Hi from Ecuador!

My squad and I have been here for almost 3 weeks now and are loving it! I wanted to update you all on what life has looked like recently and simply what our days here look like.

For the first week here, the squad stayed together at Adventure in Missions base in Quito with our hosts Mabe, Fabi, and their sweet 2 year old daughter. We ate meals together, worked out together, worked on projects around the house together, and simply did life together after almost a month and a half away from each other. We heard Mabe and Fabi’s beautiful testimony, we had spontaneous moments of worship, and spent lots of quality time together as we prepared to begin ministry. Time here was seriously a breath of fresh air and brought our squad closer together as we were given time to love each other so well and so intentionally. 

Our first week in Ecuador came to an end and our squad was yet again faced with goodbyes. For ministry we are split in half so my team and one other team are here at El Refugio in Calacali. Here is their website if you want to check it out but it is an adventure camp and retreat center for people here in Ecuador. Through ropes courses, backpacking trips, and miles of hiking trails, the camp is designed for leadership training, team building, and discipleship. We are simply in awe of this place from the surrounding mountains to the beautiful buildings here. 

Days here are hard though. We are doing manual labor 7 hours a day and it is not easy work. Breakfast is at 7:30 and our work day begins at 8. We are split into groups where some dig trenches to level out dirt roads, some do yard work and up keep of the ground, others are cementing rock walls, and personally I have spent most days redoing a roof. The main office on camp has old clay shingles that are currently being replaced. We have been carrying down the old tiles, tarping the roof, nailing down wood to support the new shingles, carrying up the new tiles, and finally laying them down. It has not been easy work and each day we come back to our room covered head to toe in dirt. With a lunch break in between, our day ends at 4. We shower and hang out until dinner at 6. Following dinner we have team time and then just hang out until we head to bed, which is usually no later than 9 because we are so tired (honestly some nights earlier). 

While being here is exhausting it is also so sweet. Each day we work alongside local men and get to parts of their story. We get to spend time together as a team laughing on the floor of our room. We get to spend hours exploring the mountains around us and simply soaking in the beauty of this place we get to call home. I could not be more happy to be here with my favorite people and am honestly in awe of this thing called life. The Lord is doing big things here! 

With Love, 

Katie 

*ALSO a huge thank you to those who have supported me financially! I AM FULLY FUNDED! Words can't express how thankful I am for each and everyone of you! It means the world:)