Back to Winter

Short Version: I didn't sleep at all Friday night. We had the morning and early afternoon free, and then head to Quito for our flight home. I will miss the team, and hope I can return to Casa de Fe next year.

Pray for: You'll have to read the long version.

Long Version:

Saturday:

I don’t think I slept a wink all night. Rita slept little. I went to the bathroom 3 times, and she went 5 times. At around 5:00 A.M., she said, “There was nothing else to do, so I went to the bathroom.” With no sleep and extreme tiredness, I found this extremely funny and started laughing. She laughed. I started laughing again. She laughed again. This probably lasted for half an hour or so. Laughter doeth good like a medicine!!!

So Thankful to Not be Eating Scrambled Eggs

When we finally got up, I opened the curtain, and she came over and sat on my bed and we looked out at the scenery and talked. It was a sweet time of getting to know my new friend Rita a bit better.

For breakfast, I ordered the bread and yogurt platter. There was an amazing berry compote, and mora juice (and I was glad to not be eating eggs). We then headed out shopping with a large group. After many stops, we made it to the chocolate/coffee place, where I bought 6 chocolate bars and one bag of coffee for friends, and chocolate covered coffee beans for me.

Rita and I then split up from the group and had a stop at the pubic bathrooms (20 cents) with no toilet seats. I was really impressed overall with the bathrooms we encountered in Ecuador--I've seen FAR worse elsewhere. (I never miss having to throw your toilet paper into a wastebasket though. And those wastebaskets are almost always on the right side, which is somewhat inconvenient for lefties like me.) 

I then bought some slightly-better-in-tune-than-some pan pipes, went to the supermercado to buy candy for my students, and to buy flax and quinoa. That was followed by a stop at the Catholic church where Rita and I sat for a bit. I shared about my Great Aunt Margaret the Nun, and Rita shared about taking piano lessons from a nun. I read the captions on the paintings about the miracles that had happened in Banos (pretty cool!). We then headed back to the hotel where everyone was just vegging in the lobby. We vegged and vegged until we went to lunch at the same place we had had our first lunch in Ecuador, where I had a tuna sandwich and Sprite. Then we vegged some more until it was time to board the bus. Oh, and Wanda shopped, and shopped and…her personality really came out in Banos!!!

I tried to sleep as soon as we got on the bus. Unsuccessfully, but it was restful. I watched as the scenery changed from rainforest back to a more arid alpine kind of vibe. I noticed that the temperature dropped about 10 degrees C during the drive (and altitude change). I also noticed that the only “chain stores” I ever saw in Ecuador were gas stations, and that I never saw anything that looked like a factory.

Rosa and Kendra--I connected with her more than
any of the other older girls

We arrived at the airport maybe around 8:00 P.M., a couple of hours before we could check in. I was getting really tired by this time from not sleeping at all the night before and not sleeping well for much of the trip. I played Fluxx with some others from the group and then Rita wanted to teach us Pinochle, and I couldn’t focus and comprehend the directions and almost started crying, but realized that I was exhausted and under normal circumstances probably would have been OK.

We finally checked in and I was in a daze. I accidentally dropped my almonds on the floor. I was reading quotes off my passport and looking at my past stamps and visas to try to keep my mind occupied as we went through security and passport check. I thought a yogurt and avocado would make a nice supper, but changed my mind when the yogurt was more than $3.00. I honestly don’t remember our time at the gate at all, other than it was a big space, and I tried to fall asleep as soon as we boarded for our 12:55 Sunday morning flight.

Sunday:

Two Tired Girls at the United Club

The flight took off on time and we had a female captain! I slept as well as one can normally sleep on a plane and woke up enough to eat the dinner that they served at 2:00 A.M. Dry pasta, weird chicken, flan, a roll, and a salad.

We landed in Houston around 5:00 A.M. I was honest and checked that I had contact with livestock (pig and poultry) in Ecuador, so I got sent to the slow line for passport control. Everyone in front of me was grilled by the agent, but I think he almost laughed at me when I said I had contact with a pig and some chickens. Maybe pigs don't count as livestock. We went for breakfast and I had a yogurt parfait and a not so good blueberry muffin. Rita and I then went to the United Club, because I had two free passes. They had breakfast there, (oh well), and we had juice and read newspapers in an environment that was more relaxing than the main airport. Back at the gate, I learned to play Whist, and after 2 gate changes, we took off, only slightly late.

There was no view from the plane because it was cloudy, so I tried to sleep a bit. Jon sat next to me and I finally started to get his sense of humor. After arrival in Minneapolis, (it was so cold walking down the jetway, and I shivered my whole first day back!) it took a while for our bags and even longer for our shuttle. We squished in all 11 of us (Barb is staying in Ecuador for a few more weeks--we didn't lose someone. Honest!) and then had one final meal together at Denny’s (siracha jalapeño burger) and then had to say goodbye.

Jenica, Rita, and Kendra at Denny's

I drove Wanda’s car to my house, where I said goodbye to her, Benita and Tracy. Then the fun part of giving Katja her sweater and the boys their blow guns came—they were hits!!!!

This mission trip was amazing and I was so blessed to be able to go. If God allows me to, I will definitely go again, and hopefully get some others to go with me—Anna and Isabel????

Did I love everything about Casa de Fe? No. I connected with some of the staff and not with others. Hearing about how just having an institution like an orphanage can perpetuate it’s use was sad…if it didn’t exist, some kids would still be with their parents, but it’s also a necessary evil in a country with no foster care system—kids taken from their homes have to go somewhere. Most have parents who are alive and some will be reunited, but some due to abuse, special needs, or family situation never will be. Some kids will eventually end up on the street and maybe end up in prostitution. I hope that by serving and supporting Casa de Fe, and the transitional home that they are developing that I can be a part of helping that NOT happen for some of the girls. Maybe all of the girls. Maybe you want to be a part of it too. Maybe you want to travel with the group next year. Maybe you want to give to Casa de Fe. It costs $30,000 a MONTH to keep it running, all of it donations. Maybe you will pray. Each of us can’t make a difference to all kids around the world like these kids, but we can each make a difference for a few. 

If you’d like to give to Casa de Fe, or get involved in other ways, visit http://lacasadefe.org.

What’s in store for the future? I hope another trip to Casa de Fe. Maybe some year I’ll go when school is out to teach some summer music classes. Hopefully I’ll have some friends join me. My husband, Bill, loved getting to take a “staycation” so I could go to Ecuador. He was also very happy with how joyful I was upon return, and said that if this is what Ecuador does to me, I can go as often as I want to. I love how God surprises us sometimes with confirmation that we're in His will. In my case, it was a financial confirmation. Within four days of returning home, He sent me a new trombone student and a raise at my job teaching swimming lessons at the community center.

Our Last Hotel

I’m thankful to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for giving me a passion both for serving kids and for Spanish and for giving me this opportunity. Days before leaving, my husband pulled out the sheets of paper we had filled out on New Year’s Eve 2015 with our hopes, dreams and prayer requests for 2016. At the top of my list was South American missions. Thank you, Lord, for answers to prayer!

I’m thankful to those who gave financially so that I could go and serve. I’m thankful for those who prayed for our team. I’m thankful for health on the trip and protection from intestinal illness. I’m thankful for my new friends. I’m thankful for the opportunity to get to know Christians, from the U.S. and Ecuador, who truly love Jesus, but who aren’t in my normal little circle of musicians, homeschoolers, and camp people.

If you’ve read all of this, you are a saint. I hope you were at least a little bit inspired. How will you serve the Lord in 2017? At home? In your community? On foreign soil? Maybe you’ll be in Ecuador with me next January.