Jhon

Well, that´s the way I´ve seen him write it anyways. Since we all met up yesterday to play "Sorry", there were some very poignant instances during our 2-hour play that I thought you´d like to know about.

Jhon, Guillermo, and Miguel all showed up to play. A quite, calm Thursday morning --- just a few people here and there on the sidewalk. Well, until the camaramen and reporters from 2 main TV stations, and entourage of policemen and family members started showing up as a particular ambulance arrived to HVQ emergency. Within about 15 min. we were surrounded by all the buzz, but the boys and me, we just kept our heads down and in the game. But that still ended up drawing its own attention (since we were obviously absorbed, laughing and giggle-screaming here and there for all kinds of those unexpected plays you get in that game),,, and one of the camaramen between takes couldn´t resist coming over and asking how and what we were doing, etc. etc.

So I had the chance to tell him that we were all age-old friends :) and when I asked Miguel (the youngest of the 3), to tell the gentleman about how long we´d been "knowing each other",, after thinking really hard and rolling his eyes, he figured it had to have been round about 30 years. Then Guillermo piped up as the voice of reason and said he thought it´d really been about 2 years. That´s when Jhon, the oldest of these 3, spoke with all authority (and a huge grin) --- I met you when I was 9, and I´ll be 14 on the 24th of May... They were proud of that.

There was a LOT more that went on yesterday in that short period of time. Jhon had shined one of the reporters´shoes, but there was a quick turn of events and the reporter hadn´t paid him the $2.50 he had earned yet. Thanx to the confidence and trust of a 5-year friendship, I was able to calm him with just a few words (I didn´t even have to budge from my spot; he came over and got back in the game...), and encourage him to wait to see what God would do.

I wish you could have seen Jhon´s calm face,,, and the reporter´s soft, apologetic one when he realized he´d been gently reminded by the boys that he hadn´t paid. I wish you could have heard his apology, and seen his interaction with Jhon when Jhon came back with his change. I don´t really know what was said, or what happened at that moment --- but Jhon didn´t stop grinning afterwards (and he´s still smiling this morning, as I just passed him on the sidewalk on my way here.).

And when the subject came up about saving up our funds to buy a game together, so they´d have it at home to play... it was Jhon who thought maybe we´d better not. I thought it was for the price of the game, so told him but they´d have it for years and years later... but he said, "no" he thought it´d be better to just keep it the way it was, so they could come play with me.

I pray that when Jesus comes to speak to each one of them (if he hasn´t already), that they would accept Him eagerly and confidently, that they would know they can trust Him and enjoy time spent with Him... that the "30 years" we´ve spent together would convince them that Jesus is the Way and He can really be trusted. I pray that they would become leaders in this community over the next "30 years". Thank you for watching over them in your own prayers.

M

Of course, God answers prayer...

I´d like to officially join the list of thousands who´ve been struggling through, praying, hoping, watching and waiting --- and still deep down wonder if they´re on the right track, because all you seem to hear afterwards is just the wind blowing... And through a series of interesting events, I became aware that maybe sometimes I was missing out on certain messages from people, because they weren´t sending the kind I was looking for --- so it occurred to me that I should ask for God´s help to see those "invisible" messages. What a surprise to find out that God Himself was answering my prayers, and I just about missed it. I saw all kinds of missionaries everywhere in Quito in big and little teams going all over the place doing all kinds of incredible jobs in His service. So I asked God to send help for me, too -- in the things He had asked me to do. And 7 years later, noone came... ...to help me with the street kids. But the city of Quito set up a program to attend to all the street kids according to sector, giving them food, education, and individual attention and follow-up. You hardly see as many on the sidewalks and at intersections anymore. And all of "mine" have grown up quite a bit. One by one, they chose to stay home. ...to help with the Dysphagia Program. But the team I trained is carrying on the work, and plans to meet with hospital administration to insist they get some type of certification to distinguish them from the rest of the therapists who are currently practicing ad hoc throughout Quito... without the benefit of the whole medical team and protocols. As a matter of fact, potential organizational links are forming. I believe that God is going to see these transitions through,,, just as He had planned before He got me involved in it all. And as Mission: Ecuador comes to a close this year, each of you can know that you made a lasting impact on this community,,, on this one little missionary´s life, and on the eternity of more hearts than I´m probably even aware of. I´ll continue this blog, with updates on people, places, events in these next couple of months. As facts fall into place, I´ll be sending out a closing newsletter for the mission --- shooting for June. I´m working on putting together the pictures I have from this stretch of the journey. It´s an incredible privilege to be in His service, and my favorite place to be is behind the scenes, investing in people one at a time. I´m so very grateful, that one-by-one, God has been answering your prayers for me and for this mission. And I pray you have the opportunity to see His blessings in your own lives through your participation in this mission. I´m so glad that God answers prayer, because that means He´s taking good care of all of you. M