Quito-
We spent our second day at the church today and it was such and incredible experience. I think everyone was ready to go even this morning. After all week being awakened at 8:10, I found myself out of the shower and dressed at 8:08. I required a lot more coffee, and so did everyone else (especially after most of Coleman’s ended up on the floor) but the morning and the trip there were over in a flash.
Everyone was so excited to see us. They were lined up by the door and the energy just radiated out of everyone. It was also cool to greet people I actually knew and had worked and worshiped with yesterday.
We started off with devotion and it was really cool. Bible verses and “Purpose Driven Life” excerpts in back-and-forth Spanish and English. Then Anita and Julie did the same thing with a “letter from Jesus” while I played guitar and finally Roberto and I played 3 Spanish praise songs and “Trading My Sorrows” (which I ended with “Si Senior, Si Senior…” so it was pretty sweet).
When we broke up into groups, I started with Don Rodrigo, Bradham, and Coleman building a table. The gringos were terrible at it. Rodrigo would saw off pieces in three strokes and chisel and hammer like he was working with cheese instead of wood. And then we’d go behind him and totally screw it up. Eventually the table got finished but I feel like he could have done it in a quarter of the time without us.
After that I went back to help Julie and Hinter with the posters and got commandeered to get lunch. The kitchen was all torn up because they were preparing toi put in cabinets. SO a couple of women had cooked potato soup at their home up the hill. Coleman, Bradham a couple of kids from the church, and I trekked up (and it was pretty tough climbing before we had to carry soup). Then we end up going down with one person on either side of each of two gigantic pots of soup. We managed to make it back to Mission Emaus without spilling anything but our backs and arms were killing us. And here I am complaining about it when I don’t even live there and have to do stuff like that all the time.
Lunch was fabulous! Potato soup with avocado and (I think) little bits of chicken. Not like potato soup at home. In fact it really kind of defies description beyond “delicious.” We ate all interspersed, Ecuadorians and North Americans, and they even let Julie and Edla help serve. In fact, they had something else planned for lunch and Cameron talked them into the potato soup because the team loved it so much last year. Doesn’t sound like too much of a big deal if you aren’t familiar with the culture, but they were both big steps for a group that wants to serve us so much and has very different ideas firmly in their head about what is proper and what your place is in the world.
After lunch, Deborah and Maria conned me into playing soccer. The field was halfway back up the hill and there were two pigs and a cow there (and Deborah didn’t even come- what a hater). I played for a bit and spent a lot of time walking back and forth from the field to Anna on the hill with Priscilla dragging me by the arm or riding on my shoulders. Then we ended up sitting and talking with the boys asking Sophia and me about school and our names and what we wanted to do with our lives (“Mismo Lourdes” and “Come se dice…?” pointing to teeth to try to get across “Chaplain” and “Dentist” was pretty hilarious).
When we went back we played some games and the girls had some dancing lessons. It was great bonding even though I didn’t feel like I actually got much physical work done.
Finally we sang again and said good-bye. Don Rodrigo shook my hand, gave me a hug, and mimed playing guitar with a smile on his face. Even though I was so terrible at construction I felt like we could both appreciate each other’s different gifts. Pretty cool.
We came back to the hostel after dropping off Roberto for band practice. We hung around for about ten minutes and then Cameron came over and took us to this BBQ Express place to get shish-kebabs. (Seriously). They were really good, and so was the rest of the food (potatoes, corn with cheese and garlic sauce, cheese-stick-like-thingies, etc.). I actually sat and talked to Betty for the first time and that was pretty cool.
Then at last we came home to debrief. It’s become a pattern that we just laugh for 30 minutes before we get down to business. Conversation went from “de-thonging” to “underwater panties” to “Pikachu in the Christmas pageant” to a horrifyingly hilarious accidental inquiry into a group member’s virginity to finally actually about what happened today.
We talked about the warm, open culture here. How “besitos” affect our relationships. How we are surprised at the people’s faith and they are surprised at our efforts. How we feel inadequate but appreciated. How important relationships with little children, soccer games, and serving people food can be.
I got my two cents in, but I particularly enjoy listening to Sophia and Cameron and Deborah and Hunter. Especially their perspectives on the same things I notice or wonder, or how there are so many little connections like Sophia and I talking about getting outside our comfort zones and her talking about really trying to do that today.
Overall, I’m emotionally exhausted, and have a ton more pictures. Tomorrow we’re going to the Dump, La Red orientation, and the mall. I can’t wait.
