Give Me Your Eyes for Just One Second

These last two weeks have been some of the most amazing couple of weeks ever. Although, I have a lot to talk about, I'm going to try to make this post relatively short (yes, I know I haven't made a post in a while, but I have also been busy busy busy....and I still am...hence why I'm going to try to sum up my trip as quickly as possible). I have to tell you guys somethings about the trip though because it's just too good to pass up.


I left on Feb. 1st with three schweet girls - Missy, Sara, and Anabel, to Quininde to help in a community called Cesar Proano. 

There is a program going on there (most of the time it is like a Vacation Bible School), but we went to teach the kids English. We stayed there until Friday, the 4th of Feb., went back to Quito for the weekend and then headed out again Monday morning. On Thursday (Feb. 10th), we went to the beach for the weekend. It was a great trip. 

Highlights of my trip: 

• Frogs were everywhere in the house that we stayed in. Seriously. They would just randomly jump from the ceiling, hide in the toilet bowl, and croak on pillows. It was insane. I thought I wasn't scared of frogs before this trip...but I was proven wrong. Bats would also fly around our room during the night. And there were random lizards in the house that were "housecleaners." 
• Anabel and I loved riding in the back of Doctora Jenny's pick-up truck whenever we drove around town. On Wednesday, Anabel fell out. It was super scary, but God is so good. It's such a miracle that she didn't really hurt herself at all. Before that, we had some pretty great times in the truck though. We got rained on, got freaked out when we drove in the pitch black past corn fields, and sang at the top of our lungs. 
• Teaching the kids English was so much fun. Sure, it got frustrating at times (especially the minimum attention spam of the littlest ones), but I'm so glad I got the opportunity. 
• Eating lunch with the kids. The food was delicious and it was so awesome to see the kids appreciating every last bite. For some of them, it was the only meal that they got all day. 
• I absolutely loved playing soccer with the kids. It. Was. A. Blast. 
• The first day that we were there, we had a Spanish Bible Study with all of the teachers and some of the moms of the kids in the program (they call the program "el proyecto" which means "the project"). Anyway, one of the dads came and he had just learned how to read. It was really eye-opening to me as he tried his best to read from the Bible. 
• Hanging out with the three other girls. I laughed a lot with them. We did a lot of waiting around while we were there, but we managed to enjoy each other's company by playing cards, watching movies together, and making up raps. 
• It was so hot there. I was sweating almost all day. It would feel so good when the rain would just come pouring down (which it did a lot). 
• There were only cold showers at the house we were staying at. I didn't really mind since it was so hot outside anyway, but sometimes it was a little painful taking the plunge into the ice cold shower. 
• One of my favorite parts of every day was getting a kiss on the cheek from almost every kid in "el proyecto." There were about 80 of them coming up to me, one after another, kissing goodbye. It was priceless. 
• Since Anabel is a native Spanish speaker, the kids asked why Missy and I spoke spanish differently than Anabel did (referring to our gringo accent). We told them why, but they just could not comprehend why our accents were different. They also couldn't believe that fact that Sara didn't speak any Spanish. 
• The food there is so stinkin' cheap. We went out for meals a lot, but each meal cost about 2 bucks. It was great. 
• It was so sad to see some of the abuse going on in the community we worked in. One of the boys in the project can't see out of one of his eyes because his dad hit it with some sort of cable. I also met another lady who is missing both of her hands, an ear, and has two huge scars all from her husband (who is now in jail). It's so crazy to me that things like this are going on every single day. I am blessed. So very blessed. 
• I fell in love with the kids in Cesar Proano. It was heartbreaking to say goodbye to them, but it was heartwarming to see Jesus working there. I don't know how anybody could go there, hang out with the kids there, learn about what the program is doing, and leave without believing that there is a God.

And I will say it again: I am blessed. So very blessed. 

This trip also sums up the reason why the following is my favorite verse:

Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. -1 Thessalonians 5:18

It really made me take it to heart. Even though they don't have much, the kids I met over the last couple of weeks were so happy. I need to rejoice and be thankful in every circumstance. Not just the good ones; the bad ones too. 

Always remember: it is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 

Amen to that.