Ecuador Otra Vez

Hola a todos. Lo siento si hay errores porque yo lo escribì solita.

Llegue en Quito, Ecuador el lunes pasado. Pero, primero voy a contarles de mi Despedida en Colombia…

El día antes de que iba a irme para Ecuador decidí dar una despedida. Primero, hicimos hamburguesas deliciosas y papas francesas in la casa de un venezolano. Después, decidimos jugar UNO con unas reglas locas para hacer el juego más rápido e interesante. También, decidimos que si pierdes, la persona que gano puede dibujar en tu cara con marcador permanente! Bueno, todos terminaron con algo en la cara, pero por ser la persona que iba a irse todos me atacaron y dibujaron en mi cara y en mis brazos! Demoré mas que una hora para quitar todo!

El próximo día volé de Bogotá y llegue en Quito en la noche. Un amigo estaba ahí para recogerme y el próximos día paseamos por la cuidad. Cogí el bus a Riobamba con todas mis maletas y me quedé la noche en la casa de unos misioneros que conozco. Había un equipo de los Estados Unidos y pude hablar con ellos y jugar cartas.

Los próximos 2 días visité a la Fundación El Arca para ver a los niños otra vez. Un niño me preguntó porque yo no había ensenado jardín y no estuve 4 meses! Es lindo que se acordó. Fue chévere ver a los recién nacidos aunque ellos ya no son chiquitos! Son muy grandes y gorditos.

También pude ver a unos amigos. Nos topamos en el centro y después fuimos al aniversario de la radio y después a un devocional en el orfanato.

El próximo día fui a Guayaquil donde estoy ahora. Estoy quedándome en la casa de la familia de un amigo, que es una bendición y estoy visitando un ministerio aquí. En el fin de semana solo visite a unos amigos, pero el lunes pude “hacer algo.” Jaja.

Alguien me recomendó Operación Movilización (OM), que es una organización Cristiana y internacional que enfoca en evangelismo. Ayer, empezamos con un devocional y después salimos para una isla se llama Santay. Aunque está rodeada por la cuidad más grande en Ecuador (Guayaquil) tienes que ir en canoa para llegar. La gente vive en casas de bamboa. Cuando llegamos comimos un almuerzo típico de arroz, lentejas y pollo. Después, hicimos un culto para adultos donde cantamos, donde había una predica de Josías y donde hablamos en grupos pequeños. Despues, hicimos un programa para los niños donde cantamos, hicimos un show de títeres, jugamos afuera y pintamos. Yo pude enseñar una canción que aprendí en el orfanato en Riobamba, que a todos, les gusta.

Hoy, fui al hospital donde hay los niños. Cantamos y visitamos un poco. Después, ayudé con un programa para niños donde había un cuento bíblico y enseñamos unas canciones. Uno de los niños ha estado allá mucho tiempo y sus padres casi no lo visitan. Otro niño es abandonado. Hay bebes muy chiquitos también.

Mañana voy a ir a un orfanato para ayudar y hacer un programa. El jueves creo que voy con la hermana de mi amigo que visita a las guardarías del estado. Y este fin de semana quiero ir a Montanitas (una playa muy famosa en Ecuador!) La próxima semana voy a estar en la Sierra y el 7 de agosto voy a Quito con una voluntaria del Arca para que ella no este solita y entonces el 9 puedo recoger a mi amiga de suiza en el aeropuerto. Después de eso, quien sabe que va a pasar!

Gracias por el apoyo! Sigan orando por dirección y puertas abiertas para oportunidades en un ministerio. Chao.

Ecuador Again

Hey everyone. So I arrived in Quito, Ecuador safely last Monday. But I guess I should back up a little to my Going Away party in Colombia...

The day before I was going to leave for Ecuador I decided to have a get together to say Good-bye. First we made delicious hamburgers and fries in the house of a Venezuelan. Afterwards, we decided to play UNO with a bunch of crazy rules to make it fast and interesting. We also decided that if you lost the round, the person that went out could draw one thing on your face with permanent marker! Well, we all ended up with something on our face, but since I was the guest of honor they all attacked me at the end and drew all over my face and arms! It took more than an hour to get it off (leaving me with black spots in my pores!)

The next day I flew out of Bogota and arrived in Quito at night. A friend was there to pick me up and then the next day we traveled around the city. I took the bus to Riobamba with all my suitcases and stayed the night at a missionary friend's house. A team from the States was there so I got to hang out with them and play some cards.

The next 2 days I went back to visit the Ark Children's Home and see all the kids again. One boy asked me why I hadn't taught preschool and I was gone 4 months! It's so cute that he remembered. It was cool seeing the newborns even though they definitely aren't newborns anymore! They were all so big and chubby.

I also got to see old friends. We hung around downtown a little than went to the radio station's (I don't know how many year) anniversary party and then to a devotional at the orphanage.

The next day I headed off to Guayaquil where I am right now. I'm staying at my friend's family's house, which is a blessing and am looking at a ministry here. On the weekend I just hung out with friends, but Monday I finally started "doing something." haha.

Someone recommended Operacion Movilizacion (OM), which is an international christian organization that focuses on evangelism. Yesterday, we started with a devotional and then we headed off to an island called Santay. Although it's surrounded by Ecuador's biggest city (Guayaquil) you have to go on a canoe ride to get there and you feel like you went back in time. Several hundred people live there in bamboo houses on stilts. When we arrived we ate a typical lunch of rice, lentils and chicken. Next, we did an adult church service where we sang, had a sermon on Josiah and then split into small groups for discussion. After, we did a program for the kids where we sang, had a puppet show, played outside and colored. I got to teach one of the songs I learned at the orphanage in Riobamba, which is always a hit. On the way back to the mainland our canoe got stopped by the military because our driver didn't have the right documents (at least he had life jackets).

Today, I got to go to the hospital to the children's infectious ward. We sang and visited a little. Then I helped with a children's program where we had a Bible story and taught some songs. One of the kids has been there a while and his parents hardly ever come. Another was abandoned. There were also some very very small babies.

Tomorrow I'm planning on going to an orphanage to help out and do a program. Then on Thursday I think I'll go with my friend's sister was visits various government daycares. And this weekend will hopefully be a trip to Montanitas (a famous touristy beach in Ecuador!) Next week I'll be back in the Andes and on the 7th of August I have a trip planned with one of the volunteers from the Ark to go to Quito so she won't be alone and then on the 9th I'll be able to pick up my friend from Switzerland at the airport. After that who knows what!

Thanks for the support! Keep praying for direction and open doors for ministry opportunities! See ya.

Buenas tardes a todos.

Fotos - Pictures

A thousand thanks from the 2010 Children at Risk school!!!

Mil gracias de la escuela de Ninez en Riesgo 2010!!!



















Graduation supper: pizza and pop (and of course "ponche" later on!)

Cena de graduacion: pizza y gaseosa (y por supuesto ponche despues!)









Graduation ceremony... what's left of the students

Ceremonia de graduacion... los que quedaron de los estudiantes










Day after Graduation at a waterpark in hot country... too bad we weren't wearing the swimming caps we had to buy and wear.

El dia despues de graduacion en piscilagos en tierra caliente... que lastima que no estamos usando los gorros del bano que eran obligatorios.

Versión Español - Dios es Fiel

Hola a todos de nuevo. Muchísimas gracias por tus oraciones... Dios me ha estado hablando de dirección.

Como la mayoria de ustedes sabe, yo habia estado estresada de que debo hacer con mis ultimas 2 semanas aquí en Colombia y de que debo hacer por 4 meses en Ecuador. Sin embargo, Dios es fiel y me ha hablado de Ecuador por medio de mis ultimas 2 semanas aquí en Colombia.

Despues de mi graduacion yo estaba anciosa a viajar y hacer algo util y con proposito. Quise hacer planes y no dejar mis dias sin actividad. Empecé a estresarme porque mis planes empezaron a fallar. Y cuando estoy estresada voy a Dios porque El es el unico que puede calmarme. Despues de orar y caminar sentí que Dios estaba diciendome que necesito descansar, que está bien relajarme. Él me dijo que no me preocupara, ni hacer planes, ni buscar cosas que hacer, que la vida no es actividad constante. Yo necesitaba confiar en Él que todo tiene un proposito.

Sin embargo, continué intentar a hacer planes. Hice planes a ir a Medellin con un equipo de Argentina, luego con un amigo del ministerio acá y luego con un amigo que conocí en un campamento de sobreviviencia y despues con una amiga con quien vivo. Hice planes a ir a tierra caliente muchas veces. Aun hice planes para solo visitar a una amiga, pero todos mis planes fallaron! Por fin, empecé a darme cuenta que había algo espiritual pasando.

Dios ha estado guiandome. Él ha estado cerrando puertas que nadie puede abrir y abriendo puertas que nadie puede cerrar. El Espiritu Santo no ha estado dejandome ir en el camino malo, no tengo que preocuparme de ir en el camino malo porque Dios está en control. - diario que escribí esta mañana

Dios está enseñandome que no necesito preocuparme de ir contra de la voluntad de Dios! Siento como Jonás intentaba de evitar a Nínive (y con intencion ir en la dirección opuesta), pero no ser capaz. Es como Pablo en Hechos 16:6 cuando el Espiritu Santo le impedió predicar en la provincia de Asia. Yo puedo confiar en Dios para guiar mi camino en Ecuador y creo que Él cerrará puertas que no debo entrar.

God is Faithful - Dios es Fiel

Hello everyone once again. Thank you all so much for your prayers... God has really been speaking to me regarding direction.

As most of you know, I had been stressed about what I should do with my last 2 weeks here in Colombia and about what I should do for 4 months in Ecuador. However, God is faithful and has spoken to me about Ecuador through my last 2 weeks here in Colombia.

After my graduation I was anxious to travel and do something "meaningful" and "useful" with my time. I wanted to make plans and not let any day go to "waste." I started to get stressed because my plans started to fall through. And when I'm stressed I go to God because He is the only one who can calm me. After praying a bunch and going on an "anger walk" I felt God telling me to rest; that it's okay to relax. He told me not to worry and not to make plans or find stuff to do; that life isn't about constant havoc and activity. I needed to trust him that everything has a purpose.

However, I continued to try and make plans. I made plans to go to Medellin (a popular city 10 hours away) with a team from Argentina, then with a friend from the ministry here and then with a friend I met in a survivor camp and then with the friend I live with. I made plans to go to "hot country" (basically anywhere a few hours down the mountain) several different times. I even made plans to just visit friends, but all of them fell through! Finally, I started to realize there was something spiritual going on.

God has so been directing me. He has been shutting doors that no one can open and opening doors that no one can shut. The Holy Spirit has been blocking me from going the wrong way, I don't have to worry about going the wrong way because God is in control. - journal entry from this morning

God is teaching me that I don't have to worry about going against God's will! I feel like Jonah trying to avoid Nineveh (and intentionally going the opposite direction), but not being able to. It's like Paul in Acts 16:6 where the Holy Spirit forbids/keeps/blocks him from preaching in the province of Asia. I can trust God to direct my path in Ecuador and believe he will shut doors that I shouldn't go through.

Graduation: before and after

Hey everyone. So as of Saturday, July 3rd, 2010 I officially graduated the YWAM Children at Risk school in Bogota, Colombia!

Backing up a bit, I finished my month long practicum at the YMCA with a field trip to a park with the kids. It was really high up and cold, but the sun was strong and I got sun burned. The children liked the walk, but I think the detailed explanation of the park's history was a little boring. They played a lot at the end and the mayority of the kids (including me) fell asleep on the ride home.

Lately, I've been thinking about what I'd like to do long term. My dream still is to go to the Dominican Republic, but I think instead of working directly with prostitutes right away I'd like to work in the area of prevention. I think it'd be cool to work with pre-teen girls and focus on sexual abuse prevention, which ties into the prevention of girls entering the sex trade as well. This age group really appeals to me and the issue of sexual abuse and prostitution really needs to be addressed in Sosua (the city I want to live in). However, I'm up to whatever God calls me to and has planned for me.

The evaluation time of the school and the graduation ceremony were anti-climatic I would say. Two of the students had to go back home to the States because of visa issues and leaving the excitement of our practicums made everyone downcast. However, life brightened when we had our graduation party. With pizza, "ponche" (a Venezuelan drink made with flan and condensed milk) and dancing you can't go wrong!

The next day a few of us students went to "hot country" (a few hour bus ride down the Andes) to enjoy a day at a water park. We only got to go on a inner tube ride and a fast waterslide because of the crowds, but the weather was amazing. The funny thing about the park was that everyone had to wear those swimming caps... a good idea, but strange. The park also had a mini zoo with monkeys jumping around, lots of toucans, lions, tigers and jaguars. After we went out to eat and then made the journey home.

The last few days, I have been visiting a lot. I haven't made any plans, but I'm living day by day. On Wednesday, after dropping a friend off at the airport I went to help out at Luz y Vida (one of the ministry's schools) and we went with the kids to a library. We played on the computers and read books. I was asked to help translate games that had English instructions and got kids that couldn't read to use their imaginations to invent stories by looking at the pictures.

I really want to go to Medellin (a warm city), but all my plans to go have fallen through... I might be stuck in Bogota until I head off to Ecuador.

Please pray for direction. As of now I don't have any plans for where I'm going to live or what I'm going to do in Ecuador. I would like to work with street kids, but am torn between living in Riobamba (in the mountains) or in Guayaquil (on the coast).