Ecuador Trip, Day 2

Had a great scrambled egg breakfast at the Hostel. Katie had a HUGE pancake (yes one, it looked like cornbread).

I led a team devotional at 9:00 from Ephesians 4:11–16. Every one of us is here for a reason (God got you here), and we must work as a team, and God will do His work through us.

Steve outlined the day for us and then we went by bus to our three stops:

1. cable car up to 13,300 foot mountain peak to overlook the 13 million people city of Quito

2. Visit the equator (including a museum and SEVERAL science experiments showing the geographical uniqueness of the equator)

– see water drain different directions on either side of the equator

– balance an egg on a nail (more gravitational force at equator)

– how your balance is thrown off at equator

3. These were neat, but then it was on to what we came for: ministry.

This first day of ministry, we went to the Guayalbamba Baptist Church, the fellowship Steve & Cathy are intimately connected with.

Dean and I prepared to bring a message while most of the team prepared game activities for the children of the church. Sheila practiced with a praise team made up of Andy, Savannah P., Ashley, and Cody.

At 5:30pm, service began with two songs by the American worship team, Dean preached on Jesus (Who do you say that I am?, Matthew 16). with an interpreter.

One more song, and then I preached with Steve interpreting from John 15 (I am the vine, you are the branches).

I’ve preached with an interpreter in Romania (when I was 22!). Both times (including today) felt very much the same: Not very effective.

Steve did a great job of interpreting (I guess;>)), but the culture barrier feels almost insurmountable.

I don’t know what they think is funny (never underestimate the power of humor to get a congregation to listen), I don’t know, in this kind of setting, what they struggle with, and I’m just a white face to them instead of a trusted shepherd.

I’m not gifted to speak to people I don’t know…give me the Peachtree flock any day that I can walk alongside and know what life if like, so I can apply Truth to our joint problems.

As I reflected on it, I totally got the Incarnation, why it was so important for Jesus to be God with us.

Plus the incredible importance of having trained national pastors who can walk with their congregations knowing what struggles they face. (Jason & Kerri Gupta, thanks for investing your lives in training national pastors!)

The Ecuadoriano congregation was so gracious, and I certainly felt that connection with Christ-followers I feel no matter what country I’ve been to.

They led worship for us, and though I could only pick out about 1 out of 10 or 15 words, the adoration for our God came through, and I sang loudly the Spanish words (reading them off the overhead projections).

When we sang, “Lord, I Life Your Name On High”, I sang it in English.

The pastor shared how much Steve & Cathy had helped their congregation, and there was OBVIOUSLY a love for them. It was so neat to hear Steve tell our team how God had led them to this congregation and what all had been accomplished in a few years (will save that for another post).

Games with the kids, then fed by the ladies of the church: fried pork, fried banana, dehydrated banana chips. I loved it!

We began the hour drive back to the hostel at 9:30pm or so (Spanish church services go long).

The altitude has made us all tired (my theory, that or all the walking we do), and most of us slept on the way back to the bus.

The Peachtree Team has had incredibly positive attitudes, and our team is bonding together VERY well.

Tomorrow: Prayer Walking and meeting Street Kids