Over the past couple of weeks our kids have been collecting non-perishable food to donate to some needy families. This afternoon the students split into groups and went to deliver the packages. I had the privilege of joining the 8th graders. We visited an elderly woman by the name of Maria Torres.
Maria has a house in a barrio of Tabacundo. However, she sleeps in a small shack just outside her house (in the background of the photo) because she is afraid of robbers. Both her sons and her husband have passed away and she is very lonely. However, when she saw us, a large group of kids and a couple of gringos, she gave us a huge smile.
The students sang a few Christmas songs, we listened to her story and then we prayed over her.
On the bus ride home Courtney and I decided to deepen our visit with Maria. Courtney told the kids more about Maria and about all the other people like her: the needy, the hungry, the lonely. We talked about how we can serve those people, to meet their physical and emotional needs. Courtney then asked what else we could do to help Maria. One of the students shouted out, "She needs Jesus!" and another said "we can pray for her!" Courtney then asked HOW do we pray for her. A student replied, "with faith". We then challenged the kids to pray, with faith, for Maria and those who are like her… everyday for the next week. They all accepted the challenge. We also agreed to try to visit Maria again sometime in January and see how we can continue to serve her.
Today I saw how the school, the teachers, the Christians in this area and you…. yes you who support the work here in Ecuador… are changing these kids. We are teaching these kids about Jesus and how to become more like him. We are teaching them to be the hands and the feet.
The students sang a few Christmas songs, we listened to her story and then we prayed over her.
On the bus ride home Courtney and I decided to deepen our visit with Maria. Courtney told the kids more about Maria and about all the other people like her: the needy, the hungry, the lonely. We talked about how we can serve those people, to meet their physical and emotional needs. Courtney then asked what else we could do to help Maria. One of the students shouted out, "She needs Jesus!" and another said "we can pray for her!" Courtney then asked HOW do we pray for her. A student replied, "with faith". We then challenged the kids to pray, with faith, for Maria and those who are like her… everyday for the next week. They all accepted the challenge. We also agreed to try to visit Maria again sometime in January and see how we can continue to serve her.
Today I saw how the school, the teachers, the Christians in this area and you…. yes you who support the work here in Ecuador… are changing these kids. We are teaching these kids about Jesus and how to become more like him. We are teaching them to be the hands and the feet.
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