Pointing me Forward

            As some of you have heard, I am going to be spending another year in Ecuador. This has been a very difficult decision to make because the past year has been one of the most difficult years of my life. I have spent much time ready to give and go home. I often felt isolated and alone, and unfortunately these emotions were tainting my entire experience of Ecuador. If you had asked me a couple of months ago if I was going to come back to Ecuador I would have told you no. In fact, I probably would have said to you that I would never come back.

            This isn’t to say that things have been all bad. There has been a TON of blessing! The kids who come to the club have grown in surprising ways! I firmly believe that many concepts that we feel are too difficult for children to understand are actually not if explained well and boy do these kids understand things. Back in September I would ask the kids a question pertaining to the Bible and the answers I got were almost always ‘Jesus’ and ‘God.’ The other day I was teaching an English song and we were taking turns erasing words off the board. When it got to the last word I couldn’t decide who to choose as they all desperately crowded me with their hands in the air screaming “YO! YO!” (ME! ME!). So I asked a question. “Who was the third king of Israel?”
            Without hesitation Joel, one of the older boys, perhaps 10 years old said, “Solomon!” He got to erase the last word.

            If any of you came to visit you would find a group of kids who are not only willing, but wanting to practice the little English they know with you and even to say the books of the Bible that they have learned so far in order (We’ve done up to Daniel in the Old Testament). It is easy to say that these kids have been the joy of my time here. They are the reason I wanted to come to Ecuador. I wanted to work with poor kids and I am living the dream. I spend my afternoons fighting off all the hugs the kids want to give me and having conversations with kids that they would never feel comfortable having with their own parents because they are treated like second rate citizens out there. I treat them like equals. I am firm, but forgiving. I try my hardest to treat them the way that Jesus would if he were here, and the ways in which they have opened up to me has been incredible!

            I have also been blessed with amazing friends. My social life is at least a five day a week activity, and I am thankful for the community that God has provided for me.
            Despite all this, it has not been easy. The club is a two hour bus ride each way, and no matter how many friends I have down here, it is not home and I cannot help but feel like life with family and friends in Canada and the States is flying by and I am missing out. The hardest has been watching my nephew grow up online and having two grandparents pass away.

            So why come back? I have schooling to finish. I have a family and friends to get back to. Well, it’s a simple answer really: I am trying to be obedient.

            Over and over again in the past year people have been telling me that I should consider another year, and it is always for the same reason. When I go home there is probably nobody who is going to take over the after school kids club that I started. The Saturday club will continue, but with about 5 volunteers and up to 70 kids, it is not the same sort of intentional relationship building and teaching. I have a huge burden on my heart for these kids. Like Rosa who is given pages of writing exercises every day for homework, but cannot read. Or Jose and Johanna who come from such a broken home that they are essentially left to fend for themselves.

            As I considered the possibility of coming back despite not wanting to, my dad came down to visit me. One of my conditions for coming back was getting support from home. I have said from the beginning that I am not here alone. I am an arm of my church back home. They have sent me and are as much a part of what I am doing here as I am. When I brought up the idea of coming back in front of my dad there was no opposition. When I talked to friends and family back home, it was all support. So I began praying about it. I needed God to tell me clearly what to do.

            One night I had a dream. Now I know the subject of dreams is a bit taboo to some of us, but I’ve learned not to limit God on these things. In my dream I was trying to play a game of cards with my brother, a friend, and two beautiful women. I was dealt in over and over again and I remember them all laughing and having a great time, but I never managed to play a hand. Every time I picked up my cards I was distracted by some paperwork I had to do to get ready for the kids club. While it was not fun, I had to do it, so I did. When I woke up I immediately recalled the dream and prayed about it. It seemed like God might have something in it for me. I felt like God was saying that I had to make a decision. I have a life back home that I really enjoy.  I have my family, my friends, and of course, I am not getting any younger and marriage has been a serious thought for me over the last couple years. But God was asking me if I found the value in doing this seemingly trivial paperwork. I felt like He wanted me to come back, but, like I said, I am not too quick to buy into the whole miraculous dream thing.

            After waking up a little more and praying, I did what I always do first thing in the morning: I opened my Facebook. I had a couple of notifications and a message. I checked the message and it was from my friend Lisa who was in Korea at the time. I must preface this by saying that Lisa is one of my biggest advocates for me coming home. All the message said was, “So you were in my dream last night and I couldn't figure out what the dream was about and it came to me...that you were staying in Ecuador a little longer so we planned that I was going to visit you sometime in the fall!...interesting eh?!?... Anyhow I guess unconsciously I'm missing you a lot!”

            My jaw dropped! What a fast answer to prayer! So I continued praying about it and so many things began falling into place. People who have the same dreams as I do for the poorer areas of Ecuador have approached me to see about the possibility of us working together in the future to make these things come to fruition. The big dream would be something along the lines of a hostel that also ran a kids club. The hostel would eventually be staffed by the parents of the kids who come to the club and these hostels could be opened all over the country. Proceeds would feed right back in to the community and the kids clubs. There are even dreams of an English school and a church. These are all still dreams and very much in the future, but I have felt fully confirmed by God that I am not done here yet.
            So now what? Where do we go from here? I am asking for prayer to start! This is clearly God’s work and I am seeking to follow His will throughout this. The next thing is financial support. I am going to be home all summer and am hoping to find either 8 people/couples who are willing to support this at $100 per month. Or 16 people at $50. The reality is that I am not going to be able to live here another year without help. If this is something you feel you could commit to, then please let me know.
            So here I am in Quito wrapping things up. English classes are done for the year and I only have two weeks of club left and I am trying to make the most of it! I fly in to Vancouver on June 26^th, just in time for my birthday (I was determined not to spend this one away from home. That can be hard for a twin). I plan on spending my summer getting things in order, doing a TON of homework (I am very far behind) and volunteering at camps.

            I would love to meet up with people for coffee as much as possible to catch up on things. Please keep me in your prayers over the next couple of weeks. God does amazing things in a short time and I have high hopes for my last few days with the kids.
            I cannot wait to get home and get my gears greased in preparation for another year in Ecuador. Thank-you to every one of you who has supported me financially, through prayers, and through words of encouragement! I have seen God’s goodness this year. Even when I am down and out, He never is. He has sustained me throughout and I give ALL the glory to HIM!