Teams Are Arriving!

 I know it has been a couple of weeks since the last update. Good thing is, I have lots to share! Haha! 

 

A group from Advent church  arrived Tuesday, June 7th and departed Sunday, June 12th. Their group was made up of mostly high school students with the exception of their leaders. Because I have not hung out with high school students in a while, I had forgotten what high school students are like. I have to say it was a ton of fun hanging out with this group from Spartanburg, SC. They were a lively bunch that loved to joke and laugh. Another awesome thing I noticed was how eager and ready they were to serve. When we needed volunteers to serve food, it took less than 10 seconds for 5 of them to volunteer. No one had to tell them, they just volunteered. Their attitudes were so positive and fun that they did not even seem to mind that they were the last ones eating. 

 

These high schoolers were also very encouraging to me as they embraced me as a leader and even had many positive things to say to me about my leadership. This was very encouraging to me since they were my first group and I have not done this before. There leader, Zac Blankenship, is one of my long time friends and  one of the craziest people I know. While Zac is very funny, he was also serious about them learning and growing from this mission trip. I really appreciated that. 

 

The students were able to work at a ministry site called Second Chances that serves as a safe place for students after school for them to do their homework, make friendships, and learn about Jesus. Second Chances is located in a low income and dangerous neighborhood that is full of cultural opportunities.  Vendors along the street sell meat, fruits, veggies, and other necessities. In this neighborhood people do not go to the supermarket but stop at small shops and vendors to get what they need. On one occasion, Zac and I were walking together through the neighborhood and a woman came running up out of nowhere, tapped me on the shoulder and told us that it was too dangerous for us to walk any further and that we needed to return where we came from. When I asked her if she had heard someone talking about robbing us she didn’t say anything and just insisted that we return and that we could not walk any further. I did not know this woman and she came out of nowhere. Whether she was an angel or just a kind woman watching out for us, I don’t know, but I am thankful that she helped keep us safe. 

 

The students sanded and painted the inside and outside of the Second Chances building. In the end, they had finished a beautiful mural that you can see here on the outside of the building. What I reaped from this experience and what I am still learning with the new team that is currently here are my strengths and weaknesses as a leader. What I saw in myself is the ability to connect with others regardless of age and how to be a friend to them in foreign places. What I am also seeing in myself is impatience and lack of understanding for others who have not had the same experiences as me or who do not see the world the same way I do. 

 

What I really need prayer for is that I will be able to see purpose in what I am doing and that I will stay fully motivated. In all honesty, since the Advent Team returned to SC, I have felt tired, unmotivated, and lacking purpose. There are some huge protests going on in Ecuador right now. These protests caused a 45 minute drive to go pick up a team this past Sunday to last 9 hours. From what I understand of the situation, people are protesting unfair prices. People are hungry and without food and unable to feed their children. For this reason the people want to kick the president out as he has not followed through with any of his promises. I hope that both parties can reach a place that benefits both sides. Please stay in prayer for this situation and for the people of Ecuador. 

 

Until next time, 

 

Isaac

Quito, Ecuador

 Hello fellow sojourners,

I am glad to have the time to give you an update. We have been in Quito, Ecuador for over a week now and I feel like I have a million things to share. I say we because my girlfriend, Mae Thomas was also accepted into this missions internship and is also in Quito. There are a total of 9 interns here from the US and Ecuador. I have had the privilege to hear most of their life stories and am still in awe of what I have heard. Each intern has a unique story with God's fingerprints written all over it. We are all around the same age with the oldest intern being 28 and the youngest being 18. I am very excited to be working with such a diverse group of people who complement each other so well. 

We have been extremely busy from the moment we arrived. Our travel day to Quito on May 23rd lasted almost 24 hours roughly from 4:30 am to 2 am the next day. We had long layovers and the immigration line in Ecuador was quite long despite it being almost midnight. We were up the next morning at 7 and started training right away. Our leaders names are Jorge Luis and Caroline. Caroline is from Chapel Hill, North Carolina and Jorge Luis is from Quito, Ecuador. They have been amazing to say the least. They are firm when they need to be but also relate to us so well and like having fun. 

Trying to describe what Quito and the surrounding area looks like is impossible unless you have ever seen the Andes mountains yourself. The Andes are undoubtedly the largest mountains I have ever seen. They stretch through the highlands region of Ecuador down through South America. Most of the time, clouds cover the peaks of these magnificent mountains showcasing God's majesty and power. 

Over the last 2 weeks we have gone through a training period. The training has consisted of visiting ministry sites where we will be taking teams, learning about Ecuadorian culture and history, reviewing manual pages, learning how to manage finances, and getting to know each other better. I have loved the way that Education Equals Hope trains their interns. They are very hands on and always make sure that we are all on the same page. Jorge Luis and Caroline have done an excellent job of making sure that we are prepared to do our job. 

Each night as part of our training, 2 interns lead a debrief time and 2 interns share their life story and how they came to know God and how they have seen Him move in their lives. I have benefitted greatly from these times even though we normally don't get started till around 8:30 at night and do not get done until 10 pm sometimes. Debriefing times keep us in scripture and help us to stay self aware by reflecting on our day and what we experienced. What has affected me more than anything else has been hearing the other intern's testimonies. 

My fellow interns have been through many struggles and hardships yet their life reflects the grace, mercy, and faithfulness of God. Many of them have been through some of the hardest realities of life but have persevered through it all and these circumstances have increased their faith. It is so amazing to hear from their stories that God is moving in our lives even when we think that He has forgotten about us or abandoned us. Their stories have been speaking to my heart, and I am so thankful for this season and what I am learning. 

I would like to share the story of my friend Marvin soon who is one of my fellow interns. I will work on getting it detailed and written down so that you too can be inspired of his story of perserverance. Our first team, Advent Church out of Spartanburg, South Carolina will be arriving this coming Tuesday. I will look forward to giving an update after they have returned to the states and please keep all of us in your prayers. Thank you for reading!