5 Years of Friendship: Noemi

My sweet friends Noemi and her daughter Natalie came over after church today. I think Natalie was only 5 years old when I came to Ecuador. I visited them in their bamboo house, way up on stilts in a dangerous neighborhood called "Block 8", and we started to do some Bible studies together. Noemi quickly became one of my closest friends here and we decided to start a kids' ministry for her neighborhood. She and her husband had just torn down their bamboo house and were building a new cement block house. 

We held Kids' Club in her living room and youth group on her front porch area. We did Kids' Club and Youth group for about 3 years, with an average of 30 kids and 10 teenagers. We went through encouraging and difficult times during those years, but it's great to be able to look back and see God's faithfulness to us and how he continues to complete the good work that He began in the lives of many people.

I'm thankful that Noemi and I are still friends, 5 years later, and that she and her daughter are still committed to the Lord.

 (playing Wii with Natalie & Noemi / visit with Marlene today)

(Church music with the boys)