For my last update, to tell about the rest of our time in Ecuador...
Day 6: Today we divided into teams and went to Gamboa and Artesón to paint murals at two little schools. We painted in the morning, had lunch at the camp, and returned to paint in the afternoon. After dinner we bundled up (I put on pretty much everything I owned) to go to church in a small town high in the mountains, Poátug. It was very cold, but I was warm! The church was so beautiful, sweet, and kind to us. I was especially blessed to be able to understand most of the message that Pastor Angel preached! I was so overjoyed and thankful to understand his message in Spanish :)
The view from the school. Breathtaking!
At the church in Poátug
Day 7: Today we continued painting murals, and Mauricio and I finished ours. After lunch at the camp we went to a church in Ambato for VBS, where we divided into teams for skits, games, and crafts. We sang songs in Spanish with the kids, and even though we looked very silly, it was so much fun. We went back to the camp for dinner, and then shopped at an Indian market. Steve had arranged for the craftspeople to come to us and our team bought a lot of our gifts from these people, to whom the missionary team is witnessing.
Adrian and Brian live in Artesón and go to this school. They were with us all morning and Brian helped paint on the mural.
The finished product
Day 8: Today I moved from Artesón to Gamboa where we finished painting the murals. After lunch we went to VBS again in Ambato. It was a good day, and we had some free time after dinner.
One of our murals at the school in Gamboa
Mr. Paint! He is crazy (in a good way!)! It's ok to say that; he told me that himself :)
The painting crews and a few residents of Gamboa. They offered us a midday snack every day, and were so kind to us in every way!
Day 9: Today was a rainy Saturday. We went to Patate for a morning Bible Club where we sang songs, acted out skits, played games, and made crafts. We went back to the camp for lunch, and a few of us ended up helping in the kitchen. It was a good experience to be able to help prepare such a large meal (we were cooking for 400!). I helped Lydia mash potatoes the old fashioned way, and I must say that I have a new appreciation for appliances at home and the cooks at the camp! We helped serve lunch to the youth at the camp, which was an adventure in itself. There were not enough dishes for everyone, so we were washing them as soon as the kids finished with them, and several times had to stop and wait for clean dishes to be brought out. It was hectic, but we made it fun. After washing and putting away all the dishes, we had a short rest before time to serve dinner! We were worn out by the end of the day, but it was so good to work with the wonderful ladies in the kitchen! Later that evening, we finished the day by attending a concert/worship service for the youth camp.
Making espejos (mirrors) at Bible Club in Patate
My friends in the kitchen at Camp Chacauco
Day 10: Today we packed up to leave the camp and traveled to Latacunga for church. The building was so nice and the people were sweet. They baptized two people and took up an offering to send their hard-working pastor on vacation. After a quick lunch at the church we visited a beautiful hacienda near Mt. Cotopaxi where we had hot chocolate and heard a live indigenous band play traditional music. Next we went to Quito where we visited the Equator monument and did some quick shopping. We ran out of daylight, and had just enough time to grab a bite to eat at KFC before going to the airport. We boarded the 11:30 overnight flight to Atlanta, and made it back to Kentucky by 10 the next day.
Steve, Carol, and Me at the church in Latacunga
Mt. Cotopaxi, the world's tallest active volcano
Two hemispheres at once!
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