After our 31 hour bus ride from Colombia, we finally arrived to Ecuador a little over a week ago. Our squad this month is all living together along with our squad mentor and squad leaders. So almost 60 people under one roof. It has been great. It creates more space for us to hang out after ministry, gather together for adventure days, and to grow together as a squad.
When we first got to our host home in Quito, I was immediately overwhelmed. I am introverted and like to have my space. Having many people to share space with and always know there will be something I am missing out on, I was hesitant to start off this month. Since our squad is so large, the guys and us being a married, are tenting. The actual house we are staying at is pretty nice, and I who compare a lot, became ungrateful inwardly and outwardly emotional. Yes I was exhausted, but the idea of being separate from the girls, not having “my space” , it’s rainy season and chilly at night, I began to dwell in the negatives. I felt like I couldn’t breathe. I started feeling sorry for myself and knew I needed to cling to truth and what the Lord could teach me in this uncomfortable not ideal situation.
Thankfulness came up. Am I able to give thanks in all circumstances? This circumstance wasn’t even bad, I was not choosing thankfulness but comparing where I was verses where all the other girls were. I signed up to do this, and I brought a tent, why was this so hard for me to be okay? If I am not thankful in this circumstance, what will I be like when everything comes crashing down and in an awful situation? I want to choose to live a joyful and grateful life. I have to start with seeing the positive verses the negative, which has been something I have struggled with and am still fighting.
We started our ministry this past week. We walk 30 minutes to Camp Hope. We work with special needs kids and any other help they may need around their facility. This week some of us are gardening in the mornings, and then for lunch we feed the kids and hang out with them in their rooms. There are 4 rooms that the kids are in, which range from self dependent to some what independent. I have been working with kids who are 12- 26 years old, and most of them look between 8-12 years old. Most of what I am doing during the afternoon is brushing teeth after lunch, getting them out of their wheelchairs, resting with them, feeding them a snack, and after that and clean up, it is time to get them back in their wheelchairs for pick up. There are 17 kids who are from an orphanage down the street. When I heard how some of them were found, it broke my heart. Some were found in dumpsters as infants, I am not sure to what degree they were in when they were found, but these kids need others to live. There is not much that I can do to have an intentional conversation, but what I can do is show them love and pray over them. This month will look different, but I am looking forward to grow in some of the uncomfortable situations, loving the people who dedicate their lives to love on these kids, and as we walk and go, to love the people we encounter.
I mention we are over 9,500 feet in altitude, so when I mentioned earlier I felt overwhelmed and couldn’t breathe it was also literally. This altitude is no joke, but also it is so beautiful here. From where we have our tent, we have some view of Quito and the mountains and volcanos that surround the city.
