My Love Is Home!!!!!

My sweet boy is finally home safe from Ecuador!!! Thank you so much for praying for the trip all my sweet friends!

ECUADOR UPDATE

The team has made it safely into the states! They are in Miami and waiting at their gate for their return flight home. Customs was a breeze! When I spoke with Matt this morning before they left Ecuador, he was concerned especially for Brynna who was running a temp. When they arrived in Ecuador they had to go through a thermal body scan in customs. We have been praying this morning that this would not be a hold up for any of them and that Brynna"s fever would come down in time to go through customs. Praise the Lord , they all made it through customs without any problems! Please continue to pray for the team in the last leg of their journey. Pray for strength and rest as they return home. Please especially be praying for those who are run down and not feeling so well. Thank you for following the team and keeping them in your prayers! The Lord has been ever faithful. As of right now, they will be boarding their return flight at 5:40 and taking off at 6:10.

ECUADOR UPDATE

Well, this time is coming to an end, but I know the work the Lord has been doing through our missions team is going to continue. Not only has he been preparing hearts for hearing the gospel, he has been working in the hearts of each of the team members. I know that at least one of the team members has felt a call to full time missions work-how awesome! Gives me goosebumps! There are family members of the team who live in Ecuador and have been touched through this trip and we can continue to be praying for them to come to know Jesus! Children have met Jesus through VBS and a youth rally. Less than two weeks, such a short time and yet the impact will be eternal!

The team had a good day sightseeing, worked through conflicts and come to an end in unity. All they have to do is get home safe to us now! - So that we can hear with our own ears, their wonderful stories and the excitement of what they saw and what the Lord accomplished. They will be heading to the airport in Quito in the morning. Please pray that the bus arrives on time to pick them up! They will again, be landing in Miami first before landing in Chicago. Hopefully without as many delays as on the way there.:) Matt will be updating me throughout the day. if any of you parents need a time of arrival or when they will be back at church, feel free to call me! I should be at home after church for the rest of the day! Thank you so much for all of your prayers!

ECUADOR UPDATE

I apologize for not updating yesterday-I think I am running out of steam. It will be so nice to have Matt home again! I kept the pool working, mowed the lawn, did the postal runs, cooked(Matt became our main cook when I began working), and ,a million other little things that the lovely man does for us, but that is not why I miss him. I just want my friend home to talk with. To begin and end the day with. I want to hear the car drive up in the driveway, and have the kids all run to the door waiting to tackle him. OK, and maybe I want another hand for changing those fragrant diapers:)-ha.

I am sure that most of you with a child on the trip or a spouse are really anxious for their return as well! Only one day left!!!!

The team had an incredible day yesterday, well at least half of the team:( I will explain that in a bit.--12 members of the team flew by bush plane into the jungle to spend time with the Huarani tribe. They had a once in a lifetime experience visiting with them. The tribe did a welcome dance for them, shared about thier history and plans for the future of the church, taught them how to blow poisoneous darts-yikes!, and did some trading with them. Lots of neat stories!

The other part of the group went on a jungle hike and it ended up being a bit too much for a tired team. As beautiful as it was, it was just as difficult. Janice ended up with a broken toe as well!Poor woman! And they were all happy to return to at the end of it.

The team made it back to Quito pretty late and ended up eating dinner at midnight! For a tired and hungry bunch, it wasn't the most favorable meal time and everyone was a bit on the weary and grumpy side. They were spread out across the hotel unfortunately and it took awhile for Matt to get everyone safely in their rooms, but the night passed with no trouble. Praise the Lord!

The team is going to do some sightseeing on thier last day. They are going to visit the center of the world today. They will be able to have one foot in the northern hemisphere and one in the southern hemisphere. They are also going to ride up the mountain on gondolas, the views should be spectacular!

Please pray for a day of laughter and joy. Pray that they can get along well despite how tired they are. Pray for safety. Pray for a night of rest before traveling again tomorrow. Please pray that they will not face delays in travel tomorrow. But Most of all, pray that they are sensitive to all the Lord has taught them during this time.

I will update tomorrow hopefully throughout the day as I hear form them. I am looking forward to seeing everyone at church tomorrow night upon their arrival, can you believe it is almost over!

The team has switched gears and started on the second half of the trip today. The flew from Cuenca to Quito this morning, safely-praise the Lord! From there they traveled by bus 4 hours into the jungle to Shell. It is funny, I asked matt how Shell was spelled thinking it was a word not from our own language and he said-shell, like the gas station. The hostile that they are staying out is the remains from the shell oil company. Interesting. The group is staying in some nice cabins tonight and were able to turn in early, which is another blessing. Matt told me last night when they returned to camp, he could hardly see straight because of how tired he was. Most nights I speak to him around 12-1 am in the morning after they finish up activities. I was able to speak to him at 9 :30 tonight!

One thing I have been meaning to talk about was the blessing of the funds raised by VBS for the Murrays as they plan to build a church in the future.. There was a need for tools and the kids during the week of VBS at our church were able to raise over $2600.00 to purchase these tools! How incredible! Matt told me yesterday that he and David Murray were able to finally talk about this gift, David was thrilled. David has been with the team the entire way and Matt has obviously been talking with him all week, but that gives a bit of an idea of pace of the trip and all the work and planning that has occupied their days!

Tomorrow, 3 different groups of 4 each will be flown deeper into the jungle by bush plane to visit with the tribe that Nate Saint and Jim Elliot had begun working with to share the gospel before their deaths. There is great excitement and some nervousness for the handful that will be doing this. The flights are 40 minutes each way. They will be doing these trips in shifts and will get to spend approx an hour and a half with the tribe in between flights. Please pray for weather that cooperates! Pray for safety and courage for these teams.

The team will be back in Quito tomorrow evening as long as everything goes as planned.

It is nearing the end, and I know that for all of us back home, we are anxious for their return and so thankfully Jesus that you have protected and worked in and through them this far! Please continue to be with them and bring them home safely! Thank you for giving them this oppratunity as well as allowing us to be a part of this through prayer! What a privelage!

It was an unexpected blessing that matt was still able to contact me once they reached the jungle, I am ever so thankful for little things such as this! I will hopefully be able to keep all of you updated on the flights and activities throughout the day tomorrow.

Goodnight!

I apologize for not getting an update on yesterday and today sooner. We have all been fighting off these colds as well as getting the everyday stuff done and I just have not sat down to gather my thoughts. This morning I woke up feeling like, Lord, I just cannot do it today, I feel icky and tired and there is too much to do, but that is exactly what I needed to do-ask for His strength, so much better! Hey, it even makes those Walmart runs with all 5 kids, relaxing! Now I like that!

So, here is the scoop. The Ecuador team did a youth rally last night. They had a good turnout. Hannah Smyth spoke and shared Christ with them. Christian Hidalgo and Rommel Gonzalez were able to lead someone to Christ. Many of the other students shared their testimonies and were received very well. As a matter of fact, I was told there was not a dry eye in the house. I know David Murray, the missionary they are working with, had a tough time keeping his eyes dry as he was translating because of the willingness the studentas had to be so vulnerable and real with the struggles they have faced and how the Lord has changed their lives.

Today was the last day of VBS. Praise the Lord, Once again, 5 children accepted Christ. The team has enjoyed there time in Cuenca so much, they are not wanting to leave. They also were able to attend a church service at the local church in which they helped pour a cement floor for. Matt was able to preach again. The pastor at this church was very appreciative and would love to have the team back again any time! I know matt has really enjoyed this trip as well and would love to bring another team back in the future.

Tomorrow they will be leaving camp at 6 am to fly into Quito and will then travel to the jungle where they will be staying for the night. They will be getting the chance to worship in a real jungle guest house tomorrow evening. This part of the trip is going to give the students a chance to learn much more about missions work, and what the Lord has done through missionaries in this part of the world. I would sure love to be there!

Thank you so much for all of your prayers, the Lord has done some exciting work and still is at work. Once they are in the jungle, I most likely will not be able to reach them and vice versa. I should hear from matt one more time before then.

Now, as far as the updates on my end. It is of course a pretty vague description of all that has gone on. Since I am not there, I do not have a first hand experience I am sharing. I have not had a chance to hear from the students themselves, so there will be some incredible testimonies to hear once they return. And it will blow any of my updates out of the water because you will hear from their mouths what the Lord did and how it impacted them! I cannot wiat to listen to them! I am hoping to have each of the kids share their experiences and have it posted here on my blog, so that all of you who have been following and praying for them will be able to enjoy their experiences of the trip!

Have a wonderful day!!!

ECUADOR UPDATE-Monday

The Ecuador team had a brilliant day! I will not ramble on forever because this news is exactly what we have been praying and hoping for! The team was expecting 30 kids for VBS but planned for 50 and they ended up actually having 78! Is that not incredible, and on the first day! The teams in house artist, Rommie, worked on drawing the younger kids coloring books for the VBS project since they did not have enough materials. What a perfect problem to have. Matt said that our students all worked hard and pitched in, not one was without purpose.

Tomorrow(or today, depending on when you read this) is going to be a very busy day. They will be leaving camp at 8am to go do laundry and some shopping and then will be at the church from 1-10:30 for VBS and the youth Rally. The team is tired and many are starting to get colds, so please pray for strength, health and good rest.

I may not have an update for everyone tomorrow because of how busy the day will be for them. Matt will call if time allows.

As for our family, we are still doing well! I was relunctant to end my call with Matt. I am missing him more with each new day. And I know all of you with loved ones on the trip are missing yours as well- we are at the half way mark!

Today I took Noah and Bell to the doctor. Nothing really bad, just colds, ear aches(no infection though!),sore throats that make them achy, and now mama has one starting too. Can't I just tell it to go away, this is not the time. I think I will just postpone it for about a month. My Cole, Madi and Josie come home tomorrow, yeah! So, I just need to get some shipping done for work, lawn mowed and grocery shopping done for us, and then I can curl up on the couch and do a movie marathon with the kids. Thanks for praying for all of us-it has blessed us!

ECUADOR UPDATE-Sunday

Was it not just one of the most beautiful days here in the burbs!? I enjoyed a good part of it peering out my van window and enjoying the warm breeze. Today I drove home from my folks with one lone ranger in the back-NOAH! My four olders kiddos were staying at Grams and Gramps for a few days. Definately helps pass the time that Dad is gone! Poor little Noah has a bad ear infection, of this I am almost positive-so off to the doctor for us tomorrow. But we came home, dropped our bags and cuddled up in the big chair together. A few hours later, i got a call from mama saying my Bell was sick now too, so Noah and I hopped back in the car again and drove back to get Bell. But I thanked the Lord for the extra driving and time to just think and pray. Lots to talk about with him! And a lot to be ever thank ful for.

The Ecuador team had a wonderful morning at church. They attended two services and a sunday school class. They were able to sing a worship song during the services. After church they traveled further up into the mountians and enjoyed a day of fishing. They spent the evening meeting to prepare for the start of VBS tomorrow. Some will be at VBS and others will be continueing on work projects at the local churches. After VBS tomorrow, much of the time will be spent in preparation for the youth rally they will be having on Tuesday evening. As I was talking with Matt while they traveled back to camp, they were stopping at the park to invite many of the kids that they had met the day before, to the youth rally.

Matt had a good laugh when he found out they had announced his broken toe in church. He was pretty amazed by how fast word travels around the world:)- So if any of you are wondering, he is doing fine, he wore his sandals all day and that was much less painful than normal shoes. I am sure he is sooo pleased that I am sharing all this:)-you know-he's a manly man who feels no pain-ha!

Please remember to pray for Hannah Smyth, as she will be sharing the gospel on Tuesday night at the youth rally. I know she is so excited! Also be praying for the students who will be sharing their testimonies and that the Lord would use it to bring people to know Him personally!

I hope everyone had a beautiful weekend and is excited and rested for the new week!

Ecuador Update

I know that so many of you are anxiously awaiting an update-I apologize for not getting it done sooner. I am away at my folks over the weekend and catching up with an Aunt and Uncle I haven't seen in a very very long time! We were also able to go to a concert on the lake of Vota and Paul Colman-very fun!

The team has had an awesome day, which is of no surprise! They were split amongst work projects at local churches. The guys helped to poor a floor in a church and were able to finish approx one quarter of it and will be doing more later this week. The girls worked on painting at another local church.

Tomorrow, Matt will be preaching at the Murray's church. He was preparing earlier this evening for that. Pray for the translation to go well. Also be praying for quick healing for him as he broke one of his toes today:(-thank goodness we have nurse Nina on the trip!)I even heard some of the girls saying "gross!" as they walked past Matt while I was talking to him, I guess the toe isn't a pretty sight!

The fun bunch was able to eat guinee pig for dinner, yep you heard it right! Now for those of you who know us, we have six little piggies in our household that are loved dearly by the kiddos. So, let's just say that our girls are not so thrilled that daddy ate piggies for dinner! I told them, watch out, Daddy may just look at big old red a little bit differently when he comes home. Matt said the resturant they ate it roasted the pigs whole, so everyone was given a different part of the pig to eat-and I know some of them even ate the brains-brave souls!

The guys went to a park in town before dinner as they waited for the rest of the team. Christian Gonzalez even joined in to break dance with the kids there. He was a hit with the kids! Speaking the language has served well as a gift from the Lord on this trip. The guys are hoping to go back to the park to invite more youth to the rally they will be doing Tuesday evening.

Tomorrow they will be heading further up into the mountians for outdoor activities. Then, the busy week of VBS begins on Monday.

I know that there are so many more things taking place that I have just not had the chance to hear about. The Lord has created each student and leader with gifts that He will use during this time! Pray that the stidents soak in what he is teaching them and equiping them for!

Thank you so much to all of you who have been praying the kids and I-it is so very appreciated! They are missing Dad, but are doing really well! We are excited to be a part of this ministry! What a privelege!

ECUADOR UPDATE-JULY24-11:30 pm

The team just finished at their concert and are back on the bus, headed for camp. I could hear the buzz in the background while talking with Matt. Very happy students with so much to talk about. They all sounded like they are having a great time! It was a brief chat with Matt since it was so noisy in the background, but I do know that everyone is healthy and happy! The other good thing is that I called Matt this time and got a hold of him, which is a relief to me! It is amazing how much I can savor just 5 minutes! So mamas and pops, if you need me to reach matt for you, I can! Keep praying!

ECUADOR UPDATE-JULY24-10:30 am

I must say on a personal note, it was a really tough length of time to go without talking with Matt. The first day and half seemed full of getting updates to people and getting ourselves at home adjusted to him being gone, but by last night, I began to feel it. So when he called this morning, the tears showed up. sigh-

One thing that happens when you leave the U.S. of A and step into another culture, and if you have ever been on a missions trip, you will understand what I mean. You have to realize that the "American" pace and plans and schedules no longer apply! And we have seen this so far with even their travels, change after change. But this is sooo good, as they begin to hold a little less tightly to their plans and a little more to the Lord's leading.

Today was to begin some of the work projects, but they have had to adjust to all the changes and some of the more pressing needs. After traveling to Cuenca by bus last night, which was a long drive, having dinner, settling in to where they were staying at the camp, and going through orientation, it was 1 am. It was time to get some rest. So instead of heading right off into work this morning after all the business of travel, they are taking the morning to spend time with the Lord. The students and adults are all taking one on one time to pray and listen to the Lord as they prepare to begin their work. So pray it will be a fruitful time! That is just so exciting,isn't it! There are 26 people on thier knees asking God what He wants! I can only imagine the ministry they do will be mighty!

They are going to take a tour of the city this afternoon, which had been on the agenda yesterday. And this evening they will be performing a concert at a local church.

On a funny note for those of you who know Janice Dimas, she actually pet a huge iguana! Now that is amazing! See already conquering fears:)

That is what I know for now. The rest of the time was spent asking Matt how to change our pool filter(which is almost impossible for me since I have arthritis in my hands) and when do I need to add salt to the softener(I know-kind of silly) At least it is not,the car broke down, what do I do, or I spent the night in the ER!Which has actually happened on other trips-Praise the Lord for a unevental first few days with Matt gone!

Ecuador Update - July 23 -5:30

Thank you to all of you following along and keeping in touch! I know the group is still so thankful for all the prayers. The team was able to get some much needed zzzzzzzz's today after a very long delay in traveling and customs. They awoke refreshed and ready to travel to Cuenca. They are traveling by bus and the trip will take approx 4 hours. The drive through the mountains is supposed to be spectacular-ahhh-God's beauty! Before boarding the bus, they stretched their legs at a park across from the hotel and were able to watch large iguanas roaming free, I guess it was quite a fun sight! Reminds me of our VBS closing night:)-reptiles galore! Once they arrive in Cuenca at the camp, they will settle in and go through orientation. Tommorow will begin their missions work. They have a concert in the evening at a local church, so please be praying for the students performing! I am unable at this point to call Matt, but he is able to call me, so I will update as often as he calls.

On a funny note, I am finally receiving my airport updates from American airlines concerning the flight from yesterday! The latest update is telling me they will arrive in Guayaquil at 9:20 yesterday evening. HUM? I do not believe they had even boarded their flight to Ecuador at that time-kind of funny-definatley not helpful:) Oh well- Till later

ECUADOR UPDATE

Our team had arrived in Miami safe and sound yesterday afternoon, awaiting their flight from Miami to Guayaquil. Their flight went through multiple delays, and they had even boarded and had been "un"boarded due to a broken door on the plane. Eventually they were moved to the other side of the airport by train to await a new plane. Again they faced issued with this new plane and were not boarded until 10pm. I know that during this time of waiting they got the chance to sing some praise and worship music and were joined by others in the airport-how cool! They were finally fed on the plane to calm those rumbling tummies. The plane touched down a little before 3 am in Guayaquil, and I spoke with Matt then. Rest finally for all the parents waiting to hear their kiddos are safe on the ground!

I just got off the phone with my hubby about a half an hour ago(8:30am) and they had just arrived at the hotel! Customs was difficult to get through due to some truck parts they were bringing to the missionary in Ecuador. So needless to say, they are a very weary group in need of some sleep and refreshment! They were fed a very good breakfast and will be able to sleep until 2 this afternoon. They will then head to Cuenca by bus to begin their orientation for the work they will be doing. Please pray for rest only the Lord can give-as parents you know what I mean, needing 10 hours of sleep but only having 3, and somehow you function beyond what you thought you could! Strength from the Lord! Pray for patience and gentleness with one another as their nerves are a bit frayed. And remember to thank the Lord for his protection of the team. It is so good to know that He knew why they where delayed and will use it for good! This team has been knit together through difficulty and that will make them strong and able to accomplish the work they were sent to do.

I will update once they team is awake and on the move! Friends and family from church, I am also updating on facebook regularly.

Ecuador Travel Update

For those of you who are following my blog for updates on the missions trip to Ecuador, I will update as often as I hear from Matt. I will do my best to even update on little details. i know that for those of you with children on the trip, or a husband or wife, it is nice to know even the smallest details to feel closer to them and it helps in knowing how to pray for them as well!

The team made it into Miami safe and on time, but the flight to Guayaquil has been delayed. They knew it was delayed almost right away when they arrived in Miami, but eventually they were boarded and thought they would be taking off. But Matt just informed me that they have had to get off the plane actually as they make repairs. Anyone who has flown regularly is aware that this is relatively common, so there is no need to worry. From what they were told, it is a door that needs to be fixed. So, for now, they wait.

God is good, He knows all the details and is in control of everything. In that we can rest and trust. Pray for the team as they wait, for oppritunities to share Christ. Pray that getting in touch with David Murray, the missionary they are meeting up with, will go smoothly, as international calls are not easy. Pray for safety for their flight, energy in travel, and peace for the team. Pray that all the luggage arrives with them as well. Once I hear from Matt that they have boarded the plane, I will update!

For Daddy.....

Matt made sure to get a T shirt for our 4 older kids that was the same as the Ecuador teams. It will be a good reminder for us to continue to pray while they are away! So this picture is for you Daddy! We love you and miss you! That includes Coleman and Noah, Noah is asleep and Cole, well, he still won't cooperate for the camera!:)

Project Ecuador...Journals for Some Awesome Young Ladies

As I wrote in my earlier blog entry, my husband left this morning with a team of leaders and students from our church on a missions trip to Ecuador. As I began praying for this trip and especially the girls that were going, I wanted to give them something special for the trip to let them know they were being prayed for. The journals came to life in my mind months ago and I began to make them about a week ago. After gathering my thoughts and ideas, the work was all fun and went quite smoothly! The journals are actually slip covers for composition notebooks. I wanted the girls to be able to take the cover off when they finish the notebook and use it on another.

I graduated early from highschool and was able to go on a short term missions trip to Mexico with the late Ken Hannah from Moody Bible Institute and a team of other adults and students. It was one of the most amazing experiences for me. For a shy, quiet girl, it stretched and challenged me. I was amazed how the Lord could work even with the language barrier and I actually formed friendships even though I could not communicate in their language. We did construction work for the school we were staying at to bring them water, and ran some VBS type programs for for the children in the area. One thing that I treasure the most from that trip is the journal I kept! Every once in a while I come across it and am reminded of the work the Lord had started in my life. I am reminded of his faithfulness and it always brings me hope and excitement! So, that is where the journal idea came from, blessings that the Lord had given me to pass on. It made me want to find my journal from mexico, but i couldn't bring myself to ask Matt to crawl up in the attic before he left to find it, I do not think he stopped moving for 2 weeks straight.

For those of you creatives who follow my work, I thought I would post pictures of each of the journals, they are very fun to make, not to complicated, and a great gift for anyone whom likes to write or doodle.

They are OFF!

Today begins the adventure for our Ecuador missions team from Harvest. My husband, Matt and five other awesome parents are leading a group of 20 students on a missions trip to Ecuador. This trip has been planned and prayed over for almost a year. So the excitement is quite contageous! The team will be meeting up with missionaries, David and Sonia Murray who are ministering through Baptist Mid-Missions. The team will be running a Vacation Bible School program in the mornings, and will be doing construction at the mission and camp where they are staying. In the evening they will be doing music in the park, youth rallies, prayer walks, and some nights just for fun and sightseeing.

Last night the group met to pack supplies for the trip, weigh luggage, and pray. Now, on a more personal side, it is not always easy to be married to a youth pastor, there are alot of nights apart and alot of trips he is gone on throughout the year. I am at home with our 5 kids. But !! being a part of the team last night and praying for them for all this time makes it absolutely worth it! I cannot wait to see what the Lord does in each of their lives and those they reach! It is exciting to know that the Lord has laid these plans out ahead of them and is with them through this whole adventure.



This morning, the team made it through check in at the airport and were waiting to board at their gate the last time I spoke to my husband. It all went off without a hitch. AND THAT IS A MIRACLE IN ITSELF! They will arrive in Ecuador tonight.

Remember to be praying for the team! And moms and dads, feel free to give me a call if you have any questions about your kiddo! I will be in touch with matt regularly. I know this is tough and I will be praying for each of you as well!