Its my birthday and I'll ...

Every year my birthday comes, as all birthdays do.  But for me my birthday marks the almost half year mark of being in Ecuador.  This year on the 19th of February I not only turn 28, but I also officially have been in Ecuador for 3 years, 5 months and 4 days.  It is hard to imagine that so much of my life has gone by and people still tell me how young I am.  Yes I am young, but I have also lived.  So I thought I would celebrate some of those things that I have lived in this birthday and on this sort-of anniversary of my time in Ecuador.

1. Having over 18 roommates/housemates from more than 9 countries.  That should be enough said.  There are countless ways of doing things and I think we have tried all of them.  We have broken countless cups until now we have gotten wise and have plastic cups.

2. Learning a new language - Spanish.  It was not easy and it did not come fast.  But after reading almost the whole new testament out loud in Spanish.  Taking countless hours of classes, making mountains of mistakes and talking incessantly - here I am.

3. Preaching.  Over the years I have taught children and youth hundreds of times, I have given testimonies, reports, presentations, dramas, and workshops.  But I have not preached, until recently.  In January, while I was in Colombia I was asked to preach in a church, not once but twice - in Spanish.  So I did, I preached over missions and helping the poor.  I think it must have gone ok as the pastor asked me to preach again the next time I came to Colombia.   Thanks mom for making me take all those public speaking classes... though I hated them at the time.


4. Traveling alone. Though it sounds a little scary it really isn't.  Mostly I have traveled alone when going to another country, like Colombia, Costa Rica, South Africa, Holland and Peru among others.  I have become an expert at spotting people who are looking for me though I had never seen them before.  As I have the annoying habit of forgetting to ask for contact information, I arrive to the country wondering who will pick me up and how I will get where I need to go.  Germany was quite the experience but I learned how the public announcement system works in the Hamburg train station!

5. Organizing Medical Mission Trips.   There are a lot of things to consider when bringing a team of doctors and nurses to your field.  The first one that I organized with the help of my team was in April 2010, then again in March 2011 and how we are in the middle of planning the March 2012 Mission trip.  


6. Drawing Cartoons.  I don't really have a great talent to draw but I love drawing with black ink pens.  There is are several comics that  have drawn about our time in Ecuador.  They are stick figures but pretty funny ones.  


7. Interesting foods.  I have eaten tripe, intestines, blood sausage, heart, guinea pig, chicken feet, and hoof soup.  Just about any fruit you can think of I have had in a juice - they love juices here.  Plantains in about any form that you can think of, they are yummy!  And rice, lots of rice.  


I have witnessed lives changed, heard testimonies on the greatness of God, seen miracles, held the hands of dying children and felt the presence of God.  I am not an amazing person.  I belong to an amazing God.  This was not my plan, this was not what I had wanted to do with my life as seven years ago I flatly told God that I would never be a missionary.  This is His plan, this is why I can keep going even on the tough days.  He is the keeper of my soul.  He directs my path.  

Not to us, LORD, not to us 

but to your name be the glory,

because of your love and faithfulness. 

Psalm 115:1