I'm Back!: Ecuador Recap + Photos
I honestly have no idea how to begin this post- I was serving in Ecuador for the last week, and while I genuinely missed writing and posting here, it was an amazing time of getting away from “real life”, doing some good work, and spending time with genuine, loving people.
We did SO MUCH within the space of seven days that each day felt like an entire week. We did a lot of work- painting walls, digging canals for a trout farm, gardening, and teaching & caring for kids in the church community. But there was plenty of fun to be had as well- we played a lot of music, both American songs in English and traditional Spanish songs, built relationships with the Ecuadorians, and enjoyed the amazing hospitality and community provided for us down there. It was a very tangible reminder that the Christian church community is universal- no matter what the language, region, time zone, or altitude is, our faith was the thing that united us all.
I feel like me typing out some words on a screen isn't going to do the experience any justice, so I'm going to let the photos do most of the talking. Enjoy!
Views of the lovely property that we stayed at during the first half of the week. High in the Andes Mountains in Lasso, Ecuador, this is where the American couple, Steve and Sandy, live and do their mission work full time, educating young people and families in order to prepare them to lead churches all over Ecuador.
The boys being put to work, digging and lining a new pond for Steve and Sandy to raise trout in to provide fresh food.
...while the boys dug a trench, us girls got to trim shrubs, harvest lavender, and bundle it to be dried and made into natural air fresheners!
Awwww, what a cutie. And the dog, too. It's Peter! My boyfriend! He's adorable and he was a champ at staying positive, even while doing the dirty work!
Just chillin with the boys.
Listening to Steve tell inspiring stories of faith and the wisdom he's gained throughout his life of service.
The music team practicing for a concert we put on for a large group of local Ecuadorians. From The Beatles and Simon & Garfunkle to traditional worship songs in Spanish, the musical abilities of this group really ran the gamut.
The few brave members of the team who were able to climb up Cotopaxi, the world's highest volcano!
Our wonderful, bubbly, silly, and smart guide, Gaby. She somehow kept the whole team and the whole week under control, not to mention constantly translating between Spanish and English- she's very good at her job.
We visited a group of native Quichua people VERY high up in the mountains... it took almost two hours of winding a bus around a narrow mountain road to get up to them. We helped fix up their small school buildings and did some activities with the small children.
They ended our morning with them by serving us a traditional, simple meal: potatoes, fresh cheese, and habas beans, dumped out of a pot onto a table! Needless to say, it was a bit surprising, but tasty nonetheless.
The sun setting on an evening of interacting (and playing lots of soccer) with the members of a home for young boys who came from living on the streets.
We spent the second half of our week in the city of Ambato, which had beautiful views at every turn.
We performed a skit retelling the Bible story of Joshua and the walls of Jericho falling down... it was pretty funny with the flashy costumes and over-dramatic evil citizens of Jericho.
Our sister church in Ambato, Iglesia Filadelfia.
The aftermath of a huge water balloon fight with the kids of Iglesia Filadelfia
The lovely, generous family that hosted me and Suzanna in Ambato! Carlos and Anita, and their two little daughters, Valentina and Sofia.
I could not get enough of these two cuties, they had so much energy and were so sweet. They make me look like a giant, since they're so small and I'm 5 foot 8!
Breakfast with the host family: eggs and ham, fresh bread, freshly blended fruit juice, and dulce de leche to spread on the bread. Delicioso!
Singing at the weekly 5am prayer meeting... that's right, 5am.
One of my favorite events of the entire trip was spending time with kids at the local high school, talking with them in English for them to practice learning our language. We had so much fun talking about music, TV shows, and just learning about the others' culture. I'm in orange in the middle!
The night we left for the airport for our flight home, we realized that almost every girl was wearing burgundy... so naturally, we had to capture it.
The cutest couple at the outdoor market: our pastor, Jim, and his wife, Susannah.
Another cute couple... Peter and I :)