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So once again, I've left it super long since I last blogged...sorry :/ Not a very professional missionary! :P
But so much stuff has happened...I will try not to write a stupidly long blog!
Well firstly, I had my first Christmas away from home! Not exactly the easiest thing ever, but I kinda just thought well I'm gonna have endless English Christmas' with the fam, so I'm just gonna enjoy it. It was strange and very different but a really great experience. They celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve here. So I spent the morning making more mince pies and a gingerbread house that epicly failed with the kids whilst cracking out the crimbo tunes! Then I went to a really beautiful Christmas Carol service, followed the start of the proper family festivities! We sang Spanish Christmas carols together and then had a huge meal. The huge meal was pretty much the only similarity... We did have turkey, but it was all cut up and cooked in a tomatoe and garlic sauce, accompanied by the ever common rice, fried banana, lettuce and crisps. Ecuadorians basically have a posher version of their daily meals at Christmas!! This was followed by THE best tradition over, its totes coming home with me! We all dressed up as characters in the nativity play, totally unrehearsed and unplanned, we acted out the nativity. Scenes included us all walking around the sitting room following a sparkler as the star...amazing.
New Year was even madder! Jheez, these guys like New Year... There were men dressed up as women stopping cars and dancing on them seductively to get money. This was EVERYWHERE. Literally everyone had crazy wigs and masks on. There were massive parades. These men made of paper which they burn at midnight to represent burning the old year. Fireworks being thrown around in the middle of the road (I'm glad I'm still alive!). Policemen doing stunts on their motorbikes. It was totally insane, but great fun!
I then started work again on the 3rd of January, and the rest definetly stopped then! I've been working pretty much every day! But it's been good, some really awesome things have happened. We had a Health Fair a couple of weeks ago, where 20 medical students from America came to help us. 220 of Pan de Vida's beneficiaries came and they received a full health check and a consultation with local doctor's about their health and information about the free health care they can get through Pan de Vida, as health care is insanely expensive here. 7 families got urgent health care and loads received glasses. It was also so lovely to see all the families again after Christmas, and they were also friendly and remembered me which was exciting! The kids came running up to me, hugging me and playing. Just the best thing ever when you get to know these people and you have ways to help them.
The next day we also had about 40 kids come from a very poor city about 5 hours from Quito. Most of these kids had never even been to Quito, so even that was exciting for them! We gave them cake and ice-cream, sandwiches and juice after we had a really amazing time of worship. All the kids were belting out their praise to Jesus, dancing and joyfully singing, it was just so beautiful and humbling that although these people have so little, they just love Jesus so much. A reminder of how we should worship Jesus, with absolutely everything we have. We gave them new shoes, toys and sweets. Ah man it was just so awesome, they were so appreciative and excited to receive this stuff. Such an honour to serve Jesus, that in his name these things can be done.
Apart from all the programmes and stuff, I have been working hard to get the girls group started that I mentioned in my last post. God has just so blessed so far and given me inspiration and passion to do it despite the quite frequent difficulties and challanges. Last week I managed to clear out the whole attic and paint the whole thing cream, rather than dark blue and orange! It looks amazing, and I can't wait to start painting psalm 139 across the room with the girls and make it a real space for them. The first session is gonna be this Sunday, ahhhhh!! I am terrified, but I know God's in it so it's grand :) We are gonna do the first hour doing stuff like painting bible verses and Christian crafty stuff...not cheesy stuff though, like actual coolness :) The second hour we are gonna start going through our identity in Christ so that girls learn who Jesus is and what he thinks of them rather than what they've been told. Amazingly some women have come forward who are willing to help running it. Provision for more women to help with this and just for the project would be awshums :) I would so love if I could build relationships with these girls and show them Jesus.
Apart from all this madness, I have been to the prison. Barbara is doing good, she's lost even more weight! But she's in good spirits. We also have a place to meet there which is awesome! iI'm increasingly doing more; looking after children's groups, heaps of admin for Pan de Vida and possibly teaching English. So prayers that I wouldn't just burn out and that through it all I would know of the big G being close would be fab! Had a few drama's recently too, so I guess just that there would be peace upon general life here and in the things I'm doing.
Sorry trying not to keep it too long :/ So thats recent life summarised a tad! Hope you are all well! Do message any prayer requests or just general messages, always lovely to hear from peeps at home and what's going down!
Lots of love and blessings and truly thankyou for all your support,
Izzy xxx
- comments
Daniel we got snow but guessing there is none there
Amy nash Best.blog.ever. Xx
terry Definitely praying you don't burn out!
David Merritt Keep it going! But look after yourself. Will keep praying.
julie kahwagi Izzy great to hear about it all. Praying for your anointing and protection. Love you lots