Today was great!! I got to meet the little girl I sponsor through compassion, named Nathaly. She is the cutest little thing I have ever seen! We all met in the lobby of the hotel at 11:45 and walked a couple of blocks down to a park where we met our children. There were probably about 15 of us that have sponsored children in Ecuador.
I found out that Nathaly's name is actually pronounced just like Nataly, when this entire time I have been saying it like there is an "h". Her Dad and her tutor were both with her. We basically spent all of the time between 12:00 and 4:00 together. Another good thing was that each of us had a private translator. That way, I was able to talk to them the whole time without having to wait.
Nathaly was very shy at first, she wouldn't even smile. But after we started swinging she warmed up. She also loved the gifts I gave her. Her favorite thing out of all of them was the baby doll. She held it and rocked it for about an hour. :)
I found out that she has two brothers and a sister, and that her Mom is pregnant with another little boy. The crazy thing was that Nathaly's Mom called while we were at the park and said that she thought the baby was coming. I am not really sure what was going on... But they didn't have to leave.
This morning we also went shopping at an open-air market. It was really fun! I got a couple of bags, a wallet, a shirt, and three bracelets.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Friday, July 1, 2011
We have made it safely to Quito, Ecuador. This country is absolutely magnificent. Everything is so green, and the mountains are enormous. It is so beautiful! You can tell that there aremany people that are very poor. There are a few nicer areas that I have seen. There are houses really high up that just seem to follow the rolling hills all the way up to the mountains.
I got here at about 11:00 last night. This morning, we got up, ate breakfast and went strait out to minister. My team and I(team 1) went out to the plaza. We first learned a few phrases to invite people to the drama. After about twenty minutes or so we had rounded up a pretty large group of people. We performed the drama twice. I am a mime, by the way. Which means that I have to stand still without moving for almost the entire performance.
In between and after the drama, we helped to bring several people to Christ. I would say that with our entire group together, about 20 people were saved. I was in on 6 of them. I personally talked(with a translator of course!) with two of the six. With the other four, I was with a couple of other people.
Three people were healed today... for my group at least. One man who was blind in one eye, said that while they were praying for him it felt as though a hand was place right on his eye. The doctore had told him that he could never be healed. However, several people said that prayer was the only thing that could save him. He told us that when he got home he was going to take off his eye patch, because he knew that he was going to be able to see again.
Another man had a leg that was hurting. After a small group from my team had prayed for him, he said that the pain was totally gone. The same thing happened for a man who said that he was having stomach pain.
So far, today was really great. Now I am ready to go to our evening worship service, FUAGNEM(fired up and going nuts every minute) and be filled back up. I am sure everybody is ready to tell stories from the day. Think how many things have happened just with my team... there are eight teams and about 400 people!
I am not sure how often I will be posting on here... it costs four dollars to be on the computer for half an hour.
Please keep praying for everything!!
-Kendall
I got here at about 11:00 last night. This morning, we got up, ate breakfast and went strait out to minister. My team and I(team 1) went out to the plaza. We first learned a few phrases to invite people to the drama. After about twenty minutes or so we had rounded up a pretty large group of people. We performed the drama twice. I am a mime, by the way. Which means that I have to stand still without moving for almost the entire performance.
In between and after the drama, we helped to bring several people to Christ. I would say that with our entire group together, about 20 people were saved. I was in on 6 of them. I personally talked(with a translator of course!) with two of the six. With the other four, I was with a couple of other people.
Three people were healed today... for my group at least. One man who was blind in one eye, said that while they were praying for him it felt as though a hand was place right on his eye. The doctore had told him that he could never be healed. However, several people said that prayer was the only thing that could save him. He told us that when he got home he was going to take off his eye patch, because he knew that he was going to be able to see again.
Another man had a leg that was hurting. After a small group from my team had prayed for him, he said that the pain was totally gone. The same thing happened for a man who said that he was having stomach pain.
So far, today was really great. Now I am ready to go to our evening worship service, FUAGNEM(fired up and going nuts every minute) and be filled back up. I am sure everybody is ready to tell stories from the day. Think how many things have happened just with my team... there are eight teams and about 400 people!
I am not sure how often I will be posting on here... it costs four dollars to be on the computer for half an hour.
Please keep praying for everything!!
-Kendall
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Tomorrow is THE day
So, I leave tomorrow... WOW. It feels awesome saying that!!
I am beyond excited, I don't even know what to do with myself. :)
We'll see how all of this works out. I am hoping that every goes smoothly. I leave at 5:30 tomorrow morning. I have a layover in Minneapolis(where I meet my friend Rachel!) and then I fly to Miami from there. After 2 1/2 days of drama and evangelism training, we are off to Quito on thursday!
Please pray for God to prepare our hearts, but more importantly, the hearts of the people in Ecuador. Also for safe travel, since of course, tomorrow all of us will be flying to Miami!
This is it...
I am ready to be NEVER THE SAME.
I am beyond excited, I don't even know what to do with myself. :)
We'll see how all of this works out. I am hoping that every goes smoothly. I leave at 5:30 tomorrow morning. I have a layover in Minneapolis(where I meet my friend Rachel!) and then I fly to Miami from there. After 2 1/2 days of drama and evangelism training, we are off to Quito on thursday!
Please pray for God to prepare our hearts, but more importantly, the hearts of the people in Ecuador. Also for safe travel, since of course, tomorrow all of us will be flying to Miami!
This is it...
I am ready to be NEVER THE SAME.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
In 6 days
In 6 days I will be...leaving on an adventure...
meeting my friend Rachel...
landing in Miami...
meeting my team...
so full of excitement I can barely stand it...
making friends...
training for the drama...
finding out what part I get...
preparing my heart for all of the great things to come...
Monday, June 13, 2011
2 Weeks to go!
We have just two weeks until we all meet in Miami. I am sure that these 14 days will fly by. I got my t-shirt last week, and found out that I am on Team 1(out of 8 teams). I am really excited to meet everybody on my team, I am sure that by the end of this trip we will all be great friends. I found out who my roomates are in Ecuador, too. :) Can't wait to meet them, either.
Last night I also received an email from my team leaders. :)
Please continue to pray for us!
See you all soon!
Last night I also received an email from my team leaders. :)
Please continue to pray for us!
See you all soon!
Thursday, June 9, 2011
An average day while in Quito
Here is what an average day will be like while we are in Quito. (This is from the Never the Same Website)
Let's say it's July 7th, I'm on Team 2. After breakfast and devotions with my team(We'll be dressed in our costumes and theatrical makeup), we will board Team 2's bus with your leaders, interpretors, and church representatives for a day of life-changing ministry!
First stop- public school. Yes, we're actually allowed to go in, present the Gospel, and even give an invitation for students who want to give their lives to Christ!
After the drama, a few teens from my team will volunteer to share their testimonies through an interpreter. Then, another team member will ask the students if they would like to ask Jesus to be their Lord and forgive their sins. At that point, several students may come forward to accept Christ. My teammates and I will introduce them to local church representatives who will pray with them in Spanish. The translators will also write down their names and addresses to get them plugged into a church and disciple them.
Then, in small groups of 3-4, we will spend time with the local villagers to ask questions that we learned in Spanish during the training in Miami.
"Did you understand the drama?"
"Do you realize that we are all born with sin, and that sin separates us from God?"
"Do you understand that God sent His Son Jesus to die for our sins?"
"Would you like to commit your life to Jesus, have Him forgive your sins, and live for Him?"
At that point, several more may want to make a spiritual commitment. All we have to do is bring them to the church reps. so that they can be prayed with in their own language.
When our team is finished, we will get back on the bus and head for our next destination!
Next stop: a busy neighborhood. Same routine.
After the drama and follow up, it's lunch time! Each day we will bring our own peanut butter and jelly in our backpack for sandwhiches. Our adult sponsors will provide fresh bread and water. (They promise us that we will CRAVE these when we get back!!)
Third stop: a local park. Same routine!
Fourth stop: an open air market or another school.
By the time our team is finished with all four destinations, it will be close to 4 p.m. We'll return "Home", change clothes, take off our makeup and meet for dinner at 6.
Then, at 7 p.m. it'll be time for our evening service. It's called FUAGNEM(Fired Up And Going Nuts Every Minute) By this time, we'll be anxious to share what happened during the day or testify to what God is doing in our heart.
The service will end at about 9 p.m.We'll have free time to write in our journals, swim, sit and talk etc. Curfew is around 10 p.m. At that time, the female leaders will go into the girls rooms to do "tuck- ins". Male leaders go into the boys rooms to do "slap-ins". That is just so the leaders can check up on each of us and encourage us to call home if we are homesick.
The next several days will be a rotation of drama ministry, work projects...etc. There will also be time for some souvenir shopping.
Let's say it's July 7th, I'm on Team 2. After breakfast and devotions with my team(We'll be dressed in our costumes and theatrical makeup), we will board Team 2's bus with your leaders, interpretors, and church representatives for a day of life-changing ministry!
First stop- public school. Yes, we're actually allowed to go in, present the Gospel, and even give an invitation for students who want to give their lives to Christ!
After the drama, a few teens from my team will volunteer to share their testimonies through an interpreter. Then, another team member will ask the students if they would like to ask Jesus to be their Lord and forgive their sins. At that point, several students may come forward to accept Christ. My teammates and I will introduce them to local church representatives who will pray with them in Spanish. The translators will also write down their names and addresses to get them plugged into a church and disciple them.
Then, in small groups of 3-4, we will spend time with the local villagers to ask questions that we learned in Spanish during the training in Miami.
"Did you understand the drama?"
"Do you realize that we are all born with sin, and that sin separates us from God?"
"Do you understand that God sent His Son Jesus to die for our sins?"
"Would you like to commit your life to Jesus, have Him forgive your sins, and live for Him?"
At that point, several more may want to make a spiritual commitment. All we have to do is bring them to the church reps. so that they can be prayed with in their own language.
When our team is finished, we will get back on the bus and head for our next destination!
Next stop: a busy neighborhood. Same routine.
After the drama and follow up, it's lunch time! Each day we will bring our own peanut butter and jelly in our backpack for sandwhiches. Our adult sponsors will provide fresh bread and water. (They promise us that we will CRAVE these when we get back!!)
Third stop: a local park. Same routine!
Fourth stop: an open air market or another school.
By the time our team is finished with all four destinations, it will be close to 4 p.m. We'll return "Home", change clothes, take off our makeup and meet for dinner at 6.
Then, at 7 p.m. it'll be time for our evening service. It's called FUAGNEM(Fired Up And Going Nuts Every Minute) By this time, we'll be anxious to share what happened during the day or testify to what God is doing in our heart.
The service will end at about 9 p.m.We'll have free time to write in our journals, swim, sit and talk etc. Curfew is around 10 p.m. At that time, the female leaders will go into the girls rooms to do "tuck- ins". Male leaders go into the boys rooms to do "slap-ins". That is just so the leaders can check up on each of us and encourage us to call home if we are homesick.
The next several days will be a rotation of drama ministry, work projects...etc. There will also be time for some souvenir shopping.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
So Close!
We are getting so close to this life-changing trip! I am really excited. School is winding down, and weather should be getting warmer here...(but you never know with New Mexico), Time has flown by since I officially decided to go to Ecuador. I can't believe it is almost here! I am ready to be "Never The Same".
Please continue praying for everything. Pray for those of us who are still fundraising, safety as we travel and for God to prepare the hearts of the people living in Quito.
Thankfully, I am totally finished fundraising! God really did make sure to provide. It is amazing to see what He can do.
Please continue praying for everything. Pray for those of us who are still fundraising, safety as we travel and for God to prepare the hearts of the people living in Quito.
Thankfully, I am totally finished fundraising! God really did make sure to provide. It is amazing to see what He can do.
Romans 10:17
Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.
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