from the pilot of the Quito leg of our journey on the way to Ecuador:
"...just 1 and a half airplanes to depart ahead of us..."

from Jes, looking out of the airplane window at a lot of swamp, after four hours of airport:
"so, this is Florida..."

from a flight attendant to Julie, while serving the meal:
"be careful with your computer, I don't want to spill beef on an apple..."

*******

Sights and sounds ONLY to be seen on a trip with 16 women of varying ages...

~ 12 hair wraps in 3 days
~ stuffed animals and special blankies
~ cuddling: in a chair, on the floor, on the couch...
~ friendship pins and bracelets
~ screaming when the light flickers
~ screaming when the bus hits a big bump
~ oohing and ahhing over every single dog seen...numbering well into the 300's
~ daughters embarrassed by their mothers
~ mothers competing to see who can be most embarrassing
~ collective washroom visits numbering well beyond 50 daily

*******

"It's the altitude..."

~ At 9,000 ft (the altitude we were at in Quito) people can experience some strange effects such as breathlessness, lightheadedness, and fatigue. Here are some things that happened on our trip:

~ Many of us were breathless after a flight of steps. This, of course, was NOT due to the fact that we were out of shape.
No, "it's the altitude..."

~ A couple people were chagrined to find out they had paid too much for market purchases.
"It's the altitude..."

~ Cindy's glasses fell apart for no apparent reason, but we all knew what it was...
"the altitude!"

~ Sometimes someone would forget midstream what she was saying...
"It's the altitude!"

~ The cracks and dips in the sidewalks were determined to see us trip and fall.
Must be the altitude.

~ One day in the hotel hallway, Monica said, "I wish these lights worked."
"They do," I replied, flipping the switch. "Cool, eh?"
Definitely the altitude!

~ Madeline couldn't understand why I wouldn't open the door of our hotel room for her; Lois couldn't figure out why her key wouldn't work in the door of her room; until they both realized they were on the wrong floor.
It must have been the altitude! :)

Today Ruth and I went to pick up 200 more Pillows of Love!! as well as take the school supplies to Santos Pamba. this morning I said to the Lord - thanks for no bus or car trouble while the ladies were here. Well on our way back from way down South Quito , about half way, the VW just shut down right in front of a garage. A mechanic tried to decide what was the problem - to no avail so I called my mechanic to talk to the mechanic trying decide what was the problem. Till all was said and done, Ruth went part way back to meet my mechanic who came all the way to where I was with the car- only 30 minutes. He had to call thetow truck which took about 2 hours till it arrived. So from 12:30 pm till 4:30pm I waited and got home about 5 pm. I did have some tracts with me so shared Jesus with a small store owner and her daughter. Maybe that was the reason for this to happen. I gave out two Pillows of Love as well. May the Holy Spirit guide as they review the plan of salvation again and again. I explained it to them and they were so interested. Sorry I didn't have my camera with me to add a picture to the blog of my VW on top the the winch!!! Monica, it was another time for patience training.

I praise Him that if the car had to have problems, it was not on some of the dirt roads we had traveled earlier,but in front of a garage!! And for a wonderful mechanic who has his shop in front of my apartment and was willing to come. He lost at least 3 hours of work. Pray for Milton - he really doesn't know the Lord. and I thank Him that Ruth had changed some appointments to go with me. Not sure what more surprises the Lord has for me!! He has cared for me all my ____ years!! God bless and hope to see you in two weeks.

We made it home arriving at the church at 10 pm just as planned. Thanks to all for your prayers and encouraging comments. We will be adding the journaling from the last couple of days and continue posting as we sort through pictures, so check back this week for more about our trip.

We woke up to the sound of rain in the rainforest! The macaws were screeching to each other and thoroughly enjoying the wet weather. We, on the other hand, were wishing for a bit of sun as we dragged all our luggage back out to the bus. Just another experience of the variety in Ecuador.

Our first stop of the morning was the Nate Saint School for missionary kids. Our tour guide has taught there for ten years. He gave us some history and showed us their library/chapel and his classroom. The school is equipped to serve children from K to 8, but this year there will only be children from K to 6.

Next, we headed over to La Casa de Fe orphanage for the rest of the morning. There are about 56 children living there at the moment; with around 20 babies and 36 toddler/older age children. There was a very high percentage of special needs and abused children; we were sobered and heartbroken over the stories of each of them. The babies loved the one on one attention and those of us in that room soaked up the smiles. In the other room, some of the team helped the children with crafts and games, and then sang some songs and performed a puppet show. All too soon, our time was up. It was hard and at the same time, a bit of a relief to leave. I think we all had heavy hearts as our bus pulled away. That is another place where a CBC group would be welcome: many children need to be loved on, construction and repairs need to be done.

We enjoyed another beautiful drive on the way back to Quito in the afternoon, with a stop in Banos for pizza, spaghetti, and lasagna! J The sun came out and warmed us, and we slept, talked, and otherwise entertained ourselves on the long ride to our last hotel, Hotel Embassy.

Please pray for the health of several team members these last couple days of the trip. We have a few misbehaving stomachs and digestive systems, which makes for uncomfortable travel and limited ability to participate in the daily activities for those who feel unwell. Thankfully, Sara has donned her nursing cap again to help get them all better quickly.

Once we reached Shell, we found our intended lunch spot, but soon discovered that they were unable to accommodate us due to a wedding. We stopped by the Vozandez Hospital del Oriente for a quick tour, and ran into yet another of Sara’s previous co-workers. Miriam greeted us and promptly asked if we had eaten lunch yet. Turns out she knew of a great Chinese restaurant and was available to take us there for lunch.

After lunch we headed to the Missionary Aviation Fellowship office and airplane hangar for a tour. MAF often takes supplies for missionaries out into the jungle, makes medical flights, and also supports other humanitarian groups by flying them out to the jungles. Dan Whitehead gave us a tour and included some of the history of MAF as well as a visit to Nate Saint’s home just across the road.

Supplies for missionaries and community workers in the jungle ready to go out on the next flight.

Our guide, Dan Whitehead, suggested that the girls would enjoy trying out the flight simulator and led us to this. :-)

Nate Saint house

We piled back into the bus again for a short trip to the town of Puyo to find Jardin Hostal to relax for the night. Getting all of our luggage to the hotel was quite an adventure as no road came within 200 yards of the hotel. I imagine all the locals shaking their heads at the parade of American women and girls with their suitcases, duffel bags, and shopping bags crossing the metal swinging bridge over the river. The hotel was very worth the trouble, though.

We crossed this bridge with all of our luggage.

Part of the garden that surrounds Jardin Hostal.

Maddy is taking a picture of a very tame Macaw.

After we got our luggage settled, we took a walk along the river – a tributary of the Amazon River. It was great fun to see plants that we know as houseplants growing big and wild along the path. We have enjoyed experiencing the beautiful variety of Ecuador: mountains, valleys, rivers, and the edge of the rainforest. Because Ecuador is on the equator, darkness falls quickly and early year round. The sun rises at 6am and sets at 6pm each day, so we had to cut our walk a little short to make it back to the hotel with a little daylight to guide us.

Sophie D, Kenzie, Maddy, Sophia M, and Kacie cross a swinging bridge.

Back at the hotel, we sat down to another multi-course meal of bread, potatoes, salad, and our choice of grilled shrimp or steak, with strawberry juice, pineapple juice, passion fruit juice, or lemonade to drink. We have been extremely well fed this entire trip! Sara says that if her groups have good food, good beds, and good transportation, she can get a lot of work out of them! J

After supper, the girls took some time to enjoy the immediate grounds of the hotel and the hammocks along the porch. A couple of them enjoyed the hammocks so much that they had to be woken up and sent to bed! I think there will be a few Ecuadorian hammocks in our suitcases on the way home. The girls enjoyed the chance to have mini “sleepovers” since the rooms we stayed in each had four double beds (two downstairs, two in a loft).

On the way to the Garden of Eden yesterday I saw an old lady picking through trash and putting something in her bag. I guess something she could use. How much do I throw out that could be used by another? At the Garden of Eden I noticed the children bringing their own personal spoon to lunch. I thought of my utensil drawer at home. We found out that they eat for dinner whatever is left over from lunch. How often do we complain about what we have or don't have to eat? The team has really started to consider what surplus we have at home and how much we truly take for granted. Even toilet paper is a luxury here. We have to continually take toilet paper to the bathrooms while we are traveling. Even at the Garden of Eden toilet paper was only available in one of the bathrooms we used. Seems like such a small thing, but try to go without for a day or two or even an afternoon! Yet the children seem quite contented and happy. They are well fed and cared for with what little they have. The directors, teachers and room parents need our prayers to meet the needs of these sweet and needy children. They are trying their best to prepare these children for their future as adults. They do have a home where young adults age 18 and older can stay until they get through their schooling or find a job. Other homes like theirs only have services until age 18. They are faithfully being the hands and feet of Jesus to these children. I am reminded of the verses in Matthew 6:25-34. These children may not have earthly things but they are clothed by the King with joy. We saw and experienced numerous smiles and hugs. So why should we worry about what to wear, or what to eat? Our loving Father has promised to care for us. Just one look around Ecuador shows the grandeur and majesty of a God who created beauty just for us. How much more does he love and care for those who love Him.

Today we had the opportunity to show love by painting the wash line posts. The children do there own laundry and hang it out to dry. Just recently they had a commercial size washer donated before that they did laundry by hand. We were all eager to roll up our sleeves to improve the wash line area for the children. We all worked together to get the job done, even our bus driver, Carlos joined in.

I am rarely aware of the impact of my life, my presence, on the lives of others. I do my best to follow the Way, but mostly I notice how badly and often I fail to represent Christ well. However, on this trip I have been graced with treasures: women who are frank in their encouragement, and clear view of how our group as a whole has impacted lives.

Before I get to the Garden of Eden, can I just tell you how awesome that Hotel Jarfi was...we were so delighted to each have our own rooms, free breakfast (muchos juevos, muchos yummos), and free supper (muchos arroz, not so yummo). Cindy, Lois, and Heidi all had a cool view of the city, while Jes and I had a stunning view of a cinderblock wall. ;)

Now back to the Garden of Eden. The highlights for me were seeing our girls performing puppet shows (with little rehearsal time), watching Bev "in her element" teaching the Bible lessons, filming the singing of "Here Comes the Bible Train," convincing Jorge to make a tambourine (w/ Cindy's help), eating piles of mashed potatoes & gravy that had some sort of hot peppers and cumin (yummo), playing soccer with the children (and some of the old ladies ;), and of course witnessing Sarah's many interactions with animals, such as narrowly escaping getting head-butted by the "little heifer," catching aforementioned heifer after she escaped from her tied rope, sweet-talking the hogs, dancing with the mama-dog (i.e. Dasch-Colona), and my personal favorite was when Sarah and I were walking past Princessa's (the mare) backside at the exact moment she decided to let loose some of the grass she had been chomping on all morning. The noise was loud and the distance was far, but her aim wasn't good enough to get us. Either that, or we were just really quick in getting out of firing range.

It was difficult to leave on Wednesday evening. We were showered with many hugs and "Ciao!" before we boarded the bus. And here's a great time to mention our driver, Don Carlos. He not only volunteered to help us paint the fence on Tuesday, but every time we got on that bus, he managed to find us a place to stop with el bano. He only rolled his eyes slightly when we started whining about having to go, for the third time in one trip. He also has an amazing ability to parallel park the 40-foot bus in some rather precarious places. Gracias, Carlos.

On the way back to Hotel Jarfi, we stopped for some helados (ice cream). Salcedo is known as the ice cream town.

Tuesday morning we packed everything into our bus and drove a few hours to the town of Atacames, dropped our luggage off at our hotel, then drove another 20 minutes or so to the Garden of Eden Children's Home. The Children's Home is a sort of foster home for school-aged children who have been abused, neglected, or have parents who are unable or unwilling to care for them. The home sends many of the children to other family members during the summer, but there are still about 35 children living at the home right now.

We started with a tour and lunch with the kids, then did a program with puppets, Bible teaching, singing, a game, and lots of crafts.

Several of our girls help a little guy with decorating his t-shirt.

We think a Father/Son/Uncle/Nephew trip would be a great idea. There are plenty of things that could be done such as rebuilding a safe playset for these kids.