Week 1 of Work

Well I have officially finished my first week of work, and guess what? I love it! God is so good and kind to me, and I again am reminded that I serve a gracious Father.

“ For the Lord God is a sun and shield;

                    the Lord bestows favor and honor.

                  No good thing does he withhold

                     from those who walk uprightly” Psalm 84:11. 

                    Let me tell you why I enjoyed the week.

First, teaching an intensive class (which just means the class meets everyday for two hours) means the requirements are pretty relaxed. For example, I don’t have to turn in any lesson plans! Not that I don’t have to plan, but it’s a very freeing feeling for a teacher :) Second, I have a very interactive curriculum. I do a lot of games and group work with my students, which enables me to get to know my students. Such a blessing.

And third, well today I was able to teach a lesson on Christmas! Ha, any of you that know me well know that I can get pretty excited about Christmas. I love discussing the traditions and showing pictures, but the most beautiful thing about Christmas is Christ. Today I had the privilege of sharing that with my students. The explanation was not extensive, but the conversation stemmed into other opportunities. I was able to share with them where I go to church, and I invited all six of my students (oh yeah I forgot to tell you that my class that was only suppose to be two students grew to six, but I am thankful for that as well). Some of them wrote down the information, so I am praying that maybe a few will show up Sunday! Please, please pray with me for them. 

After class, one of my students asked me what my religion was. I explained to her that the most important thing is a relationship with Christ, and that only happens through recognizing your sins, asking God for forgiveness, and putting your faith in what Jesus did for us on the cross. To be honest, I don’t know if I should have given a lengthier answer, but I pray God uses that- I am still learning how to share the Gospel.

Also, I started a Spanish class this week. This is great practice for me, as I can get around speaking, but my grammar needs some definite improvement. Yesterday I was able to share my testimony with my Spanish teacher as we were walking to a museum. I see God’s sovereignty in so many ways; because Cuenca was where God really started to soften my heart to Him, I can easily find segways into my testimony. She could be a believer, but I am not for certain. However, I do praise God that He gave me the opportunity to share!

God is at work here in Cuenca, and I am excited to see what the next weeks and months will bring. Again, please pray for my students, and I will let you know the turn out on Sunday!

Remedy for Homesickness

Finally it hit me-I am not going to see my family for a long time. I think life has been such a roller coaster the last three months that I haven’t had time to process everything that has happened. To an extent, I see that as part of God’s grace in my life. However, since my dad has left, life has calmed down, and everything kind of came to ahead. I have an apartment, I have a job, I have a bank account, I have an Ecuadorian cell phone plan, and I even a Supermaxi card (the local grocery store). I am actually living in Cuenca! And though most of the time that thought thrills my heart, I was able to be sad for the first time. My family is not perfect by any means, but every member of my family has had a huge impact on my life- I love them dearly and  am so thankful for them. 

God is teaching me that He uses all things, even the moments of homesickness. How? Well, it reenforces prayer and the need to lean on God’s truth and presence. My mom taught me that through any circumstance, even if confused by the situation, if I’m learning  to cry out to God more, than that outcome is sufficient enough. 

I think struggling also produces a special way for God to work. Usually when I am struggling, I ask God for help or encouragement. He is faithful to answer, even if I don’t see it right away. For example, when I was a little down, I just prayed and asked for help. Minutes later a friend called to see if I wanted to hang out with a group of people. Or on Saturday, I wasn’t feeling so well, and I wasn’t sure where I should go to church the next day. I really enjoyed Calvary Chapel, but I didn’t know if I should visit a different church with another friend. My lack of energy caused me to spend more time in prayer. God clearly answered my specific prayer requests and directed me back to going to la Capilla- I again thanked God for his answers; they are reminders that my God truly never leaves me.

And can I tell you Sunday was a blast?!?! First, I walked to church, which is a little bit of a walk from my place, but I enjoy the time to think and pray. When I arrived, I was a little early (unheard of for Ecuadorians!), but I was able to meet more people this way. The man in charge of the music, Brian, introduced himself. He’s originally from California, and he’s very encouraging and energetic. Last Sunday I met a girl from Ireland who serves here as a missionary; she is very involved in the ministry at la Capilla. This time I also met Gistasha ( sadlyI have no idea to spell her name), and she does non profit work for small towns here in Ecuador. She is originally from Canada, but has done her share of traveling as well. We enjoyed talking about our traveling experiences. 

Matt did a wonderful job at preaching again, speaking from John 1. I was reminded how my calling comes from God’s Word; it’s vital I be in God’s word daily so I continue to rely on my heavenly Father instead of my own efforts. My life is His, and is not about me (although I forget that quite often). 

After the service, a group of us went out for lunch. In the group were three retired couples that I loved getting to know. One couple is from Oklahoma, the other from California, and the other, well Mike is from England and his wife is from Jamaica- the variety of conversation was intriguing and entertaining! 

I am still trying to take things a step at a time, but I really enjoy going to church there, and I think there are ways I can help serve there as well.

This week has turned out to be a little more hectic than planned. I received an email yesterday to teach a class that started today-ha yep that’s Ecuador for you :) I also have a Spanish class that meets 2/3 times a week. Only two other individuals are in the Spanish class with me; pray for opportunities with them as well. Scott and Natalie are a couple from Australia that are only here for another month before they continue on with their travels. 

I really enjoyed my first day of class, and I will be sure to write about those soon (that’s a whole new post :)God has shown me more of Himself through struggles and answered prayer; I am so very thankful to be here-thanks for your prayers. 

Keep Calm

This mug was a gift from my mother-she knows me well. Partly I love the mug because it’s tied to British World War history,  and I love British history and literature. However  I also love the phrase. It’s a good reminder to me that I always have an anchor despite the circumstances. And in the last three months, life has been full of crazy changes. However God is so good and constantly at work. 

For one, I had a wonderful time with my dad. Walking and talking and praying with him- I can’t describe to you how much of an encouragement that was to me.God continued to confirm to both of us that this is where He wants me. 

Everything went well with the apartment- I love it! And as I mentioned earlier, Dad had a chance to do a study with the owner.The study went well, so we were both very thankful for that. Another blessing about my apartment is that their is a flooring business on the base floor. This business is owned by a believer that goes to one of the baptist churches in the area. And guess who we ran into my dad’s last day here? Yep the owner:) His name is Freddy, and he also told me his secretary is my age and a believer, so maybe I will have a chance to get to know her. 

I shared that one of my biggest concerns is finding the church where God wants me to serve. Last Sunday I had the opportunity to go an English service at the Calvary Chapel here in Cuenca. I really enjoyed the service, and I was definitely fed from the word of God. Most of the attenders there are retired couples, but they were all very nice to me :) I think they are trying to grow the English service, so  my plan is to attend there for a little while and see if that’s where God wants me. I’ll keep ya posted!

For now, life is quite. I will start a Spanish class next week, which I am looking forward to-I need to work on my Spanish! In the meantime, I am trying to enjoy the downtime. I’ve been reading through 2 Chronicles in my devotions, and I’ve just been challenged again and again that walking with God is a daily action. Jehoshaphat’s prayer in chapter 20 struck a chord with me, especially this verse “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” Life will always be full of circumstances that I don’t see coming, of decisions I won’t know how to make right away, but when my heat is set to seek the Lord, I can keep calm and carry on.

God's Timing

"As for God, His way is perfect." That verse is found in Psalm 18, and as I was praying this morning the Spirit brought it to mind. In the last month I have seen God's perfect timing in my life, and I have truly been humbled to watch Him work (I do apologize I have written lately, my goal is to be more consistent!)
I finished my class a few weeks ago, by God's grace :) It was a very time consuming class, usually 12-15 hour days, but it was worth it. I now have a better idea of the difference of teaching English in the States and teaching English as a second language. I still have a lot to learn for sure, but God knew that I needed to be in the class. Even after a short month, I was sad to say goodbye to my students.
After our class was done, we headed to the coast for a week. All I can say is BEAUTIFUL. I have never really spent time on Ecuador's coast, but the beaches and landscape were simply breathtaking-made me in awe once again of God's creation. Oh and we visited an island, and on the way back from the island we did some whale watching. We got up,close, and personal with the whales! I cannot express to you how amazing it was to see a whale so close (I could have touched it!).
We stayed at nice hostel that had a walkway out to the beach. That was one of my favorite parts. I was able to spend some good time walking, jogging, and praying on the beach. Oh, and the local dog always accompanied me! Kind of made me want a dog :)
One of the biggest blessings was that I was able to share my testimony with one my classmates. We went walking on the beach for a while one morning, and God clearly opened the door for me to share with her what God has done in my life. Thank you to those of you who were praying for opportunites-God answered that prayer.  I hope and pray to have more opportunities in the days and months to come.
After our time in the coast, my classmates headed home to the USA. I flew to Quito (the capital) to wait for my dad.
While I was in Quito, I spent some time with the couple I lived with last summer; they are like another older brother and sister to me. God knew I needed some time with them. I spent a lot of time with Cris talking about the positives and challenges of living in Cuenca. I know this is where God wants me, but I have to learn to stand on my own two feet, even with Christian friends. Sometimes there is a not a lot of spiritual encouragement for people my age. I truly believe that's one reason I am here, but I have to be strong in the Lord to make the decisions and life habits He wants.
It has simply been WONDERFUL to have my dad here! Once again, God's timing was and is perfect. I've spent a lot of time talking and walking with my dad. We've spent a lot of time in prayer, and we've seen God at work already! The biggest thing has been with my apartment.
My friend has connections with the man who wanted to rent an apartment. He is not a believer, but we were praying for a chance to share the Gospel with him through the process. Once again God answered that prayer! Because this man has catholic background, my dad was easily able to share his testimony with him. We actually emailed my dad's Bible studies to him, and my dad is going to meet with him again on Friday-please please pray for that, that God would draw this man to salvation. Even when my dad is only here for two weeks, he manages to set up Bible studies :)
Oh yes and by the way, I have an apartment now! I am so thankful to God for it. The apartment comes with everything I would need in the kitchen, two beds, and a dinning room table. Ha I do need some furniture, but I'll get there. The first month I will probably be the only one living there, but the goal is that one of my friends will move in in September. My other friend wants to move in, but it's just a question of money. I'm just leaving that in God's hands for now. Oh and I forgot to mention the view-SPECTACULAR! The window looks over the whole city of Cuenca :)
Hopefully that gives you a little idea of what God has been doing. Right now my biggest prayer is to find the church where God wants me. I have some options, and I am going to start visiting some churches. Please pray with me about that- I need a church family, but I just don't know where God wants me.
I am loving being in Cuenca and loving having my dad here.Our God is so good.

Life Lately

I am so sorry! I know it has been a while since I have written. I didn’t anticipate the business that awaited me in this class. Not that it’s been a negative experience, the class has actually been very helpful. I just feel like life has continued on high speed. I have class in the morning, planning and preparation in the afternoon, and teaching at night. And we have homework along with that, so by the end of the day I am ready to get some sleep! We’ve done a few others things besides teaching, but I will start with that. 

The first two weeks of my class I taught a beginners class with three other girls. We would have between 5-7 students each night. At first, everything was overwhelming because everything was new. I felt like my previous teaching experience was not helping at all. Why? Well, teaching English as a second language is a completely different ball game. I had to (and still do) change how I looked at communicating concepts and put different thought into what activities to choose. Also, every night I get observed by one of my teachers; that is a good thing, but at first it just made everything a little more stressful (oh and I was sick for about a week). After the first week, we all started to feel a little more comfortable teaching. Also we started to get attached to our students. In my class, the age range was 14-28, but we enjoyed the mix!

Last week we changed classes- I am now in a class of intermediates. The class is bigger, between 8-10 students. The age range is even bigger, but the class loves to talk! This proves to help a lot :) 

Next week is our last week of classes. Tuesday night I am teaching by myself for the two hours. Then I have some presentations and portfolio work to present, so I would appreciate your prayers!

I have enjoyed getting to know my classmates. They are all pretty liberal, but the Lord gives me opportunity for comments here and there. It doesn’t appear that any of them are searching, but I would still appreciate prayers in that area. I have to admit I haven’t been as faithful in that area as I should be either; I wish I was more like my dad. 

In regards to what else I’ve been spending my time on, well….we have done some day trips with my class. We went to hike in cajas-it’s beautiful!   We spent this past Friday in a little town called Principal so we could teach a group of kids. The town was fairly poor, but the landscape was amazing, and it was a fun change to teach some kids. We all enjoyed the trip, but we were all tired out by the end of it for sure!

I have been able to catch up with some of my friends in Cuenca. It is such a blessing to be around and not have to leave, but I look forward to when my schedule is not so crazy-then I can spend a little more time with them:)

Hopefully that gives you a little idea to what God  has been doing. He has been faithful to watch over me, and He continues to confirm my desire to be here. I still don’t know all the things He has planned, but I am excited to find out what’s next!

Week One

12 days-that's how long I have been gone. It feels like a lot longer. Not in a negative way, but when I change cultures, I feel like I have time traveled. Also, a lot has happened in 12 days. I have traveled to cities I have never been to before, and I have completed a week of class and teaching already. It's been quite the schedule. I have class in the morning, then a break for lunch, then I study with my teaching group, and then we teach at night. The days are pretty full, so by the end of the day I am definitely tired.
 Let me start with teaching. To be honest, I feel like I am at square one again. I have some teaching experience, but I am still fairly new at all of this. I have to change so many things about how I teach, and I get observed every night. That is actually a good thing, but I think it aids to my nervousness. Right now, I am teaching with three other girls in my class. Our teaching time will increasingly get longer. I think I will enjoy teaching eventually, but getting started is always a challenge. Please pray for my teaching-that it would be clear and that I would enjoy the process.
I have been able to get to know my classmates, and God has given me some opportunities to share the Gospel. I am thankful for that, but I am struggling to find the right balance of when to speak and when to let my actions speak for me. Most of my time has been spent with my classmates and students, although I have been able to spend a little bit of time with some of my family friends here. They are so gracious to me and take care of me-more than I deserve!
Tomorrow we are going to Ingapirca. I did go there last summer, but I am hoping this will be a good experience with my class. I can definitely tell people are praying-God has reminded me of His presense so much. Thank you for praying. Hasta pronto.

Traveling About

So the last few days have been a little crazy-we've been going all over the place! But let me start at the beginning.
  Wednesday my friend Cris dropped me off at Hotel Quito (a very nice hotel by the way) where I met two other girls taking the same TEFL course. One of our teachers (who teaches at St. Ambrose in Davenport, IA!) and our coordinator were at the hotel as well. The rest of the people taking the class hadn't arrived yet. The afternoon was pretty relaxed, and then one of my friends who lives in the area stopped by. He took us to the mall, and then we went to watch Hombres en Negro (Men in Black) 3. And yes, it was in Spanish, 3D Spanish to be exact. It's a good way to get back into a Spanish mindset:)
  Thursday I had the most amazing continental breakfast of my life! I will try to take pictures tomorrow. At the top floor breakfast was served. I had to write down my name, room number, and signature before entering to eat. The buffet had so many fruits, the best yogurt, granola, different meats and eggs and breads...I was amazed. And the waiter would always be coming around to refill our coffee cups. I kind of felt like I didn't belong and was way underdressed, but I think that's how our whole class felt.
 After breakfast, we had one of four orientation meetings. Some things I already knew, but some things were helpful to know more in depth about Ecuadorian culture. Then we left for the "Mitad del Mundo." I thought I have been to this several times growing up; I have actually been to two. This one however is fairly new, and it is exact because of GPS use. This one was very simple, displaying the O O latitude and longitude, and even if I  am not exactly sure which one is the right one, I now have all my bases covered!
 Then we drove to a smaller town called Otavalo. There we checked into a very quaint and colonial hotel, and then we were allowed to walk around, find some lunch, and do some shopping. We enjoyed the afternoon. Peguche is a small town close to Otavalo where we had a few tours. One was about weaving; it's really becoming a lost art, but the Indigenous people are trying there best to keep it alive. Then we were shown how certain musical instruments were made, and we even got a little demonstration! The night was pretty relaxed, and most of my class (10 students all together) went to find some food and hang out for the night.
 Today has been quite jam-packed as well. We returned to Quito where we were given a lecture about Freebright program (a scholarship grad program) that was fairly intriguing. Then we went to an art museum of Oswaldo Guayasamin; he is a very famous painter. He was influenced by Picasso and felt that it was his job to display the racial injustice of all people. The whole place was very sobering. After that, we went back to downtown Quito for a tour of the city. The city definitely has a lot of history, but one of my favorite parts of the day was when we stopped for juice! Although drinking water can be tricky sometimes, our guide nad coordinator assured us this place was safe. We got to choose from so many fruits, many native to Ecuador- it was delicious!
 Presently we are still waiting on one member of our group, but they all are from Ohio University. I am definitely the random member of the group. I have had some opportunities to share my faith-thank you for those who were praying. I would appreciate your prayers as this is the biggest challenge for me presently. I hope to be a good testimony and talk about my Father in the right way, but I don't feel like I am doing the best job at the moment. Moments like these make me thankful that God is so much bigger than my comprehension.
For now, I need to get some rest. Tomorrow we start our journey to Cuenca. I am looking forward to it because tomorrow we are going to do some more things in the country. Sunday is when we will arrive in Cuenca- I am excited to be in Cuenca soon. Thank you again to all of you who are praying- hasta pronto!