Get Comfy - - this is a long one

Only a few more of these left before we begin our journey back to Canada. What a trip this has been. It seems that God is constantly doing things that just leaves me standing still thinking upon his greatness. Here is an example.

Last night we headed into San Lorenzo for our final kids program. While the games were going on a group of us wandered around the community and handed out maple syrup candies to everyone that we saw. It was a neat opportunity to just meet the people briefly and share a little of Canada with them. When we got back to the main square where everything was happening there were more kids than ever before. It was amazing to stand back and see the team engaged with this community in so many ways. The success of this program was certainly a surprise to most of us but also a huge lesson in trust. Trust that God can use us to change the world one life at a time even when we don’t think it is possible or do not feel prepared. After the games we headed up to the church for the songs and message. I had the privilege of sharing that evening and I talked a little bit about God’s love and how he demonstrated his love for us by sending his son.

Here’s the really cool part. After the chaos that is snack time I was approached by one of the local teenagers, Diego, and he began to ask me about God and faith and Christianity. Huge questions. Life changing questions. He explained, through Lili acting as translator, that he felt like he was at a junction in his life where he could turn one way, to evil, or the other way, to good. At the same time David was speaking with another young man who had approached him with tears in his eyes. His name was Jonathan and he told David that he could see that we were all beautiful people and we made him want to love God more. He was really upset that we were going to have to leave and that he would miss us tremendously. We talked a bit more with the guys and then decided that it would be good to talk some more. Most of the group went back to La Cueva to spend some time praying for us while Lili, David and I went in the church and spent the next 2 hours discussing God and his love for us and tackling some of the big questions that they had. Six teenage guys in total went upstairs to talk.

Afterwards we gave them hugs and wrote down their names. We have planned to meet them at La Cueva tonight to continue talking with them. As Lili, David and I walked back at 10:00 p.m. we were simply amazed at the opportunity that God has given us to share his love with those around us. We ask you once again for your prayers as we continue to talk with them. Pray that there eyes would be opened to see how much God loves them and how he desires a relationship with the. It is a challenge to share these things with them especially when we don’t have all of the answers but gratefully we know someone who does. Just so you know there names are: Diego, Jonathan, Joan, Klever, Flavio, and Pedro. We will be sad when it is time to say goodbye but are thankful for even this brief opportunity to share with them.

Today we spent the day at Pacoche finishing up the brick walls and other projects around the church. We are just getting set up for the kids club before heading back to La Cueva for dinner. It has been a blessing to do this physical work for the church here and help as they strive to reach out the the community around them. Only one more day until we head back to Quito for a little R&R and then we jump on a plane for Canada. We look forward to sharing with you our experiences here and some of the 5000 pictures that have been taken.

Oh and by the way. Today is sunny. What a blessing. Ocean waves...here we come!

It is Wednesday, July 28th, 2010 at 6:00 a.m. and I sit here at La Cueva watching the sun rise and hearing the ocean surf pound the cliffs in the background. I have been awake for an hour. There is too much going on in my mind to allow me to sleep. Too many emotions that flood my heart on this, our last day, here in San Lorenzo. That may sound dramatic to some of you and maybe it is but I do know that each of us are leaving this place changed. How can you not be when you see the things we have seen or experienced the things we have experienced? I know many of us face our return with a mixture of happiness, fear and sadness. Happiness because we are tired. It has been a long road full of twists and turns with plenty of emotional days thrown in for good measure. Happy because of the family and friends we will once again be able to see. Happy because we will be able to share the amazing things that God has done on this trip with each of you. Fear because we are unsure of what is to come. How will we deal with being back? How will we cope with the mixture of abundance and dissatisfaction in Canada when we have seen those with so little smile? How will we be able to truly explain what God has done with us here? Sadness because we will miss so many that we have grown to love. Those beautiful children and teenagers that have touched our lives. Through hugs, kisses and smiles they have torn down the barriers that we often put in our heart and have so completely changed us as a result. Sadness because we will miss being together as a team. Of daily encouraging each other as we take each step in this life for our God. We desire, I know, to bring this intimacy home and somehow effect a change in those around us. Sadness because we will say goodbye to the missionaries and leaders that have so deeply impacted us as they serve the Lord here in Ecuador.

I am excited for what the future will hold for each person that has been a part of this. I am also excited to see the impact this trip has on the many, many people that have journeyed with us through this blog and in their thoughts and prayers. I don’t know who has been reading this. I don’t know where you stand with your belief in God. I trust that some of the things written here has caused you to think about the deeper things. Do not allow yourself to be distracted by those fleeting things that are like vapor. We have seen God work mightily on this trip and that would be our prayer for each one of you. That you would allow God to work in you.

I know this post is a long one but please bear with me. I have one further thing to share and it brings me such incredible joy to do so.

In Luke 15:8-10 Jesus says, “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

Last night there was a lot of rejoicing in Heaven.

Three of the teenagers we had spoken with the night before, Diego, Klever and Jonathan and one new one (I forget his name) arrived at La Cueva last night at 7:00 p.m. to continue the discussion that was started the night before. We had also invited the Pastor from the church in Pacoche to meet the guys and share with them. Long story short. The Pastor open the Bible and walked them through a few verses (Romans 3:23; 6:23, John 14:6 and Acts 4:12) that talk about our condition and God’s provision. He asked them tough questions and was open and honest with them about his life and faith. He had them read the bible and share what they thought and if they had questions. In the end three of these guys received the gift of salvation that God offers to all who will accept. Last night we embraced Diego, Jonathan and Klever as brothers. Please pray for them. Please also pray for Jinjo. He left with more questions. Pray that he continues to search out the truth.

We started the San Lorenzo program two weeks ago with a step of faith. We didn’t know what we were doing and what kind of impact we would have. We trusted that God would allow us, in some way, to make a difference. We leave this place knowing that God is at work and that he delights in using people like us. We are in awe of this. There is so much more that can be done here in San Lorenzo. Pray for this town. Pray for these people. Pray, pray, pray.