Otro Color

"He is no fool to lose what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."- Jim Elliot

It’s been way too long since I last updated! Sorry for the hold up! Just in case you hadn’t heard I arrived safely in Ecuador. After about 28 hours of hanging in airports and flying I arrived in Quito and spent the day exploring the city. We took off early the next morning to begin our 5-hour journey to my new home in Shell but about an hour into the drive our van broke down. We spent around 3 hours on the side of the road while waiting for a tow truck and a taxi to drive us the rest of the way. Good thing I love adventures! After arriving in Shell, my roommate Melissa and I spent the next couple days getting settled into our new home and exploring the town. We started meetings at the foundation (Casa de Fe) that following Monday where we met with all the new staff to go over what we wanted the school year to look like and to decorate our classrooms. We started classes on September 7^th and all the kids were excited to be back in school and start learning! I get the privilege of teaching two different grades. I teach English, Science and Computer classes for 2^nd and 6^th grade and so far it has been great! We are now 3 weeks into our school year and I think everyone is finally getting settled into a routine. Even though it’s been quite an adjustment from being the student to the teacher it is definitely a learning experience! I know I will come away from this school year having learned a lot from the students and the other teachers.. there is so much to learn! Coming to Ecuador was a huge culture shock, I didn’t think there would be because I had been to Latin America many times before but visiting another culture is very different than moving and trying to adjust to a whole new way of life. At first I was homesick and missed all my friends back home. And I was questioning whether or not God had really asked me to move here. But as I asked God these questions, He assured me I was where He wanted me and that He had a huge plan for me here. The first two weeks were really hard but they made me rely on God for strength and reassurance of His promises. God has been so faithful in keeping His promises. Little by little He is revealing to me areas of my life that He wants me to surrender to Him and even though it’s been hard, it’s been a really good time of healing and growth in my walk with the Lord. Very freeing! God is also showing me who He wants me to invest in, at CDF and in the community and how He wants me to serve Him while I am here. I am so excited about this year, about the time I get to spend with all the great people I am meeting and the work God is going to do in my life and in the lives of those around me!

“My life is worth nothing unless I use it for doing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus – the work of telling others the good news about God’s wonderful kindness and love.” (Acts 20:24)