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!