Ecuador was probably the craziest month on the race so far. We started out by crossing the border illegally which meant having to go back so that we could cross legally. And the adventure didn’t stop there.
Team ROAR was traveling around Ecuador searching for “Unsung Hero’s.” An Unsung Hero is someone who is working hard to advance the Kingdom of God, but may not be getting the recognition they need. Our goal was been to find these amazing people and organizations in hope of the World Race partnering with them in the future.
It was a month of relying on The Lord and watching Him work in our lives. As we travel from city to city God provided beyond what I could’ve ever imagined.
We started out our ministry month in Guayaquil where we were able to speak at youth services, meet with potential contacts and go to a Christmas party for a network of about 20 different organizations. At the Christmas party we met our English speaking, Canadian friend Becky. It was such an amazing blessing to spend time with her and her cousin, Jess. They were full of encouragement and welcomed us into their homes with open arms.
After Guayaquil we travelled to Cuenca. Cuenca is probably one of the most beautiful cities I’ve ever visited in my life. While we were there we were blessed beyond measure by the Leeks of Ministerios Pacto de Fe. They welcomed us into their home, fed us delicious meal after delicious meals and even let us use their washer and drier! The Leeks also have agreed to host racers in the future and I have to say that I’m a little jealous of the people who will get to work with them. While we were in Cuenca we also got to paint the new Young Life club room. It was so nice to be able to spend time with Dianna, the YL leader, and also to have some hands-on ministry.
From Cuenca we traveled to Banos, where we spent a couple of off days checking things off our bucket lists. Water fall repelling, white water rafting, zip lining and swinging from the end of the earth…. It was a great way to end our time as a team.
After Banos, we went to Shell where we stayed with the national directors of Young Life, Ivan and Rachel. It was so amazing to hear the story of how the program got started in Ecuador. We also were able to visit the Nate Saint house. It was amazing to be able to see where the missionaries lived before they were martyred. Our last day in Shell we visited Casa de Fe, an orphanage for disabled children and children who have been removed from abusive home situations. It was so good for my heart to be able to spend a day working with kids. After that we got to experience a traditional meal for the jungle communities, complete with dancing and face paint!
After Shell we traveled back to Quito to join the rest of the squad for Christmas and New Years. We finished off the month by visiting with a few different ministries in Quito, including Pan de Vida; a local ministry dedicated to providing physical and spiritual food for those less fortunate, Compassion International, plus a couple others.
It was such a great month of finding different ministries and watch God provide in every aspect.
I am still in need of financial help in order to complete the race. Please be in prayer for this need and if you feel lead, please make a donation and ask your friends to, as well. I’m so thankful for this opportunity and for the generosity of my friends and family that have made this possible.
