On the race, we come to serve, love, and pour our hearts out. Sometimes I struggle with how to receive.
I traveled to El Reten, Ecuador to go visit team Lovesong and have never been so overwhelmed by the Lord’s presence through a community. El Reten is made up of a small community of jungle homes made of brick, bamboo and straw rooftops. I traveled about an hour and a half out of the city down a long, dusty, bumpy road full of potholes lined with miles and miles of luscious banana trees.
I arrived at my team’s home with children running down the stairs to greet me with “bienvenidos”, the biggest hugs, and sweet kisses on the cheek. Ahhh…my heart was happy. The team was upstairs in the little home playing with a sea of children. We played for a while and then shared some laughter and fun stories. Amanda, the team leader went on to tell me that the children had been praying over me for days before my arrival. She said how excited the community was to meet me and that they were anxiously awaiting my arrival. “Really, me?” I thought to myself. As Amanda introduced me to the man of the home, he replied back stating I was young to be the leader and that he was expecting a much older woman. I laughed at his words. He gave me a big hug and welcomed me into his home.
I spent only a couple days in El Reten, but feel I could call it home away from home. The love that the community poured out was nothing short of the love of the Father. Singing over the crippled, visiting families, holding new babies, watching the girls play soccer, and venturing behind the waterfall were a few of my favorite moments. Thank you El Reten for your sweet love and hearts full of compassion. You loved me with the deepest love and I will never forget you.
(The family I stayed with)
(A typical kitchen in El Reten and bananas galore)
(My favorite little one…she was kind of the outcast. isn’t she beautiful?)
