Destinations:

• Escuela Tumbaco (Elementary School)
• Igelsia Buen Pastor  (Good Shepherd Church)
• Hotel Meeting

Purpose: To pass out shoe boxes and learn more about Samaritan’s Purse.

Tomorrow: Heading to a tough area to pass out boxes and shopping!

Highlights from today:

• It’s Christmas …like never before
• The Purple Team Unite
• A Free House?  What?

Quote of the Day: “We sure had fun today!” said by a little boy after everyone opened their gifts.

What brings you the most joy?  For me is to know that what I did made someone smile.  It just fills me more than anything. Today I saw hundreds of little children and their parents smile so much their mouths had to hurt.  Needless to say, my joy is overflowing!

Christmas in March…why not?!

Today we headed East of Quito. Our first stop today was at a school for nursery age up to 3^rd grade (2 – 8 yrs old).  The school was founded by a lady named Patty who had a heart to educate the kids in this area and give them a chance that their parents may not have had.  The school began in 2004 with 10 kids and today the school has 167 students. The school was organized, clean, and well thought out. You could easily tell that the teachers put their entire hearts into the education and love it. Today, Patty was dressed up like a clown and put on an ensemble for the kids.  Her energy would put most kindergartners to waste.  The kids played games, sang songs, saw a skit put on by the teachers, and there was even these two little boys who sang and rocked out.  I am hoping to upload the video.  To see the boy on the left rocking and ‘Jesus’ in the background playing the guitar was …awesome! (the video file  was too large for the blog… bummer,will have to YouTube it later).

From the school we went out to a rural area.  They warned us that this stop would be much harder with the hardest stop being tomorrow.  It is in this rural area men work for $2 a day if they can find work.  When they do find work they could be gone from home for many days.  Then they come home, drink and …beat their kids.  Today I saw many children with cigarette burns on the top of their hands and up their arms.  The church is the only refuge the children have in this area.  Here they are fed, loved, and safe.

And today they felt like kings and queens!  I had so much fun playing with the kids.  They all wanted to be hugged, tickled and they soaked in every ounce of attention our team could pour out.  When we passed out the gifts, it was almost like they didn’t know how to receive it.  For many, this was the only Christmas gift they may have received.  I went around and sat down next to many just so they, one by one, could show me what they got.  Often they would ask me in Spanish, what is this?  I then would show and tell them how play dough works, or show them how to make their glow in the dark bracelet work.  So many of the toys just amazed them.  One girl got a bag of ring pops.  I told her they were very popular in the US and she put one on and smiled from ear to ear.

But no one smiled more than this little boy who got a little white lamb in his box.  He ran all around showing everyone the lamb he got!  I swear it practically brought you to tears.  Two little boys were saying in Spanish, “We sure had a lot of Fun today!”  Wish I could give Christmas gifts out every day of my life!

My Team

The purple team consists of 12 people.  10 from the US and two interpreters. Of the ten, 2 won the trip in a contest (Paula & Kim), 2 are from large churches (Anita & Linda),  2 work for a large retailer that supports Samaritan’s Purse (Cindy & Bob) and 3 work for Samaritan’s Purse in Boone, NC (Ross, Becky & Stacey).  If you just counted don’t forget to add me in the mix.  The two interpreters are Mariela and Jose.  Jose has become a great friend.  He says people call him the Robin Williams of Quito because he resembles him so much.  I have been happy that the team has worked so well together.  We truly have been there for each other in so many ways.  Especially when you give your heart out many times a day and you are exhausted because of the altitude and little sleep, it is important to have the right team around you.  And I do.

I have to tell you a bit more about Jose.  His mother just passed last week.  In fact he buried her on Monday and joined our trip on Tuesday.  On Saturday and Sunday last week, all his family came over to his house.  And, as it is custom in Ecuador, the family parties all night long with no sleep for two days.  It is like business as usual in the day but as soon as the sun goes down it is time to celebrate the person’s life that has passed.  On Tuesday morning when I met Jose, he had a smile and joy in him that beamed.  His mother lived a good, long life but he was rejoicing since she was now in Heaven.  He is the type of person who has joy at the core of his soul and can’t help but let it overflow onto others.  He fills my ears with story after story and facts upon facts on Quito.  I will miss my time with him.

Samaritan’s Purse

When we got back to the hotel in the evening, we met up with all the other teams that are out here.  The 7 teams and 50 people filled a conference room and got to hear all the amazing things Samaritan’s Purse is doing in Ecuador.  They include: feeding programs, disaster relief, HIV Aids treatment, building playgrounds at orphanages, developing schools, wheelchairs, refugee help for those escaping Columbia, emergency response to Boliva, Haiti, Turks & Cacaos, medical caravans that have helped over 80K people, and a surgical clinic to help people with back and feet deformities be able to walk and live normal lives.   But the story that will stick out most in my mind was a lady who was gifted a free house from Samaritan’s Purse.

A few years ago, a volcano erupted and wiped out hundreds of homes.  The combination of fire and ash completely engulfed a huge area leaving many families without anything.  Samaritan’s Purse responded quickly.  In addition to disaster relief they normally provide through churches and schools, they started building homes.  They built and gave 102 homes away.  Not only were the homes free but a volunteer attorney went to work and was able to get the government give each home owner the deed to the home.  Most deeds are owned by the government out here. The government was so impressed with Samaritan’s Purse that they then started to build homes on the same plot of land modeling the homes after the ones SP built.

Well one of the people who got a free home gave her testimony today.  With tears in her eyes she thanked Samaritan’s Purse and all those who give to the organization.  She told us, through an interpreter, how she felt so desolate and scared after the volcano took her home away.  She didn’t know where go to.  Her and her children were hopeless.   But today she has a 3 bedroom home and each of her kids have their own room.  And …she owns the home!  In addition, Samaritan’s Purse taught her how to sew and sell scarfs; now she has a little business that provides for her family.

Thought for the day:

One of the gals in our group told me of a story where she went up in the hills of Jamaica to deliver shoe boxes.  She thought, ‘Jamaica …this will be a simple trip.’  Little did she know that the trip would take her up mountains and little roads to the most remote area she could ever imagine.  She told me the little children came to a little school, barefooted in old clothes.  One school for the 25 kids and one teacher to teach them all.  After they gave out the shoe boxes, the teacher grabbed her by the arms and looked straight into her eyes and said, “You don’t understand …no one comes up here …no one ever comes to help us.”   She responded, “Until now.”

Dean

Destinations:

• Driving to the southern part of Quito
• La Victoria School
• Dulce Regufio Church

Purpose: To understand the culture of Ecuador, work on a school and pass out shoe boxes to children.

Tomorrow: Going to another school and a church to distribute more shoe boxes!

Highlights from today:

• Catching a glimpse of Quito, Ecuador
• Working in my element
• Gifts, gifts and more gifts

Quote of the Day: “Quito es el balcon del Ceilo.” Quito is Heaven’s Balcony.”

Throughout the day I am writing down notes so I won’t miss anything to comment on in my blog.  Yet each day is filled with many emotions, dozens of stories and hundreds of faces.  How does a painter choose what colors to add to his pallet? How do I capture the thrill and the joy and leave room for the touching? By the time I sit down to write and edit pictures, it is about 11pm my time, which is 8pm in California.  I wish I could just transport everyone here … it would be worth it.

Driving through Quito

Quito is what I would describe as Ecuador’s Grand Canyon.  Picture the Grand Canyon, then slam it together so you have many steep mountains right next to each other.  Add deep forest green all around and pour a bucket of housing in the valleys.  Ok … now for the interesting part, …add housing that looks like different bright colored Legos up and down the sides of the slopes of the mountains, now stack those Legos 4 stories high.  Colors you should choose are orange, purple, yellow, red and green.  All bright.  Draw a few windy roads through the valleys so you can get from point to point.  And there you have it, Quito.

They natives call Quito, Heaven’s Balcony because it is surrounded by mountains.  When driving you can’t help but look out and up to see the many eye catching mountain tops.  But you have to look quickly; the view will be blocked by another mountain before you turn the bend.  There is a huge stature of the Virgin Mary stepping on a dragon on one summit and a huge Roman Catholic Cathedral on another.  Then you blink and you are looking at an active volcano with steam coming from its top wondering if that is a cloud.

Our driver took to the twisty roads as if he was the designer of the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland.  Quito is also filled with ½ built buildings.  I think this is typical of Mexico in general and 2^nd & 3^rd world countries.  Though they say the recession of 1986 really put Quito in hardship and left many things undone.  All buildings are built with cement bricks.  Most are not painted but when they are, they are bright.

Some facts:

• You are 2 pounds lighter in Ecuador.
• Quito is 45 mins away from the equator.
• Time actually last longer here … just kidding.
• 3 million people live in Quito.
• They natives say the city is female because the weather is moody.  It may start out beautiful but can change at a moment and begin to rain for no reason.  I don’t think the ladies on my group appreciated hearing that.

La Victoria

La Victoria is a school in southern Quito and provides education to approximately 400 children in the nearby area.  Southern Quito is semi-rural.  In fact, most people still grow corn on their property.   It is hear that many families live on less than $200 a month and some even live on less than $2.00 a day. When they figure a lunch is about 2 bucks, you can see how poverty has truly struck over 38% of the inhabitants.

La Victoria is a project where two churches and Samaritan’s Purse have come together and are building a 4 story school (3/4^th finished!) to aid this community.  Our job was to paint, install ceiling tiles and fix some electricity.  We also got a few minutes with the ninos in between classes.  One person in our group said, “Wow, even though I don’t speak a lick of Spanish, all I did was sit down and all the kids came around me and wanted to play…one even gave me a cookie from her snack.”  Children here are truly wonderful.  They share, appreciate the smallest thing, and just want to spend time with you.

My job that I quickly agreed to, was to climb the scaffolding and paint the middle portion of the building.  I took to this like a clean pig takes to warm mud.  One, I love heights and two, I love a little danger.  This scaffolding was on a slope, supported by misc pieces of odd cut brick to ‘even it out’ and then you got to walk on planks that wobbled when you shifted your weight at all.  Needless to say I had a blast scaring everyone.

Magic and Gifts

After leaving La Victoria we drove to the ‘Dulce Regufio’  which I found out translates to ‘Sweet Shelter Church’ … that made a bit more sense.  But before we got there we stopped for a bit to eat in the bus alongside of a community street.  A public school had just let out and a number of children were walking past our bus shouting and waving.  Four stopped and started asking me a few questions from my window.  I decided to pull out some magic from my backpack and did a little impromptu magic show… still in my seat, just hung out the window a bit.  Before you knew it there were around 50 kids watching!

We arrived about a half hour later at the two story church …bright orange of course.  Upstairs we went with approximately 250 shoe boxes.  We originally planned for only 180 kids but word got out and the children came from everywhere.  The small room was packed to the max.  Comfortably you could sit about 140 people, today there were well over 300!  We had to be in that little room for about 3 hours.  The humidity level was so high I think I saw water droplets begin to appear on the ceiling.  We sang songs with the kids, some were chosen to go on stage and compete in a few games, I did some magic, the pastor gave a message to the kids and their families, and just when you thought the first victim would pass out, we began giving out the shoe boxes.  All the kids had to wait to open them …they were so good and patient, until each child had one and then all at once they opened their gifts!

The boxes were filled with all sorts of gifts.  I saw silly puddy, slinkies, a telescope, crayons, dolls, candy, and everything else one could imagine.  The children and their parents were so extremely appreciative.  Afterwards, a man gave a hug to one of the volunteers. The pastor noticed it and told the volunteer that to receive a hug from that man is extremely rare and better than any words he could have expressed.

Thought for the day:

It is amazing to see the value of a gift.  One that nothing is expected in return.  To give a gift like that fills ones heart.  I know, it is just a simple shoe box.  The contents are not worth all that much.  Yet the right gift in the right hand reaps fortunes we could never imagine.  A kind word, a little bit more patience, a smile, a card, a hug and yes, even a shoe box, may just mean all the difference in a person’s life today.

Dean

Well I made it!

My flights were great and I just had carry on, so no luggage worries.  Today four different groups arrived from around the US.  So far, I believe I am the only California person.  There are a total of 76 people which will split up into 7 teams.  I am on the purple team.  In total we will be visiting 29 locations and distributing about 5000 shoe boxes.  Its now 1am here and I am exhausted but also so pumped up about being here I doubt if I am going to get any sleep.

First Thoughts on Ecuador

Clean:

• I have been on mission trips to Mexico before but this doesn’t look like the Mexico I know.  For one, it is cleaner than Seattle.  The stores look like upscale Tijuana stores, so you get the Mexico feel but the streets don’t have an ounce of trash.  Even the airport is spotless.  The airport by the way looks just like the airport in India.

The People:

• Height:  For one, the indigenous people are lucky if they get 5ft tall.  I took a picture with a cute older couple in the airport (photo below).  It doesn’t look like it but I am actually bending down a couple of inches!  Finally a place where my 5’8″ is tall!
• Eyes: I don’t know how many of you have paid attention to the eye color of the actors on Smallville, but most of the actors have grey/blue eyes.  I am sure it adds to the mystique of the show.  Well, besides the dark brown eye color you would expect to see in people who live in this region, many also have very cool grey/blue eyes.

Tomorrow:

• Active Volcano: They said there is an active volcano that I can see from my hotel room in the morning!  Sweet!
• The Distributions:  We are heading to La Victoria and Dulce Regufio (which sounds like it translates to Sweet Refugies, but doubt it).  I was hoping for a tribal destination but it looks like the purple team will be working mainly in the outskirts of Quito.  At La Victoria I believe we will help work on the facility that helps serve the community in the area in addition to pass out the shoe boxes to the kids.  At Sweet Regufio I am thinking we are doing some type of program for the kids.  I brought some magic just in case.