Adventures WorldRace SethBarnes Sponsorship Giving

| by archiveworldraceblogs

I have to stop saying “Si” when people talk to me in rapid Spanish. One day I tried to say that I spoke very little Spanish, but only got out “un pequito” which the woman took to mean I wanted some water. That happened to me more than once and you never know exactly where they are getting there water source from.   This also happened to me when we went to visit and share the Gospel with homes in the mountains. Over the past two weeks we have been spending some time with the youth of the church in Calderon going to homes and talking to people about Jesus. That day in the mountains one of the houses we stopped was of an elderly woman. The Ecuadorians we were with began to share about Jesus and as they all talked back and forth the woman would look at me and begin talking to me. She was so sweet trying to include me in the conversation and I would just smile and say Si. This is how I got a bag of yucca (sort of like potatoes) and plantains. She hugged me going down the stairs and all I got out of her rapid Spanish was gringo and bonita (pretty). 

We have been staying at the church with the Pastor and his wife. They also have their daughter, her husband and children living with them. They were awesome to us, especially the Pastor’s wife. She treated us as her own and she teased us and laughed at our attempts to speak Spanish. One of my favorite moments was helping her cut carrots in the kitchen and I began singing How Great Thou Art (because I sing when I do anything) and she started to sing it in Spanish. Her grandchildren were also a hoot and it was so good to be in a place long enough to build relationships better. The Pastor’s wife told us girls before we left that she would never forget us and then began to cry. We are so grateful to her and her family.

Sidenote: Puppies, barking dogs, chickens and back firing trucks do not make great background noises for light sleepers (is it bad if I say I miss my fan) and fitting 16 people in the bed of a pick-up truck going down the side of a mountain in probably not the greatest idea, but it is a fun adventure!