Posted in Peru by Kim Labat on 9/23/2011
So basically, I have an amazingly creative teammate, Stephanie Bernotas, who is awesome at creating videos.
Here is a video on our month in Peru that she created...Have a glimpse into a day into the life of us.
Enjoy! :)
This video is on our month's ministry in Por Venir, Peru.
SIDE NOTE:
There are many, many other videos that Stephanie created that I would LOVE to share with you guys. Here are the links to some of the video's. Please take some time to view them, and to see the work we did in South America. I promise you, the video's are amazing, and you'll love them!
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Posted in Ecuador by Kim Labat on 9/22/2011
I was on the team of the FIRST missionaries to EVER enter the indigenous village of Iluman, Ecuador.
In Peru, we helped BUILD an orphanage in an area that had water for ONE hour, ONCE a week. The water was NOT clean to drink.
That the majority of the time, my plans don't line up with God's plans?
I'm so quick to think that "I know best." That God's plan is second; that what I want should be first.
That's how it works, right? Nope, totally wrong.
God showed me that really clearly these past two weeks.
For those of you who don't know, I am now stateside. I wanted the World Race-- and God wanted me home.
I struggled with obeying that calling home. I wanted to stay where I wanted to stay, on the World Race.
I struggled to find the inner-peace with staying- I struggled to get even the SMALLEST glimpse of peace when thinking about staying. The peace never came, and the calling home became stronger. There was a time when I remember thinking out of my anger, "GOD, don't you care what I want? Let me stay at least until my money runs out!" Here's where I think "I know best" again. It's so humbling to be asking God for something that isn't what He has for you, and praying for any hope that He may "change His mind".
The decision became even easier when my next support deadline was coming up, and I was still $3,000 below deadline. I could be sent home, OR I could make a pledge for the amount, and be indebted to AIM that money upon my return to the States. I had said before leaving that being in debt to AIM was something that I absolutely would not do. That if God wanted me there, that the money would be provided.
So many signs, one after another, confirmed my calling home.
So, here I am, back in the United States. Pressing in to the Lord to see what He has for me here. What is in store that is so powerful, so great, so needed that He called me here for it? I am now in a season of waiting. Waiting on the Lord for clarity, and for direction. There is NO doubt in my mind that there are HUGE things in store for me. That a big work was started in South America, and it will be finished here, at home. The Lord used me exactly where I was, and now, He's using me at home.
My journey was short, but it was SO impactful. I have made lifelong brothers and sisters in Christ, and lifelong friends.
As my teammate kept reminding me, "It's just the end of the chapter, not the end of the book."
I want to say a special thank you to my supporters who gave, allowing me to go for the two months that I was able to. I appreciate it from the bottom of my heart, and please KNOW that your money helped change my life, and even more importantly, helped give children in South America a vision, a hope, and a dream for a better life.
my amigo, Eduardo. This boy holds a special place in my heart.
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Posted in Peru by Kim Labat on 9/5/2011
sometimes, our plans are not God's plans.
As you're well aware, we've spent this month in Porvenir, Peru, in the middle of the desert, working on construction and building projects. We've had amazing missionary hosts and have loved our beds and ovens and team time, etc. We were ready to enjoy hard work and good memories for our last week there, but God had other plans.
Adios, wheelbarrows...
Because of a safety issue that arose, we went from waking up one morning, expecting a normal day, to packing all our bags and moving to a new location. Needless to say, there were tears and a little bit of frustration. But we've made a commitment to follow Jesus and His leading, and for some reason, He let this happen and led us away. Team Justice League and Team Fireproof have made the commitment that where He goes, we'll go, and where He lodges, we'll lodge.
So...long story short, we got on the bus, not really knowing what was going to happen, and ended up in a super cheap ocean front hostal in Huanchaco, Peru, about an hour away from our previous location. As I type this in my bed, I can hear the waves crashing constantly. Toto, we're not in the desert anymore.
our front yard at sunset :)
This afternoon we sat on the beach, praying that the Lord would lead us into a specific ministry this week (we leave for Bolivia on the 10th). We were brainstorming, and since we are living in a surfing town, one of my teammates brought up the idea of emailing Christian Surfers International to see if we could meet up with some locals and find something to do.
Tonight, as we were getting some street vendor food for dinner, a guy came up to us with his surfboard, and Stephanie, my teammate, looked down and saw the Christian Surfers International sticker on his board. Um, hello God? After talking for a while, we got super discounted surf lessons for Monday, and we are invited to his mom's house Monday night for dinner with all the Christian Surfers from the area. They said missionaries never come here because it's known for tourism and having us here "gives them strength." I am 110% positive that we will have amazing stories this week. Keep us in prayer!
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Posted in Peru by Kim Labat on 8/29/2011
This saying became truer to me than I ever could have imagined it would.
My team and I went to the trash dump right outside of Trujillo for an afternoon of garbage-dump ministry.
It was an extremely humbling experience, to say the least. We pulled up to an area on the outskirts of town that was covered with filth. Burnt ashes from burning garbage were all over the place- there were heaps of garbage everywhere. On the outskirts of the dump- scattered between mounds of trash, were little shacks that the children came out of when they saw our bus pull up.
Talk about an eye-opener. These children don't just play here, they don't come here for the day, they LIVE here. Their parents WORK in the garbage dump, and these kids will someday work there too. They scrounge for anything that they can find. Literally everything that they own is garbage. Their clothes, their shoes, their "houses", their food, it literally ALL comes from there.
One sight we saw upon arrival was all of the trash and "houses" were to our left, and a giant cemetery was to our right. We talked to one of our contacts about the cemetery, and found that it is for the people living there, and the people they "find" while working in the dump. Generations upon generations that live and work in the dumps are buried in this cemetery. They don't choose this lifestyle, they are born into it. It is their life-- they are born there, they work there, and they die there. When I said it is also for the people they "find" there, I really mean it. We were told that many babies are found in the dump, and the workers take them and bury them in that cemetery. I felt sick to my stomach, and felt ready to vomit with every step closer that I took. There are babies that nobody wanted buried there, there are many unknown persons buried there. It is such a heart-wrenching experience being exposed to something like that.
Once we looked at the beginnings of the cemetery, we started walking through the dump. We were greeted by many children who were playing by digging holes in the dirt, as their parents were busy digging through the trash.
We put on a program that was intended for the children-which is something that the ministry we are working with this month does every week. Children and adults alike gathered in a small shack built with dried plants to hear our message. As we were all sitting there, I started looking around at the people in attendance. The thing I was noticing was their shoes. Many of their shoes didn't match. Many of them didn't wear any shoes. Many of the shoes were way too big or way too small. Many of the shoes had too many holes to count. There was one pair of shoes that only had a couple of holes, and looked like they were only a couple sizes too big. They were by far the nicest shoes in the entire dump. Something in my heart started welling up when I realized that those shoes, by my own normal terms, would've been considered trash even before the holes appeared. Once they showed a small sign of wearing down, I would've thrown them in the trash. Yet in this place, those shoes were the jackpot- they are the treasure. I can't really describe the feeling in my heart once I came to this realization. All I know is that something started to twist and turn inside of me, and I have never felt compassion and humility like that before.
The ministry comes to the dump once a week- but once a month, they celebrate the kids birthday's that month by bringing cake and pop. We passed out a slice of cake and a glass of pop to all the kids and adults that were around. I was so distraught when after they finished- they all threw their napkins and cups on the ground and walked away. My head was telling me "I should pick all of this up. I can't believe they're just throwing it on the ground when there's a trash bag right here." Then it hit me. We are in the trash dump. We would pick it up, just to throw it in a different pile 5 feet away. They live in garbage. These beautiful children of God only know this lifestyle. These children will grow up living here, and the majority of them will die here.
I don't believe that God intended for us to live in filth. I don't believe He intended for us to be "stuck". My heart was so broken for these children-I wanted nothing more than for them to feel the love of Christ. To feel that beautiful treasure that can carry them to an eternity in a paradise that they could only dream of.
My heart has never felt so humbled, or broken for circumstances than it was the day I visited the garbage dump.
(Stay posted-- Pictures/Video is yet to come once we get faster internet access.)
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Posted in Ecuador by Kim Labat on 8/29/2011
Welcome to my first "funny" blog!!!
Here is a list of things that my teammates and I compiled about our stay in Ecuador. The majority of these are meant to be fun (since they were extremely funny while they were happening). Enjoy J
Things we learned in Ecuador:
-Calling a man's wife a big kitchen is not a compliment
-We're actually from Canada
-"Don't drink the water" isn't just a phrase
-You're never too old to be breastfed
-If you flush the toilet paper, the toilet will explode
-Cilantro is its own food group
-All prices are negotiable
-Don't pet the birds
-Water can be used as a weapon
-Herpes is a childhood game you want to win
-If it looks like ice cream, it's definitely not ice cream
-Gagging is okay
-99% of the meat is unidentifiable
-It's socially acceptable to poop your pants in public
- Ditching your potatoes onto the pastor's plate is humorous
-Guinea pig: not just a pet
-It costs 15 cents for a woman to use a bathroom
-Rats come in the form of miniature dogs
-Doctors are under the age of 18
-Every song at church is the exact same melody
-When in doubt, smile and nod
-It's okay to break windows when you're locked out
-Candy is an everyday meal for children
-Lard can be used to cook anything
-Chocolate is necessary for survival
-Research needs to be done at .edu, not .com
-Don't ask, don't tell policy on all meals
-Hamburgers are made of bouncy balls and cilantro
-The pets walk the people, not the other way around
-For every child there are 10 cousin's
-Justin Bieber is cool
-Charades is a basic form of communication
-Dirty dishes are much better when left for the Gringo's
-Buy your cosmetics in the United States
-Don't dive into hot springs when the water is up to your ankles
-Live wires aren't dangerous
-Singing on the bus draws attention
-Kites commit suicide
-Spiders + Church + Sarah's hair = endless entertainment
-The smaller the soccer field, the smaller the soccer ball
-The song "Who let the dogs out?" was written in Ecuador at 3am by angry missionaries
-Tetanus shots are administered in coffee shops by under qualified teammates
Plus, OH, so much more!
I hope you enjoyed our newly found knowledge of Ecuador!
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Posted in Peru by Kim Labat on 8/25/2011
We are finally at our new home in Trujillo, Peru. We are in a very small, very poor, suburb called Porvenir. This month we are completely blessed to be on site with another team from our squad- we are working side by side with 6 more from the 'Dub Squad' this month.
We are staying in a future "children's home" (basically an orphanage, but some of the children here won't technically be orphans, so it won't be called an orphanage).
The Lord has totally blessed us this month in terms of living conditions and contacts. We are in a couple of different rooms with bunk beds (YES! Bunk beds, no tents this month!) Our contacts all speak English. Our main contacts, the Kimbrow family, is a family from Boone, North Carolina who has lived here since January. Mike and Karen have 4 awesome children, Kaleb (16), Luke (14), Kassidy (10), and Karson (8). We are also blessed with Annie- an intern from Inca-Link who speaks fluent Spanish, she is our age, and her year looks extremely similar to ours, so she's very easy to relate to.
The WORK this month is also extremely different. We are doing manual labor every single day from 9 am - noon, and then again from 2-4pm. At the end of the work day, we are exhausted, dirty, and wore out. Something great about this place is the "vision". Our team has adopted a new phrase "Catching the vision", which is something we have all done this month. The vision comes into play with the work that we are doing:
There is one house up right now that will house about 24 kids, and 2 more houses are being built on both sides of it- allowing this property to house up to 72 kids. There will be a grassy area out front that the kids can play in, with fountains that we have been hauling, mixing, and pouring the cement for. On the outskirts of the houses, there will be a trade school. I love this idea because so many orphanages give kids a great place to live, and then once they turn 16 or 18 they have to leave the home. This trade school will teach the children 1 of 4 different trades: cooking, shoe making (which is a HUGE industry in Trujillo), music, and/or carpentry. By offering this special trade school, the kids have a future to look forward to once they leave the orphanage. The Kimbrow family will be running the orphanage, and be the "parents" of the children, along with many house volunteers.
The funding from the orphanage is also going to come through a wilderness camp. On the outskirts of the orphanage is a HUGE plot of land. Inca Link is turning the land into a camp for kids in the area. The camp will be an outdoor camp and it will include an underground maze, a ropes course, etc.
The work is difficult, and it is tiring. I go to bed exhausted every single day. Having "caught the vision", it makes work so much more enjoyable and doable. When I get tired, I think about how this job HAS to get done, or the children can't come in. When I come in after the day and my back is throbbing, I think about how the pain is worth it, because right now there are children on the streets that need this home. They need to know that they are loved beyond measure, and that they matter, their life matters, and their life can make a difference. They need to know the everlasting love of a Father. Child like faith is such a beautiful thing; and these children deserve to have it.
"Let the little children come to me. Don't stop them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I assure you: Whoever does not welcome the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." -Jesus (Mark 10:14-15).
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Posted in Ecuador by Kim Labat on 8/6/2011
This month has been quite the experience. It started off with intense manual labor every single day. We were hauling rocks, hauling dirt, mixing concrete and pouring it into rooms, painting, and more hauling of rocks (when I say hauling, I'm talking shovel the rocks into a wheelbarrow, and haul them across the lot). The first week we were all going to bed exhausted and waking up sore- definitely feeling a sense of accomplishment and that we're making a difference.
The second week was a definite change of pace. We soon found out that, to be honest, there wasn't anything for us to do. Our daily manual labor changed to our task being to sweep the floor once a day, or move the tile packages from one side of the room to the other. Life was feeling extremely monotonous and we were bored. Needless to say, this brought about a negative attitude among the team, and we felt extremely discouraged about our work here in Ecuador. We were reading blogs about how our squad mates were all building such great relationships in the cities that they were in, and great relationships with their contacts. While reading those blogs, we were in a city where we couldn't communicate with anybody, and where we see our contacts once every other day if we're lucky.
Once we all hit breaking point (seriously, the whole team was at the point where there wasn't one of us who was enjoying our days), we came together and talked as a team. We were all pretty frustrated and we all knew that something needed to change. We were literally on our knees in prayer seeking some guidance from the Lord about what our ministry should be, and how He wants to move through us here in Ecuador. We came seeking guidance, and we definitely had some answers. We realized how selfish we had all been, and how we needed to open ourselves up to be used. So what if our ministry isn't planned for us, the Lord is giving us freedom to decide what our ministry will look like. So what if we can't communicate through language, there are a ton of other ways we can communicate with the people and show them love.
Since we've brought a change in our mindset, I think that our entire team's experience has changed tenfold. We have built relationships with some of the people in Iluman, we have prayed over the city multiple times, we have gone out to the surrounding city at least twice a week, and have started to build relationships with people who were in desperate need there.
All in all, we were seeking forgiveness for wasting a week of our valuable time in Ecuador on a pity party. Now, we are so much more eager for the hidden opportunities the Lord has given us, and the ways in which we can serve the people of Ecuador.
The beautiful view of the snow capped mountain out of our housing site.
What an amazing sight to wake up to!
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Posted in Ecuador by Kim Labat on 7/22/2011
We have been totally immersed in the Quechan culture. We are living their lifestyle, eating their foods, and doing their work, aka: manual labor.
It started with standing alongside the potato farmers and helping them in their fields. It is now on to helping finish a school building that is nothing but cement walls, floors, and ceilings; this cement building just so happens to be our "home" for the month. We are hauling rocks and dirt, mixing cement, and laying more concrete. After that is finished we are sanding and panting the walls, laying tile on the floors, and adding an entire second floor to the building. I can explain this work process with two words: sore, and pain.
We are currently in the process of gutting and revamping the kitchen. We completely uprooted everything in the kitchen and moved it into the next room. We moved all of the dishes, the stove, pots and pans- basically everything out- so there is now a bare room. This kitchen is "our" kitchen while we are staying here, so not knowing where we're going to wash dishes, how we're going to get water, or get to our food in the refrigerator, is a concern. Welcome to the World Race; holding things loosely is a must.
My team and I went to go visit Pablo, who is our ministry contact's nephew. Pablo has Stage 2 Colon cancer, and it is not good at all. The details that we got from our contacts were that his condition is not good, that he is a follower of the Lord, and that he is 26 years old. I have to be honest- seeing a 26 year old man lying so helpless and frail in a bed was heart retching. All I could think of was how young he is, and how talented this man was with his craftsmanship (he makes bags, and Quechan custom artwork). Our team bought this bag of his as our "ministry bag"; basically just to support Pablo, and to be reminded constantly of our fortune, and to be praying for his healing.
After we prayed for Pablo, the next morning he went into the city to get surgery. He has to stay in the city hospital getting Chemo 3 times a week for the next 3 months straight. Our team has committed to praying for Pablo's recovery and redemption every single day, and I know we'd all appreciate it if you joined us in praying for Pablo's healing and freedom from this disease.
Aside from Pablo, the little children have been just loving us. They have been both charming and disrespectful- which is tough. The disrespect is coming in when we're telling them "no", or telling them that they can't hit each other, that they can't throw rocks, etc., and they'll deliberately disobey. Why? Because when they do that, we give them more attention; even if its negative. Last night during our team time, a group of boys aged roughly from 7-11 came to our site and started screaming and pounding on the doors begging for "mas stickers" (more stickers- we were handing out stickers as gifts earlier in the day). They were all extremely high and didn't know what was going on. It breaks my heart knowing that their drug is their reality. Today my favorite little boy, Andy, was playing with beer bottles as his toys, and he said that his dad drinks a case a day. Please pray for Andy and his sister, and that they would grow to know the love and fatherhood of Christ.
Here's Andy-- our little ball of joy :)
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Posted in Ecuador by Kim Labat on 7/19/2011
The transition from Quito to Otavalo went smoothly for the most part- and I've got some more good news- we are now finally in our ministry site for the month!
Our site is a small village that is in a suburb of Otavalo. To get here from Quito, we drove up, around, through, and over the Andes Mountains. We finally got to Otavalo, and our contact for the month, Huberto, picked us up 10 minutes outside of Otavalo to drive us up to his village, Iluman.
Here's a little bit of what Iluman looks like:
One of the volcano's we can see from where we're staying.
The view from straight out of our "bedroom" window.
Here's a little bit of what our site looks like: We are staying at a school building, which is right next door to the church.
Our "bedroom". Yes, 7 tents, 1 room, 1 bathroom. LOTS of space! ;)
Our dining room. This is how we take showers. Welcome to "The World Race".
Once we got here we went to pick up food for the week. While on the way, we talked about something I swore would never happen when we discussed the possibility of this happening at training camp. It involves my team, chickens, and cutting heads off- get it?
Yes I know, the absolute LAST thing anybody would ever guess that I'd be okay with. Unfortunately, I don't have much of an option this month. Fortunately, we went to a grocery store and not a market; therefore, no live chickens. It's going to happen many many many times this month regardless of the way I feel about it, but I'm happy that I didn't have to be initiated the first night.
Once we got back from the market, we attempted our socialization with our contact and the church family, and struggled through the communication barrier. We don't have any fluent Spanish speakers in our group, and the community we're staying with doesn't speak English. So far, we've been able to get by, but it has involved a lot of nervous laughter after you realize you just told the woman that "you are a big kitchen"-- when you meant to say you are a good cook. (cough, ALYSA, cough!) It's okay, it has provided excellent humor thus far.
When we wake up, we cook our breakfast in our conventional sided stoves, ha!
Once breakfast on our first day was done, we got our day assignment and went to a different lo location to "cultivate the land" (that's what we got from them when we asked what we would be doing.) We were given ho's, and we went to work out in the field with the potato farmers. Many weeds, and back aches later, we left to go eat lunch. We went to our contact Huberto's house for lunch, where his wife cooked us a freshly chopped chicken, rice, potatoes, and a rice/potato/broth/bone/cartilage/rib stew.
Now would be the time to start praying for my eating habits. Guinea pig is our next meal up. OH JOY! :)
On a more serious note: Other prayer requests are: for the language barrier to be not so much of a struggle, immune health as we are getting adjusted to the new altitudes and the different foods, and that the children we are playing with can see the light of Jesus in us, since we can't tell them about our love with our languages.
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Posted in Ecuador by Kim Labat on 7/16/2011
First of all- I apologize for not posting a blog earlier! We got here very late Wednesday night, and starting Thursday morning at 8:30 a.m. until today (Saturday), we were on a "screen fast", meaning no computers and no iPods. Oh joy! J Don't worry, I survived, and it wasn't SO bad.
What is Ecuador like?
The biggest thing I noticed about Ecuador was my misconception about it. Weird? Yes. I assumed that since its name originated since it is located directly on the equator, it would be amazingly warm and I would sweat every single day. Well, that's pretty much the opposite of what it's like right now. I didn't consider the fact that it's "winter" in South America, so it should be chilly. But with a name like Ecuador, how could you be freezing? (Now, I'm a Minnesota girl, I shouldn't be using the term 'freezing', but when I left Minnesota it was in the 90's). It's safe to say that Ecuador's winter is in between 40-60 degrees everyday with little to no sun, lots of clouds, and a downpour of rain twice a day.
I know the majority of you are super concerned with my eating while overseas, since I am ridiculously picky, and I survive off of junk food. Don't worry- I've been eating exceptionally well, AND, I have NOT had 1 Diet Coke since I've landed in Ecuador. Surprisingly, I don't even have a caffeine headache- thank you, Jesus! J
What are the beginning stages of "The World Race" like?
The past couple of days have not been realistic in terms of life on "The World Race". We have been staying in a hostel with wifi, and have breakfast cooked for us in the morning; we have beds, a toilet, and a (cold) shower. Don't get me wrong, I am DEFINITELY not complaining about our situation- I am beyond thankful! We have had some last minute training, worship, and debriefing sessions that have been amazing and prepared us even more for what to expect once entering the field.
Tomorrow (Sunday), my team and I leave for our ministry site. We are ministering in Otavalo, (Iluman), Ecuador. We will be doing construction on a school/church building, organizing and teaching Vacation Bible School, and doing some sort of youth ministry from what I am aware of. I CAN'T WAIT TO GET OUT ON THE FIELD, my team is READY, we are EXCITED, and we are PREPARED.
I don't know what my internet access will look like over the next month, but I promise that there will be MORE TO COME once we get out in the field, and start doing our mission work.
At the equator in Ecuador. Welcome to the CENTER OF THE WORLD :)
Side Note: THANK YOU, to everybody who has been praying for me, as well as supporting me. You are ALL blessings to me, and I am SO thankful to have each of you part of my life!
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