Day 3: Amor y Esperanza

Today was our first full day of teaching, constructing, and of course some soccer and a devotional. To say it was a tiring and full day feels like an understatement. However, by the end of the day we all felt the fulfillment and joy of spending our day serving others. It was a good day. Humbling, for sure, but still so so good. I think humility is the best way to describe what this day taught all of us. For many of us it was merely our first or second time teaching, and it’s quite a daunting task, especially considering the language barrier. Construction was similarly humbling as we carried over 700 cinder blocks up 3 flights of stairs. It was really beautiful to see the humbling process, though, because I think that’s where God wants us to be. We find Him in that spot when we understand that we can’t do things on our own. Frankly, apart from Him we can do nothing. In this state of humility, there was also a great amount of unity among the team members. Students teaching one grade would help students teaching in another grade who ran out of stuff to do for their class. Our strong Spanish speaking team members graciously served the ones who were struggling. We split up into our different groups that we were assigned for construction-- groups of people who don’t necessarily know each other super well. In an ordinary situation, high schoolers would grumble about being placed with people who aren’t their best friends--this was different. Everyone was happy to work with their group and we truly experienced trinitarian community as we served God together. Unity was also strengthen when we formed a huge assembly line to carry the cinder blocks. There were people lined all the way up the three flights of stairs, staring from below at the back of a truck, and we simply passed each block up the line. It took an hour and a half of doing this, but it was actually super fun. We sang to keep our spirits up, and God gave us the strength we needed when we came together in that way. There is something really special about people from different sports, different grades, different ages, different families, and more coming together for one purpose. When we got back to the Seminary where we are staying, we played a lot of soccer, ate dinner, and had devotion. During devotion, many students opened up bravely to everyone about stuff they have been going through and the redemption they have felt on this trip already. It was absolutely amazing. We got to hear how God used many different kinds of trials in many different students’ lives for good. There was an immense peace for a lot of us who haven’t felt that in a long time. God’s presence was there, and He truly blew us all away. Praise the Lord!
We are excited to keep teaching the precious students and keep building together this week. If you’re praying for us on the trip, you can be praying for energy (we are all pretty exhausted already), healing for a student who got sick, Pity (one of the leaders of Amor y Esperanza) who got sick, and for strength from the Lord as we continue to serve Him. Thanks again for following along with us on this journey. God is doing some amazing things.

-Grayce

EMT Day 2: We are ALL one

EMT Day 2 Sunday

“We are all ONE in Christ Jesus” ~ Galatians 3:28

Our prayer leading up to and throughout this trip is that we would know that we belong to the Lords, to each other as a team, and to our friends in Christ in Ecuador. Sunday this became evident through and incredible day of travel, community, worship and prayer. We began the day by visiting “Le Mitad del Mundo”, literally, “The Middle of the World” or for us, the equator. Apparently the word Quito is derived from the indigenous word for “middle of the world” which is fascinating because they didn’t have GPS. It’s also fun for the geeks among us to believe we’re essentially in “middle-earth”!

The afternoon was filled with preparing for our classes on Monday, resting and playing soccer. Even the best athletes among us are being humbled by the altitude. A great reminder that we are finite and need the Lord’s help!

Sunday evening was what some would call a “kairos” moment of prayer and worship. We sang the song “How He Loves” and it proved appropriate in several ways. First, “He loves US” is a reminder that this is something WE do together. We belong to the Lord and to one another, even across cultural and language lines. “Heaven meets earth like an unforeseen kiss” completely described the moment where the presence of the Lord was intimately and imminently felt. At times it felt like our singing was bolstered by a heavenly host! And finally the lyric “I don’t have time to maintain the regrets” preceded an incredible time of prayer for individuals. There was not a dry eye in the place as prayers for family members with sickness and individuals allowing the Lord to work on the wounded spaces in their hearts were powerfully received. Our group has grown all the more closer as the result and we couldn’t be more grateful for this time of filling to prepare us to pour out. 

Sunday evening also highlighted the reality of the true exchange this experience is, and not without precedent. I encourage you to read Romans 15:22-29 when Paul speaks of the value of gentile churches, such as those is Rome, donating materially to the church in Jerusalem because of the spiritual blessing the Romans and others received from the church there. Praise the Lord for this gift! Would you please join us in praying for this week, that this spirit of belonging would be richly felt by ALL, Ecuadorian and American alike.

This is the ACTUAL equator verified by GPS!

Kaylee and Kennedy at the equator

Lots of interesting properties experienced at the equator on account of centrifugal forces

Anna attempting to balance an egg on the head of a nail

Kaylee earned a certificate for balancing an egg

Micah and Jared walking with eyes closed. It's strangely harder than you'd think!

Emma walking the line

Anna A with a trans-hemisphere handstand

Sra Daly caminas en la mitad del mundo

We all eventually joined a traditional dance led by this llama pants clad  dancer

A typical view, this one at the "former" equator, pre GPS where there is now a mini theme park and monument

Zach, Wesley and Christian in line to climb the monument

Anna B and Maddi

Pizza lunch en "La Mitad Del Mundo"

Temi and Emma prepare their classes on Sunday afternoon

Wesley will be teaching film making and Bryan will be teaching electronics through soldering

Maddie and Jolie prepare

Grayson finding a quiet moment

The team unwinds, and loses their breath, with soccer

Otavalo to Cotacachi: Saturday June 9th

Ecuador Day 1 (Saturday June 9th): 

Today we spent the whole day out and about throughout Quito and the surrounding areas. Poncho and Pity graciously toured all 27 of us around this beautiful country. We hiked to a view of a beautiful lake and mountains. We took a boat ride around that lake, and we bartered at the market for Ecuadorian souvenirs. It was a full, but fun day of communing with each other and experiencing a new culture— one very different from our own. We were all in awe of God’s creation and were reminded of the power and beauty of the God that we serve. We stopped for burgers and milkshakes on the way back to where we are staying for dinner. The best part of the day, though, (in my opinion at least) was the evening gathering. It was nothing fancy or too lengthy. It was simply 27 followers of a Christ of all different ages, coming from different places in life, feeling different emotions, struggling with the different things, coming together as one to worship God. We were reminded of our purpose here to serve God through face to face interaction with His people in Ecuador so that our joy may be complete in Him as he promises in 2 John. We sang 2 songs (thanks to Mr. McCune’s guitar playing and leadership). It was quiet and humble. There’s truly nothing in the world like gathering together with only your voices and one or two instruments and intimately singing to God. It ended our full day in a beautiful way, reminding us that we serve a good God and that He is glorified most when we work together as one to serve Him. We love all of our family and friends at home and miss you all dearly. Thanks for following along on our trip. 

-Grayce

Our home for the next 10 days

Our other home for the next ten days! Lots of singing, game playing, napping and building of friendships

Mariana, Jared, Emma and Temi take in the highlands

The sassiest llama you ever met!

The market at Otavalo. Many of us learned to haggle for the first time!

Maria Victoria is the sweet daughter of Pancho and Pity. She is a blessing to the group, praying for us and encouraging us. Below her is a traditional Ecuadorian mean of pork, plantains, mote, llapingachos, avocado, and toasted corn kernels.

The view from the hike above lake Cotacahi

The lake at Cotacachi. A volcanic lake formed thousands of years ago and still bubbling from the bottom. The mineral content and acidity means no fish live there but there are many plants and water foul and the most beautiful deep blue color.

Jared, Wesley, Micah, Matthew and Mariana at Cotacahi

Matthew with his new hat from Otavalo

Scott looking candid with his kandama

Kennedy, Anna and Grayce

Annie and Maddie getting the best background on a selfie one could want!

Maddie, Anna and Abigail showing their strength at the center  of the world

Wesley and Mariana

The class of 2021 is well represented!

Siblings!

The peaceful boat ride 

We’ve arrived!

All arrived safely with luggage. Praise the Lord!

Chess Camp at Amor y Esperanza

Having survived international travel last summer with the Whitefield EMT, and receiving a new name in the process, Roberto (AKA Mr. Justice) has embarked on a second journey to Quito to run a chess camp for students in Carmen Bajo.  He is traveling with Zachary, who is his Spanish interpreter, Drew, the chess master of the group, and Zoe, who is tackling blog writing duties (with a little help from Zach, I hear).

You can follow their adventures here.