We just finished hosting our second YL Expeditions team!  A team of 12 YL kids and their 2 leaders from Johns Creek, Georgia came for about a week to work with us.  (I find myself saying "y'all" a lot more often now).  They arrived on Easter Sunday and flew out on my birthday.  My birthday present:  getting to talk in English all week with other native English speakers.  My early birthday present:  a stop at Dunkin Donuts in Quito. 

YLX Team from Johns Creek, GA

While this was our second YLX team in Ecuador, it was the first time I was part of the planning process from the beginning to end.  It was a lot of work and something I've never done before, but I enjoyed having this task and focusing on something specific aside from the other administrative tasks that I normally do during the week.  I enjoy planning, making schedules, writing out an itinerary, really just making a list of any sort....  Our YL leaders did a phenomenal job helping out and leading different activities with the team.  It was a jam-packed week from camping in the jungle, creating the beginning of a soccer field, hiking in the rainforest, waterfalls, hanging out with kids, bonfires, worship, club, and just tons of great conversations. 

YL Club in Shell

I love being with Ivan as he shares the vision of YL for Ecuador, as he tells his story and being reminded of all that God has done.  I love hearing the stories of the team members and how they became connected to YL, how leaders have poured into their lives, how God has transformed them.  At their team meetings, they took time to share how they saw God that day and it was so encouraging to sit in on some of those meetings and here how God showed up in their life that day.  Sometimes it was through His incredibly beautiful creation.  Sometimes it was through a conversation with someone. 

God´s beauty on our hike

Sometimes it was simply through a smile and high-five from a local community member.  I want to challenge myself, and you, to ask that question every day, "Where did you see God today?" 
I want to keep my eyes open and I don't want to miss those moments. 

Smiles and candy cross cultures :)

It's so easy to be distracted or focused on an activity and miss what God has for us.  Even with the team, I found myself constantly rechecking the itinerary and crossing things off and scribbling notes instead of looking up and seeing what God was doing.  Glad for the reminder to stop and see God in the everyday things. 
And now we are back to "normal" life again.  The team made it safely back.  I've finally gotten through our big piles of laundry.  I'm back to sitting in our office.  Meetings and the spontaneous visits of friends and family in our home have resumed.  I've switched back to riding behind Ivan on the motorcycle instead of a big group bus.  We continue forward, making plans and dreaming dreams for the country of Ecuador and seeing kids' lives transformed by God's love. 

Isla del Pailon