It's almost Christmas!

And I'm so ready to go home and share with my family and frirends what I have experienced!

A lot has happened in the last few months I have been here and sometimes it's hard for me to express in writing. So please forgive me once again for failing to update as often as I (and you too hopefully!) would like.

Spiritual Emphasis Week is basically a mini-revival involving special speakers who come and have a sort of chapel time every day for grades PreK-6 (in 3 different sections). Our speakers this year were excellent! They came prepared with materials and relevant messages and most importantly they developed relationships with the students. It was a wonderful time of worship and comittment and the kids still remind me about what was taught and sung! Below is PJ (our main speaker) painting faces at the Alliance Harvest Festival that was put on the Saturday after SEW.

For our four-day weekend which was a result of Ecuadorian holidays, I and a group of friends travelled north to Same and stayed at a beautiful resort called Casablanca. It was a refreshing, relaxing, and wonderful time getting to know people and enjoying the sand and sun.

The view from our balcony (ocean to the right).

Spirit Week was an interesting animal...I was asked to be involved in the planning which was primarily done by the secondary chaplain's office (which was a good bonding/growing time for us) and which amazingly turned out pretty well in the end! The high school teamed up with the elementary (12/1, 11/2, 10/3, etc.) and every day at 3 we would gather in the gym for a competition and on Thurday (Thanksgiving Day) we had an Amazing Race all around the school grounds! It was a lot of fun and the highschoolers really proved that they could take care of their little buddies (we used the buddy system which was the best idea of the whole week).

Thanksgiving was a great experience. I wasn't sure at first how it was going to be being away from family for the first time but basically I was adopted into another family and it was wonderful! I made corn pudding/casserole which went over really well and let me just say that that turkey was the best I have every eaten (it soaked in brine for a few hours). I was glad I chose to be a part of the Saavedra family & Co.!

The one thing I am truly thankful for here is the gift of friends. God has gifted me with very special people that I feel comfortable sharing my heart with. I am held accountable and encouraged by their love and support and I am so thankful He has shown me what true friendship looks like in a place so far from home.

He has also shown me what it means to my church community with my gifts and I am also thankful for that.

Some prayer requests: that I would persevere and not grow tired in these last couple weeks before break. As the AWANA director I definitely need prayers for peace and wisdom. As dorm assistant I am in a position of leadership and responsibility and therefore need grace, love, patience, and wisdom to extend to the girls and guys I live with.

Thank you for reading and sharing life together and thank you most of all for your prayers.

So it's been a while...

I definitely had doubts about creating a blog because I'm much more of a one-on-one conversationalist, and my fears were confirmed when I realized that I haven't blogged in more than a month...ahh well. Here's a synopsis of what's been going on in life lately:

God has been teaching me a lot about what it means to be a part of the Church (the capital "c" is intentional). Knowing that I would be living here for at least a year, I wanted to get plugged into a church where I could feel welcomed, served, and fed. However, after more than a few frustrating weeks, the Lord challenged my expectations of what church "should be." I had tried a lot of places but none of them really "fit" and I was finding myself either getting bored or extremely angry which completely confusing to me. With a little help from Don Miller, I finally realized that I was approaching church like I would a vending machine, and even more specifically, like money. If I thought a church or a group of people was worth my time, I would "pay" or "spend" myself and my time in that place. If I didn't think a church/people was "worth the investment" I would "withdraw" myself and leave.

The problem with this kind of thinking is that it is completely opposite of what Christ teaches (not to mention pretty selfish). We are not called to be served, but to serve. I may never find "the perfect church..." probably because the Church itself is not perfect. We are the body of Christ but we are made up of humans struggling to do what pleases God while trying to please man which is a tension that will always be present. Obeying what God asks of me and serving rather than expecting to be served is how Christ empowers me to live with that tension. And so even though I was feeling angry and frustrated, I obeyed the Lord's leading and signed the "I'm interested in serving in the church musically" sheet (I don't think that's what it was officially called) and since then I have felt a peace and joy that passes all understanding while worshipping the Lord as a member of His Church. I am excited to see how God will use the gifts and talents He has given me for His glory!

Other tidbits:
I recently took a trip to Mindo which is about 2 hours north of Quito in the cloud forests of Ecuador and our dorm family had a wonderful time! We hiked to waterfalls, visited a butterfly farm, and ziplined over the jungle canopy...basically just relaxing away from the noise of the city.

Developing meaningful friendships has been a wonderful blessing. One of my great hopes was to come and enjoy authentic community at AAI and the Lord has certainly made that possible!

As for my job, I am feeling more and more comfortable with who/what I am to the elementary students and teachers. At first I wasn't quite sure what to expect or how to go about doing the chaplaincly position (since it's never been done before) but recently I've been able to spend time in individual classrooms building relationship with students and for the first time this week I had a student come to my office where we just sat and talked. I am definitely feeling the Lord's blessing on my position as chaplain. As for the music portion of chapels, I have been struggling a little with what exactly the kids most benefit from...should I stand in front and lead or just let the CD/words lead? Should I have fast or slow songs...how long is too long...a lot of questions that I think experience will help answer but until then, I am so pleased with the chapel speakers!! I could not have done what they do and so I'm so thankful we have the teacher rotation system in place (even if it isn't everyone's favorite).

So I guess that's the long and short of it for now...I'm glad I could share what God is doing here in Quito!

And please feel free to look at my Facebook photo albums and videos!

Blessings,
Lauren

I can't believe I've been here a month (almost)

So time flies when you're having fun and exploring a new country and making new friends...I've loved this mini-vacation. I didn't realized that I would have 4 weeks of freedom when I scheduled my flight originally, but thanks to the Ecuadorian government, our school start date was moved to Sept. 7 so here I am just 3 days away from reality and I am glad to say I think I'm ready.

No lesson plans done for 6th grade Bible (I start teaching the 2nd week) and still not so sure about what I'll be doing for the three 45-minute chapels next Thursday, but even though I have tiny freak-out moments, I keep remembering God's grace is sufficient for me for His power is made perfect in my weakness!

Good news: the dorm kids just got here and they're wonderful! I know I'm going to enjoy getting to know them and besides that, I'm just happy to have company on my floor! The girls's side has been pretty lonely up until now.

Well I'm late for dinner...I'll try to do some more later:)




We climbed a nearby mountain called Ilalo.




We also visited the botanical gardens in Quito.





The view from my roof!






The dorm lounge.

My beautiful bedroom.

Visit Facebook for a lot more pictures!

A simple prayer/song

I was traveling to a church to speak about Ecuador and this song came on...I don't know when a song has been more moving or appropriate for my life.

The Hammer Holds by Bebo Norman

A shapeless piece of steel, that's all I claim to be
This hammer pounds to give me form, this flame, it melts my dreams
I glow with fire and fury, as I'm twisted like a vine
My final shape, my final form I'm sure I'm bound to find

So dream a little, dream for me in hopes that I'll remain
And cry a little, cry for me so I can bear the flames
And hurt a little, hurt for me my future is untold
But my dreams are not the issue here, for they, the hammer holds

And the water, it cools me gray, and the hurt's subdued somehow
I have my shape, this sharpened point, what is my purpose now?
And the question still remains, what am I to be?
Perhaps some perfect piece of art displayed for all to see

So dream a little, dream for me in hopes that I'll remain
And cry a little, cry for me so I can bear the flames
And hurt a little, hurt for me my future is untold
But my dreams are not the issue here, for they, the hammer holds

The hammer pounds again, but flames I do not feel
This force that drives me, helplessly, through flesh, and wood reveals
A burn that burns much deeper, it's more than I can stand
The reason for my life was to take the life of a guiltless man

So dream a little, dream for me in hopes that I'll remain
And cry a little, cry for me so I can bear the pain
And hurt a little, hurt for me, my future is so bold
But my dreams are not the issue here, for they, the hammer holds

This task before me may seem unclear
But it, my maker holds

I just don't know what to doooo with myself

Hmmm my first blog ever...
The Ecuaventure is rapidly approaching and I really wish I knew how to deal with moving to another country but I don't so I guess I'll continue to live life a day at a time, trusting the Lord with the details (including emotions and expectations).
I did find out that the start date for classes has been moved to September the 7 whereas my flight is scheduled for August 10 so I think I'm going to have a little extra time for adjusting, getting acclimated, making new friends and spending time with old ones!
I do know: I am excited and I am expecting God to do great things.
There, how's that for a first blog?