Do you work mostly with children? Do you help rebuild for the less fortunate?
My team and I work with children on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at an after school program. The kids are the sweetest, they love playing uno and calling me a “tramposa” (cheater) every single time I walk into the room or just whenever they see me.
The two months we’ve been in Ecuador we have not had the opportunity to rebuild anything for the less fortunate but we have helped our hosts build and work on final touches for their new beautiful home and we also got to spend a week at a ministry called Dunamis passing bricks down a mountain to build the wall to keep the victims of sex trafficking safe.
What has NOT been as hard as you thought it would be since you left?
Well, everything that I thought would be easy, has been hard. At home I thought being away for 9 months was perfectly what I needed. A week into this, I was like wow okay this is the hardest thing I’ve ever done. But not having my phone service on every day was something that has been easier than previously expected. In the beginning I thought it would be the worst thing because then I can’t talk to and call everyone back at home whenever I want but it really helps me to stay present where I am.
Are there many people that speak English? Are you able to communicate with them?
There are more people than I thought that speak English here. For example, I am often caught off guard when I am ordering food at McDonalds and I ask a teammate “how do you say french fries?” (yes, I know it’s papas fritas…this is just an example) and the person taking my order says “you want french fries?” Often times I find myself in this situation where they understand English. There are times where I can communicate (in Spanish) to the Ecuadorians, but other times I have NO idea what they’re saying to me. Google Translate is the BEST way to have a conversation. It’s my new best friend!
What is the most rewarding thing you’ve done so far?
One of the most rewarding things I have done was go to a garbage dump to feed the people who live there. I got to see first hand how people live in those situations—how they get their food, how they get burn marks all over their bodies because the garbage is decomposing already, how they get their clothes, and just that the overall living situations are so terribly sad. Just being there to provide them with a warm meal and a warm drink felt so rewarding.
What’s something different/new you feel about yourself after starting this journey?
I feel like I have felt more of the Lord in my daily life than ever before. I have also felt more joy and more dependence on the Father. I have also felt more comfort being here in the Fathers Will than I have ever felt before.
What is something you’re the most proud of yourself for doing since you’ve been there?
I don’t think I am ‘proud’ of myself for anything because nothing that I have done here has been solely been from my own strength but from the Lord, but something that I think I would be proud of is maybe as simple as painting the mural at the senior home. That is something that is way outside my comfort zone and I am very proud of it because the mural looks so good if I do say so myself (pics to come)!
What has been the most surprising thing you have encountered?
The most surprising thing that I have encountered actually happened today. I’ve always heard about people getting pick pocketed but I have never been in that situation before. Well then today we were on our way home from a day of exploring Old Town (a tourist town) and a lady got her headphones ’stuck’ on my backpack so that she could get into my bag easier, but then I noticed and pulled away. lol good try lady, NOT ME! Then she tried pick pocketing another girl on my team and I was like lol NOT HER EITHER LADY! Yeah, that was scary and I never want it to happen again!!
What is a typical meal that you help the kids at school with…breakfast or lunch? What are typical meals for you?
We feed the kids lunch every day when we are at the after school program. They get a variety of different foods—a lot of times they get food with lentils, chicken, beef and it comes in all different varieties of ways.
What’s your favorite color?
yellow, or like soft pink or a nice green or gray…okay it depends on the day..I don’t really know.
When are you the happiest?
When I am with my niece and nephew..DUH
Okay but honestly yes that’s true but on the race I am the happiest when I get to help our hosts with the final touches in their new house and when I get to tell my family and friends what I have been doing all week.
What’s your favorite thing to do on an off day?
I love to explore Quito and just Ecuador in general for a day (mostly Saturdays) then on Sunday’s I like to just chill and go to a coffee shop (preferably in the mall) to get some good quality wifi and a Snapple Apple.
What is the most memorable advice that someone has given you?
Well, “don’t be a jerk” is one that has really stuck with me, but another one is “find someone who loves the Lord more than he loves you”
When are you going to try Subway in Ecuador/Have you tried Subway in Ecuador?
Well, my team doesn’t really care for Subway, but me on the other hand, I’m obsessed. I WILL get Subway before I head to Peru but no I haven’t had it yet…
What scares you the most about the journey you’re on?
Someone once asked me “what is something that you’re so scared of the Lord telling you” and my response was that He wouldn’t want me to go home after the race and that he would tell me to go somewhere else. Whether that be to do CGA (leadership discipleship school with the same organization), do alumni team leading for a squad next year (which would mean I would be on the field for 3 months), or that I would move to some random state that the Lord tells me to.
But on the race, my biggest fear is that I get stolen, lost, pick pocketed or that something of mine would get left on a bus or taxi…
What ministry that you have helped with has touched your heart the most and why?
The after school program has totally touched my heart. Just knowing that the food we are feeding them might be their only meal until the next day because their families either don’t have money or they live on the streets.
I know that you have really just started this journey, but how do you feel you have grown in the last 1 1/2 months?
I believe I have grown in so many ways this last month and a half. I have grown in my relationship with the Lord immensely, I have also grown in community. Living in such a large community was kind of overwhelming for me at first but I have definitely grown to love it.
What do you feel is really important for everyone to know about the work you’re doing?
I feel that it is important for everyone to know that the World Race is not always sunshine, smiles and rainbows. Some days are hard, we have hard conversations, we have arguments, we have all of that but i love what I have been doing and I really wish everyone reading this could experience the same thing.
How has God worked in your life so far?
He has opened my heart to everyone and everything I see. We have stopped on the streets to pray for people and for me thats huge. I was also never one to pray out loud because I always feel like I do it ‘wrong’, but now, I have grown to love it. With these things, its huge to have accountability. I told my team that I felt God was trying to tell me that no prayer is ‘wrong’ and that it is literally just a conversation with Him and that He loves to hear my voice. So with that accountability, they are intentional with asking me to pray out loud because the Lord loves it.
What kind of emotions do you go through each day?
Sadness, happiness, joy, gratitude, more sadness, more happiness— I feel it all.
Do you ever get emotional at times?
Y E S!!!!! About every day is a roller coaster of emotions! I wake up kinda sad quite often because I’m not in my own bed with Landon snoring right next to me, then I start my day and I am so happy about what I’m doing. At ministry sometimes my thoughts get going and I think about what I’m missing at home and I get upset and sometimes I just cry. (Crying is a good thing, feeling the emotions is very important) Then we have dinner at night and sometimes I just wish it was my moms cooking to eat with my family. Yes, I feel about every emotion every day.
Do you do different things every day?
Monday – Wednesdays we are at an after school program, Thursdays we go to a senior home, Fridays we stay with our hosts and help them then on the weekends we have two free days and just explore!!! Each day at ministry we do different things
If you could change one thing about the race, what would you change?
I would keep Kate Goeler (my mentor) on the race for the whole 9 months because I miss her a whole lot!!! Well, I would also keep Olivia Wouters (my team leader) on the race the whole time and NO don’t make me pick one because I literally cant pick one.
