Some pictures!

                                            Trying to teach a class in Spanish...struggle!

What an Adventure...

NO AMERICANS.

Unfortunately, the American group that was supposed to come this past week backed out at the last minute, so we weren't able to go into the jungle. I was really disappointed; even though I'm not a real huge fan of giant snakes and tarantulas, I was looking forward to seeing a different part of the country, having a new experience, and meeting new people. However, I stayed in Ambato this week, and despite the minor cold I contracted (aka "gripe"), it's been a really great week! Things at the church are really picking up, since there's only two more weeks until Vacation Bible School, and I'm getting a little nervous about teaching little kids in Spanish all week, but I'm also really excited! I've been visiting the orphange in the afternoons, and at nights there's been training classes for the teachers to help prepare us for VBS--it's actually been really fun to learn different songs and games, and I'm looking forward to taking them back to the States with me!

 

I can't believe I only have three weeks left here...it's been tough being here by myself, and I will be ready to see my family and friends, but it's also gone by really quickly. Even at my lowest point here (which, after that earthquake, was quite low-I was looking for flights home), I still know that a part of my heart belongs in Latin America. I love the people and the language (even though it's exhausting sometimes), and after a whole lot of prayer and searching, I've decided to go ahead and apply for International Young Life Staff in Latin America: this is a three-year program, in which I will go to a country and work on Young Life staff there. I have no idea which country, yet, but the application process is a long one and the fundraising process is even longer, but I'm taking a leap of faith and seeing where the Lord takes me! I'm really, really nervous (3 years is a LONG time), but I'm also very excited about all the possibilities.

 

I would love your prayers for this next step. Your support means so very much to me! 

 

Much love,

Grace

Rest.

The last American group from West Virginia finally left on Friday night, and I'm looking forward to this week of rest! We did a lot of work: we worked at the orphanage in the mornings (painting, cleaning, playing with the kids, etc) and did Vacation Bible School with about 150 kids in the afternoons. Vacation Bible School was really challenging, as I had to teach all in Spanish, and it was very mentally exhausting, but all the kids were just adorable, and I enjoyed working with them. It was entertaining working with the team from West Virginia; they spoke like true hillbillies (which they admitted with absolute pride :), and I often I found it more difficult to understand THEM than the Ecuadorians ("They was goin on down to talk on that there telyphone to call they's young'uns then they's gonna warsh they's clothes and fix the commode..."). But they made me laugh a lot, and they were very gracious and willing to serve, so I was very thankful for them.

Unfortunately, I seemed to have caught some sort of bacteria, either from the food or the water, and I haven't been able to get out of bed for the past couple days or keep any food down, except some soup. I think a part of it is just exhaustion, so my immune system was weak, but I hope it passes REALLY soon! This week should be pretty restful, as a whole. I'll be going to the church in the mornings to prepare materials for Sunday school classes and Vacation Bible School (which is Aug. 6-10, and I know it will be here before I know it!), and in the afternoons I'll be going either to the orphanage or downtown to work at a shelter for the shoe shine boys. Next Wednesday I'm supposed to be headed into the jungle for the week, with all the giant spiders, snakes, aunts, and mosquitos...(I'm pumped if you can't tell haha), but I'm excited about next Saturday: there's a Spanish Christian musical group called Tercer Cielo (they're real popular throughout Latin America), and they're coming to Ambato, and I was able to buy tickets for myself, Anita, and Faviola, and they're all very excited, so I'm looking forward to that concert!

I would love your prayers for health, patience, and rest this week! Thanks so much, and happy late fourth o' July!

Algunas fotos!

El Amor Absoluto

Well, last week an American group from Dallas was here, and I'm so grateful that I was able to work with them all week. We traveled A LOT--we went into mountain villages (where we played with the children and handed out Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes), an orphanage (where we washed all of the kids feet and gave them new shoes), and we even went ziplining across a HUGE valley surrounded by gigantic, green, beautiful mountains (I've never been so nervous in my life!). It was an amazing week, where we were able to serve and spend time with so many children who have so little. I cannot describe the excitement and joy that all of the children expressed when they opened their shoeboxes; they all counted down together (3-2-1) and opened their boxes at the same time, and immediately a loud SCREAM erupted as the children joyfully found hair ties, dolls, coloring books, soap, etc. in their boxes. It really made me wonder...when was the last time I was so excited to receive a gift (much less a gift of hair bows and tooth brushes)?

 

Yet, what was most astonishing and heartwrenching to me was that, as we handed out the boxes, all of the children were so confused; they didn't understand why were giving them a gift, and they kept asking, "What is this for? What did I do?" So rarely do they receive gifts, and it's almost never for free, for absolutely no reason but to show them love. All we could say is, "Because we love you, and because Jesus loves you even more." It felt so wonderful to give a gift and watch it be received with such unbelievable joy--tears came to my eyes as I watched the kids giggling and laughing with their new toys, and all I could think about was God's amazing grace, and how much He loves each and every one of those children and rejoices along with them.

 

Going to the orphanage was a powerful experience, too; we had the opportunity to be the image of Christ to all 72 kids by washing their feet and giving them new shoes. It was an incredibly humbling experience (especially since those feet were SMEL-LY haha :), but it was such a gift to have the opportunity to do that--the little kids all laughed while we tickled them, and the older ones just sat back and enjoyed a free pedicure! At the end of the day, we also had the chance to talk to the founder of the orphanage, and he told us his story, at the end of which everyone on the team had tears in their eyes. He grew up in an orphanage, and began working in a prison at the age of 24. One day, a prisoner came up to him and said that there was a father who was in prison, and his four children lived with him there (along with 8 other children who lived with their mother or father in prison). The prisoner said that in three days, the father was going to sell his 8-year-old daughter for drugs, and he had to get all 12 children out of the prison before the exchange took place. The founder of the orphanage had no idea what to do; he had no money and no place to take the children, but he said yes, and three days later, he took the kids out to the country, where a friend loaned him a chicken coop to live in; he simply took out the chickens and put in the kids. He lived with them there, in that chicken coop, expecting only to be there for a year, and 24-years later, he's still there, living with 72 children who were abandoned, abused, or found on the street--the orphanage has expanded, of course, and no hcildre are living in a chicken coop, but rather in comfortable bunk beds in beautifully painted rooms. Because of him, hundreds of children have a place where they are not only cared for, but fully loved and adored. This place, these children (and those who love and serve them), have truly stolen my heart. 

 

 It was difficult to say good-bye to the American team when they left on Friday, but there is another team here, so I will be working with them doing Vacation Bible School with the kids in a church nearby this week, and I'm really looking forward to it! It's been a beautiful adventure so far, especially this past week, and I'm looking forward to seeing what else the Lord has in store for the summer!

 

Thank you again for all your prayers; God's certainly answering them. 

"Thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him" 2 Corinthians 2:14

TUNGURAHUA!