Nearly always, our disappointments and frustrations result from failed expectations. C.S. Lewis wrote:
Imagine a set of people all living in the same building. Half of them think it is a hotel, the other half think it is a prison. Those who think it a hotel might regard it as quite intolerable, and those who thought it was a prison might decide that it was really surprisingly comfortable.
I love to think that I don’t have expectations… that I’m super go with the flow, and I can take on anything that comes my way. Well three weeks ago, we found out that our next ministry in Ecuador was going to be at an orphanage. I’ll be the first to tell you that kids aren’t exactly my favorite, but I was defiantly up for the challenge, even pretty excited.
When we arrived to Latacunga, Ecuador, this was our view…
Then when we reached our home for the month, the place looked like a mansion…fenced in, complete with a playground and llama (who I named Arnold, before I knew his name was actually Simon- pronounced Sea-Mone…we still call him Arnold).
We were then shown to our apartment…Yes, I said that correctly…APARTMENT! With a kitchen, couches, sheets, and hot showers!!! For those of you who aren’t familiar with what the World Race living situations normally look like, it is nowhere near this nice.
At this point, my team and I were on cloud 9! We got settled in, and then decided to go meet some the kids. Immediately we walk into a room of 13 special needs children, and are attacked with hugs and curiosity from several of them. We stayed in the room maybe 10 minutes before coming back to our apartment, taking a deep breath, and realizing this month was going to be challenging.
The next day we got our schedule for the week. We were going to pretty much be working 8-hour days, 6 days a week. It was a little much to take in all at once. My expectations (expectations that I didn’t even know I had) were being broken. And the Lord whispered to me that even though we would be living comfortably, this month would not be about being comfortable.
This is what a typical day looks like for my team and me:
Around 7: I wake up. It’s crazy! I have never been a morning person, but my internal alarm clock just wakes me up.
7-9: – Have quiet time with the Lord (I am currently walking through Hebrews and Hosea right now) while drinking a cup of joe (Yes, I’m becoming a coffee person!) with coconut soy milk (My new love!)
– Have breakfast
– Workout some days
9-1: Go hang out with the kiddos! (Go on walks, watch movies, read to them, color, play on iPads, play with blocks etc.)
1-230: Lunch & Relax
230-530: Go hang out with the kids some more!
530-6/7: Make dinner (Whitney and I have mostly took on that role. It’s actually pretty therapeutic, and we both enjoy cooking. Although it can be a little tiring after a long day.)
7-11/12:- Have Team Time (Fun time with all the girls!)/Feedback (A time to build each other up by acknowledging areas where we see each other growing, and challenge each other to grow more.)
– Relax
– Send emails and check Facebook
Then bed!!!!
As you can guess, this month has been long and challenging, but SO good. It looks nothing like I expected it to, but just as CS Lewis expressed, it’s not about your situation, it’s how your perceive it. These kids, at a glance, may be a little different, but oh how the Lord has used them to show me the love of the Father! (And that’s a whole different post to come!). Until then, I’d encourage you to move… out of your comfort zone and out of your expectations. To walk in other people’s shoes, people who are vastly different than you, or maybe only slightly. To open your heart to the things that God wants to teach you, simply by trying something new or being still to listen to His voice.
XOXO,
Meg
