NILI 8 - Summer 2010

NILI 8 (L to R, Back: Lucy, Caity, Katy, Jessie, Laura, Amanda, Meghan, Andrew)
(Front: Simone, Jenna, Joel, Spencer, Evelyn)

The picture was taken at one of our farewell traditions. Each semester we gather at Evelyn's house and the students make a typical 'North American' meal for the professors. It is a fun time to share part of our culture with the professors after a semester of the professors sharing their culture with us. 

It's with mixed emotions that I write this blog post. NILI 8 is ending today and all the students are leaving tonight and tomorrow. The summer semester is only 8 weeks in length so just about the time you are getting to know the students they are leaving.  

Each NILI group has it's own personality and character. This group loves to cook at Lucy's house and be sarcastic with just about everyone. It's hard sometimes to tell when they are joking and when they are being serious. 

They are all going home to finish out there summer vacations and process all they have learned this semester. It's sad to see them go but I am excited for them in all their plans they have for the upcoming months.  I think the hardest part of working in NILI is how quickly people come and go from my life. 


***I have my Visa and for 2 years! Thanks for your prayers! 

Special Chapel Service

Our weekly Chapel service here at the seminary was a little out of the ordinary. We had some special guests.  Dr. Louie Bustle, Director of World Mission for the Church of the Nazarene preached and an indigenous Children's dance group performed.

The Children's dance group was so cute. They danced two Ecuadorian Folk dances and then presented Dr. Bustle with a poncho. 

It was rewarding to hear a sermon in Spanish that I totally understood. Yes, I have even translated some sermons but it is rare when I really understand everything and leave with the points of the sermons still running around in my head. (Because it is a monologue a sermon is one of the last things that you really can understand.) The scripture from the sermon was Mathew 22:37-39. The greatest commandment is "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." and the second "Love your neighbor as yourself." The thought in my head still is something that Dr. Bustle said... you have to have the first commandment to make the second commandment possible. For me sometimes loving my neighbor is hard to do... and I've never connected the two in that way before... maybe it will be easier now...anyway  I'm still thinking about that one...

Dr. Bustle (L) and Mrs. Bustle (R) receive a plaque from Pastor Freddy Guerrero and his wife Grace (Center)

Prayer Request:
Jen and I dropped our Passports and Visa renewal paperwork off today. We will hear Monday if they authorize our renewal. Please pray that everything goes as planned and we will have our new Visas on Monday.

Grocery Store

Happy Friday!

It's been sort of a slow week around here. The NILIs were in the Galapagos and I had all sorts of plans for little projects I would get done. Alas, it was not meant to be. I've been sick all week and just when I thought I was getting better my cold appears to have started over again. I would appreciate your prayers.

I didn't want to miss my blog post for the week so I thought I would share some of the products you can find here in our local grocery store.

The first is "Kimbies." Yes... apparently I have my own diaper company.

The second is my very own hand sanitizer called "KimCare." A few others... the major brand of stationary here in Ecuador is "Kimberly" and I'm also in almost every bathroom... Kimberly Clark paper towels...

Ok, so we all know they are not really my companies, but maybe I should see about collecting royalties for my name... might be an interesting way to finance my volunteer missionary career.

Thursday - "Blog day"

Happy Thursday all! As you may have noticed I am in my third week of what I have affectionately named 'Thursday - Blog day'. It is my goal to have a blog post every Thursday. So far so good. I hope you enjoy reading about what is going on in my ministry and life here in Quito.

It is always interesting to me how God brings us reminders of our past, of where we've been and how far we've come.

The first time I left the United States was for a Work and Witness trip to Venezuela. That trip is what got all this started. God started talking to me about a major change in my life on the way home. At the house we stayed at in Venezuela were twin girls Aline and Simone they were about 12 years old. They had just moved to Venezuela with their missionary parents. We had a great time together. They tried to teach us a few words in Spanish and we helped them practice their English.

Well, this is the reminder part. Simone and her husband Andrew are here with us in NILI this semester. They are helping us with teaching responsibilities while Andrew improves his Spanish. I never imagined I would see her again in South America. If you had asked me back in 1995 whether I would be speaking Spanish let alone working at a Language Institute in Quito, Ecuador, I probably would have laughed and then been scared to death asking all the "what if" questions.

God knew where I was going then, and He knows where I am going now! He doesn't show us all at once. It's a great reminder of how much He loves us.

Palora, Ecuador part 2

Last week I told you all about how we got to Palora. This week I wanted to share some of what we did. This trip was a joint NILI and Mt. Vernon Nazarene University venture. We were together most of the week before splitting off and doing different activities.

Once we arrived in Palora we really needed a break so we headed to the river. Yes, family I am still jumping off of things! (Although the photographic evidence that I plugged my nose is a little embarrassing). The time at the river was just what the doctor ordered. We left there and went on to work.

The students moved all the roofing materials and worked on putting the roof on the new church. They also painted the old church so that it can be returned to the owners.

Along with the physical work the students accomplished we also did many ministry activities. Including kids club and a few church services. The following are some highlights.

I was a little 'crabby' that day! :O)

Probably the biggest highlight while we were in Palora was a trip out to a Shuar Village where we did a kids club activity. When we reached the end of the road everyone got out of the vans and started walking. We were greeted with a traditional Shuar welcome ceremony complete with dancing and the passing of the Chicha (a traditional drink made by the Shuar). I was very proud of all the group members and me included. We all tried the Chicha.

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A personal highlight was once we were back in Quito I had the opportunity to translate for Salomon as he preached the sermon. We were on the side of a hill overlooking Quito. It was a beautiful sunny day, the mountains were out. I could not think of a better place and time to have a worship service.