Life of Elizabeth??

June 24 Journal

Life of Elizabeth??

Rains are coming down today and clouds veil the mountains almost completely from view. It’s a bittersweet moment for all of us.Week two has almost come to a close here in Ecuador. Many new friends have been made in this week’s group from Wylie, TX and I will miss their lively company. I appreciate how friendly and inviting they have been to me during our fun week serving together. 

Our team has been painting the school buildings every morning and having a blast at making each other pink. VBS has continued every afternoon with new activities and games for the kids to enjoy. My favorite activity was getting to face paint the kids after the Bible story on Wednesday! I have discovered my name is especially hard for Ecuadorians to pronounce and have thereby been introducing myself with my middle name, Elizabeth, instead because it is more common here. In other news, the little boy, Eduard, I mentioned last post has declared his love for me with the sidewalk chalk activity at VBS. I’m at a loss of how to break the news to him with my lacking Spanish skills! Poor thing! 

I want to request prayer from you all, dear friends, for my health. The past two days have kept me in bed with a little case of “Montezuma’s revenge” as we affectionately call the disagreement of new foods with one’s tummy! Cipro should be fully kicking in any hour now and I’m already starting to feel somewhat better. I want to get back out there with the kiddos and team! Wylie team is leaving Saturday and the next Duncan, OK team comes in that night as well. 

June 29

Sorry for the late update! I haven't had wifi for a while! The new team is busy at work in their third day on the job here at the Foundation. They’re from Oklahoma but seem good and Southern to me! The team has been split into three- older women in the nursery, girls painting the school buildings, and men working on a trail up from the niño’s casitas. The young girls don't appreciate the audience we always get as the school boys flock and call to us but I think it’s funny. The kids still call me Elizabeth. I have a game with one little friend, with the same name, who will call me, only to hear it echoed back at her. VBS is more chaotic this week because the team tries to structure it like an American VBS program. Songs, snack, crafts, and rec are not really separate events for these niños!

The sweet missionary, Mallory, took me under her wing yesterday as we walked back up to our Casa as she noticed I had become more quiet this week. I hadn't known it until she pried but I have been a little downcast. It is hard to find my purpose here in these two weeks at the Foundation because I am somewhat of an outsider to these groups who know each other well and have plans for VBS that I only follow. It takes a lot of energy to put myself out there, energy I ran out of when I was sick last week. She lovingly talked me through my feelings of not having a purpose- my job is to love the children, support the groups, and to be a behind-the-scenes leader. Mallory has the same Encouragement love-language as me and explained this culture is not one for reassurance and praise of work. Her past year here alone has been hard because she felt like no one was appreciating anything she was trying to get done. I wish I could stay more weeks with her for her sake, but I miss Eduardo’s family and our work at Nanegalito. Mallory and I had “girl time" with a sleepover at her apartment last night. We watched Latina Family Feud & Español Finding Dory as she prepared her English lesson plan for work today (to which she fell asleep to!). I am grateful for her compassion and outreach which boosted me greatly. Today after quiet time and more Spanish studying, I’m a whole new girl. My God is so good to me, even in my struggle he sends his child to comfort me and renew my peace. 

Please be in prayer for me for peace and wisdom as I go back to Nanegalito on Friday. Pray for my heart as I seek God and  I will miss these children and the times we have spent together. Pray for the children here in the orphanage who have gone through so much. Pray for their futures and salvation. Pray for the work of next week's team, for open hearts and willing hands. 

"To fall in love with God is the greatest romance; to seek him is the greatest adventure; to find him is the greatest human achievement." -St. Augustine of Hippo

O my strength I will sing praises to you for you, O God are my fortress, the God who shows me steadfast love. 

Psalm 59:17

-my heart is not afraid