Or we came at the perfect time…
Month 9! Ecuador! We started this month off with being stuck in Colombia a few extra days because of issues and some violence at the border. Not going to lie- it was actually kind of fun being stuck in Armenia, Colombia the few extra days. They ended up splitting up the squad and sending the PVTers first (that week racers had parents come for a few days so they had to be flown out sooner to get to their parents in time) So the rest of us stayed a little longer till they could get us flights. But during that time- I really enjoyed it hahaha. Eventually we made it to Quito, Ecuador. Those of us who didn’t have parents come, spent a few days up in the mountains helping with finishing construction of a safe home being built to house rescues of sex trafficking. After that we had debrief for a few days before heading into our ministry for the month. My team and I are in a country side surrounded by mountains. We have been walking to a school down the road to help teach English and build relationships with the kids- been really fun! Other than on the first day I got stabbed in the ear with a stick and may or may not of had my ear drum ruptured hahaha!
But since being here, our host family has gone through a lot of hard things! Well so wait let me back track a second. Our actual hosts are based in America, but we are staying with the host’s brother and his family. So we basically have two hosts.
Any who, so this past Monday we were told we were going to go into the city and hand out sandwiches and drinks to those in need. Our host was going to take us to the store to get stuff to make sandwiches. But the thing is, we just got back from ministry and none of us have eaten lunch yet and so I felt strongly like I needed to ask our host if we could stay to eat lunch while they went to the store, but before I went down to ask, he came up and said that we can just eat lunch and they will go.
So flash forward a few hours, we all are ready by the time we were told to be to help make sandwiches and go, but our host wasn’t back yet. Almost 2 hours later our other host from the states told us that our hosts here got into a car accident. They were okay, except their young daughter had a neck injury.
Then the next day we are walking back home from ministry. Our host has two dogs, one is named Jewels who they’ve had for awhile and the other named Toby that they just got a few days ago. Usually when we get home they come running down the driveway to greet us, but there was no sign of them. I didn’t think much of it, so I went upstairs and ate lunch, about an hour later I decided to go downstairs to ask our hosts a question, I walked around the house and saw my teammate Amanda far off in the back of the yard- I wondered “why would she be back there?” So to my curiosity I went back there. I saw her, our host and his wife. The husband was down in the tall grass with their oldest dog Jewels. She was laying down throwing up. Initially I thought it was because she was sick ( She’s had a skin condition and was sick for the past few months, but nothing too bad). But as I talked with Amanda she said when she came home (she and my other teammate came back a little after us), she said she saw Jewels walk down the drive way but was staggering and her back legs kept giving out and she was foaming at the mouth. At first she thought it was rabies, but our host thought maybe she was poisoned. So when I got back there, he was injecting vitamin B complex in her mouth to make her throw up whatever was in her system. For what seemed like a really long time- we watched Jewels try and fight whatever was happening inside of her. She kept trying to get up but couldn’t- eventually she just laid down and soon started to have a seizure and was convulsing. It was so heartbreaking to have to watch that- we couldn’t do much. To have a vet come would cost too much money. So we only could stand there watching – praying she’d pull through. But eventually she stopped and he went down to check her and he said she had passed.
We helped our host dig a hole and bury their dog. During this time- he never once got mad, questioned God. His family just got into a car accident yesterday and then that day he watched his dog die from poison. Later that night we still went out and handed out sandwiches to those in need. He never let the bad things that were happening- keep him from serving God.
When we were on the way to hand out these sandwiches I was thinking about everything this family has gone through and how they were responding to it all. Then I felt Jesus put something on my heart. He told me a specific amount of money to give to this family. I first thought “Jesus, I am traveling with no income.” I did just get my tax return but I was saving it for when I got home. But then I was reminded how he completely provided $18,100 for me to even be here. And that tax return was his money too. So I couldn’t say no, I even told my teammates what God put on my heart to do and if they wanted to give as well. God gave me a fixed amount to give- normally I wouldn’t share what the amount was but I am going to because of something cool God did with it. The amount God told me to give was $100. When I offered for my team to be a part of it too, I thought maybe the $100 is a total with whoever else gives. But I felt strongly to give $100 no matter what. Between what 3 others of my teammates gave- the amount multiplied and some. We got to bless them with $250.
Friday we had the family over (upstairs) to have pancakes with us. Much laughter (despite the difficult things happening in their family) and stories were shared. When we gave the envelope of money to them – they didn’t even open it up to see what was inside and the host said something along the lines of: God has always taken care of us, and always will, we don’t have to worry. And with this offering you all gave, just proves it.
HOW cool. And that is when I realized something. A few days ago I was saying “ I feel bad, we came at a bad time for them”
but now I am realizing we came at a perfect time. We came at a time when we got to bless them when they really needed it. God really does take care of us and he’ll use others to do it.
There is always something we can do to help someone in need. Even if we don’t have much – God can do more with what we release to Him than we can.
We have seen this family do so much for others in need and we have gotten to see how in return, God has taken care of them.
Well that’s it for now! Thanks for reading! We leave for Peru this week coming up. Pray for safe & easy travels !
Till next time, much love, T.
