I plan to write a blog each month explaining my very favorite moments from that month. So here’s mine from Ecuador!
11. Our team sitting in the mall in Portoviejo on our free day, eating KFC and just being with each other. We had no schedule, no place to be, and we had the opportunity to just laugh and enjoy each other’s company. In that moment, I remember feeling so much love for rhis amazing team.
10. Driving to Manta, sitting in the back of a very cramped pickup, watching the scenery fly by as we climbed higher and higher up the mountains and into the clouds. It was extremely beautiful.
9. Setting up our tents on the beach in Puerto Cayo and walking down to the water in the dark. I just let the water caress my toes and watched as the boats made their way back to the shore, and I worshiped as the cool breeze brushed across my face.
8. Going to a church service on top of a mountain, we were all in the back of a truck and we were laughing hysterically because we were sliding forward because of the incline of the mountain. Then we looked to the right and could see farther than ever as the sun went down.
7. Sitting in the back of a truck with the youth of the church singing worship songs in english and spanish.
6. Sitting in the back of yet another truck, waiting for hours for the mechanic to come and fix our other vehicle and watching the sun go down and laughing about how ridiculous our lives are.
5. Playing a song I wrote last summer for a special number in church.
4. Dance partayy. That’s all I gotsta say. (Said in Nathan’s ghetto fab accent)
3. Watching Karaline, a squadmate get baptized in a creek in some random park the night I arrived in Quito. Such a beautiful moment.
2. Meeting the little girl from the garbage dump, and sitting in the mud just playing with her hair and singing to her.
1. Doing door to door ministry with our hosts, Narcissa and the Pastor, and their church. We were all split into groups. I ended up with Narcissa and four other Ecuadorians, and we talked about salvation that is found in Jesus with a couple who owned the shop we met at. The wife accepted Christ and it was beautiful, but there was an old couple just passing by that stopped to see what was going on. They invited us to their house so we followed them home and told them how much Jesus wants to be in their lives. As we were praying, I prayed that the Holy Spirit would fall in the small wooden shack. As soon as the words left my mouth, I felt the familiar tingling and the wife started crying. There was a change in the atmosphere in the room and we all just sank into the presence of God. The small family stared God in the face for the first time that day and I’m sure it’s not something they will quickly forget. It was one of the most beautiful moments I’ve ever experienced.
