Dana in Ecuador

Sewing Machine Hunt

2012-01-31T16:10:00.003-06:00

Today we spent the morning and afternoon finding sewing machines for our new Sewing School in Carmen Bajo.

If I was in the States I would have had the help of Google or the Yellow Pages. In Ecuador we do things a little different. I had checked out the pricing at a couple places a few months ago, so we started off there. While en route we wound up stopping the car on the side of a highway 3 different times to check out sewing machines we saw in store windows. We also took the advice of tailors and security gurads as they pointed us in the direction of sewing machine distributors.

Information can be unreliable in Ecuador, especially when someone is trying to sell you something. So we wrote down every salesperson's opinion and pricing, and sat down over lunch to come up with a game plan. (Making gameplans while eating shrimp always calms down a Sewing Machine Hunt.)

We're gonna sleep on it and spend some time in prayer and consult some friends in the business, but I think tomorrow we will be ready to buy the sewing machines. Sewing School Phase One: mission almost accomplished.

8 years!

2012-01-23T10:19:00.001-06:00

Eight years ago I served as an intern in Ecuador for the first time. I was 19, excited about serving God and ready to use my high school Spanish. I had no idea the impact that those 7 months would have on my life. God has used Ecuador to shape me into the person I am today. I have seen miracles and people set free. I've watched God challenge people and comfort them. I've learned to celebrate and how to mourn. God even used this country to bring me my husband...

Thank you for your role in making Ecuador home.

Why I had to talk to Grandma in order to make a vet appointment and other strange things

2012-01-14T10:21:00.001-06:00

Unlike in the good ol' USA, here in Ecuador many businesses are family-ran. In fact it is very common for families to section off a portion of their homes to create an office or store. The part that is strange to me is that in order to make an appointment (with my orthodontist, the vet, or a potential site for our wedding reception) I have to call the house number, which means I usually talk to Grandma who is quite old and hard of hearing. I'm not sure why Grandma is deemed the phone-answerer, but let's just say she rarely understands my foreign name, she called Andrés "señorita" one time when he tried to make an appointment for our wedding, and upon my phone call she usually yells for 2 minutes in order to get the correct person to answer my questions.

Look at my grades!

2012-01-10T15:59:00.002-06:00

Little David came running over to us while we ate lunch, waving his report card in the air. He ran straight to Pastor Fabian to show off his good grades (I didn't pull the camera in time to snap that photo...but I did get this one with his tutor.)

One of the programs I help with, Education Equals Hope, exists to provide an education for little guys like David. Big chance his parents didn't have the opportunity to graduate high school, but our prayer is that this generation will have the support they need to dream big and excel.

New Year's: Ecua style

2012-01-03T13:39:00.001-06:00

New year's is a big deal in Ecuador. To me, it looks like a mix between the 4th of July, Halloween, and Christmas. One of the traditions is to make an "old man" that represents the year and burn it at midnight. (They are basically big scarecrows.) Andrés bought us the one right next to me in the photo. While the old men burn, everyone jumps over the fire. Bonfires lined the streets of Quito while families jumped over them. Best holiday ever!

In the afternoon young guys dress up as widows and stop traffic. They go up to each car and the drivers hand over change to them. Later that night the guys use the money to party.

Down Amazonas, a main street in Quito, large companies exhibit what looks like Rose Parade floats. But instead of the parade moving down the street and people standing on the side, the people walk up and down the street viewing the floats. Our church makes one every year and also had a Christian rap artist performing on stage. There were thousands of people!

For those that don't want a traditional "old man", on every corner they sell fancy cartoon-character "old men" to burn at midnight. We had a great time ringing in the New Year Ecua style.

Things you do when you're a missionary

2012-01-03T13:16:00.003-06:00

Make your own rootbeer!

Best way ever to spend New Year's!

We made rootbeer floats and our Ecuadorian friends loved them!

One Week

2011-12-23T02:59:00.001-06:00

I feel like I have been saying, "Wow, God loves me" a lot lately. He keeps giving me little miracles as gifts. Just this past week He gave me some much-needed healing, He showed me that He is bigger than time and that even the littlest people can be His instruments.

As I approach my last 5 days here I want to live in this truth: God really loves me...
And I hope to spill it out to those around me too.

Something Ill miss and something I won't

2011-12-18T19:27:00.001-06:00

Bathtubs and gaining 10 lbs in 3 weeks.

Has it almost been 3 months?

2011-12-15T23:35:00.001-06:00

Time flies when you're with people you love! (And when there is a Target or Walmart right around the corner.)

A Week of Prayer

2011-12-08T13:12:00.001-06:00

On Tuesday I asked my Prayer Team to join in praying that God would provide the last 20% of my financial support. I am always amazed at how God responds to a group of people praying together. Sometimes I get so caught up in pulling up my bootstraps and doing "my part" of this missionary thing that I forget to acknowledge God's part. So that's what we are doing this week. We are acknowledging that God is our Provider, He knows our every need and He will be faithful to supply it!

(I'll let you know how it goes next week.)

Avoiding

2011-12-01T23:31:00.001-06:00

I think I've been avoiding my blog.

And I have definitely been avoiding the fact that I head back to Ecuador in a little more than 3 weeks. You see, I am so excited to go back. I'm excited to see the Love of My Life, speak Spanish on a regular basis, catch up with the Casa G boys and be where God has called me.

BUT the thought of leaving in 26 days kinda makes me wanna vom. And I kinda get all anxious and my hearts starts pounding when I think about having to say goodbye. Again. In fact, my eyes are welling up just thinking about it.

Right now is when being a missionary sucks. I wouldn't want anything else for my life, but it still sucks on occasion. Unfortunately I don't have a pretty bow or sarcastic comment to wrap this all up with, so I'll just leave it here.

Check out where I live...

2011-11-19T19:40:00.001-06:00

I just wish they showed all of Ecuador...not just the tourist-attracting parts.

FAQ

2011-11-17T13:55:00.001-06:00

I just wrote an email answering some FAQ to my prayer team, but I thought maybe my blog-followers would enjoy it as well. So here you go.

How long are you here in the States for?
I return to Ecuador on December 28.

What is the purpose of your time here in the States?
I am doing a Home Ministry Assignment right now. The purpose is to re-connect with family, friends and supporters. I am also raising financial support to be able to return to Ecuador.

What do you do in Ecuador?
The short version is that I work with a team of people to identify and equip Christian leaders in Ecuador who are in need of support and resources. Facilitating short term mission teams, offering training, and discipleship are a few of the ways I offer support to Christian leaders in Ecuador.

How much support do you need to raise?
I need to raise about 20% of my budget.

How can someone financially support you?
I have a non-profit organization, International Teams, that my financial support goes through. Anyone interested in financially supporting me on a monthly basis or through a one-time gift can contact me for more information or go to: https://wwws.iteams.org/us/giving-form

So, now that you're getting married, what are your plans?
Andrés and I plan to live in Ecuador for at least the next few years. He will continue to build up his dentistry practice in Quito. I will continue to serve as a missionary and build into the ministry I have been doing for the last 3 years. Hopefully sometime in 2012 we will be able to visit the States together. In the future, we hope to use his dentistry skills on the mission field.

Halfway

2011-11-17T13:47:00.001-06:00

I'm halfway through my 3 month Home Ministry Assignment. HALFWAY! Time is flying by... Spending time with the people I love actually makes me miss them more. I'm cherishing every bike ride, coffee date, caramel brownie, and text message.

Things I've taken for granted

2011-11-09T00:33:00.000-06:00

Today I got hit smack in the face with all sorts of things that I've taken for granted. Let's start with college. Today I visited my alma mater, Biola University, and was totally overwhelmed by how beautiful and peaceful it is. My years at Biola flew by and I wish I had soaked them in better.

I was genuinely excited to walk up and down the aisles of books at the library. Go ahead and rip on me. I LOVE books. (Fiance thinks it's pretty funny that books can make me so happy...) But seriously, there were rows and rows of great Christian resources that I wish I could find in Spanish. Then I went to an awesome chapel service, led by my mentor, that fed my soul. Soul-feeding is something I have really taken for granted.

I'm glad God placed me in Ecuador. If He hadn't maybe I wouldn't be grateful for all the things I've taken for granted...

A Week of Seaside's Youngest

2011-11-07T13:59:00.000-06:00

This week I've had the opportunity to hang out with some of the youngest people at my home church. Seaside has an awesome youth ministry and I am so stoked to be a part of it.

Wednesday: helped plan out a high school mission to Ecuador over Spring Break (let me know if you wanna join!)
Thursday: shared with the junior highers about ministry in Ecuador and answering God's call to serve (Isaiah 6:8)
Friday: Ran the Coffee Bar at our high school group's Bell Game After Party
Sunday: Shared with the elementary age kids about my kiddos in Ecuador and was totally blessed when they all laid hands on me and prayed for me. (Kid prayers are the best!)

It has been so awesome to re-connect with my church family and be a part of God's work here in Huntington Beach.

Amy and I setting up the coffee bar for the High School event.

American Festivities

2011-11-07T13:52:00.001-06:00

Nancy Drew and the Wicked Witch of the West

This Pumpkin costume has gotten around!

The best part of Halloween.

We don't celebrate Halloween in Ecuador, so it was super fun to be back for the festivities. More than the candy and dressing up like a goofball, I loved spending time with my favorite little people.

Emotional breakdown #1

2011-11-03T03:16:00.001-06:00

Today I had an emotional breakdown. The good news is that Ive been back in the States for over a month and this is my first one. The bad news is that crying gives me a headache and I already had a pre-breakdown migraine so I was hurting. Being an emotion-stuffer has a price. Anyway, enough of that. I came to the conclusion that Im just not doing life as well as I would like. I want to be able to do it all and do it all well but its just not working out. I think my expectations are too high. I cant be a great Jesus-lover, daughter, sister, fiance, friend, mentor, student, and missionary all at the same time. So what am I gonna put lower on my priority list so that at least I can do a couple things well?

How do you answer this in your life? How have you determined what Gods priority list is for you?

New England

2011-10-25T09:31:00.000-06:00

Spent a couple AWESOME days with the DeVries in Princeton, NJ. They are dear friends and former neighbors and co-workers in Ecuador. It was refreshing to process with them and be a part of their lives.


Sara brought me to an organic farm where we picked our own flowers! Did you know that Ecuador is a major exporter of flowers? A dozen roses cost about $2.

Bekah is a great friend and someone who "gets" life in Ecuador after having spent most of her life there. I had a fun time getting to know her growing family and exploring Connecticut.

MidWest

2011-10-19T11:15:00.002-06:00

I just finished a week of traveling through the Midwest re-connecting with friends and sharing what God has been up to in Ecuador. I loved hearing about how God has used pain and struggle to shape people and bring them to joy. It was refreshing to be in the Midwest with so many people I love.

Some highlights:
Lake Geneva, WI- seriously, so beautiful
reading Llama Llama Misses Mama to 2 sweet girls
a great counseling/debrief session at International Teams
sharing what God has been doing in Ecuador & talking about the people there I love
hearing about God's faithfulness to the Olsons
arts and crafts with Kari
talking about marriage and its joys and struggles
chatting with the Lankhorsts in Spanish on a driveway in Minnesota
making more memories with a friend of over 20 years
tearing up about 2 awesome people I can't wait to see in Heaven
hitting up the most legit pumpkin patch ever with 4 kids
eating cheese curds and hot dish and meatloaf and monkey bread and so many other delicious American foods

California has nothin on the Midwest when it comes to pumpkin patches

I LOVE cheese curds!!!!

My friend Rissa (of over 20 years!) and her kiddos. It was so awesome to spend time with her and her growing family.

Hay ride time

It's only been a week?

2011-10-08T17:48:00.002-06:00

Today marks one week in the US of A.

I've had delicious Mexican food almost everyday.
I've had some great quality time with my fam and friends.
I've driven around in my sweet ride all over Orange County like a grandma (it's been almost a year since I've driven!)
I've mourned with my friend over the loss of his mom.
I've went for a jog. Outside. In shorts. (I've never done any of that in Ecuador.)
I've shared about my ministry with the ladies from my church.
I've had at least one rootbeer every single day.
I've taken an afternoon nap.
I've Skyped with Andres almost everyday.
I've enjoyed the quiet of Huntington Beach and missed the noise of Quito.
I've loved calling up friends and seeing them moments later.
I've taken a hot shower with water pressure every day.
I've thought about how confusing it is to live in and love two worlds.

You know you're jealous

2011-09-30T09:52:00.003-06:00

So one of the many joys of being a missionary is that you get a little out of touch with technology. (Exhibit A above.) That's my sweet cell phone while I'm in the USA. But it's free! (Thanks, Dad.)

Oh and I'M ENGAGED! I totally forgot to announce it on the ol' blog! It's been such a dream of a week. I just wish I didn't have to be away from Andres for 3 months while I go to the States...

My next post I'll be in the good ol' US of A!!!!

Birthday Festivities

2011-09-25T09:59:00.001-06:00

Celebrating Alejo's 20th birthday.

Ecuadorian tradition is to have the birthday boy take a bite out of the cake.

I also celebrated my birthday...Christy took me out to lunch and decorated the car. So cute.

Casa G loves Wilma, the birthday puppy. She fell asleep on Gustavo's lap and started snoring. We really need to teach her some manners.

Trying to get a photo with Boyfriend and Wilma, this was the best we could do.

Gua Guas are BACK!

2011-09-25T09:34:00.000-06:00

I'm sure I have many more important things to tell you, but this morning I went to have a coffee with Boyfriend and there were GUA GUAS DE PAN and COLADA MORADA! And in case you don't know what that is, check out my post from last year here. Or you could read this one.

So my bedroom is a disaster, I have 6 days left in Ecuador and millions of things to do, but I freakin had Colada Morada and Gua Guas de Pan with the most amazing man this morning! It's gonna be a good day.

A little friendly competition

2011-09-19T10:48:00.002-06:00

Meet Wilma

2011-09-16T11:44:00.001-06:00

Wilma is my new puppy. Boyfriend got her for me for my birthday. Isn't she darling and perfect? Other than the fact that she is the most mellow puppy ever, do you know what else I love about her? She puts me in such a good mood! Every morning I wake up to her wiggly, happy little self and she makes me so happy!

I could go on and on (about how darling she is when she eats slugs or how cute and tough she is when she beats up on our Rottweiler or how snores so loud we have to shut our bedroom doors at night) but I'll spare you.

B is for Bendecida (Blessed)

2011-09-09T08:56:00.001-06:00

Today I am feeling very blessed.

2 nights ago Boyfriend accidentally spilled water on Christy's computer while clearing the table. The computer was not happy and decided to give us an error message and then make a loud, scary beeping sound. We thought it was dead. So Boyfriend and I seriously laid hands on the computer and prayed. I figured, well God has raised people from the dead, maybe He'll do the same for the computer. We let the computer air out for 24 hours and lo and behold HE'S ALIVE!

I have some awesome friends and supporters who live on the other side of the USA and although I love them and would love to see them during my HMA, it wasn't looking possible. Until yesterday. A very generous family from my home church wrote me and totally hooked me up with flights from LA to Chicago to Minneapolis to Princeton to Hartford to Nashville and back to LA. Can you believe it? I'm still in shock.

I'm REALLY excited to go back to the States and spend time with the people I love. And I'm really sad to leave the people I love here in Ecuador. I feel so blessed to love so many people.

Sunny with a chance of hail

2011-09-09T08:48:00.000-06:00

That's a pretty common weather report here. But yesterday I forgot where lived and I walked home in the afternoon on a cloudy day. I thought "I'll totally make it up my hill before it rains." Well I didn't. In my 10 minute walk it went from hazy to drizzly to rainy to haily! I was completely drenched by the time I got into my house. But I really love that about Quito...I live in such a unique place.

Good ol Henri Nouwen

2011-09-06T08:54:00.000-06:00

Henri Nouwen has been kickin my butt lately. First I read his book "The Wounded Healer" then I read an article of his this weekend. Have you read anything of his stuff? What do you think?

Anyway, during our department's weekend retreat, I was struck by this phrase in the article we read together:
"Community is not an organization; community is a way of living: you gather around you people with whom you want to proclaim the truth that we are the beloved sons and daughters of God."

If I want community, it's my responsibility to gather people around me. Interesting, huh? So often I find myself complaining or blaming my lack of community on others: organizations, churches, culture... But what am I doing to build community? The funny thing is that I actually have a pretty great community... especially when I talk with other people and hear how lonely they are. So really I have very little to complain about...but let's be real, I do anyway.

What do you think about community? What does yours look like?

Can I have some shoes?

2011-08-28T13:52:00.000-06:00

Today I walked to the corner tienda to buy an onion. I brought along just enough money to buy it too: 40 cents. As I walked out of the store, an older woman walked up to me. I said "good morning" and started to cross the street. She looked me up and down (and let me tell you, I wasn't exactly looking hot in my sweats and running shoes) and then looked down again and said "Could you get me some shoes?" I didn't know how to respond...she was clearly poor and looked like she had lived a hard life, but she was wearing a decent pair of shoes. So I said, "No, not right now." How are you supposed to answer something like that? Should I have ran inside and grabbed a pair of my shoes for her? "Well how about a sweatshirt?" she asked. What the heck? I was just going to buy an onion! What should I do? Does she really need a sweatshirt? She's got a couple layers on right now... Does it really matter, should I go grab her one just because she asked me to? Is this one of those times like when Jesus said in Matthew 25:
³⁴ “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

I didn't invite her in. I didn't clothe her. I walked away saying "Not today... God bless you!" Seriously? I can't even believe I said God bless you.

And now I am pretty convinced that I did the wrong thing. I should have grabbed a sweatshirt.

I hope I get another chance.

Trash Wars

2011-08-23T12:23:00.000-06:00

Do you remember when I told you about Daniel and our trash system here in Ecuador? Well, things have changed and there's a trash war waging on my street. I guess the government changed some rules and the trash collectors are having to share their territory...which means they get less trash...which means they make less money. I'll get to the irony of all this in a minute.

Here's how I have become part of the war.

Maria, Daniel's mom, came up to me a couple months back and asked if I would please save my trash for her. She wanted it all...the icky stuff and the "recyclable" garbage that I separate out. You see, I have really good trash. I have such good trash that the stuff I deem as "this is disgusting, there's no way anyone could find something good in here" has been tap-tapped by Maria. She offered to come by my house and ring our doorbell 3 times a week to pick up our trash. Then she went on to explain that some things had changed and that a new family was assigned to our street...or something, because lets be real, I caught about 70% of what she said.

Christy and I tried really hard to save our trash, but it was tough because we aren't home much and so we could never find Maria. So when I came home from the jungle, I saw Maria one day outside of our house. She took my hand, looked in my eyes, and asked me again if I would please save my trash for her. I explained that I had tried but I couldn't find her sometimes. We talked about different options for a minute then came up with a plan. Now Maria will be getting our trash. All of it.

I hope I don't have to point out to you the irony and injustice and sick to my stomach feeling I get when I think of Maria and Daniel begging me for my trash. It just feels so wrong.

You know you're a missionary when...

2011-08-18T08:38:00.000-06:00

After being around 3 teams from So Cal this summer, I have come to realize that some missionary traits have rubbed off on me.

Like washing and reusing Ziplocs.

Or freezing everything because I feel wasteful throwing it away.

Bizarre things I have frozen: lunch meat, cheese, beans, chocolate molten lava cake batter, blueberries since November, half ice cream cones, smoothies, wheat germ, tuna casserole, spaghetti, noodles, cream, and pancakes to name a few.

I promise I will go through my freezer before I head to the States for 3 months so my poor roommate doesn't have to deal with my issues.

Now that I've gone through my photos...

2011-08-11T13:10:00.001-06:00

Don't you just want to eat her up?

My big debut at Waorani Family Camp this summer. (The girl who normally plays this part broke her arm.)

This Orange County girl knows how to kill a chicken! (Then we plucked em and pulled out their guts and chopped em up in the river!)

Like last year, a highlight for me was pouring into my "jungle girls"- awesome young ladies who serve and love their own people.

It's a real, live sloth! Caowiya, a Waorani man, "caught" him. The best part was that we were all laughing about how they had to keep the sloth in a cage just in case he escaped. (Sloths are SUPER slow so we figured, how far could it get?) Well it turns out he did escape one day! But he didn't make it very far...

Amigos Nuevos

2011-08-11T12:46:00.000-06:00

Some of the kiddos from Casa de Fe

Jack and Johnny

OK I am finally back to the blog- a big sorry to all 3 of you who have wondered when I was ever gonna update my blog again. I'm back in the city, the internet is working today and here I go.

In my last post I talked about how cool it was to see kids serving kids. And the more I think about it, the more God has been teaching me. These Lacrosse playing Southern California junior highers still have me thinking.

One of the young team members expressed his sadness over having to leave Casa de Fe. He said, "It's like you just made all these new friends and now you have to move away." Another kid shared that when he goes home he hopes to treat people with special needs differently. I can't wait to see how these kids rock Orange County in the coming months.

A Child's Prayer

2011-07-31T17:38:00.000-06:00

This week I've been with our final summer team from Trinity United Presbyterian Church in Santa Ana, CA. The team is made up of primarily moms with their sons, making it very different than any other team I have hosted. We have been serving at Casa de Fe, a foster home/orphanage on the edge of the jungle.

It has been a lot of fun watching these kids from Southern California serve and love our jungle kids. Last night, after saying goodbye to the orphanage, I spent some time processing with the kids from the team about their week at Casa de Fe. They shared about being sad to leave their new friends, wanting to go home and be leaders at their schools, and how God changed their hearts and they were no longer afraid of people with special needs.

We ended in a time of prayer, mentioning the names of specific kids and staff from Casa de Fe. As I listened to these American kids pray for their Ecuadorian friends, asking God to heal their bodies and provide for their needs, I thought, I bet God loves hearing the genuine prayers of His children.

They stayed up til 2 am

2011-07-19T08:38:00.001-06:00

Menewa deserves the best camp counselor award by far. Everywhere he went, his entourage of campers followed him. Whenever there was free time, Menewa could be found playing soccer and hanging out with his campers instead of chatting with his friends.

Halfway through camp I asked Menewa how things were going with his campers. He told me how they are wild kids and have a difficult time focusing, but he knew that they were interested in hearing about God. I had brought a children's Bible with fun pictures and stories and offered it to Menewa. His face lit up as I handed it to him and he told me that was exactly the kind of thing he had been praying for.

A couple days later I heard that that little Bible made a huge difference for his campers. They went from bouncing off the wall at night and causing problems to sitting around Menewa and listening to Bible stories until 2 am. Menewa was blown away that a simple children's Bible could make such a difference.

After hearing his story, I had every intention of giving Menewa the Bible for his future ministry, but he asked that I leave it for Orlando, one of his most interested campers. So I did, I now my prayer is that that God uses that little Bible to transform lives...

Menewa's campers (Orlando on the right.)


The Bible that made the difference.

I would love to get these Bibles into the hands of my national friends who do children's ministry here in Ecuador. I bought mine here in Ecuador for less than $20. If you are interested in providing one of these Bibles, please let me know.

They even beat their laundry

2011-07-19T08:20:00.000-06:00

I sat down with Katie at the river one afternoon, reflecting on our first couple days in Zancudo. The abuse that I saw all day long was really wearing me down. We talked about generational sin and how these people are all descendants of escaped slaves...God only knows what their ancestors endured. Generational sin is ugly. As we sat at the river, trying to make sense of it all we watched a lady washing her laundry on the shore. She got the clothes wet, threw them on a concrete slab, and beat them with a paddle. Katie looked over at me and said, "They even beat their laundry."

It was overwhelming at times watching the kids beat each other during VBS. Or the moms smack their kids across the face while walking down the road. Or an older sister slap the mouth of her baby brother to make him stop crying. It was overwhelming to hear multiple stories of kids burning themselves accidentally and wondering if it was really an accident.

I sat with little Juan (above) for hours one day and he just stared off into space, not wanting to leave my lap. All I could think about was what those little eyes had seen in his short life.

Only Jesus can heal all their wounds and bring freedom from the chains that tangle them. And that was my constant prayer...that they would know Jesus. Soon.

*photo taken by Carolina Zambrano Rosado

Zancudo 2011

2011-07-19T07:57:00.001-06:00

I'm back safe and sound from a youth camp we ran in the jungle/coast of Ecuador. I did get royally sick after coming back home...let's just say I made a bed in my bathroom. But I think I am back in action today.

Zancudo 2011: What was it all about?
Like last year, we joined two locals: Libio and Sixto who have a heart for their people and put on camps for the youth in their area. We ran 4 camps simultaneously: a youth camp in Zancudo, kids VBS in Zancudo, and 2 traveling camps in neighboring villages.

I know everybody needs Jesus, but I was deeply impacted by the hurt and sin in the lives of these people...I'll write about that in another post. All that to say that it was exhausting and eye-opening and heart-wrenching and so very important to minister to the people of Zancudo for a week.

I always find the cutest, chubbiest kids...
*photo taken by Daniel Klassen

Ñuneno 2011: The Conference that turned into a Camp

2011-07-04T16:13:00.001-06:00

I just got back from our Waorani Family Conference that turned into a Camp because so many kids joined us. A team from Cypress Church joined our staff and national partner ministry to help run a 5 day long camp in the jungle. PHOTO: That whole book right there is just the NEW testament. The Waorani people do not have the Old Testament yet.

Making chicha. Konta (left) is about to spit a mouthful of chewed up yuca so it can ferment and make chicha for everyone to drink.

Grandpa Mincaye, one of the Waorani men whose life was forever changed after killing 5 missionaries.

Making breakfast.

I killed, plucked, chopped up and then cooked jungle chickens. More photos to come later.

Brace.Face.

2011-06-20T06:17:00.000-06:00

26 with braces.

You should see them after I eat salad.


All my paraphernalia. I am especially looking forward to braces in the jungle with no bathroom or sink ;)

Why I need some chocolate molten lava cake

2011-06-17T18:43:00.000-06:00

You see, it's been an eventful week.

We finished up our Wilderness First Aid training and took a scenic drive to Quito on Sunday.

I got braces. (Photos to come later, but lets just say I talk even more ridiculous than I look.)

Our second intern, Jessica, came in.

We had a full house...all 7 of us living together.

In 5 days I'll be riding a canoe in the middle of the jungle.

So I'm gonna make some delicious molten lava cake. Right now.

WFA?

2011-06-12T16:02:00.000-06:00

I'm a WFA now. Yup. I've been trained in Wilderness First Aid. It's official.

Now, if we are in the jungle or on a mountain or somewhere else remote and you happen to fall down and break your pelvis...I know what to do! Technically. But I am personally hoping that I am never in a situation where I actually have to use all this knowledge.

Besides scaring the neighbors as we acted out excruciating pain in our simulations, WFA training was an awesome time for our Adventure family to bond and prepare for a summer of ministry together. I'll try to post some of the photos soon.

Smiling back tears

2011-06-12T15:56:00.000-06:00

The other day I said farewell to Santos Pamba. In typical Ecuador fashion, the day went very differently than I expected. I showed up thinking I would spend time with each class like normal and give them their year-end exams. Instead, the kids had an assembly and each class presented something special for me. The music teacher even played a song for me. I was smiling back tears the whole time. For the grand finale, the School Administrator presented me with a gift from the school...a darling necklace. Later the teachers took me out to lunch and we feasted on barbecued meat.

I am really grateful for my time at Santos Pamba. i don't know if I'll be able to continue in ministry there in the future, but I hope to visit when I can. I'm still processing all I have learned about culture, poverty, denominations and reconciliation.

I said my goodbyes to Santos Pamba as I walked around praying for the community. I really do pray that God is known and loved in that little barrio.

You're black, so you can't come to our school anymore.

2011-06-02T16:58:00.005-06:00

Las Ganas is a home for kids in desperate situations. Most of their parents are in jail and they have no one to care for them or love them. They are throw away kids who have no potential in the eyes of the world.

I got to see something different.

I got to see children who God created for a purpose. I got to see a woman who loves these children like her own.

I got to meet a little black boy who was kicked out of his Catholic school for the color of his skin. I watched him dance and smile and I thought: You are one of God's little angels here on earth.

I got to see a glimmer of hope...I can't imagine what God sees. He sees their pain and disappointment. He sees their confused little minds.

And I think it makes God sad. I know it makes me sad. I can't see then end result. I don't know how their little lives will turn out. I wish I had more hope. I wish I really though that each one would be redeemed and restored from their hurt. But I don't think that's the way it will turn out.

So, God, what? Why? How? When?

Jardin del Valle

2011-05-25T16:36:00.004-06:00

This morning I was waiting for my bus to head to Santos Pamba. I've been told it's a very likely place to get robbed, so I'm always paying attention to my surroundings. After a few minutes, little indigenous lady dressed in traditional clothes came over to me and said "Jardin del Valle". At first I was confused, then I remembered I had seen the name of that neighborhood on buses before. And after a few more seconds I realized she was asking me to look out for her bus. Then it dawned on me that she cannot read. (I don't catch on so quick sometimes.)

It really got me thinking... What is it like to not be able to read? How does this woman get through daily tasks like finding her bus? Who helps her? Why didn't she learn to read? How many people in the world are just like her? What is God calling me to do? How can I help?

Today I was reminded of the privilege I've had to get a great education. I've been helping with a scholarship program here and today I got really excited about the future we are helping kids attain. You can check out the program's website here to see what it is all about.

Gustavo's 20th birthday

2011-05-19T08:25:00.000-06:00

Tuesday we got to celebrate Gustavo's 20th birthday! Before blowing out the candles, he closed his eyes and took 30 seconds to make a wish. It was very special to celebrate with him!

2 Year Anniversary!

2011-05-16T19:37:00.001-06:00

Tomorrow marks my TWO YEAR ANNIVERSARY of serving full-time in Ecuador. Woo hoo! I took a little time to read through different posts over the last two years and I just feel so blessed to do what I do.

Here are some of my favorite posts:
Man Vs. Sea
Gnarliest Secret Santa Gift Ever
House Guests
Ancianos
Llamas
Behind What You Can See
A Very Important Introduction

So here's my question for you: What are some of your favorite posts over the last 2 years?

Voting Day is like a Carnival

2011-05-08T13:28:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was Voting Day here. Voting is mandatory in Ecuador. If you don't vote, you don't receive your voting card which is needed for any type of paperwork in the country. So you have two options: vote or pay a $28 fine to get your voting card. Needless to say, a lot of people vote.

I wanted to see what it was all about so I went with Andrés to vote. Apparently Voting Day is pretty much a family holiday. The streets were full of families walking around buying food from street vendors and listening to loud music. It blew my mind. It looked like a carnival.

So we finally arrived at the school where Andrés votes. People were milling around and kids were playing on the outdoor court. We walked up to the table with his last name, he showed an ID and received a huge piece if paper to vote on. Then he sat down at a desk and cast his vote. Upon turning in his enormous piece of paper, he received a small piece of paper that proves he voted. About 20 seconds later, a little boy came running up and asked Andrés if he would like his card laminated, so he took the little paper and ran off. We followed him to the street where there were laminating machines lined up on the curb. One minute and 50 cents later we got Andrés' laminated card and we walked back through the carnival until we could jump into a bus and head home.

A Cultural Experience

2011-05-08T13:11:00.000-06:00

I went to my first professional soccer game on Thursday night. Some of the guys from Casa G were going and I thought it would be fun and a great way to spend some time with them.

It was a cultural experience.

We arrived and there were thousands of people pushing each other down an alley lined with barking German shepherds and policemen on horses. This apparently was how you get into the stadium. So I joined the crowd and shoved my way through the line. I'm not kidding, I was so jammed between hundreds of people that I had to hold my hands up in the air for 30 minutes because there wasn't enough space for my arms. Between dripping sweat and gasping for air I was thinking, "Is this safe? Am I gonna die? Should I leave?" But I was pretty convinced that there was no way to get out of there.

But I eventually made it in. And the boys asked me if I would mind sitting down behind the goal. Me, not having any clue, said sure- whatever they want to do. Little did I know that this section is called White Death and only the most hardcore fans sit there. So I learned some new words in Spanish. Ones that I wish I didn't know. I had fireworks going off in the seats around me. I stood up and tried my best to sing and clap for 2 hours so that everyone wouldn't yell at me for my lack of team spirit. I thought to myself several times, are those policeman with their huge guns and masks here to protect me?

Finally the game ended...but our team lost and that was not good. (I was like- what's the big deal?) So anyway, we get out to the street and it was chaos. The fans decided to take out their anger on the cops. Not the best choice if you ask me. So at some point, a cop "falls" off his horse and a riot broke out. I was walking down the street praying for a taxi when I see a mob of hundreds of people being chased by 50 cops on horses down the street. So I run up to a taxi and he says it will cost me 10 bucks. I couldn't have cared less at the moment. So I jumped in with Anthony, one of the boys with us and realize we've lost the other 3 guys. We slowly start pulling away and I think to myself- dude, they are on their own, this gringa is getting out of here. But luckily we found the boys a minute later and they came sprinting down the street and jumped in the cab with us.

We drove back without a whole lot of chit chat. All I could think of was: I'm alive! And that was a freakin cultural experience.

A Very Important Introduction

2011-05-02T16:47:00.003-06:00

This is my boyfriend Andrés.

Among his many wonderful qualities, he's a dentist and he loves to use his profession to serve people.

So today we combined two of our passions by buying 60 toothpastes and toothbrushes...

and traveling to Santos Pamba to teach my little weasels how to brush their teeth properly.

Best.Day.Ever.

Burdens

2011-04-29T11:22:00.000-06:00

At our Staff meeting yesterday we shared about carrying each other's burdens. It really got me thinking about all the people who have helped me carry my burdens. I have had so many thoughtful, empathic friends who have walked with me through the good and bad. I've had professors that gave me a break on my assignments when I was having the toughest year of my life. Countless people have sacrificed their finances to keep me in ministry here. Families have taken me in as their own. And people put up with me and my sarcasm every day of my life :) I really have been blessed with so many people bearing my burdens with me.

What about you? What burdens have others carried for you?

What did you do over Easter Break?

2011-04-29T11:18:00.000-06:00

After having not seen my little weasels for 2 weeks, I wanted to hear all about their Easter Break. I asked my 1st graders to share what they did, where they went, what they ate... One little guy was so excited to share about where he went. He yells out to everyone with a big ol smile on his face: I went to the supermarket! Sweet little guy. I know kids can throw us for a loop sometimes and say silly things...but then I thought about how he was dead serious. Going to the grocery store is a big deal where he comes from...and it can be such a hassle for me. Crazy how I just need a little perspective sometimes.

Panamania

2011-04-24T14:51:00.000-06:00

I've answered the question "How was Panama?" about 10 times now. I think that's a good sign that I've got a lot of people in my life that care. But answering questions like that can be tough. I remember when I went on my first couple short term missions I didn't know how to communicate well with people back home. Most the time I would get frustrated or bummed out. So instead of summarizing my time in Panama I think I'd like to share a couple highlights and stories.

Familiar faces: I LOVED hanging out with my church. I had such a blast catching up with good friends, old neighbors, and friends' younger siblings. My home church has an awesome youth program with great students and leaders and it was such a joy hanging out with them. I loved saying gnarly and stoked and epic and killer and talking about a million things only people from my home town would know. Thanks guys for being a piece of home. I had great talks with students and laughed hard with old friends. I miss you guys already.

Bridge: Looking back, I think God gave me lots of opportunities to act as a bridge. Through translating, I helped bridge the gringos and Panamanians. I was able to use my experience to ask questions and help navigate through culture and missions-related conversations. I walked away so grateful for the experiences that God has given me and for the opportunity to help others walk through the same things.

Coast: Being in the warm coastal weather fed my soul. I was so stoked to wear shorts and get some sun. I'm such a beach girl at heart and sometimes I forget how different it is to live in the city. While I was away it didn't stop raining in Quito and some of the streets flooded pretty badly, so I'm pretty happy I got to skip all that.

Holy Spirit: I got to experience a good dose of the Holy Spirit through deep conversations, awesome prayer times, and intense church services. I walked away from Panama feeling so passionate about cross-cultural missions and the global church.

OK so I literally took 5 photos my whole time in Panama and it happened to be during our beach day with the kids. I'm counting on the team to upload millions onto Facebook.

(Rule #1 girls.)

Panama

2011-04-15T15:32:00.000-06:00

I´m in Panama right now. So techincally my blog should be called DanaInPanama. Anyway...my church has been partnering with ministries here in Panama for a few years now and this year I get to meet up with them and serve together. I´m pretty stoked to do ministry with my church and hang out with friends I love.

But for now, I would like to share with you my initial reactions after having been in Panama for over 24 hours.

I totally had reverse-culture shock. Like what is supposed to happen when you go back to your home country (ie USA). There are so many American restaurants and brands it´s crazy! For instance, there´s Wendy´s and Dairy Queen. Taco Bell has REFRIED BEANS! And you are not gonna believe this but I found CHOCOLATE CHIPS and ROOTBEER at the supermarket. I actually squealed when I saw the IBC (my favorite brand of rootbeer). Oh plus I basically found the Panama version of TJ Max...

It´s been weird, instead of comparing everything to the States, I´ve been comparing to Ecuador. I´ve been using my Ecuadorian ID instead of my American ID... very strange. This is my first time going to another country and then returning to home in Ecuador as opposed to home in the US.

So that was yesterday. My point in coming earlier than the team to Panama was to rest up and get my head in the game. I knew I´d be coming from a busy and stressful time in Ecuador, so I wanted to set my self up well. So that´s what I´ve been doing for the rest of my time- reading, praying, enjoying the sun (it´s super cold and rainy in Quito right now...)

I am really excited for all God has in store for us. My prayer is that He will stretch us and help us to see differently and that He will use us to bless the people we meet. I´ll let you know how it goes...

The Dinner Table

2011-04-07T08:06:00.000-06:00

Our dinner table really brings people together. I love that.

Waffle Night/Juan Miguel's 19th birthday (to the left). We partook in delicious waffles around the dinner table.

For being 2 single girls (my roommate Christy and I) we have a lot of people over for dinner. Taco Night with the Williams, Bryan, Andrés, Christy and I.

Reflections on a day at Santos Pamba

2011-03-30T15:40:00.000-06:00

I just have 2 quick things that stood out to me (other than the darling children who God so dearly loves and so do I...)

1. I saw a dog poop out a whole bag. Like a grocery-size one. Right in front of the door to the school.

2. About half way through recess I noticed a 5 ft long piece of barbed wire in the ground. I picked it up and threw it to the side and a little girl asked me if she could have it.

That's it.

The Rhea

2011-03-28T19:04:00.000-06:00

I have the rhea today. (aka diarrhea) I'm pretty fortunate that this is only the 3rd time in my almost 2 years in Ecuador that I've had diarrhea. Seriously. Maybe you're grossed out, but diarrhea is part of daily life in Ecuador. Just normally not for me. I'm totally fine, just a little annoyed that's all. You see, I have eaten some gnarly things thanks to our jungle ministry. Crocodile and turtle and monkey and jungle pig. And that didn't make me sick....

You know what I've been doing for the last hour? Planning out tasks I can accomplish between bathroom runs. Make an appointment on the phone. Check. Take cookies out of oven. Check. Write this short blog. Check.

OK now I want to hear your international rhea stories. Ready? Set? Go.

Team from Moorehead

2011-03-27T13:35:00.001-06:00

Chelsey and I, fearless leaders

The team spent time ministering and working at Casa de Fe, an orphanage in the jungle. This sweet little girl is Mishell, one of the many children with special needs. During slower times throughout the day, I got to hold and play with little ones like Mishell. When I reached my hands into her bed to get her out, her face lit up!

For those of you have been to Casa de Fe, I wanted to show some new photos of all the changes. These are trails behind the house where the kids can run around and ride bikes.

Here's the playground.

The freshly painted multipurpose building and home to about 60 kids.

This is one of my favorite little guys. His nickname is Coco. In the old house (a small, beat-up place with no room to run) Coco was very naughty. But since moving into his new home he has calmed down a lot now that he has plenty of space to run and play. So the staff started calling him by his real name, Giovanny, hoping that he would be able to start fresh in the new home.

Our great team from Triumph Lutheran in Moorehead, Minnesota!

Make your own pizza night

2011-03-19T07:14:00.000-06:00

This is how Chipotle would make a pizza.

Alejandro


Jesus. we need to work on our manners I think...

This week for Casa G Tuesday we made pizzas. It was super fun! I really don't know how the boys put up with me...I'm always having them do such little kid stuff.

Prayer is a discipline for me

2011-03-13T10:58:00.000-06:00

Seriously. Yesterday I was doing my Bible study (for the first time in almost 2 weeks!) and I started to feel super convicted about my prayer life. My life lacks a lot of discipline. I think having such an inconsistent schedule definitely makes that more difficult, but after living here almost 2 years I think it's time to realize that no matter how wonderful it would be, I will not have a consistent schedule. So I need to figure out how I can be more disciplined regardless of what my week looks like.

I'm the Queen of praying for someone when I remember to do it. Sometimes that's all the time (like every time I walk past the Cuban's tienda, I shout out a quick prayer for their mom who has cancer). But then there are other people who I pretty much never see, and I suck at remembering to pray for them. I can be kinda out of sight out of mind.

And then there are things in my life that I know I should be bringing to the Lord and so I even tell myself, Dana, while you take a shower/walk down the street/sit on the bus you should pray for this situation. But instead I get all distracted and think about a million other things like my to-do list and I don't even realize that I didn't pray until way later.

And then I feel SUPER guilty because I have all these people praying for me all the time and I'm too distracted to pray on a regular basis.

So me and God are gonna work this out. I'm gonna try some new things like paint while I pray. Im hoping it will keep me focused. I do a pretty good job when I write out my prayers.

Any other ideas? Does focused prayer come naturally for you or is it a discipline?

C is for Carnaval

2011-03-09T09:31:00.000-06:00

I wish I had photos to illustrate this, but you will just have to use your imagination. Carnaval is a 4 day weekend here...kinda like Mardi Gras. The whole purpose of the weekend is to have fun and soak everyone you know. So I went to Santos Pamba to play Carnaval with the kids. The teachers had recommended that I bring a set of dry clothes to change into. Thank the Lord I listened to them. So as I'm pulling up in the bus at 10 am, all 60 kids see me and start running toward me. I had no idea what I was getting myself into, but I was smart enough to pull out my can of spray foam to defend myself. I got off the bus, spraying 60 kids in the face with foam while they soaked me from head to toe. In 2 minutes there was not a dry spot on my body. Have I mentioned to you how freezing it is in Santos Pamba? I normally wear a wool jacket, scarf, pants and boots. Imagine having ice cold water thrown on you for 2 hours. It was torture...and a blast. It was so fun to chase the kids around and play with them on their favorite day of the year. Afterward I made lunch with the teachers (a very cultural experience) and it was great to spend time with them and hear more about their lives. In light of the difficulties in Santos Pamba, it was great to spend the day having fun and being together.

A is for Aguacate

2011-03-09T09:20:00.000-06:00

This is a real avocado. And that is a 16 oz water bottle. It's the biggest avocado I have seen in my life and one of the many reasons I love Ecuador.

This is what happens when the power goes out in half your house for a week

2011-03-09T09:15:00.000-06:00

Last Thursday our power went out. But only in the back half of the house. It's one of those things that is just annoying enough to make you complain but not quite annoying enough to take a day off to get the electric company to come out. The laundry room is one of the places without power...so we can run an extension cord for the washer, but the dryer has some weird plug so we are air-drying things. And I realize that the majority of the world does not have a dryer. But let me tell you, I will be so grateful when mine can work again.

Paradise for the weekend

2011-02-28T21:14:00.000-06:00


I went to Paradise (Canoa, Ecuador) over the weekend. And God totally pulled through. I'm not kidding, I seriously prayed for sun. And we had 4 of the most beautiful, sunny days I have ever seen. (Andrés, Laura, Bryan, & Christy enjoying our last sunset before we traveled home.)

Laura and I enjoying some down time.

The crew. I haven't laughed and played and rested like that in a long time. Best vacation EVER!

Our lives are so different

2011-02-28T21:00:00.000-06:00

Santos Pamba has been going through some tough times. Conflict and reconciliation and leadership changes and hurt feelings and no money. Bad combination. And the worst part is that I'm having a hard time blogging about it. I don't know where to start or what the point is...

So how about I tell you a story?

I went to the beach over the weekend (and it was freakin awesome...I'm not kidding for about $25 a day I sat in paradise with beautiful weather, super fun friends, and delicious food...and now I'm a better person thanks to some vacation).

Anyway, so I got back at 4am this morning (we took a 6 hour overnight bus), slept for 2 hours and headed to Santos Pamba for a parent meeting. It was one of those days that I really didn't want to be there, I wish the whole icky situation would go away, but I knew I needed to be there. (It probably didn't help that I was going on 2 hours of sleep...but that was my genius decision.)

So I get there at 8am, but the meeting looks like it is at least 30 mins from starting, so I go hang out with my little weasels. They were all so darling in their uniforms. I saw Jonathan, one of the 4th graders, who wasn't at school last week and I noticed he had some gnarly sores and scabs all over his hands and face. I asked him what happened and he told me it was some sort of a sickness that started with the letter V. (Dana is still working on her good ol Spanish.) So I was like...Oh, OK. (I had no idea what he was referring to, but it didn't look good.) So then his teacher sees him and she won't even get within 2 feet of him and she starts telling him that he has to go home because that V sickness is super contagious and when the sores are all flaky like that it is at the worst point. So we all decided it was best for him to go home. But he didn't want to. Poor kid was sick of being home from school. So I offered to walk him home (which I had NO idea how far it was and I must have asked him 10 times if it was close or far...not that those are easily-definable terms.)

So while we are walking through muddy trails dodging pigs and trash and puddles, he tells me that his mom had a baby recently. (This is how you know I'm finally starting to learn:) I asked him if she gave birth in the house or a hospital (2 years ago I would have assumed that everyone had babies in hospitals when the hospital is only 30 mins away.)
D: Did your mom give birth in your house or in a hospital?
J: In the house.
D: Were you there?
J: Yup.
D: Who else was there?
J: My aunt and dad.
D: So what did you think?
J: I got to see the head come out. She's a little girl.
D: (Not really knowing what else to say...) Congratulations on being a big brother! So...why do you like to walk on the dirt paths instead of the road?
J: Because I don't want to get run over by a car. One time a car ran over my foot and I had to get surgery.
D: Wow, I'm sorry. Good idea, we should stick to the dirt.

We got to Jonathan's home where I met his mom and baby sister and he reluctantly went inside. As I walked back to the school I thought about how different our lives are. And I'm not sure what is right or wrong or better or worse, but I am sure that they are different.

Oh and the V disease (Varicela) is Chicken Pox. I had it as a kid so I think I'm in the clear.

Water

2011-02-23T19:45:00.000-06:00

Let me tell you what the water situation looks like in my home. It goes something like this: if my neighbor is doing her dishes, flushing the toilet, or brushing her teeth all I can get out of my faucet is an annoying drip. Here comes the even more exciting part: in order for our hot water to activate, we must have a steady amount of water pressure. So what happens when you're trying to take a shower and your neighbor decides to wash her breakfast dishes? Well, your shower goes from steamin hot to arctic cold. Then you turn off the water, wait 30 seconds, and hope there is enough pressure to turn the hot water on. I feel a lot better now, thanks for letting me share.

Bataburo 2011: More Photos and Stories

2011-02-16T18:00:00.000-06:00

Here is one of my darlings praying.

So there was a costume night...and Cecilia, the best counselor ever, made these awesome costumes out of crepe paper!

Here's my team with their ghetto costumes....at least they had fun.

This is proof that all of your prayers worked! I spoke Spanish all week long and even prayed in Spanish woo hoo!

Yummy turtle soup.

One of our small group times. It was tough keeping the girls' attention!

You may not be able to see it, but this is one of my favorite photos because Mipo, a young Waorani leader is sharing his testimony to the whole camp. I loved hearing so many Waorani leaders share and preach throughout the week.

Bataburo 2011: A Week at Camp

2011-02-16T15:03:00.000-06:00

I had the joy of being a camp counselor to these wild 8-10 year old Waorani girls. (This photo was taken one night when they were supposed to be sleeping...)

Here are all my girls on the last day of camp... I was sad to have to leave.

Do you remember Coawiya who stayed at my house for a few days? He was a counselor to the 15 youngest boys at camp . And he did a GREAT job! It was so fun watching him read out of his Waorani Bible. See the little guy on the bottom left? Isn't he darling?

I'm pretty sure I deserve lice after this night...Getting ready for "Costume Night" we did our hair all crazy!

All the campers were divided into 2 teams. And each day the 2 teams competed against each other. This girl answered the question incorrectly :)

Somehow I got voted to be one of the team captains...which meant I got to participate in special competitions like this one. It was a food challenge...

And this is what they made me eat. Nothin quite like gagging in front of 120 Waorani kids... Way to go gringa. Needless to say, we lost this one.

Im not sure if you can see them, but I have tears streaming down my cheeks from gagging so much.

Cheering on the big kids during night games.

Nemo, one of my favorite campers. I'll tell you her story later.

I got to eat crocodile soup!

English

2011-02-06T14:11:00.000-06:00

I am finding that teaching English is opening a lot of doors for ministry. Do you remember my story of the Corner Tienda? I wrote it sometime last year.... Anyway, I have been wanting to build a deeper relationship with Nicole, a 12 year old girl who I see everyday at the tienda, but I wasn't sure how to do it. The other day I went in to get some delicious chocolate ice cream and found out that Nicole is failing her English class. English is something I know how to do (and sometimes about the only thing I feel like I'm good at). So a day later Nicole came over, sat on my couch, and we worked on English for a couple hours. I'm gonna try to meet with her at least once a week and help get her grades up. I love that even in our first 30 minutes together we talked about God as she wrote an essay on why God is her hero. I'm really looking forward to more conversations like that with her.

Elise's Perspective

2011-01-30T20:47:00.001-06:00

Here is a post written by my friend, Elise, who stayed with me for a week...

My first experience to a South American country was blissful. First off, let me say the Ecuadorians have it right on about greeting one another. One on one, the right cheek of a person's touches the other's and then an air kiss is applied, slightly missing the ear. Of course I've seen the traditional Greeks do this before (as seen on "My Big, Fat, Greek Wedding" and they do it on both cheeks), but I have never done it. The closest I have greeted somebody was just one on one cheek touching with a simple hug. I was exposed to another world with S. Americans, and I loved it. Coming from a background of Korean culture, greetings were always given in a respectful way of muttering a formal hello while bowing (90 degree angle, preferred). Of course, age matters in a setting of Korean greetings, but I felt most comfortable when stranger or not, I was rushed with a kiss on a cheek from an Ecuadorian.
Living with a missionary family that consisted of a couple, three kids that ranged from ages 6-10, their intelligent and beastly-looking lab of blonde fur, three birds, and a pet monkey, all in a household in the jungle is what I define as wonderland. The couple taught me great measures in how important parenthood is no matter where the family is. The kids were excited to have guests over for a few days and this allowed the young couple to have some time off for themselves as well. I knew it was important to have "date" time for married missionary couples who have kids because fuel needs to be ignited for the flame to keep going and strongly in fact. I was there, in Ecuador, to be an empty vessel so that I could be used for whatever means. If it was to give a break for people from their ordinary tasks, then I was glad that I was there to be of some kind of help. Being able to see how open the missionaries were with their homes, made me realize that I would want the same thing if I were to have my own place one day. To have people come in and go from their home like nobody's business, was actually delightful. Either if a church friend was hungry or just wanted to share a conversation, she would come and leave at her own time. Time stood at the side of the guest.
Hearing a testimony of a missionary kid who is now married and has children of her own, was a blessing to me. I realized it would be difficult to grow up in a country where my shade of skin was totally off compared to my companions in grade school. Being a Korean American, I grew up with both cultures, speaking both languages, and struggling with both sides of different worlds. As my desire to be a missionary one day, I know it would be difficult to raise a family in another setting and environment where my kids may not feel like they "belong". There will be harsh times of confusion and troublesome, but God, I pray that You will work in this very moment in my heart so that I may be ready for what is to come. I also pray that You will be working in the life of the one I heard the testimony from, please work in her life and her family's as well.
One of the important things that I have learned in my life is inner healing. Without inner healing, wounds cannot be healed, scars cannot be erased, roots of weed cannot be removed. I know there are great reasons for me to have gone through my process and I wouldn't be able to go out and reach others if I had not. I needed to be let go of my "ish" in order to have room for love and to have tasted sweet freedom. And it will just get sweeter. I believe it.
All in all... Learning about cultures, traditions, languages, and people groups, all comes down to one common denominator, love. The many missionaries who I have met around the world are all standing on different soils because they have been commissioned by God who they have trusted more than they have trusted their own human selves. It is by following after the first and greatest commandment, of loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, that we are able to go out to the ends of the earth to finally love thy neighbor, wherever that may be.

More Weasel Time

2011-01-26T18:52:00.000-06:00

Last week my friend Elise went with me out to Santos Pamba and took some awesome photos. Here my little weasels are intrigued by my iPod and fancy schmancy mini speaker that I got for Christmas. That little thing can blast music! I'm looking forward to songs like "The Itsy Bitsy Spider".

You know how I once told you that I had like a million kids touching me at once? Well here's proof. Today I came home from Santos Pamba with something gnarly stuck in my hair. I'm pretty sure it was a combination of food and slobber. Neither of which belonged to me.

Isn't this a great photo? Jonathan- 3rd grade

Birthday Parties and Sleepovers

2011-01-23T10:56:00.001-06:00

Elise hit it off with the boys when she started showing them choreographed dances on youtube. The boys didn't even want to get up to eat pizza!

Me and the birthday boy, William. I tear up just thinking about how grateful I am that he is back at Casa G and celebrating another birthday with us.

Typical Casa G night.

Elise and two of my favorite girls from the jungle: Romelia and Alicia. We had a sleepover then ate a delicious brunch before taking Elise to the airport. I love how our home has become a safe and comfortable place for these girls to hang out. They feel the freedom to sleep in, talk all night long, eat chips and salsa for dinner, and just relax.

Romelia has become more than just a ministry partner...she is a dear friend that I am privileged to know.

Things I have been doing while I wasn't blogging

2011-01-21T09:44:00.000-06:00

If you are one of my 3 avid blog followers, I would like to apologize for not keeping you updated. You see, my friend Elise is visiting. And we went to Shell. And then she went with me to work for a couple days and tonight two of my friends from the jungle are spending the night. So I've been neglecting you. Sorry.

SHELL
Elise and I went to Shell Saturday-Tuesday. Aside from hanging out with the Williams and helping out at Casa de Fe (an awesome orphanage) I also had the goal to spend some time catching up with 3 girls who are both ministry partners and friends. But with the limited time I wasn't sure if I could pull it off. God put it on my heart to go pour into these relationships last Spring, and He has been blowing my mind with opportunities to love them, support them, and learn from them ever since. God had my time all planned out during those four days in Shell and I was able to spend some quality time with each girl. I got on the bus to head home to Quito and thanked God again for His timing and purpose in my life. In May when I prayed that God would open the door to friendships with these girls, I had no idea how He was going to stretch and challenge and bless me through them.

CASA G
As always, Casa G came over on Tuesday night. We ordered pizza (a total treat) because we had been traveling the whole day. And we also got to celebrate William's birthday. What a joy to celebrate the birthday of a young man who was working the streets just a few months ago. He was smiling all night long.

SANTOS PAMBA
If you receive my prayer update emails, you know that the ministry in Santos Pamba is in a crisis right now. There have been some very disappointing problems within the leadership and we are walking through a process of reconciliation. My greatest prayer is that the kids will not be hurt by these poor choices that have been made. Please be in prayer for this ministry and the role that God has for me there.

Living in 2 Worlds

2011-01-10T17:43:00.001-06:00

Hanging out with my Adventure family.

I couldn't believe all the yummy FREE sauces and FREE refills at Chick Fill A! Can you tell I was in culture shock?

Baking with my mom.

One of many bike rides...

Eating tacos in MEXICO!

Some of my favorite people and my friend's new baby!

Matching hats and my favorite spot in the whole world.

But I was VERY happy to be back!

I got to go home for Christmas and it was AWESOME. (That's also why I haven't posted in a really long time...sorry!) Let's just say that I wasn't hungry one single time because I never stopped eating Mexican food, pumpkin bread and rootbeer. And now I'm paying the price... Anyway, some of my highlights included: speaking English, going to Target, sharing at my church, singing worship songs in English, seeing my friends and family, going to Mexico and eating tacos, meeting up with our summer interns, driving my car, talking about my ministry with awesome supporters, taking a road trip with my sister, and ringing in the New Year with 2 of my favorite people in the world.

Gnarliest Secret Santa Gift EVER

2010-12-18T16:50:00.002-06:00


Kaya on the left, Secret Santa Gift on the right

My friend did a Secret Santa gift exchange at work the other day. And this is what he got: a puppy. Who gives a puppy as a Secret Santa gift? Kaya was pretty excited about her new friend, and if we didn't think she would accidentally kill little Secret Santa Gift, we would have kept her. Secret Santa Gift spent the night with us and whined and cried all night...even while sleeping with me IN MY BED. So the next morning I was determined to give little Secret Santa Gift away. I put her in my purse and walked across the street to a small store owned by a young Cuban family. I said hello to the owner and asked if he wanted a puppy, he looked at t and 30 seconds later Secret Santa Gift had a new owner! Can you believe that?

Christmas with Casa G

2010-12-17T10:29:00.001-06:00

Christy doin a little turkey carving.

Making Christmas cards. I love watching teenage boys do arts and crafts :)

Our masterpieces.

Delicious food!


Finally: cookie decorating!

By far my favorite part of the night was when one of the boys pulled us aside and said: At first I just came over to your house for the food. But now I am so grateful for how you show us love and help us work through our problems. You don't make us listen to a Bible study but you show us with your lives.

That was SO meaningful to us. That is exactly what we want for the boys: to create a safe place where they can feel at home and loved by family.

O Christmas Tree O Christmas Tree

2010-12-17T10:17:00.000-06:00


We went to one of the only Christmas tree lots in Quito. Left to right: my friend Ely, me, Michelle, Chad

Even Kaya got in the Christmas spirit!

Freaks.

Breakfast at Santos Pamba

2010-12-10T10:21:00.000-06:00

Before the kids start classes every morning, Hermana Fabiola and Hermana Maria make them a hearty breakfast. (Most of the kids don't get nutritious meals at home.) I have learned to NOT eat before I arrive because they always set food aside for me. I can't tell you how many times I have prayed "Dear Lord, please expand my stomach. Help me fit in all this food. And please stop me from gagging. Amen." My breakfasts have ranged from hamburgers (different) to llapingachos or potato pancakes (delicious) to a chicken thigh with some other unidentifiable mushy stuff (choked it down). What you have to understand is that without fail, my plate is always piled high. At 8:30 am. But this is the part I really don't understand. They always offer me "cafe" which I translate to: "coffee". However, I have never actually received coffee. So I think cafe actually means a hot beverage. My hot beverages have ranged from: soupy oatmeal (not bad) to hot, chunky banana drink (I did the "gag" prayer for this one) to very sweet water that resembles an herbal tea (delicious). All gagging aside, I am very grateful for the food I receive every Wednesday morning. I know it is made with love and put aside with care. I have learned so much about hospitality and service from these dear hermanas.

Those aren't cookies!

2010-12-10T10:11:00.000-06:00

On Monday I planned ahead and made a batch of cookies for my little weasels at Santos Pamba. I wanted to have yummy, home-baked goodness for those who memorized their Bible verse in ENGLISH! I put them in a Tupperware and stored them in the fridge for 2 days (we've had a major ant problem, which has been momentarily solved by putting all food in the fridge.) So on Wednesday morning, still half asleep at 6:15 am, I reached into the fridge, put the Tupperware in my backpack and headed out the door. Note: I'm not very coherent before 8 am. About 8:30 I arrive at Santos Pamba, eat some breakfast (I'll tell you about that in my next post) and reach in my backpack to give some cookies to my favorite cooks Fabiola and Maria. I open the Tupperware, and to my surprise, I do not find delicious homemade cookies. I find POTATOES! Yup. I got the wrong box. I was so bummed! Who wants a potatoes as a reward for memorizing a verse? That's messed up. So then I was like, what should I do with these potatoes? Should I give them to the kids who don't have a snack at recess? I don't want to be remembered as the gringa who gave boiled potatoes to the kids. That's weird. So I kept them in my backpack and wound up lugging them home. Fortunately or unfortunately maybe, none of the kids memorized their verses, so I was off the hook.

I can't leave this place, but my prayers can

2010-12-04T00:07:00.000-06:00

Today I helped run an awesome Christmas program at the Women's Prison. I've been wanting to get involved for a long time and was so stoked when it worked out. We sang carols, served a delicious turkey dinner, and heard a great message.
It's become a tradition to give each woman a balloon as a representation of their prayers. These women cannot leave, but their prayers can. Their lives may be controlled, but no one can control their prayers. It was very moving to watch 350 incarcerated women speak out the names of their loved ones and release green and red balloons into the Quito sky. They squealed and laughed as they watched the balloons float away to heaven.
I held back tears as I thought about their lives. Trapped in a cold, dark prison physically...but what about their hearts? What brought them to this point? How many have never known a life apart from abuse? How many have left chidlren behind? How many are raising babies behind bars? How many have it better off "inside" than they did "outside"? How many have people who love them and support them in positive ways? How many will spend the rest of their lives as prisoners?
I'd like to go back and get to know some of the ladies. I would love to hear their stories and pray for them.

Señor Taxi Driver

2010-12-03T23:54:00.000-06:00

Señor Taxi Driver still has me thinking. I'm gonna be honest for a sec here... I almost deleted my first post about Señor Taxi Driver...you know, the one where I accused him of stealing from me. But then I didn't because a) I thought maybe someone who had read it would catch me! b) I think it's good for me to own up when I'm wrong c) I try to be pretty darn honest on this blog.

I've been much more aware of the conclusions that I jump to, thanks to Señor Taxi Driver. And it's not good. I think pride and self-protection are at the root...which is no surprise. I don't like a lot of the thoughts that go through my mind. And I would guess that God isn't too stoked about them either.

So how do I help change that? What can I do?

Relationships have really helped change my stereotypes... hanging out with former street boys and loving them like family has helped me change my perspective, having friends from different places, backgrounds and ethnicities has opened my eyes and made me a different person, being a foreigner and watching how people treat me has grown my heart for immigrants...

So maybe I should become friends with more taxi drivers. Just kidding. I think I need to get over this whole "I'm gonna get robbed/taken advantage of" mentality. I've never lived in a place where I felt so aware of the danger around me. So this is new. How do I be safe and conscientious without living in fear and expecting the worst to happen?

About that whole "being robbed" thing

2010-11-30T21:40:00.000-06:00

Turns out I was not robbed.
And no, I did not find the groceries in my house.
Even better: Señor Taxi Driver came back 7 hours later! Can you believe it? I heard someone knocking on the gate and I assumed it was one of the Casa G boys. So I ran to grab the dog and lo and behold Señor Taxi Driver was standing there with my groceries! (Meanwhile Jose Luis from Casa G walks up.) Señor Taxi Driver didn't recognize me (probably because I took a shower...) But I saw the bags and said thank you. Then he proceeded to tell me that he was really rushed and thought his car was gonna break down and he just wasn't in his right mind. So anyway, his car did indeed break down, then he got distracted, and later he picked someone up who needed to store some things in the trunk and guess what was still back there? My groceries! So he drove back over to drop them off. I didn't really know what to say. I was so shocked and the story was so strange...I just said thank you. So who knows? Jose Luis thinks he assumed the gringa would have better stuff in the bag but when he found ground beef and toilet paper, he decided it wasn't worth it. So should I be offended? I have a friend who was getting robbed but didn't have anything on him, so he offered up his cell phone. The thieves took one look at his old, ghetto phone and laughed and said "What would I do with that thing?" I kinda feel like him...

Who steals groceries?

2010-11-30T13:46:00.000-06:00

I got robbed today. It was the most ridiculous theft ever. This is how it went:

10:30 am: I went grocery shopping for Casa G dinner tonight (Sloppy Joes). Side bar, most grocery stores are located in the mall, so technically I went to the mall.

11:15 am: I leave the store with my friendly little grocery bagger man. Unlike the US of A, you cannot walk your own shopping cart out of the store. A friendly little grocery bagger man walks it out for you, followed by you giving him a tip.

11:18 am: I hail a taxi on a very busy road in front of the mall, and it stops in front of me. An older woman to my left starts to get in, telling me that she hailed it first.

11:20 am: I hail a slightly more beat up taxi. Friendly grocery bagger man puts my bags in the trunk, I tip him, and hop in the back of the cab.

11:22 am: Señor Taxi Driver isn't familiar with where I live, so I give him directions.

11:31 am: I ask Señor Taxi Driver to park in front of my gate. Either he doesn't hear me or he ignores me, so we park across the street.

11:32 am: I take the first load of bags from the trunk, cross the street and leave them in front of my gate. I turn around to get the rest and Señor Taxi Driver is already crossing the street with bags in hand. The trunk is closed. I ask: "Is that everything?" He doesn't answer, but he tells me the ride cost $1.50.

11:34 am: My phone rings, I fumble in my purse for money, hand Señor Taxi Driver the $1.50 and try to answer my phone and open the gate and hold my dog from escaping all at the same time.

11:36 am: I enter my house with groceries in hand and begin to put them away.

11:40 am: I notice that I'm missing 1 kilo of ground beef. (I think: Shoot, Señor Taxi Driver must have missed a bag!)

11:41 am: I notice I am missing 12 rolls of toilet paper. (I think: Wow, how did Señor Taxi Driver not see 12 rolls of toilet paper?)

11:42 am: I notice I am missing a cucmber, 5 onions, dish soap, and cleaning supplies. (I think: You've got to be kidding me! Señor Taxi Driver just robbed me!)

11:48 am: I call my friend Christy and tell her the story...I needed to vent.

12:15 pm: I walk back outside, get another taxi, and head to a DIFFERENT grocery store to buy the stolen items again.

Can you believe that? He must have really needed some TP and ground beef or something. I can't believe I got scammed! $30 later I have learned my lesson.

Censo 2010

2010-11-29T17:27:00.000-06:00


This Sunday was a nation-wide census. But we do things a little different in Ecuador...

Everyone in the entire country was required to stay in their homes on Sunday until their designated census taker (a high school student) came by the house. Once the census is finished, each house receives a sticker (me and Bryan are pointing to it up next to the plaque.)

I was pretty excited about the census. But it wasn't quite as life-changing as I had expected. Maybe because our little census taking high school student showed up at the house while I was still asleep and I had to jump out of bed. Or maybe because the questions were slightly boring and somewhat confusing. For instance, what type of job do you have? a) unemployed b) government c) self-employed d) family business e) something where you don't get paid (I think that's what he explained...anyway, this is the one I chose).

Needless to say, being the little foreigners that we are, we determined that it was highly necessary to take a photo with our famous little census taker. I'm pretty sure we are the only ones who did that.

As if we didn't eat a ton of turkey...we went trout fishing

2010-11-29T17:19:00.000-06:00

Our favorite fishing hole.

Tanner put us all to shame. Check out that 3 kilo trout!

Yum! Can't wait to eat!

Nice work kiddo!

Nothing like eating 4 kilos of trout after pigging out on Thanksgiving food for 2 days!

They grill em right there.

And yet another feast! Not bad for $30 huh?

Thanksgiving in the Jungle!

2010-11-29T17:12:00.002-06:00


Working hard in the kitchen! (Alaina, me, and Christy.)

I was determined to make sweet potatoes just like my grandma's. However, in Ecuador sweet potatoes or "comote" are purple and yellow on the inside, making a lovely brown color when mixed together. Brooklin loves sweet potatoes but was a little grossed out by mine. I jimmy-rigged them (see post below) and they turned out awesome!

Christy and Alaina having way too much fun at 8:30am in the kitchen.

Don't they look like normal sweet potatoes? Yum!

Loren and Bryan entertained the kids while we whipped up a feast.

Our "family" photo.

Chet and Katie- thank you so much for opening up your home and being our family here in Ecuador!

Doing Thanksgiving crafts. Notice the computer screen. Yeah, these grown ups have lost all of their creativity. They looked up leaves in order to color their "thankful leaves" correctly!

This is what I'm thankful for this year.

Goofing around in between Christmas movies.

Thanksgiving in the Jungle

2010-11-26T19:23:00.000-06:00

This year we headed to the jungle (Shell) to hang with the Williams for Thanksgiving. So far some highlights include:

Making my grandma's sweet potato recipe "jungle style". Sweet potatoes here are yellow and purple inside...making Thanksgiving sweet potatoes look a little funky (the kids made fun of me and said it looked like diarrhea). But never fear, we added some carrots and yellow food coloring and voila! they looked like the real thing.
5 of us traveled down from Quito, making us a house of 10. We took over the kids rooms and they all crammed onto the floor of their parents' room.
So far we've listened to Christmas music, watched Elf, Scrooge, and the Grinch. We're in the holiday spirit!
Today we went to my favorite jungle water park (it puts Wild Rivers to shame). Who else gets to soak up the sun during Thanksgiving weekend?
Last night the power went out during a gnarly lightning storm.
My sister was our personal shopper and got us some sweet deals on Black Friday. (She found kitchen appliances that would cost us 10x more if we bought them here.)
Norma, a Waorani friend of mine, came over while Christy and Katie made the desserts. She tried whipped cream and said it was Gringo Chicha. (Chicha is a drink made in the jungle by chewing and spitting out yucca, allowing it to ferment.)
It's been fun to be an American and celebrate our culture and delicious food with each other! Now I can't wait to make Christmas cookies!

You shouldn't pick him up when he's crying

2010-11-19T13:33:00.000-06:00

My little weasels at Santos Pamba need a lot of love and affection and attention. During recess last week I had 10-15 children touching me at all times: playing with my hair, messing with my ring, holding my hand, sitting on my lap. I'm pretty sure I'm gonna get lice. But worse things could happen. They also love sharing with me. So I get to lick slobbery, germ-infested lollipops, eat dirty, unwashed strawberries, and sip from juice boxes. Don't worry, I'm taking my Vitamin C and sneaking away to sanitize my hands when no one is looking. I don't want to be the germophobe gringa, OK? Anyway, that has nothing to do with my story.

So basically, I got busted by the teachers for picking up a kid when he was crying. A four year old mind you. He fell and was all worked up and probably ready for a nap, so I picked up the sobbing little weasel and held him until he calmed down. A total of 3 minutes I'd guess. Meanwhile the teachers looked at me like I was the stupidest, most naive gringa they'd ever met. And maybe I am. Later, I came to realize that they do not pick up or console the kids when they cry, because that makes them cry more. This whole situation makes me crazy just thinking about it. How often do these kids get consoled by their parents when they're crying? Isn't that part of being a kid? You can cry for ridiculous reasons because your brain isn't all grown up and you haven't learned that you should stuff your emotions and toughen up. I know I'm being a little irrational, but whatever. So now I don't know what to do. Do I pick them up? Do I console my little weasels? Or is that just gonna play into this unhealthy cycle of fake-crying to get attention? And is that bad? I'm not sure... I think it sounds like a horribly sad way that a little brain copes with its lack of love. It thinks: When I cry, someone hugs me. I like hugs. I want a hug. I should cry.

OK I'm done writing about this. It's making me too angry, and empathetic, and sad.

Knife Throwing Lessons

2010-11-19T13:11:00.001-06:00

Tuesday night we had the Casa G boys over for dinner, like always. But it was a little bit more chaotic than normal and I'm not exactly sure why. Maybe it was because of the rain. Anyway, 2 boys that no longer live in the house came to dinner also (William and Marcelo). William started showing up at Casa G a few months ago and has been to our house a couple times now. He was part of Casa G years ago when I first interned here and he was the baby of the house at 10 years old. Now he's 17 years old. William, unlike the other boys, was on the streets very recently... So he's still got a lot of street in him. He hasn't quite warmed up to us yet, we can't ruffle his hair and tease him the way we mess with the other boys. However, we have been exchanging teaching each other new skills. For instance, he showed Christy how to throw knives in our kitchen. And I showed him how to frost a cupcake. He taught me how to tell if glue can be used to sniff or if it's just for ....gluing purposes. I'm not sure what skill we will teach him next. How to fluff a pillow? It's pretty funny when you think about the things we have to offer each other. But I think we are all better people as a result.

My Little Weasels

2010-11-14T21:03:00.000-06:00

These are my little weasels. Aren't they so cute? Let's just say that they are very busy little people, which makes teaching English a little tricky. The fact that they all sat down and looked at the camera is pretty impressive.

My first class of the day is with these little people and last week I started to lose my voice after kindly repeating "Please sit down, sweetie/honey/dear/my love" 2-3 times a minute for 40 minutes. This week I am going for a different approach. Like "Hey, kids, let's go for a walk and learn how to say the word blue while we look for blue things." I seriously think I would need an assistant though. I can't imagine walking around the muddy neighborhood by myself with these little weasels.

To all you preschool teachers out there: Way to go! You have a tough job and your reward is in Heaven. And I seriously respect you.

Jail

2010-11-08T18:30:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I went to the men's prision here in Quito. It's a level 2 facility, meaning most inmates are there for murder, rape, and drug trafficking. I've only been to the juvenile jail, so this was new for me. A friend of mine helps lead Sunday church services with the inmates, and I tagged along with the group.

Jail here is different... The prisoners do not wear uniforms. I would say it looked like about a 1:30 guard to inmate ratio. It does not appear that the cell doors close and the men can walk around freely to the bathroom and outdoor patio. (Maybe they are closed at night, but I doubt it.) Sunday is also a visiting day, so many wives and children of the prisoners were there too. But there isn't a visiting area per say. The vistors can walk around freely in the cells and around the patio. The patio is about the size of 2 volleyball courts. And it reminds me of being on one of Quito's busy streets because one edge of the patio is lined with street vendor-looking carts where the inmates can buy juices and empanadas. So far it sounds pretty sweet, right? Well I went into one of the cells...it was about 20x20 feet and 14 men lived in it. They used to have 30 in a cell that size, but things have changed. From what I've heard, it can be a rough place. Drugs and weapons are very common. So are riots. When the prisoners riot they shut down the whole compound, no one gets in and no one gets out. One of the pastors I met yesterday has been locked in several times during riots. Money determines everything in jail here. There are spacious, nicer rooms for those that can afford it. What you eat depends on how much money you have. I bet the length of your sentence is probably related to wealth as well. Needless to say, it was pretty gnarly.

The awesome part was getting to know the small group of believers. They help lead the Sunday service through worship time, reading portions of Scripture, and passing around the offering box. The church service is right in the middle of the patio, so even those that aren't planning on listening still get to hear the Good News. There is a small group of believers who live together and help keep each other accountable. They meet every morning for devotions and try to keep each other busy. Other than the weekly Bible study and Sunday church service, the jail does not have any programs or activities.

I was really impacted by the group of men who are trying to grow in their relationships with God. It was refreshing to see their joy and dedication to the Lord. And it was tough. It was heartbreaking to watch so many kids walking around visiting their dads. Seeing how 14 men barely fit into the small cell made me wonder how 30 used to. Hearing that there were no programs or anything for the inmates to do made me wonder how we ever expect their lives to be different on the outside. How can they change their way of thinking or grow into different people when there is no effort at rehabilitation? At the same time I know that Jesus is the best form of rehabilitation...and the only one I have actually seen work.

My prayer is that God's work grows and abounds in this jail. The authorities have seen a very positive result and are much more open to allowing ministry to take place. Only Jesus can offer true liberty and I want every man in that place to have an opportunity to know that Truth. Will you pray with me for the men's jail here in Quito? Wouldn't it be awesome to see them in Heaven one day?

Jesus in the Margins

2010-11-05T22:14:00.000-06:00

I just finished reading another great book and I thought I should share it with you. "Jesus in the Margins: Finding God in the Places We Ignore" by Rick McKinley.

Here are some quotes to wet your appetite...
"When you reimagine yourself as a key player in God's family, you choose to love others instead of waiting for them to love you."
"We tend to gravitate to people who are like us. People who look like us, talk like us, make about the money we do, believe what we believe, and enjoy the same entertainment we do. Is that community?"
"I want a love I can tame. I don't want it to take me where I don't want to go. But Jesus will have no part in that cheap exchange."

I'm thinking about starting a book club in a few months. Wanna join? We'll read awesome books like this one.

Colada Morada, Gua Guas de Pan, and other SUPER FUN Ecuadorian traditions

2010-11-02T15:20:00.001-06:00

Last night me and some friends (Juanita, Laura, and Gina) went to a super awesome colonial street called La Ronda.

We ate ENORMOUS empanadas and a variety of other delicious foods. (When the waitress brought out our food she accidentally hit me in the head with my empanada. That's how HUGE they were! We we laughing hysterically.)

There were a ton of people walking around eating street food, listening to music and taking pictures like us. It was so fun!

This is Laura and 2 YUMMY gua guas de pan. (Bread shaped like babies.)

I tried to get a photo of the kitchen with all the gua guas. It looked like a baby factory. But I got in trouble by the employees of the bakery :(

Laura's mother-in-law taught us how to make Colada Morada.

Just whippin up some delicious colada morada (basically a berry-syrupy hot drink).


Look at all the bluberries! (A very important ingredient in colada morada.) I wish I could eat such yummy traditional food all the time!

Thoughts on Public Transportation

2010-10-28T18:58:00.001-06:00

I'll be honest, I don't take public transportation very often. Taxis are pretty cheap (well, super cheap compared to the States) and I usually don't go very far. But lately I've been using my fair share of public transportation. And everytime I step onto a bus or squeeze my way onto the trolley, I'm convinced that I'm gonna get robbed. I know it's coming and I feel a lot better about anticipating it than being surprised. So I decided I'm gonna start keeping track of how many times I use public transportation before I find I'm "missing" something. This week I have hopped on 12 forms of public transportation. How many times can I go before someone robs my phone or slashes my backpack? What do you think?

Santos Pamba

2010-10-28T18:32:00.001-06:00

Today I spent my third day at Santos Pamba and I really LOVE going out there. The kids are so eager for love and affection AND learning English, of course. No but seriously, I have come to realize that it really doesn't matter if they learn any English. I think God has me out there to love these kids. It is so heart breaking to see how they are starving for affection. All day long I'll have at least one child holding my hand or hugging my legs or doing something to catch my attention.

One little girl, Dayana, just melts every time I hug her or hold her hand. Today I met her mom and now I understand her life a little bit more. Dayana's mom couldn't be over 19 years old and she has 3 kids and is pregnant with number four. I asked her how many months pregnant she was, and she didn't know. I would guess around 6 months. I also am gonna guess that she gives birth in her home, so going to the doctor isn't necessary.

Many of the children live in little shacks with no electricity and they cook over a fire. (P.S. It is SUPER cold in Santos Pamba-- I wore 3 layers today and it wasn't even raining.) You wouldn't believe how far they have to walk to get to school. Most parents leave very early in the morning and return very late from work, so the kids get themselves dressed, fed, and to and from school everyday.

They are great kids, I wish you could meet them. I wish they had more God-loving role models in their lives.


This is the 2nd grade class. (Dayana is on the far left.)

4th grade class.

Playing a game with some kids from the community.

Note to self

2010-10-28T18:21:00.003-06:00

What I didn't explain in my last post is that "Donita" means little donut. Good times.

English

2010-10-25T14:27:00.002-06:00

Guess who is gonna start teaching English classes to darling little children? Guess who has never taught English in her life? Guess who got called up in front of hundreds of people and announced as the new English teacher "Donita"? Yup, that's me. (My name is super hard to pronounce in Spanish.)

So anyone got any ideas? Let me know!

Mount of Olives 2010-2011 teachers and staff.

Contentment

2010-10-19T09:13:00.000-06:00

I'm learning a lot about contentment. I really think the base of contentment is trust in God. If I trust in God to take care of me, then contentment comes easily. I'm doing a Bible study on the fruits of the Spirit and it's rocking my world. You know when you think you're doing pretty good in an area, then you read the Bible and you're like, Wow, I have along way to go. Anyway, I've been studying "self-control" (not my favorite fruit of the Spirit) and I am beginning to understand that contentment is a huge part of self-control. If I'm content with my life, then self-control just flows. Seriously, when you're stressed, unhappy, confused, restless...aren't those the times that self-control is most difficult? Aren't those the times that you eat more junk food, read the Bible less, watch more TV? I know that's true for me... So that is my prayer these days, that God would strengthen me with contentment, no matter the circumstances.

G is for Gua Guas de Pan

2010-10-19T09:03:00.001-06:00

This is a gua gua (pronounced wa wa). I LOVE THEM! It's sweet bread shaped like a baby. How fun is that?

And they're yummy! Gua guas are also part of the All Soul's Day tradition. I'll get back to you on more of that as the holiday gets closer.

M is for Mortiño

2010-10-19T08:55:00.000-06:00

It's Mortiño Season! Mortiños are basically blueberries, these are the biggest ones I've ever seen in Ecuador. Normally they are pretty small. Mortiños can be found everywhere during this time of year. They are used to make Colada Morada, a warm, syrupy fruit drink that is very traditional around All Soul's Day (November 2nd.) But I'll write more about that later.

Yummy mortiño pancakes! Let me tell you, these little mortiños area lot of work! Christy and I spent 30 minutes sifting through them and removing al the sticks and leaves. But they are TOTALLY worth it! (I'll probably be hoarding some in my freezer for those of you who have read my old posts.)