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.