It never ceases to amaze me how stories just reach the heart in a way that leaves just about every other form of communication wanting!

Today, here in the Andes, we were training some kichwa and other Ecuadorian nationals some finer points of storytelling. One woman (covering her face on the left above) I had not seen before and she just walked in with the other woman on the right (who has been blessing us with lunches and snacks all week).

Friends of the woman in the middle, who gave us a stirring Bible story presentation this morning, these two women sauntered in and joined us as we discussed a story from the Old Testament.

I have found the kichwa normally quite expressionless and these three were sitting quite still, reserved and silent. Suddenly as we got into the story they literally came alive and then the laughter hit! I was reminded again of the power of story to touch the deepest corners of our being and how impacting a simple story - especially a living, enduring Bible story - can be! What fun too!