Tuesday, October 26, 2010

WE RUN QUITO 2010

Last Saturday Oct. 23rd four NILI's and I ran a 10k here in Quito.  The race was organized by NIKE and it was super fun!  The race started at 7pm and we all finished by 8:30ish.  This was my first race ever in my life and it was so fun, well except for the last Kilometer, I was ready to fall over and my legs were yelling at me...WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO US.  But I finished my first 10K run here in Quito which don't forget is almost 10K in altitude in 1 hour and 9 minutes! Pretty good for a first run!  Below are some pictures of us before and after the race...no we didn't get any of us finishing...it was a little crazy at the finish line :)  I'm so ready for another run... :)

Thad, Isaac, Amy and Jenna (Team NILI 9)

Me, Amy, Jenna (The Girls)

Isaac and Thad (The Boys)

Our warm-up run

Getting ready to stretch

Our fellow racers in the front of us!!!!  There were roughly 6000 people who ran!!

The girls again, so excited for the race to start!

Me and Amy (the back of the pack)

Getting ready

YEAH we finished!!!!  And we weren't last!!!!

TEAM NILI 9 with our glow in the dark medals!!!

Harrison and I, he was tired and hungry 

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Harrison's Visa

Hi everyone, I just wanted to let you know that Harrison did not get the visa, they said he needed to be more established in the country.  We were very honest in all that we did and we were very sad because it means once again that I have to leave him here for a month when he could be with me.  But so many times in my life God does things I don’t understand, one of my favorite verses is, “your thoughts are not my thoughts and your ways are not my ways” God’s and my thoughts aren’t the same on this topic, however God is good ALL the time, ALL the time God is good (thanks Kim)!  And it doesn’t matter if we don’t agree God and I, He is good, and He knows what is best for me and for Harrison.  So yes I was sad, and a little frustrated. HOWEVER, I wanted to celebrate Tuesday and even though it was a rainy dreary COLD day here in Ecuador which or course just added to my sadness and desire to cry there was joy in that day, the little ray of sunshine I saw on that cold damp dreary day was that God was and always is in control. Whatever happens, happens but God is ALWAYS in control!  And that is what I like about the next verses in Isaiah:
As the heavens are higher than the earth,
       so are my ways higher than your ways
       and my thoughts than your thoughts
.
 10 As the rain and the snow
       come down from heaven,
       and do not return to it
       without watering the earth
       and making it bud and flourish,
       so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
 11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
       It will not return to me empty,
       but will accomplish what I desire
       and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
 12 You will go out in joy
       and be led forth in peace;
       the mountains and hills
       will burst into song before you,
       and all the trees of the field
       will clap their hands.
 13 Instead of the thornbush will grow the pine tree,
       and instead of briers the myrtle will grow.
       This will be for the LORD's renown,
       for an everlasting sign,
       which will not be destroyed."
God is good His ways are WAY higher and WAY better then my own, ( I don’t understand them, but you better believe they are good!!!)  And joy will go out and be lead forth in PEACE!  And what will it be for, the renown of the LORD.  
I don’t know why Harrison didn’t get the visa when so many people were praying so hard and long that he would.  But God knows and He has something better.  I’m sad right now, Harrison is sad right now, but in the end there will be joy.  Because there is going to be a story, when God works it all out and in HIS time (which once again is not the same as my time) where there will be peace and joy replacing this sadness and frustration.  And not because of what Harrison, me or the embassy did, but because of what God did.  I believe this with all my heart, yes even my heart right now that is sad.  We will not give up we are MORE then Conquerors, we are His children and he loves us, and just like any good parent , we don’t always get what we want when we want it, but God will surprise us with something WAY better then we could have imagined!  
Thank you all for your prayers, Thank you for your words of encouragement, thank you for being part of and witnesses to this story.  Please don’t lose heart, I pray your faith as well as my own is strengthened through this little bump in the road!  So as we say in Spanish Animo mis hermanos (this is for me as much as I write it to you) Be encouraged my brother and sisters God is going to do something great!  Thanks for being alongside us in this journey and hang on it could be a long one, but when God does that something great in our lives, I would love if you are all there celebrating with us!


One more exciting thing is Saturday night, me and 4 NILI's are running a 10K race here in Quito!  It is going to be a blast, so check back next week and I guarantee there will be pictures!!!!!