For you formed my inward parts;
    you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
    my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
    intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
    the days that were formed for me,
    when as yet there was none of them.

For you formed my inward parts;
    you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
    my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
    intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
    the days that were formed for me,
    when as yet there was none of them.

Wednesday! This is my long day. I start work at Carmen Bajo around 8:30AM, teach 2 two hour sewing sessions, break for lunch, resume teaching until 4:30PM and then head down the hill to the church to help with an evening women’s group until 7PM. This is a typical day… well actually there is no “typical day” at Carmen Bajo. Often a student doesn’t show up for class and I am left to fill the time slot allotted for teaching. A very meaningful and overwhelming task at hand is organizing the sewing room–wow, such a tiny space that houses so many things! So. Many. Things. 

From what I understand, the sewing program is somewhat of a revolving door. Sewing instructors come and go, leaving behind their project materials. Consequently the sewing room has evolved into a drive-by project room for Carmen Bajo. Unfinished projects and their trail of scraps are stuffed into every drawer, cabinet, and shelf. This disorganization (which could obviously be a hinderance to productive) has somehow become an encouraging reminder of the bigger picture at hand, a nod to those who have gone before me with the same mission in mind — spreading the love of Christ through sewing. Every scrap of useless fabric and garbage bag of uncompleted projects reminds me of Hebrews 12:1: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” Let me pick up where one has left off and continue running the race set before me. 

xoxo!

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

I’m here in the busy city of Quito! It’s just as I remember it to be– busy streets, barking dogs, chilly mornings, rainy afternoons, and delicious food! I am so grateful to be back and excited for the upcoming weeks. Just in these first few days, God has already provided many amazing graces and I look forward to seeing His hand move throughout this trip. 

Thank you all for your prayers!  

“Morning by morning, o Lord, you hear my voice; morning by morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.” Psalm 5:5

Besos, 

Leah