I have been in Ecuador for almost three weeks, and it has been a whirlwind of a time, getting adjusted to the time change, incredible elevation, westernized culture, jumping through sicknesses and adapting to this new way of living on this journey.

Coming into Ecuador, I experienced a lot of culture shock. I had just finished a four-month stint in Africa and was so used to the culture of Africa and the living conditions in Africa.  Ecuador threw me for a loop, to say the least. I forgot what it felt like to live in westernized culture, and it was hard to adjust.

Before coming to Ecuador, I prayed for the opportunity to walk to ministry. You may remember me talking about walking to and from ministry in Zambia and how I got to spend so much time with the Lord through that opportunity. Things looked different in Malawi, and I only got to walk a short distance to and from ministry.

Going from spending hours a day with the Lord in prayer through walking to ministry to no longer having that opportunity anymore was hard. I struggled with prayer and hearing the voice of the Lord in Malawi. It was a difficult season, but the Lord taught me that not every season of life will be as beautiful as the last one.

He reminded me that some seasons with him will be more difficult, that not every season will look the same and that in each season of life with the Lord, he will give us exactly what he knows we will need.

With that being said, before leaving for Malawi, I prayed that I would have the opportunity to walk to and from ministry each day. Although I didn’t get that opportunity, the Lord gave me something so much better. We have the opportunity to ride the bus for two hours each day to and from ministry.

Here’s the point: Sometimes, we pray for things, but the Lord gives us something far better than we can even imagine. The Lord gives us the best thing for us. He knew that walking to ministry would be extremely hard because of the crazy hills and elevation and that I probably wouldn’t have been able to spend that time with him through the gasping of breaths, tired legs and sweating body.

The Lord knew that walking to ministry wasn’t what I needed, but that riding on a bus would be even more powerful. He knows what I need because he is a good, good, Father. Sometimes, his plans look different than mine, but they are just as beautiful.

The day ministry started, I thought to myself, “Wow! I have two hours on a bus each day. How can I make this time useful?”

And the Lord said, “Pray.”

Every time we would get on the bus, I would pray the whole way there, the whole way home. I would pray over the bus, the bus driver, the person sitting next to me, my seat and everyone who entered or exited this bus. I would pray for the presence of the Lord, that only things that glorify him would happen on this bus, that he would speak to people and that he would meet people where they are at on this bus. I prayed this prayer every day for a week.

The very next week, I got back on the same bus, sat down, started praying, and I have never heard the voice of the Lord so clearly. I would pray, and the Lord would speak directly to me. I remembered the prayer that I prayed last week. Little did I know that that prayer was for me, that I would feel the presence of the Lord, that he would speak to me, that he would meet me where I was at.

The bus is my space and my time with the Lord. I am surrounded by so many people, sometimes crammed, standing, falling over, but it’s just me and him. That is our special time each day, and it has been so powerful to see him move through something I least expected.

I learned a few things through this.

If we seek him, we will feel his presence. He stands patiently knocking at our door waiting for us to welcome him in. He is persistent, but patient.

We can find Jesus anywhere, and we can have a relationship with him anywhere. We have the ability to find a church wherever we are. A church isn’t confined to a building. It’s the community around you. My squad is my church and has been for these last eight months.

Jesus is good, and he meets us where we are at. It’s crazy to think that I am about to enter into Month 8. I have almost less than 60 days left on the field, and that makes me sad but also excited for the next season that he has planned for me. This journey ends, but my journey with the Lord does not.

My father recently flew out to the field to meet me in Ecuador, where we will have a week to spend with each other, do ministry together and catch up on life for the last eight months. The Parent Vision Trip is designed for parents to come to the field to see and live the life that we have lived for the last eight months.

This is a super-sweet opportunity that I have been praying over since this journey started. This will be an uncomfortable week, but a week full of growth and the Lord.

The Lord is going to do so much, and I am so excited for this opportunity. It’s going to be sweet, special and so life-changing.

Please keep me and my family in your prayers as it’s going to be an exciting next few weeks for us. I am so excited to share with you what the Lord does.

Keia Blair is a Seymour native who attends Cincinnati Christian University. During her nine-month mission trip around the world, she is submitting a series of blogs that will appear in The Tribune. Send comments to [email protected].