We have noticed that during the past few days there has been an increase in the temperature here at the beach and an increase in pressure for us to get things done before certain deadlines. Both are the natural result of the progression of the months.
We are now in the rainy season which means that about every other day we can expect some steady rain, usually during the night. It is during this season that we also find the temperature and humidity climbing, although we are still considerably cooler here than in the city of Guayaquil. Our little beach town is becoming busier during the weeks and quite crowded with sun-seekers on the weekends.
The Camp season is also now looming on the horizon and we are getting busier by the day. Our ministry is heating up! The school break here is different from that of the northern hemisphere as here it is usual to have a few weeks off during the months of January through March. We would especially appreciate it if you would begin to pray for the following activities in these upcoming weeks.
February 8 -17 Canadian Camp Preparation Team
February 18-23 Youth Camp,
February 25-March 1 First Children’s Camp,
March 5-March 8 Leaders Training Camp,
March 10-15 Second Children’s Camp,
March 24-29 Older Youth
In addition to this we will have the initial long-term camp planning meeting on Saturday, January 19th. This will be an all day event at the camp and will be first time that our planning committee will get together as such. The purpose of this group is to begin to take steps towards being responsible for the camp facility itself. We will begin to look at the vision for the camp and start to think about how we will translate that vision into reality. There have been some hurts in the past, mostly due to a lack of communication and we hope to address those issues early on in order that we might see the group work together to advance the ministry here at El Faro.
In selecting this committee we have aimed to strike a balance between the four brethren churches in Guayaquil along with missionary representation. Please pray for the committee members; Willian, Felipe, Joanna, Daniel, David E., David D., Gaby, Maria-Eugenia, Janna, Dale, Kelly and myself.
Genesis 18;1
“The Lord appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day.”
What would I feel if the Lord appeared to me while I was sitting here on my deck at the camp sipping on some maracuya juice in the heat of the day? Would I be startled? Would I be disbelieving? Would I know it was the Lord? What would I say? Or would I remain speechless? As I read through Genesis I am struck by how this incident and others seem to be recorded as if they were everyday, natural, normal, unsurprisingly, matter of fact events. Maybe it’s because I have read these passages so many times that they have lost their impact for me. But think about it for a minute - “The Lord appeared to Abraham”-this is a supernatural event that is being recorded! It’s a miracle! William Lane Craig is quoted as saying in “The Case for Faith” by Lee Strobel, “a miracle is an event which is not producible by the natural causes that are operative at the time and place that the event occurs.” As the story unfolds in the next few chapters it is obvious that is what is taking place in the life of Abraham.
I am not anticipating any miracles in my life but hopefully if the Lord does appear to me suddenly I will recognize Him and have the humble servant’s attitude that Abraham displays and be intercessory in my conversation with Him as he was. But wait! Shouldn’t that be my attitude every day?
Monday, January 14, 2008
Sunday, January 6, 2008
a hectic two weeks
We are feeling a little down today as Holly and Jessica went back to Canada on Friday night. The two weeks went by very quickly but we had a great time with them here and had no problem getting into the Christmas spirit once they showed up. We made numerous trips into Guayaquil and surprisingly enough some of them had little to do with malls, although we did have to do almost all our Christmas shopping over the space of two days. It is amazing how quickly the mind can focus on the task at hand when you know there is a deadline!
As the big week rolled around we were able to keep up some of our family traditions while mixing in some new activities. We had an enjoyable time on Christmas Eve and chose to eat our main meal then, Ecuadorian style- although we ate around 8pm and not around midnight as many Ecuadorian families do. Christmas Day was a quiet, enjoyable day for just the four of us and we enjoyed a walk on the beach in the afternoon.
At the end of the week we drove into Guayaquil for a hectic three days. Rolando from Bastion hitched a ride with us as he had brought our house-sitters out to Playas with him. He took us downtown to an area where they sell the majority of the “manigotes” that they burn on New Years Eve. The display must have stretched out for a kilometer or so and it is amazing to see the craftsmanship that is put into some of these papier mache figures.
We enjoyed the “Cena para Los Jovenes” (Youth Supper) at Alborada on the Friday night, although it was a little stressful for me as I was preaching in Spanish for the first time in almost 11 years. There was a large group of almost 80 out at this event and it was a good opportunity for all of us to catch up with some old friends. Holly and Jessica spent time with Gaby and Leyla; two of their old friends from our old neighbourhood. I had a chance to chat with Nestor who I was privileged to lead to the Lord so long ago. He has had some struggles in his life since then but seemed to be in good spirits and is appreciated for his ability to lead others to the Lord. Kelly spent time with Cecilia who is one of the teachers at the school in Bastion Popular and is also a very talented and creative woman. We also found out from Gaby and Leyla that unbeknown to us, three others from the old kids club that we used to hold in our house became Christians and that two of them are regulars at Alborada! So take heart all of you who work with kids. You just never know what God is doing in the hearts of the young ones that you are sharing with.
We spent three days overnight in Guayaquil staying with David and Kathy Edgecombe. Watching David preach and listening to him talk it is amazing to see what God has done with this formerly quiet, shy young man who used to come to our house for guitar lessons. David is confident, convicted, and of strong character and together he and Kathy make a very capable young couple. “Iglesia Evangelica Alborada” has grown tremendously over the years, much of it being the result of their strong leadership, the love they show for others and their passion for God. While staying with them we did some sight-seeing in Guayaquil, spending most of a Saturday afternoon visiting the Malecon and climbing “El Cerro Santa Ana” (Santa Ana Hill.)
The following day was spent at Alborada again where we were delighted to see Gaby, her husband Christian and her brother Jose along with 6 others recognized as deacons and deaconesses. Then we enjoyed another supper, this time immediately following the morning service. Turkey and rice were the order of the day and the meal was served with much confusion in the main auditorium with everyone seated – more or less! There are no church basements in Ecuador – so church meals are a little trickier to serve. However, miraculously there were no major spills as far as I could ascertain. In the evening we were back once again for the Christmas youth presentation. By way of a change about 30 youth had put together a cantata of sorts dealing with Noah and the Ark. They lip-synched to a backing track and had these marvelous costumes that had all been professionally made to match their requirements. Other than Noah, all the characters were animals and the make-up was astonishingly good. The message in the songs came across very strongly. It was suitable for all ages and was very well received.
We made it back to Playas on Monday morning, just in time to be in town for the big New Year’s Eve bash. The house had been well looked after by Rolando’s brother, wife and son so our minds will rest easy if we need to go away for a few days again. At around 11pm we made our way down to the malecon in Playas to see in the New Year. I think that almost everyone in Playas must have been out and we were reminded how much this means to the Ecuadorian people. For them the burning of the manigotes is a way to kiss goodbye to all the trials of the previous year and see the new one in with a flourish of hope and anticipation. There was a huge display of manigotes with, once again, some amazing craftsmanship. As far as I could tell the winner of the competition was a Fire Truck with working lights etc. Thankfully they did not burn it when the New Year came in as it was so big that it might have taken half the town with it if they had filled it with the customary firecrackers! However, they did burn just about every other manigote in sight and there was always a strong possibility that a couple of real live humans might be burned as well! We chose a site that was a little more distant from the main action where fireworks were going off in all directions and chose instead to hang around a group of families that were burning theirs a little further up the beach. The noise was incredible and the smell of cordite hung in the air as the figures literally went up in smoke!
On New Years Day we were up early as we hosted a group from Bastion at the camp. Close to 40 came out to spend the day at the beach and get away from the big drunken party that was the city of Guayaquil. The bus -replete with Canadian colours and flag as it was donated by Canadians – showed up around 10 and everyone piled out and made their way to the beach with Kuma our guard dog beside himself with excitement to see so many old friends. There was to be a lot more excitement before the day was over however. It started with a rat in the glass-fronted fridge!
We had opened up the kitchen so that they could use it to keep things cool and prepare some lunches. However, it wasn’t long before Holly came out to tell me in sotto voce that “there is a dead rat in the fridge!” To this point no-one seemed to have noticed it so when everyone headed down to the beach I headed into the kitchen to see what I could do. Unfortunately, the rat was very dead and had obviously been decomposing over a few days. We had left the fridge propped open with a bottle a few days ago to let it air out and the foolish rodent must have knocked the bottle over as it climbed in, thus imprisoning itself. I opened the door and was immediately sorry that I had as the stench was overwhelming. I tried to shovel the critter out but it was stuck to the fridge wall and was not going to budge easily. I realized that this was going to be more than a two minute job and that the overwhelming stench was not going to go away easily -so we closed the door, covered the glass with a garbage bag and left a “Do not open!” sign on the door and opened every door and window in the kitchen. The rat would wait for a later date!
More excitement was literally just around the corner! Shortly after the rat episode I was sitting in the shade with Rolando and his dad discussing plants when we heard a crash followed by another and a huge cloud of dust was kicked up from behind our neighbors’ far wall. We realized that someone had lost control of their vehicle on the bend approaching our house and rushed over expecting the worst. A Hyundai Santa Fe had lost control, hit a drain about 50 yards back and then crashed into the wall. By the time that Rolando and I jumped a couple of walls and made it to the scene we could see a fire below the vehicle and although the driver and passenger had made it out by this time we began to shout for water. Quickly a makeshift chain of people was put together and buckets of water passed from our house to the scene but before we needed more than a couple of buckets Rolando, “El Bombero!” (The Fireman) had it out. No one was hurt but the evidence was there for all to see when about a half dozen bottles of beer fell out of the car! Before you ask, neither the police, ambulance, or firetruck came and in fact the driver was quite insistent that we all leave him to sort things out. Within a few minutes they had pushed the car out of the ditch and were on their way to Posorja in a seriously devalued SUV. I wish I had taken a picture!
However, the biggest excitement of the day was reserved for late afternoon when Jaime, one of the youth, showed up at our house complaining that he had been bitten by something in the water and was now in excruciating pain! At first I thought that he was just kidding around as he only had a small pin-prick on his toe to show for it, but when he began to complain of pain around his torso, and feeling as if an electric current was flowing through his body I thought it was time we took him to see someone. By this time he was writhing about in agony and complaining of being cold so we wrapped him up in a blanket and Jose, Willian and I rushed him down to the Red Cross on the beach in Playas. There we discovered, as I suspected, that he had been stung by a Stingray! They gave him an injection for the pain and then cut out the stinger which was still in his toe! It didn’t take long for the pain-killer to take effect and Jaime was smiling again. As I suspected he was very popular with the girls by the time that we got him back to the camp and I am sure that he had an enjoyable trip home as the centre of attention! All in all it was an exhilarating New Year’s Day!
We spent our last few days with the girls relaxing, shopping, walking the beach, doing jigsaw puzzles and having a good time hanging out as a family. Their two weeks were action packed and fun-filled and I think that they were both reluctant to go home to the cold and snow in Canada and are both talking about coming for another visit. In fact, Holly is going to try to save enough to come and help out at the first week of camp in February during Reading Week! Anyone want to come with her?
Verse for the Day: Proverbs 22:6
“Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.”
El Malecon and Cerro Santa Ana
Jessica part way up the hill
The view from the top of the hill
Out shopping in Guayaquil
Three participants in Noah´s Ark getting their makeup on.
Supper at Alborada
, Gaby, Holly and Jessica
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
The Elusive Christmas Spirit
I am writing this on December 15th, so there are only 10 days left until the big day and yet I am having great difficulty getting into the “Christmas Spirit.” A quick check of Windows Media Player reveals that I have over 17 hours of Christmas music (I was always a big fan of Christmas CD’s) ripped to my laptop. Yet even though I have a great little set of speakers attached to said laptop and although we regularly play a lot of music in the evenings (having no TV does that to you) we have yet to choose to play any Christmas music. I said as much to Kelly on Sunday after we came back from the service at Bastion. “We haven’t yet played any Christmas music and they will have been playing it at the services back in Belleville!” The last two weeks they have been playing a few Christmas songs and hymns at church services both in Bastion and Alborada and they even played one of my recent favourites “Celebrate The Child” - thanks Dan and the Wisdom band for teaching it to us a couple of years back - at Bastion on Sunday. By the way, that’s another song that sounds better in Spanish!
I drive the 5km into the little town of Playas and see that it is full of reminders that the Christmas season is now upon us. In its own way it is as commercial here as it is in Canada. The stores are full of artificial Christmas trees, singing lights (yes, most of their Christmas lights hum tunes incessantly), decorations, toys, employees wearing little red Santa hats, Christmas cakes, turkeys, and all the usual fixings. The streets are full of vendors peddling their Christmas wares like Nativity scenes and battery operated toys. The Christmas season is well and truly here in Playas, yet I don’t feel that I am experiencing it yet. I am not in the mood. I feel like I am just an observer of all the frantic activity and I am not really sure just why.
As I ponder this conundrum in search of an answer I have come to the conclusion that it must be one of, or a combination of three things. First, it is hard for those of us from the Northern hemisphere to imagine Christmas without snow or at least cold weather with the imminent threat of snow. Even in Scotland where it rained more often than not there was the possibility of snow. It could happen. Here, you know that it is just not going to happen. All the locals are talking about how cool it is at the beach at this time of year. We know that it has only been around 28-30 degrees most days, I would think! However, although it is so cool (beach season is usually in the 30’s) there is absolutely no possibility of it snowing. None. We will not experience the near silence of countless millions of unique snowflakes gently falling almost soundlessly on Christmas Eve. We will not wake up to a glistening, blinding, deliciously white carpet of snow. Barring the freakiest of freak storms that would turn the world on its head there will be no snow on the equator this December 25th. Maybe that’s the reason for my lack of enthusiasm – the weather is simply not conducive to the Christmas spirit.
The second possibility is that when you are removed from the whole merry-go-round of buying Christmas presents for family, friends, co-workers etc., you are also removed from the commercial idea of what Christmas is. The merchants would tell us that Christmas is buying. It is the largest collective orgy of spending that the world has ever seen and if you don’t do your part then you are in danger of being labeled a modern day Scrooge. Somehow that doesn’t seem to fit in with the Christmas story I read in the scriptures and I have always been uneasy with it. Maybe it would be better if we just had our wild orgy of spending and called it something other than Christmas. After all, how much time do we actually spend contemplating the birth of Jesus, the Saviour of the World at this time of year? Perhaps it is the sense of being removed from that merry-go-round that finds me watching instead of participating.
The final possibility is that what we call Christmas is really for us a concentrated time of sharing and spending time with our closest family members. “I’ll be Home for Christmas” is a Christmas hit for a good reason. Well, we won’t be home for Christmas, and we will miss out on those family together times which are always special despite the extra work, stresses and family tensions that those times always bring. We won’t be making any trips to family members, we won’t be pulling any Christmas crackers, and we won’t be in any of the family photos this year. It could be that not planning for those family gatherings is leaving me bereft of the Christmas mood.
Having said all that, my mood may be about to change. I may just be about to get into that Christmas spirit, albeit a little later than usual. We are really excited that we are going to pick up Holly and Jessica at the airport late on Thursday night! After a short night’s sleep we have a mad rush home on Friday to be here for a Teacher’s Christmas party at the camp in the afternoon and a trip back into Guayaquil for the Christmas Service at Alborada on Sunday. We will have just a handful of days to play our part and buy decorations for our little $19 tree, buy some Christmas presents, buy the turkey etc., and then relax and play the music - Burl Ives, Bing Crosby, Michael W. Smith, Rachael Lampa, Hanson, Relient K, The Chieftains and The London Philharmonic Orchestra! If I am not in the Christmas Spirit after all that then I guess it must just be the weather!
On a final note, I will be preaching for the first time on December 28th at a young people’s Christmas supper at the church in Alborada. I will be talking about holiness and could use some prayer support!
Verse for the Day:
Genesis 3:17-19
“Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistle for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.”
I am enjoying the different perspective that reading the Bible in Spanish gives you. It is also a great way to do your devotionals and practice your Spanish at the same time. Currently I am reading in the book of Genesis and had to stop when I came to the words “cardos y espinas” which mean thorns and thistles. It got me thinking about the little garden that we are tending here at El Faro. The garden is full of little thorns that attach themselves to your pant legs, laces, shoe soles or worse yet, jab your skin! They are extremely annoying to come across. Moreover, the ground here is either stony and rocky and very difficult to dig into or very fine and sandy. None of it seems to be very good soil and if you spend any time working in it at all during the day you find yourself very quickly sweating. So, what must it have been like for Adam to have been thrust out of the Paradise that was the Garden of Eden into the world outside? It must have been a huge shock to the system, a very rude awakening to the consequences of his sin. These last words from God must have been ringing in his ears as he tried to wring a living out of the barren wilderness. Maybe if we all received immediate punishment for our wrongdoings we would be less likely to wander astray from God’s will. But who am I to question God’s mercy and grace in holding back from us what we deserve?
We are posting this picture just to prove to Tim Horne that we have actually been on the beach!
I drive the 5km into the little town of Playas and see that it is full of reminders that the Christmas season is now upon us. In its own way it is as commercial here as it is in Canada. The stores are full of artificial Christmas trees, singing lights (yes, most of their Christmas lights hum tunes incessantly), decorations, toys, employees wearing little red Santa hats, Christmas cakes, turkeys, and all the usual fixings. The streets are full of vendors peddling their Christmas wares like Nativity scenes and battery operated toys. The Christmas season is well and truly here in Playas, yet I don’t feel that I am experiencing it yet. I am not in the mood. I feel like I am just an observer of all the frantic activity and I am not really sure just why.
As I ponder this conundrum in search of an answer I have come to the conclusion that it must be one of, or a combination of three things. First, it is hard for those of us from the Northern hemisphere to imagine Christmas without snow or at least cold weather with the imminent threat of snow. Even in Scotland where it rained more often than not there was the possibility of snow. It could happen. Here, you know that it is just not going to happen. All the locals are talking about how cool it is at the beach at this time of year. We know that it has only been around 28-30 degrees most days, I would think! However, although it is so cool (beach season is usually in the 30’s) there is absolutely no possibility of it snowing. None. We will not experience the near silence of countless millions of unique snowflakes gently falling almost soundlessly on Christmas Eve. We will not wake up to a glistening, blinding, deliciously white carpet of snow. Barring the freakiest of freak storms that would turn the world on its head there will be no snow on the equator this December 25th. Maybe that’s the reason for my lack of enthusiasm – the weather is simply not conducive to the Christmas spirit.
The second possibility is that when you are removed from the whole merry-go-round of buying Christmas presents for family, friends, co-workers etc., you are also removed from the commercial idea of what Christmas is. The merchants would tell us that Christmas is buying. It is the largest collective orgy of spending that the world has ever seen and if you don’t do your part then you are in danger of being labeled a modern day Scrooge. Somehow that doesn’t seem to fit in with the Christmas story I read in the scriptures and I have always been uneasy with it. Maybe it would be better if we just had our wild orgy of spending and called it something other than Christmas. After all, how much time do we actually spend contemplating the birth of Jesus, the Saviour of the World at this time of year? Perhaps it is the sense of being removed from that merry-go-round that finds me watching instead of participating.
The final possibility is that what we call Christmas is really for us a concentrated time of sharing and spending time with our closest family members. “I’ll be Home for Christmas” is a Christmas hit for a good reason. Well, we won’t be home for Christmas, and we will miss out on those family together times which are always special despite the extra work, stresses and family tensions that those times always bring. We won’t be making any trips to family members, we won’t be pulling any Christmas crackers, and we won’t be in any of the family photos this year. It could be that not planning for those family gatherings is leaving me bereft of the Christmas mood.
Having said all that, my mood may be about to change. I may just be about to get into that Christmas spirit, albeit a little later than usual. We are really excited that we are going to pick up Holly and Jessica at the airport late on Thursday night! After a short night’s sleep we have a mad rush home on Friday to be here for a Teacher’s Christmas party at the camp in the afternoon and a trip back into Guayaquil for the Christmas Service at Alborada on Sunday. We will have just a handful of days to play our part and buy decorations for our little $19 tree, buy some Christmas presents, buy the turkey etc., and then relax and play the music - Burl Ives, Bing Crosby, Michael W. Smith, Rachael Lampa, Hanson, Relient K, The Chieftains and The London Philharmonic Orchestra! If I am not in the Christmas Spirit after all that then I guess it must just be the weather!
On a final note, I will be preaching for the first time on December 28th at a young people’s Christmas supper at the church in Alborada. I will be talking about holiness and could use some prayer support!
Verse for the Day:
Genesis 3:17-19
“Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistle for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.”
I am enjoying the different perspective that reading the Bible in Spanish gives you. It is also a great way to do your devotionals and practice your Spanish at the same time. Currently I am reading in the book of Genesis and had to stop when I came to the words “cardos y espinas” which mean thorns and thistles. It got me thinking about the little garden that we are tending here at El Faro. The garden is full of little thorns that attach themselves to your pant legs, laces, shoe soles or worse yet, jab your skin! They are extremely annoying to come across. Moreover, the ground here is either stony and rocky and very difficult to dig into or very fine and sandy. None of it seems to be very good soil and if you spend any time working in it at all during the day you find yourself very quickly sweating. So, what must it have been like for Adam to have been thrust out of the Paradise that was the Garden of Eden into the world outside? It must have been a huge shock to the system, a very rude awakening to the consequences of his sin. These last words from God must have been ringing in his ears as he tried to wring a living out of the barren wilderness. Maybe if we all received immediate punishment for our wrongdoings we would be less likely to wander astray from God’s will. But who am I to question God’s mercy and grace in holding back from us what we deserve?
We are posting this picture just to prove to Tim Horne that we have actually been on the beach!
For those who like to know where they are in the world, this is looking northwest towards the town of Playas.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
A Busy Week Part One
I can’t believe that it has been more than a week since my last blogpost! However, it did seem to be a busy last few days so I guess that I will have to accept that it has been. We spent the first four days doing something that we will probably be spending a lot of time doing during our time here – acting as hosts.
Jose and Ivan came out from Bastion Popular to begin work on some of the things that need to get done before the next camp season begins in February. First up was the last of the four main cabin blocks as it, although having been mostly completed, still lacks bathrooms. The sinks, toilets and showers were no more than roughed in last year and space was a bit tight without the four rooms in this cabin. It was up to Jose and Ivan to build the sink counters and install the sinks and it was up to us to look after Jose and Ivan for the four days that we were here. Sounds simple right? However, you have to remember that we were trying to do this with our Spanish running at probably around 60% - 65% of where it used to be ten years ago – and harder still – Kelly had to try to remember how to cook for Ecuadorians, who like their rice just so. We decided to jump in with a leap of faith that somehow things would work out just fine – as did Jose and Ivan who were stuck living with us, miles away from their own homes, for four days.
They arrived at around 10am and we showed them where they were to sleep. We gave them a choice of either one of the cabins, or the spare room downstairs that is slated to be an office but for now sleeps four in two bunk beds. They chose the latter which was fine with us as though it gave us all a little less privacy meant that they had access to the washrooms and showers immediately underneath our deck, the cabins currently not being connected to the water system as the main pump is down and in need of repair. They then immediately got down to the typical Ecuadorian order of the business – “Un poquito de agua por favor?” “A little water please?” This involved more than just your standard glass of water but necessitated providing them with a twenty liter jug of water, a stand with a tap to place the jug on, and two plastic cups, one red and one blue so that they could tell them apart for the week. Access to an ample supply of water is of course a major requirement for the average Ecuadorian worker and they happily took theirs down to the aforementioned cabin block and tested it out. A couple of deep draughts and contented looks were the result.
Ivan was then directed to sweep out the rooms as Jose and I then spent the next half hour or so checking out what was required in the way of building supplies. This should have been a simple job but I was very quickly reminded of how narrow my knowledge of Spanish vocabulary is. Ask me about simple bible stories, biblical concepts and theological definition and I can still hold my own but I have no idea what a screwdriver, hammer, and table saw are as they are not words I ever needed to use before! Thankfully Ivan seemed to know what he was looking for in and around the “bodega” or “storage room” which turned out to mostly involve “cemento” or “cement” (that one was easy); “madera” or “wood” ( a little harder but I was proud I knew what that was) and trowels, rebar, wheelbarrow all of which he thankfully found without my help. Interestingly enough I still don’t know what any of those are called so I guess I will have to check my dictionary.
Next up was a trip to the local ‘ferreteria’ or building supply/hardware store. I knew that we have accounts with a couple of the local stores in Playas and I even know my way around town well enough town to find them. We went up to the first one, “Disensa” where Jose is well known from previous construction projects at the camp but unfortunately they did not seem to have what he was looking for and I could not seem to catch what it was that he asking for. We then went across the street and down a bit to “Ferreteria San Fransisco” which unusually, was closed. Now Jose was getting a bit worried as we were heading into less familiar territory and he was unsure as to why they were closed. “You do have some money if we have to buy these right?,” he asked. “Dale said you would if we ran into any problems.” “Yes, I have some money,” I answered confidently although still not sure exactly what it was we were looking for. “Fregadora” he replied as I asked which I guessed may have something to do with washing as the verb for ‘to wash” is “fregar.” It was at this point that I managed to put two and two together and come up with four which is unusual for me as it turns out that we were actually looking for the sinks themselves. By way of confirmation Jose informed me that yes, we were looking for “fregadoras”, “lavacopas”, “lavamanos”, which means that I now have three new words for a sink! This was as we were on our way to “El Chino” the third ferreteria which is a little off Jose’s usual radar screen and will probably remain that way as they told him that they would not have any until Friday at the earliest. It was also here that we found out that “Ferreteria San Fransisco” had been shut down for 11 days – something to do with their paperwork! From here it was all downhill as none of the remaining two stores had the required sinks. We ended up returning to the camp with nothing more than a bag of cement and in Jose’s case a plan F as B,C,D and E had failed to work. As for me, I returned with a warm fuzzy feeling inside as I knew that I was for sure back in Ecuador! Stay tuned for more!
Verse For the Day: Psalm 136:3,13
“Give thanks to the Lord of Lords: His love endures forever. To him who divided the Red Sea asunder; His love endures forever.”
Why is it that when I look out my bedroom window I doubt that we can see a church established here in El Arenal? After all if God can part the Red Sea in a far more spectacular fashion than Hollywood ever dreamed possible, surely He can do such a small thing as gather together a group of His people here in this hot, windy, dry and dusty, corner of Ecuador.
Jose and Ivan came out from Bastion Popular to begin work on some of the things that need to get done before the next camp season begins in February. First up was the last of the four main cabin blocks as it, although having been mostly completed, still lacks bathrooms. The sinks, toilets and showers were no more than roughed in last year and space was a bit tight without the four rooms in this cabin. It was up to Jose and Ivan to build the sink counters and install the sinks and it was up to us to look after Jose and Ivan for the four days that we were here. Sounds simple right? However, you have to remember that we were trying to do this with our Spanish running at probably around 60% - 65% of where it used to be ten years ago – and harder still – Kelly had to try to remember how to cook for Ecuadorians, who like their rice just so. We decided to jump in with a leap of faith that somehow things would work out just fine – as did Jose and Ivan who were stuck living with us, miles away from their own homes, for four days.
They arrived at around 10am and we showed them where they were to sleep. We gave them a choice of either one of the cabins, or the spare room downstairs that is slated to be an office but for now sleeps four in two bunk beds. They chose the latter which was fine with us as though it gave us all a little less privacy meant that they had access to the washrooms and showers immediately underneath our deck, the cabins currently not being connected to the water system as the main pump is down and in need of repair. They then immediately got down to the typical Ecuadorian order of the business – “Un poquito de agua por favor?” “A little water please?” This involved more than just your standard glass of water but necessitated providing them with a twenty liter jug of water, a stand with a tap to place the jug on, and two plastic cups, one red and one blue so that they could tell them apart for the week. Access to an ample supply of water is of course a major requirement for the average Ecuadorian worker and they happily took theirs down to the aforementioned cabin block and tested it out. A couple of deep draughts and contented looks were the result.
Ivan was then directed to sweep out the rooms as Jose and I then spent the next half hour or so checking out what was required in the way of building supplies. This should have been a simple job but I was very quickly reminded of how narrow my knowledge of Spanish vocabulary is. Ask me about simple bible stories, biblical concepts and theological definition and I can still hold my own but I have no idea what a screwdriver, hammer, and table saw are as they are not words I ever needed to use before! Thankfully Ivan seemed to know what he was looking for in and around the “bodega” or “storage room” which turned out to mostly involve “cemento” or “cement” (that one was easy); “madera” or “wood” ( a little harder but I was proud I knew what that was) and trowels, rebar, wheelbarrow all of which he thankfully found without my help. Interestingly enough I still don’t know what any of those are called so I guess I will have to check my dictionary.
Next up was a trip to the local ‘ferreteria’ or building supply/hardware store. I knew that we have accounts with a couple of the local stores in Playas and I even know my way around town well enough town to find them. We went up to the first one, “Disensa” where Jose is well known from previous construction projects at the camp but unfortunately they did not seem to have what he was looking for and I could not seem to catch what it was that he asking for. We then went across the street and down a bit to “Ferreteria San Fransisco” which unusually, was closed. Now Jose was getting a bit worried as we were heading into less familiar territory and he was unsure as to why they were closed. “You do have some money if we have to buy these right?,” he asked. “Dale said you would if we ran into any problems.” “Yes, I have some money,” I answered confidently although still not sure exactly what it was we were looking for. “Fregadora” he replied as I asked which I guessed may have something to do with washing as the verb for ‘to wash” is “fregar.” It was at this point that I managed to put two and two together and come up with four which is unusual for me as it turns out that we were actually looking for the sinks themselves. By way of confirmation Jose informed me that yes, we were looking for “fregadoras”, “lavacopas”, “lavamanos”, which means that I now have three new words for a sink! This was as we were on our way to “El Chino” the third ferreteria which is a little off Jose’s usual radar screen and will probably remain that way as they told him that they would not have any until Friday at the earliest. It was also here that we found out that “Ferreteria San Fransisco” had been shut down for 11 days – something to do with their paperwork! From here it was all downhill as none of the remaining two stores had the required sinks. We ended up returning to the camp with nothing more than a bag of cement and in Jose’s case a plan F as B,C,D and E had failed to work. As for me, I returned with a warm fuzzy feeling inside as I knew that I was for sure back in Ecuador! Stay tuned for more!
Verse For the Day: Psalm 136:3,13
“Give thanks to the Lord of Lords: His love endures forever. To him who divided the Red Sea asunder; His love endures forever.”
Why is it that when I look out my bedroom window I doubt that we can see a church established here in El Arenal? After all if God can part the Red Sea in a far more spectacular fashion than Hollywood ever dreamed possible, surely He can do such a small thing as gather together a group of His people here in this hot, windy, dry and dusty, corner of Ecuador.
Monday, December 3, 2007
Our First Visits to the Churches in Bastion Bloque 6 and Alborada
After a week of anticipation we finally got to go visit our old friends at church services in Bastion Popular and Alborada. First up was Bastion. The church there has a service beginning at 8:30am so that meant an early start for us. We were up at 6am and left home just before 7am. So for all those back in Canada who have difficulty getting up for 10:30 or 11:00 maybe you should come to Ecuador and try this service! What a great time to get started in the morning!
By the time we arrived in Bastion it was still nice and cool and the church was full. The building is 4 times the size that it was when we were first here to see it planted in 1995/96. It has two floors, one which is what I guess we Canadians would want to call the “Main Auditorium” and the upper floor is for Sunday school. There must have been about 50 in attendance and afterwards Rolando told me that they have decided to move the service back to the school gymnasium next week as the number of those in attendance has been growing after a time when the numbers had been down somewhat.
As we drove up to the church we were delighted to hear the music and singing from out in the street and as we entered it was exciting for us to see an entire worship team composed of three guitarists, four singers, a drummer and a keyboard player. The band also had a decent sound system and the congregation was using Powerpoint for the song lyrics. Having served on the worship team in Quinte Bible Chapel for a number of years it was a joy for us to see and it was a big change from the days 11 years ago when Tim Horne and/or I were the praise team! The music was lively, relevant and brought us to the throne of God. Part way through the service there was an opportunity for individuals to take part by sharing from God’s word or praying. Immediately following this we remembered the Lord together in the bread and the wine and from there moved directly into the sermon. The service was well-structured and had a good sense of flow to it while being nudged along by a chairman at the appropriate junctures. I was interested to hear the quality of the sermon and was well-pleased with Franklin’s take on John 8; The Woman Caught In Adultery. Franklin had obviously done his homework and was well prepared, presenting a carefully thought out and gracious take on the story while reminding us that we were no different from the Pharisees in that we too can be hypocritical when we need to be gracious and merciful to those of our family, friends and neighbours who are caught in blatant sin.
Afterwards we had a warm welcome as Rolando presented us to the congregation. We received many handshakes and “besos”(kisses) while our Spanish was put to the test as we tried to keep up with the questions and comments. It was a struggle but I think that we more or less held our own although it is obvious to us that our Spanish is certainly rusty. I think that this week calls for more study time!
After we had said our goodbyes we headed off to Alborada to meet our old friends there. We squeezed a few extra bodies into our Chevy Vitara and with the 1.6 litre engine performing over and above the call of duty all 7 adults headed up the Via Perimtral with Dale, his guitar and Jose crammed in the cargo area until we got to Bastion Bloque 10. There we dropped of Jose, Willian, Dale and Dale’s guitar who were all heading to the later service there.
With a lighter load the Vitara roared on until we came to the Alborada turn where we left the Via Perimetral and headed south to our old stompin’ ground. This was the second time this week that we had taken this road as we had also headed down into Alborada on Thursday after meeting with the Bastion elders. We felt a little more confident about where we were going this time as on Thursday we had been completely disoriented. Alborada and its approach road have experienced enormous changes since we were last here. As we drove in on Thursday we did not recognize anything at all until we reached Albocentro, the old downtown that we knew from before and even then we had reached it more by accident than by good navigational skills. We never did find the church!
This time we only felt a little more comfortable as, although we had Nikki and Rolando with us to help keep us straight, things could change at the drop of a hat. For example Rolando jumped out just before the new bridge beside the church and to tell you the truth I never really did find out why he was with us or where he was going. He had simply found out that we were headed for Alborada and asked for a ride. It was around then that I found out that Nikki had never actually been to Alborada although she claimed to have a pretty good idea of where it was. Finally she spotted it and one missed turn and around 10 minutes later we were back outside the church which we had passed but could not reach because we were on an overpass! We found a parking spot easily and moments later we were heading into the building that Kelly and I had known so well but that we knew had changed so much. At least we hoped we were because as Nikki confessed, “I’m still not sure that this is the right building but I think that’s David’s car outside.” Not knowing whether we were heading into a Pentecostal, Baptist or Brethren service we walked somewhat cautiously into the building. It is at times like this when you are afraid of making a fool of yourself that it is a good thing to be a male and kindly offer to let the women go first!
We need not have worried because we immediately recognized Alba, who has not changed at all, and then David and his father Jorge on the platform, who both gave us friendly waves.
As we took our seats and looked around us once again, we were astonished to see how much this church had also grown since we fellowshipped there before. This building is also about four times the size of what we had known previously and also was well equipped with all the modern technology. At a quick count there must have been over 100 in attendance and although we arrived a little late and missed most of the music we were aware that they also were very enthusiastic in their worship.
It wasn’t long before we were given a warm welcome and invited to come up front to be introduced to the congregation. As I looked down on the sea faces it was encouraging to see number of familiar faces amongst all the new ones. We were asked to share a bit about what we were going to be doing and what we had been doing. As I had only prepared for the former and not for the latter I played it safe as I did not want to embarrass myself by butchering the language in front of such a large group of people.
David preached for almost an hour and it was fantastic to see a young man who I had mentored while here before now carrying himself in such a confident and capable manner. When the service was over we were thronged with people wanting to talk to us. Amongst them were Gaby, Leyla, Jose, Raul, (Super) Mario, Walter, Estefani, Andres, Zarita; all of whom were young people who we knew from our kids club or youth group from the nineties. They are all now in their early to mid-twenties and in some cases, married. It is great to see them still attending Alborada and in most cases actively involved. In the case of Estefani we discovered that she was a girl who had come from time to time to the kids club that we had held in our house but had no idea that she had become a Christian and was attending the church there. Later we were also invited to visit David and Kathy later this week and made tentative plans for Friday. David has been very involved with camp in the past and we are looking forward to talking with him about its future.
After saying our goodbyes and promising to come back from time to time we made our way back to Dale and Janet’s place where we had a quick lunch before taking them back out to Playas. They had received an invitation to attend a First Communion for one of the local families and decided that it would be appropriate for them to make an appearance and get to know some more of the local families. They caught the last bus back to Guayaquil at 8pm leaving us to enjoy the aftermath which has been one huge party. First communion is a huge deal here in this primarily Catholic country and for us it has been a chance to experience one continuous neighbourhood party since they left. The drinking, music and dancing began next door around 4pm yesterday and they are still going strong today at noon as I write this. The music is of course played at maximum volume and I could not sleep last night until about 2am. Kelly of course, slept well as usual, although she did complain of being somewhat restless and waking a few times.
Verse for the day: Psalm 140:12
“I know that the Lord secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy.”
We are trying to be more conscious of the needs of the poor. In Canada we are so used to people having access to all sorts of government and church programs to help those in need. Here there is very little of that sort of thing and it is always so difficult to know exactly what to do. However, we have given out a few coins first to a boy who was begging at the toll booth on the way into Guayaquil, and then we gave a small loaf of bread to a little girl and presumably her brother who were begging as we bought ourselves a treat at the bread shop. She immediately gave it to the little boy who wasted no time at all in attacking it. Finally I gave all the loose change that I had in my pocket to a crippled beggar who approached us outside the market. It probably wasn’t much more than 50cents but he was counting it carefully as we walked away. We know that this is but a tiny, tiny drop in a huge ocean and as skeptical Canadians we are always afraid of being conned. However, we think that maybe it is better to err on the side of kindness than that of hardness. After all, if the Lord is on the side of the poor, maybe we should be too.
By the time we arrived in Bastion it was still nice and cool and the church was full. The building is 4 times the size that it was when we were first here to see it planted in 1995/96. It has two floors, one which is what I guess we Canadians would want to call the “Main Auditorium” and the upper floor is for Sunday school. There must have been about 50 in attendance and afterwards Rolando told me that they have decided to move the service back to the school gymnasium next week as the number of those in attendance has been growing after a time when the numbers had been down somewhat.
As we drove up to the church we were delighted to hear the music and singing from out in the street and as we entered it was exciting for us to see an entire worship team composed of three guitarists, four singers, a drummer and a keyboard player. The band also had a decent sound system and the congregation was using Powerpoint for the song lyrics. Having served on the worship team in Quinte Bible Chapel for a number of years it was a joy for us to see and it was a big change from the days 11 years ago when Tim Horne and/or I were the praise team! The music was lively, relevant and brought us to the throne of God. Part way through the service there was an opportunity for individuals to take part by sharing from God’s word or praying. Immediately following this we remembered the Lord together in the bread and the wine and from there moved directly into the sermon. The service was well-structured and had a good sense of flow to it while being nudged along by a chairman at the appropriate junctures. I was interested to hear the quality of the sermon and was well-pleased with Franklin’s take on John 8; The Woman Caught In Adultery. Franklin had obviously done his homework and was well prepared, presenting a carefully thought out and gracious take on the story while reminding us that we were no different from the Pharisees in that we too can be hypocritical when we need to be gracious and merciful to those of our family, friends and neighbours who are caught in blatant sin.
Afterwards we had a warm welcome as Rolando presented us to the congregation. We received many handshakes and “besos”(kisses) while our Spanish was put to the test as we tried to keep up with the questions and comments. It was a struggle but I think that we more or less held our own although it is obvious to us that our Spanish is certainly rusty. I think that this week calls for more study time!
After we had said our goodbyes we headed off to Alborada to meet our old friends there. We squeezed a few extra bodies into our Chevy Vitara and with the 1.6 litre engine performing over and above the call of duty all 7 adults headed up the Via Perimtral with Dale, his guitar and Jose crammed in the cargo area until we got to Bastion Bloque 10. There we dropped of Jose, Willian, Dale and Dale’s guitar who were all heading to the later service there.
With a lighter load the Vitara roared on until we came to the Alborada turn where we left the Via Perimetral and headed south to our old stompin’ ground. This was the second time this week that we had taken this road as we had also headed down into Alborada on Thursday after meeting with the Bastion elders. We felt a little more confident about where we were going this time as on Thursday we had been completely disoriented. Alborada and its approach road have experienced enormous changes since we were last here. As we drove in on Thursday we did not recognize anything at all until we reached Albocentro, the old downtown that we knew from before and even then we had reached it more by accident than by good navigational skills. We never did find the church!
This time we only felt a little more comfortable as, although we had Nikki and Rolando with us to help keep us straight, things could change at the drop of a hat. For example Rolando jumped out just before the new bridge beside the church and to tell you the truth I never really did find out why he was with us or where he was going. He had simply found out that we were headed for Alborada and asked for a ride. It was around then that I found out that Nikki had never actually been to Alborada although she claimed to have a pretty good idea of where it was. Finally she spotted it and one missed turn and around 10 minutes later we were back outside the church which we had passed but could not reach because we were on an overpass! We found a parking spot easily and moments later we were heading into the building that Kelly and I had known so well but that we knew had changed so much. At least we hoped we were because as Nikki confessed, “I’m still not sure that this is the right building but I think that’s David’s car outside.” Not knowing whether we were heading into a Pentecostal, Baptist or Brethren service we walked somewhat cautiously into the building. It is at times like this when you are afraid of making a fool of yourself that it is a good thing to be a male and kindly offer to let the women go first!
We need not have worried because we immediately recognized Alba, who has not changed at all, and then David and his father Jorge on the platform, who both gave us friendly waves.
As we took our seats and looked around us once again, we were astonished to see how much this church had also grown since we fellowshipped there before. This building is also about four times the size of what we had known previously and also was well equipped with all the modern technology. At a quick count there must have been over 100 in attendance and although we arrived a little late and missed most of the music we were aware that they also were very enthusiastic in their worship.
It wasn’t long before we were given a warm welcome and invited to come up front to be introduced to the congregation. As I looked down on the sea faces it was encouraging to see number of familiar faces amongst all the new ones. We were asked to share a bit about what we were going to be doing and what we had been doing. As I had only prepared for the former and not for the latter I played it safe as I did not want to embarrass myself by butchering the language in front of such a large group of people.
David preached for almost an hour and it was fantastic to see a young man who I had mentored while here before now carrying himself in such a confident and capable manner. When the service was over we were thronged with people wanting to talk to us. Amongst them were Gaby, Leyla, Jose, Raul, (Super) Mario, Walter, Estefani, Andres, Zarita; all of whom were young people who we knew from our kids club or youth group from the nineties. They are all now in their early to mid-twenties and in some cases, married. It is great to see them still attending Alborada and in most cases actively involved. In the case of Estefani we discovered that she was a girl who had come from time to time to the kids club that we had held in our house but had no idea that she had become a Christian and was attending the church there. Later we were also invited to visit David and Kathy later this week and made tentative plans for Friday. David has been very involved with camp in the past and we are looking forward to talking with him about its future.
After saying our goodbyes and promising to come back from time to time we made our way back to Dale and Janet’s place where we had a quick lunch before taking them back out to Playas. They had received an invitation to attend a First Communion for one of the local families and decided that it would be appropriate for them to make an appearance and get to know some more of the local families. They caught the last bus back to Guayaquil at 8pm leaving us to enjoy the aftermath which has been one huge party. First communion is a huge deal here in this primarily Catholic country and for us it has been a chance to experience one continuous neighbourhood party since they left. The drinking, music and dancing began next door around 4pm yesterday and they are still going strong today at noon as I write this. The music is of course played at maximum volume and I could not sleep last night until about 2am. Kelly of course, slept well as usual, although she did complain of being somewhat restless and waking a few times.
Verse for the day: Psalm 140:12
“I know that the Lord secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy.”
We are trying to be more conscious of the needs of the poor. In Canada we are so used to people having access to all sorts of government and church programs to help those in need. Here there is very little of that sort of thing and it is always so difficult to know exactly what to do. However, we have given out a few coins first to a boy who was begging at the toll booth on the way into Guayaquil, and then we gave a small loaf of bread to a little girl and presumably her brother who were begging as we bought ourselves a treat at the bread shop. She immediately gave it to the little boy who wasted no time at all in attacking it. Finally I gave all the loose change that I had in my pocket to a crippled beggar who approached us outside the market. It probably wasn’t much more than 50cents but he was counting it carefully as we walked away. We know that this is but a tiny, tiny drop in a huge ocean and as skeptical Canadians we are always afraid of being conned. However, we think that maybe it is better to err on the side of kindness than that of hardness. After all, if the Lord is on the side of the poor, maybe we should be too.
Friday, November 30, 2007
The First Week Is Over
We have now been in Ecuador for a week but somehow it seems timeless. It feels like we could have been here a month or a year or even that we never left! I don’t know why that is other than that we feel so far from Canada and that the distance between there and here is so large both in terms of miles and culture that we might as well be on another planet.
Over the last few days we have been slowly settling in to our new home. We have met and chatted with a few of our neighbours like Maximo, Michael, Santiago, Macario, and Carlos. We have also met the owner of the local “tienda,” or shop and are hoping to meet the young boy who keeps ringing our doorbell and running away. I was finally quick enough on Wednesday to see who it was and where he lives so I am going to make it a project of mine to meet him as that is probably what he is looking for.
We have also begun slowly to do what we believe we came here for. We had Carlos over on Wednesday evening and chatted with him for two hours over “un cafecito,” a little coffee. Carlos became a Christian in the summer and seems to be eager to learn more about his new faith. He also seems a little lonely as he is from Guayaquil and doesn’t have many friends here in Playas yet. We agreed that in a week or two it would be good to study the bible and learn together.
On Thursday we drove back into Guayaquil again and met with the three elders of the church in Bastion Popular Bloque 6 to talk about camp. Our goal over the next couple of weeks is to talk to all the missionaries and Ecuadorians who have a role to play or a legitimate interest in camp. We had a great conversation with Rolando, Jose and Felipe. They had lots to say about how the construction and early days of the camp have gone and were quick to point out areas that need improvement. We found them easy to talk to and knowledgeable about important areas of camp life such as the organization, finances, programs, participants, personality conflicts, maintenance, and the property itself. Once we have a clearer picture of what everyone is thinking we plan to pull together a larger group of people from the four key churches, Bastion Bloque 6 and 10; Sauces and Alborada and begin to plan for the future. So far the key issues that keep cropping are a lack of organization and accountability which is understandable as the camp has been without someone in a permanent leadership position up to this point.
Prayer Request: Please pray that the Lord would grant Kelly and I and the various leaders here wisdom as to how we move forward with the camp ministry.
Verse for the Day: Psalm 140:7,8
Over the last few days we have been slowly settling in to our new home. We have met and chatted with a few of our neighbours like Maximo, Michael, Santiago, Macario, and Carlos. We have also met the owner of the local “tienda,” or shop and are hoping to meet the young boy who keeps ringing our doorbell and running away. I was finally quick enough on Wednesday to see who it was and where he lives so I am going to make it a project of mine to meet him as that is probably what he is looking for.
We have also begun slowly to do what we believe we came here for. We had Carlos over on Wednesday evening and chatted with him for two hours over “un cafecito,” a little coffee. Carlos became a Christian in the summer and seems to be eager to learn more about his new faith. He also seems a little lonely as he is from Guayaquil and doesn’t have many friends here in Playas yet. We agreed that in a week or two it would be good to study the bible and learn together.
On Thursday we drove back into Guayaquil again and met with the three elders of the church in Bastion Popular Bloque 6 to talk about camp. Our goal over the next couple of weeks is to talk to all the missionaries and Ecuadorians who have a role to play or a legitimate interest in camp. We had a great conversation with Rolando, Jose and Felipe. They had lots to say about how the construction and early days of the camp have gone and were quick to point out areas that need improvement. We found them easy to talk to and knowledgeable about important areas of camp life such as the organization, finances, programs, participants, personality conflicts, maintenance, and the property itself. Once we have a clearer picture of what everyone is thinking we plan to pull together a larger group of people from the four key churches, Bastion Bloque 6 and 10; Sauces and Alborada and begin to plan for the future. So far the key issues that keep cropping are a lack of organization and accountability which is understandable as the camp has been without someone in a permanent leadership position up to this point.
Prayer Request: Please pray that the Lord would grant Kelly and I and the various leaders here wisdom as to how we move forward with the camp ministry.
Verse for the Day: Psalm 140:7,8
We Finally Made It! Part Four
What a great day Monday was! Two major accomplishments were the order of the day as we successfully navigated our way directly to Dale and Janet’s house in Guayaquil and we all managed to get our new censos. OK, I know that this doesn’t sound like a lot but by the end of the day we were all heaving sighs of relief and nobody more so than Kelly and I.
As opposed to Sunday morning our little Vitara had started at the first ask and we had left the camp at 6:30am. Despite this success after the previous day’s exertions, I was worried. We were aiming to be at Dale and Janet’s house by 8:00am and I only had the vaguest idea of how to get there. It has been 10 and a half years since we lived in Ecuador and even then we had only travelled the road from Guayaquil to Playas twice. Once in a bus and once when 8 of us and our luggage squeezed into a tiny Chevy Sprint. On neither occasion was I really paying that much attention as to how to get there and back as at that time we had no vehicle of our own. Furthermore, when we had driven out to Playas with Dale on Wednesday evening the route to the beach had not been my first priority as I had been trying hard to avoid being side-swiped by an aggressive taxi-driver or totaled by a wayward bus. To complicate things the sun had been setting fast when we made that trip and we had been travelling in total darkness long before we arrived at the camp. Dale had also planned to draw me a map but somehow in the excitement of them leaving we had forgotten to see that through. So here we were setting out on that same road and hoping to navigate the various twists, turns and intersections in order to arrive safely in Guayaqul and not in Quito or Cuenca or some other corner of the country.
Here’s what I knew. I knew that if I went back into Playas to the main intersection and carried on straight we would be on the road to Guayaquil. I knew that at some point we had to get off the beach road and on to the Via Perimtral and from there come off at the Via Daule. Once on the Via Daule, I knew that I would be able to find El Caracol, where Dale and Janet live. In Canada this kind of trip would not be difficult as you would simply look up a road map and plan your route the night before or drive with one eye on the road and one eye on a map, which of course I would be very unlikely to do. Unfortunately road maps in Ecuador are few and far between. I know because I have something of a map fetish and I had looked high and low for a map 10 years ago with absolutely no success whatsoever.
If you are without a road map in Canada you can always fall back on a road sign. Unfortunately road signs in Ecuador are thin on the ground and don’t always seem to be very helpful. For example Dale had told me that I needed to take the “Via Daule” exit and not the “To Via Daule” exit which I should see first. This seemed like a very fine distinction and didn’t seem to make a lot of sense to me but I was prepared to defer to his vast wealth of knowledge and driving experience. After all he had been a truck driver prior to being a missionary; surely he knew what he was talking about.
We found our way to the aforementioned main intersection and found the road to Guayaquil without incident. There we stopped to gas up. I had half a tank of gas which I figured should be more than enough to reach Guayaquil under normal circumstances but I was not planning for normal circumstances but rather for the abnormal. While there, I stalled for time by asking the young fellow pumping gas what you called a gas station in Spanish. “Gasolinera” he replied helpfully. This was not entirely idle chit-chat because I had a deep seated fear that I might be asking someone for the nearest gasolinera before the day was out.
Having run out of things to ask the puzzled young man, I jumped back in the car and we headed off once more, with me wondering whether or not I should have tipped the young guy. It was then that I had a stroke of genius and suggested to Kelly that we could simply follow the big blue bus ahead of us as it was obviously one of the regular buses between Guayaquil and Posorja, a town a few kilometers past Playas. This hope faded almost as quickly as the bus faded into the distance. I am sure that most Ecuadorian bus-drivers could make an easy transition to the world of NASCAR.
It was then that another brilliant idea lit up my one coffee morning. “We could always hire a taxi-driver to lead us there and we could follow him,” I suggested, “You know, just like they do on the Amazing Race.” I knew that it was a dumb idea as soon as the words were out of my mouth but it had seemed like a great idea in my head. “I thought that you said you know the way!” retorted Kelly. It was then I more or less ‘fessed up. “Yeah, I think I can get us there, but I am not sure,” I said somewhat unconvincingly. “But if we have a big problem, we could always try for a taxi driver,” I persisted.
We passed Progreso or “piggy town” as Dale’s kids like to call it and managed not to take the road to Salinas which, after all, would have taken us west when we needed to go North East. Incidentally, I think that Dale’s kids are on to something here. I definitely prefer the name “piggy town” as the main street is absolutely crawling with apparently aimlessly wandering pigs and progress is something that there does not seem to be a lot of in this little town.
It was around this time that Dale called us to see how we were doing. This was comforting as we now knew that if we got hopelessly lost we would at least be able to contact him even if we had no way of describing to him where we were. “Tell Dale to stay close to his phone,” I suggested, tight lipped.
Once we got past Progreso the road widened out to two lanes both ways and we were reminded just how much progress this country has made. This highway was recently built and would put many a Canadian highway to shame. It is smooth, well designed and sign-posted, with constant reminders to buckle up and not to drink and drive. The centre median is full of beautiful trees, shrubs and flowering bushes all the way to Guayaquil, a distance of more than 50 kilomtres. In the daylight we could see what we had missed in the darkness of Wednesday night. On both sides of the highway the country stretched out in a mixture of scrub, bananas and ranches. Other than the first few miles close to the beach where the land is almost desert-like the country was much greener than we thought it would be at this time of year. The only disappointment was the huge amount of garbage strewn along the edges of the road.
As we got closer to Guayaquil the level of traffic began to increase, as did my heartbeat. All I needed was to find the exit for the Via Perimtral, surely it would be well signposted. Suddenly there it was. “How will you know which direction to take?” asked Kelly with good reason. “Easy,” I replied … “We just have to go north.” “Yes, but how do you know which way is north?” “Well, the sun rises in the east and sinks in the west so at this time of day it should be more or less to the south-east. So if the sun is more or less to our right as I think it is then we should turn left on to the Via Perimtral” I answered confidently. “It’s too hazy to see the sun,” she replied unhelpfully.
Ignoring the concerns of my beloved wife and using my instinctive sense of direction as much as cold logic I turned left on the Via Perimtral and headed north. Immediately I began to recognize the general layout of the hills and knew that we were on the way. There is a large hill on the edge of this part of the city that is covered in antennas and dishes and is instantly recognizable and I could see it now off to our left. So now all we needed was to pass “To Via Daule” and wait for “Via Daule,” except that, after a few minutes, there was “Via Daule.” “What happened to “To Via Daule?” I cried ‘Did we pass it already?” “Did you notice?” If not quite panic-stricken, I was concerned. I had visions of having to try to get off this highway and negotiate a maze of one way streets before I could turn back on and head back south. “I didn’t see it!” “I didn’t see it!” cried Kelly somewhat defensively. “I’m taking this one!” I decided. “Are you sure?” asked Kelly. “No, I’m not,” I said. “But we are so close surely we could ask someone or call Dale to come find us if I am wrong.”
Suddenly there it was – the Via Daule stretched out before us in all its chaos, congestion and confusion. As we approached it I knew that we had taken the wrong exit but it didn’t matter, I recognized where we were and knew we were only a few hundred yards south of Dale’s house. We would not have to make any embarrassing calls for help. A swing through the traffic lights to the left a few hundred yards up past their house until I could do a U-turn was all that was needed. The school was there on the right, followed by the church, all of this was familiar territory and a sight for sore eyes.
We made the U-turn, pulled up to the gates of the guarded “El Caracol,” where the guard asked who we wanted to see. “The Canadian Family,” I said, feeling confident that there could not be any others in this neighbourhood. “I need to see some identification,” he said. He wasn’t satisfied with anything less than my passport which he decided he was going to keep until we left, but it didn’t matter we had made it!
The rest of the day was comparatively easy for us, though not for Nikki Horne. We all got our “censos,” or ID cards at the “Departmento de Migracion.” Nikki had some hoops to jump through but that is her story to tell. For us it was a simple matter of showing the official the necessary documentation, getting our mug-shots taken and paying the $4 each. Oh yes! It did take us most of the rest of the morning to get the necessary papers e-mailed to us from Lloyd Rogers in Quito, but those are just details. The big news is that we made it to Guayaquil by ourselves and back again to Playas by 8pm that evening! It had been a long day but an immensely satisfying one.
Verse For The Day:
Proverbs 3:5,6
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.’
I guess I always thought of this as referring to choices that we make in life and I am sure that theologically that is what this verse is saying. If we trust the Lord and walk with Him, he will keep us on the right path. Today however, as I look back to our trip to Guayaquil, I am confident that He kept us on the right road even when we were not entirely sure which roads to take.
Entering Progreso (Piggytown)
Downtown Progreso
The Main Road Between Playas and Guayaquil
A Cute Little House and Business Along The Way
A Reminder that driving in Ecuador can be dangerous
The Hill With All the Antennas On It
Looking East Over Guayaquil
You Never Know What Kind of Driver You Will Encounter!
We Finally Made It Part Three
We had great plans for Sunday. However, great plans don’t always come off the way that we hope for. We wanted to go into Guayaquil to visit a couple of the churches in the city and spend the day there. We knew that the church in Bloque 10 of Bastion Popular was having a sports day starting at 9am. Also, we had contacted our old friend David Edgecombe from La Iglesia Evangelica Alborada to let him know that we would be there at some point during their service, which starts at 10am. This is the church where we had fellowshipped between the years ‘95 and ’97 and we were looking forward to meeting old friends. Everything was set. We had all our ducks in a row. Our day was lining up perfectly but nobody had told our nifty new car.
As we went to start it there was nothing. No response. Not a sound. My first thought was that I had left the lights on and that the battery was flat. It wouldn’t be the first time that I had done something that foolish. Fearing the worst, I checked to see if we had power. Yes, the lights were working. Now my mind was racing through all the possibilities, which didn’t take long because I know nothing about cars. I thought, “If I open the hood and take a look underneath, it may simply be that there is a loose connection somewhere and I could probably fix something that simple.” It seemed like a good idea. Except try as we did, we could not find the hood release. We looked in all the usual places that a hood release might be found: under the dash, by the driver’s seat, further under the dash, in the glove box, and even further under the dash. No sign of it. We got out of the car and had a look all around the hood area to see if there might be one hidden somewhere outside. As desperate as it seems we even opened all the other doors including the hatch wondering if some crazy car designer with a wild imagination and a wicked sense of humour had placed it in some unbelievably obscure spot in the vehicle. But nowhere could we find it.
Finally, we even prayed about it which is not something I would do in this case because it seems to me that common sense should tell you where a hood release is but, not surprisingly we had no sudden, illuminating, lightning bolts of wisdom. Now I know that to all you wannabe mechanics out there this sounds ridiculous but we spent about an hour trying to find that hood release before decided to give it a rest.
By this time we had given up all hope of getting into Guayaquil on time so we called Dale Horst to see if he had any suggestions. “Try Santiago’s brother,” he suggested. “I’ve seen him rip apart an entire motor and put it back together again.” “He just lives a couple of doors down.” That seemed like a good idea except for a couple of minor details. First, it was still only 8am and there was no sign of any activity in the sleepy little village of El Arenal. After all, we had heard some of our neighbours partying until 5:00am. Second, there was no way that I was going to bring someone around to look at this car until I had found the hood release. My pride simply would not allow it. I would not be that “crazy gringo!” Over and above all of this I needed to regain some credibility with Kelly. After all, if a man cannot open the hood of a car what is he good for?
So we went back into the house with me brooding over my ineffectiveness as a male. “There has to be a way to get into that thing,” I said. Kelly agreed patiently but still obviously skeptical as to my ability to solve this problem. So I decided to change into clothes that would be more appropriate for looking under a car. Maybe if I got more aggressive with my clothing I could be more aggressive with my searching. After all, I had been reluctant to crawl under the dash or worse yet, under the car in my new white golf shirt which I had saved for three months in order to wear for the first time in Ecuador. I have a bad track record with white shirts to which my two quick-witted daughters can attest. Before I headed back out though, I needed to take care of a couple of other things. I simply had to have another coffee in an attempt to stimulate my notoriously slow early morning brain cells and I needed to text a couple of people to let them know that we would not be making it to Guayaquil.
Having enjoyed a cup of Nescafe and dealt with the texting I set myself back to the problem. Kelly, ever my faithful life-partner decided to help me take another run at the problem. Back we went over the same battlegrounds as before and still we had the same result. No sign of the hood release. Things were looking really bad. I was even beginning to think of selling the car and sticking to buses and taxis. Finally, not hoping for anything much I opened the glove compartment one more time, but this time with a difference. I lowered my head down to seat level and looked up into the cavity above the open glove compartment and there, well hidden but with the standard hood release marking was the long-looked for, ill-spoken release. “Found it!” I cried, delighted that I had been the discoverer and hopefully regained at least a semblance of respect. From there it was a simple case of naming off numerous non-descript car engine parts to impress my admiring wife. “I think it might be a bad connection at the starter motor,” I said, pointing at what I hoped might in actual fact be the starter motor. After a few pokes, prods, and cable wiggles I tried to start the vehicle again and to my delight and absolute astonishment, it started!
It was now 11am and only a little more than three hours had passed since we had left the house with such eager anticipation. Not bad for my first try at car repair in Ecuador and yes, for those of you who are wondering, I will be getting a professional to take a look at it, but for now it’s running and that’s good enough for me. I love my 1997 Chevy Vitara and it looks like it is going to fit in well with our renowned back-catalogue of quirky vehicles!
Verse for the day: Galatians 1:3-5
“Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
It struck me as I read this passage that it wouldn’t matter at what point during the post-resurrection era that you read this verse you would believe that you lived in “the present evil age.” The age we live in today certainly fits that description. I glanced over a fruit vendor’s shoulder today at the newspaper he was reading and saw that it was full of pictures of supposed Ecuadorian criminals who had obviously met violent ends. In a country and world that is full of fear it is comforting to know that Christ came to rescue us from that kind of evil and violence.
Our Chevy Vitara looking like a lean mean desert runnin´machine
A bug´s eye view of our car .... no hood release here!
Where to find the hood release on a 1997 Chevy Vitara
Finally! Underneath the hood! I fixed something here but don´t ask me what.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
We Finally Made it Part Two!
We spent most of Thursday morning recovering but headed into Playas to get some supplies just before lunch. Dale showed me where to pay the water and electric bills and introduced me to a number of the business owners in town, particularly those that had been used for the various construction materials while building the camp. Kelly headed off to the market with Nikki where they bought some fruit and vegetables. Playas impressed me as having a busy little town centre, somewhat reminiscent of the busy downtowns that I was familiar with growing up in Scotland. I’m sure that we will find most of what we need there without having to return to Guayaquil. Towards the end of our visit we stopped by one of the cyber cafes where we found that we can spend an hour online for a dollar. We spent a few minutes catching up on some e-mails and then headed back to the camp.
In the afternoon we visited some of our neighbours like Macario and his sons and Santiago, the pastor of the local evangelical church. Later we toured the little church with Santiago’s wife and felt almost guilty to see that in contrast to our well maintained facility they have virtually no roof left as the metal has rusted away and there is more patch than roof and more holes than patch – if that makes sense! Maybe we will be able to help them somewhere along the way. The rest of the day was spent with Dale, Janet and Nikki just getting to know each other and talking long and hard about the camp and how this ministry should be structured. It is an amazing facility and there are so many things that it could be used for. I shared that it is my goal to spend the next couple of weeks listening and talking to a number of key people about the camp and the role that it could play here.
On Friday the Horsts and Nikki began preparing to leave and head back to their homes in Guayaquil. So it became time to be sure that we knew our way around the camp. Dale explained to me one more time how the unusual and slightly complicated water system works here and I think I finally understood it. Then it was time to go through the various keys to the facility – there are many – and discover what each one does. Before they left however, we headed over to a local hill that the Horst children call the “Lion King Mountain” for its similarity in appearance to the one in the movie. It is a few miles away from the camp, although you can see it clearly from our bedroom window. As we got closer to it we noticed that the area around the camp is almost a desert although the area immediately behind the beach itself is quite green.
The road to the mountain gradually deteriorated until it was little more than a track and must be a mess in the rainy season. However, the site itself is really quite beautiful in a rugged way. Part way up the hill is a shrine to Mary at which some candles were burning so it is obviously visited regularly. From the hill you get a marvelous view of the coast and also the small town of Morro. There is very little to see in Morro itself apart from the dilapidated Catholic church which dominates the centre of the town. It must have been a beautiful sight at one time, but now certainly is not that time. The shrine and the church reminded us that there are many people of faith in Ecuador but that for some, that faith is religiously placed in an object rather than in God, while for others, it is a faith in ruin and decay.
We returned to Playas and had lunch at a Chinese restaurant. It was one of the best Chinese meals I have ever had and at $2 a plate you could not go wrong! When we returned to the camp the Horsts made their final preparations to leave and we drove them back into town to catch the bus to Guayaquil. From there Kelly and I drove around in circles for about 15 minutes as I could not seem to get my bearings. We finally made it to our destination – the cyber café, where we again caught up with some e-mails and found our way home afterwards without incident other than the sight of a dog being killed by a speeding truck. The road to the camp is a busy one as it passes on to the busy and expanding port of Posorja.
Our first night at home was uneventful but it also felt a little strange knowing that this is now our home. We were still a little reluctant to look around all the cupboards and nooks and crannies because it felt like we were snooping. However, we got settled into bed and had our best night’s sleep in a long, long time, with both of us being out for the count until the morning.
We spent Saturday settling in. We unpacked, moved some furniture around, and generally made the place our own. At around 11am we drove into town and once again hit the cyber café where we were able to spend two hours catching up with a number of people on MSN, write a few more e-mails and finally make a more thorough post to our blog. It looks like communication, although not as easy as in Canada, is not going to be a huge problem with the easy availability of internet access at cyber cafes and the excellent cell phone coverage. In addition to conversing on MSN Messenger we have been able to both text our family in Canada and received a very clear call from Holly on one of our cell phones.
We have been pleased with the way that our first few days have gone and will continue to update from time to time as we are able and have news.
In the afternoon we visited some of our neighbours like Macario and his sons and Santiago, the pastor of the local evangelical church. Later we toured the little church with Santiago’s wife and felt almost guilty to see that in contrast to our well maintained facility they have virtually no roof left as the metal has rusted away and there is more patch than roof and more holes than patch – if that makes sense! Maybe we will be able to help them somewhere along the way. The rest of the day was spent with Dale, Janet and Nikki just getting to know each other and talking long and hard about the camp and how this ministry should be structured. It is an amazing facility and there are so many things that it could be used for. I shared that it is my goal to spend the next couple of weeks listening and talking to a number of key people about the camp and the role that it could play here.
On Friday the Horsts and Nikki began preparing to leave and head back to their homes in Guayaquil. So it became time to be sure that we knew our way around the camp. Dale explained to me one more time how the unusual and slightly complicated water system works here and I think I finally understood it. Then it was time to go through the various keys to the facility – there are many – and discover what each one does. Before they left however, we headed over to a local hill that the Horst children call the “Lion King Mountain” for its similarity in appearance to the one in the movie. It is a few miles away from the camp, although you can see it clearly from our bedroom window. As we got closer to it we noticed that the area around the camp is almost a desert although the area immediately behind the beach itself is quite green.
The road to the mountain gradually deteriorated until it was little more than a track and must be a mess in the rainy season. However, the site itself is really quite beautiful in a rugged way. Part way up the hill is a shrine to Mary at which some candles were burning so it is obviously visited regularly. From the hill you get a marvelous view of the coast and also the small town of Morro. There is very little to see in Morro itself apart from the dilapidated Catholic church which dominates the centre of the town. It must have been a beautiful sight at one time, but now certainly is not that time. The shrine and the church reminded us that there are many people of faith in Ecuador but that for some, that faith is religiously placed in an object rather than in God, while for others, it is a faith in ruin and decay.
We returned to Playas and had lunch at a Chinese restaurant. It was one of the best Chinese meals I have ever had and at $2 a plate you could not go wrong! When we returned to the camp the Horsts made their final preparations to leave and we drove them back into town to catch the bus to Guayaquil. From there Kelly and I drove around in circles for about 15 minutes as I could not seem to get my bearings. We finally made it to our destination – the cyber café, where we again caught up with some e-mails and found our way home afterwards without incident other than the sight of a dog being killed by a speeding truck. The road to the camp is a busy one as it passes on to the busy and expanding port of Posorja.
Our first night at home was uneventful but it also felt a little strange knowing that this is now our home. We were still a little reluctant to look around all the cupboards and nooks and crannies because it felt like we were snooping. However, we got settled into bed and had our best night’s sleep in a long, long time, with both of us being out for the count until the morning.
We spent Saturday settling in. We unpacked, moved some furniture around, and generally made the place our own. At around 11am we drove into town and once again hit the cyber café where we were able to spend two hours catching up with a number of people on MSN, write a few more e-mails and finally make a more thorough post to our blog. It looks like communication, although not as easy as in Canada, is not going to be a huge problem with the easy availability of internet access at cyber cafes and the excellent cell phone coverage. In addition to conversing on MSN Messenger we have been able to both text our family in Canada and received a very clear call from Holly on one of our cell phones.
We have been pleased with the way that our first few days have gone and will continue to update from time to time as we are able and have news.
Shopping in Playas
The view from the top of the hill
I guess I should have turned this one first but it is of course the shrine!
...and here is a contrast for you!
.... and a professional ad type pic of our new wheels - which wouldnt start on Sunday morning... more about that later!
Saturday, November 24, 2007
We Finally Made it!
On Wednesday, November 21st at 2:00am we finally arrived in Ecuador and it felt good to be back. It has been about 10 and a half years since we lived here and it has been too long. I don’t know why we didn’t make the attempt to come back for a visit at some point during that time but I do know that we should have. However, all that is in the past and although we did not quite feel that we were coming back home at least we had a sense of knowing that this is where we belong for now -that this is where God has placed us for as long as He needs us to be here. As the plane made its final approach I was reminded of our first arrival back in April of 1992. Then as now I was aware that Guayaquil from the air at night does not look like a Canadian city. A Canadian city illuminates the sky like some permanent Christmas tree with its gaudy overabundance of lights. Guayaquil does not. Yes, there is light but its brilliance seems to be burst forth from little oases scattered amongst swathes of poorly lit deserts of semi-darkness. It reminded me that Ecuador, much more than Canada is a country of contrasts between the have and have-nots.
We were welcomed at the airport by Dale Horst who has been working here for 2 years and a smiling Ecuadorian contingent of Rolando, Wilfrido and Felipe, all of whom we knew from our time here before. It was great to see them and allow them to grab our various pieces of luggage and load them into the sturdy little green SUV. We were quickly whisked off to Dale’s house where we visited for a half hour or so while munching on popcorn and water and then around 4am we made our weary way to bed.
We awoke to the familiar dawn chorus of chickens, dogs and noisy traffic and had a breakfast of pineapple, toast and coffee with Dale while we made our tentative plans for Wednesday. I say tentative because all plans in Ecuador tend to be that way. It can be difficult for we Canadians to get our heads around that but after you are here for a time you begin to accept it or go crazy from dealing with constant frustration. I prefer to accept it. However, we set off around 9am with a tentative plan to see if we could fire off a few e-mails, register our visas downtown, buy a couple of cell-phones and the aforementioned SUV, visit a little with someone, anyone, and make the hour drive out to Playas before it got too dark. To accomplish any one or one and a half of those things would normally be considered a successful day here but, amazingly we managed to do all of the above plus be in our first ever fender bender and watch Ecuador pump their first 3 goals past a distraught Peruvian soccer team as all of Ecuador went into raptures of delight for a team on its way to a 5-1 victory. I believe that it may well have been our single most successful day ever in taking care of the practical details of life here.
A typically crazy roller coaster/bumper car ride through Guayaquilenian traffic ensued as I took the plunge and drove us out to our new home at the camp. Dale navigated and Kelly held her breath and tried not to look. Our daughters will be delighted to know that as opposed to being one of the worst drivers in Canada I am one of the best in Ecuador and I say that with a certain amount of pride! We arrived at El Faro De Esperanza at around 7pm and were met by Janet Horst, her four sons, Burke, Alanson, Denzel and Selwyn. It was also great to see Nikki Horne a Canadian who is also a missionary here. We were given a warm welcome, a delicious meal and an initial tour of the facility. We talked long and late and but eventually fell into our bed around midnight with our heads spinning because of all the new sights and sounds.
Thursday saw us all up a little late from our various exertions but ready to get to know our new co-workers a little better. However, as it is time that we headed into town to hit the cyber café I will have to leave you hanging here until the next time!
We were welcomed at the airport by Dale Horst who has been working here for 2 years and a smiling Ecuadorian contingent of Rolando, Wilfrido and Felipe, all of whom we knew from our time here before. It was great to see them and allow them to grab our various pieces of luggage and load them into the sturdy little green SUV. We were quickly whisked off to Dale’s house where we visited for a half hour or so while munching on popcorn and water and then around 4am we made our weary way to bed.
We awoke to the familiar dawn chorus of chickens, dogs and noisy traffic and had a breakfast of pineapple, toast and coffee with Dale while we made our tentative plans for Wednesday. I say tentative because all plans in Ecuador tend to be that way. It can be difficult for we Canadians to get our heads around that but after you are here for a time you begin to accept it or go crazy from dealing with constant frustration. I prefer to accept it. However, we set off around 9am with a tentative plan to see if we could fire off a few e-mails, register our visas downtown, buy a couple of cell-phones and the aforementioned SUV, visit a little with someone, anyone, and make the hour drive out to Playas before it got too dark. To accomplish any one or one and a half of those things would normally be considered a successful day here but, amazingly we managed to do all of the above plus be in our first ever fender bender and watch Ecuador pump their first 3 goals past a distraught Peruvian soccer team as all of Ecuador went into raptures of delight for a team on its way to a 5-1 victory. I believe that it may well have been our single most successful day ever in taking care of the practical details of life here.
A typically crazy roller coaster/bumper car ride through Guayaquilenian traffic ensued as I took the plunge and drove us out to our new home at the camp. Dale navigated and Kelly held her breath and tried not to look. Our daughters will be delighted to know that as opposed to being one of the worst drivers in Canada I am one of the best in Ecuador and I say that with a certain amount of pride! We arrived at El Faro De Esperanza at around 7pm and were met by Janet Horst, her four sons, Burke, Alanson, Denzel and Selwyn. It was also great to see Nikki Horne a Canadian who is also a missionary here. We were given a warm welcome, a delicious meal and an initial tour of the facility. We talked long and late and but eventually fell into our bed around midnight with our heads spinning because of all the new sights and sounds.
Thursday saw us all up a little late from our various exertions but ready to get to know our new co-workers a little better. However, as it is time that we headed into town to hit the cyber café I will have to leave you hanging here until the next time!
On the plane!
The view from our living room window
Me having a little coffee
Downtown Playas
Local shrine to Mary
Included below are a pic of kelly and i at the shrine, our new 97 chevy vitara, pic of the dirt surrounding the shrine and kelly enjoying everything with her new sunglasses!
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