Adventures WorldRace SethBarnes Sponsorship Giving

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After one week of ministry, I have fallen in love with the Ecuadorian people. The words that come to mind when I think of these people are compassion, unconditional love, obedient, generous, and thankful. This week team Daniel went to a small village outside of Ecuador for a week of Vacation Bible School. When we arrived, the ministry we were working with gave us a house to use with brand new beds, mattresses, and sheets. Their overwhelming generosity was beautiful and we felt blessed beyond belief.

About an hour before VBS started children were filling the streets and even though there was a language barrier between the people and us, we were able to communicate using few words, but mostly we communicated with body language. The kids didn’t mind at all that we couldn’t speak their language and daily we prayed over the kids, hugged, and kissed them. It is amazing to think of the bonds that can be created in one week and we will miss everyone dearly.

On our last day went for a prayer walk and prayed for the community. We learned a little history that years earlier a volcano erupted in this village and the aftermath was evident, also, many people in the village worship idols and as we walked the streets we prayed that they would come to know the one true God.

Leaving this powerful week was very tough but I have felt so blessed to be a part of these people’s lives. The people in the ministry we worked with gave up their lives and moved and have done as God has told them. They were praying for God to provide in all things and the first thing God provided was people and there we were. Also, the money for the furnishings for our house was provided two days before we arrived. God is good and when we are obedient to His will for us then He will take care of the rest. What an awesome God we serve.

Our team has chosen to live by these five things during ministry:

1-Choose Joy

2-Do 110% (we are can only do about 30% but God gives us the rest we need to complete his will)

3-Challenge by choice (choose the harder thing in all things)

4-Be here now (Live in Ecuador or whatever place it is… don’t just pass through but live in the community)

5-Love (For God first loved us)

One verse that has comforted me this week is Luke 9: 1-6 “One day Jesus called together the twelve disciples and gave them power and authority to cast out demons and to heal all diseases, Then he sent them out to tell everyone about the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick. “Take nothing for your journey,” he instructed them. “Don’t take a walking stick, a traveler’s bag, food, money, or even a change of clothes. Wherever you go, stay in the same house until you leave town. And if a town refuses to welcome you, shake its dust from your feet as you leave to show that you have abandoned those people to their fate.” So they began their circuit if the villages, preaching the Good New and healing the sick.

Please pray for the language barriers, new relationships with people, safety, that we are glorifying God, and health.

On our day off, Gustavo our Ministry connection took two teams up the mountain about two hours between the rainforest and the jungle where there were hot spring coming from the mountain. There was the river right next to the hot springs and since I was deciding to challenge by choice, I laid in the freezing river then jumped back into the hot springs. It felt just like a hot tub would but came naturally from the Andes Mountain. It was pure bliss.

Thanks for reading and I will try to get two blogs a week out.

God bless you!

Linsey Thomas