STRETCHING

The last two weeks could be said in one word STRETCHING. Terry and I have both been stretching ourselves both spiritually and physically. We were able to handle ourselves in Quito and to not get lost. It was an exhausting time for both of us as we were worried about luggage and customs, and both of us suffered a little from altitude sickness. We were able to meet the new teachers and bring them back with us to Loja.

When we arrived into Cuenca we found that the bus I had been dreaming about, that was to take us back to Loja was overbooked. It was a really nice plush bus; I had been thinking the whole plane trip how nice it was going to be not to take a van or taxi into Loja. The plane company had sent a van to take the surplus to loja but that also was packed so they had to call another one. Our luggage was on the bus. My carry on with my computer and the carry on of the other two teachers were also on the bus. They had cash and computers in theirs also.

I pictured the bus stopping in Loja, letting out passengers and said passengers seeing that our luggage wasn’t being picked up deciding that maybe our luggage needed a new home. I think our driver read my mind and he became a kamikaze driver helping us catch up with our luggage. I couldn’t help but think that I hoped our stuff got a good home because we were going to die in the van before we made it to Loja. I kept my hoodie over my eyes most of the ride.

Arriving in Loja we found our entire luggage safely waiting for us. The next several days we just crashed.  We had planned on taking a two day break with the new teachers before school started. They got word they had to return to Quito because of visa problems. I decided to paint the apt. since we were not going on the break. That day we got word we needed to travel to Cuenca to get legal. We stretched ourselves with language skills and were able to get everything done.

 In worship service today I was able to understand much of what the pastor was saying and God really convicted me of not being in his word like I should be. It was surprising how much I understood. 

I was thinking after the service if God could use a man speaking in another language that I don’t understand to convict me of sin, He could also use me in my baby Spanish to share his message. It isn’t our message that we are sharing it is His, and he will use us and open the ears of the hearers.