Right now, my whole squad (big group of 26) is in a town called Baños, Ecuador (yes the town is called bathroom). We are here for four days to debrief our first month on the World Race. Banos is a tiny town located in a valley surrounded by HUGE mountains! So far I am LOVING debrief. We have some structured sessions, but we also have a lot of free time. Last month, I did not spend nearly enough time processing everything I was learning, so I am very thankful to have a couple days to spend in solitude, figuring out what God has been teaching me.
The beautiful town of Baños.
Yesterday, I woke up feeling super rested, and ready to not only explore the town, but spend time alone with God.
That’s when it hit. All of a sudden my stomach was like NOPE, NOT TODAY. Massive gurgling sounds ensued followed by the absolute terror that follows when I know I’m about to throw up. Like I’ve said before, my biggest fear is hearing people throw up. My second biggest fear is throwing up. So there I was, sprinting down the stairs of our hostel to the bathroom. I spent the next 3 hours poopin and puking…mostly simultaneously. I’m pretty sure it was the most violent case of food poisoning ever in the history of the world. At one point I remember laughing hysterically at my misfortune while I was exploding out of both ends.
My teammates are so great about documenting every moment of my life…..
God showed up in that bathroom in Baños, although I did not realize it until later.
Later that day I took a walk with one of my teammates, Breanna. It was a beautiful sunny day and I wanted to see some of the city and get some fresh air. We walked into one of the many shops along the road, and there was a sweet Ecuadorian woman sitting behind the cash register. I asked how her day was going and we struck up a conversation. She ended up telling me her whole life story including how her husband had died when he was 30 leaving her with 5 kids to raise on her own. I asked her how she had seen God care for her and her kids through that. Her eyes widened and she said, “You know Jesus?” I was like, “Heck yeah sister!” (In my broken Spanish lol).
I loved that moment. Just a simple moment in a tiny shop in a tiny town in the middle of Ecuador. Two people sharing their love for the Savior.
She continued telling me how God had provided for her and her children. She finished by saying, “Life is very hard sometimes, but God never fails to show me the beauty of life in the small things.”
CAN I GET AN AMEN?! That’s when God revealed to me how much beauty there was in my sickness. He cared for me in the small things – through my squad mates who continually came in to check on me, who brought me a towel and pillow to lay on in between exploding sessions, who told me jokes and bought me Powerade and crackers. He showed me who my community was, and loved me so well through them.
I am so glad God allowed me to talk so deeply with the lady in the shop. She helped open my eyes to a huge lesson. Today I am expectantly looking for beauty in the small things. God creates beauty everywhere, we just have to open our eyes to see them.
There is such beauty while barfing in Baños!
