Safety

Today I had the opportunity to take a 20 minute moto-taxi ride back to my house. A moto-taxi is basically a motocycle/dirt bike with a covered trailer attached where passengers can ride. The combination of the rickety moto-taxi and the gravely, bumpy, uneven highway caused me to pray and think a lot. My prayers went something like this: Dear Lord, help the driver keep his eyes on the road. Dear Lord, give those flimsy tires extra traction to ride up the gravely hill. Dear Lord, calm me down, Im freakin' out. My panicky conversations with God also led me to think about the idea of safety. Here's what I've come up with.

Safety is a choice in many cases. For instance: I can choose to wear a seat belt when it is provided. I can choose to not walk around late at night by myself. I can choose choose to wash my fruit before I eat it. I can choose to lock my door. I can even choose to buy an alarm system. Everyday I make choices that affect my safety.

I also think that safety is a privilege that not everyone is able to enjoy. For instance, many people do not have the privilege of living in safe conditions. Down the street from me many families live in bamboo shacks on the side of a hill. They do not have the privilege of safety. I have the privilege of living in a relatively safe neighborhood in Quito. Most Ecuadorians do not have that same option.

Today I also saw a family of four riding on a motorcycle, something I've witnessed hundreds of times. It used to horrify me. In the States I'm pretty sure that would be considered child endangerment, especially since no one here wears a helmet. But that got me thinking. Is that an unsafe choice? Probably. Is there another option? Maybe not.

Many of us live in a realm of privilege. We have received great educations. We have the Bible in our own language and we can read it anytime or anywhere we want. Many of us can afford health and car insurance. More than likely we grew up in relatively safe neighborhoods. We have great access to wealth. I just looked it up and about 7% of the world own a car, so if you own a car you are in the top 7% of the world. So what do we do with our great privileges? What do I do? What does God think? Why has He blessed me in these ways? How should we respond?

S'mores and Fogatas

Look at this ingenious S'more set up: Roast the mallow while warming the chocolate...


Last night we made a fogata (bonfire) on the beach. Contrary to popular Ecuadorian opinion, we proved that it is indeed possible to start a fire without gasoline. Lindsay, the 7 year-old member of my Ecuadorian family, said she wouldn't believe it til she saw it. While enjoying our lovely bonfire I also had the privilege of introducing S'mores to my Austrailian and Ecuadorian friends. I felt like I was in a scene from the Sandlot. Never fear, the S'mores were a hit.

Good for the Pride

Living in Ecuador is good for my pride. Daily I am confronted with the fact that I am unable to communicate in Spanish how I can in English. That helps me have empathy for people around the world who are trying to speak their second language. I occasionally face injustices: I get charged more by taxi drivers, shopkeepers, and hotel owners because I am a gringa. This helps me consider the millions of people around the world who face discrimination based on their skin color. I regularly get a nice swift kick to my pride when I can't be as independent as I'd like to be. I need help on a regular basis. I need help understanding Spanish and cultural differences. I oftentimes can't handle as much as the average Ecuadorian (I need breaks from the heat, I need more hours of sleep, I can't hold a baby in my arms as long, I have to wear sunscreen or I'll turn red, I can't carry as much weight a.k.a I'm physically weaker, etc.) Ecuadorians are just better at doing certain things than me (washing clothes by hand, walking everywhere, sleeping on buses or in incredibly loud noise, dancing, cooking rice, keeping clothes clean while walking through mud, washing dishes without a sponge, etc.) Let me say it again: It's good for my pride. All that helps me remember that I am not here because I am better, smarter, prettier, faster, or stronger. Ecuadorians have as much to share with me as I have to share with them. And I really think that is true for all of us. In God's eyes no one is better or worse than someone else. God loves us all the exact same.

Culture Shock

Yesterday 2 other students and myself hopped into a bus to spend the day in Portoviejo. It is a city of about 200,000 people and by far the biggest city around. We had a couple goals: a) spend Saturday doing something different for a change b) go to the grocery store to stock up on comfort foods (chocolate, peanut butter) c) buy some books in Spanish. After a 3 hour bus ride we arrived in the lovely city of Portoviejo and headed straight to the mall. (I would like to define mall: an indoor shopping center with probably 30 stores, a food court, and a movie theater.) Immediately I felt at home (and by at home I mean in Quito). I was comfortable and excited and I knew where things were and it was wonderful. We went to the grocery store, which took our breath away---it had air conditioning and a clothing section, and even some American candy! I walked up and down the aisles, trying to make decisions with such a variety to choose from. (They had tortillas and Snickers and wheat bread and marshmallows!) As I was walking through the store, I realized that I was experiencing culture shock while I was still in Ecuador! This had never happened to me before. Culture shock is what a person oftentimes goes through as they enter into a new culture (adjusting to new people, language, foods, climate). Reverse culture shock can be the process they go through as they re-enter into their home culture. As I walked through the store I felt overwhelmed but also oddly comfortable. Being here in Canoa has made me realize how much Quito has become home for me. Man am I grateful that I'll be living in Quito before returning to the States. I can't imagine what it's like for people who live in villages to face culture shock in the States. Anyway, if you've crossed cultures before, hopefully you can relate.

Friends and Photos and Feriados!

Digging a ridiculously deep hole...



We discovered cantaloupes that look like pumpkins! So we had a little cantaloupe carving contest.


Workin hard on that "pumpkin".


Paul and Beth flying a kite.


Me and Sara "surfing". Let's just say I nearly killed myself, Sara, and the Ecuadorian lady swimming in the whitewash.

It was so wonderful to have friends come visit. Thanks guys!

Feriados (Holidays)

It's a big holiday weekend here in Ecuador. Let's start with today: Halloween. I'm told that kids get dressed up and sometimes have Halloween parties. Unfortunately they don't trick-or-treat. I thought it would be a blast to see the Ecuadorian version of trick-or-treating. Tomorrow (Nov. 1) is Dia de los Santos or "All Saints Day". As far as I know, Ecuadorians do not do anything out of the ordinary to celebrate Dia de los Santos. Monday (Nov. 2) is Dia de los Difuntos also called "The Day of the Dead". Most devoted Catholics will take this day to visit and clean up the grave sites of their dead family members. They will also spend time throughout the day and at church praying for the salvation of these dead family members. (*Evangelical Christian doctrine believes that salvation can only be gained when a person is alive. Also, only individulas can receive salvation for themselves, not by means of someone else's prayers.) Colada Morada is a very traditional drink that is made for Dia de los Difuntos. It has a strong blueberry base and is pretty delicious if you ask me. I looked it up online for a recipe but they are all in Spanish, sorry. Finally, Tuesday (Nov. 3) is Fiesta Nacional celebrating the independence of Cuenca, Ecuador's 3rd largest city. And the best part of this holiday weekend is that I have friends from Quito coming to visit!

More Books...

Clearly I've had some time to read books lately because I feel like I'm recommending a new book in each entry I write. I've got another one for you: The Shack. I hesitantly borrowed it from a friend in Quito because I had heard of some controversy about it in Christian circles. However, my friend assured me that it was worth reading. I'm not gonna give the story away, but I will tell you how it got me thinking. This fictional story caused me to grapple with things like: Does God get disappointed? Does He have expectations? Can I forgive someone and still be angry with them? Does God cause bad things to happen? Does He stop bad things from happening? When I think of Jesus, what does He look like, and why? When I think of God's characteristics are they different than Jesus'?
I also found it very touching to be reminded of God's healing power in our broken lives.
What do you think?