Heyloo lovely people!
Firstly, I just want to say, thankyou so much for all those of you have sent me messages and been praying for me....I honestly can't express how much I appreciate it!
Well, life is picking up the pace A LOT! I started my week last week really really down. We were supposed to pick our visas up last Monday, but it being in Ecuador that didn't happen because our visa wasn't ready. They told us to come back the following Monday....when our visa finished! So, thankyou Jesus, we explained and amazingly she approved our visas and told us to pick them up the following Wednesday. What a miracle, I would be home by now if she didn't do that! But the whole visa sitch just really took a toll on me and I was just so fed up of struggling with that, not really having a strong role or the energy to understand my job at pan de vida. However, I really prayed about it and spent some time really reminding myself of why I am here, because I want to serve Jesus! And that really got encouraged me. Then, two days laters, we went to the visa place and I got a visa! I genuinely nearly cried at the thought of not having to go back to that darn place again and seeing the annoying security guards again! What's more, by some random and miraculous way, I got a visa for a year! Say whaaattt, I was well chuffed to say the least!
We then went back to pan de Vida where I was warmly welcomed by 400+ beneficiaries and about 70 extra volunteers from America who were on a week missionary trip in Quito. We held our first Christmas party, which consisted of a meal for every person, games, face painting, crafts, a preach, worship....even Santa was there! It was an amazing time. 27 people gave their lives to Christ after a beautiful time of 400 people huddling under little tents for shelter from the rain, belting out their praises to Jesus. These families walked through a parade of volunteers giving them food and presents, I honestly can't explain the beauty of it. These people with dirty clothes and often with little joy, came bounding through the doors with huge smiles on their faces, endlessly saying thankyou to the volunteers and hugging them all with such appreciation and happiness! That moment made all the annoyance with the visa and struggles I felt being here wash away, to see these little children just so grateful and delighted to be shown such love was really humbling and moving! After that, all the volunteers gathered, we sang together and shared our favourite moments and testimonies of the evening....the stories were amazing!
Last Saturday, I had the opportunity to do all of that again, but instead with 3000+ people who work and live at the local rubbish dump. 200+ volunteers met early on Saturday, we had a lovely time of worship and prayer and then we all went off the the garbage dump to host this party. It was a very long day but a rewarding one! I painted little children's faces all day, which was so sweet to see their little happy faces enjoying their time, but also sad. These kids had awful skin problems, stunk of the dump, often had broken up teeth, dirty clothes and some of the teenagers were there with their babies. It made me realise how much poverty there is here and it was such a privilege to be able to bring a smile to these kids faces.
On Sunday, I went to the early church service, which was awesome and s challenging! We heard the story of this guy like 200 years ago who decided to be a missionary in Burma. The suffering and trials he experienced for the sake of gospel was so incredibly inspiring. Goodness, I just thought, what a muppet for complaining about bad Skype connection when I'm living in the midst of poverty and not experiencing even near what this dude sacrificed for Christ. So inspiring and encouraging too :) In between that and work I also went to an amazing christian concert that day, by this couple called Jordan and jessa Anderson who are from America down here for a few weeks. AMAZING! Such a blessing, they were absolutely incredible. So that was awesome to listen to not only English music but such beautiful tunes!
This week I have again been a busy bee. Wrapping and writing verses in over 300 bibles and wrapping the shoeboxes of the shoes we are going to give the children. Although it takes a heck of a long time, I'm excited about giving out these bibles and shoes as real presents and something these people, who likely won't have anything to unwrap at Christmas, will be able to really receive as a gift.
I also told my testimony to the group of teenage girls I lead...in Spanish of course, which was tough! It went really well, and the girls really opened up about the stuff going on in their lives. One girl said she lives in a tiny house with her 7 siblings and her mum. Her dad left because he is an alcoholic so she has to work and look after her siblings, she is 17. We chatted about doing more things together as a group and I expressed my desire that we could chill out together and build relationships, that I want them to feel they can come and do stuff with us whenever. So we are going to look into getting a group together on Sundays for them to do girly stuff like paint nails and bake cookies...things they have no opportunity to do at home! They also said there are loads of girls their age who feel they aren't allowed to come as they have babies. But I'm determined to change this, I want them to feel they are free to come too, after all they are only teenage girls themselves!
We have lots more Christmas parties coming up and work is coming think and fast! I definitely feel I am out of the really difficult bit of being here, and loving it more every day. I just want to be as much of a blessing as I can be and brimming with ideas, so prayers that I wouldn't get over stressed and God would use me to do these things would be awesome!
Sorry this has turned into such a long post! Just lots going on I guess!
Also, I have made another video...but Internet here can be a tad annoying, so trying to upload it is a nightmare! But I will keep trying!
Hope you are all well :)
Izzy xx