So, my team has been here in Quito, Ecuador almost 3 weeks. We are working with a local sports ministry called Cumbre Alta. Right now their primary focus is soccer, but as they grow, they hope to expand to other sports. Most of the soccer players do not know God, and so they include prayer and devotions in their interactions with the team. They also just overall are trying to build relationship with each player and help them increase their education – to show them we love them because Christ loves them.
Our team as a group goes to the soccer games on Saturdays, helping sell tickets and concessions, as well as recording the game for future team education. Most of the time, however, the team is split into 2 groups. One group (Casey, Elaine, Liz, and Sabrina) makes phone calls to USA college soccer coaches, inviting them to come out for a showcase with the team. Then they go to a youth soccer practice, where they continually pray and participate in the practice. They then teach English to the young adult soccer team, and go to that team’s practice in the evenings.
A rare evening together with the team to enjoy a romantic evening eating chicken parmesan. 
My group (Zach, Rafael, and me) works in a day care near the soccer field, where we are helping build connection between Cumbre Alta and the community.
As we have been working at the day care, we noted that the walls were getting a little run down, with cement damage, paint peeling, and graffiti. So we took the initiative to repair and paint it, since they already had the paint available.
And the finished product was not too bad…
Newly repaired and painted day care
No more graffiti. Yay!
Working with these kids has been quite a growing experience for me. It has been over 10 years since I truly laughed with, played with, cuddled, corrected, and loved on any pre-school age children other than my own niece and nephew. I purposely chose to work at the day care because I knew it would challenge me to expand my heart on these children’s behalf. There is one little boy, especially, who is a bit of a trouble-maker, but he also has a deep longing for love. So, while I put a extra effort to enforce the finishing of class projects, I also try to make time to love on him, sing to him, play with him, and hug him when I get the chance. I can see the Lord’s love for Alex, and my prayer is that he will experience God’s love as we spend time with him. That is my prayer for each kid there.
PRAYER REQUESTS:
1) In a little over a week, our team will be headed off to Panama. Please be in prayer for One Direction. Pray that the Lord will continually knit our hearts closer together, that he would strengthen each individual teammate, and that we would bring His glory wherever go, as we go. Pray that we would be fully invested and present in the ministry the Lord has for us to do.
2) Please pray for my eyes. They have been extra dry and irritated lately, which worsens as the day goes on. There is this weird film that comes over my eyes frequently, and by 3 or 4 in the afternoon it starts getting pretty hard to see things clearly.
FINANCIAL UPDATE:
I have currently raised $10,077 toward the $14,254 goal. The last deadline to be funded with the full amount is the July 1. I would like to thank each of you who has donated toward this trip. Your support means so much to me and encourages my heart in continuing this work the Lord has given me to do.
