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.