they were so huge! We also got to talk to the workers for a bit... they were siblings from Cuba and were really nice. Apparently, most people want to leave Cuba because of the political situation there.

On the ride home we (Neomi and I) were dying of thirst, but good thing about Ecuador is that there are always people getting on the bus to sell you something so you will never go thirsty or hungry for very long!

During the week, I got to work with the toddlers and newborns... and it made me really want to have kids! They are so cute. I also had the opportunity to take one of the toddlers to the hospital. Lots of the kids have been getting fevers and they were really young so we took them to emergency. That was fun getting to pretend I had my own kid (and it turns out the kid I took was my favourite girl! haha... she's just so cute and content all the time)

On Saturday night I was going to street church and witnessed only a small taste of Halloween... it's not that big here. However, I got to taste my first Colada Morada, which is this purple fruit drink that's amazing (and very Ecuadorian) and eat fries with a bunch of friends.

Sunday morning I went to church, which ended up lasting 3.5 hours! However, that included a program and concert... there were skits/songs/dances and the band for the concert was from Quito and was really good. Then I got to drink more Colada Morada and eat bread (which is a big part of the diet here... but the bread is so tasty). And that's the week in a nutshell!

Retreat

So yesterday La Iglesia de la Calle (street church friends) went to a nearby town for a retreat in the countryside. First we drove around for a while picking everybody up and then we bought ingredients for supper. We got to this house where we played volleyball, made a fire, sang songs, prayed, cooked and ate supper, and where some of us slept a little. Then at like 5 in the morning we left to go swim in these pools that are like hot tubs... it's really popular and so much fun. Since I didn't bring my bathing suit and neither did this other girl that wanted to swim we rented bathing suits for 50 cents! haha... that wouldn't happen in Canada! The stars were amazing and I finally got warm after a freezing cold evening. On the way back to the house we were staying at we had to help this car get out of a ditch. Then at the house we shared and talked about the stuff God was teaching us and prayed.

Now after having very very little sleep I have to go to Quito tomorrow at 5:00 in the morning to register my visa since the last time the office was closed. I'm looking forward to taking some taxis/buses/whatever to get there, but I think I'm going to be very tired.

Now

Hey everyone.

So I had a really good day today... feeding/changing babies, teaching pre school, sorting laundry, then finding Christmas presents for the kids.... apparently all the presents are picked out by August! Christmas is a lot of work here, but I think it'll be really fun.

Saturday night we had "street church" where we go downtown and sing praises/pray/read the bible. It was nice cuz I got to talk to some of the youth one on one and practice my Spanish. A few of us also went out to eat fries...

Then on Sunday morning me and Zoe took a few of the older girls to church.... I ended up joining the youth Sunday school group with a girl I just met that comes to the Ark to help out once in a while.

Kingdom Day and Thanksgiving

This Thanksgiving we made a double holiday by celebrating "Kingdom Day" as well. Kingdom Day is where we celebrate being the daughters and sons of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords... as princesses and princes we dressed up accordingly.

We fitted the girls with a dress and made them a crown and made the boys armor and weapons. That was part of Friday and all of Saturday! Lots of decorating hats and painting armor and crowns.

We also had an amazing turkey dinner with mashed potatoes and gravy. Then we had pie for dessert, which was a real treat, especially since I had lemon pie... Mmmm...

Also, the last few days me and Zoe have been teaching the pre school class. We have 8 students and they are so cute. First we teach them a letter of the alphabet and then make a craft with the letter (usually glueing scrunched tissue paper onto the letter). Sometimes we go outside for a nature walk and sing a song (one I learned for my DTS when I was in the Dominican doing kids programs).

My Room and More

Hey Everyone! So it has been awhile, but I'm back. So first of all, this is my room... very nice, but very cold... at least my bed is super comfy and warm!

So to back up to yesterday, I went to get my yellow fever shot. The reason being I was planning on going to the jungle (Macas/Sucua) to drop off a kid that was returning to his dad, but at the last moment Glenda remembered that I should have my yellow fever vaccine, which I didn't so I couldn't go :( Apparently there will be more opportunities to go, which I'm really looking forward to.

I will also be making a trip to the capital (Quito) next week to register my visa... it's Jemimah's birthday soon so we'll also be going out for pizza and celebrating while we're there.

This next week we should be starting picking out presents for the kids/wrapping them and doing sponsorship letters... apparently it's tons of work! Anyways... to my next post...

Day 6

Hello all. Today (since it's the weekend) is a free day so I didn't do much work. However, I played cards with some kids, learned a game in Spanish, found an amazing ice cream store and did some other stuff I can't remember because I'm finishing this sentence days later!

This week I had to take care of the toddlers one day because some of the workers were fired. I also worked with the newborns... it's my favorite age group so far because you aren't dealing with disciplining the kids or their attitudes... if they cry you change their diaper, feed them, burp them or just hold them... they're much simpler. They are also so adorable... I love just holding them and taking them for a walk outside when it's calmer inside.

Today (Wednesday) I also walked with Zoe to get some ice cream and yucca (cassava) bread, then went with Ron to help carry groceries, and then Zoe and Chava and I wrapped birthday presents. Now we are waiting to go to a prayer meeting and some are watching Touched By An Angel.

Day After...

So after staying out until 10:00 (wow... so late I know!) I started to feel a cold coming on... so as it is the day after my b-day outing I don't feel so well... Today I just helped out in the donation room picking out gifts for some of the kid's birthdays and sorting toys. However, I had a lot of fun eating pizza and drinking pop in town last night with most of the Allan kids and some of their Ecuadorian friends... so the conversation was at times a little hard to follow, but the night was very enjoyable.

BIRHDAY!!!

So for starters you probably already know that it's my birthday today! Well, I never imagined to have quite the birthday... I never imagined washing poop out of diapers on my birthday. I never imagined getting milk spit up all over me on my birthday. And I never imagined that'd I'd be in Ecuador on my birthday! At least yesterday one of the boys that is probably around 5 told me that I looked like Cinderella! Un nino me dijo que parezco a Cinderella! How nice! I went for a walk during my free time and bought myself a Gatorade and some ice cream (kind of like a a dilly bar from DQ) I really felt like I splurged... a whole $1.80! I think we are going out tonight for fun... apparently Glenda only found out it was my birthday because she saw it on facebook!

Yesterday, I played basketball with a few girls. During dinner they asked me practically ever English word they ever wanted to know! One of the girls whose name is Tanya (11 years old) I've become to know more... we decided to teach each other Spanish/English... we'll see how our plan goes!

Pray for energy and strength because every night I am extremely tired and want naps all the time! I especially find it hard working with babies for 6 hours because I am not at all formiliar with them... changing their clothes and diapers, feeding them, burping them, etc. I feel more confident of having a kid now, but am not sure because they are so much work! Anyways, cuidate.

First Day of Work

So today was my first day of work. I startd at 7:00 and worked with the toddlers... they are so cute, but a lot of work! Let's just say that I changed a lot of clothes from kids going pee or poo in their pants. I also bathed them, played a little, helped with breakfast and lunch, helped put them down for a nap and some other stuff. I think I'm working with the babies tomorrow... which by the way is my birthday! I doubt I'll be doing anything special, but I think my amazing time in LA will make up for that! Anyways, I'm thinking of taking some sort of spanish class if I continue to finish work at 1:30... however, I have no idea what I'll be doing to be honest. Dios te bendiga.

Safe Arrival in Ecuador

Hola a todos! Hi everyone! I have made it safely into Riobamba and haven't really felt any major side effects from the altitude. I have my own room, which is really quite big and very nice. However, I wish their was another volunteer here so I wouldn't be alone! Quiero que otra voluntaria venga para ser mi companera de cuarto. The temperature has been pretty nice so far, but you always have to wear pants and a sweater. Tomorrow I start my first day of "work" since today I mostly just played with kids and slept. The kids are so adorable and they are so fun to play with. I made it into town, which reminds me a lot of Guatemala... they have a lot of sweet stores so I hope to be able to go again since the bus is only 20 cents! However, knowing me, I'll probably get lost if I'm not careful! Los quiero mucho a ustedes y los extrano. Later.

Arrived in Los Angeles!

So I just arrived here in Los Angeles and am presently at my friend Emily's place. It has been a long day, but I am excited to be able to finally see something Disney related (downtown Disney) and to be able to go to the beach and just hang out.

It's nice and warm down here and I love the palm trees! Also, I will be leaving Monday for Quito, Ecuador and then I will have a couple hour drive to Riobamba.

Leaving Canada, Entering Ecuador

I just wanted to let you guys know that I’ll be leaving from Kelowna on Friday, September 25th. Me voy para Ecuador el 25 de septiembre. I’ll be visiting a good friend in LA for a couple days and then arriving in Quito, Ecuador on Monday the 28th. I’ll be picked up at the airport by the Allan’s (missionaries from Kelowna that run the orphanage) who will give me a ride to Riobamba where the Ark Children’s Home is located.

Riobamba is about the size of Kelowna (125,000 people) and high up in the mountains (9,000 ft). Therefore, even though Ecuador is on the equator the temperature is usually only between 5°C and 20°C. La cuidad está en las montañas y hace mucho frío allí.

I bought a one-way ticket and have a 2 year missionary visa so I will be staying in Ecuador until God calls me back to Canada (or I run out of money!) Volveré a Canadá cuando Dios me lo diga (¡o no tenga más dinero!) While in Ecuador I hope to improve my Spanish, but more importantly to serve the poor and love the unwanted. I also want to learn from the Allan’s how a ministry like theirs operates.

Thanks to everyone that has been praying for me and has helped me financially. I really appreciate it. Gracias a todos que han orado por mi y me han dado dinero.

The Ark Children's Home - Riobamba and Sucúa, Ecuador

God, is that really you? Did you just speak to me or was it just my own thoughts and desires? If you want me to believe it was you, you have to give me a verse. I flipped open my Bible and it landed on Ezekiel 17. I asked God what verse to read and I heard "the one you wouldn't usually pick." Immediately I realized that I was to read the first verse because for some reason I always think God has to speak to me in the middle of the chapter. So I looked at it and knew God had spoken to me because Ezekiel 17:1 reads "The word of the Lord came to me." Wow. Could God be more obvious?

So what did God say to me? I felt he said to go to Ecuador for a year and help out at the Ark Children's Home there. First of all, I want to improve my Spanish and be able to communicate better. More importantly, however, I want to show people God’s love and tell them about Jesus. I want to go out into the community and talk with the youth about God. I also want to serve the poor. I want to love the hurting, the rejected, the unwanted, the troubled, and the lonely.

It just turns out that the town where the orphanage is located is called Sucúa... just spelled slightly different than the city I want to return to in the Dominican, which is called Sosúa!

I was also listening to this new CD I ordered called "Gente Común, Sueños Extraordinarios" by Tercer Cielo and there was a song named "Latinoamérica". In the song it talks about how he has a dream about what Latin America looks like. It's interesting because for Ecuador he says "y al igual que Ecuador, no habían niños huérfanos" which means there wasn't any orphan children!

YWAM Conference in Costa Rica

In November, the week before heading off to outreach during my DTS (Discipleship Training School) we had the opportunity to go to Costa Rica for a Conference where the founder of YWAM (Youth With A Mission), Loren Cunningham, would be speaking. Fui a Costa Rica por una semana para asistir una conferencia de JuCUM. A few of us took this opportunity and flew from the Dominican Republic where we were completing our lecture phase to San Jose. This picture is of a fellow student (Sara) who was able to proudly display the Dominican flag during a procession of all the different nationalities that attended. Aquí está la bandera de la República Dominicana y amiga mia que tiene mucho flow.

During the conference I learned about OneStory. It is an amazing opportunity to go to an unreached people group and translate a bunch of Bible stories into their native tongue. You only have to dedicate 2 years of your life to this project. You get trained at one of several training centers around the world, you start learning the language while living amongst the people, then you begin translating stories and teaching the locals to pass it on. Eventually you end up with audio recordings and a plan for long-term opportunities like church planting, discipleship, and leadership development.

The Dominican Dream

After completing my Discipleship Training School (through YWAM) in the Dominican Republic (which I have yet to talk about), I had a strong desire to return to that little island as soon as I could. I had a vague idea of what I wanted to do, but now after being home for several months I was beginning to lose the vision I had had. I started looking at different YWAM training schools I could go to after I took some Spanish courses at my university. So many of them interested me, but how could I choose? There is a Spanish school in Chile... a school in Uganda where you learn about health promotion in rural communities... a school in Guatemala where you learn Primary Health Care... a school in Costa Rica where you learn about Children at Risk... a school in Brazil where you learn about HIV/AIDS... and a school in Mexico where you learn about community development... They were/are all so appealing!

Then having been home for the last several days because of a post-poned house-building trip to Mexico and a week booked off work, I was bored of looking at training schools and I felt like I had no motivation to do anything. I decided I needed to go for a God-talk/walk so I went up the hill behind my house to enjoy the trees and the stillness.

During the walk I had this moment of deep revelation. Well, it was more like something just "clicked." I realized that my focus in the Dominican Republic would be relationships. I wouldn't have a specific ministry that only focuses on the need itself, but I would have a personal ministry based on building relationships. It made total sense too. One thing I learned in the DTS is that the purpose of life is relationships: with God and with others.

I had been torn between ideas of ministries... should I focus on medical missions? If so, should I focus on education in communities, actually giving the medical attention myself, or specializing on HIV/AIDS or water sanitation? Should I focus on street children and start an orphanage or a program for children at risk? Or should I focus on the sex tourism problem and just work with prostitutes? And I can't forget about spreading the gospel... should I just go around preaching? Or should I work in the church and disciple youth? And what about starting a YWAM base? But now I had a clearer idea.

MY DOMINICAN DREAM:

As I met people and spent time with them... whether buying vegetables together, chatting in their living room, or collecting plastic bottles in the dump... I would discover their needs and aim to fill them. I would tell them about Jesus. If they didn't have a Bible I would take the honor of getting them one. If they didn't have a place to stay, I would take them in. If they were hungry or malnourished, I would give them something to eat. If they were a hurting and lonely prostitute, I would comfort them and speak words of life over them. If they needed medical attention, I would get them help. I would also teach people about basic hygiene and sanitation. I would live amongst the poor and make friends with my neighbours. This way I could also connect people with already existing ministries and I wouldn't have to "re-invent the wheel."

See a need. Fill a need.

Guatemala May 2008

So I decided I'm going to start with my trip to Guatemala in May of 2008. Fui a Guatemala con mi mejor amiga y el viaje fue asombroso. I went with Trinity Western University to take a Spanish course for a month. Some very fond moments were formed on this trip and I think this was partly due to the fact that my best friend, Sarah, came with me.

We began our journey after a long, hard year of studying as 2nd year science students at UBCO. We had especially connected after having breaks together and being a part of the same Organic Chemistry Family (a group that suffers along side you when you attempt to do pre-, post-, and in- lab assignments). A decir verdad, ya no me gusta estudiar las ciencias. I am writing this line because the computer does not seem to want to leave a space so I am forcing it too! lol.

I stayed with a Guatemalan family in Antigua for a week and that was one of my most unforgettable experiences. I had a taste of how a lot of the world lives. I had my first encounter with Horchata (a rice drink), home-made corn tortillas, and fresh fruit punch (made by chopping up fruit and throwing it in a jar). I had to get used to only curtains separating me (in my bedroom or in the bathroom, for example) from the rest of the family... letting my underwear air dry (outside for the world to see)... and struggling to communicate with my new family. No, en serio, estoy muy llena. ¡No puedo comer más!

I learned a lot about coffee on my trip. The amount of work that goes into the whole process is incredible. It is also a story of abuse. A lot of the workers in developing nations that do almost all of the labour receive poor wages and are subjected to poor working conditions. Somethings are improving, but I was shocked to discover how coffee beans are roasted when done the old-fashioned way. This lady used an open fire in her house. Most of us foreigners could not even watch because the smoke burned our eyes and we felt suffocated. It helped me realize the importance of true fair trade coffee (whether it is certified or not).

I met this girl, Maria, during our trip to Lake Atitlan. She was trying to sell me something, but I wanted to practice my (much needing-help) Spanish. She ended up following me and I asked every question I knew in Spanish. How old are you? ¿Cuántos años tienes? How many brothers and sisters do you have? ¿Cuántos hermanos tienes? What are their names? ¿Cómo se llaman? How old are they? ¿Cuántos años tienen? How many languages do you speak? ¿Cuántos idiomas hablas? You get the point. However, that's how I found out what her native language was (Tz'utujil - which contains that strange H sound you have to make in the back on your throat) and how to say the greeting. Well, I greeted every Mayan I could see from that point on and I must have butchered it pretty badly (considering it required a sort of clucking sound). I learned a little about her history (which was pretty hard stuff) and ended up buying her some of her favorite food... fried chicken ¿Cuál es tu comida favorita? Pollo frito... and then bidding her farewell.

We went to Guatemala City, which has tons of street children, and where slums are very much present. Everytime I visit slums my heart cries out and I yearn to be doing something more. I want to help the poor and desperate. ¿Cómo puedo ayudar los pobres? I don't want these people's living conditions to cause easily preventable illnesses. I want them to have clean, accessable water... nutritious, affordable food... good, available healthcare... strong, relevant education... in a nutshell: a way out of the poverty cycle. But most of all, I want them to know they are loved by their Heavenly Father. I want them to know that the King of Kings cares for them and wants to take all of their burdens. He hurts when they hurt and He cries when they cry.

(Lucas 6:20-21)

"Dichosos ustedes los pobres, porque el reino de Dios les pertenece.
Dichosos ustedes que ahora pasan hambre, porque serán saciados.

Dichosos ustedes que ahora lloran, porque luego habrán de reír."

(Lucas 6:20-21)

One weekend we ventured to Tac Tic where there is a famous sink hole. For a long time Mayans have been coming here to offer sacrifices and practice witchcraft. The place is black from all the fires made and you could see the remains of chickens, bottles, flowers, etc. It made me think how these people need Jesus... just like everyone else...
Okay, here I go again writing in white to leave a gap...

So that was a very, very short summary of my trip to Guatemala. I have lots more to write about since that was only 1 month of an 8 month adventure to far away lands! Hold on to your seat (okay, it won't be that exciting) because you have yet to travel to the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, and Haiti. ¿Cuántos de ustedes saben que mi corazón está en la República Dominicana?

Introduction

What do I want to do? ¿Qué quiero hacer? That's a big question... there's so many things! (Okay, I'm going to skip the intro because just thinking about all the possibilities makes me excited and an introduction seems way to boring right now.) I could name so many countries I'd like to live in, so many ways I'd love to help people and so many things I'd love to learn. Hay tantas cosas. God has given me passion; he's given me a desire to love the hurting and a desire to do his will. He has also created me with a longing for adventure... for purpose... and for a fulfilling life.