Month 2 in Ecuador has come and gone but it remains in my heart. Here is a sensory experience of life in Quito. It was all squad month, meaning, all 58 of us were in the same city for the month instead of being placed in different towns throughout the country.
All 58… same city… same house. Uff-da.
It was crazy, that’s for sure, but our God is the expert in bringing beauty and order out of chaos.
Sights: TONS of people, 60+ shoes lining the entry, all the chacos, boys tents, dogs, chickens, busses, metro bus, big hills everywhere, ice cream shop, graffiti!, traffic, bunk beds, rock and stone paved running hill, gates, walls, fences everywhere, DISHES, (60 people, remember) markets, alpaca stuff, murals, paint, indigenous looking people and dress, equator monument, street vendors, juice stands, huge market near Ofelia bus stop and Otavalo, Carcelen Bajo, military school, playhouse, wool blankets, Mabe and Fabi cooking in the kitchen, so many windows, Mindo, airport, Papallacta, Old Town, Basilica, Juan Valdez coffee shop for wifi, Condado Shopping, rain jackets, taxis, alpaca sweaters, Carnival celebrations, Casa del Dabar church, Leo’s oasis, a million facturas, dozens of little faces of kids from the preschool, Logan, equator, sea of homes and buildings between mountains, community house and classroom, beginner English books and lessons, treetops and bird’s eye view while ziplining, whole pigs and cows hanging in the markets waiting to be purchased, shrunken skulls at equator museum, Janet’s home
Favorite Sight: A single white cross on the side of a mountain, at first consumed by white clouds. But as I watched, the clouds retreated and the sun illuminated the cross as a sure and steady marker of the Lord’s presence in this place.
Tastes: soup, dried corn mix, tea, plantain verde bread balls, street food, chips, pan de yucca, rice, oats, banana baby food-kiwi cinnamon-peach orange drink, popcorn, crepes, hidden snacks, hummus, helado de paila, coffee, Hot Grill, GoFresh, chocolate, cooking class, hot sauce, fresh fruit from the market, raw limes, onion pepper sauce, french fries, gluten-free brownies
Favorite Taste: Any version of fried green plantains; empanadas, rice balls, fries, chips, plain…
Smells: bus fumes, bread shops and bakeries, cold rain, fruit at the market, paint fumes, paint thinner, street vendors frying plantain verde at the bus station, Mabe and Fabi cooking meals in the kitchen, instant coffee and sometimes the real deal
Favorite Smell: Sweet honey-glazed baked figs – a special treat prepared by our ministry hosts one night as dessert.
Sounds: laughter, tears, dogs barking, guitars, worship, singing, music playing, street vendors yelling, haggling in the markets, blender and juicer in the kitchen, SO MANY PEOPLE, hammers, saws, doorbell to front gate, off-beat tambourine in church, honking, deafening speakers at Janet’s fundraiser, “Everybody scream!”, listening prayer, ear plugs muffling everything, rain, Pio Pio, loud music, cars honking, little kids laughing at Gua Gua preschool, Fabi’s mini-sermons before dinner, super-feedback
Favorite Sound: 60+ voices singing out in worship to our God during all squad worship night.
Feelings: cold, wet, joy, sadness, distance from team, loneliness, confusion, healing, division in Carcelen Bajo, unity of squad, unity at Casa del Dabar church, welcomed, cared for, hospitality, joy in worship, uncomfortable, hungry, high altitude, tired, sensory overload, busy, loved early mornings, peace during early morning runs, family, awe, presence of the Lord, fear of missing out, lost, appreciated, creative, valued, needed, promptings from the Lord, uneasiness, celebration, energy, passion, vulnerability, honesty, fresh excitement for the Word of God, tradition, importance of culture and history
Favorite Feeling: The nearly tangible change in Janet’s spirit from the time we first began to visit her home and pray for her to the time we left at the end of the month. She went from discouraged, hopeless, and desperate to joyful, expectant, and at peace, all thanks to the encouragement of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. It was beautiful.
Living with more than 60 people brought some sensory overload at times, but through it all the Lord worked and was faithful, just as he always is.
