I was blessed to be able to go to Ecuador this year! It all started back in October of last year when the church members were given the opportunity to sponsor kids in Ecuador. In 2010 The Crossing had an initiative to build 10 churches around the world. They partnered with Compassion International to build this one in a small community in Ecuador called Las Lagunas. They have done child sponsorship before, but this time felt different and I knew we had to do one...I purposely picked a boy younger than Jayson and born in June...Jay's 4th child :) Kinda jokingly, I said it would be cool to one day actually go and see the kid we sponsor. Then when they announced the trips planned for the year in January, I had that same feeling, God tugging at my heart to go and after much thought, I went!
we would see pics of the church at church and it was this little red church on top of hill, so was pretty cool to be able to see it in person...after school the kids run up the hill and have a safe place to play, eat and learn
was a group of 24 of us from The Crossing, 6 from the Crossing in Tulsa
we painted the fence around the playground and in the classroom
visited homes...
and just played
the most exciting part, meet the kids we sponsor
part of the Compassion program works with new moms to ensure that the kids are learning and healthy
As worried as I was about being out of my comfort zone, it really wasn't a rough trip at all, perfect for a first Missions Trip...I mean we stayed on the beach :)
what's so great about Compassion International is that it is not just about giving money, it's about teaching life skills so that people can make their communities a better place
they are advocates for children and their mission is to release them from their spiritual, economic, social and physical poverty and
enable them to become responsible and fulfilled Christian adults
I never took Spanish, so I had a wonderful translator, Lucia
breakfast and dinner were at the hotel, buffet style...I usually had ceviche which they eat with banana chips, and pastries, the chocolate croissants there were amazing, seriously the best!
I was surprised to learn that some eat ceviche with popcorn, I liked it
dinner was usually american style buffet
But lunch was home cooked meals from Sister Rosa
paella! and the white pineapple was so good...not a huge pineapple person but this one was the best ever. Throughout the week, she also made empanadas, menudo, fish, so yummy!
Sister Rosa is the one behind it all, an amazing story how she walked into Las Lagunas, saw a need there and brought together the church family, Compassion and The Crossing together
It was also great to get to know more people at the church...I only knew a few prior to the trip
we ran together on the beach and had fun nights over wine or coffee :)
the best mochachino made with condensed milk
our last day we took the kids to the pool and beach...we were able to bring a back pack full of goodies for them...Jayson gave Kevin his back pack filled with some of his cars
one of the few games I know how how to play and some other stuff like candy, clothes, toys
he really did enjoy the beach, spent most of the time just lifting him up as the waves came with Lucia
got to meet a gal that has been sponsored since she was 3, now in her third year of college studying medicine...amazing to hear how impactful our support and letters can give a child hope :)
My roomie with our amazing Compassion representatives/coordinators/translators, it was so organized, couldn't have been better...Camilo in the middle said something to us that totally made sense that I would have never thought of on my own. He said, "don't leave thinking you have to sell everything and live with less because of what you have seen, but go home be thankful for what you have and ask God for more so you can give more." Crazy, cause that is what I was first thinking, have to go home, edit life, etc... and while I still want to be less wasteful, be wiser with time and money, it's great to be reminded that it's okay to blessed and enjoy life and what God has given us as long as we are also being generous and using some of what he gives us to help others
