Up on the Roof

After three days I finally got the keys to the roof. It's a different view although it's only 20' higher than the window with a panoramic view. I guess it's 20' closer to God. Oops, lesson from Sunday -- God's not up, He's all around.

The Andes Mountains were crystal clear before the sun came up over the ridge. What a view!

I then became selfish with this view, did I want to go down and share it with the others or save it for myself? I went down and told Rick that you could see the one mountain clearly from the roof, but didn't expound on it. I finally invited Heather to come up and see my view. When she came up to the roof, she exclaimed how beautiful the view was and you could see the joy in her face.

Do you know what she did? She went down and told the others and they came up and shared my view. Some of you probably know where I'm going with this,my sharing with one, resulted in her sharing with four others and soon everyone was on the roof.

Lesson for today.

Our first stop today was an orphanage called, "For His Children". A beautiful facility, but as beautiful a place can be - buildings, trees and flowers - there is still the thought in your mind that it is still an orphanage and these beautiful children are still without loving parents.

James 1:27
Pure and faultless religion is this: too look after orphans and widows in their distress.

Here is a picture of a little girl I met. Her name is Beizabel.
We spent the next couple of hours playing with the kids, growing closer, becoming friends and still knowing soon we would be leaving. God was there, strengthening, loving, and healing. Heather showed incredible love and courage. The night before she shared that she was not looking forward to being with handicapped children, but view the picture and see what God can do through someone.

After the orphanage we needed a place to unwind, regroup our emotions and so we took a short bus ride through the mountains and arrived at the Equator. Really not much to see but a line on the earth, but hey, we can say we've been there.

Our final destination of the day was a Ecuadorian style soup kitchen. A ministry called "Pan de Vida" "Bread of Life". The ministry started with a man named Oscar meeting a little boy outside of church one day. Lunch with one became a meal with 15, which became a meal with 60 and tonight 125 people received a filling meal. Old, young, limping, kids on the backs of mothers, dirty, clean, smiling. All sizes and shapes. All God's children. What a group, volunteers from Great Britain, Russia, Ecuador, Ohio, and Idaho.

Children always want to be held. They know you for 10 seconds and there arms are outstretched and they are lifted up and held...and then they don't want down. It's hard to imagine these people’s lives, smiling and cheerful, kids running and playing, but knowing this could be your and your child's last meal until Saturday. I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say we are learning about ourselves and God. Tomorrow is a new day, new friends and more learning.

No night would be complete without a picture of Rick in an apron.

Goodnight and God Bless from Ecuador,

Craig