pictures and summaries

Pictures from:

Guayaquil
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=43319&l=26264&id=652755300
Riobamba
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=44223&l=8585c&id=652755300
the Jungle: Puyo, Shell, Tena
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=44231&l=1b55f&id=652755300
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=44227&l=f2e0f&id=652755300
Hacienda of Hope (the orphange north of Quito)
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=45469&l=676ba&id=652755300

Well the easiest part's done...now what did I learn and experience...

First off those of you who are hoping to here of huge miracles and massive impacts...keep reading you won't find it here and I think that's the point I really need to bring back...God's in the ordinary. He's there when you're stuck in traffic, there when your doing the laundry or dishes, he's there in a smile, and a simple conversation you thought never meant anything and may not of at the time. It's easy for us to pray God do something big, show me your presence. Or to think that we need to go to church to encounter him. But if we set our minds to look for the magnificent we will miss the everyday blessings and joys. For homework go read 1Kings 19:11-13. Just kidding, I do suggest it but I'm not here to preach and tell you what to do. I'm here to share Christ's love through my actions and experiences.

Second: Throwing money at a problem won't work. It was disheartening to see that the problem wasn't due to lack of charity and money. It was because of the lack of infrastructure and people to implement positive change. Change to help permanently, not just enable the lifestyle they're in. It's extrememly sad to see TVs and empty soda bottles everywhere with raw sewage in the street and a diet of only white rice with no nutritional value. Education does wonders. It takes people, not necessarily skilled people either. Some of this comes from talking with Adam about Hatti too. Our charity without people interacting does more harm than good.

Third: Walk in Faith and even if you get it wrong God will bless the situation if your heart is right. Believe it or not, God's not sitting up there weaving this huge puzzle with vague hints just waiting to smite you if you get it wrong. Sounds funny put that way...but I was really afraid of that for a while. Talk about a relief.

Four: Evanglism--People need to experience God's love through US before they can really listen to his word through us. My favorite quote is "Spread the gospel at all times using words when necessary" I wish I knew who said it. Any ideas? If we don't open our hearts, lives, and homes to people how will they see in us any difference? How will they see this love God has that we talk about?

Fifth: When you look at doing God's work as a priveledge, all of a sudden you're grateful for the opportunity to be part of it. Grateful to pull over and help someone with a flat tire. Grateful to be smile and be friendly to that cashier that's had a long day. Grateful to see a hitchhiker. Grateful for the phone call from that person you never really want to talk to anyway...

Sixth: And part of this comes from women's bible study tonight...Unity. I'm praying for a revolution. I revolution that defines our faith by how we walk as followers of Christ and not by rules, rituals, and pin-pointed beliefs. In Ecuador everyone wanted to know if we were Catholic, Protestant, Baptist, etc... We are God's children. Ephesians talks so much on the unity of the body. And no we can't do it as just one person...but if we don't take that step as an individual it can't happen at all.

I'm getting kicked out right now. Please feel free to comment and debate.

God bless you all, especially those not reading this too.

The freedom in giving it up

Wow, so much is happening and I haven't even had time to update the end of Ecuador! But I will...Here's the new stuff:

Thursday and Saturday I went down to Kenai to look at land. Where at once I was certain about God's plan to move me to Kenai and I was seeing confirmation, now I'm confused again. It's not that I'm sensing not to buy land down there, just that if (IF) med school is really what I'm hearing than I don't see how the two go together. Unless the property is an investment to pay tuition bills. Either way I know the how is not my department, we are just called to act in faith. So here's my decision, I'm going to get land if something comes up, I'm also going to take Anatomy and Physiology and start studying for the MCATs. Then I'll pray for God to open and close which doors he feels like. So I'll probably put in an offer this week depending on what Darren's opinion on the lots is.

Saturday I had called the Baldwins and left a message I was in town, I didn't hear back at all so I figured I should just go back to Girdwood. But trying to mail a letter I locked my keys in the truck and it took quite a while to get them back. Just as I was back on the road and leaving Soldotna, Ross's dad called back and I turned around. It was a great night with Rick, Bobbie, Becky, Sophie, and Brant. I really miss having family around Alaska. But bedtime came and I wasn't sleepy yet so I had plenty of time to think. Dangerous, eh? There was a guy I was excited to possibly start dating and spent a bunch of time together Friday night. Things looked pretty promising...but the realization started to sink in that this wasn't in God's plan, at least not yet. Forget career aspirations, I don't care how well I did in school my priorities circled around having a family and kids but it was looking like God didn't have that in store anytime in the near future. I felt like I needed to choose between my dreams and God. Fortunately all those prayers for wisdom and patience came to afront. Saturday night I realized that when I decided Jesus was the most important thing in my life I was still holding that relationship/marriage card in my control yet praying for him to make it work. Saturday night for the first time I gave my entire life to Jesus Christ.

I can tell you now that the instant I gave up my own hopes, dreams, and ambitions, God delivered me from the fear and anxiety I had about finding a husband. It is not in my control any longer. That's not saying I don't still hope for it, but it's a good hope not one of idolization and shifted priorities. Lee Hudson from Change Point told me my problem was with relationships. But I had it under control..."I didn't let it interfer" with my walk with God. But God doesn't want us to control everything, our mind still isn't right then. He wants us to rely and trust on him and admit we are powerless without him. The really funny "coincidence" is that the message from Dan Jarrell at ChangePoint Sunday was right in line with what I learned Saturday night. Dan talked about giving it all up for God. One of his points was that if he resist and rebel we will lose it anyway. It was something I could agree with, but I'm glad that was not the thought that changed my mind Saturday night. Saturday night my focus was on Nick as much as myself. I was thinking that it wouldn't be fair for me to go into a relationship with him that was only half way since I didn't know whether or not I'd be going to med school. At this time in my life with the inability to commit the relationship would only be serving a fleshly desire and causing temptation. The fact that he was okay with no sex before marriage did not mean the thoughts would be vanquished as well. Right now my goal is to be-Christ-like in all my relationships. (Sorry Ross and Daniel you have been my true friends while I'm trying to figure out how to be a good friend--these guys have stuck by me anyways even when I failed miserably and inadvertantly hurt them.)

If God blesses me with singleness for my entire life I will be able to serve him with all my mind, heart, soul, and strength. If he blesses me with a family down the road I will praise him as well and hopefully remember this lesson and still serve him with all my mind, heart, soul, and strength. Thank you for reading because I'm bursting with anticipation and joyfulness at this new step in my faith. Thank you for sharing it and please tell me yours...

I lied to the airline...

My current status is back in Girdwood...it was a 68 hour travel adventure that included a bit of stumbling. So I'll confess and fill you in on the end of my trip. Hopefully tomorrow I'll have pictures and a final post for Ecuador. After that, you really don't want to hear about my daily life. But I'll post whenever God does something amazing (usually doesn't take long) or something else comes up so feel free to stop by every once and a while.

So I made it out of Guayaquil, through customs, and into Houston airport. I had decided it was better if I would go visit Daniel and his family than go straight home. I promise my intentions were the best but I quickly fell into the thoughts of the world and the sinful nature. I went to change my tickets prepared to pay the change fees and maybe a little more. Everything went fine at first and I found it would cost me $400 to fly out first class (the only thing open) the next day. I had never flown first class so I met it with hesitant amusement...and Daniel was worth it. Then he came back and said no, since the plane stopped, even though it didn't deboard in Seattle, I couldn't change tickets to that flight. In fact I couldn't change at all. I could only buy a whole new ticket for last minute first class and still pay the previous ticket. I was looking at double my original ticket to Ecuador and in tears because I felt God wanted me to go spend time with Daniel but I didn't have the money. I guess I just stood there long enough that the guy said or you could just say you couldn't find the gate and miss the plane. He sent me up to through security, but I realized when I got there that he still had my boarding pass and I was not about to stand in the long line for another hour or so. Crying and exhausted and frustrated I told the TSA lady I was sick and had to leave. I don't know how I managed to combine trying to follow God and lying in the same task, but that was the sinful flesh nature I gave into. I walked right out of the airport and to a rental car to head to Arlington and deal with the consequences later.

Warning: this next part is not to make excuses, there is no excuse, it is to show how little white lies and omission lies are still lies.

I was sick. I had a migraine from the bus and plane ride that had subsided a bit, I needed to stop and rest, I was nauseous, and my stomach hurt. All reasons I could not get on a flight and have travel insurance deal with it. It was a reason, but on any normal day not the reason I wouldn't get on. I didn't get on so I could see my friend that got shot. I got on the road finally and amazingly felt a lot better too. I went and saw Daniel who is doing much better and at home now. He still needs your prayers though, don't stop. The doctors say he will be on IV antibiotics and a "wound vac" sticking out of his back for the next month. It will be 6 months for a full recovery. Yet the God I know is bigger, more powerful, and awesomely wonderful than that. So I'm praying that us as his family and friends can trust in the power of God and not just in the doctors. Through our prayers God can do a miraculous healing in Daniel if only we have the faith of a mustard seed. Yet the scriptures also tell us the story of a father and his sick son in Mark 9:24; "I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief!"

Well Daniel wasn't sick enough to not be a truly great friend and call me out on my sin. Friday morning I called the airline and told them I was sick and had missed my flight, needing to reschedule. They said I was already rescheduled and was flying out in 6 1/2 hours so I needed to leave Arlington really soon. I wasn't okay with it, not at all. But it wasn't until Daniel said he was disappointed with me like a true friend that I was able to have the strength to fix it. When I got to the airport, I flat out told the lady I had lied and had missed my flight because my friend got shot and I needed to see him not because I was sick. They didn't even care. I had damaged my integrity for absolutely nothing but Satan's glee. So now I apologize and ask for forgiveness I don't deserve and repent. As far as I know the airline hasn't charged me anything extra, if they do I'll pay it. It is so easy for me to justify my way around stuff when it doesn't make sense...yet it is sin. And I'm not held captive by sin anymore, so I'll keep praying for the strength and wisdom to overcome.

Keep praying for Daniel, hold fast to the Lord, and have a very blessed day!

Randomness

I made it to Guayaquil, even took the taxi to the airport. (Sorry Roberto) Roberto had said not to take the taxis but after a little over 12 hours of 3 different buses trying to make it to the airport, I wasn´t going to figure out the city bus system.
Don´t get me wrong, one of my favorite parts of Ecuador was its transportation system. It´s great I could easily get around the country by just standing on the side of a road somewhere and sticking my hand out when I saw a bus I liked. Usually taking less than 5 min, except that one time outside of Tena. The cities got a little more tricky...but I didn´t have to travel through cities often.

Strange occurance of the bus ride from Tabacundo to Quayaquil--this older man (60s) just walked into the women´s bathroom in Riobamba and started talking to me. I little bit too polite for my own good sometimes, I just humored him instead of telling him to leave. He told me I was too pretty to be traveling alone... If there was some pick up line after that I missed it. I think he was just a lonely man that walked into women´s bathrooms. Odd.

The first airport internet guy ripped me off, I should have know when he asked for advanced payment and none of the other places did. After 10 min he let me online for only 4 min when I had paid for 30. I don´t get it, this second guy is nice though and doesn´t speak with so much of the Guayaquil accent.

I didn´t find that person to encourage yet like I was hoping too, so I think I go read my bible and encourage myself. (I could use it too.) God bless.