stories.

So I have about 10 minutes to write y´all (as my southern friends have taught me), but I hardly know where to begin. We finished our last day of clinic and surgeries yesterday and said a tearful goodbye to all our team members early this morning. We´ve spent the past week in big city Cuenca, Ecuador and have enjoyed every moment of it! Hundreds of patients came through the clinic and there were numerous surgeries that were successfully completed. God is good! I fell in love with the little children and stood in awe of the 99 year old women that hobbled through the doors. They were all seeking the same thing - love, care, and a listening ear. What an honour it was to be used for those very reasons. I was able to spend an afternoon at a local orphanage run through the church we are partnering with here - let´s just say that if it weren´t for me having one year left at Trinity, I´m not sure you would have seen me back! One of the most apparent joys of this trip lies in the telling of stories. Whether it be the 5-10 minutes spent with triaging a patient, hearing the need of our surgical patients, sharing life and love with our fellow team members, or wondering about the story of the old man I saw everyday outside our clinic....I believe God has blessed us with our stories and the ability to be a part of other people´s stories. And what a story this has been!

Oh, there is so much more to share. Thank you for appreciating this story. I´m looking forward to the next 2 weeks, as I´ll have more time to process the past couple of weeks and discern what God has and is teaching me. We are about to go to the bus terminal to catch a bus into Peru and then we have some fun and adventure ahead of us! It is our prayer that this time of travel would be a continuation of the story God has started throughout this time of medical ministry. We can´t wait to stand ocean side, trek through the mountains, and connect with local Peruvian people! Please continue to pray for our safety and purpose throughout this time.

Better go catch that bus! Goodbye Ecuador - hello Peru!

mucho amore.
-renee (one of the 3 crazy canadians as we were nicknamed by our team members - whoot whoot!)