A short-term mission team from the University of West Alabama’s Wesley Foundation will be in Ecuador May 8-15. Please pray for them as they serve the children and adults at Dulce Refugio in Villaflora, Quito. They will be posting throughout the week about their experiences.

May 10 – When is the Last Time You Drank Some Water? by Genevieve Baughman and MaeLee Taylor

Rise and shine, bright and early – without an alarm clock. There was a bit of a mix-up with the wake-up call.  Luckily, most of us were awake at some point before the morning devotional time. This morning, Rachel shared Scripture and a brief message.

Today was the first day on the work site. Our VBS and construction teams worked hard today alongside the Ecuadorian church members. The construction team on the roof was blessed by the songs the VBS team led for and with the children in the rooms below. The roof construction area was a tad bit on the warm side. However, the “water” person made sure the team was well hydrated and sun-screened. The construction team actually got a bit perturbed, in a humorous manner, by the constant barrage of “Make sure you drink your water. Have you reapplied sunscreen?”  The team worked on the infrastructure that will at some point be concrete pillars. This consisted of placing “S” bars, tying them onto the existing structure with rebar, and repeating the process many times over. The work was enjoyable though tiring to the team. We look forward to a good night’s sleep tonight.

The VBS team was truly blessed today, as we were able to share the Gospel with children from the ages of 1 to 14. The children are very loving and pay attention so well. It is amazing to see and experience God in this form of ministry.

Today the VBS team sang songs, performed skits with puppets, played softball and soccer, made salvation bracelets and God’s Eyes, and told Bible stories. Even though there is a language barrier, it does not stop the Lord from working in the children’s and our (the team’s) lives. The Lord is blessing all of us tremendously through prayer, devotions, quiet times, the beauty of this country, and people we are meeting.
The evening devotion was led by Wilson. He talked about Christ as our comforter and guide, giving us faith to go forward because of our relationship with Jesus. “We don’t realize how much God holds on to us, supporting us.  This can be seen in so many different things.”  In VBS, the connection with the team members was evident as they were all in one accord with the Lord. The two questions posed at the end of the devotion time were the same as yesterday’s:  How did you experience God’s love and grace today?  How did you reach out to God today?  Rachel was the first to respond.  “VBS went smoothly. So many things fell into place. The kids were attentive, and we watched as our VBS dreams became a reality.” Next to speak was Richard, as he was thankful that no one had experienced any altitude sickness.  Scott was moved today by the presence of Jesus. A statue of Jesus overlooked the rooftop work site. Scott felt that this was a visible sign that Jesus was watching and looking out for him. During the day when our bodies are getting tired and beginning to hurt, Jesus was still present. Scott also noted that he was touched by the children’s prayer as the day closed as one child prayed for the gringos. Dan saw God’s love today as he watched Melvin interact with and hold the small children. Melvin made many friends today that he will miss. These children will be back tomorrow, but a new group will arrive on Wednesday.

For photos from today’s excursions, please click here and here.