Nearly a week after returning from Ecuador with the 2022 EMT from Whitefield, I find myself reflecting on many attributes of the Lord that we saw while we were together.
Protection: Psalm 91
One of the scriptures that the students have been studying at Amor y Esperanza this year is Psalm 91, "Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will dwell in the shadow of the Almighty ... under His wings you will find refuge ... you will not fear the terror of the night ... no harm will overtake you." I encourage you to read the whole chapter -- it is a beautiful picture of the Lord's protection over us. He promises that if we make Him our dwelling place, He will guard us, rescue us, protect us, answer us. This was truly our experience this week. The students embraced the Lord -- came to him again and again in prayer, worship, and song. And the Lord protected us. There were protests in the country, political unrest that affected many areas of Quito while we were there. But we did not encounter any of the protestors, we were able to carry on with our mission, and we were returned safely home. It was a beautiful picture of the Lord.
"The trip for me was a truly amazing experience. I grew up seeing the chapels about the trip every year but I never expected it to have such an impact on my life. I grew so much closer to God on this trip, and despite the language barrier, I grew super close with the kids." -- Annie
"Ecuador was amazing. I felt the Lord working and experienced many great things. Working with the kids was a very fun time. I had a great trip!" -- Reilly
Love: Luke 15
The song "Reckless Love" by Cory Asbury says
"There's no shadow You won't light up,
mountain You won't climb up, coming after me.
No wall you won't kick down,
lie You won't tear down, coming after me."
As we sang this song together, which talks of the parable of the lost sheep -- how the Lord will leave the 99 to find the one sheep who has wandered away -- we knew that the Lord was seeking our hearts. He truly seeks us out, when we turn away, He is still there. When we stray, He comes to find us and always welcomes us back into His arms. We used a projector to light up a wall with a picture of that great rushing river of life to paint our mural -- no shadow You won't light up. The students climbed a mountain in the oxygen depleted air above 10,000 feet -- no mountain You won't climb up. And we spoke of the lies that separate us from the Lord -- no lie You won't tear down. We felt the Lord pursuing us, together. And we planned to return home to continue to pursue the Lord, together. His love for us is overwhelming, never-ending, undeserved -- the reckless love of God.
"I got to Ecuador a day late, and my initial expectation for the trip was that I would not fit in because I had missed a bonding moment. I was so wrong. Immediately, everyone was so inviting, and I became friends with not only the team, but with the Ecuadorians too. Pancho and Pity did an amazing job of reminding each and every one of us of our worth in Christ and just how much the Lord truly loves us. Pancho also never failed to bring laughter to the group. Without a doubt in my mind, I can say that I’m leaving with not only a servants heart, but also family." -- Angela
Faithfulness: The story of Joseph in Genesis
We had the privilege of joining in morning assemblies this week with the students at Amor y Esperanza as they are learning about the story of Joseph. The Lord was faithful to Joseph. Even when it appeared that all was lost by worldly standards -- Joseph thrown in a pit by his brothers and then sold into slavery -- the Lord was faithful, the Lord was in control. We talked of how Joseph, when he was in the pit, may have had fear or doubts. But he trusted the Lord, and he found favor in the sight of the Lord. As we stood on top of the school building at sunrise, with the sun shrouded in clouds and fog, we listened to the song "Way Maker."
"Even when I don't feel it You're working
Even when I don't see it You're working
You never stop, You never stop working
You never stop, You never stop working."
We were so fortunate this week to feel the presence of the Lord. To have pictures of his grace and His faithfulness. My prayer as we return home, get busy with work, life, and school, is that we will remember this time and allow it to encourage us that even when we cannot see the hand of the Lord in our lives, He is there. He never stops working, never stops pursuing our hearts.
"This trip was life changing and the best trip I’ve ever been on. Going into this trip I didn’t expect much. I expected to get some llama jackets, help build the school, teach some kids and then leave but it was so much more than that. We explored the country side and the culture there but also got to bond with the kids there not just teach them. We bonded with everyone there, even the lunch ladies. But the most amazing thing was God’s presence. Before this trip, I hadn’t felt His presence since before pandemic, but I felt it again here. It was amazing to actually get to know the kids and actually feel God’s presence because for me that was something I hadn’t felt in a long time. I’ll do all I can to go back next year." -- Nolan
"In the time that we were at Nono, I saw the mountain as a challenge to climb and to see how far I could go with everyone else. But once we started climbing the mountain, I saw it as a representation of our path with God. The path was never a straight line up the mountain, and sometimes we even had to go down a bit to climb up further. As evening came, we turned around on the path because of the darkness that was to come -- we were afraid of the darkness and getting stuck on the mountain. But if we truly want to get to the top or at least further up the infinite mountain that is our path with God, then we have to push through the darkness at every point along the path and keep going to know God the best we can." -- Davis
