Grace

Hello everyone!

We LIFTers are currently relaxing at Ron Borman’s house, where we are resting before our hike up Sincholagua.  For the past few days, we have stayed in Oyacachi.  From the moment we hopped off the bus, I was humbled by the generosity, kindness, and authenticity of the Oyacachi kids.  We started our time in the village on Wednesday by playing with the kids at the Ecua-volleyball courts: kicking around soccer balls, swinging the kids around in circles, and laughing and running around.  Many of the kids picked one of us LIFTers to be their friends and playmates for the next couple days.  For me, it was Jennifer, a soft-spoken young girl with piercing eyes, and Hector, a rambunctious boy who was constantly spouting both Spanish and his English vocabulary.  Despite my limited Spanish ability, I deeply enjoyed spending time and getting to know these two kids. 

Throughout our time at Oyacachi, my fellow LIFTers used their God-given talents and abilities to love on the kids through the morning school programs, where we danced, acted, taught, shared on the Word, and played.  But what stood out to me most was the individual interactions that LIFTers shared with the kids during the down time in the afternoons.  For instance, I watched as one of our LIFTers, Alyssa Zook, befriended many of the girls and poured herself out to them.  There were times when I felt drained after spending hours with the kids, but she continued to smile and laugh with the girls, walk with them around town, listen to their rambling, and love them as the big sister and friend they needed.  Many of the kids also gravitated to another of the LIFTers, Joseph Wang, who awed them with his fluency in Chinese.  I remember on Wednesday seeing him surrounded by wide-eyed kids who shouted and cheered for him to write his name in Chinese or to teach them some Chinese characters.  Through these interactions, I witnessed Christ’s love working through us in powerful ways. 

As much as I saw God’s love poured out through us, I came away amazed by the love of Jesus that radiated from the kids.  On Friday, the dreaded time came—we had to leave the people and the village we had grown to love.  The kids swarmed around us, hugging us tightly and pleading with us not to leave.  Jennifer came up to me, hugged me, and (as I later found out) placed a gift in my jacket hood.  It was a tiny, hand-carved bear.  Many of the other LIFTers also received small tokens and gifts from the kids, as they continued pulling keychains, wood carvings, flowers, and candy from their pockets.  This reminded me of the story in the Bible where the widow places a small offering in the temple chest; it was insignificant by the world’s standards, but Jesus knew she had given all she had. 

The most difficult aspect for me was leaving Jennifer and Hector, knowing that I might not ever see them again.  But I also know that future generations of LIFTers will continue to befriend them.  After all, this is God’s work, not ours, and I am confident He will continue the good work He has begun in these children.  I also know that the Lord has done a work in my heart through the Oyacachi children.  I came expecting to give, to serve, to sacrifice.  But I left knowing that I had received far more than I could ever give, blessed by the love of Christ radiating through the children.  There is only one word to describe what I witnessed permeating our time at Oyacachi, echoing in the thin mountain air, and revealed in the kindness of the kids: GRACE.

Chris Kuo

Ministry & Mountains

LIFT just finished its time in Oyacachi, a very remote indigenous Quichua village high in the Andes Mountains.  No outsiders (foreigners) except for LIFTers coming for 10 years in a row and one European Peace Corps worker who worked there few years ago have ever visited this “hidden village”.  Ecuadorian tourists visit the quaint village, known for its quality handcrafted woodwork and wonderful hot springs.  Out of the 800 residents, there are over 150 kids attending school in the center of town.  LIFTers spent two days visiting the school to teach English lessons and share the great news of Jesus Christ.  Once school was dismissed, they played with the kids throughout the afternoons and evenings.  The LIFT students also presented dramas and dances, shared testimonies, and preached the gospel message at the church on Thursday evening.  God was moving in everything that was happening.  Our prayer is that the Holy Spirit works in the hearts of all those we interacted with and heard about the love of God.  The evangelical church invites LIFT to its town each year and considers LIFT as part of its family and an expected regular extension of ministry every March.

As we departed Friday afternoon, hearts were very full but heavy in saying goodbye to all the children who had so quickly bonded and adopted LIFTers as their own big brother or sister.  As the bus climbed its way out of town, heading back over the mountain pass the children ran behind trying to get last glimpses and waves before they would not see LIFT again for another year.

We arrived at Rick Borman’s brother’s house last evening and finally all got to sleep well after 10:30 after a very full day.  Over 30 of us are all “indoor camping” throughout the large house. As I write this, students are slowly waking from a much-needed sleep and will be having a group devotional time, followed by a baked-oatmeal breakfast then departing for a short tour through the “old town” section of Quito then on to the last leg of this trip – mountaineering a 16,000’ peak called Sincholagua.  Packs are full of winter gear, ropes, tents and food.  The students are ready after physically training hard all semester and acclimatizing to high altitude.  Pray for us and our final days in this beautiful country.

We will try to get one or two more updates posted after returning from the mountain.

Check out our pictures posted in the LIFT 41 album on the LIFT Discipleship Program Facebook page.

Tim

2 Posts: Here I am Lord, Send Me! & Servants of Christ

From Tim:

Hi everyone – sorry for the delay in communication for the past few days.  We did not have access to internet while in El Chaco from Friday through Sunday.  

We had an amazing 2 ½ days with the church in El Chaco then returned to El Refugio by 1:00 a.m.  LIFT teamed with the church in El Chaco (Cristo la Unica Esperanza) to do community outreach, church ministry and work projects for the church.  The team did drama, dance, worship leading, sharing testimonies, preaching, Sunday School lessons, children’s songs, games, relationship building and of course the annual USA vs. Ecuador soccer game (we got thumped this year).  We slept in on Monday then helped with work projects in the afternoon.  The router here was struck by lightning so this blog post is happening from a little store with WiFi in the neighboring village of Calacali.  Communication for the rest of the trip may be difficult to pull off with no quickly accessible internet anywhere but we will do our best and hopefully the router gets replaced soon at El Refugio.  We head out to Oyacachi tomorrow morning for 2 days then return to El Refugio to pack for our mountaineering trip to Sincholagua on Saturday - Monday, then back to El Refugio to finish our time here in Ecuador Monday - Wednesday.

We celebrate Jasmine today on her birthday!  LIFTers woke up @ 5:30 a.m. to do their fitness qualifier hike for next week’s big climb.  They now are working all around El Refigio – continuing with the service projects.  The group is doing well with not having problems of getting sick - keep up the prayers.

This will be a longer update since we are compressing our communication (because of lack of internet) from two blog posts into one.  Enjoy:

“Here I am, Lord, Send me”

Hello friends and family! Before I write anything else, I want to say thank you for all the prayers. We feel the body of Christ lifting us up in prayer and we so appreciate it!

After a short but full weekend of serving in El Chaco, we are back at El Refugio. My heart is full of gratitude as I begin to process the experiences we had and how we witnessed God at work! We had a four-hour bus ride on winding roads. Mountain scenes that I’ve only seen in pictures or videos brought to life before my eyes the glory in God’s creativity and beauty.

Although we were there to serve, we also were there to learn and receive from the local church. I was so blessed by their welcoming hearts, their hugs, and the wonderful food they fed us. Their passionate worship of God and their love reminds me again and again that language does not matter when it comes to the body of Christ! The love of Christ transcends all cultural barriers. This weekend reminded me of how blessed I am to be a part of a community of people passionately seeking God and how to serve him!

On Saturday afternoon we walked to a smaller village and put on a program for the local kids. Held under a pavilion next to a soccer field, there was plenty of room for our games, dramas, dances, music, and lessons. At one point I noticed two girls and a guy around my age, standing behind the bleachers watching. We were about to start our group lesson and Scott was going to present a message about God’s love.  I will say, my Spanish is quite limited and I often feel pretty silly even trying but I felt that I needed to invite them over. So, I walked over and through a few words and hand motions, I convinced the girls to come over, even though they said they were too old. As we were sitting there we began to converse some, introduced ourselves, and began to talk. Eventually it turned into questions like, “Who created God?” and “How do different people get to go to heaven with all the denominations?”, etc. Thankfully, our theology teacher Tyler came over and joined to translate some and answer questions. We invited them to church and had the chance to pray for them.

I was so happy to see them in church the next morning, to hear them singing along in worship with me! This whole experience has me thinking of how I have to be willing to go, to speak, and try to connect even with the barriers that may exist. I am well aware that if God wants someone to hear his word, they will hear it. And I am also well aware of the blessings that come when I choose to be a part of it.

I encourage you to follow the Spirit’s leading. If that is a leading to get on a plane and travel across the world or go out your door and across the street. A verse I read last night after our ministry really struck me, it is 1 Corinthians 9:16, “For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!” This was a reminder to me to never think of myself more just because I’ve had the opportunity to go on these trips and do ministry far from home. This is necessary in every part of my life. The command to spread the gospel is for every single one of us and it’s exactly that, a command. “Neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives increase.” (1 Corinthians 3:7)

Thank you for reading and I pray that this has encouraged you but also has challenged you to share your faith with those around you! Thanks again for your prayers!

God bless you,

Lynette Estola

p.s. Hi Mom and Dad. 😊

Servants of Christ

Greetings from Ecuador,

We are so blessed to know that you are praying for our time here in Ecuador. It is so encouraging to all of us to know that we have an army of prayer warriors around the world praying for our time here that God has given us. Also, thank you for taking the time out of your day to hear how God is moving here in this beautiful country!

This morning, Monday, March 25^th, God has blessed us with a restful morning. Many of us are relaxing around the premises of El Refugio after a full and long weekend serving and being encouraged with our brothers and sisters in Christ in El Chaco. Many of us are basking in the warm sun as we have our quiet time with God. While others are taking walks around the campus as they soak in God’s beautiful creation through listening to His birds and feeling His gentle wind.

This afternoon we are working on various work projects throughout the property of El Refugio. Last week, as we served at El Refugio, I was part of the painting crew. My team served the ministry by giving Casa Grande, the office building, a fresh coat of paint, or “a face lift” as one of the staff members here called it. It has been a great blessing to serve alongside many of the LIFTers as we paint, laugh, tell stories, and share with each other what God is doing in our lives.

Last Thursday, after we were finished with our work for the day I laid down in my bed for a quick nap before dinner. One of my dear friends from LIFT, Anna, came in the room and whispered, “Do you want to go to go to the treehouse with me really quick?” I shot up in bed with excited bugged eyes and said, “Of course!” The treehouse at El Refugio is a short ten-minute walk from the main area. Anna and I joyfully walked to the treehouse together accompanied by Black, the black lab, who lives the dream dog life at El Refugio.

We got to the tree house and walked over the two rickety swinging bridges. We climbed up and sat down as we soaked in the surrounding atmosphere. At first, we both sat in silence as we listened to the creatures around us and looked at the seemingly infinite lush vegetation. We delighted in God’s beautiful creation all around us. Then, one of us broke the silence as we began processing the mission’s trip with each other. I told Anna that part of my prayer request for the trip was that I would go in with a spirit of humility. I asked God to help me learn just as much, if not more, from the people around me. I expressed that I often think, especially on a mission’s trip, think that I have more to offer than receive from the people here. Yet, I know that this is not true. So, I have been praying for God’s help in changing my heart.

Anna expressed to me that she often struggles with the same thing. She expressed that she often struggles with feeling superior to others, especially when she is serving them. But, that she desires for God to help her learn from others. She shared with me that she talked with one of the interns here at El Refugio. Anna thought she would simply talk about herself, but the intern ended up sharing her testimony with her. Anna felt so encouraged by this as God used this experience to help soften her heart and grow her humility.

Serving is a give and take relationship. We often think it is one-sided, but this is so far from the truth. We can not show Christ to others by serving with pride. We must humble ourselves as we realize we have nothing to offer from within ourselves. Rather, we can only serve well through Christ, with humility that He has clearly modeled, as we rely solely on Him.

Anna and I also reflected on how much gratitude we had for the Christians here in Ecuador as they have also served us while we have served them. At El Refuigo, the cooks make delicious (which is an understatement) authentic Ecuadorian food for us every meal. Also, the staff here is patient with us as they communicate with us what needs to get down regarding the work projects. Also, this past weekend in El Chaco we served a church by doing various work projects with them on Saturday. We also were there to encourage them through dance and drama. Yet, they also served us in the following ways. Many of the women who are part of the church made us delicious meals during our stay there. Also, they performed beautiful dances for us! They had many kind words for us as they encouraged us. Those are just a couple of examples how they chose to love us through Christ’s love in just a few days. Although we came to serve, we have been filled by the love of our Ecuadoran brothers and sisters in Christ.

Thank you again for your many prayers towards our mission’s trip here in Ecuador. We are delighted with the privilege God has given us to serve here! Continue to pray that we represent Christ well as his hands and feet. Pray that we continue to turn to Him daily as we rely on his strength, to carry out his will for us here. Ask Him to help us to take every opportunity He has for us here and that we would receive it with gratitude. Also, pray that we continue to serve with humility as we learn and receive from the people here as we serve.

God Bless,

Sarah Deitz

Let Us Adore!

Let Us Adore!

“Let us adore the ever-living God and render praise unto Him!” Our voices ring from the cloud-covered mountaintop as we sing the iconic LIFT song, “Let Us Adore.”  This is our third day at El Refugio, the camp ministry where we are helping with daily work projects.  My lungs are still screaming from the steep incline of this morning’s “perimeter hike”, but this view—the sun peeping over the horizon, the clouds streaming along distant mountain ranges, Ecuador’s lush jungles stretched out before us—makes the hike more than worth it.

For me, this view provided a vivid glimpse of the glory of the Christian God.  After all, if creation awes us so deeply, then what of the Creator? Indeed, I don’t think I’m exaggerating when I say that this entire missions trip revolves around God’s glory—the exaltation of His name and character. 

In these first few days at El Refugio, I have already witnessed the Lord’s beauty in many ways.   One example is my work project, which involves clearing heavily overgrown trails using hoes and machetes.  The Ecuadorean jungle points to an awesome Creator—from the intricacy of a bring pink flower to the majesty of the thundering rain.  Besides hacking through the many species of plants, bushes and trees, I’ve also learned to focus on God’s glory through a devotional packet given to us by the El Refugio staff.  The packet’s theme focuses on people as the “clay” and God as the “Potter,” reminding us that He created us for a specific purpose, namely to glorify Him in all that we do.  As 1 Corinthians 10:31 says, “And whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God.”  

Delighting in God’s glory involves so much more than just personal learning; it also means proclaiming His excellencies to those have not yet heard.  As our LIFT team eventually heads to El Chaco (on Friday) and then to Oyacachi (next Wednesday), our focus will be on exalting Christ as we share our messages and testimonies, as we dance, act out dramas, and lead worship in church, and even as we play soccer and group games with the youth.  The Apostle Paul said it best: “But far be it from me to boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world.”  Indeed, what power do we have apart from the cross of Christ? If we share a message other than this, our efforts will be futile.  But if we proclaim only Christ and Him crucified, I am confident that the word of God will not return void.  I love how one of my LIFT friends, Noah Henkel, prays: “Lord, hide your servant behind the cross of Christ so that only He may be glorified.”  This is also our prayer as we head to El Chaco this weekend.  

Before El Chaco, however, we still have another full day here at El Refugio.  Yesterday morning, after the perimeter hike, we gathered in a semicircle in the dining hall.  Sunlight filtered through the large rectangular windows, and the smell of baked oatmeal wafted from the kitchen.  We opened our Bibles to Isaiah 40, where the prophet describes the majesty of God: “To whom then will you compare me, that I should be like him?” says the Holy One.  Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name; by the greatness of his might and because he is strong in power, not one is missing” (Isaiah 40:26). 

As we read this passage, I realized that we so often try compartmentalize God in an attempt to reduce Him to our level.  We get so lost in our postmodern world that we forget how great He is: He roars and the mountains quake (literally – we had three small earthquake tremors shake our beds around 11 pm last night); He knows every star by name and every hair on our heads; and, perhaps most miraculous of all, as He speaks, dead hearts come alive. 

I believe that this is the essence of why we are here in Ecuador: both to deeply experience His glory in our own lives and to declare His glory to others.  But I know that both of these lessons need to remain with us as we eventually return to the U.S.  Whether we are in an Ecuadoran jungle or an urban, American one, we need to live solely for Him, because it’s not about us—it never was.  Life is too short to be lived half-heartedly, twiddling our thumbs, while millions continue to perish without knowing Him.  

God, give us a passion for your Name until your glory fills the earth as water covers the sea.  Make us radical for you! So then, let us choose today to die to ourselves.  Let us seek until we find.  Let us surrender.  Let us worship.  And above all, let us adore. 

Christopher Kuo

Pray for us that God may open the door for our message and that we may proclaim it clearly as we should.  (Colossians 4: 3 & 4)

Please visit our LIFT Discipleship Program Facebook page to check out our pictures in the LIFT 41 Photo Album.  You can also follow us on Instagram.

https://www.facebook.com/pg/liftdiscipleshipprogram/photos/

Ministry Begins

Hello all! Thank you for your continued prayers for our group. It has been a crazy past 36 hours, but two flights and a long bus ride later we made it to El Refugio! We got our things settled in, had some time to enjoy the beautiful weather, followed by orientation and then a mini hike. As I am writing this tonight, the Lord brought to my mind a few things.

We are serving in a place where people come and experience God’s provision and love. It is called “El Refugio” or “The Refuge.” Today as I had my quiet time, I looked up; it was 70 degrees, trees surrounding everywhere, and I’m in the middle of the Andes Mountains. God’s creation was all around. What more could I ask for? I am blessed so far beyond what I deserve. It is easy to feel this way when the conditions were like that. But what about every day life back in the States? What about the times when it is easy to feel alone? What about when all I can do doesn’t seem to measure up? The easy answer – turn to God. But…how? The harder answer – having a mission, then being missionally minded. So what is our mission while we are down here in Ecuador? As I prayed that the Lord would open my eyes to his mission, he reminded me of some of the things we have learned this semester in our Holistic Ministry Practicum class.

It is important to remember that God does not need us. Instead he CHOOSES us. That should get us excited! He doesn’t want us sitting the bench and being passive; instead, he wants us out on the playing field “scoring goals” for the kingdom. What does that look like while we are here in Ecuador? It starts with us aligning our will with his and becoming one with the Spirit daily. Only then will he use us to our full potential, whether it be in the work projects, drama teams, teaching kids, playing games, or anything that we do. Please pray that we will all have this mindset and that we will seek him and his kingdom daily.

Another thing that we have been learning is what it truly means for our ministry to be holistic. Holistic ministry involves ministering to people completely, not just in one aspect. In the same way that God himself is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, so are we three parts: body, soul, and spirit. The cool thing about El Refugio is that their goal is life transformation and that comes through serving the people here holistically. As previously mentioned, we will be working on a few work projects to reach people’s physical needs. We have different outreach groups to build them up in the Spirit. We also are here to love them, as Christ loves the church, and through these things we pray that God will do a mighty thing in their lives. Please be in prayer that the Lord will use our efforts for his glory and to see lives changed forever.

We are also here to learn from the Ecuadorian people and their culture. When we have a willingness to learn - a heart for the Lord that goes beyond a heart for self - we can connect with them and build lasting, meaningful relationships. Every story they have to tell can be an opportunity to share the gospel. We then can share our story and use it as a testament of what God has shown and taught us.

No matter if we are in Ecuador or anywhere else, God will bless our faith when we simply say, “Here am I, send me” and then act on it. It is easy to have an emotional experience with God, to feel his presence and see his handiwork. But sometimes, when we don’t feel like we’re experiencing him, we tend to fall back. It is in those moments where we must remember that love is not a feeling, it is an action. We love God by following him wherever he takes us; to go when he says to go. Catch flights, not feelings. God is on the move, and he invites us all to be a part of his mission wherever we are!

“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think, according to his power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” -Ephesians 3:20-21

Please continue praying for us. God Bless!

Noah Henkel

Countdown to Launch

Greetings brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ.

On behalf of the whole of LIFT 41 I would like to thank you for your prayers and support for our upcoming time of ministry in Ecuador from March 18th  - April 3rd.  All of us are eagerly awaiting our departure from JFK on Sunday; although some are more anxious than others at the thought of packing all they need between supplies for lessons and adventure gear. I would urge you all to continue praying, specifically for Christ to prepare our hearts and give us right motive and discernment in the Spirit, that we bond with our brothers and sisters in Ecuador and encourage them in their faith, and that we also show Christ to those who don’t yet know Him.

          

This past week was the traditional LIFT "rice and beans fast" where the intention is to fast from variety and quantity of food in hopes that we can arrive in Ecuador with a focused dependence on Christ. I spoke with a few LIFTers about what God has been able to demonstrate to them via the fast. Lynette Estola, said that God really opened up her eyes to the confession and repentance aspect which is also another specific discipline were focusing on this week. She speaks on how holding onto any type of sin is, for all intense and purposes, is a wall between you and God and can corrupt your personal relationship with him and become a door to darkness. Fasting for her has helped her recognize this and take a more focused stance spiritually, being ready to repent and to confess that sin, so as to fully open her heart for the Spirit to be present with her in Ecuador.

          

I also spoke with Christine Miserendino, one our Spanish speakers who will be aiding our group as a translator in addition to a few other ministries. Out of LIFT 41’s twenty-seven disciples, we are blessed to have 6 that are fluent in Spanish. Christine is so excited to be able to serve in this capacity but she asks for prayers that she would be able to speak smoothly and clearly. Let’s pray these blessings for Christine along with the other translators.

          

With the translation ministry there are ten total ministry groups: Testimonies, Preaching, Worship, Children’s Praise, High-Energy Games, Sunday School Lessons, Drama Team, Dance Team, English Education, Bloggers, and Photography. Most LIFTer’s have had to join three ministry teams and we’ve been really busy in preparation. We would greatly appreciate prayers for each of these groups specifically.

On top of all these focuses, we also ask for prayer for a safe flight, guidance for our selfless leaders, and prayer for the people in Ecuador. Our prayer verse for this first entry is 1 Peter 1:39 “Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.” 

Amen and thanks for reading, Christ be with you.

Jason Bryce