THE greatest trip ever

The greatest thing about Ecuador is not that I'm surrounded around such loving people or that I get to explore Ecuador with my internship, but it's the fact that this whole trip is not about myself. A great friend mentioned that she loved this semester abroad program because it's where you live a life with your eyes off yourself for three months. During these three months, we are challenged to live in intentional community with one another, serve at an internship, and see missionaries' lives amongst us. It's different than the "me me me!" lifestyle we are so used to living in the States and taking everything for granted. Sometimes having to experience bad travel days on the bus, where you are breathing in someone's sweater because you are so jam packed into the bus, is okay because it has reminded me of how I've taken my car for granted. Getting hands smeared with poo and having a numb arm from holding a baby in the hospital may seem heroic to some, but its really an experience that has taught me the act of servitude and love. These situations may not what you call ideal situations of a great study abroad semester and may not always be fun and games, but all in all, they have taught me to take my eyes off myself. When I find myself complaining about little things, I am reminded that these are situations that people actually live in. And when I take my eyes off myself, I am able to focus on God's beauty in the scenery here in Ecuador and for the many blessings God has provided in my life.

God's beauty written all over the clouds and mountains of Ecuador