month 2 had team pop shipped to south quito, ecuador where we came alongside a church and school called shekinah where we were teachers assistants, PE teachers. and english teachers by day, (from 8 to 1) and by night (3 to 5ish) construction workers, painters, and salon stylist. the month stretched team pop in multiple ways, separated from each other we all had a host family where we would sleep and eat all our meals. we were also told at the beginning of the month that south quito was a dangerous place and that we had to be careful at all times and the girls couldn’t walk by themselves at night, i could tell they weren’t thrilled with their loss of freedom but we all make sacrifices to come on the race. a few days in we started getting in the groove of daily living and after a night of ministry and team time i had walked my teammate Sarah to her host family and started walking home when a hand full of young me asked me a question in spanish. Speaking very little spanish i couldn’t understand them and once they realized that they were ready to attack. Realizing i was a foreigner they assumed i had valuables on me and one pulled out a 4 inch butterfly knife and they started to approach me. Seeing the knife and 5 to 6 ecuadorians coming at me was enough info for me to turn and run. with them chasing behind me i hit corners and alleys and was able to loose them but with pastor fabian hearing the news we now had to have a spanish speaker with us at all times at night. on top of this i hear my best friend from home, Wesley’s brother Wilson, also a close friend had passed away. the news broke me. i wanted so badly to be with the Holloway family to comfort them the way they had been for me last year when my father passed. Not getting to hurt but talking with Wes and having my family send my condolences helped but the month drove me to question a lot of things and drove me to the Lords Word which helped me in my grieving. i still wish i could be there for the Holloways but knowing that the father God has them in his arms makes it ok that i cant hold them.
Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, both young men and old together: for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow.
Jeremiah 31:13
