Parting is such sweet sorrow...

Some of our favorite kids from the soup kitchen threw me a surprise goodbye party today. They did the same for Greg before he left- blindfolded him and everything! They also wanted to celebrate my birthday since I would be gone before then. As is customary for the birthday girl/boy, they made me take a bite of the cake and then proceeded to shove my face into it. The kids also wanted me take a video to send to Greg! They miss you, Greg, and so do I. See you in 3 days!

Now what?

"What are you going to do when you return from Ecuador?" seems to be the million dollar questions these days. Usually, our first response involves eating some kind of food we've been craving. After that, long days at the beach soaking up the sun we haven't seen all year. Followed by outdoor dinners on the deck of our parents home while we rehash memories of this year over good food and wine. Mid September, we head to Charleston, SC to visit some dear old friends we haven't seen in over 3 years. When we return to AZ at the very end of September, we will be moving back into our condo, pray that our 97' Honda Civic still runs, and try to figure out life from there. Greg is considering going back to flight school to pursue a degree in aviation, a dream that has stayed with him through many years and careers. I will look for work as a physical therapist again and continue my spanish studies at a local conversation studio. While we do not feel that long term missions are in our future, we have a desire to continue working with the Latino community on a local level. This year God has placed within us specific desires and dreams and we are excited to pursue them both individually and as a couple.

Thanks you for journeying with us this year. Your blog comments and emails buoyed us when we felt disconnected and in need of encouragement. You mean so much to us.

Love,

Greg and Amy

P.S.- Pava arrived safely in the U.S. and is enjoying her new surroundings, esp chasing chipmunks. We are excited to take her camping when we get back in AZ

Reflections... by greg

Today marks my first full week back in the U.S. I decided to return to RI a couple weeks before Amy to take care of some things here. As I reflect on the past year and my experiences, I'm finding it difficult to put my thoughts into words. My emotions frequently change from one minute to the next. It truly seems like I left one world and entered another. The differences between where I was a week ago and where I am now are too numerous to even begin to list. As I sat in a restaurant last night with my parents looking over the many food items on the expansive menu, I couldn't help recall that just 5 days ago I was eating chicken foot soup at a friend's house. As I was driving today I was reminded that my only options for transportation for an entire year were taxi, bus, or walk. Never has my position of wealth and privilege as a North American been more clear. Never has the divide between the "have" and "have nots" been more obvious to me. I'm processing many questions in response to these observations. How is it that I was born in the U.S., a country with incredible wealth and opportunity, and not in Ecuador, a country with little opportunity and widespread poverty? How did I end up with two loving and supportive parents when most of the children I spent time with live with one parent and have little or no contact with the other? These questions along with many others have been floating around in my head and lead to even greater questions. Given my position of wealth, how do I respond to those less fortunate? Given my gifts and talents, how do I use them to serve those in need? How do I encourage and support those around me to engage in ministry/programs that serve the hurting people of this world? This is not the first time I've asked myself these questions, but yet again I find them at the forefront of my mind. I guess that's because I never want to loose sight of all I've been given and my responsibility to give back. I never want to be so wrapped up in my life and the things of this world that I forget the joy that comes from serving others. I never want to get so busy that I miss the simple things in life that bring us happiness. I experienced this day after day while laughing and playing with the children of the soup kitchen.
This year in Ecuador had many seasons for me. There were times of great joy and tremendous frustration. There were times when Amy and I were so busy that the week went by in a flash, and other times when I thought the week would never end. There were times when I was ready to board a plane back to the U.S. (like after I was attacked by a dog) and other times when I didn't want to ever leave the soup kitchen. I faced times of depression and loneliness unique within my life. God revealed new things to Amy and I dreams and desires as a couple. God also provided for us in so so many ways (safety, finances, peace of mind) during our time here.
I leave knowing a few things. I have a new found respect for anyone who leaves the country they grew up in to serve in another. I love working with children and experiencing the joy that comes with making children laugh along with helping them forget their difficult surroundings, even if for a little while. I know God has called me to remember and continue to invest in the lives of those I shared my life with for the past year.

Reflections...by amy

It is very hard to sum up a year's worth of adventure in a few paragraphs, but here goes....
This year was incredibly refreshing to me. Those that know me well know that I crave change. When my routine stays the same for a while, I go crazy. I want to move, I want to change jobs, I want to meet new people. This year was full of change and unpredictability. I was energized by the challenge of new roles, learning spanish, of finding our way around the city, and having a flexible schedule. One thing I could never have predicted about this year is how attached I became to the kids at the soup kitchen. It was so easy to spend time with them. Forming relationships with them and their families was definitely a highlight of my time here.
But there were lonely times this year. We did not make many friends our age. The ones we did make were in a completely different life stage than we were ( living at home with parents or struggling to raise a growing family). As a result, Greg and I spent spent a lot of time with each other. Although doing ministry together was great, being together 24/7 did not create healthy spaces for us. I missed my girlfriends very much. I know he missed his guy friends. It gave me understanding and compassion for missionaries who are isolated and struggle with being away from their family and close friends.
After a year, I can't even say that I've experienced life the way it truly is here. We lived like upper class Ecuadorians- we didn't have a car but we lived in a spacious house in a safe neighborhood, we always had enough to eat, we had hot water, we had waterproof shoes, and we didn't have to work 10-12 hour days, etc... The reality is that life is really painful and hard here. Many people are just trying to survive, never mind pursue dreams. And it shows on people's faces, the way they walk, the way they smell. It's extremely humbling.
One thing that continually bothered me because we faced it everyday was child labor. Children as young as 5 years old selling candy at the pay toll while their lungs blacken from pollution. Children shining shoes on the street instead of going to school. I do not have a lot of respect for the government of a country, like Ecuador, that does not protect it's children, does not make education mandatory, does not provide funding to orphanages, and closes it's borders to international adoptions.
I also learned a lot about North Americans this year. The loud, persistent, demanding culture I come from was in stark contrast to the quiet, passive culture I found myself in. Never was this more apparent than when teams from the U.S. were here. Even during a week a serving here, people could not do without watching their favorite basketball teams play, or ice in their drinks, or their wheat bread instead of white. I pray that I go home a more flexible, patient, and humble person like my fellow Ecuadorians.
Having heard so much about the warmth and hospitality of Latin and South America, we were surprised to find most people here regard us with skepticism and curiosity. Most adults only initiated conversation because they wanted or needed something from us. But there were a handful who invited us into their home time and time again to share a meal. I was sharing these observations with an Ecuadorian friend who also happens to be a pastor. He said that most Ecuadorians assume that if you are a Christian missionary from another country, your primary reason for being here is to convert people from Catholicism to Christianity. If that is the case, I can understand people's skepticism towards us. We strove to treat people the way Jesus did-with love, compassion, humility, justice, knowing that our actions would speak much louder than our poor spanish ever would.
And so..I greet my last week here with mixed emotions. I'm so excited to see family and friends but not ready to say goodbye to many, esp the children at the soup kitchen. I feel so blessed to have been a part of their lives this year.

The prayers of the innocent

You know how when you listen to something over and over again, it can become trite? We'll after almost a year of hearing the kids at the soup kitchen pray daily before eating I can honestly say that is not the case. There are days when I still tear up just listening to their voices. One child volunteers to pray and the others echo the prayer which usually goes something like: "Lord Jesus, we give you thanks for one more day of life. Thank you for the food you have given us. Bless my brothers and sisters here, bless the women who prepared the food, and bless Steve and Micki. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen." I think hearing this prayer is one of the things I'm going to miss the most....

The beginning of the end....

Our last team for the summer came from our old home church in CT. We had so much fun laughing and working together! The first day we did Happy Feet was really special for us because we had visited the neighborhood 2 years ago when we led a youth team from AZ. We remembered the pastor and many of the kids we put shoes on. One girl, Mireya, was especially precious to Greg when we were there 2 years ago, and on Monday he was able to wash her feet. Another great moment during the week was when 20 "shoe shine boys" showed up at one of the churches we were doing Happy Feet at. These boys usually live in rural provinces and are sent by their families for weeks at a time to work in the city shining shoes and begging. They were the dirtiest children by far and many had so many layers of dirt crusted on their feet from living on their own. It was a joy to see their faces when we gave them new shoes! We couldn't resist including a video of little Maria Jose or the picture of Greg washing the chicken's feet.

Flying

We had no idea zip lining was so incredibly fun! We tried it this week in Mindo, the cloud forest, with a team from a church in CT we used to attend. We zoomed on 10 different cables of various heights and lengths, trying everything from the upside down"butterfly" (see Greg video) to "superman" (no video, sorry) where you are facing forward on your stomach with your arms out to the side of you like you are flying. It was exhilarating! Enjoy the videos!

Here we go again...

Our 3rd trip to Rio Bamba this year took us to some poor communities where we worked with a Happy Feet team from Texas. When our main translator for the team got sick, I ended up having to translate for the spiritual aspect of the team which involved sharing a story about Jesus through bracelets that we gave each child and adult. I was definitly stretched beyond my liking, but God uses and empowers us in our weakness and for that I was thankful. The creme I'm putting on the little boy's cheek in the picture is to cover his windburned skin. Many of the kids in Rio Bamba look like they are wearing stage blush on their cheeks because they are so chapped and raw. The church in the photo is the oldest in Ecuador, dating back to the 1500's. Greg was not present on this trip-he opted to stay in Quito with the flu.

Escuela Biblica

We just finished a week of vacation bible school at the soup kitchen. We had about 100 kids attend each day from the neighborhood. It was organized chaos- thankfully we had 3 great volunteers from the US that brought all the materials for us.

Greg helped out in the recreation station, while I helped out in the craft department and learned the spanish words for lizzard, surfboard, knot, keychain, and glitter. We still find ourselves humming vbs songs in our sleep.

Summer fun!

What a fun week we've had! This week at the soup kitchen, we've had soccer tournaments with all of the kids from the soup kitchen- 6 teams in all. The kids are out of school now and don't have much to do during the summer. For most kids here, summer = child labor, babysitting for siblings, or roaming around the dirty neighboorhood looking for something to do. So this has been a fun diversion for them. Greg has been refereeing now that his leg is better and I've been playing with the youth team. We also hosted our 12th sleepover with kids from the soup kitchen. It's always a marvel to watch kids eat pancakes for the first time - the sheer amount of butter they put on them (and that is because we say no to their requests to put Mayo on them), along with putting slices together to eat them like a sandwich. Last night, none of the girls had never used a fork before (spoons, please!). Plus, Pava is such a hit with the kids- they always fight to take her for a walk and scream when she chases them around the house.

One lucky dog....

We're happy to report that our dog, Pava, is coming home with us to the U.S.! Our super cool friend, Kathryn took pity on her when she was visiting and decided to start a "Save Pava" campaign among her friends and family. She raised all the money for Pava to come home with us when we leave Ecuador. Yea!

The Colors of Quechua

Here are some photos of the Quechua people, the indigenous people of Ecuador. We just love their bright, bold colors and the distinctive way the women and children dress.

The new soup kitchen...

...is almost completed! Last week, we had a team complete the walls and ceilings as well as bring the rest of the funds needed to finish the building. This soup kitchen is located 30 minutes north of the existing one and should be up and running sometime in August. The downstairs will feed lunch to kids in the community, while the upstairs will be used for small group meetings. Here are some pics of the work in progress.

Feet and PB &J

Lately, that is what our life has been about- washing tons of feet and making PB&J sandwiches. We are in our 3rd week of Happy Feet with a team of 26 from NC. Half of the team is working on finishing the construction on the new soup kitchen, while half have been washing feet and giving away shoes. One of the days this week we worked in a remote village called Andowalopacha (say that 10 times fast!). Last year, members of the catholic church in that community drove the group out before they began, throwing rocks at them out of fear that their beliefs would be threatened. Thankfully, this year we were received warmly and we were able to form relationships with leaders of the community. Kids waited hours in the pouring rain to receive new hiking boot that would replace their flimsy rubber ones.

Things we miss.....

So we've been here 9 months now and our cravings for the things we once knew are getting stronger. Not to mention its been a rough couple of weeks: I watched my friend, Kathryn who was visiting, get assaulted and mugged as we were walking to the bus stop, Greg was attacked in several places by a dog a couple of days ago requiring a visit to the hospital and stitches, and we are physically tired from long days with teams. So, we thought we'd make a light hearted posting about some of the things we miss the most since we've been in Ecuador. Most of these things are food, because after 9 months chicken and rice is not as great as it used to be. Now, we know that in eternal perspective, these things don't matter, but they sure do make life enjoyable! So here they are (not in any particular order)

1. Camping at Lake Powell (photo)

2. Delux burgers (those in Phoenix know what we are talking about)

3. Our bed! (We've been sleeping on twin mattresses pushed together.)

4. Barnes and Nobles

5. Our church, City of Grace!!!

6. Playing tennis

7. Silk chocolate soy milk (amy)

8. Having dinner with our friends, Steph and Alan (they cook for us a lot!)

9. Rollerblading

10. Watching a sport other than futbol

11. Tabouli, Hummus, Bruchetta

12 AZ blue skies

13. Driving (greg)

14. Jamba Juice smoothies

15. The gym (we have lost lots of muscle)

16. Coldstone ice cream

17. Starbucks coffee (greg)

Happy Feet

This week, our first summer team from CA arrived for our Happy Feet ministry. This team was especially impressive because the majority of its members were 60-85 years old. We hope to follow their example and never stop living a life of adventure as we get older! They brought over 600 pairs of new shoes and socks with them to give away to Quechua children, the indigenous people of Ecuador. The Quechua live in remote villages 2-3 hours from the city, work as hard laborers, and live in harsh conditions. Quechua women are very distinctly dressed in colorful skirts and ponchos, ornate necklaces, and stiff hats. Their hair is always long and pony tail wrapped behind them in a colorful cloth. Most women only see their husbands 1-2 times a month when they return from working in Quito or the coast of Ecuador. The women work at home raising their large families and/or work in local markets selling produce and hand made tapestries and linens. The majority of the children we saw wore rubber boots and therefore had macerated feet from constant moisture on their skin, calluses and blisters from wearing boots that were too small for their feet, and toenails in bad need of cutting. Steve and Micki partner with local pastors who invite children of their community to partake in Happy Feet. Each day, we journey to a different location and 100-150 children have their feet washed in warm water, followed by lotion, powder, and antibiotic ointment if needed. Toe nails are clipped and new socks and shoes are donned. While the children are having their feet washed, one of the pastors or team members give a message of hope to the adults. Here is a short clip to give you an idea of the areas we worked in this week.