Why am I going to Ecuador?

When I was 15 years old I was at a Metamorphosis weekend with my youth group. I remember clearly one night when the speaker, Clayton King, asked for those who felt the call to missions to come forward. I felt that pull in my spirit, but was suppressing those feelings. Finally I decided in my heart that I needed to step forward and that was just the beginning of the journey and adventure that continues today.

In 2003 I went to Australia with Youth with a Mission (YWAM) and completed a Discipleship Training School (DTS). It included 3 months of lectures on topics such as the nature of God, the character of God, relationships, clear conscience, and Lordship. After the lectures we implemented what we learned through short term mission trips. My team went to Singapore and Thailand for a month as well as worked in high schools within Australia for a month. My experiences in YWAM changed my life completely. I had always known Jesus and was raised in the church, but struggled with self esteem and was not grounded in my faith. He revealed to me who I was in Him and how to find my refuge in Him. When I left to do my DTS I had already completed an Associates of Science at Wake Technical Community College in Raleigh, NC and during my time at YWAM was praying about whether or not to go back to school. The Lord revealed to me that I was to go back to school. When considering what to major in I wanted to choose something that would be useful in a developing country so that I would be able to minister to the physical and spiritual needs of the people. I liked math a lot but didn’t want to focus on that exclusively. I had very little idea initially what Civil Engineering involved, but knew that it met very practical needs. I decided that Civil Engineering was the path to take and went to North Carolina State University in January 2004. I graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Civil Engineering degree in December 2006. I also received my Engineering Intern registration for North Carolina. I focused on Water Resources after realizing the great need for clean water all over the world. Through my studies, I became more and more passionate about being able to meet such a basic need as clean water. I have had my challenges as a young engineer, but I know that the Lord is the great Civil Engineer and He has given me the tools to provide sound engineering to those in need.

My passion has become and remains international water missions. I have also had an unexplainable passion for the Spanish language and for South America in general for many years now. After graduation I took 2 months off to go to Ecuador. My church has gone to Ecuador every summer for the past 15 years. They began going to Ambato, but have gone to Guayaquil for the past 13 years. I had the desire to go to the mountainous part of Ecuador so my Pastor set me up with Pastor Guillermo in Ambato. I had no idea what I was going to be doing in Ecuador for the six weeks I was there, but trusted the Lord would open the doors. The first Sunday I was in town Pastor Guillermo introduced me to his congregation and told them my heart to do water projects. Tannia Lascano’s parents, a girl who worked with the Clean Water Projects Group with HCJB Radio, were at the service that morning and approached Pastor Guillermo afterwards to get me connected with her. I know it was the Lord who opened the door for me to work with Tannia and the Clean Water Projects group.

Since I returned to the States in March 2007 I was working full time with a consulting Engineering firm in Raleigh, North Carolina. I was doing projects related to wastewater collection and water distribution. I was also working with a non-profit group called Engineers without Borders. I was the Project Lead for a project in Nicaragua that included Rainwater Catchment and Solid Waste Composting. I believe the Lord has been preparing me and putting me in a place to return to South America to provide clean water to communities in need. I have been able to become debt free and have been saving in preparation for this step. I feel like the Lord has put everything in place for me to continue to walk into what He has called me to do. I know I can continue my life here and probably be fine, but something inside of me would die because I know the Lord has placed this so deep in my heart. It would be a lie to say that I’m not scared because I am. But I know the Lord’s faithfulness in the past and I know if this is where He is leading me then He will prepare the way before me. I am taking this step in faith. I see the path He has set before me and I want to honor Him and walk into all He has for my life. My desire is for my life to bring Him glory!