Kingdom Day and Canadian Thanksgiving

All of the kids at the Ark Children´s Home along with the Allan family and a few friends.

Everyone is dressed like royalty to symbolize how we´re sons and daughters of the King of kings.

A girl named Anahela that was originally from the jungle home they had in Macas.

Felipe: my former preschool student that no longer lives at the orphanage, but goes to school there and comes to visit.

First, we had a battle outside with swords and then we went inside to play balloon volleyball.

Another battle with Daniel. He lent me his Dagger of Time from the Prince of Persia so we could fight!

The amazing Thanksgiving dinner we had... nothing compares to mashed potatoes, turkey, stuffing and gravy!

Riobamba, Baños, Ambato

View of Baños after a hike up a lot of stairs.

Baños has a ton of natural hot spring pools and a fountain that claims it has holy water... it really just tastes like Guitig (a carbonated water!)

Part of the Jesus Family that went to Ambato for a skateboard competition.

A lot of them are passionate about skateboarding and do it for Jesus.

One of them that didn´t have a skateboard won a free one that was thrown into the crowd... he definitely deserved it!

Main street in Riobamba... we walk down here all the time to go to Street Church or the jail.

The Saturday market in Riobamba.

Debora and I started going every week to buy our fresh produce. They sell stuff by $1 or 50 cents... The avacados and pineapples and are so good and farely cheap.

Our Apartment

Outside our apartment where we wash laundry.

Make sure you put clothes pins on your clothes becuase if they fall they might land in dog poop!

If you´re taking a shower and the water suddenly turns off you might have to tell your friend to go to your neighbour to explain that she can´t wash clothes right then... water issues are something we don´t deal with in Canada very much!

Our messy bunk bed right by the outside window.

We´ve had many strangers knock on our window at strange hours asking for someone I don´t even know... However, we´ve had many surprise visits as well from friends, which are always welcome!

Our dining table/counter for preparing food. It´s perfect for 2 people!

Our livng room and couch... you´d be surprised how many people can fit on that thing!

Our stove where we cook and our broken oven that we use as a refrigerator!

My 22nd Birthday Party in the apartment with the Jesus Family.

Debora and I were still feeling slightly sick from the food poisoning we got, but friends always make everything better!

Our little bathroom.

Our famous shower that likes to electricute (spelling?) us... it´s wise to use a hairbrush to turn it on!

Our mini kitchen. We wash dishes here and store a little food.

One Month Left :(

Hey Everyone. This might be the last blog update from South America. After arriving in Ecuador over a year ago it´s kind of sad to think I´ll be leaving so soon. I will definitely miss the people here that I´ve gotten to know and seen grow in their faith. However, the time hasn´t come so I´ll go ahead and tell you what´s new.

First, I want to share about Sunday at the Ark Children´s Home. We celebrated Thanksgiving and Kingdom Day together (everyone dresses up like princes and princesses to symbolize how we are sons and daughters of the King of kings). It was cool becuase I was able to celebrate it last year too.

My favorite memory from this day was playing with one of my former preschool students, Felipe. He doesn´t live at the orphanage anymore, but goes to school there and comes to visit. He pleaded with me to play fight with him (all the boys and some girls had play swords) and then to play volleyball with a balloon. I think I enjoyed it as much as Felipe did!

A few weeks ago I felt a strong desire and need to pray for the Jesus Family (what we call the members of the Street Church). Debora and I were able to go on some prayer walks and really intercede for the people. It´s such a blessing being able to know them individually. I find it more motivating to pray and easier to pray for specific needs.

This last week I was able to write encouraging notes to the majority of the Street Church. I may not be able to lead worship or preach in Spanish very well, but I believe God is using me in other ways.

This past month I´ve also been taking some Haitian Creole classes to prepare for my more long term dream of starting a ministry in the Dominican Republic. Even if my Creole is not even close to my level of Spanish I believe it will help build a small bridge between me and the Haitians I hope to work with.

The last thing I want to share is about a guy named Bienvenido. I talked about him a long time ago. He´s the one with a tattoo of 3 tears on his face and used to be in a gang and steal. He turned to Jesus, but still had some old habits left.

Well, just a few weeks ago some friends and I were in a church service and there were few seats left so some of us sat separately. As I was looking around for friends I saw this guy with this hands lifted and singing to God with all this heart. A couple minutes later Debora asks if that´s Bienvenido and I say ¨No¨right away because to me Bienvenido has shorter hair, is way skinnier and doesn´t act like that. Low and behold, the guy turns around and it is Bienvenido! I was so happy and excited that someone´s life could turn around so much because of Jesus. Praise God. Pray that Bienvenido will keep growing closer to the Lord and that he won´t fall back into his old way of life.

Thanks for reading and enjoy the pictures I´m going to post soon.

Blessing.

Anna

Hospital, Street Church and Babies

Hello once again. How is everyone?

To start off I want to share about an answered prayer. Friday afternoon while I was doing my devotional I just prayed that God would direct my path and show me how I can be a blessing to others. Then that night just as me and Debora were leaving our house to go for a walk we ran into 2 friends from Street Church. I asked if they wanted to do something and one of them suggested going to the hospital. Every Friday night a group of Christians meet to worship God and read from the Bible and then go to the hospital to preach. I had gone once before, but that was months and months ago. So we headed off to the hospital where we helped hand out bread, tea, and Bible tracts to the people in the waiting rooms and people visiting loved ones. There were also some people that preached and did a puppet show for the children. It´s cool how God uses our willingness and answers our prayers.

When I went to the Ark this week I heard an interesting and sad story about a new baby that arrived. Many of you may already know the story from the Ark´s newsletter. The 2 week old baby was found buried alive just outside of Riobamba. A lady had been walking by and heard crying from the ground. She went over and un-covered the baby, which now has health issues with her lungs.

I also want to share about Street Church this week. There was quite a lot happening with a decision to follow Christ, a desire to change, new Christians rapping for the glory of God and everyone coming over to our house for some coffee and oranges. It´s nice because a lady I met back in Kelowna at the Spanish church a few years ago has come back to Riobamba to help with Street Church. Her name is Maria and it will be good having someone wiser and more mature in the faith with us.

That´s all for now. God bless.

Life in Riobamba

Hi again. I hope you guys are all doing well.

This last week has been quite a blessing. I have been able to do more and enjoy my time here in Ecuador. To start off Debora and I have been able to bring some sort of food to the people in the little jail. This last time we went there was a whole bunch of people standing outside and one lady asked me who I knew that was in the jail. I told her no one and that we were just bringing bread for everyone. I think that kind of surprised her...

We also went to the Ark Children´s Home 2 days to volunteer. The first day we helped with babies and toddlers because there was a no show. The second day I was able to help with Christmas presents... pretty much we just sorted through old donations to see which were fit for giving. It was nice to be back there and I can´t wait for February when the family (the Allans) that run the orphanage will be in my city (Kelowna) so I can visit them there.

We had a prayer meeting on Wednesday night and were able to offer our house again. We´re learning more and more about hospitality in a Latino culture, which I believe is preparation for the future. It´s a lot more formal than I´m used to and you are expected to serve people the food or drink. There´s no buffets or helping yourself. The host serves the plates, hands around the dish of chips and makes the coffee for their guests. Compared to me and my friends this is a big step! Only my friends back home feel comfortable enough to go into my fridge and dig around for something to eat or cut themselves a piece of cake without asking! haha.

I also have been blessed with the opportunity to learn Haitian Creole. I´ve been praying for this for a long time and my prayer has been answered. Ever since my trip to Haiti in 2008 I´ve had a passion for learning Creole (a mix of French and African) and have hoped to go back. I randomly met a Haitian French professor that works at a university here at a restuarant that was willing to teach me Creole. I had one lesson already and loved it. It´s hard to find resources to learn this language and especially anyone who knows it and is a language professor (unless you´re in Haiti!).

Well, until next time. God bless and may His peace be with you. Chao.

God´s Way of Teaching Me

Hey again.

So the last couple of weeks Debora and I have had our house pretty full with company. It was my hope to start being able to practice hospitality, but soon after I was tired of people always coming over! It sounds bad, but it was true. However, God had a little chat with me and is teaching me to share.

Just a few days ago I was complaining to Debora and my brother-in-law about people leaving messes in my house and eating my food and expecting to be entertained. I was frustrated and knew I needed an attitude change. I knew God wanted to use me to bless others that don´t have food to eat or a place to stay or anything to do. However, I was too focused on me and ´my´money and my schedule.

Then yesterday God started by reminding me that it´s all His money anyways. And yesterday, I decided to flip open my Bible and I began to read Hebrews 13. First, I saw verse 5: ¨Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have.¨ If God tells me to lend a few dollars to someone I should do it with a happy heart. Whatever it costs to make a meal for a few hungry people is worth it. My money is really just lent to me from the Lord.

Then I saw 3 more verses that really struck my attention and spoke into my heart. Verse 16 says, ¨And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.¨ I should be happy to share my food and house. I have the resources to buy more food while others do not.

I also liked verse 2. It says, ¨Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.¨ I was getting annoyed because if I invited just a few friends over a whole bunch more people they knew would come. And with certain people you have to be more aware of your belongings and more messes are made. However, we are told to practice hospitality to people we don´t know.

And lastly, verse 3 caught my eye. It says, ¨Remember those in prison as if you were their prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.¨ Sometimes we would use our leftovers to give to the people in the little jail here. At times I would think about how I could have ate the leftovers the next day and how the people in the jail are bad because they obviously did something they shouldn´t have. This might be true, but the Bible says to remember those in prison... remember the people who aren´t perfect. This gave me the idea to cook more food more often to bring to the people in the jail and show them the love of Jesus through this.

Well, that´s all I have to say for now... pray that God would keep teaching me and working on my character. Peace.

Settling In

Hello everyone.

So I´ve been in Ecuador just over a month now since getting back from Colombia and I´ve been away from home for almost 11 months now.

This is me in a hole in a huge cathedral in Quito. We climbed up many stairs and sketchy ladders to reach the top where there is a beautiful view of the city.

On August 9th, my friend from Switzerland arrived in Quito. Her name is Debora and we met in the Dominican Republic during our Discipleship Training School in 2008. So to pick her up from the airport I went a couple days early to the capital to sight see with a volunteer (Emily) from the Ark Children´s Home.

One of the coolest things Emily and I did was take a cable car up a mountain and then hike a little. We made it up to 13,650 feet! It was cold and you could feel the lack of oxygen, but the view was amazing.

Me and Emily also got to see the president of Ecuador!

I also got to go to the Middle of the World again... I´m standing on both sides of the equator and am in both the northern and southern hemispheres!

Debora, Jessica and I at Ser Como Tu (a Friday night youth group).

When Debora (the Swiss girl) and I got back to Riobamba we started looking for apartments. We were and are still both planning on staying until November. I actually just bought a flight for the 17th so see you all soon! The place we found is close to downtown and only costs $80 a month including water and electricity! We didn´t have any furniture, but the directors of the orphanage I volunteered at (Ron and Glenda Allan) lent us everything we needed! It is such a blessing having a bed to sleep in, a stove to cook with, and a couch to sit on!

It has been so nice having our own place because now I feel like I can practice hospitality. We had a night of intercession here with the ¨Jesus Family¨ (the street church members) and I hope to do it regularly. One night after a devotional at the Ark some of the child workers that spend the majority of their time on the streets came over. We were able to serve them hot chocolate and play Yahtzee with them for a few hours. One of the kids nick-named Chuki stands out to me. He´s always asking questions about the faith, like about intercession and fasting for example. You can see he´s smart and has a hunger for God. Pray for his spiritual growth.

Only in Ecuador: One night we decided to go to the main road where they´re doing construction and make a bon-fire. Some gathered fallen palm tree bark and others scraps of wood. I went to the gas station and filled a plastic water bottle I found on the sidewalk with gasoline. Then we proceeded to make a fire right downtown. We bought some french fries and talked until almost 2AM!

Apart from everything, Debora and I also decided to join a gym that´s just a block away. For only $15 a month there are 2 personal trainers that help you and there are dance classes at night. Only after 2 days of going I´m sore all over, but I know it´ll be worth it!

As for my future plans here in Ecuador I can´t tell you. God has been teaching me to live day-by-day and is still telling me to rest. So, pray for guidance and that I will know and obey his will.

God bless and have a great day.

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).

ACJ - YMCA

Hola a todos. Como estan?

I want to start off with a confession... I'm an 'arepa' addict! These corn tortillas are common in Colombia and Venezuela. The ones with cheese are the best and when they are hot and goey they are to die for! I'm almost always willing to pay the 50 cents for an arepa when I see them on the grill as I walk down the street. Anyways, next topic... my mouth is watering.

The last few weeks I've been helping out a lot in the mini library they have at the YMCA. We've been sorting through, recycling and categorizing a ton of books. Today we finally finished! The kids use the library (mostly the encyclopedias) for their homework. I've also been in the office lately, filing documents in the children's folders.

Today was the 4th time I went to 'Centro de Escucha' (where we meet with homeless people). Usually I just help hand out the crackers and 'agua panela' (a hot drink made of honey and water) and talk. There usually is a workshop too of painting or drawing. In 2 weeks it's the one year anniversary of 'Centro de Escucha' and there's going to be a big celebration with food, drinks, presentations and some free services (like hair cuts, etc).

I also got to go on a mini tour with one of the social workers. She showed me the Club Piscina a few blocks from the YMCA. The 'Piscina' is a famous brothel in Bogota and is more expensive than the prostitutes you see on the street. Apparently, if the people there notice a car driving by more than once they will start to throw rocks at the car!

A couple days ago I had the priviledge of hearing one of the volunteer's testimony. The lady's name is Soraida. I've been working with her a lot in the library, with the little kids and in the sewing room. One day as we were sewing together I decided it'd be a good time to ask her some questions. Apparently, she used to be a substance-abusing prositute that would beat her kids. She lived in a brothel with her children. I'm not exactly sure why, but one day she took her kids to the YMCA. That happened about 2 years ago and now she's a Christian, doesn't do drugs, and sews and crochets purses for a living. She still has the fear of going back to drugs and her eldest daughter is in a bad situtation, but she is pushing forward. I asked her about her childhood and it explained a lot. She was abandoned by her parents at a really young age and left with her grandparents. Her grandparents, uncle, etc would beat her as well. To be honest, I wouldn't be at all surprised if she was sexually abused too.

However, God has changed her! I love seeing her work so hard and yet trust in God. Her life really is a testimony to God's love and power.

I hope you enjoyed another episode of 'the Life of Anna!'

Working in "La Olla"

Buenas. How's it going? I'm doing really good... enjoying my practicum a lot so far.

For the month of June I'm volunteering at a YMCA here in Bogota... but as you'll see, it is not exactly a fancy swimming pool!

Everyday (Monday to Saturday) I leave the house at 6AM to get to work at 8AM. The area where I volunteer is called Santa Fe and is known for the transvestite prostitutes that are on every corner. I don't get home until 6PM.

My first day, I got to help a 12-year-old girl with her math homework. Her name is Camila and she has 8 siblings. The sad thing is that she has to do subtraction with borrowing and she has difficulty reading the numbers and counting. I made flashcards from 1 to 9 so she could tell me the number and show me the number with her fingers.

The next day I got to go to a park called Plaza Espana and give out hot chocolate and crackers to homeless people and talk with them. I met the sweetest old black man named Aspacio that is from another city called Cali. He used to work on a coffee farm near Cali, but there was an earthquake that destroyed the farm. He went looking for work and ended up on the streets of Bogota because he hasn't found work and drinks occasionally. I talked to him a little about God and he says he wants to know Him. He said he can't read without his glasses so I think I'll bring my Bible next Wednesday to read it to him. It was also really cool because before I could ask if I could pray for him he asked me.

In the afternoon I helped a 5-year-old boy make a hemp bracelet... good thing I practiced in class during the lecture phase... it got a little boring at times!

Today I got to do a home visit with a social worker. We walked to the neighbourhood La Favorita and went through an "Olla," which is a place where drugs are openly sold (apparently they hide the drugs under the tiles of the sidewalk). This neighbourhood has every type of problem: female prostitutes, consumption of drugs and alcohol, people living on the street, refugees from the countryside, gangs and "inclinatos." Inclinatos are buildings where many families live. Each family has only one room and they all share a bathroom. They pay per day and apparently a lot of abuse goes on inside.

The girl we visited lives in an inclinato, but is doing really good in school. However, her mother is a prostitute and they live in really poor conditions. One of the things that most concerns the social worker is that the girl is given a ride to a church where the pastor is probably an abuser. He is homosexual and only drives her and another boy to their homes. She doesn't return until 9 at night and is told not to go to any other church. We want her to go to a different church and the social worker had the idea of me leading some sort of group where they learn about God. Pray that the opportunity would come so I can meet the kids' spiritual needs.

Then for the rest of the morning I got to learn to sew by hand (including various types of stitches). In the afternoon I read books to the really young kids and helped wrap mini gift bags.

On the way home, I saw an Indigenous lady and her child begging for money. Since I didn't have any small change I sadly walked by. However, I thought about my friend Ericka. She is an American that is doing the school with me and is always thinking of how to bless others. So I imagined what she would do and decided to go buy an "arepa" (like a corn tortilla) and bring it to her. Sometimes it's easier to just walk by, but when you stop to help you are showing the love of God and blessing another.

Thanks for reading another update. Dios les bendiga.

Colombia Update

Hey Guys... ya, it's been a while, but I did write this newsletter a few weeks ago and in case you didn't get it I copied it onto here for you to read. Also check out Facebook for a few pictures my friends added.

Greetings from Colombia! A lot has happened since I last talked to many of you. So everyone is on the same page, I left for Colombia after I had been in Riobamba, Ecuador volunteering at the Ark Children’s Home and teaching English for 5 months. I’ve been in Bogotá for the past 7 weeks doing a Children At Risk school that’s run through Youth With A Mission.

So far we’ve been having classes Monday to Thursday and visiting different ministries that work with at-risk children Fridays and Satur

days. In the classroom setting I’ve learned about dysfunctional families, normal and abnormal child development, Biblical counseling, sexual abuse, formulating projects to help children and financing them.

In a more informal way, I’ve learned about the harsh realities that a lot of children here in Bogotá are exposed to. On Saturday, we helped at a club called “The Jungle.” It’s only in the beginning stages, but they already have a rock-climbing wall, a ball pit, a suspension bridge, a Nintendo Wii and a play house to provide a safe, fun environment for kids to hang out in and learn about Jesus.

Most of the kids that come are exposed to severe poverty and something called the Tolerance Zone: 6 square blocks of clubs and brothels where both male transvestite and female prostitutes work. It impacted me to see prostitute after prostitute waiting in a doorway or an empty garage for their next client. I also saw tons of homeless people sleeping on the sidewalk, begging or scrounging for food in the garbage.

At the beginning of the school, the director gave me a passage from Scripture that she felt was from the Lord. I would know what it meant. The passage was Isaiah 58. I had read Isaiah 58 when I was in Ecuador and it had really impacted me. In verse 6 and 7, it talks about loosing the chains of injustice, setting the oppressed free, sharing your food with the hungry, providing the poor wanderer with shelter and clothing the naked.

“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter – when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?”

Isaiah 58:6-7

I feel like this is God’s call on my life. When I return to Ecuador, I can see kids coming to my house for food, shelter, clothes, prayer, Biblical teaching and liberation. I can also see myself doing something similar in the Dominican Republic. Verse 11 was also very impacting. It says: “The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs.” Amen.

Bogota, Colombia!!!

I arrived in Bogota, Colombia on March 12th. Before flying out of Quito I had 2 good byes. First with my English students (we went out for a walk and then pizza) and with the Ark and all my friends were invited. It was really fun... with my "sister" (the girl where I lived), my street church friends, some child workers (pre street kids), the kids at the orphanage, the volunteers at the Ark and a lady I had met in Quito. We ate pizza and had cake and made a bon fire.

I ended up going to Quito a day early because one of the volunteer's fathers was returning home and didn't want to go on the bus alone. He paid for my stay at this Christian guest house, which was very nice. I walked around a bunch and discovered a McCafe, which was super nice and had really good frappaccinos!

The flight was nice and short and someone from the YWAM base came and picked me up so that was great. The school has been going really good so far. There are 8 students from the US, Canada (me), Venezuela and Colombia. Monday to Thursday we have quiet time, then devotionals, classes, work duties, intercession, and small groups. Every 2 weeks we have to do a book report and every week we have to do a journal about what we learned, etc. It's the same as my DTS (Discipleship Training School) that I did in the Dominican except the classes are focused on children at risk and there's more ministry time.

On Fridays and Saturdays we have ministry. Today I went to one of the schools called Luz y Vida (Light and Life). I helped in the kitchen washing dishes and preparing vegetables. The school was designed for kids that have trouble in normal schools. Today for devotionals the teacher had asked which kids had tried smoking and drinking and even though they were all under 13 most of them had!

This week was really good. First, we found tons of examples in the Bible of at risk children. I had always wondered why there were such ugly stories in the Bible that concerned children that include murder, rape, slavery, hunger and child sacrifice. God put them there so children can identify with them and find comfort in Him.

Then we learned about the family and how traits are passed down through generations and how relationships with our family deeply affect our development and behaviour.

Last, we learned about child development. We watched some movies about children in Colombia and Mexico that were based on reality. It opened my eyes to what they encounter and have to go through. I had always heard about glue sniffing, but never really understood it. Now after the movie, the book I'm reading and what one of my classmates told me about her outreach, I'm realizing how common sniffing glue is for street children. I also learned about how kids should develop and how they'll behave if they grow up in a healthy family and how kids grow up and act differently when they grow up in a family at risk. It is really interesting to apply this to the kids I know in Riobamba, Ecuador that are forced to sell stuff. For example, I can see how the death of one of the kids' fathers forces the kid to take on the role of the father and start working to provide for his family (even though he's only 11).

Devil´s Nose, Sod and Guayaquil

Hey once again.

So I´m deciding to start 2 weeks ago when the 6 volunteers from the Ark and I went to the Nariz del Diablo (Devil´s Nose). It´s a few hour train ride from Riobamba that is apparently the most difficult track or rail because of the sharp switch backs. It was kind of boring, but the story behind the Devil´s Nose was kind of interesting. This railroad was very important because it connected the highlands to the coast. To make it 4,000 Jamaicans came over (apparently as workers and not slaves) to build it and 2,500 of them died in the construction of the track. The mountain is called the Devil´s Nose because they say the 2,500 souls are trapped inside. On the way back we stopped in a town called Alausi to walk around. We climbed up to a huge statue of Saint Peter, which had an amazing view of the city. They I bought some shoes in the market and a little lunch.

During last week I worked on sod everyday... meaning I ventured out of the orphanage to find random pieces of grass on the side of the road. Then I used a pick axe to cut out a square and haul it back to the Ark in a wheelbarrow. It was slow going, but there were some volunteers from Quito that decided to help which made it go a lot faster. We´re putting grass in this little courtyard for a play area for the toddlers so it´s not so windy and they can´t get into as much trouble! I also went to the hospital a few times to take some of the babies to get their treatment. A few had had pneumonia. On the way back we managed to fit 5 people with 5 babies in a taxi, not including the driver!

On Thursday, I went out with my English students for dinner... which ended up being at 9:00 (so typical). We met at 7 to go looking for a restaurant (meaning between 7 to 7:30). Then 2 girls got a phone call saying their niece or cousin was in the hospital so they told us to wait an hour. We walked around some more and ended up running into a few of my street church friends. Then at 8:30 we finally picked a restaurant and ordered pizza, limonade and a strawberries with whipped cream (yummy)! So we didn´t leave until like 10. I enjoyed though and will miss my students.

This last weekend I went to Guayaquil again (the coast) with 3 other volunteers. We walked around downtown again, went to Salinas (a beautiful beach with clear aqua blue water and waves), made some dinner for the people that lent us their living room to sleep in, and had a foosball competition one night by the water! After playing foosball for fun for a while we decided to let the winnners play until they lost. Well, me and one of the volunteers (Rebecca) ended up winning and winning and no one could beat us... so we ended up leaving undefeated!

Tomorrow is my going away party at the Ark because I´m leaving for Colombia on Friday! I still have to pack and get some stuff done before I go so I´m glad to have a little time to catch up.

Please pray that God will continue to provide for me. After the Children at Risk school in Bogota you are supposed to commit a year of working with children at risk. I would love to stay here in Ecuador and work with street children, but I will be praying to see where God wants me to go after the school.

One of the first times I went to street church. This night we all shared what God was doing in our lives.








The first time I went to the Ranalli's and the first time I played Apples to Apples. Now I go see Jessica almost every week and spend the night.





























On the streets of Riobamba on New Year's Eve. We were burning our "año viejo" which was a Skater guy.

Me sprayed with foam in Otavalo during Carnaval... I started it, but it was a fun fight against some strangers... 3 against one... no fair!

Guayaquil

By the lighthouse. Mercedes was Amy's friend that met up with us.












Up to the Lighthouse that sits on a hill. We had to climb many steps to get there and it was pouring rain most of the way.











On an old street with Amy. On our way to the Lighthouse.













Me and Paris at the Malecon. He's Christian's friend and was our tour guide during our trip to Guayaquil.











Downtown with Amy.













One of the many iguanas at the Iguana Park in downtown Guayaquil.












Me at the Iguana park. There were tons of them and I even touched one!












At the beach near Guayaquil. On the left is Paris. He's a pastor and works with children. Amy is a volunteer from the Ark that met Christian (on the right) in Peru. He works for Habitat for Humanity and hosts teams from the States.









At a sea side restaurant at a beach 2 hours from Guayaquil. I was eating some patacones or tostones (deep fried plantains).