We are on a journey. A journey that has taken us to the center of the world. We have received a calling to live in Ecuador this year, ministering with the staff of the Church of the Nazarene's Seminary in Quito. This is a record of our "life on the line."
Two weeks ago, our NILI group traveled about one and a half hours north to a town called Otavalo--a town known throughout Ecuador for hosting one of South America's largest outdoor markets. Every weekend, Otavalo's main square overflows with Ecuadorians from all over the country who have come to sell their goods: hammocks, blankets, scarves, wood carvings, paintings, jewelry, clothes, shoes, and just about any other type of handcrafted/purchased Ecuadorian good there is. The market is so large that the town's main plaza cannot hold all the vendors, and tents filled with goods line the surrounding streets, sprawling out in all directions for many blocks.
Rows of colorful hats for sale.
Little boy hides under his parents' table of goods.
Trying on finger puppets for size.
While we were in Otavalo, we also visited "Wood Town" and "Leather Town," two neighboring villages with crafts according to their names; Cascada Peguche, a beautiful 18 meter tall waterfall; and Laguna Cuicocha, a tranquil lake within a (still active) volcanic crater.
The little ferry boat we rode around Laguna Cuicocha.
Girls (NILIs, two seminary students Myrian & Mery, and me) at Cascada Peguche.
Then Sunday, we were invited to attend a very small Church of the Nazarene several miles outside of the city. We passed several remote farms, climbing up a dirt road in our Sprinter van to reach the church, and we saw several members walking to church along the way. Most of the congregation were indigenous families whose native language was Quechua. Each came in wearing their Sunday best--the women carrying their Bibles in their traditional head coverings.
Our NILI group was blessed to share in a Sunday morning service with these gracious people. NILI staff and students shared two praise and worship songs (in Spanish and English) as a special, followed by the women of the congregation sharing two worship songs (in Spanish and Quechua). The pastor, switching back and forth from Quechua to Spanish, preached on unity in the body of Christ and Christ's sacrifice for all the people of the world. What a meaningful time with this congregation, our brothers and sisters in Christ!
Outside the little, rural church.
Praise and Worship on Sunday morning.
As I (Hillary) have reflected on this NILI trip, I am thankful for the holistic experience of NILI. Throughout the course of a regular semester, our students are completely immersed in Spanish language and Latin American culture by taking at least 12 hours of intensive Spanish classes every week--and by living on the Nazarene Seminary Campus in Quito with seminary students from Ecuador, Columbia, or Peru as roommates. NILI also travels throughout the semester, exposing students to different Ecuadorian cultures such as the coast, the mountains, and the jungle, yet always integrated in all of these trips is involvement with the local church. On a weekly basis, NILI students attend both seminary chapel services and local church services on Sundays. They are also involved in weekly ministry projects with children, older adults, and battered women at three designated sites within Quito. Through all of this, NILI very intentionally combines language study, cultural immersion, ministry, and travel to create a once-in-a-lifetime experience in which our students will encounter God in a new and very personal way.
This coming week, our NILI group will be traveling to Quininde, Ecuador, to serve in a week-long ministry project at a Nazarene church there. The plan is to divide our time between physical tasks around the church such as painting and children's/teen ministries such as VBS lessons. Please join us in praying for our group as we are away from the seminary campus on this ministry trip. Pray that both staff and students would stay healthy and strong for the physical labor and the VBS ministry set out before us. Pray that our group would be united in
spirit and purpose and that we would be able to share the love of
Christ with each person we meet.
Thank you, dear friends and family, for your continued support of our student ministry here in Quito, Ecuador! We cannot tell you how much you all mean to us.
Hello dear friends and family. A lot has happened since our last couple of posts, and we'd love to share about it with you all! Around Christmastime we were able to share in a very special service at our church in Carcelen. The church had just finished some interior renovations, which gave the congregation an altar for the very first time! It was a wonderful celebration with worship music and dance, Christmas carols, and a mini children's Christmas pageant. We were overjoyed to share in this special Advent season with our Ecuadorian brothers and sisters in Christ.
Praise and Worship in Carcelen Church
Three wise men visit baby Jesus in the children's Christmas pageant.
Then in late December, Ian and I were able to come back to the U.S. for two weeks to spend Christmas and New Years with my (Hillary's) immediate and extended family in Florida. It was such a huge blessing to have this time with family!
Relaxing together outside: Dad, Ian, Me, Israel (our little cousin), and Lauren
Mom and Twins
As soon as Ian and I returned to Ecuador, we got right to work preparing for our new NILI students who were coming in two weeks. We learned quickly that our roles in NILI were expanding greatly this semester! Starting next week, Ian will be teaching two classes: Christian Faith and Introduction to the New Testament, twice a week. And last weekend I (Hillary) began serving as NILI's Student Life Director, helping our students with day to day needs such as making sure they have hot water (we have a gas system) and ensuring the quality of their meals on campus, coordinating student events, and just being there to help with transitioning into another culture.
Waiting with the seminary students for our NILIs to arrive at the Quito airport.
Last weekend, Ian and I helped conduct the NILI orientation, discussing life on the seminary campus, safety, and cultural differences and giving tips to help guide students throughout the semester here in Ecuador. We also helped give a tour of the little "barrio" (town) near the seminary called Carcelen, and on Saturday afternoon we visited the Equator!
Visiting the Equator with our four new NILIs: Emily, Chad, Cristina, and Raven.
Sunday evening we had a blast welcoming the new seminary students and new NILIs by hosting an evening of ice breaker activities, games, and fun. We are blessed with an amazing group of students to serve this semester!
"Foto Loca" (Crazy Picture) from our Welcoming Party for new seminary and new NILI students.
We are both so thankful for the roles we have been given within NILI this semester. It is a joy to be able to use our gifts and abilities to serve the Lord in student ministries here on the Nazarene seminary campus. This truly has been an answer to our prayers, and we look forward to what God has in store for us this semester!
As we gear up for our second semester with the NILI Program here in Quito, Ecuador (students arrive next week), here is a look at some of the highlights from our first semester with NILI. We made this video especially for our traditional students--the four girls you'll see throughout the video--as a parting gift for them to take back and show their family & friends, but we thought we'd share it with y'all as well!
We are so thankful to have successfully completed our first semester with NILI! A couple of weeks ago, our NILI students completed their final projects, took their final exams, took their last trip (to the Galapagos Islands!), and then headed home. The semester ended very well and all our students made it home safely. Thanks again to all of our friends and family for your continued prayer and financial support! These first few months have been full of highs and lows as we transitioned into living in another country/culture and as we've settled into our roles here with NILI. God has been incredibly faithful to us each day in our ministry here, though, and we know we wouldn't be here without His grace and without your encouragement and support! Now it's one semester down, two more to go.
In addition to performing our NILI responsibilities this semester, because of the small number of NILI students and the relatively large number of volunteers, Ian and I have been serving in an on-campus ministry called CENIC. CENIC is really a sister ministry to NILI, since the monies raised by both go directly to support the missions work on the North Andean Field (Venezuela, Columbia, and Ecuador). But while NILI is a Spanish/ministry immersion program for North American college students, CENIC is a center for conventions. CENIC hosts camps, retreats, conferences, and other special events on campus, serving the Church of the Nazarene as well as other churches, organizations such as World Vision and Compassion International, and for-profit businesses.
CENIC's main tabernacle/convention center on the Nazarene seminary campus.
We have really enjoyed serving in CENIC because the work has been so versatile. I (Hillary) have primarily been helping out in the CENIC office Tuesday through Friday in the afternoons. I answer phone calls, check emails, update calendars, and complete financial reports, summarizing CENIC's weekly and monthly income and expenses. But when needed, I have also done laundry, made beds, tidied dorm rooms, re-stocked toiletries, and gone grocery shopping in preparation for the groups CENIC hosts. (Our largest grocery run included buying 50 raw chickens, 12 bags of potatoes,15 three liters of pop, 2 carts full of fruits and vegetables, and much much more. It was quite the adventure!)
When CENIC has had large groups this semester (the facilities can hold a maximum of about 230 individuals), Ian has helped several seminary students prepare for them by moving platforms and benches, setting up tables and chairs, and cleaning dorm rooms. But Ian has also helped paint and do odd jobs when CENIC was renovating several of its dorm rooms.
Inside the tabernacle after CENIC helped set up chairs for the graduation ceremony.
It truly has been a blessing to be able to work with CENIC this semester. Since NILI didn't have quite enough work to occupy us fully, we were very thankful to have this other opportunity to serve a great ministry. Through the conferences and retreats CENIC has held, individuals have experienced Christ and the power of His Holy Spirit. We have heard wonderful testimonies of people being saved, sanctified, and healed of very serious illnesses. Please join with us in praying for CENIC as it continues to grow, serving the people of Ecuador and bringing in funds for the North Andean Field.
