God's Promises in Ecuador

This morning I enjoyed the cooler mountain weather on my first morning run since returning from a few weeks in the United States.  It was great to watch the sun rise at 6 am and hit the nearly-vacant streets before the morning rush.  As I arrived at the reservoir where I usually run a couple laps, I was surprised to see many of my fellow runners looking into the sky behind me.  Curious, I continued jogging while turning my head to look back.  What I saw stopped me in my tracks and brought a smile to my face.  

There, stretching over the Cumbaya valley, was a double rainbow.  Immediately a couple of God's promises came to mind:  " I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." Genesis 28:15 and "See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared." Exodus 23:20.

Some people may wonder why I would live so far from my family and from the familiarity of the country where I grew up.  The truth is that I committed years ago to follow God where he leads, and he promises to go ahead of me and to go with me along the way.  His promises are very real today and every single day that he calls me to spend in Ecuador.

Double rainbow over Cumbaya valley

Double rainbow over the entrance to Quito proper

Visitors Coming!

A group of North American businesspeople who support us in the work of Partners Worldwide in Ecuador confirmed today that they will be coming to visit at the end of August.  It has been just over a year since the last visit, so we are excited to welcome them again to meet with business people, help develop new connections, and see the beauty of God's creation in Ecuador.  I will be traveling with those who come to Cuenca to meet with local leaders.  From there we will also make our first visit to communities in the Amazon jungle  in order to consider how we can support them as they develop sustainable agricultural businesses and simultaneously work to conserve the rainforest.  We pray for the God's blessing in this visit and that he will open doors for service and to walk alongside even more Ecuadorian businesspeople.