Quito, Ecuador
This month started with our first debrief in Baños, Ecuador! For debriefs our leadership team flies out to meet us and spends a few days encouraging, teaching, and filling us up. Baños was beautiful, restful, and full of adventures. We saw huge waterfalls, went swinging on the edge of a mountain, and ate a lot of burritos. After debrief we headed to Quito to began our month of ministry with our hosts Fabi and Mabe.
This month was all squad month (so 26 racers, one house) and my teams ministry was volunteering at a school for children with disabilities. I spent the majority of this month working in the kitchen helping prepare lunch and snack. There was a student who spent her mornings helping in the kitchen and we quickly became close pals. Everyday when I walked into the kitchen she would light up and spend our first 10 minutes latched on to my arm. When we were assigned to a classroom we were able to help with therapies, read to the them, take them on walks, and occasionally cuddle the small babies in the amor classroom.
During this month about 15 of the 26 got some type of food poisoning which led to some interesting doctors visits and a lot of fighting for the few bathrooms we had. In the moment this was a rough week but luckily we are now able to reflect on it with lots of laughter.
We also had the opportunity to hike the 3rd largest active volcano in the world, Cotopaxi!Unfortunately, on the way there 2 girls in the group had their money stolen and when we got off the bus on the side of the road we luckily had just enough money to pay for the tour and a bus back to city. It was an adventure we will never forget that’s for sure.
In Ecuador we celebrated Thanksgiving, our first holiday away from home. Every team made a side dish and our host made us a Turkey. We made one very large table, ate thanksgiving dinner, and shared what we were thankful for. I don’t remember what I said but in reflecting I am thankful for the others who sat around that table and made it a real family celebration.
The homesickness of this month turned out to be even worse than month one. One day my teammate and friend Allie told me that I always carried peace and when I entered a room she could feel the shift. This sent me in a downward spiral because inside I felt so incomplete and far from peaceful. I felt like there was a war going on inside of me and I couldn’t even pinpoint what battle I was fighting. I started reading and praying about peace and searching to know more about what it is. I spent hours that night and in the days to come hunched over my bible reading scripture after scripture about peace. I realized that all that trust I learned about and had begun to build in month one was nothing without surrender. Surrender of my wants, my worries, my anxieties and my will.
I learned that to truly let God’s peace abound within me I had to put that trust into action. I had to genuinely trust and rely on Him to care for my family and friends at home, to provide for my needs, to give me a good future that glorifies Him. I learned that in order to feel at peace I had to trust him with my entire being.
Philippians 4:6 “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Isaiah 26:3 “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.”
Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
“All that I am for all that You are, my Lord
All that I have for all that You are
You’re the pearl beyond price, greater than life
All that I am for all that You are
It’s only in surrender that I’m free
It’s only in surrender that I’m truly free
It’s only in surrender that I’m free
All I am is Yours, my Lord” -lyrics from “all that I am” by Rend Collective
A true travel day queen. Guarding the belongings and passing the toilet paper that was often more precious than gold.
The swing at the edge of the world in Baños!
Visiting the equator.
The Cotopaxi crew before we climbed!
Magnificent views along our adventure.
We were very limited in the photos we took of the children to respect their privacy but here is one of girls holding my hand while we went for a walk!
One of many days where we over took the clinic.
