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Dear Friends, We have a message to pass on to you…, “Thank You.” Thank you for covering our trip to Ecuador with prayer and thank you for your financial support. And the “thank you’s” come not only from us but from the team of students and adults we were honored to lead and from the family of God in Ecuador. So many times people looked at us and said, “Thank you for coming. Thank you for standing with us.” And we were quick to say, “So many people care about you. They sent us – that is why we are here.” Can we share a few of those people’s stories with you? One of the first greetings comes from a Peruvian couple who run an orphanage in the high desert above Quito. They have about 25 boys in their compound who are orphans rescued from the streets of Quito. Most of these boys have been abused in ways we can’t even report. But in this orphanage they live orderly, safe lives where they are shown God’s love. When we looked into their eyes – we knew that they knew they were loved. We had a wonderful morning with them – playing, face painting, singing and hugging on those children. We heard a quiet gracias from Erika, a three year old, filthy little girl in a park where we stopped to do our gospel-sharing drama. Erika’s parents were both at work and she was wandering the streets alone. Her caretaking teenage brother was passed out drunk under a tree. We gave her a sandwich, told her Jesus loved her, and left a part of our hearts with her as we drove away. We spent several afternoons in the town of Pifo running a Vacation Bible School for the church there. By the end of the week there were over 400 children in attendance! Their thank you came in the form of a delicacy we won’t actually share with you! Yes – we ate all of the guinea pig they cooked for us! There was a young couple in the park who had spent the morning talking about eternal things. They were lost and discouraged. They saw the drama, stopped, watched, talked with the kids and a pastor and invited Jesus into their hearts and their lives. “God put you here for us.” They said. That works as a thank you! One of the most dramatic thanks came from a godly pastor. He was part of a group of churches who bought an X-rated theater in one of the worst parts of Quito. The churches are converting the theater to a church/soup kitchen for impoverished migrant workers. When we arrived to make and serve dinner, and do our drama he said to us, “These people are very evil. They desperately need Jesus. Don’t turn your back on the crowd and be very careful, but give them Jesus. Thank you for coming and standing with us against the darkness.” We moved out into the square and performed the drama. The spirit of God was palatable. We could sense the evil and we could see God’s light. After our drama that dear pastor invited those people to know God. Most of our team couldn’t understand a word he said – yet we all knew exactly what he was saying! It was an amazing night. We were so honored to stand with those brave Christians in that awful place. We left our hearts in Muisne, an island just off the Ecuadorian coast. We spent several days there in very primitive conditions painting a church. When we ran into another missions group they said, “Why are you painting? Can’t you do VBS or something spiritual?” “They asked us to paint. It’s what they needed.” was our answer. Thank you for sending us to make that house of worship and their school habitable. They felt so loved. Muisne is exceptionally poor and one man made a comment about “the rich parents of these kids who sent them here…” We told him how each kid was supported by so many giving friends! Every one of us represented so many people who cared for their church and the family of God in Ecuador. Not all of the thank you’s come from Ecuador. Last week at our wrap-up meeting one of the students said, “The best part of this trip was that now that I am home, my dad goes to church with me.” Her dad then shared that he had wandered far from God but the fire that burned for Jesus in his daughter’s heart when she came home, drew him back to Jesus and to church. He wept in front of our whole team, “Thank you. I have my life back.” Thank you. Thank you for being apart of touching Ecuadorians who didn’t know Jesus, widows and orphans who were destitute, and the kids from America who experienced God in a way they never had before. Thank you for praying for our family, our safety and our health. Thank you for storing up treasure in heaven that will not tarnish or grow old. We are so honored to call you our friends. -The Gardners (Gentry, Gayleen, Gabe, Garrett, and Gannon) |
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