We arrived safely today on time....VERY grateful after a long day of crazy, chaotic customs checkpoints, but mostly VERY excited to see our families!!!
The last couple of days have been fun, busy and at one point down right scary! We went on a quick overnight trip to Banos where some ziplined, some shopped, some saw a real volcano & all enjoyed the beautiful scenery in the Andes mountains. It was a funtime, but on the way back to our dormitory (home sweet home for the last week), our bus engine quit on the side of a very narrow highway. The bus drivers got it re-started after about 30 minutes sitting in the right lane of the highway hugging a cliff. They pulled up the road a bit and it quit again. They asked us to get out and wait while they went to get it fixed....we were quite the sight (a bunch of gringo women on the side of the road in some random little village!) Anyway, long story short...bus got fixed..we got back to the dorm! Our timein the van turned out to be a very special time of sharing and debriefing for our "re-entry" in Fort Worth. I love these women! What an amazing time it was!!! We have each been affected in very real, personal ways...to God be the glory!!!
When we arrived back at the dorms, we had a sweet time with Mari as we all said "goodbye"..some of us renewing friendships, some of us gaining a new connection with the Tutens. It is just so great to have been able to see where they are and all that God is allowing them to accomplish in Quito! They were amazing & wonderful hosts to our team!
We have all been asked how we would respond to people when asked how our mission went....here is my short version:
I have been privileged to have been a part of a extraordinary group of women who made a difference in Quito, Ecuador in 2009!
Gretchen, we all agree....you were an amazing leader!!! Thank you!!!
Sherri
Sunday, August 2, 2009
You Ladies Rock!
I just wanted to let everyone know that the Mckinney Women Ladies ROCK! They got off the long flight with smiles, didn't complain (at least not to me) about cold showers, they could handle a drill, paint, sew, sing and get down, share Jesus beyond words, go with the flow (very important here in this country), shake their hips (salsa dancing), eat ants, keep up with the rigorous schedule, not be grossed out by working at the city dump, brought us sweet gifts and most importantly they let Jesus shine!! Our family was blessed and many hearts were touched by your example!
Thank you husbands, children, friends and Mckinney church for sharing them with us and this country!
Mari Hernandez-Tuten
Thank you husbands, children, friends and Mckinney church for sharing them with us and this country!
Mari Hernandez-Tuten
Thursday, July 30, 2009
"La Vision de Dios bien clara..."
Buenos Noches loved ones at home! Quatro senoras es muy bien! We miss you but we are experiencing God at work first-hand both in us and through us here in Quito.
"God's crystal clear vision" was our message of today's (Thursday's) VBS in case you no comprende mucho Espanol! Today we presented SALVATION! Not once, not twice, but four times! In the music, during the story time, creatively during crafts, and reinforced during the games. Even during snacks we individually told each child how much Jesus loves them (in our stumbling Spanish!)
Who would think a cord that is 4" long with 7 colored beads could be a seed planted in a child's heart of what Jesus had done for them!!! We introduce to you Bridgette, an 11 year old precious Ecuadorian girl that blessed us by being able to recite the meaning that each colored bead represents. Here's how easy it was. The yellow bead = God created light, green = God created the earth and trees, blue = God created the oceans, water and seas, white = God's purity, red = God's shed blood, black = death and the darkest day and clear = God's crystal clear vision of how we should live our lives. We also discussed and explained John 3:16 about how much God loves them and died for them so they could have eternal life. It's amazing how many could easily recite it back. We are thrilled for the opportunity to plant so many seeds into the hearts of these precious children. As the kids are helping us with our Spanish, some are eager to learn English as well.
After saying goodbye we hurried back to our dorm to prepare for Operation Brown Bag, a street ministry that Mari and Ben have started to feed the poor and needy on the streets of Quito. We broke into several groups and passed out sack lunches. Our main message: Jesus' te ama (Jesus loves you.) It's heartbreaking for us to see the needs, but it was special to see the appreciation and gratitude in their eyes and/or smiles. These brown bags and the funds that were used to purchase lunch materials that went in them came in our suitcases straight from MMBC VBS kids and other friends!
God has been faithful to keep the team energized, healthy, encouraged and unified in every area we planned to minister. Praise God! Buenos noches and sweet dreams!
Barbie and Sue for the whole team
****Dear friends...this will be our last blog until we see you again on Sunday! I hope you guys are ready for us to share our hearts with you when we get home....they are very FULL!!!
Tomorrow we will full out revel in our last day of VBS and our last day with "our" precious Ecuadorian little ones. None of us can imagine saying "adios" to these kids...PLEASE PRAY FOR US!!!
After VBS we are off suffering for Jesus in the Banos......you'll have to ask us for details!!! :-)
Hugs & kisses....the 2009 WOMEN'S QUITO TEAM
"God's crystal clear vision" was our message of today's (Thursday's) VBS in case you no comprende mucho Espanol! Today we presented SALVATION! Not once, not twice, but four times! In the music, during the story time, creatively during crafts, and reinforced during the games. Even during snacks we individually told each child how much Jesus loves them (in our stumbling Spanish!)
Who would think a cord that is 4" long with 7 colored beads could be a seed planted in a child's heart of what Jesus had done for them!!! We introduce to you Bridgette, an 11 year old precious Ecuadorian girl that blessed us by being able to recite the meaning that each colored bead represents. Here's how easy it was. The yellow bead = God created light, green = God created the earth and trees, blue = God created the oceans, water and seas, white = God's purity, red = God's shed blood, black = death and the darkest day and clear = God's crystal clear vision of how we should live our lives. We also discussed and explained John 3:16 about how much God loves them and died for them so they could have eternal life. It's amazing how many could easily recite it back. We are thrilled for the opportunity to plant so many seeds into the hearts of these precious children. As the kids are helping us with our Spanish, some are eager to learn English as well.
After saying goodbye we hurried back to our dorm to prepare for Operation Brown Bag, a street ministry that Mari and Ben have started to feed the poor and needy on the streets of Quito. We broke into several groups and passed out sack lunches. Our main message: Jesus' te ama (Jesus loves you.) It's heartbreaking for us to see the needs, but it was special to see the appreciation and gratitude in their eyes and/or smiles. These brown bags and the funds that were used to purchase lunch materials that went in them came in our suitcases straight from MMBC VBS kids and other friends!
God has been faithful to keep the team energized, healthy, encouraged and unified in every area we planned to minister. Praise God! Buenos noches and sweet dreams!
Barbie and Sue for the whole team
****Dear friends...this will be our last blog until we see you again on Sunday! I hope you guys are ready for us to share our hearts with you when we get home....they are very FULL!!!
Tomorrow we will full out revel in our last day of VBS and our last day with "our" precious Ecuadorian little ones. None of us can imagine saying "adios" to these kids...PLEASE PRAY FOR US!!!
After VBS we are off suffering for Jesus in the Banos......you'll have to ask us for details!!! :-)
Hugs & kisses....the 2009 WOMEN'S QUITO TEAM
Another Day In Paradise
Well, we have been busy!
As we pulled up to the Dump there was a group of kids waiting, we all got so excited we started waiving and shouting "hola" and they were as excited as we were! It was so much fun watching the children doing their verse, and making their craft which was a stuffed Jesus Loves Me bear and little prayer boxes. When they left for home they held them close.
Then it was off to the cabins for our last day of finishing touches. It was exciting how fresh and clean everything looked in all three cabins. New paint, curtains, bedding, mats and mirrors in the bathrooms came together as we worked as a team...some trying new tasks they had never tried before.
We came back to the dorms for another great dinner by Rosa of soft tacos and guinea pig. As we sat around the table Mari asked us to give one word to describe our day. Here's what we came up with: incredible
exhausted
energized
thrilled
sad
fruition
rewarding
fulfilling
heartwarming
purposeful
enlightening
victorious
moving
liberated
What next you ask???? SALSA
Mari taught us the basics steps and then had us add some hip action! Needless to say we got some exercise. Lots of fun and lots of laughs. Sandra and Karen were the standouts for the evening.
Barbie blessed us with a special devotion and then we took our tired and aching muscles to bed.
Many blessings and much love,
Today's bloggers
Carrie and Sandi
ps....guinea pig...NOT!!!!!
As we pulled up to the Dump there was a group of kids waiting, we all got so excited we started waiving and shouting "hola" and they were as excited as we were! It was so much fun watching the children doing their verse, and making their craft which was a stuffed Jesus Loves Me bear and little prayer boxes. When they left for home they held them close.
Then it was off to the cabins for our last day of finishing touches. It was exciting how fresh and clean everything looked in all three cabins. New paint, curtains, bedding, mats and mirrors in the bathrooms came together as we worked as a team...some trying new tasks they had never tried before.
We came back to the dorms for another great dinner by Rosa of soft tacos and guinea pig. As we sat around the table Mari asked us to give one word to describe our day. Here's what we came up with: incredible
exhausted
energized
thrilled
sad
fruition
rewarding
fulfilling
heartwarming
purposeful
enlightening
victorious
moving
liberated
What next you ask???? SALSA
Mari taught us the basics steps and then had us add some hip action! Needless to say we got some exercise. Lots of fun and lots of laughs. Sandra and Karen were the standouts for the evening.
Barbie blessed us with a special devotion and then we took our tired and aching muscles to bed.
Many blessings and much love,
Today's bloggers
Carrie and Sandi
ps....guinea pig...NOT!!!!!
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
No time for blog tonight
The women are busy salsa dancing tonight (a lesson in latin culture) - no time for a blog update - pictures will be posted tomorrow.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
God Moments
Our post this evening will be short and sweet, though powerful in it's content! As we spent time this evening together as a team, we shared our "God moments" for the day. Lots of laughs...lots of tears....what better way to spend time with each other!
...so far our whole team remains healthy - praise God!
...many of us were shocked today at the dirty, weathered faces of our precious little ones...they were unclean, sick, hungry for love
...as we pulled up to The Dump this morning there was a large group of kids eagerly awaiting us (an hour early), but when we went to get them, they had disappeared. As it turns out a bus had picked them up and taken them somewhere else....we were frightened for them! We prayed on the street that the Lord would protect them and bring them back to us (today's lesson was on God's protection)...about an hour later they RAN in...most of them had been able to pay a quarter to get back to us. We all celebrated with them..told them how much we had missed them and told them how we had prayed and God had brought them back to us!!!
...we still continue to minister lots of Moms...they are soaking it all in!!!
...the faces of the workers at The Dump continue to break our hearts each and every day..all we can do is offer them a smile and a "buenos dias"
...one of our older girls who has been very stand-offish warmed up big time today!!!
...as we stand at the gate and watch the kids run into our arms as they arrive it brings more joy than we could have ever imagined!
...this experience has opened our hearts to love strangers
...the kids are so smart and are soaking it in...learning their verses quickly...able to apply what we are teaching!!!
...our cabin work is amazing....I think it will be ready for a magazine soon...is there such a thing as "Quito Living"? aka..Southern Living
...finishing touches underway in all three cabins...should be finished tomorrow!
We need to close tonight by saying that this group of women is extraordinary in so many ways. Normally groups of women can be how can I say...DIFFICULT???? This group of women has remained AT ALL TIMES, encouraging to one another, selfless, sincere, helpful, sensitive to each other's needs, positive, fun-loving & pleasant...TO GOD BE THE GLORY!!!
With love from the whole team,
Tonight's bloggers...Sandra & Sherri
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