Beginning and the End

Yesterday the team experienced the start and the finish of Compassion International's work. We split into 3 groups and went into Child Survival Program homes. The "house" my team visited consisted of 2 concrete block rooms, 2 twin beds for a family of 4, a roof of plastic sheeting, a 2 burner electric cook top, and Veronica, Joel and her yet to be named 6 week old daughter. Joel is 2 years old and we saw the Compassion worker, Monica, spend some time with him facilitating this program. And in a little 2 room house we saw hope in Jesus alive.......

Before we left this project in the south of Quito we worshipped together. We all understand guitars and keyboards and drums, but the words were in Spanish. But as thunder rolled outside it seemed the Holy Spirit moved through that space as we were not Ecuadorians or Chileans or North Americans, we were the people of God. One people worshipping the one true God and that was a brief glimpse of heaven, I think. And we experienced that hope in Jesus in this mostly unknown area of the world is alive.......

And tired but eager to know more we had dinner with Leadership Development students. They are the future of this country, I believe. All 3 have been in Compassions program since the age of 7 or before. Alexandra will finish her Psychology degree this year and will go on to graduate school for a doctorate.....to work with the mentally handicapped and forgotten children of this country. Jonathan is studying mathematics and wants to open his own high school and encourage the children of this country, who mostly complete only the 6th grade, to become better educated. And then we met Christian. His story is an incredible journey of seeing his mother healed of cancer and just trusting God. And by the end of his testimony, when he told us he is studying computer engineering and is going to one day be president of this country, we believed him. He has such a confidence in God that we truly believe that he is sure this is his destiny. And we saw the future of Ecuador in these 3 students and it is good because their hope in Jesus is alive......