Hello hello! It’s been a while…
I wanted to start off by explaining a little about what we’ve been doing for the past month-ish. Last we left off, it was February. Wow, that was a while ago. Since then, we concluded a few ministries and started a few new ones:
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We finished painting the Venezuela En Ecuador building a couple of days after the most recent blog (late Feb). Even though we only worked with them for a few days a week for a few weeks, I don’t think I’ll ever forget their stories. Seeing the refugee crisis first-hand made me actually want to do something about it, and I have a feeling I’ll get involved in some way in my life.
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We finished working with Camp Hope! The facility is all cleaned up, organized, and almost prepared to open whenever the government allows it. Durgally and Sylvia were the wonderful women working with us, and they had some of the children at home write a few cards for us. While I think I’ve wiped down more Barbies than I ever thought I would in my lifetime, I’ll truly miss that ministry.
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We finished digging the trench, chopping all the wood, and clearing out La Cabana on Mabe and Fabi’s property. After we came back from Midpoint Debrief (a week on the coast!), we learned the sewage in La Cabana (a small house on the property) had completely exploded and the floor was flooded with half a foot of washed-up crap. It smelled like no other and I’ll never forget the feeling of sloshing around sewage, but it was honestly one of the most exciting ministry days we’ve had. Lots of laughs emerge when you’re scraping digested corn down a flight of stairs!
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We started a new ministry that I’m thrilled about: painting the rooms of Casa Blanca, the house we stay in. Mabe and Fabi have cared for hundreds of World Racers throughout the years, and one of Mabe’s dreams is to bless the house with cute, prayed-over rooms that offer life to whoever comes through. We’ve finished a few rooms so far, and I’ll post a few pictures when they’re done!
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Two weeks ago, we left Casa Blanca for a ministry called Dunamis, a ministry in the mountains (11,000-foot elevation) that cares for and educates young girls who have been rescued from sex trafficking. Now this one… hit me. One girl, whose laugh is the purest thing in the world, is 8 years old and was raped 30-40 times a night for years. Another girl is 14 (my sister’s age) and cradled a one-month-old baby. Another had been prostituted out by her parents. Another had been rescued from a boyfriend who had forced her into a drug habit to ensure her dependency. But despite their stories, these girls had hope glimmering in their eyes– joy as they danced Footloose with us, joy as they laughed at our broken Spanish, joy as we held their babies. Dunamis is bringing the hope and joy of Jesus into their lives. These girls have futures.
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While we were at Dunamis, we helped in two different ways. Every day, three of us could go into the girls’ house and help cook, clean, or play. Everyone else would help in the tomato garden– one of Dunamis’ sources of income. For seven hours a day, we would work in the greenhouse, picking weeds, cutting off dead leaves, and harvesting from 8,000 (yes, 8,000) tomato plants. Though tiring, this time in the greenhouse allowed for deep conversations, fun games, and gnarly callouses! To learn more about Dunamis, you can go here.
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Last week, we came to a ministry called El Refugio, a camp in the mountains that hosts groups, couples, or families to experience God through nature and adventure. Twice a week, we work with the construction employees on projects around the camp– building a roof, pulling rusting nails out of wood, weed whacking, building a gazebo, scrubbing mold off roof tiles, the works. The fun part is practicing Spanish because no one speaks English. I can’t tell if I’m actually learning Spanish or if I’m getting really good at understanding through context… either way, it’s a blast.
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On the weekends, we walk up the incline of the mountain to clear out trails. Now this sounds like a chill job… until you picture fourteen girls with machetes and garden hoes plowing at the side of a steep mountain. By the end of this trip, we’ll all have biceps like The Rock. While this job is physically taxing, it’s actually one of my favorites we’ve done in all of Ecuador! Manual Labor on a mountain in the clouds in the jungle with my friends? Count me in!
So that concludes our ministry from the end of February until now. Sorry for the many paragraphs. There’s something else I want to share with you… where has God been in all of this?
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God has been teaching me how to hope and dream. As many of you know, I am of the almost-college age. Since last year, I have been asking God where I’m supposed to go, and I felt Him calling me to hope for Northwestern University in Chicago. In October, I was deferred. Then, I got into two other colleges, both amazing, and God taught me to let go of what I thought I wanted and be content– and excited– with what God had for me. Let go of your “I have to be perfect” mindset, Ella! And let go I did. In fact, when it came time to hear from Northwestern again for their regular decision students, I felt my desires coming from a different place. I still hoped for Northwestern, but what I longed for more was God’s future for me. I mean, I can think up whatever future I want, but it won’t be as cool as God’s. So when I got denied from Northwestern, I honestly didn’t feel sad. I just felt the desire to see a little bit further down the road and understand what He was doing. The next day, I got into Georgetown… Woah. I haven’t made the decision yet, but getting in reminded me God really is working, and He really does want me to dream big. And just because He doesn’t give us everything we ask for doesn’t mean He doesn’t hear our dreams.
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God has been teaching me it’s ok to be ok! I know that sounds weird, but let me explain. At any given moment, at least someone on the team is going through something– something from home, something God is teaching them, something that’s tugging at their heart. I love being the person who sits and listens, but then I realized I was never the person bearing my heart, and I thought… is something wrong with me? Am I supposed to be going through something, too? Where are the emotions, the deep trials and tribulations? Where are the tears? At one point, I literally cried because I wasn’t sad. I had turned into a robot! Ahh! But then I journaled about it and realized… it’s totally ok to be emotionally stable. It’s great to be at peace with my future because I trust God. It’s ok to be at peace about everything. It’s ok to be just fine, even when others aren’t. Now this sounds like a strange realization, but it’s one I think I needed. Praise God for emotional stability!
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God is working in a million, bazillion ways, but not all of them are obvious to me yet. I’m excited to hop on (before I leave) to explain the newest ways He’s working through me!
Real quick… some fun things…
- We’ve been watching Twilight together upon my request. I feel a little left out of American culture because I’ve never seen the movies, so here we are! Yes, they’re awful, but they’re just so funny to watch.
- Three girls (Julie, Haley, and Sydney) dyed their armpit hairs pink.
- Morgan carries a Dwayne Johnson action figure wherever she goes. The one time she didn’t bring it with us (to Midpoint Debrief), we got robbed. No joke.
- A few of us went camping on the night before Easter!
- Thanks for reading! Over and out.
