HEY! I MISS EVERYONE! =)
Okay, announcement time!
My support account is feeling very sad right now because no money has come in since I have left home. I still owe $2,500 and they will make me leave the World Race at Christmas if I do not get the entire $15,500. Not that I wouldn't love to see my family and open presents at Christmas, but God is doing some amazing work here and I want to live out all eleven months of this journey. PLEASE tell your friends, ex-step cousins, dog walkers, etc. about this ministry.
Muchas gracias!
Awkward Family Jungle Photo
Alrighty…..
Here I am, on week four of the World Race, and I am proud to say that I have survived thus far without air conditioning! I have also already passed up my typical time frame of a short term missions trip, so kudos to me! 😉
I won't lie and say that the past few weeks have been easy, although my living accomodations have ended up being better than expected once moved out of the jungle. However, we usually visit the jungle most days for ministering in different churches. Everyday is a unique adventure! In the jungle, my team feels like our lives are being filmed for Jurassic Park or an episode of Lost!This week, we have been back at KM17 to wack weeds with machetes to help their cocoa plants grow better, play with children, milk cows, see baby monkeys, and experience candle light church
services.
Me and my weapon
Giving a shot! =O
Preaching!
Grocery shopping!
Reading thru the Bible in 1 year!
Little Ecuadorian Bro, Johan!
For the past three weeks, my team of six has lived in the home of an Ecuadorian pastor, his wife, and their four years old son named Johan. We are in the city of Lago Agrio, which is not a particulaly safe place for Americans. Therefore, we must stay in our house or have a group of five people in order to leave our gated area. Try being super independent and living here. The biggest struggle for our team is the lack of schedule. Ecuadorians do life a little differently than Americans do life. And when I say 'a little', I really mean 'a lot.' We do wake up every morning for 7am devotions throughout the week and 6am prayer on Saturdays, but other than that we don't know what our ministry is for the day, therefore; I am learning to be super spontaneous. For example, I may be called up to give a sermon or testimony at any moment, even if not prepared. This happened to me the other night as I was sitting on my little church pew, before the service started. I was literally freaked out when the pastor and my team told me on spot to get up and speak. (Side note: I do not like puplic speaking.) 'Heck no!,' I thought to myself. 'I'm not prepared. Someone else can do it.' Then, God got me…..So…..I got off my pew, grabbed my Spanish Bible, and spoke to a little Indian church in the jungle.
Afterwards, I sat down realizing that I don't have to be this perfect American missionary who has all her 'notes' together in order to share Jesus. I personally know Him and the amazing things He has done in my life, and everywhere I go I should take every opportunity to preach it with my actions and words. I believe this goes for all Christians, too. If you say that Jesus is Lord of your life, then don't you want people to see Jesus when they look at you? You may be the only Bible that anyone ever reads. How scary does THAT sound!? So what if I am sunburned, have a zillion mosquito bites, and feel like my life is always on the flip side of being perfect. If I wait until I get my life perfect before I start sharing my faith, then my entire life will pass before me….wasted! Often, I think that many Christians sit on their pews on Sunday mornings and well, that's it. We just sit.
So, are we going to live our lives the easy way? Are we going to try to get ourselves perfectly together before taking a stand for Christ? Are we going to pass up opportunities to tell others about Christ because SOMEONE ELSE can do it!? What if there is no one else!? What if your life is the very life that determines whether or not someone enters the gates of heaven? My leaders always remind me that I am God's Plan A.
Everyday of the World Race I am growing closer and closer to Jesus. He is strengthening me in all the areas where I just sit on my pew.
