After 3 months I still don’t seem to have the words to put together what PVT means to me. First of all PVT is a 5 day trip for our parents to come and visit and live life with us for a few days. My mom got to come to Ecuador and visit me in Quito.
In the days leading up to PVT I was scared, nervous, but more than anything excited. I knew I had changed and wasn’t the same girl who left. I had seen too much, heard too much, and done too much to be that wide-eyed, bushy tailed girl who left just 8 months before. But my best friend is on her way to get a taste of what my life is. I was ready to show her the ropes.
So I leave my beloved family in Shell and the next day grab my Mom at the airport. So many tears were shed but quickly after the laughs began just like old times. We head back to where she will be living to hang out a bit before the dreaded meetings begin. Mom sits down in her new bed a little weary of the conditions and shows me all the presents she had stuffed away in her luggage. Packages from friends. Clothes I hadn’t seen in months. A pour over and Old Bay from Pops. Even new clothes that she had bought me. Oh what a blessing all of that was.
We then head up the street for smoothies. To me, they are semi-pricey at $2 a drink but to Mom she can’t believe it. It was too cheap for comfort for her. As we are drinking our smoothies I realized I am a little more battered than when I left. I have an infected toe from the jungle and pretty sure a few parasites in my stomach. I can’t really eat and can only wear sandals. To me, its just another day and another round of CIPRO. To Ma, its her girl sick with things she has never dealt with.
The next couple days, I get to see my mom in action. Now let me give you some background. My mom is a high school teacher. She does teenagers. Little did I know that she also has a heart for the nuts (toddlers) as well.
We head to ministry one day and our job is to entertain and hang out with the children. So we walk around for a while just talking away. My mom has me translating for the kids who in turn are laughing at how little Spanish my mom can speak. We end up hanging out with a little girl and her younger brother.
The little girl begins to tell me her life story about how she lives with her grandmother because her mom has to take care of her siblings and so on. I turn around and there is my mom with a 2 year old in hand. She helps him climb up the stairs and then cheers for him and the end. He is so happy to have her around. Tears fill my eyes to know that she is making this little kids day.
We go home and that night we spend time with my friend Misha and her mom. We play card games till all hour of the night just talking. Catching up on 7 months of life.
The day comes for my mom to leave and I’m not ready. It will be another 4 months till I see her again. But that short little trip gave me the energy to get through the end of my race.
To Mom,
Thank you. Thank you for flying across the world to see me. Flying to a 3rd world country that wasn’t your favorite to spend time with me. Thank you for the smoothies and bread. Thank you for the laughs. Thank you for going to the center of the world with me. Thanks for showing me the world through your eyes. I couldn’t thank you enough. I love you!!!
