LAURA AND THE GOD SQUAD--
TO ECUADOR AND BEYOND!!!
Meet Laura. She's the evangelical cousin of our friend, Erik, who is currently on some youth-for-Jesus mission to Ecuador. Now, I'm not completely against having one's religious beliefs and all that (in fact, I think Christians are just fine, so long as they keep their Christianity private and I don't have to look at them being all Christian in public--public displays of faith among Christians in public is just gross and decent pagan people shouldn't have it forced down their throats. And now I hear Christians want special rights!). But trust me when I say this girl goes a bit overboard and is slightly over-zealous in her righteousness.
Now meet Richard. He is a friend of ours and Erik's. Richard is the anti-Christ. Whenever Laura sends Erik an e-mail poring over her experiences, Richard sends us all a reply. I don't know if he sends it to Laura or not--if he does, rest assured that she is praying for him...and HOW.
Neither Laura nor Richard knows I'm re-printing their e-mails. To tell them that would be to give up the secret of my page! Eek! Enjoy!
from Laura:
(5/19/00 Re: Quito and Jesus and Me)
you guys it is amazing. simply amazing all that God is doing down here. I spent the last week with a small group of Covenant Bible College (CBC) grads from Colorado. They are down here on a two week missions trip to do work on the new CBC Quito campus, doing outreach and also learning the people and the culture down here. God has BLESSED MY SOCKS OFF. We spent five days with a group of Ecuadorian Youth Workers- working on an all day outreach that we will do tomorrow at an Ecuadorian highschool with over 100 kids. We have also had some intense FUN and FELLOWSHIP with these guys. It has simply rocked me that throughout our travels thru Ecuador- every where that I turn, there are my Christian brothers and sisters ready to know me and connect with me and to open their homes and their hearts to me. ... We spent a lot of time in a small pueblo called Cayambe- there we met bonded with an entire youth group! We played and shared our testimonies and danced and laughed together for about 8 hours one night! They have the coolest Christian Folklore Group- a BLAST!!! We also went to a small version of a bull fight! Craziness! There was a bull ring and ANYONE who wanted to could jump down into the ring and face the bull! It was Crazy! but fun too- I got to hang out with the local people adn joke and tease and enjoy their traditions. It was sad at two points when two men got hurt. One pretty badly- he headed to the hospital. but it was DEFINATELY an experience. =) ... With the great help of () and the Holy Spirit I translated a Sunday School lesson and then also a few different times in church! It is soo great! GOd is soo Good to give me the opportunity to learn- so wonderful to make () the way he is so that he could help- and He is RAD and A HALF that the Holy Spirit is HUGE and can work regardless of my knowledge and experience!!!! Guys- it was great! this is what I want to do- I want to be able to reach BOTH Lang.!!! Oh man, the passion is bubbling out of me. My friends- please keep praying on my practice and that I remember that it is only through Jesus that I am learning anything at all. I need Him to be worth anything- and to have my brain be worth anything at all. Oh man, it is fun doing the lang. thing too. My Ecuadorian brothers and sisters are hysterical and completely GREAT about helping and of course totally teasing me in the process. It is GREAT fun. and a GREAT BIG BLESSING TO BE HERE. ... During my weekend adventure with this group we went to a small town that has natural hot spring pools. They are hot from the volcanic lava- this town is in the absolute middle of nowhere. But guys, here is the cool thing...I was in a small pueblito, where people live in mud and grass huts- and even here I was immediately met by family. Christian brother adn sisters greeted me adn immediately began to cook a tasty meal for us. It was crazy to sit and fellowship with these people that were sooo totally in a different world- yet were so totally in the exact same heart and mind as me in our Savior! It was AMAZING!!!! In this town, I carried a fatty bundle of sticks up a hill for a little bity 7 year old girl named Rosa Florina- I could not carry the bundle unless slung over my shoulder- I have no idea how she was managing to carry it. Anyways, this little girl has 8 brothers and sisters. I ask that you all would say a prayer for this precious little sister of ours. She touched my heart. ... Okay, so we spent much time traveling around- it was a BLAST to meet and know and pray with our Big Ol family. and the Covenant missionaries down here blessed me big. the ()s and () and () and () and (). prayer for these guys okay? just one time for me please. ... So I came home, completed my last Spanish class on Wednesday- which I have not told many of you ---- my classes turned out to be an incredible time of testimony. GOd brought my class convos to Him and His power adn His presence in me. AMAZING guys!!!! I would get to class and my teacher would have questions for me about things Jesus was doing in me. crazy. and such a blessing. not only did I get to share my faith and hope in Jesus- I got to practice in SPANISH. Double Blessing from our Father! GO GOD!!! ... I wrote a letter to () in Northern Cali- I declined the youth position that Penisula Covenant had offered me. Please pray that God will provide for them, and also that he would pave my future. ... Our little monkey isn't too wild anymore- he burrows in the back of my vest and loves to "swim" in my hair. =) He is just another one of God's blessings to me. ... Monday the intern begins--training. please pray that our team would not even breath one breathe together without first inviting Jesus to join us. ... we will be hosting four different groups from the states adn directing two different summer camps. I am jazzed!!!! WE will lead the groups through Quito- outreach to the community that lives in teh dump and then taking them into the jungles to build, outreach, VBS and fellowship. I am jazzed!!! ... right now there are 25 5th graders raiding our house. =) there are four days left of school and many kids will leave for the states of two different countries soon- so one last HURRAY!! ... tomorrow is our big outreach - please pray- I am translating for a seminar on personal devotions and really diggin in our one on one wiht Jesus. pray okay? ...I love you all and thank you for caring and praying. ... much love!!!!!! and thank you for understanding that it is hard for me to get in on the computer. I love you -- squeezes!