Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think

It is an odd thing to serve as an answered prayer to someone. I came to serve in Ecuador, not knowing exactly what ministry or church I would be working with. I was presented with many options before I came down and became discouraged when what I wanted to do was no longer an option for me, unless I knew spanish fluently. I wanted to work with people who were ministering in the slums and with the street kids, but the people actually doing that work would not have time to accomadate a wide-eyed gringa who meant well, but would just be a lot of work that they would rather not make for themselves.

So I prayed.

There was an option before I came down here about working with a school in a poor neighborhood called "Pasquales". There, a Christian Ecuadorian couple had started a school. (many of the children could not afford uniforms or books, so they would not attend any school). Bartola y Fran saved up there money until they could buy some cement. And now they run a school that is in much need of everything you could think of. Including teachers. The missionaries who connected me with them said they did not know if there was anything to do for me there, but I may be able to just come and observe a day or two during my stay here in Ecuador. So this morning I showed up at the school and met bartola and 5 of the youngest students: caralita, saralita, rael, kenya y marina. We sat down and talked and I told her I would be here for two months. She said she has been praying for someone who could come and teach english to the students. And what do you know, here I am, frustrated because not knowing fluent spanish was keeping me from serving, yet she hasn't been able to find a fluent english speaker to teach english classes. They have all the material, but none of them know english, or even how to pronounce the words. So begining on Wednesday I will be spending my morning and afternoons at La Luz y Libertad (Light and Liberty) school giving english lessons, helping run crafts, and I will work with one special needs child for one hour everyday. After school is out I will be able to walk about 5 minutes with Bartola and her three kids to there home and help her take care of them, take them out to play and spend time with the neighborhood kids. I will also be able to go on visitiations with her to her neighbors. She even offered me a place to stay in her small bamboo home, where the only running water for everyone comes out of a spicket that they have to walk to.

I do not know why I always forget that God provides and looks after our lives...and that he knows what he is doing.