Stark Reality and New Experiences

What a couple of days we have had in Ecuador. Where do I start? Thursday morning we woke up well rested but still feeling the effects of the altitude. The plan for the day was for us to have breakfast and then pack up and head to the Zambiza Child Care Center. This is a ministry run by a local pastor supported by Extreme Response serving the needs of those who work in the Zambiza dump. It is a stark contrast to the opulence we are used to in North America but such a blessing to see. Workers can drop their children off for the day and they will receive two meals, diapers and partake in activities and lessons. All of this is offered free to the families. In all of it Christ is preached. Meeting their physical needs gives them the opportunity to present the answer to their spiritual needs. This was my third time to this place and it still resonates within my heart as deeply as the first time. As soon as we entered the building we were surrounded by a group of children shouting, “Hola! Hola! Hola!” We stayed for an hour and did some crafts with the children. It was an awesome experience for the whole team and one that I am sure will be imprinted on their hearts and minds for a long, long time. We then headed to the airport and boarded a plane to Manta to finish the remaining part of our journey to San Lorenzo. After an uneventful trip we finally arrived at La Cueva, our home for the next 3 weeks; excited and exhausted.

Today we awoke with the anticipation born from the reality that we were going to travel to Montanita Verde Children’s Home to meet the many children that live there. We approached this time with a bit of apprehension but also a lot of excitement. These were the people that we had been preparing to meet and serve for the past year and a half! We rode up to the home, down the lane way and finally arrived. We spent the whole morning and afternoon just ‘chilling’ with the kids, getting to know them, playing games to help us learn their names, sharing a meal with both the houses and presenting some gift to the house parents (two 12L pressure cookers) which were received with much love and thanks. They say a picture is worth a thousand words so below I have included a few pictures of the amazing things that we have experienced over the last two days. Thank you again to all of those who are praying for us. Tomorrow we will head to church with the kids and then we face the ‘difficult task’ (insert sarcasm here) of taking the kids to the beach! Please pray specifically for several people on our team as they battle the cold that I brought with me to Ecuador (Alicia is not affected - Please take note David Hofland).

Quote of the Day - “I have never been hugged so much in my entire life. It felt overwhelming.”