It has been a great three months

This post is more of an announcement.

This past Tuesday made it three months since I've been volunteering with Extreme Response at Por Amor Foundation. God has done great things. It has been awesome to see Him at work. It wasn't always easy for me, but God has taught me so much and He has transformed me. I'm a different woman, now.

As many of you know, originally, my plans were not to come to Ecuador. I wanted to go to either Africa or China, but God didn't give me peace about it. The opportunity to come to Ecuador came and God made it clear that this is where He wanted me. When I came to Ecuador for the first time in October of last year, our mission team's eyes were opened to a hard reality. There is a great need for a ministry to reach out to children who work in the fields in the town of Paute. One afternoon, a few of the team members and a few locals sat down and talked about how awesome it would be to start a ministry that would help abandoned, orphan, and working street kids. It sounded pretty, but it was just that a dream.

Seven months after that conversation, I find myself making a trip to Ecuador in order to serve as a volunteer at a children's home. My idea for coming is to serve and at the same time to research. I wanted to see what it takes to run a children's home while helping out at the same time. I worked at Por Amor Foundation helping with the children at them home, helping the work teams that have come, taught a bible club, taught English at the local elementary and High School.

The month of July was coming to an end, when I felt that the Lord was leading me in another direction. For some reason, I felt that it was time to go to Paute. My original plan was to go to Paute Sept 5th and help the church there for a month, yet I started to feel that God wanted me there before. At first, I didn't understand, but God gave me peace about making that decision. I continued to pray and called the church in Paute. They asked me to come and help them for those two months. There, I will be working with the youth group especially with girls. The idea is to start a girls bible study and leave someone who would lead it after I go back to the States. I will also be helping with church activities, and evangelism. I am looking forward to what God has for me to do there.

The decision of leaving Manta and the orphanage was hard. I love the children and the people I work with, and I will miss them, but it is exciting to see God continue to change my plans. It's not about my plans anyway. It's about Him! I just have to be obedient.

I actually left the orphanage last Wednesday August 5th. Since then, I have spent time shadowing Pearl Jackson. She is the administrator of the Foundation. This past week, two new girls were admitted into the home. I had the opportunity to witness the admittion process and what it all takes. I have been to the children's police (kinda like DSS, I think) and to the judge and doctors who had to examine the girls, etc. It has been crazy, but very cool at the same time. I have been to countless meetings with people in the community to help the foundation, the hospital, and I even met with the Manta mayor. It takes so much to run a place like this. Please keep the Jackson family in your prayers.

I don't know what God has for me in the future as far as a ministry like this is concerned, but I know that I will continue to do research in Paute about what the needs are and what it would take to start a children's ministry there. Pray for God to continue to lead me and pray that I am willing to allow Him to lead. I want His will for my life not my own.

So, here I go. I leave for Paute tomorrow, Friday 14 of August. I am excited about it! Just pray that God will prepare the hearts of those I will be ministering to and continue to pray for me.

Thanks for all the support and prayer! I can see God answering!

Love,
Raquel