Happy Thanksgiving to all in the States! I hope you feel very blessed and enjoy your turkey today and the rest of this week! :) I am very thankful for a family here that has invited us over for an American Thanksgiving dinner. It should be fun!
Continuing from where I left off in my last blog, I finally felt a lot better last week and was able to go back to my normal routine of working and classes. I was VERY happy about that, and soo excited to see the kids again, whom I had missed so stinkin much. Last week and this week so far have been incredibly cold and rainy here in Quito. None of the buildings have heaters, so, unlike in the States, it is almost impossible to escape the feeling of freezing alive (I'm not entirely exaggerating!). In the evenings after work and classes, the other girls and I would huddle in our kitchen, wrapped in alpaca blankets, and sit around the oven while we took turns cooking things just so we could have the heat. Who would have ever thought it'd get this cold on the equator? I knew I'd be 10,000 feet high, but I still didn't expect it.
Actually, this cold is really unusual for Quito, and all the Ecuadorians have been making comments about it too. The children at the orphanage have really been affected by the cold and rain because they aren't allowed to play outside unless it's a decent temperature. Being kept inside is a huge deal for them because they typically spend about half their days outdoors. Their involuntary confinement resulted in everyone being grouchy, and the toddlers were biting and pulling each other's hair almost incessantly. Thankfully, the clouds parted for a short period of time Monday morning and we were able to take the kids on a walk. It didn't last long though, and by the afternoon it was pouring once again. Last night we went to Bryan's apartment and the guard at the gate was wearing a beanie, scarf around his face, several jackets, gloves, and bubble-wrap around his shoes, and I still felt really sorry for him. Needless to say, I hope the weather warms up soon! I'm such a Californian when it comes to being cold. :-P
This past Saturday, the 20th, Matt took our group out to El Refugio for a prayer retreat. El Refugio is a retreat center/camp that Youth World runs outside the city. It was nice to get out of the city for a bit again and be surrounded by the beauty and quietness of nature. The director of El Refugio, Paul, guided us in prayer and meditation throughout the morning, leading us through Jesus' parable of the Lost Coin and other passages. In the afternoon we were on our own to meet with God. We began our time in a sweet, “Swiss Family Robinson” style tree house in the mountains, and then were free to roam about where we pleased. Despite the intense cold, and mucho rain in the afternoon, I was happy with how the day turned out. I took the time to talk with God about my future (immediate and long-term) and to pray for the orphans and for a lot of you guys. It was also a time to think about what permanent changes I want in my life as a result of this experience in Ecuador. Though I didn't go into the prayer retreat starved for a time of solitude like many of peers (since I had gotten plenty of that while I was sick), I still enjoyed the time immensely. Regularly planned prayer retreats are something that are strongly encouraged to be a life habit here, and that is one of the MANY pieces of wisdom I plan on keeping with me for the rest of my life.
I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving, no matter where you spend it this year. :) I have been so blessed and am so thankful to God for each one of you. Whether you supported me through prayer or financial giving to enable me to come to Ecuador in the first place (almost three months ago), or if you have prayed for me every day, or even just once, since I've been down here – this experience would not have been the same without you, so Thanks! As you eat until you burst today, and as the Christmas shopping season officially begins, I pray that you will take the time to think about the beautiful people of Ecuador who hunger both physically and spiritually this Holiday season. And if you take the time to lift up a sincere prayer to God for them, I trust Him that their lives will be blessed. :)
I love you all so dearly!
With overwhelming thankfulness,
Jenni
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Thoughts on Being Sick
It's been over two weeks since I wrote my last blog. I apologize! I worked on one for several days last week, but ended up deciding not to put it online. It was titled "Faithfulness" and was my effort to summarize a lot of things that I have been processing through and learning here. Hahaha. I realized I still need to do a LOT more processing before I can put any of it into adequate words. I saved the draft though, so hopefully once I'm back in the States I'll be able to finish it.
The week before last was pretty uneventful as far as "doing" goes. I was still sick and stuck in bed a lot. I wasn't able to work at the orphanage and missed several classes, which was really hard. On Wednesday, the 11th, I had been sick for a week and a half, and had already tried taking over-the-counter meds without any results, so Bryan decided I needed to visit the nearby clinic. We went the next day and a doctor prescribed me two different types of meds. The appointment and the pills combined only cost me 20 bucks! Throughout the rest of the week I didn't feel much better, but once I finished the prescription last week I started to feel like I was on the mend. After two and a half weeks of being sick, I have finally gotten most of my health back.
Those weeks of being sick were a trying time for me, as I had to stay home alone quite a bit and felt like junk. A combination of feeling horrible and not being allowed to do anything made me an emotional and homesick wreck. However, I continually asked God throughout the days to not let them go to waste. I really believe that He did put them to good use, and I am so thankful for that. When I wasn't sleeping, I read, journaled, prayed, and cleaned the apartment a lot. I spent a lot of time thinking about, and processing through, what I had learned in my classes so far (thus the attempt at writing a blog last week). In my Spiritual Formation class, we recently had a discussion about “being vs. doing,” understanding what defines our lives as Christ-followers, and how to find that balance. What a gracious, timely gift from God, that He would give me that information right before I would need it the most. When I wanted to be “doing things” the most for God, He took my hand, stopping me from running ahead, and said, “Hold on, child.” He needed me to be completely still before He could teach me the particular things He had in mind.
Out of the two and a half months that I have been in Ecuador, my heart was transformed the most during those weeks of loneliness and “unproductiveness.” God called me to examine my heart and dig to a deeper level than ever before. It has been incredible to see Him move and speak to areas of my life that I didn't even know He wanted/needed to speak to. My soul can now rejoice in that time of sickness because I have seen what God has done in my weakness. In retrospect am reminded of what Paul said in 2 Cor. 12:9-10, “But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.'... That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” God is always gracious and loving, and it is so wonderful to know that He will never allow time to be wasted, as long as it is time given to Him. :)
Thank you to all for your love and support. As I've said before, your prayers mean the world to me, and especially now in these last few weeks of my trip. Know that I am praying for you too! Chao!
*Currently in love with the song “All the Way My Savior Leads Me” by Chris Tomlin.*
The week before last was pretty uneventful as far as "doing" goes. I was still sick and stuck in bed a lot. I wasn't able to work at the orphanage and missed several classes, which was really hard. On Wednesday, the 11th, I had been sick for a week and a half, and had already tried taking over-the-counter meds without any results, so Bryan decided I needed to visit the nearby clinic. We went the next day and a doctor prescribed me two different types of meds. The appointment and the pills combined only cost me 20 bucks! Throughout the rest of the week I didn't feel much better, but once I finished the prescription last week I started to feel like I was on the mend. After two and a half weeks of being sick, I have finally gotten most of my health back.
Those weeks of being sick were a trying time for me, as I had to stay home alone quite a bit and felt like junk. A combination of feeling horrible and not being allowed to do anything made me an emotional and homesick wreck. However, I continually asked God throughout the days to not let them go to waste. I really believe that He did put them to good use, and I am so thankful for that. When I wasn't sleeping, I read, journaled, prayed, and cleaned the apartment a lot. I spent a lot of time thinking about, and processing through, what I had learned in my classes so far (thus the attempt at writing a blog last week). In my Spiritual Formation class, we recently had a discussion about “being vs. doing,” understanding what defines our lives as Christ-followers, and how to find that balance. What a gracious, timely gift from God, that He would give me that information right before I would need it the most. When I wanted to be “doing things” the most for God, He took my hand, stopping me from running ahead, and said, “Hold on, child.” He needed me to be completely still before He could teach me the particular things He had in mind.
Out of the two and a half months that I have been in Ecuador, my heart was transformed the most during those weeks of loneliness and “unproductiveness.” God called me to examine my heart and dig to a deeper level than ever before. It has been incredible to see Him move and speak to areas of my life that I didn't even know He wanted/needed to speak to. My soul can now rejoice in that time of sickness because I have seen what God has done in my weakness. In retrospect am reminded of what Paul said in 2 Cor. 12:9-10, “But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.'... That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” God is always gracious and loving, and it is so wonderful to know that He will never allow time to be wasted, as long as it is time given to Him. :)
Thank you to all for your love and support. As I've said before, your prayers mean the world to me, and especially now in these last few weeks of my trip. Know that I am praying for you too! Chao!
*Currently in love with the song “All the Way My Savior Leads Me” by Chris Tomlin.*
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Beach, Class, Shrimp, and Sickness
Dearest friends and family,
Last I wrote you I was about to head to the Ecuadorian coast for the Day of the Dead holiday weekend. After getting an hour and a half of sleep Friday night, the bus picked us up at our apartment (which was sweet) at 5:15 Saturday morning. It was a long, but gorgeous, drive to the beach, and though a lot of people slept most of the way, I couldn't because I didn't want to miss any of the scenery! ;) Ecuador is a very geographically-diverse country, with its Andes mountains, Amazon jungle, and Pacific coastline, and I feel blessed that I had the chance to witness much of its beauty during our drive. I know I will never be able to eat a banana or coconut again without the image of miles upon miles of tightly packed palm trees growing bananas and coconuts resurfacing in my mind.
My favorite part of the drive, however, was each small town and isolated house we passed by and the people that stopped to watch us. There is never a lack of people outside in Ecuadorian communities, whether it's the kids playing soccer barefoot in the dirt, the women with babies strapped to their backs hanging colorful laundry on clotheslines, or the men sitting on curbs and porches talking. The dark brown face of the indigenous Ecuadorian is indeed beautiful to behold.
After crossing a third of the country, (and crossing into the Northern Hemisphere,) we arrived at the beach around 12:30. The beach we went to, Same, is a small, locals-only type beach so it was pretty much completely deserted except for us. Our group included all of the short-termers and the Youth World staff that oversee us (Bryan, Christy, and the Jenson family), as well as Brad Miller, the Director of Youth World, his family, and a group of high schoolers they brought. This specific beach has been adopted by Youth World as their favorite holiday/spiritual retreat spot, and many of the families have been going there for years. I can totally see why, because it is an amazingly beautiful and peaceful place (with warm water and palm trees with coconuts on them). :) One of the key things that struck me was how wonderful it was to breath there. The fresh, sea-level air was such a relief from the severely polluted, high-altitude air of Quito. The still quietness was also a relief from the constant noise of urban city life.
During our stay at the beach we shared a few oceanfront wooden huts and one more modern condo-style room for 15 bucks a night. We held our Worldview class in the newer room. (Don't forget I wasn't on vacation!) The class was awesome. Spencer MacCuish is a professor at Eternity Bible College, a school he started with Francis Chan and a few other guys in Simi Valley. He took the week off teaching there to fly down to Ecuador to teach us our intensive class. He is also good friends with Matt, my director. I had thought the class was going to be about world religions, but the first day he told us that it would actually be about worldviews. Spencer was an incredibly wise and knowledgeable prof, and I can honestly say that my life will never be the same because I took his class. We began by learning about the American worldview, and then learning how, as American Christians, we have adopted much of that worldview into our faith without realizing it. Then we studied what a purely Christian worldview would look like, and how we can apply that to ALL aspects of our lives. Spencer gave us tools for understanding any culture/person's worldview, and how to relate the Gospel story to them in a way they can understand. That is seven days, six hours a day, in a nutshell. ;) I wrote abundant notes, so I cannot wait to share them with you in person once I am home. Books read include: Living at the Crossroads by Michael W. Goheen and Craig G. Bartholomew, and Total Truth by Nancy Pearcy.
The one bummer of the whole trip for me was that I got incredibly sick Monday night. We're not sure exactly what happened, but I can't remember ever being that sick before. It was most likely food poisoning, since it was so severe but only lasted til Wednesday. Every day we ate at a little shrimp and fish place, literally on the sand, that was soo good, but I may have ate something that wasn't cooked right. It's hard to tell. Needless to say, I've never thrown up more in my life, and I spent all day Tuesday in bed. At least I could see and hear the ocean from there!
Wednesday morning we packed up and left the beach by 11:00. I was thankful that I was feeling better since the drive was so long. We were all sad to leave and wished we had had more time to swim and lay out. But "it is what it is" (as Spencer has a habit of saying quite a bit). If I hadn't gotten sick, I would have said it was a great time of being rejuvenated and refreshed, but I'm sure everyone else would still say that. :)
Since being back in Quito we finished our class with Spencer. Last night we threw him a thank you/goodbye party, and he left for California this morning. It's crazy how quick he entered our lives, made an impact, and then left, but yet it was still such a profound impact. I am so thankful to God for him and the ministry he has to everyone he comes into contact with. We are definitely going to miss him here.
Though I healed from whatever bug I got at the beach, it weakened my immune system so that by Wednesday night I was feeling a cold coming on. (I know, sad day right? I hardly ever get sick in the States! Who do these Ecuadorian germs think they are?) The past couple days I've only been able to attend class and sleep the rest of the time, since my cold has gotten pretty bad. If you all could pray for my health, I would greatly appreciate it. :) If I'm not better by Monday I'll have to see a doctor.
If I AM better by Monday, then everything will go back to the usual, like it was before the beach. I'll go back to work at the orphanage, and Spanish, Spiritual Formation, and History classes resume. I loved the change we had for a week, but I'm excited to get back to the norm. We have three more weeks here in Quito and then it's off to the jungle! And after that, the only thing left is debrief! Can you believe it? So crazy. It's all downhill from here. I don't know if that's a good or bad thing! ;)
The last thing I want to say before going to work on my Spanish is...
Happy 50th Birthday to my wonderful Mom!! I hope you have a great day on Monday! ♥ Everyone, please make sure you give her lots of birthday hugs for me this week! Thanks! :)
I love you all! Have a great week!
With Joy,
Jenni
Last I wrote you I was about to head to the Ecuadorian coast for the Day of the Dead holiday weekend. After getting an hour and a half of sleep Friday night, the bus picked us up at our apartment (which was sweet) at 5:15 Saturday morning. It was a long, but gorgeous, drive to the beach, and though a lot of people slept most of the way, I couldn't because I didn't want to miss any of the scenery! ;) Ecuador is a very geographically-diverse country, with its Andes mountains, Amazon jungle, and Pacific coastline, and I feel blessed that I had the chance to witness much of its beauty during our drive. I know I will never be able to eat a banana or coconut again without the image of miles upon miles of tightly packed palm trees growing bananas and coconuts resurfacing in my mind.
My favorite part of the drive, however, was each small town and isolated house we passed by and the people that stopped to watch us. There is never a lack of people outside in Ecuadorian communities, whether it's the kids playing soccer barefoot in the dirt, the women with babies strapped to their backs hanging colorful laundry on clotheslines, or the men sitting on curbs and porches talking. The dark brown face of the indigenous Ecuadorian is indeed beautiful to behold.
After crossing a third of the country, (and crossing into the Northern Hemisphere,) we arrived at the beach around 12:30. The beach we went to, Same, is a small, locals-only type beach so it was pretty much completely deserted except for us. Our group included all of the short-termers and the Youth World staff that oversee us (Bryan, Christy, and the Jenson family), as well as Brad Miller, the Director of Youth World, his family, and a group of high schoolers they brought. This specific beach has been adopted by Youth World as their favorite holiday/spiritual retreat spot, and many of the families have been going there for years. I can totally see why, because it is an amazingly beautiful and peaceful place (with warm water and palm trees with coconuts on them). :) One of the key things that struck me was how wonderful it was to breath there. The fresh, sea-level air was such a relief from the severely polluted, high-altitude air of Quito. The still quietness was also a relief from the constant noise of urban city life.
During our stay at the beach we shared a few oceanfront wooden huts and one more modern condo-style room for 15 bucks a night. We held our Worldview class in the newer room. (Don't forget I wasn't on vacation!) The class was awesome. Spencer MacCuish is a professor at Eternity Bible College, a school he started with Francis Chan and a few other guys in Simi Valley. He took the week off teaching there to fly down to Ecuador to teach us our intensive class. He is also good friends with Matt, my director. I had thought the class was going to be about world religions, but the first day he told us that it would actually be about worldviews. Spencer was an incredibly wise and knowledgeable prof, and I can honestly say that my life will never be the same because I took his class. We began by learning about the American worldview, and then learning how, as American Christians, we have adopted much of that worldview into our faith without realizing it. Then we studied what a purely Christian worldview would look like, and how we can apply that to ALL aspects of our lives. Spencer gave us tools for understanding any culture/person's worldview, and how to relate the Gospel story to them in a way they can understand. That is seven days, six hours a day, in a nutshell. ;) I wrote abundant notes, so I cannot wait to share them with you in person once I am home. Books read include: Living at the Crossroads by Michael W. Goheen and Craig G. Bartholomew, and Total Truth by Nancy Pearcy.
The one bummer of the whole trip for me was that I got incredibly sick Monday night. We're not sure exactly what happened, but I can't remember ever being that sick before. It was most likely food poisoning, since it was so severe but only lasted til Wednesday. Every day we ate at a little shrimp and fish place, literally on the sand, that was soo good, but I may have ate something that wasn't cooked right. It's hard to tell. Needless to say, I've never thrown up more in my life, and I spent all day Tuesday in bed. At least I could see and hear the ocean from there!
Wednesday morning we packed up and left the beach by 11:00. I was thankful that I was feeling better since the drive was so long. We were all sad to leave and wished we had had more time to swim and lay out. But "it is what it is" (as Spencer has a habit of saying quite a bit). If I hadn't gotten sick, I would have said it was a great time of being rejuvenated and refreshed, but I'm sure everyone else would still say that. :)
Since being back in Quito we finished our class with Spencer. Last night we threw him a thank you/goodbye party, and he left for California this morning. It's crazy how quick he entered our lives, made an impact, and then left, but yet it was still such a profound impact. I am so thankful to God for him and the ministry he has to everyone he comes into contact with. We are definitely going to miss him here.
Though I healed from whatever bug I got at the beach, it weakened my immune system so that by Wednesday night I was feeling a cold coming on. (I know, sad day right? I hardly ever get sick in the States! Who do these Ecuadorian germs think they are?) The past couple days I've only been able to attend class and sleep the rest of the time, since my cold has gotten pretty bad. If you all could pray for my health, I would greatly appreciate it. :) If I'm not better by Monday I'll have to see a doctor.
If I AM better by Monday, then everything will go back to the usual, like it was before the beach. I'll go back to work at the orphanage, and Spanish, Spiritual Formation, and History classes resume. I loved the change we had for a week, but I'm excited to get back to the norm. We have three more weeks here in Quito and then it's off to the jungle! And after that, the only thing left is debrief! Can you believe it? So crazy. It's all downhill from here. I don't know if that's a good or bad thing! ;)
The last thing I want to say before going to work on my Spanish is...
Happy 50th Birthday to my wonderful Mom!! I hope you have a great day on Monday! ♥ Everyone, please make sure you give her lots of birthday hugs for me this week! Thanks! :)
I love you all! Have a great week!
With Joy,
Jenni
Friday, October 29, 2010
Vida sin Halloween (Life without Halloween)
Happy Halloween weekend to all in the States!
Halloween and Thanksgiving are not Ecuadorian holidays, so it's been hard to realize that the fall season is already upon us. There are no costumes or pumpkins or fake leaves in the stores to remind me! ;) Ecuadorian people do celebrate Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) here on Nov. 2nd, so this weekend is still a holiday weekend. Schools get Monday through Wednesday off. Tradition is to drink Colada Morada, a hot, thick, fruit drink (made with purple maiz), and eat Guaguas de Pan, sweet bread baked in the shape of swaddled babies. The dark red-purple color of the drink symbolizes blood and the shape of the bread symbolizes the children who have died before us. Both the bread and the drink are really good, and I have enjoyed sharing in this cultural tradition with the Ecuadorian people.
Last week was my last week with my Ecua family. I had a great week working at the orphanage in Casa Sol (with the 2-5 year olds), going to my classes, and spending time with Dario and Juanita. For my Culture and History class we took a field trip to a 17th century Spanish monastery, and a museum about the history of Ecuador. Those were cool places to see.
Last Saturday we held a despedida parrillada (a goodbye bbq) to thank all the families for hosting us for three weeks. The family that hosted Erica owns a finca (farm) an hour outside of Quito and they offered to let us come out there for the fiesta. We all spent the day hanging out, eating pinchos (meat and veggie shish-kabobs), and playing Ecuadorian and American games. We also got to milk some Ecuadorian cows in the afternoon, and kiss some brand new calves. :) Throughout Saturday afternoon it rained like none other, so we mostly stayed under a small covered porch. I wish that the rain would show up on my camera when I record, because it really is so awesome to watch.
After the bbq, we said our goodbyes and parted ways with our families, returning to the apartments we lived in at the beginning of this trip. It was sad to leave Dario and Juanita, and I miss living with them in Eastern Quito. They told me that I am welcome to visit whenever, so I will definitely take them up on that offer soon. They are such a sweet couple and are an incredible blessing to know.
On Sunday, I went to my friend, Jose Luis' church in the south of Quito and then went to his family's house for the day. Jose is an Ecuadorian I met through Dario and Juanita. He is a little older than me and an awesome guy. He is a full time missionary, working at his church as a youth pastor. He has a good knowledge of English, but no one else in his family knows English, so he helped me with Spanish throughout the day. His family was so precious and wanted to know a lot about life in the United States. We talked a lot and played some card games. In the afternoon, Rachel, Jose's mom, showed me how to make Colada Morada (the hot fruit drink). In the evening, they had some friends over so the house was brimming with people. It was an incredible time, with everyone talking over each other and at an incredible speed. Jose translated bits of conversations for me, which was nice, but mostly I just enjoyed being surrounded by pure Ecuadorian culture, which I love. I cannot wait for the next time I have time to hang out with Jose and his family. They were so inviting and warm, and I could literally feel the Holy Spirit's presence in their dear home.
This past week has been pretty typical working at the orphanage, except now it takes an hour and a half to get there, instead of an hour, since our apartment is farther away. Many of the children now recognize me and are a lot warmer towards me, which I am so excited about. Some of them even come running and give me huge hugs when I arrive in the mornings. (They make me want to melt with love!) These children in Casa Sol (where I have been working a lot lately) include Ricci, Jose, Jhosua, Jeremy, Leslie, Belen, and Dani. They now do what I ask them to, and ask me to play with them during their free time. :)
Since being at the orphanage, I have now seen three children be adopted. Two older children, Jessica (a 11 year old) and Fabian (a 8 year old) were adopted together by a couple from Italy. A one year old boy was adopted, but I don't know where he went. It has been cool to see the process of these children gaining new families and leaving the orphanage. It has also been very emotional for me in a way I never would have expected. Just as these children have been adopted, and are no longer orphans, I have been adopted by my heavenly Father and can find my identity as His child. :)
So, this weekend is a holiday weekend... which means we're headed to the coast! That's right, I'm gonna get my beach on for a couple days. ;) I am so excited. However, just because we're going to the beach, does not mean we are getting a vacation from classes. We will be having our World Religions class for six hours every day we're there. Youth World flew down a professor from the States who will begin teaching us at the beach, and then the class will continue on when we're back in Quito. The coast is seven hours away from Quito, so we're road-tripping it in a bus tomorrow morning. We leave at 5:00am!! :D *Looks down at watch and thinks to self "Holy cow, that's five hours away! I need to start packing!"* LOL. Good ol' Jenni, the procrastinating queen. ;)
So, not even kidding, I do need to go pack. I hope you all are continuing to do well. I am growing so much in my walk with God here and I wish you all the same wherever you are.
Many hugs and kisses,
Jenni
(Currently in the process of memorizing Romans 12:9-21)
Halloween and Thanksgiving are not Ecuadorian holidays, so it's been hard to realize that the fall season is already upon us. There are no costumes or pumpkins or fake leaves in the stores to remind me! ;) Ecuadorian people do celebrate Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) here on Nov. 2nd, so this weekend is still a holiday weekend. Schools get Monday through Wednesday off. Tradition is to drink Colada Morada, a hot, thick, fruit drink (made with purple maiz), and eat Guaguas de Pan, sweet bread baked in the shape of swaddled babies. The dark red-purple color of the drink symbolizes blood and the shape of the bread symbolizes the children who have died before us. Both the bread and the drink are really good, and I have enjoyed sharing in this cultural tradition with the Ecuadorian people.
Last week was my last week with my Ecua family. I had a great week working at the orphanage in Casa Sol (with the 2-5 year olds), going to my classes, and spending time with Dario and Juanita. For my Culture and History class we took a field trip to a 17th century Spanish monastery, and a museum about the history of Ecuador. Those were cool places to see.
Last Saturday we held a despedida parrillada (a goodbye bbq) to thank all the families for hosting us for three weeks. The family that hosted Erica owns a finca (farm) an hour outside of Quito and they offered to let us come out there for the fiesta. We all spent the day hanging out, eating pinchos (meat and veggie shish-kabobs), and playing Ecuadorian and American games. We also got to milk some Ecuadorian cows in the afternoon, and kiss some brand new calves. :) Throughout Saturday afternoon it rained like none other, so we mostly stayed under a small covered porch. I wish that the rain would show up on my camera when I record, because it really is so awesome to watch.
After the bbq, we said our goodbyes and parted ways with our families, returning to the apartments we lived in at the beginning of this trip. It was sad to leave Dario and Juanita, and I miss living with them in Eastern Quito. They told me that I am welcome to visit whenever, so I will definitely take them up on that offer soon. They are such a sweet couple and are an incredible blessing to know.
On Sunday, I went to my friend, Jose Luis' church in the south of Quito and then went to his family's house for the day. Jose is an Ecuadorian I met through Dario and Juanita. He is a little older than me and an awesome guy. He is a full time missionary, working at his church as a youth pastor. He has a good knowledge of English, but no one else in his family knows English, so he helped me with Spanish throughout the day. His family was so precious and wanted to know a lot about life in the United States. We talked a lot and played some card games. In the afternoon, Rachel, Jose's mom, showed me how to make Colada Morada (the hot fruit drink). In the evening, they had some friends over so the house was brimming with people. It was an incredible time, with everyone talking over each other and at an incredible speed. Jose translated bits of conversations for me, which was nice, but mostly I just enjoyed being surrounded by pure Ecuadorian culture, which I love. I cannot wait for the next time I have time to hang out with Jose and his family. They were so inviting and warm, and I could literally feel the Holy Spirit's presence in their dear home.
This past week has been pretty typical working at the orphanage, except now it takes an hour and a half to get there, instead of an hour, since our apartment is farther away. Many of the children now recognize me and are a lot warmer towards me, which I am so excited about. Some of them even come running and give me huge hugs when I arrive in the mornings. (They make me want to melt with love!) These children in Casa Sol (where I have been working a lot lately) include Ricci, Jose, Jhosua, Jeremy, Leslie, Belen, and Dani. They now do what I ask them to, and ask me to play with them during their free time. :)
Since being at the orphanage, I have now seen three children be adopted. Two older children, Jessica (a 11 year old) and Fabian (a 8 year old) were adopted together by a couple from Italy. A one year old boy was adopted, but I don't know where he went. It has been cool to see the process of these children gaining new families and leaving the orphanage. It has also been very emotional for me in a way I never would have expected. Just as these children have been adopted, and are no longer orphans, I have been adopted by my heavenly Father and can find my identity as His child. :)
So, this weekend is a holiday weekend... which means we're headed to the coast! That's right, I'm gonna get my beach on for a couple days. ;) I am so excited. However, just because we're going to the beach, does not mean we are getting a vacation from classes. We will be having our World Religions class for six hours every day we're there. Youth World flew down a professor from the States who will begin teaching us at the beach, and then the class will continue on when we're back in Quito. The coast is seven hours away from Quito, so we're road-tripping it in a bus tomorrow morning. We leave at 5:00am!! :D *Looks down at watch and thinks to self "Holy cow, that's five hours away! I need to start packing!"* LOL. Good ol' Jenni, the procrastinating queen. ;)
So, not even kidding, I do need to go pack. I hope you all are continuing to do well. I am growing so much in my walk with God here and I wish you all the same wherever you are.
Many hugs and kisses,
Jenni
(Currently in the process of memorizing Romans 12:9-21)
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Buenas Noches Amigos!
I am so sorry I haven't written in a little over two weeks. I have been so busy, and haven't had much internet access. Last I wrote Ecuador's police force had broken out in riots and we Americans were all shut up behind locked doors. We weren't sure if they would succeed in overthrowing the president. I should have written a quick note since then to give you all an update and let you know that I am still safe. I apologize for keeping you in any suspense.
Quito felt quite uneasy and less safe for a few days after I wrote you last. We stayed inside for the majority of those days and took extra precautions since there was no police force to keep theft at bay. After a few days, the president regained control and set the national military over all police duties. This policy will remain in effect for 60 days as a precaution and a punishment for the police. The only noticeable difference between the military and the police protecting everyone is that the military has much more power than the police. Such as, if I was robbing a house the military could shoot to kill me on sight with no questions asked, whereas the police could not. (Good thing I'm not planning on robbing any houses.) We all just have to be a little more careful to not appear to be making any trouble. Other than that, things seem completely back to normal. I am so grateful for all of your prayers. :) I know so many were lifted up on behalf of my team and this country. Dios le pague (May the Lord repay you for your kindness). :) We are continuing to pray that the president would be given wisdom to know how to deal with the requests of the police.
A few days after the riots, each member of my group and I moved to our homestays with separate Ecuadorian families throughout the city. I have been with my family in Eastern Quito for two weeks now, and I have loved it. There is just a husband and wife, Juanita and Dario. They are around 30 and have been married for a little over one year. They are incredibly sweet. My living situation was arranged specifically for me because I do not have as much Spanish knowledge as the other short-term kids. Juanita is actually American. She came down here as a missionary five years ago and met Dario. I am constantly amazed by her and the strength of character she must have to give up everything in the States and marry someone in a foreign country with a different first language. (Can you imagine the misunderstandings that could come from that?) I have been so blessed to learn from her quiet strength.
Dario is fully Ecuadorian. He is from a small indigenous community in the Oriente (Amazon jungle). He has an incredible God-glorifying story as well. His family of seven lived in poverty until he became a sponsored child through Compassion International when he was young. He now works with Youth World as a missionary, serving his own country. Whoever would have thought that I would live in the household of, and be personally blessed by, someone who was once a sponsored child. I think it's the coolest thing ever. How encouraging is that to those of us in the States that sponsor children overseas?? They may grow up to be men and women who bless countless lives in their own countries as a result of your faithfulness. Dario has been such a joy to know and has helped me soo much with my Spanish.
The last thing I want to share with you all is about my internship at the orphanage, For His Children. I have been working there for two weeks now, and I could go on and on and on about it. Most of my stories will have to wait until I am back in the States and can talk face to face though. Basically how this orphanage works is there are several different houses where different age groups live. So there is a house for infants, for 2-3 years, 4-5 years, and so on. There are also separate houses for the special needs children.
This orphanage receives their children mostly by police bringing children they find abandoned in trash cans, on streets, etc. What is truly sad is that the orphanage only accepts children under the age of three, so those who are any older (i.e. seven, ten, fourteen, etc.) have lived at the orphanage since they were babies, never having been adopted. The houses are run by Ecuadorian women the children call Tias (aunts). Things are run a lot like a summer camp, with designated times for every activity, and the children's names written on every object and clothing item. My job is to do whatever the Tias ask me to do. Most days so far that has been with the special needs children, with varying ages from around 7-16. (I had marked specifically on my application that I was comfortable working with them.) About half of these children are so disabled that they cannot talk and can barely move their limbs. I enjoy taking these precious children of God on walks outside in their reclined wheelchairs and singing them little songs like Jesus Loves Me. They may not be able to understand me, but the stimulation of my voice and touch is incredibly important to their health. Other things that I do at the orphanage besides playing with the kids include feeding them, helping at the preschool, doing dishes, laundry, and other chores that need to be done in any home. Working at the orphanage has been challenging in every way - physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritally, but very rewarding at the same time.
Like I said, I could go on and on about each one of the kids there and what a blessing they have been to me already, but I'll save my stories. Every time I blog I feel like I just barely scrap at the surface of everything that goes on here, but yet my notes are soo long! :) I hope they're not too painful to sit through. ;) In a week and a half I will be half way through my time here in Ecuador. It's amazing how much I can feel for these people and this country in only a matter of five weeks. Though I miss you all, I am thriving here and looking forward to the weeks to come. I am not allowed to post pictures of the orphanage online, but you'll get to see them when I'm home. You can also go to their website and see pictures by searching google for For His Children Ecuador. One specific prayer request I have this week is that God would give me energy. I have been pretty exhausted lately and that affects how much I can engage with learning Spanish, and with the children and tias at the orphanage.
I hope and pray you are all doing well in the States and around the world. Feel free to email me if you want and I will do my best to respond. :) Hopefully my next blog will be in one week, so it won't have to be as long as this one. :) I love you all and am so thankful for each one of you. May you feel God's presence close to you and find your joy only in Him this week.
Sincerely,
Jenni
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Political Unrest in Ecuador
Hey all!
I don't want to scare any of you, but you may have heard about the political unrest in Ecuador today. I wanted to write a quick note and let you all know that despite everything going on, I am safe and doing well. Don't worry, I'm not joining in the riots. We are staying behind locked doors. :) Prayers for the country of Ecuador would be greatly appreciated. Police began rioting today and are trying to remove our current president from office. He was attacked earlier today and has declared a national state of emergency. Who knows, we may have a new president soon. This nation is greatly in need of peace, and we know that our God is the only true source of peace! So please, beseech Him to reach out His hand to this hurting nation.
The following is a letter sent out to many people by the head of Alliance Academy International (the missionary school here in Quito). It contains a lot of great info about what is going on. I love you all, and please don't worry!! God is always in control! :)
Date: Thu, Sep 30, 2010 at 2:16 PM
Subject: EMERGENCY - Ecuador destabilized!
To:
Supporters and friends:
URGENT NEED FOR PRAYER: Details are not completely clear, but this morning Ecuador's national police went on strike, and apparently even attacked the president when he went to talk with the strikers. This has seriously destablized the nation for the first time in several years, and has added to the danger we face on the streets.
WHAT WE KNOW: According to various news reports, the national police decided to strike (leave their posts, protest at their stations, burn tires in the streets) to protest an impending reduction in their performance bonuses and promotion schedules. Dissatisfaction with Ecuador's president has been building in recent months, and this latest move apparently was too much for the police.
The total absence of the police force means that there is little or no "law presence" on the streets; in the cities of Quito and Guayaquil, particularly, this can mean that criminals roam freely.
Quito's airport is closed until further notice, stranding about 700 outbound passengers this morning at the airport, and preventing travel for an indefinite period of time. Some of our students' parents are in other parts of the world, trying to get home.
All schools are closed until further notice; we implemented our strike plan and methodically evacuated the campus beginning at noon; all but a handful of students (whose parents are stranded in various places) are now gone.
WHAT WE HEAR (which may or may not be accurate): Several banks have been robbed, and markets and malls looted--some near the campus. Roads leading in/out of major cities have been blocked, though I have not--yet--heard of any of our families who live in the suburbs being unable to get home.
After being tear-gassed by the police, the president fled to a major hospital (not the one next door to us) to find safety from police who threatened his life.
The commander of the military claims that the military supports the president; however, we also hear from inside sources that such support is not necessarily the case. I have not yet read any news as to action by the National Assembly (congress) or the Supreme Court in this situation.
PRAY FOR: God's plan to be realized...sanity to prevail...safety for our entire community...stability for the nation...an orderly resolution of the power struggle...wisdom for the Alliance Academy leadership as we consider when to re-open...and more.
A number of us have been through this several times...in twenty years here I think it's been five times for me. Personally, I am not anxious...just wanting more and better information (the TRUTH, not just rumors), and for stability to return so we can do what we're here to do.
Thanx! Feel free to write...so long as we have internet I will try to keep in touch.
Cheers!
Greg Collord
Alliance Academy International
Quito Ecuador
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Dios es Fiel (God is Faithful)
Hola Amigos!
Tengo mucho informacion por ustedes! Mi clase de Espanol es muy bueno! A mi me gusta la profesora. Estamos aprendiendo un monton. Tomorrow I will have been in Ecuador for two weeks. Can you believe it? I am absolutely loving everything about being here. Along with my Spanish class, we now have Spiritual Formation. I think it's going to be an awesome class, and I'm excited to dive into it like Spanish! This past week was a lot more chill than our first week. Orientation was a blast, and I'm not saying this week wasn't as fun, but it was definitely more serious. We are now on our own for meals, and we go to the market every other day or so for fresh ingredients. I'm so lucky the other girls know how to cook a lot of things from scratch! They're incredible. We also do just about everything else on our own now too. We catch the trolley to go to class downtown like pros. We've learned how to force our way on and off, and not be so scared of being smashed in tighter than sardines. (It's really a hilarious sight, and I've been wanting to take a picture, only I can never reach my camera to take one!)
This week was filled mostly with classes and homework. I never thought I would be doing homework this soon after graduating, but I'm actually really enjoying it! Not having to worry about a grade is awesome. My goals are simply to do my best and make you all proud! :) I love this process of beginning to understand and communicate with the beautiful people of Ecuador in their own tongue. I've actually been surprised that almost no one speaks any English here. I guess my ethnocentrism got the best of me before coming, because I assumed a lot more people would know at least a bit. Despite only being able to communicate on a very basic level right now, I'm already falling deeply in love with these people. They are so precious to God and He loves them so much. How could I not adore them?
My internship begins in a week, and I am so incredibly excited for it to start. I'm so glad I've been able to have intensive Spanish first though, because I'll definitely need it. Also in a week, I will be moving in with an Ecuadorian family for three weeks. That is going to be so crazy and awesome and intense! I'm looking forward to it.
Prayer requests for this coming week would definitely include patience for me in Spanish class. It's definitely like trying to drink from a firehose right now. There's so much it kinda hurts! ;) I want to know everything, but I know it has to be a long process. Also, prayer would be greatly appreciated for continued safety for my whole team. I am so humbled and grateful for all of your prayers so far. Know that they are being tangibly felt and are having a huge impact here!
Amor para ustedes,
Jenni
Tengo mucho informacion por ustedes! Mi clase de Espanol es muy bueno! A mi me gusta la profesora. Estamos aprendiendo un monton. Tomorrow I will have been in Ecuador for two weeks. Can you believe it? I am absolutely loving everything about being here. Along with my Spanish class, we now have Spiritual Formation. I think it's going to be an awesome class, and I'm excited to dive into it like Spanish! This past week was a lot more chill than our first week. Orientation was a blast, and I'm not saying this week wasn't as fun, but it was definitely more serious. We are now on our own for meals, and we go to the market every other day or so for fresh ingredients. I'm so lucky the other girls know how to cook a lot of things from scratch! They're incredible. We also do just about everything else on our own now too. We catch the trolley to go to class downtown like pros. We've learned how to force our way on and off, and not be so scared of being smashed in tighter than sardines. (It's really a hilarious sight, and I've been wanting to take a picture, only I can never reach my camera to take one!)
This week was filled mostly with classes and homework. I never thought I would be doing homework this soon after graduating, but I'm actually really enjoying it! Not having to worry about a grade is awesome. My goals are simply to do my best and make you all proud! :) I love this process of beginning to understand and communicate with the beautiful people of Ecuador in their own tongue. I've actually been surprised that almost no one speaks any English here. I guess my ethnocentrism got the best of me before coming, because I assumed a lot more people would know at least a bit. Despite only being able to communicate on a very basic level right now, I'm already falling deeply in love with these people. They are so precious to God and He loves them so much. How could I not adore them?
My internship begins in a week, and I am so incredibly excited for it to start. I'm so glad I've been able to have intensive Spanish first though, because I'll definitely need it. Also in a week, I will be moving in with an Ecuadorian family for three weeks. That is going to be so crazy and awesome and intense! I'm looking forward to it.
Prayer requests for this coming week would definitely include patience for me in Spanish class. It's definitely like trying to drink from a firehose right now. There's so much it kinda hurts! ;) I want to know everything, but I know it has to be a long process. Also, prayer would be greatly appreciated for continued safety for my whole team. I am so humbled and grateful for all of your prayers so far. Know that they are being tangibly felt and are having a huge impact here!
Amor para ustedes,
Jenni
Sunday, September 19, 2010
My First Week in Ecuador!
Hola friends and family!!
Greetings from the land where a dozen roses cost two dollars, and toilet paper is thrown away, not flushed. :) I flew into Quito, Ecuador one week ago, and was welcomed at the airport by several of Youth World's staff members, the wonderful people who are my leaders for the next three months. I can scarcely believe it's been a full week since I arrived here and saw their faces for the first time. The time has gone by so quickly I haven't even had a chance to catch my breath since stepping off the plane and onto the 10,000 ft. high ground of Ecuador's capital.
I am so excited to share with you all about my first week here! I know many of you have been waiting anxiously to hear from me, so thank you for being patient! I wish I could include every detail of my experience in this blog, but that would mean no sleep for me, so I'll have to keep it simplified. ;)
From day one, after stepping off the plane, my director drove me to my team's apartment (which has an incredible view of the city!), and I met the other girls in my program. They are all wonderful and very sweet! :) Day two (Monday), in the morning I met the boys (also very nice), and we began orientation. We learned a lot about International Teams and Youth World, including who they are, what they do, and their impact in this country. We went over safety, and all that jazz as well. We were introduced to Quito itself, which was awesome. Phil, Matt, Marlow, and Bryan are the people in charge of our group, so they showed us around the city (You will hear a lot more about them in the future, and I'll be mentioning them a lot! They are amazing leaders.) We went to many different spots, taking trollies, cabs and walking a lot, and learned about the history and makeup of the city. While our legs and lungs burned walking the hills, we got to know each other a little bit more as well.
Day three (Tuesday), we continued on from Monday, sharing our life stories with one another, bonding as a group, and learning more about the city (this time the area closest to where we're living). We visited key places that are important to Youth World and places that will be important to us in the next three months. We ended our day at Matt and Marlow's house (they're married and have two kids). We ate dinner and had a devotional time, which was wonderful. Tuesday night, just like Monday night, I feel into bed around 12:30, exhausted from the whirlwind day.
Wednesday, we were sent on a scavenger hunt throughout the whole city as a group, to see if we had been paying attention to what our leaders had been sharing with us the previous days. Equipped with maps and cell phones, we spent the entire day walking around the city. When we finished, we went to Matt and Marlow's house once again and had a time of worship. (We will have a Bible study/worship time at their house every Wednesday.) Wednesday morning I had woken up not feeling the best. Throughout the day I increasingly felt worse, which was a bummer. By the evening I knew I was sick, but still tried to participate in everything.
Thursday was our first day of Spanish class! (It starts at 8:30, so I will be waking up at 6:30 on weekdays.) We took placement tests, and then jumped right in to learning. My teacher spoke Spanish the whole time! Talk about immersion! She is super nice and motions a lot and makes sure I understand the gist of what she's saying before going on. I was surprised at how much I was able to understand and how much I learned. I definitely had a blast. :) I was still sick though, and that made it hard to sit for three hours with major stomach pain. We had our first free time Thursday afternoon, so I took a much needed nap! After waking up and still feeling bad, I emailed my mom and let her know I was sick. She emailed many of you and passed on the word. Thank you to everyone who prayed for me!!
Friday was my birthday! I woke up that morning and felt great!! It was such an incredible blessing to get online in the afternoon and find emails from so many people telling me they were praying for my health and wishing me a great birthday. I am overwhelmed with gratitude. It made me feel so loved, and I was so thankful to not be sick anymore! :) In the morning we had Spanish class, and in the afternoon we went to the market. It was super fun! Bryan planned a surprise evening to celebrate, which ended up being dinner at a Crepe and Waffle place. Deliciousness! We even got dressed up for it. After dinner we played Silent Football and the girls surprised me with a birthday cake they had made! It even had candles on it and they sang happy birthday. Everyone is so sweet here and they made my day super special.
This weekend we were able to pack in a bunch of fun before our workload gets too crazy and we have no free time. Saturday (yesterday), we drove partially down the mountain (crossing into the Northern Hemisphere) and went to a zip line through the “cloud forest.” Then on our way back to Quito we stopped at a tiny butterfly farm and saw different species of butterflies. Both of those events were incredible, and I feel so blessed that I got to experience them!! :)
Today (Sunday) we all went to a Spanish-only church. It was great, but I could barely understand the service. Can't wait till I can understand more! ;) After church we went to the middle of the world – the equator! Well, not really, since they mis-marked it by a few hundred meters, but it was still cool. We straddled the line and took pictures. Marlow said we'll make it to the real equator sometime before we leave. It doesn't matter much to me since I've already crossed it. ;)
If you're still reading this, I'm so impressed! I just realized I didn't do a good job of simplifying. ;) Sorry about that! We did an incredible amount of stuff this last week and the group of us bonded like crazy. Though I feel like I just left the States, I feel like I've known my new friends and this city for years. Thank you to all once again for being excited for me, for the birthday wishes, and especially for your prayers. I don't know what made me sick this past week, but I don't plan on getting sick again! This coming week I continue Spanish, and more classes start. It should be just as busy, but much more routine. I love you all and look forward to keeping you updated on here!
With Joy,
Jenni
Greetings from the land where a dozen roses cost two dollars, and toilet paper is thrown away, not flushed. :) I flew into Quito, Ecuador one week ago, and was welcomed at the airport by several of Youth World's staff members, the wonderful people who are my leaders for the next three months. I can scarcely believe it's been a full week since I arrived here and saw their faces for the first time. The time has gone by so quickly I haven't even had a chance to catch my breath since stepping off the plane and onto the 10,000 ft. high ground of Ecuador's capital.
I am so excited to share with you all about my first week here! I know many of you have been waiting anxiously to hear from me, so thank you for being patient! I wish I could include every detail of my experience in this blog, but that would mean no sleep for me, so I'll have to keep it simplified. ;)
From day one, after stepping off the plane, my director drove me to my team's apartment (which has an incredible view of the city!), and I met the other girls in my program. They are all wonderful and very sweet! :) Day two (Monday), in the morning I met the boys (also very nice), and we began orientation. We learned a lot about International Teams and Youth World, including who they are, what they do, and their impact in this country. We went over safety, and all that jazz as well. We were introduced to Quito itself, which was awesome. Phil, Matt, Marlow, and Bryan are the people in charge of our group, so they showed us around the city (You will hear a lot more about them in the future, and I'll be mentioning them a lot! They are amazing leaders.) We went to many different spots, taking trollies, cabs and walking a lot, and learned about the history and makeup of the city. While our legs and lungs burned walking the hills, we got to know each other a little bit more as well.
Day three (Tuesday), we continued on from Monday, sharing our life stories with one another, bonding as a group, and learning more about the city (this time the area closest to where we're living). We visited key places that are important to Youth World and places that will be important to us in the next three months. We ended our day at Matt and Marlow's house (they're married and have two kids). We ate dinner and had a devotional time, which was wonderful. Tuesday night, just like Monday night, I feel into bed around 12:30, exhausted from the whirlwind day.
Wednesday, we were sent on a scavenger hunt throughout the whole city as a group, to see if we had been paying attention to what our leaders had been sharing with us the previous days. Equipped with maps and cell phones, we spent the entire day walking around the city. When we finished, we went to Matt and Marlow's house once again and had a time of worship. (We will have a Bible study/worship time at their house every Wednesday.) Wednesday morning I had woken up not feeling the best. Throughout the day I increasingly felt worse, which was a bummer. By the evening I knew I was sick, but still tried to participate in everything.
Thursday was our first day of Spanish class! (It starts at 8:30, so I will be waking up at 6:30 on weekdays.) We took placement tests, and then jumped right in to learning. My teacher spoke Spanish the whole time! Talk about immersion! She is super nice and motions a lot and makes sure I understand the gist of what she's saying before going on. I was surprised at how much I was able to understand and how much I learned. I definitely had a blast. :) I was still sick though, and that made it hard to sit for three hours with major stomach pain. We had our first free time Thursday afternoon, so I took a much needed nap! After waking up and still feeling bad, I emailed my mom and let her know I was sick. She emailed many of you and passed on the word. Thank you to everyone who prayed for me!!
Friday was my birthday! I woke up that morning and felt great!! It was such an incredible blessing to get online in the afternoon and find emails from so many people telling me they were praying for my health and wishing me a great birthday. I am overwhelmed with gratitude. It made me feel so loved, and I was so thankful to not be sick anymore! :) In the morning we had Spanish class, and in the afternoon we went to the market. It was super fun! Bryan planned a surprise evening to celebrate, which ended up being dinner at a Crepe and Waffle place. Deliciousness! We even got dressed up for it. After dinner we played Silent Football and the girls surprised me with a birthday cake they had made! It even had candles on it and they sang happy birthday. Everyone is so sweet here and they made my day super special.
This weekend we were able to pack in a bunch of fun before our workload gets too crazy and we have no free time. Saturday (yesterday), we drove partially down the mountain (crossing into the Northern Hemisphere) and went to a zip line through the “cloud forest.” Then on our way back to Quito we stopped at a tiny butterfly farm and saw different species of butterflies. Both of those events were incredible, and I feel so blessed that I got to experience them!! :)
Today (Sunday) we all went to a Spanish-only church. It was great, but I could barely understand the service. Can't wait till I can understand more! ;) After church we went to the middle of the world – the equator! Well, not really, since they mis-marked it by a few hundred meters, but it was still cool. We straddled the line and took pictures. Marlow said we'll make it to the real equator sometime before we leave. It doesn't matter much to me since I've already crossed it. ;)
If you're still reading this, I'm so impressed! I just realized I didn't do a good job of simplifying. ;) Sorry about that! We did an incredible amount of stuff this last week and the group of us bonded like crazy. Though I feel like I just left the States, I feel like I've known my new friends and this city for years. Thank you to all once again for being excited for me, for the birthday wishes, and especially for your prayers. I don't know what made me sick this past week, but I don't plan on getting sick again! This coming week I continue Spanish, and more classes start. It should be just as busy, but much more routine. I love you all and look forward to keeping you updated on here!
With Joy,
Jenni
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Farewell USA, Hola Ecuador!!
It's finally here!! The big day came soo fast. I leave for LAX in a half hour. I can barely believe it. :) My flight takes off at 6:25am. That takes me to Miami, where I have a four hour layover, and then a three hour flight to Ecuador. I reach Quito at 9:00pm their time, which is three hours ahead of CA.
I have to make this note super short, but I just wanted to thank everyone once again for everything. You all have given me so much support, encouragement, and prayer, and I am overwhelmed by your love. Thank you for making this trip possible.
I cannot wait to give you all my first update from Quito when I'm settled in! Know that I am taking you all with me in my heart. I love you all dearly. See you in December!
With love and joy,
Jenni
Ecuador, here I come!
I have to make this note super short, but I just wanted to thank everyone once again for everything. You all have given me so much support, encouragement, and prayer, and I am overwhelmed by your love. Thank you for making this trip possible.
I cannot wait to give you all my first update from Quito when I'm settled in! Know that I am taking you all with me in my heart. I love you all dearly. See you in December!
With love and joy,
Jenni
Ecuador, here I come!
Friday, August 27, 2010
Immunity? Yes, please.
Yesterday I received the required shots for my trip. They included Typhoid, Yellow Fever, and the newest Tetanus vaccine. Thank you to all who prayed for me! Your prayers helped a lot. :) I was a little nervous on my way, but everything turned out fine. Except for my arms being sore today and not being able to sleep on my side last night, I have nothing to complain about. ;) When I think about the fact that my body was injected with all three of those dangerous diseases at the same time, and that it was able to learn how to fight and conquer them without my conscious effort, I am blown away. The ingenuity of our Creator God is beyond incredible. If my body can do that, and I'm just clay in the Potter's hands, how awesome and powerful He truly must be. :)
I love this song. It's perfect for my mood!
I love this song. It's perfect for my mood!
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Jehovah Jireh is His Name
Wow, it's been a while since I posted something on here. Sorry about that! Preparing for Ecuador has been going great this past month. Not too much going on, but just the little things like filling out waivers and forms and scheduling an appointment to get shots. (I have to get a few, including Typhoid and Yellow Fever. Yuck.) My appointment is on Thursday the 26th at 2:00 if you'd like to pray for me! :)
...And now for the news everyone's been waiting for!! ;)...
After adding together the amount of money International Teams has received from generous supporters, the amount I sent in of my own money, and the amount I know is currently on the way from Crestview and a few other families, I figured out a few hours ago that I have THE EXACT AMOUNT of money I needed!!!! That's a total of $7,500!!! Can you even believe it??? Indeed our God is Jehovah Jireh, the One who Sees. :) Thank you to each and every one of you who prayed that my financial needs would be met and gave of your own money selflessly! It is such an incredible blessing and honor to have you all partnering with me and helping me get to Ecuador. I praise God for giving me friends and family like you. I could go on and on about how much you all mean to me. Once again our wonderful Shepherd has proved Himself faithful. He will never lead without first providing a way.
Though I know I will officially have the total amount of $7,500 for International Teams soon, I will still have a few more personal expenses that need to be taken care of, including my shots, malaria pills, and a few books for certain classes.
If you did not get a chance to partner with me financially, (and are totally bummed because you wanted too) ;) you are more than welcome to still help me! I would love that. :)
Once again, thank you to all. You have truly represented Jesus to me, and you will be helping me to represent Jesus to many people in the country of Ecuador in the coming months. I cannot wait for the crazy journey that lies ahead, and I cannot wait to take you along with me, in heart and in spirit. May our Lord, Jehovah Jireh, bless you abundantly tonight and in the days ahead.
With overwhelming gratitude,
Jenni
P.S. If you would like me to email you whenever I update this blog, please email me at jenni.g.scroggins@biola.edu and let me know. Thanks! :)
...And now for the news everyone's been waiting for!! ;)...
After adding together the amount of money International Teams has received from generous supporters, the amount I sent in of my own money, and the amount I know is currently on the way from Crestview and a few other families, I figured out a few hours ago that I have THE EXACT AMOUNT of money I needed!!!! That's a total of $7,500!!! Can you even believe it??? Indeed our God is Jehovah Jireh, the One who Sees. :) Thank you to each and every one of you who prayed that my financial needs would be met and gave of your own money selflessly! It is such an incredible blessing and honor to have you all partnering with me and helping me get to Ecuador. I praise God for giving me friends and family like you. I could go on and on about how much you all mean to me. Once again our wonderful Shepherd has proved Himself faithful. He will never lead without first providing a way.
Though I know I will officially have the total amount of $7,500 for International Teams soon, I will still have a few more personal expenses that need to be taken care of, including my shots, malaria pills, and a few books for certain classes.
If you did not get a chance to partner with me financially, (and are totally bummed because you wanted too) ;) you are more than welcome to still help me! I would love that. :)
Once again, thank you to all. You have truly represented Jesus to me, and you will be helping me to represent Jesus to many people in the country of Ecuador in the coming months. I cannot wait for the crazy journey that lies ahead, and I cannot wait to take you along with me, in heart and in spirit. May our Lord, Jehovah Jireh, bless you abundantly tonight and in the days ahead.
With overwhelming gratitude,
Jenni
P.S. If you would like me to email you whenever I update this blog, please email me at jenni.g.scroggins@biola.edu and let me know. Thanks! :)
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Just a Simple Shovel
While reading a classmate's blog this evening, I was blessed to be reminded of 1 Corinthians 3:5-9:
5What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. 6I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. 7So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 8The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. 9For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building.
My classmate, who leaves for Zambia as a missionary in three days, reflected on this passage, reminding herself and friends that we are simply "shovels" in the hands of God. I love this imagery.
Shovels. In reality, WE do not do accomplish anything. That is, by ourselves. God must pick us up, dust us off, and set us into motion Himself before we can be of any use. I think that many people, especially baby missionaries like myself, can be in danger of getting lost in the problems and spiritual needs of the world, and end up subconsciously forgetting that we are the shovel in the hands of God, not the other way around.
Despite being "nothing" according to Paul, he still surprisingly tells us that we are God's "fellow workers," and that we will be rewarded according to our own labor. This reveals the beautiful love of our Heavenly Father towards us, that He would allow us the great joy of helping Him build His Kingdom.
I am getting more and more excited to be God's shovel in Ecuador soon. I can't wait to watch Him plant seeds of Life in many hearts and watch Him cause growth in the hearts of others (both in Ecuador and in future places). My prayer for myself and all believers tonight is that we would never forget our role as God's "shovels," and that we would always remember what an amazing blessing that simple role truly is.
5What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. 6I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. 7So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 8The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. 9For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building.
My classmate, who leaves for Zambia as a missionary in three days, reflected on this passage, reminding herself and friends that we are simply "shovels" in the hands of God. I love this imagery.
Shovels. In reality, WE do not do accomplish anything. That is, by ourselves. God must pick us up, dust us off, and set us into motion Himself before we can be of any use. I think that many people, especially baby missionaries like myself, can be in danger of getting lost in the problems and spiritual needs of the world, and end up subconsciously forgetting that we are the shovel in the hands of God, not the other way around.
Despite being "nothing" according to Paul, he still surprisingly tells us that we are God's "fellow workers," and that we will be rewarded according to our own labor. This reveals the beautiful love of our Heavenly Father towards us, that He would allow us the great joy of helping Him build His Kingdom.
I am getting more and more excited to be God's shovel in Ecuador soon. I can't wait to watch Him plant seeds of Life in many hearts and watch Him cause growth in the hearts of others (both in Ecuador and in future places). My prayer for myself and all believers tonight is that we would never forget our role as God's "shovels," and that we would always remember what an amazing blessing that simple role truly is.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
He Reigns
I have always loved this Newsboys song, but since learning that Shell, Ecuador (where I will be) gets an average of 20 feet of rain per year, I have gained a new appreciation for the line "it's the song of the forgiven, drownin' out the Amazon rain." :) Hallelujah.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
The First One
Hey all!
I'm trying to get this blog on a roll now so I'll be comfortable using the site by the time I leave for Ecuador. I leave for my trip really early in the morning on September 12th, TWO MONTHS FROM NOW!! I don't think I could be more excited! :)
I will be in Quito and Shell, Ecuador, for three months taking classes, living with an Ecuadorian family, and working at an orphanage named La Casa de Fe. I wrote about most of the details of the trip in my support letter, so if you didn't get one and would like one, feel free to contact me and I will get you one. The letters also come with pretty sweet prayer request cards (made by my mom) that you can put on your fridge. :) As I continue to update this blog, I will mostly assume that you read my letter or heard me speak at church, that way I won't have to be too redundant.
Well I think that's all for now! Thanks for checking in, and I pray this blog will be a blessing to you as we partner together to bring glory to God!
I'm trying to get this blog on a roll now so I'll be comfortable using the site by the time I leave for Ecuador. I leave for my trip really early in the morning on September 12th, TWO MONTHS FROM NOW!! I don't think I could be more excited! :)
I will be in Quito and Shell, Ecuador, for three months taking classes, living with an Ecuadorian family, and working at an orphanage named La Casa de Fe. I wrote about most of the details of the trip in my support letter, so if you didn't get one and would like one, feel free to contact me and I will get you one. The letters also come with pretty sweet prayer request cards (made by my mom) that you can put on your fridge. :) As I continue to update this blog, I will mostly assume that you read my letter or heard me speak at church, that way I won't have to be too redundant.
Well I think that's all for now! Thanks for checking in, and I pray this blog will be a blessing to you as we partner together to bring glory to God!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)