The Ecuador Mission Team completed their 14th trip to Quito June 9-18 to serve at Love and Hope Foundation School (Fundacion Amor Y Esperanza), a Christian school for young students whose families are in need.
During their time in Quito, the team comprised of Upper School students and their leaders built relationships with the children and teachers of Love and Hope; prepared for and taught classes at the school on the topics of the solar system, geometry, the human body, algebra, sports, and the Bible; worshipped and studied the Bible with the school's founders, Pancho and Pity; enjoyed delicious food; and learned about the culture of Ecuador. The team also spent afternoons at the construction site for Amor y Esperanza's new school building, where they completed 12 brick and concrete walls during the week.
One of the team's leaders, Susan Justice, had this to say about their experience:
"The Lord is building here in Ecuador. He is working through our hands, now dry and, for some, even blistered from the work, through our backs, a little achy from bending and lifting, and through our arms as we carry heavy blocks and push wheelbarrows full of concrete. But the real work is the building of God’s church, working through our hearts, to encourage Pancho and Pity, through our mouths as we teach, pray, and worship, and also through our hands and arms as we give lots and lots of hugs — to each other and to the students. As we build the physical building here, we have a visual reminder of the Lord’s church — a firm foundation, Christ the cornerstone, on which we are now laying brick by brick, block by block, connecting with cement — just as the Lord is building us together into one Body, with the Holy Spirit as our 'cement'! We are learning to work together, play together, and worship together. Sounds a little like that Whitefield motto, 'Work hard, play hard, honor Him.'"
Read more about each day of their trip and see more photos on the Ecuador Mission Team blog page.
During their time in Quito, the team comprised of Upper School students and their leaders built relationships with the children and teachers of Love and Hope; prepared for and taught classes at the school on the topics of the solar system, geometry, the human body, algebra, sports, and the Bible; worshipped and studied the Bible with the school's founders, Pancho and Pity; enjoyed delicious food; and learned about the culture of Ecuador. The team also spent afternoons at the construction site for Amor y Esperanza's new school building, where they completed 12 brick and concrete walls during the week.
One of the team's leaders, Susan Justice, had this to say about their experience:
"The Lord is building here in Ecuador. He is working through our hands, now dry and, for some, even blistered from the work, through our backs, a little achy from bending and lifting, and through our arms as we carry heavy blocks and push wheelbarrows full of concrete. But the real work is the building of God’s church, working through our hearts, to encourage Pancho and Pity, through our mouths as we teach, pray, and worship, and also through our hands and arms as we give lots and lots of hugs — to each other and to the students. As we build the physical building here, we have a visual reminder of the Lord’s church — a firm foundation, Christ the cornerstone, on which we are now laying brick by brick, block by block, connecting with cement — just as the Lord is building us together into one Body, with the Holy Spirit as our 'cement'! We are learning to work together, play together, and worship together. Sounds a little like that Whitefield motto, 'Work hard, play hard, honor Him.'"
Read more about each day of their trip and see more photos on the Ecuador Mission Team blog page.