discomfort = growth // the jungle

February 17, 2019

discomfort = growth // the jungle

Hey everyone!

I made it back from the jungle and am now in Quito. What an experience the last 2 weeks have been -- so many words to describe them: unexpected, stretching, rewarding, difficult, enlightening, uncomfortable, learnable.

During our time in the jungle, we stayed at a missionary institute in Huaticocha, Ecuador called, "Ninawachi," which translates in an indigenous language to "house of fire." Their mission focus is to raise up missionaries and pastors through their 2 year program, and send their students (many of whom come from indigenous tribes) back out into the jungle, evangelizing to indigenous people groups in the communities and villages, deep in jungle. Most of the students there come from indigenous tribes, and all of them are aspiring missionaries.

There’s a massive need for the gospel there. Most of the people in the surrounding communities are frequent visitors to witch doctors (which are everywhere there). There isn’t much of a Christian community in the area besides Ninawachi. Most of the neighboring communities don't have the gospel or any church presence whatsoever. They're predominantly influenced by the religious ideas of the witch doctors in the area.

Although there’s a huge need here, it can also be equally discouraging for the missionaries here, as very few people are receptive to the gospel. However, hearing the stories and testimonies of those who came to faith -- going from death to life-- through the influence of Ninawachi were incredible. I love meeting new people and hearing how God works so differently for each person in the way that he reveals himself to them.

Following: Ninawachi campus

Left: Prayer hut where we had group devotionals and prayer twice per day.

Our role as Linkers was to live on the campus with the students and assist with work on the grounds'.

Everyday began with us waking up right before 6am and doing chores, followed by 7am devotional & prayer time in the “prayer hut.” After breakfast we worked until lunch, and then worked more after lunch. Their main work task they had us focus on was clearing land for them, so that they could extend their dorms and create an area for married couples' housing. That consisted of cutting trees down, moving logs (ahh so many logs), shoveling dirt to level out the land, etc.

Other work we did included harvesting their crops of yucca, plantains, caco, and coffee, as well as cleaning and organizing their church storage rooms, and starting to make a small gazebo out of bamboo (that we cut and measured ourselves!)

Morning chores: feeding the tilapia

Part of what our work day looked like: carrying bamboo we cut from across the street back to the campus to start making the gazebo.

Ministry Outreach in Communities:

My favorite part by far was the ministry opportunity we had. 2-3 times per week 2 of the missionary girls, who had recently graduated from Ninawachi, would take Kendall and I to communities 30 minutes-1 hour away. We would do a 30 minute kids' program with bible songs, a bible story lesson, coloring time, and games.

The kids here are just so easy to love!! The minute they see you, even if they've never met you before, they come running up to you and tackle you with hugs. They'd start to literally climb Kendall and I -- we couldn't even walk because there were about 5 kids on each of us haha.

Swimming in the river after a hot day.

The kids always love snapchat filters haha

The two missionaries, Nohemi (left) and Mary (Right) who would take us to ministry weekly.

We usually take the bus home but one day it got delayed. So we hopped in the bed of a taxi and sped down the jungle roads for a half hour. One of my fav moments!!!!

"Firsts" / Cultural Experiences:

Here's a bunch of things I've never done before that the jungle introduced me to:

1. Handwashing laundry. Took me about an hour to wash 2 shirts, 1 pair of pants, and 5 socks. The other girls there probably could have done that in about 10-15 minutes. I have a renewed appreciation for washing machines :)

#2: Harvesting their crops! Cacao & Plantains.

#3: Eating tree grubs. They tried to get me to eat one alive straight off the tree and I said heck no hahaha so I settled for a compromise and they fried them for me. Not so bad till the aftertaste hits, which is followed by chugging your entire water bottle.

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The entire time spent in the jungle was definitely eye-opening. It wasn't a site I was necessarily excited for. The living conditions were so different and very out of my comfort zone, but I ended up enjoying the lifestyle much more than I thought I would! The simplicity of life was refreshing, and getting to hands-on see what a tangible impact these missionaries are having upon the communities was so impactful. There's a lot of things I gained there that I will keep with me forever.

Spiritually, it was a battle for me. We had unexpected team changes after the first week, and for the second week I ended up being the only linker there.

I was really confused and lonely; not sure of why the Lord was putting me in that situation. I called my parents one night and they were so encouraging: my mom talked about how I was walking in the midst of spiritual warfare. How the enemy was trying to pick at my weaknesses and areas of discomfort, and how he would love to see me crack and give up.

It was uncomfortable. I didn't like it. But I'm learning over and over again that being put out of your comfort zone is where you grow the most. Pruning and trials aren't fun. They can hurt; they did hurt. But that's where God does the most refining and draws you closer to him.

My friend, Kei, recently told me:

"In our relationship with God, we will always be in our childlike state."

Always. Always having to be dependent on his grace. Unable to "do life" without him guiding every step. As humbling as this reality is, I'm also learning that it's a beautiful place to be in.

I don't have to face trials or afflictions on my own because I know that He's not just looking out for me, but actually WALKING with me. Every step of the way.

These 2 weeks were hard. They challenged me. Although I experienced many joyful and inspiring moments, that wasn't my reflexive or instinctive behavior. I had such a hard time being content where I was. I had to really pray for the Lord to open doorways and opportunities for joy, and for my heart to truly delight in where He had placed me.

At the start of Week 2, I began studying James (which I had planned to do the week before, but wow did God orchestrate that just perfectly, because it was the exact truth that I needed to read)

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." -- James 1:2-4

This was a passage I yearned to meditate upon and prayed to see the truth of this unfold.

All that to say, yes it was a hard 2 weeks. But overflowing with growth and valuable lessons, + experiencing the richness and the care of my savior on a deeper level.