Team: Hazaq
Our team name comes from Joshua 1:9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Hazaq is Hebrew and means be strong and courageous.
Ministry for the month: We are partnering with a local church plant! We are serving alongside them at their church, helping to create a space for their kids during worship. We are building curriculum for them to use to teach their children.
We are assisting with their church members in the community through a variety of different outreaches. Stephen and I are teaching cooking classes to the local women…super excited about this! We are painting murals at a local preschool and building a playground for them. We are also teaching English classes in an indigenous area in an effort to bridge the gap between different socio economic groups.
Living Condition: It is all squad month! All eight teams are staying together at IncaLink, a ministry house in Ecuador. There are about 60 of us living in one location….so many emotions about this. We go to different ministries throughout the day but come together each night.
Food: We have amazing cooks Mabe and Fabi. Sundays we get to be creative and cook for our teams while they have the day off.
Local Language: Spanish
Currency: Woohoo! USD
Climate: It has been quite a bit cooler here, ranging in the 60s and has rained almost every day.
Interesting Fact: We are here during Carnival which is a holiday that lasts for a couple of days. It is not uncommon to be walking down the street and get hit with water balloons, eggs, hugged with someone that is covered in tar, or have a bucket of water poured on you from the balcony above. The list goes on but that gives you an idea….we will see what happens next week!
