A day in the life in Ecuador:
7 am– Wake up to the sound of worship music in espanol. Try to keep a good mindset that you like waking up to worship music, even if it’s not quite at that decibel. Where am I? Oh yea, on the World race in Huaticocha, Ecuador.
7:15 – Make a visit to “solo urinario”. Probably the smelliest bathroom I have ever been in. In the evenings it is full of our little cockroach friends. Thank you Lord for rain boots.
7:30– Check laundry on the line. It’s not dry, but I will remain hopeful. It’s been raining everyday we have been here, so laundry smelling musty is normal. Look over the balcony and see the patio area littered in chicken parts and feathers. Pastor Ivan, Nancy, and Mercedes have been up since at least 5 am getting chickens ready to sell.
- Isaac, Nancy and Ivan’s 6 yr old son, is running around making mischief.
- Marcelo, the 15 yr old ecuadorian with us, I’m sure has already been in to visit the boys in their room and wake them up. This could involve anything from tickling their toes, spraying them with water, or throwing shoes at them.
7:45– Take some time to gain my bearings for the day. Pray. Read until breakfast is ready.
8:30ish– Breakfast is ready. SOme mornings it’s sunny side up eggs. Some mornings it’s Avena (oatmeal), but they make it super watery. Could be fried chicken, rice and plantains. Or just bread and cheese, maybe a few boiled eggs. Luckily there is always tea, and some kind of juice, and coffee if I’ve gotten up early enough to make it. “French press, cafe latte and filtered coffee Oh how I miss thee.”
9:30/10– Team Worship- Reading the word, Jeremias strumming the guitar, lamar may jump on the congo drums, worship music, maybe it’s a morning of thanksgiving or community prayer.. everyday is a little different.
11:00– Most days go to Nueva Esperanza, New Hope, community in the mountains. It’s tucked back in the jungle of Ecuador. Looks like the Avatar movie out here. Our first day of ministry included 32 people carrying 2 ton heavy electric poles up to the community to give them electricity. WOw, electricity for the first time in 2011. Other days, it’s house visits, a church service, or going to encourage other believers.
4:00– Jump off the hanging bridge that leads to Nueva esperanza into a Amazon River tributary.. Sweet. It’s like a 25 foot jump. Sometimes I need my big brother- even if I end up hurting him, because I don’t jump far enough…it wasn’t my fault I slipped on donkey poo.
5:30– Feel like a mermaid sitting on a large rock, showering in the water. I am becoming quite skilled at washing myself, and the clothes that I am wearing at the same time. Erin and I take turns washing each others hair, it’s like a day at the spa. Try and convince Jeremias to let us wash his hair, because lets face it, it’s pretty greasy- we are turned down. (We later found out he was trying not to shower all month, which he succeeded at. He loves him some baby wipes)
6:30/7:00– Waiting, and more waiting, and some more waiting on a truck to come and pick us up. Some days we are lucky and it’s here right away, others it’s an hour late. It’s always better than the bus which we can never seem to get the exact schedule on. One night we waited for a bus until sometime past 10 at night, and we had wanted to catch the 7:30 that never came.
8:00– If the truck has gotten us on time. We are heading back to Ivan and Nancy’s to shower, and get ready for dinner and feedback. Dinner is Rice, yuka, and or plantains, and some form of meat, usually chicken since they raise them here. Tomatoes, onions and peppers with lime juice, and hot sauce. There is always hot sauce.
10:00– It’s generally really late by the time we finish visiting with each other and our contacts at dinner, and so finally feedback commences. An hour is good for us, but usually we are talking about the day, what’s driving us crazy, something that was encouraging, praying, or just sitting waiting for stuff to surface for a couple hours.
12:30– Bedtime if I don’t stay up to talk into the night until 1:30 or 2 am. I finally crawl into my sleep sack, which I literally wrap all the way around my head and tuck underneath so no spiders or roaches can get in. Sometimes it’s necessary for me to snuggle up with katie, my bed sister for the month. Makes me feel more at home, and sharing a rolly bed with Autumn. My favorite is falling asleep to the rain pouring down on our tin roof; reminding me of my beautiful rainy Oregon.
