Adventure Day February 18th, 2017
We went to the bus station at 7am and figured out tickets for 12 of us to go to MINDO!! Andy really stepped up leading our group and making things happen. We thought we had to wait until 8:45am for our bus and it was 7:45am when we got to the terminal with our tickets. At about 8am a few men came over and started yelling about a bus number and then motioned to us specifically to come with them. We passed the line of busses to one parked behind the others. They knew we needed to be on that bus and made sure we didn’t miss it. *Gratitude*
I planned to sleep and make up for late night conversations and early adventure days but I am so glad I didn’t. Joey and I sat together and were able to share parts of our testimony and the why behind the things that are on our heart for others. We were able to process through some things and I realized that what typically filled me up back home were things not readily available here on the race. For a few weeks I have been struggling with feeling as though I am not making a difference or that I could do more back home where I can control my schedule, finances, routine, God time, me time, my workouts and my food. Everything. Back home where my life was in my control. I then followed the thought process of: what were the things back home that made me feel full, and why am I lacking now? I realized that the reason things have been so hard lately is because I am not living from a place of abundance. I have been living from a place of insufficiency. It is exhausting to love well and pour into others when I myself am not filled to the brim. The difference between being on a kingdom journey and being back home is that I am forced to examine the things I used to turn to that would be my portion. Being away forces me to rely solely on God to fill those places that people and things once filled. Not being able to talk to friends or family the instant something comes up creates a desperate need for the Lord to immediately fill in the gaps. Life is in fact uncomfortable, we are in unfamiliar surroundings and called far outside of our comfort zones. The ONLY way to do this well is with the Lord sustaining us and bridging the gap. Allowing God to work through us will bring kingdom in ways we couldn’t in our own humanity. This kingdom journey proves that it’s God. I can not claim sole ownership of the fruit produced when it is accomplished through supernatural strength.
Upon arriving in Mindo we purchased tickets to zip line and visit waterfalls! The twelve of us piled into the back of two pick up truck taxis and headed up the hill. A few of us hiked to multiple waterfalls while others chose to zip line over the mountains of Ecuador. It. Was. Amazing! I was afraid of heights but my excitement drowned out any fears holding me back. We zipped through 10 lines stretching over trees, a river, and small waterfall. We could see all of Mindo at one point. Slowly we made our way to the top of the mountain adjacent to our starting point. With hearts pounding we clipped into our final line. (More so from the hike up than the nerves.) This is the last one and I was sure it would be the best. Sailing through the air for the longest stretch of time yet it hit me that it’s just me and that line; Trees far below, Mindo in the distance, breathtaking views of the mountains that encompassed this little tourist town… For a split second I thought about an inevitable death that would ensue if I fell but, soaring from one mountain to another, my mind was overwhelmed with the experience of freedom. There, suspended above lush, green forests I chose to focus on life, the views, and remaining present. I refused to allow fear to steal me away from this incredible experience. How many times in life do we have to check our thoughts and come back to the present moment. It is fleeting and if we are not careful we will miss out.
After the zip lines we went to a waterfall. In the taxi ride up there a dog started chasing our truck. It also proceeded to hike to the waterfall with us, nap while some swam, hike out with us and run after our truck for 15-20min before getting too tired to continue. I was impressed. I was also impressed with the bravery of squad mates. There was a waterslide that shot you out over the river before dropping into the cold water below. There was another waterfall where the river rushed over rocks with such fierce intensity that it pounded and pierced the water below stirring up a white pool of currents and promised danger for anyone who dared to take on its force. We had a few who did. Leanne went first. Wearing a life jacket to jump 36ft into a pool of water isn’t enough to exemplify the intensity of what awaited at the bottom. She then stepped into a harness attached to a rope held by a man at the top. Suited up she stepped onto the ledge that stretched over the edge of the cliff much like a plank on the edge of a ship. With an all clear from the man (Eduardo) she leapt into the air and dropped to the water below. From the top we were able to see the rope go taught and Eduardo pull on it to guide her back toward us and the surface. He then guided her through the current to the stairs at the edge of the river down a little ways from the falls. WOW. I thought about the intensity of the water, and the experience as a whole. I have jumped off rocks to calm, clear waters before, that wasn’t a big deal. This was a bit higher though… The thing that struck me about the experience was the intensity of the water below. When else will I have the opportunity to experience something like this and have a safety rope make sure I didn’t get sucked under too long or dragged away by a current with a mind of it’s own? If I had my bathing suit on I may have taken that leap. Part of life is recognizing the moments that we may never have again. Seizing opportunities when they are before us and trusting the Lord to be our safety rope. I missed out on that adrenaline rush today but God is in everything and still spoke. We just have to listen. What are some white water moments in our lives where we need to take that leap of faith and trust God to guide us to safety?
PC-Haylee Butler
We hiked out of the falls and climbed in the back of our taxi and drove back to town. Once in town we browsed local artisan shops and made our way to dinner. Though hungry we shared stories and photos of our day zip lining or hiking to different waterfalls. It was nice to reconnect with others in our group and share in their joy. After dinner at Tigrillo (Highly recommended) we walked to El Quetzal a place where you can tour how they make chocolate. We all sat and had dessert or coffee while the sun set behind the trees in the distance. We piled into our taxis filled with joy, new stories, adventure and community. We continued in that spirit on the way home. Intentionality has truly been the theme of the day. We were able to get to know each other better on the way. I encourage you to engage when you may want to call it a day and check out. You never know what the person next to you has to say unless you ask.
On the walk home from the bus station half of us went one way and the other half went in the opposite direction… both groups sure that they had the shorter route. After the other half of our group was out of sight we started running. 8:45pm in Quito four foreign girls with packs on started running… that’s not suspicious. A car turned down the side road and catching up to us the driver started to call out the window. They said they were going to follow us. What?? They repeated themselves and said they would follow us home and that we didn’t have to be scared or run. They were there to protect us! That melted my heart. Here we are running to beat the other half of our team home and a car of locals wanted to follow us to make sure we got home safe. We explained why we were running and shared a laugh. They stayed on that road with us which helped a lot seeing as how we chose the dirt road short cut. The headlights were a blessing. Upon reaching the corner we saw two members of the other group running to the gate outside our house as well. We waved thank-you and goodbye to our wonderful neighbors and started running again. Turns out we took the short cut…
An adventure day well spent. Let the Lord be your sustenance, choose life, seize the present moment and let God guide you though difficulties or fears. Refuse to check out and live a life of adventure.
