Last weekend I had the chance to be a part of Christmas celebration that will top any others I’ll take part in this year. An organization here in Quito called Extreme Response puts on an annual Christmas party for 300 employees who work in the largest dump in Quito, as well as their friends and family. About 2500 people show up for the party. Most of the individuals live an hour or more away from the dump and bus in daily to work in one of the most disgusting places in the city. The day of the Christmas party is quite a different bus ride than the one they’re normally accustomed to. There is a buzz in the air and an excitement to arrive early in order to enjoy all the festivities. I actually had the opportunity to be one of the workers that welcomed all 2500 of the people in with a hug/handshake or greeting. Upon arrival I was astonished by the line that measured several hundred yards down the road. A reflection of how this event is a highlight in many of their lives and allows them to enjoy a Christmas in ways they ordinarily aren’t privileged to.

Now, you’ve probably got the idea that we put on some sort of an Oprah Christmas party combined with a day a Disney World, but you’d be mistaken. You see they will ride a bus for over an hour, wait in line for nearly an hour, and literally run up a hill to a party that most of us wouldn’t even get out of bed for. They’re idea of an awesome party and ours is completely different. It took me a while to understand this. I think when it hit me the hardest was when I leaned over to ask a buddy if they were misunderstood by what they were rushing into…I mean you really would have thought they were winning a new car or won a luxury trip to the Caribbean (Thats the kind of award it would take for us in order to evoke the excitement I saw in their eyes) . I even had some people shake my hand and thank me profusely over and over as if I had just given them a lump sum of money. But they simply are just so grateful to be able to spend part of a day playing some makeshift games, winning candy, sitting on “Santa’s” lap, and taking home a few very small presents. That was it. There was not a grand show  or money given away but rather just a few hours with a smile on their faces (in what for them is a very hard life) doing things that they rarely get a chance to do.

There was really something in all of this that grabbed my heart. I’m really not sure if it was the great efforts they went to in order to be a part of the celebration, or if it was their deep gratitude for us putting on the party, or if it was a smile that I’ve rarely seen and cannot be described. Or possibly it was all of this combined with the fact that I can in one day experience more than many of them can in their life but yet I still I don’t get it. I don’t understand grace, the Lords goodness in my life, and even more than that, the fact that I simply don’t deserve any of it regardless to how much my prideful heart argues against it. I’m still processing that day, but I’m super thankful that I was able to be a part of The Christmas party in the dump!

the group currently has the name “engage”. we’ve just met for our fourth straight week. there has been a wide variety of people that have come, from upper 20′s working professionals (this doesn’t necessarily mean white collar professionals) to fresh out of H.S. college students. we’ve also had a few people from the US and Europe come, however the most predominant group are Ecuadorians who speak anything for no english to those who are fluent. its quite interesting, and at times requires a good bit of patience. however, if many of you remember in my previous experience with YWAM…i had a translator at my side 100% of the time to communicate what was being said. needless to say, i’m more than willing to have a little whispering of translation go on to make sure people don’t miss out. as irrelevant as numbers are, we have had a group from between 15 and 30 each week. currently we are making our way slowly through James. i’ve personally found much needed guidance and direction from the book of James over the past year, so given that and the fact that James talks a lot about spiritual maturity, i thought it’d be a great book to start with.

currently i’m trying to meet up with many of the guys throughout the work week to get to know them better. i’m so relieved to be able to communicate my heart and the Lord’s through me in my own native language! i can’t tell you what a relief that is. however, i’m also enjoying being challenged in my spanish, having conversations of depth with those who don’t speak much or any English. i’m supposed to meet this week with one of the guys who doesn’t speak any english. he also briefly told me this past week that he had only planned to come to engage as a support to his sister. but as he’s been coming the last few weeks the Lord has really been working in his heart in some tough but much needed areas. he thanked me for being a part of that. comments like that are the entire reason i want to be here, to have the Lord work through me and the passion he’s put in my heart. it’s encouraging simply knowing that God’s words are being spoken through me, but also in his case, the language isn’t a barrier. God is far bigger than a language. one because he created them and two b/c we see this in the example of the revelation of the Holy Spirit in Acts and the speaking of tongues, where everybody understood what was being said.

thats just to give a few tid bits of the last month and whats beginning to stir among the college and 20something “engage” ministry. thank you for all your prayers while the Lord has been preparing our hearts and those he’s brought to us.

Here are a few highlights…..

A few days before we left for the states Handsome had a birthday!

We celebrated with paddle boats in the park! And…. 

Dinner at Cafe Mosaico! Our favorite thing about this place? The view!!

After a month in the states loving on family, kissing new babies and eating good food… we returned to Quito just in time to host our dear friend Fran who stopped in for a visit on her way to Colombia. Our first visitor. It was monumental.

We had dinner at Vista Hermosa. Another amazing view!

Shortly after Fran’s visit I started summer camp at Alliance Academy. It reminded me of my YMCA days and I loved every minute of it. Camp lasted 3 weeks and Mr. Johnson joined us for the 3rd week. We would talk about the kids over dinner and sing the camp songs while we washed dishes.

Somewhere within these months I made homemade cinnamon rolls. The altitude and I are finally getting along and its worth mentioning!!!

So now what are we up too? Enjoying the rest of the summer! School starts on Thursday!

Why was Monday our last day? Because Tuesday was my first day of school! This is so sweet to type! Its so much bigger than our “last” day together and a first day of school. Since we arrived here in Quito six months ago we have been asking the Lord to prepare our steps and provide opportunities (see our first blog). At times things seemed painfully slow. We were so confident in our hearts and vision for this place…and His purpose for us here, but the steps were unknown. Monday was a day to celebrate and rejoice over how far the Lord has brought us. His faithfulness deserves our affection and adoration.  We are so excited about the opportunities ahead. We’ll dedicate this post to my first week of school but stay tuned for a post about Michael’s new ministry opportunity. We are SO SO excited. Our Father is so good.

Next year I will be teaching at Alliance Academy International. AAI is a Christian international school in the inner city of Quito that serves over 600 students k-12. The best part? They also serve over 20 different ethnic backgrounds and range of socioeconomic backgrounds. As I was sitting in orientation all week my heart became more and more overwhelmed with gratitude that I get to be apart of such a ministry.  Since we have been here we have prayed for an opportunity like this. Michael and I have been asking for the nations….asking to be poured out for this younger generation. Our Father hears us! Our Father knows our hearts and passions. I am confident He makes Himself vulnerable to the desires of His children. He knows how to give good gifts. How precious and perfect are His gifts! I can’t wait to share stories about my classroom…about our school and about how the Father is loving on this younger generation. It’s such a blessing to have the opportunity to be their teacher, to pour into them and disciple them. Pray with me that the Spirit would awaken and empower this younger generation. Pray they would be disciples in this city, confident in the gospel they proclaim. Pray they will fall in love with Jesus and come to understand His love and affection for them.

So yesterday I looked at some info on just a few of the students in my class and I have students from the US, Canada, Ecuador, Korea, Japan and Trinidad and Tobago! The students come back on Thursday and I cant wait to see all the nations they represent.

Get excited with us! Rejoice with us! Join us as we step into the first days of a new season!

Last Sunday was truly a day to be celebrated. It was the one year anniversary of a young lad coming from Quito to meet a little lady in Honduras for the first time. I seriously still get butterflies thinking about all the anticipation that surrounded that day. Needless to say…..it was a day that needed to be remembered and celebrated. It deserved some cake.

Mr. Johnson and I rose to the occasion and treated ourselves to a chocolate mousse crepe with chai tea at the Crepes and Waffles about a block from our apartment. We had so much fun reminiscing about our first days together in Honduras. Our affections for each other grew so much in those 10 days and it was the begining of the most unpredictable journey. I am so blessed to live life with this man. I love exploring new things with him. I love talking about our visions and hearts for this place. I love how much we laugh…mostly at ourselves.

We have zero pictures of ourselves from Honduras but I did manage to take this pic of Mr. Johnson taking a little nap at the baby shower he attended as the only male guest  other than the baby’s father. What a trooper

These first few months have been very simple. Small ripples in this big city. We’re settling into life in this new place and adapting to life as roommates of the opposite sex. We’re exploring our surroundings, meeting our neighbors, striking up conversations and studying mucho espanol. I in particular am developing my domestic role to try and undo any rumors that may have started during college about my inability to prepare a meal. This is were Michael would insert a statement of adoration for my cooking but he’s not available so you will have to take my word for it. We have family dinners…just the two of us and we talk about our visions and goals.

  The past 2 months have refined our hearts unlike any 2 months we have ever experienced. The Lord is humbling us with an understanding that before we can do anything in this city we must sit at the Father’s feet and listen to His heart. We must place ourselves under the disposal of the Spirit and let Him lead. We must be willing to Be before we can do anything.  We’re coming to understand as we make ourselves smaller and smaller in this world that ministry is not something you do…its an overflow of  the Love of Jesus in you.  A love so deep..and so real…that as Pauls says, “the love of Jesus controls us”. We want it to control every part of us and we want it to continue to change us. Our vision for this city is to invite people into this Love. A love that speaks a better name for all of us. A love that brings freedom. A love that saves people from themselves.

This blog is our attempt to share our lives with you. We’re learning more that as believers we are meant to live as a communal body. We’re meant to be in constant community, constant conversation with each other. So this is our contribution to the discussion. We want to share our struggles, our victories, our stories and our hearts with the people we love the most.  We’re newlyweds and we’re foreigners and with those things comes a natural vulnerability and a lot of laughter.   Everyday we’re learning our place here and what our purpose is. There are so many exciting things that we cannot wait to blog about!

And because a blog is always better with pictures….

These two places exist within 10 minutes of each other. So different. So unique. Only in Quito.