I am going to attempt to put this amazing weekend into words, and yet I’m positive those words still won’t capture the beauty of it…but I’ll try.
This month in Ecuador, me and my teammate, Joané, read Through the Gates of Splendour by Elisabeth Elliot together. Incredibly powerful and challenging and amazing! Definitely recommend this book as well.
It is a true story about five families that worked together to minister to an unreached indigenous tribe called the Aucas by Quichua people, but the proper name they recognize themselves as and prefer to be called is Huaorani. The tribe lives in the jungle of Ecuador. Before Jim Elliot and everyone moved to Ecuador they heard of the danger of this tribe, how they kill anyone who tries to intrude and even kill people amongst their own tribe. This did not scare them though. What was more important to them was sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with the Huaorani, so that they could know Jesus and His love for them. If you know of Jim Elliot, the guy who said, “Wherever you are, be all there,” or if you have read Passion & Purity by Elisabeth Elliot, then you know how the story ends.
While reading this book, Joané and I both had a strong desire to go to the jungle since we were already here in Ecuador. Not knowing if it was really going to work out, we asked Gustavo, a guy who works at Inca Link about it, since Inca Link has a ministry in the jungle of Ecuador, we were hoping we could venture out there.
Things didn’t really look that promising until about three days before. Gustavo had made connections for us to be able to stay with Inca Link in the jungle!!! And he had also been in contact with our Pastor, Efrén, for permission to miss two days of ministry to go. Pastor Efrén was completely okay with it, because he wanted us to experience the jungle of Ecuador before we left! He was an incredible guy with a beautiful family. *Spoilers!* More on them in my next blog!
So we left for the jungle for the weekend, full of anticipation for what may lay ahead of us—danger, excitement, and adventure. Off we went!
After a six hour bus ride, the bus driver dropped us off on the side of the road in the pouring torrential rain around three in the morning. We ran to take shelter in the Inca Link Lodge.
Soaking wet, we laid our heads down on the floor of the schoolroom and fell right asleep.
We had arrived in the jungle of Ecuador.
The next morning we walked around the area that Inca Link had established. There were two big lodging houses and one big house where they held classes and church services, and then a kitchen and eating area downstairs.
We met people from different tribes in Ecuador and actually got to meet a man from the Auca tribe, properly known as Huaorani. He was very friendly and didn’t seem like he wanted to kill us at all. Winkface. They invited us on a 45 minute hike to see a waterfall.
We said, “Yes, Please!”
The 45 minute hike turned into a six hour day.
Hiking through the jungle of Ecuador!
Adventure!
It was incredible though! We were hiking through the jungle of Ecuador and got to see and swim in two amazingly beautiful waterfalls!! It was an incredible day with the locals and an incredible experience. I felt so blessed!
Picture of one of the waterfalls! The first one we went to.
When we got back, six hours later, it was well past dinner time. They had prepared grilled chicken and beef on a stick for everyone. We all sat in this hut around the grill eating dinner and afterwards danced the night away.
It was a once in a lifetime experience in the jungle of Ecuador!
Until the next adventure,
Teej
