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So every blog I start with an apology for my lack of blogging. This time is no exception! Sorry! I've had a super duper busy month or so. It's been a right ol battle recently! But some amazing things have happened too! :) I have seen so many answers to prayers. Even things that I didn´t bring to God, he has heard. A lot of lessons have been learnt and I´m excited to see what God has in store for the next few months left!
For a while I had been praying for the opportunity to be able to reach out and do something with youth. As I mentioned in my previous blog, I managed to get permission to start a teenage girls group and paint the attic to make a cool space with them. Lots has happened since then! We´ve had four groups since I last blogged!
Firstly, I was concerned about not really having anyone to help me run the group. But now there are 8 women helping me! I was also concerned that not many girls would come. But over the last 4 groups we´ve had 18 girls. Talk about provision and learning not to worry when you have a mighty and faithful God!
I started by making all the girls individual invitations to invite them to come. I wanted them to feel that they are personally invited and not just another person or family. The first group, we played some games and I also taught them all how to make a ´Life of Christ´ bracelet. I managed to find a bead shop in Quito (a miracle when 99% of shops are internet cafes and dvd shops), and got all the beads. The picture is of me and all the girls with our bracelets. We then had a talk on the basic gospel message as many of them had never heard anything.
The last three groups we have been going through our identity in Christ. I chose this series because I wanted them to learn about who Jesus says they are rather than who the world tells them they are. Hopefully this will teach them that we have a beautiful graceful and loving Father rather than a religious, rule keeping God. The first week of the series I told them my testimony in relation to identity in Christ. It was amazing how their attitude almost instantly changed towards me. They didn´t see me as a perfect rich girl from England who has it all together, but a girl who has had struggles and still does with very similar things to them. That was one of the most amazing things, seeing them change towards me.
We´ve also been making bean bags! I bought all the material to hand make them all! So I´ve been teaching them how to sew and put this thing together. I think they´ve really enjoyed it, I hope anyway! But it´s been great seeing them put the bean bags together and feel really pleased with their work! I want the attic to feel like a real space for them. On that topic, I´ve slowly been doing the massive psalm 139 painting on the wall. It takes forever, but if I say so myself, it´s coming on well!
This sunday I have organised a movie night for the girls. So I am going to make them all a good ol British lunch and then we will go and watch a movie. I´m really looking forward to that and hoping it will be a time that we can get to know them better. We are also going to start taking them to church soon! So prayers for all these things would be awesome!
I went to the prison last weekend to see Barbara. Sadly she´s been convicted. I don´t know the sentence yet, but it´s so sad. She is in good spirits but very very frail, even thinner. I try to see her as much as I can and I know have her email, which she can access every 2 weeks or something for about 5 minutes! But I´ve been sending her things and going to bring her a nice fluffy towel! I´ve also got to know a few other women in the prison. I met a girl called Grace from London and Clarissa from Canada. They are both guilty, but are very fragile and still in such an awful situation. It was amazing, as I was speaking to Grace especially. I really felt such a love and compassion for them. Jesus, the only perfect man ever, looked on the prostitute, the hated, the outcast in love and compassion. Yet despite Grace being involved in gangs where I grew up, you could see the things she has done is because of the pain and abandonment she feels. There is nothing more amazing than being able to bring someone the most powerful and incredible hope, in a seemingly totally hopeless situation. Prayers for all of them would be fab!
Apart from that, I feel like I have a really great community of friends and stuff now. I have joined a homegroup, which is fantastic! And always meeting friends and stuff, whcich is so so lovely. I am also planning an evangelistic event with my church in April I think. We are going to do a flash mob, drama, have a choir and a talk. Then just go round Quito and evangelise!
Despite all this gloriousness happening. It has been a super hard month in terms of there being a drama in almost every area of my life here! Things have really calmed down now which I am so so thankful for, but prayers that that would continue and I would enjoy the last few months would be awesome!
Also, I feel like this whole time has been such a spiritual battle. My times with God just to rest in his presence, I feel have become more and more difficult. But I miss it and need it! So that too!
Okay shushing now, sorry I know it´s been a long one. My own fault as I`ve left it so long. If you´ve got all the way down here, thankyou!!!
Thankyou for all your support as ever,
Izzy xx
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Reuben Encouraging to see how you're being used for such important tasks...you're in my prayers :)