What a day today was. So when we get to our work site, we find out that today we will be digging out the latrine some more. It is already maybe 5.5 feet deep, but it needs to be deeper. So after seeing what we will be doing, I volunteer to be the one down in the hole. I should have thought that one through some more. At first I didn’t want to get dirty. I was against getting myself muddy even though I am standing in a big mud hole. Eventually I gave in and was like “whatever… I’m in Ecuador”. And it was fun. We had mud fights and as one teammate commented “I think Jamie wins the award for being the dirtiest”.And yes I was muddy.
Mud all over my clothes, skin, face and even my hair. It was disgusting. Once noon came, all I could think about was getting back to the house and being able to shower and clean myself. We get back and find out that Pastor wants to take us to a waterfall to bathe. It is a tourist place that costs $2 per person. I was like “okay this sounds fun”. So we get on a bus and head there. Here we are, smelly and dirty and on this bus. You can guess that we got some double takes. We arrive and are greeted by this monkey. That was cool. We pay and begin our tour.
When agreeing to this waterfall, I had the thought that I could go to the waterfall, bathe and then do the other stuff if I wanted. That is not how it works here. First we had look through this museum of artifacts. Next was this cemetery of petrified elephants. And then there was this cavern underground. All I wanted to do was bathe!!!! So of course I was not in the best of moods. It was terrible.
Finally we are on our way to the waterfall. But to get there it is like a 15 minute hike through the jungle. Nothing comes easy in this culture, not even bathing. Finally we made it to the waterfall and I got to scrub my clothes and wash my hair. It was amazing. And then I was done and ready to go and everyone else wanted to play!! Ugh. Seriously. All I wanted to do was bathe!
Finally we head back and I am so relieved, but honestly, I didn’t know it was so much work to get clean. Or that I had to pay. Yeah just in general it was not such a great day for me. I tried so hard to give control over to the Lord and go with the flow, but all I seemed to do was be angry about whatever circumstances I came upon.
