Yesterday we went to the middle of the world..literally! We stood across the equator with one foot on the north and one foot on the south. We learned the history of the indigenous cultures and other unique aspects of Ecuador.
       On our way to Mindo to go zip-lining we found out the road was blocked by a landslide because of all the rain so we ventured downtown to the Basilica and some of the group climbed to the top tower (and others got coffee...). Before we went back to Casa Blanca we stopped by the Indigenous Market for a lil' souvenir shopping :)  

Idols?

Imagine putting away your Iphone for 10 days, leaving the TV turned off, having no access to your computer, or bookshelf.  How much more time would you have to spend with God and ministering with others?  During this past week I have realized that the electronic devices in my life have taken over and pushed God and others aside.  This past week I have spend much more time in prayer and reading God's word as well as talking with students and teachers.  My relationship with God has become deeper and I have seen him give me the words and scripture to minister to others on the trip because I have spend more time with Him and put the "idols" away.  Now is the real challenge - go back to the US and keep the idols in the closet and continue to spend time in prayer and his Word.  All of us are a bit afraid that we will forget about how God have used us here and that we will lapse back into our old ways of comfort and self-centered lifestyles.  Please pray for the Holy Spirit to keep the fire alive in us as we come home.  Mrs. Hahn

Mixed feelings.

Happy Easter! The Lord has risen from the dead, He is alive!
As I think about the beauty of today and the happiness believers can experience from this special occasion, my heart breaks for those who do not know the true meaning. So many people in the world, including those in the deepest parts of the jungle, have no idea of what we are truly celebrating. Many think of today as the day to dress up and celebrate with Easter bunnies and colored eggs. But our Lord has risen, and brought us hope, joy, and life through Him! How much greater is that than anything else this world can offer?
Heading into our last full day here is Quito, I have sentimental feelings. Feelings of joy that I have been able to return and see how God has continued working in the lives of the Ecuadorian people through the courageous missionaries here. Yet so very broken and sad all the more. Last year, when I left Ecuador, I went away with the idea of becoming a missionary here is Ecuador on my heart. I saw being a missionary as something joyful, full of fun times and pleasure in Christ. This year's trip has opened my eyes to the spiritual warfare and hardships one experiences of the mission field. There is just so much more work to do here, and seeing the people and the need makes me feel melancholy about leaving. I wish I could stay here always and serve the people here. They need to hear the Gospel so badly and do not even know of their need. However, amiss these sad feelings, I know I am leaving having planted seeds in the hearts of many. More children responded to the call for salvation than I could have imagined. Although this trip is definitely what I came into it expecting, I am so grateful for how it turned out. I have seen God work in mysterious ways and have been changed because of it. The people in Huaticocha, the leaders, the interns, Mr. & Mrs. Shaffer, Jim, Ulysses, our team-I will treasure these memories in my heart always.

Please continue to pray for the team and me as we head out for this last day. Pray that we can make an impact of the lives of others even though not necessarily doing any "missionary work." Pray for us tonight as we say our goodbyes to Gustavo, to the interns Abby and Annie, and to Ecuador. Pray for the continuation of the work done here in Ecuador. I wish everyone a happy Easter, and may you all truly experience the hope and renewal found in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. See you all tomorrow night!
Much love to all, Joanne

Last day in Ecuador

We have one more day in Ecuador. Yesterday we could not go zip lining due to the heavy rain and land slides, the road was closed. No one complained and we turned around and did some sightseeing in the center of Quito. We then went to an open market where lots of money was spent! Today we have an Easter service at one of the local churches and then last minute preparations for the trip home tomorrow morning. Thanks again for your continued prayers! Mrs. Kadle

The Aftermath of La Slava!

The Jungle.. one word: indescribable. Living in Huaticocha for the week was one of the best experiences i have ever lived in my life. What i expected from these past 5 days have been so much more than i ever could have imagined. Everyday had its own amazing moments and incredible impacts. I think we saw over 50 different smiles each day and i think that's what helped us to keep going. Living in the jungle wasn't easy. It wasn't always a pleasure but it was so worth it! Sometimes the living part wasn't enjoyable but I still kept on craving every moment in Huaticocho. Every person we met was incredible. I love and miss them so much! There were so many great memories made in the jungle and God worked his mighty hand in everyone. He changed us in away that he can only do, which is so amazing! God was so evident this week in Huaticocha and in our lives. I wouldn't change this trip for the world! God's plan is so mysterious and unknown, but it is so promising and worth it. Sometimes while in the jungle, unexpected things would happen and at the moment we would be a little let down, yet in the next moment to come God had something in store. He turned our midexpectations into something better! With God our days were transformed into beauty and I think that's exactly what he's doing in all of our lives. He has stired our hearts soooooooo much! We are broken with arms open wide for anything God has in store, and it is so evident. Just listening to each and every thought we have during our debriefs, change is evident. THE JUNGLE WAS THE BEST THING EVER! and i hope that encourages anyone reading :) we wish you were all here to experience His beautiful heart in Ecuador. So we send our love <3. Goodnight!
-Veronica Coverson

Ecuador is legend what for it... Dary

lots of things happend in the jungle the first day we went to a church survice that wiill always be a memorable time in my life this is because that was when i gave my testimony. it was hard for me to talk about the things that happend in my life with my fellow piers because it was all about times i leaned on god. and that was the  very first time i ever talked about the death of my cousin who was like a brother to me. that was an especially hard time because for a small amount of time i denied god all together. but through this expirience of sharing my testimony a huge weight was lifted from me. i think of that as my baggage and everyone has some and through this time of sharing my testimony my fellow piers were able to help me with my baggage. the work was very had but at the end i was told i was diging a trentch for the sewer line. andv i thoght for a minnute and saw that if i did not do the work that i did they would not even have a flushing toilet. there was something really funny that happend on the bus. it fell into a trentch of mud it was really fun falling when we wee on the bus all of usv are safe and thankfully it was not a cliff.Tonight we had devotions as well and i told everyone about how they helped me lift my baggage and that it helped me so much and i also told them about the first ecuador meeting and how i thought this would be a boring service trip because all these people who are comming to ecuador i have no clue who they are at all and through this expirience i hqave made so many friendships that i will always keep and now i see the people here as really good friends .so i had a fun time and eveything and for my brither and cousins the jungle was legond wait for it best wishes to all my familly...Dairy.
                                                                              sincerly,
                                                                            enrique falk
  P.S. if my parents are reading this blog i love all of you guys and tell the familly that i miss them all ad that i was so thankful for the devotions that they wrote me. and tell lil Angelica that i read her devotional and i thought about it alot and i fell that me and her need to hang out more so we can restore the closness that we had with each other. i am very sad that i do not get to spend easter sunday but my spirit will be there just remember that. be sure to giuve the familly my love.
                                                                              Love,

                                                   your son that is your favorite( Enrique Falk)

Im a survivor!

Hey everyone! I have just had one of the best experiences of my life. I lived in a jungle house in Huatichocha, 6 hours outside of Quito, which was really really great. Living in the jungle was hard but I loved it and it made me truly grateful for everything I have in my life- especially running water. We worked every morning building a missionary school close to the houses where we were staying. I got to shovel more dirt,  digging a trench for the sewer line! yay! I was so blessed to be a part of making this school where missionaries will be sent to remote villages in Ecuador and eventually all over the world. We also visited different villages everyday doing a vacation bible school, where I worked with my puppet team, and had a church service most night. Each night different students would share their testiminies and it was so awesome to see God work directly throught them each time. God has been so evident to me on this trip- whether it be through our bus going in a ditch or not being able to zipline, everything that has happened has been for a reason and God has shown me to trust Him. I am so sad that my trip is almost over and wish I could stay longer, but I'm glad to come home to you all. Keep praying for the church service tomorrow and our supposed ziplining trip. Happy Easter and I'll see you soon!!!  LOVE YOU- Ana  P.S. the food is great... and I havent eaten guinea pig yet haha

AH Ecuador!

Well.... the trip is practically over.  I am really really really sad.  I have connected so well with the people in the three villages or something we visited.  It makes me realize how great we have it.  But anyways, as Mrs. Haugen would say, today we went "SHOPPING!" Dude(s), shopping in Ecuador is so amazing.  There are so many markets, and there is so much stuff to buy.  But on top of all that, you can BARGAIN.  It kind of reminded me of Mexico with the vendors.  But seriously, in all honestness <-- probably not a word (sorry Miss Doyle), the stores have so much variety and stuff.  It makes you want to buy everything, and it makes you realize how much money you wish you could have.  Another weird thing that happened today were the children on the streets offering gum.  They would come up and ask if we wanted some, and some kids even started crying.  I almost succumbed, but people told me the kids would run off laughing and shouting after you would buy from them.  So I didn't.  And I had the greatest empanadas ever! SO GOOD! That accounts my thoughts from the day.  So much more I could write, but other people are in line to tell even greater stories.   So Peace, Love, and Happiness.

-Daniel Lee

 

Our bus adventures! Our bus got stuck and started to turn on its side and was miraculously stopped! God was truly watching out for us. The bus that picked us up had rooftop seating so we had a mini jungle-safari :)

 

Some from our VBS in Huaticocha!

Sorry our internet is not allowing us to put up an album so I'm loading a few that show the church, soccer, and construction in Huaticocha and a couple other locations we went to during the week!

Jungle adventure with Jim bow!!

Just came back from jungle:) Seriously the best experience ever. First time I was worried about the bugs and the humid weather but the experience I had with the kids, family and people in church was amazing. I loved the kids so much. Among the kids my best friend was Faul. He had a sick mohawk and he was really good in soccer. If I have to describe the jungle, I would describe as the place where I dreamed in my dream. Like the perfect jungle I could think of was actually existed. The jungle was amazing and it seemed like the fantasy world. I would never forget the view of the jungle.

Greater is He That is Within Us

What an amazing experience ministering in the jungle!  We saw God work in many ways.  I want to share one of these ways because I know the kids will not be bloggin about this one.
One of the places that we did VBS at  was at a school in the villiage of Diez de Augusto.  There are very few Christians in that comunity yet 90 children showed up for the VBS.  (They had been waiting for 1 1/2 hours for us since we were a bit late with the bus incident.)  Though the teachers there were not believers, they asked us to come and pray for them.  Four of them showed up for prayer and five us us also were there with them. This last year two of the teachers had died unexpectedly.  It had been rumored that the witchdoctor in the town had put a curse on the school and these teachers were very fearful.  Mark Shaefer (the missionary we worked with) explained to them how the the Creator sent his son to die for us to take the punishment for our sin and that they needed to trust in him for protection against the evil spirits.  Each of us prayed for one of the teachers.  Jim (a new missionary there) prayed for one of the men and showed him Steps to Peace with God book and the teacher prayed to receive Christ.  What a blessing!  (I wish I could speak Spanish!!)  Pray that he would read the Bible that Jim gives him and that he would be able to share Christ with the other teachers there.  - Mrs. Hahn

I WILL SURVIVE

Holy cow! What an amazing week in the jungles of  Ecuador! So many things happened throughout this entire week. It was the fastest and yet shortest week of my life. Although the days seemed long; the week went by so fast! I could have stayed there another month before I would have wanted to come back. The construction that we did was hard and tedious, but we ultimately helped the start of a building that will bless many in the future. Us boys slept in what looked like a treehouse the entire week and we had many visitors throughout the week, like chickens, dogs, and bats. This week, a couple people were saved by Jesus. We ran a Vacation Bible School for a couple different villages throughout the jungle. I met many cool and amazing kids that I will remember forever. This trip was an amazing experience and one of the best trips I have ever been on. Thank you for all your prayers and support! More pictures and details to come!
Thanks so much,
Alex

YES, we are alive!

Words cannot express the awesome work we experienced and took part of during our time in Huaticocha. People came to know the Lord, people were healed, people opened up, people bonded, and many children heard about Jesus. (We also experienced our bus tipping into a ditch, but PTL He protected us!) The time in Huaticocha was truly amazing. Everyday our general schedule consisted of breakfast and devotions to start the day, and construction until work. The construction of the mission school included digging a long, long trench, moving a huge pile of dirt, and leveling a mountain of red clay. Lunch was always carefully prepared and delicious. The VBS that we ran through 3 times, went not quite as planned. We encountered spiritual warfare through out the week, especially on Wednesday. The bus tipped over and needed to be towed, the wind blew the pictures off the flanograph, and many distractions piled together. But as we prayed and trusted in God's sovereign plan, He provided and many children responded to the call for response and repeated the believer's prayer after me. PTL He is good. We were all warmly welcomed and slept well, waking up every morning to the tens of roosters crowing, dogs barking, and trucks' horns :). We have now we returned to Casablanca and feel that we have arrived at a palace of the King. Thank you for all your prayers! More details, stories, and pictures to come. Much love to all, Joanne.

Back in Quito!

Hey everyone we are back in Quito. We had an amazing time in the jungle. I will let the kids tell you about it and soon we will have pictures. Thank you for praying. We really needed it.
Mrs. Kadle

We will be out of touch till Friday night since we are heading to the jungle, so you won't be hearing from us for a while! Don't worry we will take care of all your kiddos! This is Ecuador team 2012 over and out :)

p.s. love you mom, noelle, dad and ryan : )

-Reb

Hi from Erika

Hi mom and dad,
Ecuador has been really fun so far! I got really sunburnt working outside in the garden with a bunch of grub worms, so I'm putting more sunscreen on now. :) I also carried tiles and rocks which will be used for the rooms and walls. I've actually been eating pretty well too, and I'm super excited for the jungle today. It's supposed to be much more humid and raining than it is here in Quito, but don't worry because I'll wear a jacket and warm clothes everyday. I've been taking all my medicine and my ankle hasn't been hurting, so I have been able to do all the work. I hope you are having a great time at home and I'll see you both soon. I love you!
Love,
Erika

Devotionals

Thank you all for the work you did to give us devotionals each day.  I heard one of the girls this morning saying to her friend, "Remember when we were talking about encouraging each other yesterday?  Listen to the verse from Philippiains that my mother wrote in my devotional.,..." So your devotionals aren't just helping to encourage your kids, but the other kids as well.  When Mrs. Kadle gave us the packets. my husband took one for me as well.  I told him not to bother since it was just for the students, but he emailed a few of my friends and my four daughters asking them to write a devotional or word of encouragement for me then put it in my suitcase when I wasn't looking.  So far I have read one from him and from three of my daughters. They have been a real blessing and I am looking forward to hearing God's Words to me through the rest of the week.  Mrs. Hahn

A new adventure is about to begin!

Hi everyone! Joanne here :) Yesterday was a whole new experience for me. The church we visited in Caupichu welcomed us with open arms, literally. Every time a new church member came into the room, whether young or old, would come and shake every one of our hands and give us a hug and kiss of the cheek. I felt very welcomed and admired their unity and love founded in Jesus Christ. The church service went really well and the congregation seemed to enjoy it. I had a English Bible with me, and all the ladies sitting around me kept touching and looking at it, isn't it amazing that people from two different cultures and speaking two different languages, can still come together and worship the same God? After service, the church family served us a carefully prepared dinner of chicken, abacitas (looks like large lima beans), corn, cheese, and pico de gallo, yum! We were encouraged by their generosity and kindness amiss their poverty. The food was plentiful and we could barely eat it all. Last night when we got back to Casablanca, our team met Rich Brown, the founder of Inca Link International, and the head director of Inca Link Ecuador, for the first time (for some of us, the second time). He exhorted us to listen to the voice of the Creator and the Spirit, and see what God wants to do in us. Mr. Brown (or Senor Rico Cafe), encouraged us in our faith and trust in God during the coming adventures. It was a very encouraging time and a nice time of worship together. Today our team is setting out on a whole new adventure in Huaticocha. After devotions and breakfast, our team will leave Casablanca for the jungle! I am so excited to meet the people there and see how God is working there. The bus ride there will take about 5 hours. Once we get there, we will be playing soccer with the kids. Please continue to pray for us, some specific prayer requests are:flexibility and adaptability for the new experience, safety for the river time, and protection from bug bites as well as perseverence and patience through it all. Thank you so much for your support! We'll let you all know how it went when we are back in Quito!

Ecuador 2012 day 2

Check out a few pics from day 2!

We're actually not in Ecuador... APRIL FOOLS!

Soooo today is Easter... gotcha again! April Fools! Today is Palm Sunday, as well as April Fools:). It's day two, and just in only 48 hours we have experienced a new world. Ecuador is a beautiful and amazing place. It is full of wonderful creation and beautiful people. Friday we arrived in Quito after about 10 hours of plane rides, walking, eating, sleeping, and luggage claim. We got to our new house for the weekend and met our hosts, who are incredibly loving people. Saturday, we worked from 9am to about 3pm, with some breaks in the middle. We moved some rocks, did some gardening, and were able to work with the people of Ecaudor to build a new roof. It was interesting learning some of their techniques and customs. Even if we're not able to completely speak the language, these people are so loving, fun, and open to us. Today we worked for an hour in the morning, and then traveled to south Quito where we participated in the church! it was so much fun! It is so beautiful to see God working in us and through his creation, whether it be plants, animals, creepy crawlers, or the people of Ecuador. It is also such a blessing to get the chance to get close to our classmates and friends, some of whome we've never hungout with before. I love our team! There has not been one moment that joy hasn't filled the room. OH! and the food! the food is sooo tasty! Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.. always something new. God has given us this chance, and i have yet to understand exactly why he has chosen us or me, but i have complete faith and trust that he will show me just that. I am excited to see what He has in store for me and the rest of the crew. Our God is good and he has a purpose. There is nothing too big or too small that God cannot take care of. He has so much love for these people in Ecuador and i am so greatful that we being so small, get to share his amazing love and light to them. It is a blessing! We are blessed. I hope all is well in California! We send our love and joy. May God be with you today and for the rest of your days to come. Tomorrow until Friday we will be in the jungle! Keep us in your prayers! :) Love, Veronica Coverson<3

Sunday Happenings

SUNDAY. Today we woke up had breakfast outside in the backyard, journaled and read our bibles. Since today was palm sunday we read Luke 19 for the story of Jesus' grand entrance. After we worked around casa blanca moving rocks and tile. Then we showered got into our dresses and went to a mall in Ecuador! It was awesome. Robyn and I were able to speak to some people in Ecuador about what we were doing there and what our mission was, it was awesome! After running about the mall we drove to a church in the southern part of Quito. The experience was amazing! We did part of the service with puppets, testimonies, sermons, and dramas. I had to do a little explanation on one of the dramas in front of the congergration... it was a bit scary but God helped me have the right words to say. We got to meet the indigenious people and there culture shone through. We got to meet children and talk with them and love them, they also loved on us. It was such a neat experience and I loved every second of it. Then we were served dinner which was very plentiful. Then we rode home had debrief and now Mrs. Hahn just told us to go pack! Chow! -Tori Ramirez

Ecuador!!!

Hello Everyone!! I am having a wonderful time so far here in Ecuador. I have missed this place so much from last year, and it is so great to be back and to be able to reconnect with people from last year. Yesterday we did some work at Casa Blanca whihc included moving rocks, tree stumps, wood chip tiles and also hay/grass stuff that was used for building a roof just like back in the day before the Incans! That was really cool. Today we did some more rock and tile moving and we saw a ton of different bugs, spiders, caterpillars/centipedes, and even a scorpion! We also went to Caupichu for church and we got to know the people there which was super rad! Tomorrow we are headed to the jungle and im very excited. Please continue praying for us! Love you all, katie jensen

Ecuador day twoooo!!!!

Ahhhh I still cant even believe im in Ecuador! mind boggling :)It is so beautiful! Today was an amazing day.. we started off with devos and worship music. Seriously the worship we do together is just so awesome Then we went to work outside of casa blanca. finally finished our body breaking job of moving rocks up and down stairs haha WOOO!! All the outside jobs were so fun and in the process of our work we were able to take the coolest pictures ever becuase ecuadors ridicously gorgeous! Later in the day we went to a church in the highlands. The ecuadorian people are amazing. They are so welcoming and sweet. They truely treat us like family because we are.. in Christ :)My favorite part of the day was being able to play with the kids at church. Honestly these kids are hilarious and have impacted my life immensly. God answered my prayer today- the language barrier was completely broken. Not being able to speak spanish fluently was not a problem at all and I was able to play with the kids and make amzing memories with them. One little girl named veronica was very shy at first but she finally came out of her shell and me and her sang, danced, and played multiple games together. It was awesome to just love on her and just have a great time! We ended the night with a HUGE feast that the church made for us. One thing taken very seriously in Ecuador is to never waste your food and eat all thats on your plate. Te food was absolutely delicious, but my stomach can only fill up so much! haha we started playing a game double tap. whoever picked up their cup and did double tap their cup when putting it down had to take some of everyones food to eat! .. God is so Good and is truely working in our group! Cant wait for what is to come <3 Robyn

I'm home!

This is Mrs. Kadle writing. This is our first full day here in Ecuador. We were blessed with a beutiful sunny day with no rain. We even got to see some of the snow capped mountain early this morning. I am very proud of our King's students. Everyone worked really hard doing construction around the home that we are staying. We are preparing for our church service that we giving tomorrow afternoon. Justin Chen will be preaching and our puppet team will be doing a story. Please keep us in your prayers!!!

First day in Ecuador by Enrique Falk

My very first day in Ecuador was a very new experience for me that i would have never experienced. some of the locals came and showed us how the native people would create their straw houses. it was cool because it looked just like a page out of my history book. when i woke up the next day i found out that i got a really bad sunburn and hated that since it was on my ears and my neak. i found out that since we are at the Ecuator the sun shines straight down and we need a whole lot of sun creen i dont even think i brought enough sun screen. the weather here is so nice and the view is so great we are on top of a mountain and can see all of the valley.

I'm Here!

Hi everyone! I made it safely to Ecuador and I love it here. The weather is better than expected and its been sunny and warm here...maybe too sunny. We all have a sunburn from the few hours working yesterday at the place we are staying, Casa Blanca. I'm having a great time so far- I dug up a lawn to plant a garden and practiced puppets for service which we will do today at a local church. Yesterday some people came from the "Highlands" to thatch a roof in the backyard. I got to learn how to weave rope and I now feel ready to brave the jungle tomorrow! Im trying to enjoy our last day in civilization before we leave early in the morning. Keep praying for our team and that we have a safe, healthy rest of the trip, continue to bond and get to know each other, and are able to impact those we serve as well as be impacted ourselves. I also wanted to thank my family and friends for writing me such great letters of encouragements- they have indeed encouraged me! I miss you all and I'll see you in a week! - LOVE Ana :)

Friends and Family!!!

Sending out a quick hello to you guys! Ecuador is amazing...I'm exhausted...and slightly crispy (mom, don't get mad at me ;)) but things are going so well. Currently we are enjoying staying in the coolest house with a community of different people from all over. Places like Switzerland, England, Minnesota and Ohio...and everyone has a special God story. The people are so loving and generous. Today we will finish up some construction around the house then head off to church where we will be heading up the service and getting to know the people there. Tomorrow...the jungle....This will probably be one of the most unique experiences I will ever go through. Well...I say that now. I can't wait to share my stories and pictures when I get back! Please be praying for safety, health and that we can really just know what it means to truly serve and love. Alright...back to my cup of cafe'...the one thing that is keeping me going on the amount of sleep I am NOT getting. HA! Love to you all!!!! Sincerely, Hawley Menser P.S. God Calling God Calling God Calling ;)

hey guys!! so. Ecuador so far is super great. It's really fun and it's really tough actually. I'm actually learning a lot though. Food is amazing and people are amazing. I'm pretty nervous about tomorrow so whoevers reading this it'd be cool if you guys could pray for me. Well.were done for tonight. see you guys tomorrow haha -Justin

Hey Dad & Mom and Giulianna, Here are some fun things we did today: moved rocks, helped to make a thatched roof for the garden, and removed some grass and found many grub worms. I really miss you!!! Hope to see you soon, Ella

Ecuador Day 1

Click on the picture to view the album of our first day!

Hey there, It's Alex here; you would not believe how insane it is over here! It has only been a day and so much has already happened. Just on the plane ride over here I was able to help an elderly couple that could not speak english. Along with Erika's help, we were able to help them with what they needed. Once we arrived to Quito, you could already notice the change in atmosphere. Everything was different; talk about a culture shock! After dinner we were able to get to know the awesome people that we are staying with. Once we all woke up, we ate breakfast and started singing a couple songs that we all knew. From there, we broke off into teams and worked around the place we are staying. My group worked on tearing up and expanding the garden. I also meet a couple people that were building a gazibo next to the garden my group was at; I learned that they attend the church that we are running tomorrow. It is just crazy to see the amount of work God is doing, even though it has been only a day. Tomorrow we leave for Huaticocha (I'm not sure if I spelt that right) please pray for our continued saftely and that we are able to touch the villagers hearts through our ministry. Thanks a ton! Alex

Love in Quito by Tori Ramirez

Why hello there followers! Being in Ecuador has been a beyond amazing experience already, and its only day 1! Today we woke up had a delicious breakfast, put on our work clothes and headed out to work around Casa Blanca. There were three teams. Team one was in charge of the garden, Team two was in charge moving logs, and team three was in charge of moving rocks. I was a part of team one, working in the garden. Our task was to plow up part of the grass area and mix it with the soil so there could be more room to grow various items. While digging we found HUGE grubworms... like the ones from Lion King status... they were beyond disgusting. But since we found so many of them we decided to make a little collection. As the day progressed I met some Quito residents. (It really comes in handy knowing Spanish) I met a sweet 8 year old girl named Abigail who I fell in love with. She was such a sweetheart and a full of life young child. I also met two toddler girls named Michelle and Genesis. And a sweet young 10 year old boy named Willmy. Being with the kids was such a great experience and I enjoyed it very much. Well back to our pile of grubworms. After a while Mr. Wilson, our oh-so-wise leader, offered Nico $50 if he picked up a grub worm and full on licked it. After the whole group grathered around, cameras were in position, and many of us screaming. Nico grabed a slimy enormous worm put his tongue up to it and licked it... Well done Nico, hahaha. Afterwards we had lunch and then continued working. Then we came inside and rehearsed skits, puppets, testimonies, and worship for palm sunday sermon that the group will be doing tomorrow for the local Quito church. The atmosphere is great. Being with fellow christians is amazing and indescribable we all love the Lord and want to seek him in a new way. We worship and praise him and its just an overall wonderful experience. Well I believe its dinner time. Hasta Luego! -Tori Ramirez

For some reason this just isn't hard enough. I'm going to try and make sure the kids work way harder the rest of the week. I can confirm however, that this is realllllly hard for me and the other adults. The burden is heavy but we will persevere. Hopefully the harder the kids work the better things will get for us all. I am very proud of most of out kids, you parents know who I'm talking about. For the others, well, you know. I did have one wonderful student today, they were working so hard and were such wonderful contributors that I had to find out their name and recognize their efforts. As we talked they expressed how they had never worked this hard in their life and felt bad about how little they did at home and how they were committing to work harder at home...but I forgot their name. Mr. Wilson

Hi Dad, Mom, Khoi and Khoa!! Haha I'm so excited to be back in Ecuador! I moved some rocks and did seperated some hay today. Although it was tiring I'm glad I was able to help out around Casablanca :) I miss you guys! Happy 12th Birthday Khoi! Love you all! :D -Natalie

Hey Mom, Hey Dad, I doing fine and I am so excited to be back serving in Ecuador!! I am looking forward to the new experiences that God will bring. -Vania

ECUADOR!

Today has been great so far! I have not gotten sunburned yet and we got to work alongside Ecuadorian people in helping them make grass rolls to go on top of a roof! I am really excited to see what else this trip brings! -Ashley Fanjoy :D p.s. hi mom and dad!

Ecuador Adventure!

Doing some manual labor, having some worship during our rest time, and returning to work for a couple hours really opened my eyes to how effective we can be. Our construction may be difficult, but it is fulfilling God's purpose for us committing to this mission trip. I feel our group growing closer together by really putting in our best effort and encouraging each other. Seeing some really disgusting, scary bugs was terrifying but it is also part of the experience! I feel that God will really do great things with this group that is full with so many varities of talents that glorify Him.

Our first day

Hi everyone, this is Joanne. (I'm sorry if this is not coherrent, we are all exhausted right now.) Although the clock reads 1:30pm, it feels like this day has been so much longer. This morning started out with breakfast that our cooks had carefully prepared for us. Then we gathered in the living room for devotions that were led by Sra Kadle. She shared a poem written by a past coworker called "Heaven's Grocery Store." We also read today's devotions you all wrote for us. (Thank you!) Then we closed with prayer for today, for the team and the symptoms we are experiencing due to the high altitude.
The rest of the morning was filled with construction projects at Casablanca. Our team was divided into three groups: group 1 planted flowers and prepared soil for a garden, group 2 moved heavy logs up a hill in order to create a wedding ceremony area, and group 3 moved large rocks from one area to another. The morning flew by quickly as we worked hard and gave our 110%. After we finished our projects, we were assigned the task of moving those same large rocks to another pile across Casablanca's property. In order to do this we formed an assembly line so no one person would need to carry one rock a long way. After working for about an hour, the pile had been moved halfway. Luckily, we were allowed to stop for lunch at 12:45pm to replemish our energy levels. Now it is time to head back out and move rocks. Thank you for all your prayers, we love and miss you all! Picture will be up soon. Love, Joanne

Hi Mike, I miss you. Love, Bettie

HI EVERYBODY! Joanne says hi....we all arrived safely, made all our connections, and are now at Casa Blanca enjoying a cloudless morning! Thank you for all your prayers for our travels, we really had an uneventful day and only were delayed a hour in coming into Quito. Gustavo, along with the two interns, Abby and Annie, welcomed us to Ecuador and briefed us on our "contract" for the week....which included: choose joy, be here and now, give a %110, challenge by choice, and love covers all. We were all challenged to encourage one another in these aspects and keep one another accountable throughout the week. Today we will be participating in construction around the house and getting used to the altitude... Stay tuned for day 2's events!