First post.

I made this blog to help keep friends and family in the loop about what I am doing during all of the traveling I'll be doing this next year. My first trip is Monday, the 20th, to Quito, Ecuador. I'm going down with 7 or 8 other people, I forget, and we'll be there for a week. While we are there my team is going to be working at a Church/ School called Dulce Refugio (Sweet Refuge). Half the mission is working there and the other half is the delivery of supplies we are bringing down with us. Through the generous donations of many people in my church family I was able fill two suitcases with supplies and also have money left over to buy some more supplies while I am down there, God is good.

As this is my first out of country trip my feelings are all over the board. Firstly, I am extremely
excited to get out of the United States for a little bit and be immersed into the Ecuadorian culture. I'm also excited to see how God is working in the people or Ecuador and how he is going to work in me and through me during this trip. Aside from excitement, I'm nervous. I'm going to feel like a fish out of water in a Spanish speaking country. I know how to say Hello, how are you and not much else. To those who know me well know that I tend to be a safe person and to not step out onto limbs too often. Well, I'm going to be standing on the limb for 7 days straight, lets just hope I don't fall off. Lastly I'm scared, scared to see the poverty that is in this world that I've heard about it so many times before but have done nothing about. This is the first time I'll be plucked out of my safe middle class lifestyle and be set right into poverty. I don't know how I'll react.

The impoverished are the people that Jesus' heart bleeds for the most, and we read about it in The Bible so much, but we say, "Other people are helping" or "I have too much else on my plate" or "I don't have the extra money to help" and we plead ignorance saying we really don't know how bad it is-when in reality we do.

But I'm done. I'm done sitting on the sidelines while 12 children under the age of 5 die ever single minute from hunger related diseases. While we sit still getting fatter and fatter. It's time. It's time for us to be Jesus to the world. It's time we stop being self-serving and actually serve others. So while I'm scared to see the poverty, In a way I'm ready. Ready for God to start breaking me, molding me, pruning me and using me for his service in the process.

While I'm in Ecuador I hope to do a daily blog, so check back often! I would ask that you would pray for my team and I to have safety from the time we leave our homes for the airports to the time we get home and to also be the hands and feet of Christ while we are in Ecuador. Also, please pray that the people of Ecuador would have open minds towards God.

In Christ with love,
Nick Martino