This Spring, we had four young ladies from the Southeastern part of the US, they all brought such joy to the team! The worked daily with the girls at Ecuador Hope House and I do believe they left a lasting impression on their hearts... both ways!
visit Ecuador Hope House
Living with the girls at the Hope House for six weeks forever changed my life. From dancing until our lungs burned and our legs gave out to chasing each other with water balloons and trying our best to use google translate to help with English homework, there was never a dull moment with the girls. If the enemy had his way, Hope House would be the darkest place in Sucúa due to the battles these girls face, but instead it is a shining example of hope and the transforming power of Christ. Those girls wills steal your heart in a second and keep it for a lifetime. I'm excited to see what God has in store for every girl that ever has and ever will walk through that house. I know that this is only the beginning, and God is going to do "exceedingly and abundantly more than we could ask or imagine." The best is yet to come.
- Shelby Fulcher
One of my favorite parts of being in Ecuador was having the opportunity to develop friendships with the girls. Two weeks before I left, one of the girls sat down next to me after tutoring and asked me to help her practice her English. At first, we read out of her textbook to practice, but after a few minutes I brought out my Spanish/English Bible. Because all the girls had been watching a television series about Joseph, we read part of the story of Joseph. It was a lot of fun working with her one on one with something that was separate from homework.
While in Ecuador we were able to participate in several fun activities with the girls in the Hope House. One of these was helping the missionaries teach the girls how to make homemade pizza. I enjoyed watching the girls roll out their pizza dough, choose toppings, and eat their pizzas to the sound of Italian music. I absolutely love these young ladies. My life is definitely better because of them. Working with them has taught me persistence and new ways to minister to others.
-Jordan Ovenshire
In February of 2017 I began my three month internship in Sucua, Ecuador. During that time, I had the opportunity to live in the Hope House for six weeks. I had been coming and going regularly before I moved in, so I had a relationship with the girls and Hope House "tias"(staff), but living with them bonded us even more and gave me a new perspective into their lives.
I got to see them go to school, do their chores, help cook food, do their homework, play games, and dance. (There's always lots of dancing going on!)
I was constantly struck by how these young girls, who had been through so much trauma in their lives, were able to live here and have a safe home. Every once in a while, I would be sitting at dinner, looking around at all the giggling girls around me, thinking how wonderful God's mercy is, and that their past does not hold them back in the Hope House.
On Sundays I sat with the girls in church and got to experience worshipping with them. God has been using them to teach me to adopt the attitude of a child when I come to Him. Jesus' words, "truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it" run through my mind when I see them worship.
Seeing them grow, receive love from the "tias" and missionaries, and watching God work in this House has changed my perspective forever. The girls are so ready to love and be loved, to laugh, to dance. The Hope House let's them do all of that.
-Anna Fuqua
* For more information on our Jungle Missionary Internship, please visit junglemissionary.com
