Sunday, July 25, 2010
Agua de Vida
So I fly back tomorrow! after a full day in Quito. I thought I would be beyond excited (which of course I am), but to be honest, I have been on the verge of tears all day. Haha I just realized as I write this I am still on the verge of tears. Geez, and I am so not a cryer. I feel so connected to these people & this place. Today was my last service & the church I have going to for four weeks. It's called Agua de Vida, Water of Life. So far I have seen a wedding, sunday school, the children's program & today they accepted two new members of the church. I feel like a memberTo be completely honest, this experience for me started because I knew there was something missing. This was something I needed to go and find. I have considered this trip my retreat with God, a time to do work for Him and focus on him and other people more than myself. Although I realize (and have judged people for saying just this) that I should/need to learn to do this in my ‘real life’ and in ‘real life situations’ I felt too far into myself to try to figure a way out. In college you spend so much time thinking about yourself, frankly it is almost exhausting. All you think about is your tests, your friends, your classes, your time, your sleep, your job, your future. You spend your time planning for your next move, your next honor, your next party. No worries I am not coming back from this trip holier than thou or really very different at all honestly. I fully expect that I will face the usual high followed quickly by the standard low that follows. I am a realist at heart. The thing that this trip has done for me is that now I know there is more. I have met people who are more, they have encouraged me with the way they have chosen to live their lives. Chosen being the key word. In this opportunity God has not only given me examples through the people of Ecuador but also through the people from the states I have met along the way. Total this summer I have met over 120 Individuals from all over and each has left a different imprint on the way I see people and the way God sees me. Alright now the dork in me is going to show because the only quote I can think of that properly fits is from Lord of the Rings when Frodo gets back from everything “How do you pick up the threads of an old life? How do you go on, when in your heart you begin to understand there is no going back. There are some things that time cannot mend. Some hurts that go too deep…that have taken hold” I don’t know the path that leads from here, but I am pretty excited about it.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Shoe-Shine boys, continued
Earlier I wrote about the men who during this week take the shoe-shine boys to KFC every afternoon. Just to update you, they are still doing it. And before/after a group goes and plays soccer with them in the park. Not only that, but the guy who started this also keeps up with the older boys. After dinner at the hotel, he goes by a restaurant in town that one of the boys now works at & takes him to the coffee tree (which is a downtown coffee & restaurant place). The boy is now 16 & is one of the boys that the guy from the group first started his ministry with. To watch him interact with these kids is so touching because he loves them so much. At first I thought it was great that he was doing this because these kids are so often ignored (this includes by me), but now I see how much this man is having to love these kids like God loves us. These kids still steal from him (camera, money, etc) & some are probably just using him for food, but he doesn't care because he loves them.
Btw I am turning into an old lady. Today is my free day & I woke up at 7 am on the dot. This means I will probably take a nap later day. Just get me a shawl & a cup of hot tea & I am set for life.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Cryfest 2010
So friday was my last day at VBS. I have worked with these specific women & children for two weeks. The kids are obviously adorable & will break your heart, but it's the women who work with these kids that truly inspire me. They welcomed me with open arms, treated me like another sister, & tolerated my terrible spanish skills. They work every day with these kids with smiles on their faces, but while still dealing with their lives outside of it. These women's stories touched my heart & inspired me. I thought I would make it out with out tears, but totally not possible. I don't think they would ever understand how they have changed me.
On a side note, the power in the hotel just went out for a total of about 30 seconds. Probably the most terrifying 30 seconds ever. Btw I live on the 8th floor of this place & I was having mental images of me climbing down all those stairs with my little keychain flashlight.
Oh & I got pizza hut for lunch. A-mazing.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Crepes & Waffles
Why are ecuadorians so smart? because they decided to combine two amazing items into one perfect restaurant, Crepes & Waffles. Today we went to dinner with the whole group for one of the little girl's birthdays. She just turned 8. I sat next to Dr. Roberto (my boss-boss) and his family. As we were eating nutella filled crepes & waffles, he asked me what I would miss most about Ecuador. This question is hard to pinpoint and it's kind of an important question to think about since I just realized I have less than a week left. crazzzyyyyyy. I know first will be the amazing people I have met here, second will be the scenery, seriously quito is sitting in a bowl in the middle of huge mountains and volcanoes. I must admit I will be so excited to see family & friends, but at the same time, I feel as if I am leaving them here too.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Inspiring Generosity
Every team that comes down here is generous, so don't get the wrong idea that I am singling one team out or anything. The new team just arrived! They are a combination of teams from Pensacola, Fort Walton, & Birmingham, a total of 40. As we came back from the sunday service, two of the guys from the group asked the bus to pull over at the KFC close to the hotel. My first thought of course was "Geez, can we not wait like 10 minutes for some KFC" (in my usual cynical voice). We pull up to the hotel and there are like 5 of the boys who shine shoes waiting outside our hotel-this never happens btw. Nanny (my boss) rolls her eyes and tells them to go to the KFC. Confused I asked her what was going on. She told me that every year this couple of guys from this specific team take all the local boys who shine shoes on the street to KFC when they are here. They do it literally everyday, without being told, without being asked, without the boys asking. The only reason the boys were waiting for them was because the guys had gone out earlier and already fed them once and told them to meet them there for dinner. What a cool thing. I have been so amazed at the generosity that comes from all these teams, whether just between themselves or with citizens of Quito or even with me.
Another story I heard last week from the medical team:
One of the women from the site when to the bank to get money for food for the kids for the month-total of $300. When she was on the bus, she was drugged and someone stole her money & purse (apparently they have a powder here that can be rubbed into the skin and can knock the victim out). The money is from Compassion & the government and not exactly retrievable. When the group leader from the medical team heard the story without even a blink of an eye, she reached into her purse and gave them money that they team had brought for an occasion they had not yet decided.
Every team, every person this entire trip has taught me something, about life, about me, about others, it is so inspiring.
Sorry no funny stories today, but as we speak I am watching the Illusionist in spanish, kinda funny, right?
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