Day Nine--Touring

On our last full day in Ecuador, we went to the equator. I can now say that I've stood on both the northern and southern hemispheres at the same time, laid on them at the same time, and hugged a friend across them.

The equator has a huge monument built for it. The actual equator line passes right through the middle of the monument. There was even a Catholic church that had the equator straight down the middle of it! The best part, though, was that while a person stands on the equator, he or she weighs one pound less!

But, after taking a million photographs on the equator, there is not much to do. So, we went on to a volcano! The volcano was, of course, dormant. What surprised me was how enormous it was! There was actually a whole town in the crater (you know, the part that always has bubbling lava in it in the movies) of the volcano! Our guides explained to us that the land in the crater was extremely nutrient-rich. So far the volcano has remained dormant, but if ever it decides to "wake-up" the people living in the crater are in grave danger.

The volcano was gorgeous. Seeing it was the perfect way to end the special time I spent in Ecuador. From the beginning of the trip until the end, I was reminded of God's love, power, and majesty. I saw Him work in mind-boggling ways. I experienced first hand His care and protection.

My dad often refers to a verse in Psalms that says that those who go into the deep see amazing things. Then, with a smile he'll add that those on land will never see. During my trip to Ecuador, God truly lead me out into the deep. I was surrounded by people I had never met in a place I had never been. Yet it was out in the deep where I saw God in a new way. I did not see God just met my needs or even my desires, God met me!

I did a study on the tabernacle awhile ago. One of the things I found interesting was how the tabernacle looked from a distance. I wrote this:

From a distance, the House of God is not very attractive. You wonder how that can be? Well, the roof of the House of God is quite ordinary. What does this have to do with anything? A LOT! To the people that stand outside looking in at Christianity, we are crazy! They don’t understand the wonder of walking into God’s presence because they have only seen it from so far away. I Corinthians 1:18, 23 says that very thing. Christianity is foolish to those who don’t know God.

"But, I'm a believer", you say, "How does this apply to me?"

As you walk closer to God’s dwelling place, it seems to become more and more impressive. Has the building changed? No, you have! In our lives, as we draw closer to God, God seems to become greater and greater. Has he changed? No, our view of Him has!

I left Ecuador with a greater picture of God's awesomeness. Is it a true, complete picture? By no means! God is too great to fathom, but I look forward to the different experiences that, like this one, will continue to show me what a wonderfully indescribable God we serve!