Since arriving in Ecuador we have all been truly blessed in so many ways. We have experienced an amazing since of fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ who are serving along side us on this trip. We all come from different parts of the U.S. and even a few from Canada; however, we have all bonded and it has been such a wonderful experience sharing our faith with one another.
We have been blessed by the beauty of this place – the picturesque mountains, the city landscape and the spirit of the people. It is amazing how much beauty can exist in a place which is so impoverished. The beauty is not only seen in the majestic landscape, but it is seen in the people of Ecuador. Despite the extreme poverty, the people are happy. There is a true calm that exists here.
Our hearts have been touched deeply by watching the children playing soccer happily in the streets, hearing their genuine laughter, and experiencing their unconditional love. We too often take for granted what we have been given in life. The past three days have truly opened my eyes to how blessed we truly are.
Day One:
Today we served at a French-led youth organization known as Ecuasol. This organization provides before and after school care to at risk youth in a highly impoverished area of Quito. While serving at Ecuasol, we were blessed with the opportunities to paint the exterior walls surrounding the facility and interact with the children by playing games and soccer. The fellowship that was shared by both our ministry team and those who work at Ecuasol was a blessing. Even more of a blessing was seeing the joy on the children’s faces as we interacted with them and experiencing their unconditional love. We concluded today’s ministry by climbing to the top of a nearby mountain where we were able to observe God’s majesty through the beautiful landscape of the surrounding area.
Day Two:
Today we continued continued our ministry at Ecuasol by completing the painting of the walls, painting murals on interior walls, and painting scripture verses and inspirational quotes on the outside walls. We were also blessed with the opportunity again to interact with the children who attend Ecuasol. A few of us decided to brave the mountain again with those who did not get the opportunity to view the majestic view the day before. We concluded today’s ministry with a prayer walk throughout the local neighborhood surrounding Ecuasol. We observed extreme poverty, but at the same time were blessed by seeing how the children seemed so content in their lives. It was truly a wake up call to me, and I am guessing many of the others on our ministry team, to realize how truly blessed we all are.
Day Three:
Today we were blessed with the opportunity to serve at Camp Hope. Camp Hope is a home for special needs children. This morning we joined the children at a local swimming pool where we helped them enjoy time in the water. It was truly a blessing for all us to meet these children and interact with these children. It was a reminder that God creates all of his children with a purpose and it blessed our hearts to be able to share love with these children and to feel their love for us. We concluded today’s ministry with a tour of Camp Hope’s Facility. Tomorrow we will return to Camp Hope to do needed volunteer work.
