Ecuador - July 24 || Christina

Waking up this morning seemed like an impossible task, my body did not want to move! After being in Ecuador for almost 2 weeks, my body is really feeling the lack of sleep. Midday naps are something our team has learned to cherish! Although we normally don’t get as much sleep as needed, the Lord has given us the strength to continue sharing His love through skits, crafts, games and bible teachings.The part of Esmeraldas that we are in is known as the “city of darkness.” But surprisingly, if you ask the kids who Jesus is they will respond “the Son of God.” Although many of these kids can recite Sunday school answers, I don’t think that many of them have an actual relationship with the Lord. My prayer for this city is that they would repent just like the city of Nineveh did. Instead of just knowing the story of Jesus like they know fairytales, I pray they would see how real the Lord truly is.Lunch is one of the most exciting times in Esmeraldas. I have never seen so much rice on a plate before! Today we had an amazing chicken soup that the women from the church made. After feeling pretty full from the soup, a plate of rice, chicken and vegetables was put in front of me. By the end of the meal I felt like I was already in my 3 trimester of a “food baby” pregnancy!Tonight during the children’s program we lead the Lord showed me how weak I am and in desperate need of His strength. Anyone who is friends with me knows I am a girl of many words and talking comes pretty naturally. However, when I went to teach the kids today, my mind drew a blank. I had nothing to say! After my teaching I felt like I had truly butchered it. But God reminded me that it is Him who brings the increase even in our weakness. After that I began to pray for the Lord to give me words because I had nothing left. The next class I spoke again and felt the peace of the Lord. He truly showed me what to say to these kids. I just pray He will work in their hearts and they will come to know Him personally.Something the Lord has showed me on this trip is how much we question His goodness instead of praising what He has done for us. For example, many times in my life I am quick to accuse God for the bad things that happen to me, yet I forget to realize that He has already given me the greatest gift in the world – Salvation. And even though bad things will still happen in my life, I do not live for this world anymore. Instead I live for the hope I have in Jesus to be with Him in eternal glory forever.~Christina