Day one: Sweet blessings!

Well, we made it...but not without a little complications along the way. I know a few of you have heard that Jan Rudd ran into some complications with her passport on the day that we were leaving, but God has been so good in making sure she was able to get here...in may not have been in our timing but she will be here. The small part of the story that made this possible is that the Passport Office opened a new location in Dallas in the last year for last minute passport emergencies. (In the past we had to go to Houston....) This made it possible for Jan to get her passport quickly and I am happy to report we just got a text that said she is boarding the flight to Ecuador and she is on her way. She will be with us by midnight tonight!!!!! God is good.

Today has been incredible as we have had the chance to see the ministry of Compassion. We started the day at the office hearing about what Compassion does and how they do it. The best take away for me were these three values that they build their ministry upon: "Christ centered, Church based and Child focused." That resonates with the heart of our church and how we want to minister throughout the world.

This picture is of Robert. He is the program communication manager for the country of Ecuador.

This is the group of ladies instead the mail room. Behind us are HUNDREDS of letters waiting to be delivered to children all over Ecuador from their sponsors.


After we finished at the office we went to have a traditional Ecuadorian meal for lunch. It consists of hominy, pork, potatoes and empenadas.

After lunch we went to visit our project with the Child Survivor Program. This program focuses on pregnant moms and moms with children under the age of 3. In this program they learn how to help their children develop physically, spiritually, emotionally and developmentally.  These ladies also learn job skills so they can start micro businesses to they can support there families and break the cycle of poverty in their family. We were able to hear testimonies of women that have come to know Jesus and whose children were saved through the intervention with Compassion.

Tomorrow we will be working with the older children. We will be doing a one day VBS with 150 children! YIKES! It is going to be awesome. We are excited to see what the Lord is going to do. Below are pictures of us with the children today....they so want to be loved and to love...the hugs were precious! Love does not require you to know the same language....and we were able to be Jesus with skin on to these precious moms and children.

reuniting with Judith from last year!!! Lots of tears and love over seeing a familiar face