Sometimes I sit and stare at this blank page not knowing where to start. The blinking cursor taunts me, making snide comments about how I should be wittier, or have all the answers. The truth is, I don’t. I don’t have any answers. So I guess I’ll just start…
We drove past the rich, green terrain at break-neck speed, wind pelting my face as I tried not to cry. It had been a hard week. We had been traveling non-stop, literally seeing all sides of Ecuador, doing every kind of ministry. We hadn’t even had time to just sit and be with each other. Now, on the way home from another week full of travel, I couldn’t wait to be in my bed. Even as loud and sticky as it is, it’s a sense of comfort.
………..
After a week of traveling to the mountains, and then to the coast, we were off again, this time to the jungle. The village we were going to couldn’t be found on a map, even an Ecuadorian one. We stopped about 5 hours into our journey in El Carmen to pick up another team and then we were off again for another four hours.
After slowly crawling through the winding hills of the rainforest for almost two hours, we were grumpy, dirty, and literally drenched in sweat. Welcome to the equator. We rolled into a town that emerged out of nowhere. It was nestled in a valley, with gorgeous mountains and beautiful forests of tall palms all around. The temperature was at least 40 degrees as we unloaded all our gear and took over the tiny house of the pastor, Cristhina. We were here to put a roof on their church building and clean up the grounds around it.
The dirt road into the jungle.
We spent the week painting, cleaning, sitting, eating, and cheering on our men as they helped Ricardo, a jack of many trades and a master of all of them, put the roof on a tiny church. We sang songs of worship, we prayed over the tiny village, we went door to door inviting people to the services that happened every night. I spent two days passed out on a less than comfortable bed because I felt like hurling every time I got up.
Massages.
Ville Del Sade
Being sick gives you a lot of time to think about things. I started to think about things that were not good for me, wondering about things that I have no business knowing. In those moments, I realized that I put too much stock in what people think of me. I don’t find my value in Jesus, I find it in what people say about me, and if they don’t say anything, I suddenly don’t know who I am.
It’s interesting how the culture of the Race just brings out everything. All the garbage comes to the surface, and you have a group of awesome people who notice it, and tell you about it. It’s hard. It’s awkward. It’s beautiful. Just over two weeks in and I’m already starting to understand that I had no idea what I signed up for.
By the time I made it back to my bed that night, it was well past midnight. We had many adventures on the ride home , but that is a whole different story for another blog. As much as it doesn’t sound like it, I am constantly amazed at God’s goodness for allowing me to be a part of this trip. It is such a blessing to be here with these people. I am right where I am meant to be, and I am happy. I promise. Last night during team time, we talked about losing our lives and what the bible says about that. And I have done just that. I’ve lost my life. And now I’m just in a place of finding out how this new life of mine works. I promise to be back to my happy, witty self in the next blog.
Mucho amor from Ecuador.
