Life is unpredictable when you are living 9,350 feet above sea level, but at least the views are incredible! On Tuesday I started my project at the sewing studio in Carmen Bajo, a low-to-no-income neighborhood located on a steep mountainside in Quito. The facility at Carmen Bajo serves the community in multiple ways– child daycare, elementary education, sewing classes for teenage girls, an evening group for women, kitchen jobs, and young adult education. The ministry site reaches deep into the community of Carmen Bajo. You can feel the joy and hope we have in Christ as soon as you enter the building. I am so blessed to be part of such a special place.
For the sewing project I work with four girls ages 17-22. Pamela, Katy, Merrily and Pamela. Their bright faces and eager hearts give me the encouragement I need, especially when I know little sewing vocabulary in Spanish. Even the simplest task, such as asking the girls to thread a needle, can be quite difficult and takes several attempts at guessing the right word. The silver lining, I am learning more Spanish, and they more English. I planned to have a translator but here in “Flexaudor”, you need to roll with the punches. Plans frequently fall through and it’s often up to you to find an alternative solution. Thankfully, the Lord knew my path before I set out! Without knowing, I purchased sewing patterns with English and Spanish instructions. From what I can tell, two of the girls can’t read but at least I can read to them and together we can figure it out!
“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him!” Lamentations 3:24