Ecuador 7/19 (Rebecca)

Hola from the fantastic city of Quito, Ecuador! Although we have only been here for just over a day, I am so incredibly encouraged that the Lord will do fantastic things in and through the group this week. I know that Tyler talked about some of the adventures that we have experienced this far, so without going into the same details I want to share some of the things that have really stuck out to me so far about our group. #1 The team has done really well adapting to the very different altitude, sun schedule (the sun rises just after six and sets after six), and culture. For some of them it is their first time in another continent doing missions work and they are learning and growing extremely fast- I have to keep pinching myself to make sure it's real. #2 They have done a great job adapting to the schedule and not complaining about unknown situations. When we had to sit on the plane for an extra three (or more) hours I did not hear one person complain about being tired or hungry. And on the worksite everyone worked really well together and was constantly encouraging each other- it was really cool to observe the entire group working together as a TEAM. #3 The team devotions, prayer times, and debriefs have been really great. It's so awesome to see the strengths of everyone come out in the various situation. Whether it was Joy Ike leading us in worship, Pastor Scott teaching the students how to use an axe, or Clair McCarthy helping other students to understand Spanish. Each and every person has unique talents and abilities and it is going to be great to see everything unfold this week. Those are just three of the many observations that I have made so far on this trip about the team. Thank you so much for your prayer and support on this trip! We will be venturing into the jungle tomorrow so please pray for safety on the road and then on the worksite in the afternoon. Have a fantastic day! ~Rebecca Wakeley

Ecuador 7/20/2012 ...

Just a quick reminder of a couple things.

Your prayer and encouragement are critical to us and the work here.
    Thank you for praying

We are headed to our primary ministry tomorrow morning. This will be a 5 hour bus ride into the interior of Ecuador - the jungle. We begin reaching out to the people through hosting a soccer tournament, VBS and dental hygiene. We will be supporting the missionary couple through building.

We will not have any internet access while in Huaticocha. I will have folks blog and we will post once we return to Quito next Thursday.

Peace, P Scott

Ecuador 7/19/2012 evening (Tyler)

Hey, Tyler Jew here, these past 2 days have been so awesome, weird, and wonderful! First, Our plane ride from Miami to Quito was so long! The free movies on the plane ride helped with the time and the free hot meal helped with the hunger. As we were landing all of a sudden we shoot straight back up in the air and find ourselves on the way to Guayaquil, another city on the route. All in all, we got to Guayaquil, waited for an hour in the plane, and finally got to Quito 4 hours late, that's ok though. Late pizza and potato soup shriveled our hunger from the hot meal on the planeride 5 hours before. We met our interns, Ana and Derrick, nice folks. Our second day was so much better, it started out with a long needed shower and a sunrise devotional. After a breakfast of fresh pastries, fruit, and chocolate flakes we were ready to seize the day. We went on a 5 min walk to a house. Scratch that, mansion, to help out with some stuff. Beauty is all I can say about the mansion. About 30 - 35 kids aged 2 - 16 who's pareNts were in jail would be staying there. Using my Spanish skills we helped separate And build a couple of bunk beds for the rooms wherE they will be staying. We also cleared the yard of debris, and some trees, with a giant fire, the ACAC way of course. After lunch we headed for a tour of Quito, Wonderful city. Our first stop was the Basilica, a massive church famous for its elegant sanctuary and stained glass windows. Long treks up stair, ladders, and across bridges let us discover all the Basilica had to offer. Sure the air was thin, we were dizzy, and the stairs were endless, but it was Completely worth it. The view was amazing, and the church was breathtaking. I actually got to sign my name somewhere where it will live forever, on the bell. Our Next stop was the giant Virgin Mary, she was special. She was about 75 feet and had wings. She was constructed of about 7000 individual pieces. We got home after a day of wonder and discovery. Let's hope the other daybs will be as great as these last two were. Keep us in your prayers for we will definitely need it. Thanks ~Tyler Jew

Ecuador 7/19/2012 pictures

La Tasores (The Treasures)

The soon to be home for orphan children

Prayer circle in the backyard

The walk back to Casablanca

(the place we are staying in Quito)

Doing yardwork...Jess learns how to use an ax!

Casablanca

The Bascilica

group pic outside of the Bascilica...before our

trek up 200+stairs to the top

The Enormously Beautiful stained glass window

Inside the clock tower

Jeremy checkin out the sites

an 80 foot statue of Mary that overlooks the city of Quito

Ecuador 7/19/2012

Buenos Dias, Good morning folks, i'm jumping on quickly to let you know we arrived safely. The plane ride from Miami to Quito had a little extra travel- we're checking to see if we get the extra flyer miles. I will say the team was very patient and relaxed, more opportunities to connect with new friends and share our journey story. Personally, I worked on my Spanish with the family sitting behind me - thankfully the kids are in an English speaking school and helped huge. Today we will be in Quito working in the morning and touring and learning about Ecuador culture, history and more. With Internet here I will write later and include team pictures. Thanks for your prayers! Peace, P Scott

Ecuador 7/18/2012

The Trip has been smooth so far. The flights from Charlotte and Miami were uneventful.we have already have several opportunities to share where, what and why this group of very bright yellow shirts are traveling together. The students and leaders have shared our story well and we have received blessings, prayers and encouragement. I currently sit surrounded by many backpacks as the team is out scouting out lunch. I'm sure the laughter and energy of the students is bringing light to Miami. I'll try to connect this evening to let you know we have arrived safely in Quito. Peace, Scott