June 30th (Day 11) Travel and Sleep Deprivation

Our last day in Ecuador began early with a 3am wake-up call and a tired anticipation for seeing family and friends by the end of the day.  Our team was very tired with 3-4 hours of sleep and all were looking forward to sleeping on the plane.  We arrived at the airport a little before 4pm and made it through with no problem.

We did have one rather comical moment when the airline called three of us down to ask us about our checked luggage piece.  One of them was Noah Danner who had his suitcase full of Hannah Miller’s clothes.  When they opened his suitcase it was filled with underwear and bras and they asked Noah if this was his suitcase and he just smiled and said yes.  I am curious to what kind of witness that was to this luggage handler J  13 of us got on the flight to Panama at 6pm and then caught a flight to Houston.  The other 11 went straight to Houston and both groups were rather silent during those legs of the trip.  The group that came to Panama were delayed a bit so by the time they got through customs they were running through the airport to get there on time.  The last 3 of them arrived with our plane half loaded. 

When we got on the plane they had a few electronic issues and ended up being delayed by about 40 minutes at the gate.  It was a little bit hot but we passed the time talking loudly to each other and possibly annoying some other travelers.  It seems that everyone doesn’t appreciate the joy and love that mission team has for each other by the end of the trip.  We had a safe trip back home and were excited to see our loved ones by the time we landed.  When we got there our entire luggage arrived except Arthur’s (which came on a later flight and delivered that evening).  When we got to church it was great seeing so many of our loved one’s and lots of laughter, tears and hugs were shared.  We ended it the way we should with a group prayer lifting many of our thoughts and hopes of the next steps in our lives.

What a joy and privilege it was for me to spend the last 11 days with each of you on this trip.  It was one of the best mission experiences I have had with a group and look forward to see how God will use this experience to shape you for further ministry.  Remember you are never alone as you have 23 other brothers and sisters and most importantly your Heavenly Father who has watched over you and protected you during this experience.  May God continue to bless each of you and continue to serve and be a witness to Him.  He must become more and we must become less.  Dios lay bendega.

Derek Broten

Day 10 (June 29th)

Well good morning!!  Or is it night??? Hmm….. I’m not really sure because right now, it’s 4:54 in the morning and we’ve been up for 2 hours already.  The hardest part about being at an international airport at this time in the day is not the sleep in our eyes, the headaches we have, or even our brains not fully awake yet, but the issue of hydrating our bodies. As you are probably aware, we are not allowed to bring a full water bottle past security. You can bring an empty one, but not any water.  If we were in the states, NO PROBLEMO! Fill it up when you get through, but being in Ecuador, and not really in the mood to get parasites, we all decided it was best to not drink the water no matter how much our heads hurt or our throats scratched.   Buying water was not even an option because none of the stores are open. Other than that minor little detail and scare of infestation of parasites in our final hours in Quito, WE’RE GREAT!!!  Nevertheless, the time we have spent in this beautiful country has been one of the best experiences in our lives.

Yesterday was our last full day in Ecuador.  Interesting enough, the word “Ecuador” comes directly from the word “Equator.” So after a M.Y.O (make your own…..for those of you who are not quite as familiar with texting lingo) breakfast, we headed to the middle of the earth. Quite literally. After making sure everyone in a mile radius knew we were American tourists by our thorough use of cameras and creative poses, we were able to do some shopping!!!!!  This we did in tradition Ecuadorian fashion: we bartered.  We had veterans, we had rookies, we had some with a natural talent and some who struggled. And we are slightly concerned about some people continuing this habit once back in our homeland.  If anyone had any questions about why we were there, those questions were gone once they noticed a bunch of Scandinavians parading through the streets of Ecuador in alpaca ponchos carrying giant hammocks. Which coincidentally, most Ecuadorians don’t wear ponchos.  Go figure. But we looked good! 

After a delicious 4 course Ecuadorian meal, we once again climbed onto the oh so familiar bus and headed to a retreat center called El Refugio (The Refuge for all you Gringos). Started in 1994, this 300+ acre property is a place where up to 3000 people a year, come to experience God in nature. Our purpose was to have 3 hours of hiking and quiet time with our heavenly Daddy.  It is amazing how fast the time went and how everyone was able to connect with God in a personal and unique way.  After quiet time, we had dinner. 

Hotdogs, chips, watermelon and carrots; normal right?  Well did I mention the Qui? For those of you who might need to look this up, it’s Guinea Pig. Yep. That’s right. Those tiny little creatures we keep in cages in our children’s bedrooms, name, feed, and care for. We had the opportunity to see how they are underneath the surface.  To be quite honest, it did taste like chicken. A little bit greasy, but for the most part, not bad. We finished off the meal with an Ecuadorian version of a s’more. Which our host and resident Ecuadorian Diana thought was a funny word.

Our final debrief was spent sharing our experiences during quiet time and reflecting on our entire trip.  As the memories of the last 10 days flooded our minds, we remembered what touched us, what made us laugh, and what we learned.  We were also reminded that this is a mission ‘experience’ and not a mission ‘trip’.  A trip has an end, but an experience goes on.  And with this, we were challenged with what fruit we wanted to bear for the kingdom and how we wanted to impact others once we returned to Woodbury. All in all, every one of us is leaving feeling blessed to be a part of this team and this family. We have no regrets and are thankful that God has brought us here and given us a bond both with this country and with each other that none of us will ever forget.

Sunny Stansbury and Becca Petrich