i'm not going to apologize for the next couple of blogs because i want everyone to read them, however, they are all going to be about my experiences in ecuador. on may 27 i was blessed and fortunate enough to travel to patante, ecuador with my the calvary baptist church youth group. in all honesty i had been dreading going on this trip for some time now. little did i know that this was exactly what i need at this point in my life.
in december my mom came to me and asked if i wanted to go to ecuador at the end of may with the youth group from back home. i was hesitant and reluctantly said yes. i told her from the beginning that i really hoped i didn't get to go because i was hoping that a job would be in my future after my may 7th graduation. so for the past 5 or so months leading up until the trip my prayers consisted of asking the Lord for a job and to place me where he felt i needed to be. funny thing is i guess my father in heaven didn't need me in the real world quite yet. weeks and months passed and applications were filled out and turned down. it's a frustrating thing job hunting, but i got to the point where i wasn't just frustrated but mad as well. i NEEDED a job! i could just see God now laughing his head off at me watching me go about things my way and looking for Him to give me that job.
so the day came where we were flying out of atlanta and to be honest i still didn't want to be boarding that airplane to ecuador. i wanted to be making money out in the real world. we got to patante late on friday night so the bed was quickly calling my name. saturday we put on a vacation bible school type camp for the ecuadorian youth. and to be real, i was miserable. i was questioning why i was there. i was wondering were i fit in whether in be with the youth or as a chaperone. i just kinda stood back out of the way selfishly thinking i sure hope things change. there again was God looking down laughing. not only was i ignoring Him but was ignoring my real purpose for being in ecuador. that afternoon after lunch i prayed for something to change. well guess what it did. my and my brother adam went up the hill and were messing around with a soccer ball when to young boys came and started playing with us. those two boys were so excited about getting to play with three american guys, will otis joined in on the fun. from then on i knew i had been brought to ecuador for a reason. it wasn't because God was ignoring my job hunt, it wasn't so i could have some life changing experience, it was to bring smiles, joy, and the wonderful word of Jesus Christ to these young people that wouldn't hear about it any other way.
throughout the week adam and i along with others led bible study at our designated schools even though my lesson was pretty awful in american terms (just ask adam). the kids didn't care, they want to know so much about the Lord we serve in america and the one and only God that they can go share with their parents. they wanted to see our smiling, loveable faces and it clicked. i wasn't there for me, i was there for those kids, i was there for their parents, i was their for the people of patante, and most importantly i was there because God wanted and needed me there.
i went in with a closed mind, heart, and soul but boy did the good Lord bust that wide open and i can only imagine why.
more is to come.....
isaiah 40:11 - our teams theme verse for the week
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