Day 6 - Beads, Buses and Bolcanos

From Elizabeth - Today took us to 11,700 feet, remember Ambato is at 8500ft. We only drove about 45 miles but it took about 2 1/2 hours. If you remember, the roads in Ecuador are very different. Try to imagine route 60, 2 lanes but sometimes paved sometimes cobblestone and sometimes dirt. Add to that many cars, trucks, taxis, busses, people and animals and then place that road 11,000 ft above sea level with many hair pin turns, twisting and turning around the mountains. Keep in mind that everyone is trying to pass each other with no passing lanes at many different speeds (ours seldom over 40kph). Throw in many small towns and you have our daily travel.
Today was the first day the altitude bothered me, making me light-headed and dizzy. I pushed throughand continued on and it turned out to be a special day. It started with me sharing Micah 6;6-8 explaining that God wants us to love and to be humble and not to be great. This would be our longest day of ministry. We headed south to Riobamba and then continued past for another 20 minutes. We stopped in San Juan de Chancahuan. We went into their community center and about 50-60 children and adults came out to meet us. The nationals we traveled with explained why we were their. Ben, Guillermo, Katherine, Marcello and Byron performed some drama and then Rob explained the bracelets. The youth then took about 10 to 15 people each and shared Christ by using the bracelets. Zak gave a testimony and then we gave them gifts of soap, vitamins, Jesus tapes and the book of John. Rob led in prayer and we were done. The 2 hours flew by. The people were warm and receptive. They did ask for us to come back and that the visit not be just a one time thing. This is an area where there is no evangelical work and it is so important for the nationals to continue their work in these places. Each area we go to has at least one person with a heart for God and they have asked for groups to come. My prayer is that they are not forgotten.
As a group our job was to meet people and start relationships for the missionaries and the national church planters to follow up on.
The afternoon brought the same but with many more children so there were activities for the children as well.
This is our last day of ministry. Friday we head back to Quito for some sight-seeing and shopping. Please continue to pray for us and our safety as begin our trek back to the States. But please add to your prayers the missionaries we have worked with. Mark and Sherry Cody who will be moving to Quito to be Logistic Coordinators for all of Ecuador and Gary and Charlotte Wester also just moved to Quito from Chile. Gary will be leading Spanish peoples work in much of northern South America.
Also pray for our new national friends we have traveled with, shared meals with and grown to love this week.
Byron and his wife Katherine
Alfredo and his 3yr old daughter, Lieonela.
Victor
Guillermo
Jose Antonia
Marcello
Mario
I wrote this coming back on the bus tonight using a flashlight and now we are back at the hotel exhausted. See everyone soon.