On Thursday, July 21, 2005, another ICMO group left for Ecuador. Their mission: to heal bodies, win souls and change lives.   These are their stories...

Thursday, July 21, 2005

The headline in USA today said it best - although it wasn't referring to our blue shirted group of men, women and youth. But it was a fitting banner to herald the beginning of another heartfelt journey into the 3rd world regions of Ecuador; a trip who's start went much smoother than last year's.

We gathered at the new ICMO office for the customary tagging of the bags, donning of the shirts, and loading of the gear.  This was critical this year because we learned we would be held to our 2 bag limit and could not pay to ship extra bags or bags over 70 lbs.

Finally, after some minor repacking, the vehicles were loaded and we were off to Atlanta to begin our mission.

We made it to the airport with plenty of time get our act together, organize the bags and begin to get to know our new friends.  If you have ever taken a mission trip, or know someone who has, you know that the comradery that develops while serving together with brothers and sisters is incredible.

We did end up with 2 bags slightly over the weight limit, but in God's typical fashion, he had us being checked in by a fellow believer and she passed the bags through with a wink and some very kind words of blessing.

We are particularly blessed this year with over 14 youth members and their leaders on the team.  They come to see for themselves the hand of God in action, while giving back to those in need.  They are primarily from the Whitwell Church of God, and in addition to various jobs in the clinics, they will be doing drama, music and crafts.  How wonderful it is to see these young people on fire for God.

After a short layover in Houston and an uneventful flight to South America, we landed in Quito at about 11:15 pm central time. Going through customs was a breeze and despite a high level of fatigue, we were no worse for wear. Denise Mills, our host, and members of their church picked us up at the airport in their bus and transported us to the church compound.  As is the custom, upon our arrival, we gathered on the rooftop patio of the Mills' home, affectionately known as Peter's Perch and prayed for God's anointing on our efforts.

Suffice it to say we're here... alive and well. We praise God for the opportunities ahead. Tomorrow we will have a day to regroup and tour Quito.  Please keep us in your prayers and ask that God give us the strength we need for the coming week.

	We were blessed to have Kathy Whitson with us this year.  Kathy is a writer, poet, and professor of English at Eureka College in Eureka, Illinois.  Click the image to the left to experience a day in the mission field through Kathy's eyes.