We just finished our second week of going out to other places for ministry! At this point we mostly have a schedule of what we’re doing throughout the week. These past two weeks on Wednesday’s and Friday’s we’ve gone to Camp Hope which is a place where people with special needs can get different therapies, learn, and play. There aren’t any kids there right now because they’re getting their therapies at home, but we have been getting the building ready for when they can hopefully come back. This includes lots of cleaning and disinfecting toys. It’s funny because the place is so big that each time we’re finished cleaning one room we’re led to another that we had no idea it existed. The two woman that work there only speak Spanish so sometimes communicating can be hard but there are a few on our squad that know Spanish and can translate. The other day we were actually weeding with one of the ladies and used my google translate to ask her what she liked to do and respond when she asked what we like to do.
On Thursday’s we’ve been going to a ministry for Venezuelan refugees. There we were painting this huge room white so that they can get it approved to be used as doctor offices for the refugees. We also learned a lot more about what’s going on in Venezuela from a man who was from there. We got along so well with everyone working there and they were singing along with us to the music we were playing while painting. Saturday’s and Sunday’s we continue to do ministry on our hosts’, Mabe and Fabi’s, property. Currently our biggest challenge is digging a giant ditch two feet down. Then for the rest of the week Monday’s are our adventure days where our hosts arrange for us to go somewhere to see and experience Quito without coming in contact with many other people while Tuesday’s are our sabbath where we just relax from the week.
This past week we got to go to the middle of the world! (Aka the equator) While there, we would switch from being in the northern hemisphere to the southern, we got a tour around the property where we learned about tribes that had first been there, and we even saw a llama. Last Sunday, it was one of our team leaders, Isabel’s birthday and we got to watch the super bowl because that’s the one thing she wanted for her birthday, plus her team won.
It’s crazy to think about how long our team has all known each other for now because we’re all so comfortable with each other. We’ve all bonded throughout doing ministries, having worship sessions, and even having a movie night where we watched the Disney movie Holes. We all felt it was appropriate since we were all digging a trench and wanted to get into the spirit. Currently I’m reading through Joshua in the Bible because I felt a pull towards reading it. I think so far one of the biggest things I’ve taken from it is that God is a God of second chances where if everything doesn’t go perfectly towards his plan the first time he will give you another chance to “get it right”.
This coming week we’re having another squad stay with us (there’s about 29 of them and 15 of us). It’ll be a good chance to get to know what they’re all doing in their ministries before they switch out and head to different ministries. I can’t wait for everything to come in these next few weeks to keep helping out our ministries as well as our hosts.
