Day of Rest

Saturday July 23, 2010...and on the 7th day, they rested.After a very full week of kids programs we were blessed with a much needed free day. This included a trip the a “waterfall” and shopping and dinning in downtown Quito. We drove to what was projected to be a quick 30 minute drive to the waterfall, (for your information, Ecuadorian time projections should be multiplied by 4), 2 hours later we arrived at the destination. As it turned out, the waterfall was no small hike so a quick change of plans and before you knew it the team members were flying down a zip-line.Over the many hours of commuting it gave me time to think through the past week. First off, I can’t believe we’ve only been here a week! It has been amazing to see the child who on the first of the week was a raging wild animal bitting at any person in sight at the end of the week had his arms draped around his teacher. Many team members had already faced sickness and we were finally seeing light on the other side. And finally, is has been precious to see how God has knit the hearts of all 22 team members is such a short time. God has given each of us a heart for these people, and trust me, they aren’t always the most easy children to love. And yet, now it’s hard to imagine life without them.As the evening came to an end I found myself strolling down a cobble stone street that reminds me of some place in the U.K. It felt so peaceful and relaxing, like the calm after the storm. Over all the ups and downs I have seen God’s faithfulness shining through. It is so beautiful how God uses each team member and their gifts to create His grand masterpiece. This coming week we are given a new set of challenges, I wonder how will God continue to use us in this beautiful land?For the team, Lorianne Barclay