An Ecuadorian Mission Experience

Hey there folks,

Our final day in Ecuador was in many ways like the previous day. We started the day out with another orientation of a Youth World ministry. This time we learned about Casa Gabriel. Casa G is a home for street kids. The house can handle 10-15 kids, and about 11 currently live there. Homeless children is a huge problem in Quito. Kids leave home as early as 6 years old. They leave for a variety of reasons: abuse, easier to find food on the street, ability to make their own money (through stealing and other means), and more. The cold of concrete can be more inviting than the rough situations at home.

Casa G reaches out to kids and offers them a stable environment. They are very selective in who they allow to live in the home. They start out with a few non-negotiables (like no drugs or alcohol), but the biggest thing is the kids must be teachable. They must be willing to learn and grow. They have a tutor, they go to school, they have a missionary family that lives and works with them. They get their own bed and personal space. The goal of Casa G is to grow the love of Christ in the hearts of these kids as they learn the basic aspects of Christian leadership.

These kids aren’t dumb. They are very talented. Many peddled the streets as jugglers, pickpockets, and such. They are typically very bright and talented, they just haven’t been afforded the same opportunities that me or you have been afforded. Once provided these opportunities, the sky is the limit. There is one former member of Casa G that graduated valedictorian from his high school and is now interning at a church in the US as he prepares to become a missionary in Africa. Amazing! One of the coolest experiences of the morning was the rap a couple of the guys performed for us. They rocked!

We spent the rest of the day working at the Episcopal Cathedral, again painting the iron work, sanding pews down so that they could be refinished, and performing other odd jobs that they need assistance with. We learned that our work is very much appreciated because the church has had a rough few years, and due to corrupt leadership, their membership has dropped off. An infusion of 16+ pairs of hands makes a huge impact on the amount of maintenance and upkeep they can perform.

The Cathedral is a beautiful church, and it needs and deserves so much more than we can provide. The stained glass is amazing and beautiful, but it has been abused by rocks and projectiles. I hope and pray that one day, it will get the repairs and love that it needs and deserves. The clergy and people of the church were very cool people, so I really hope the new Bishop will bring new life to the Diocese of Central Ecuador.

This really was the first day that we all felt the fatigue of the trip. It was tough sanding the pews and front doors. Our arms just didn’t have the same “umph” they had the previous day, but we persevered, pushing ourselves to make our last day as best as we could. It was strange to think that it was our last day. Each day seemed to plod along nicely, not too fast, but all of a sudden, our time in Ecuador was nearly over.

We closed our last evening in Ecuador by having dinner at Cameron and Roberto’s home. It was a really nice place on the top floor of a building. The kids even climbed up on the roof for a great view of the neighborhood! Made me a little nervous, but it was actually very safe. We ate a very traditionally Ecuadorian meal of arroz con pollo (rice with chicken), white pineapple, and friend plantains. It was so good! We all ate way too much.

Our final debrief was very cool. We did a visualization of our time in Ecuador. As we closed our eyes, James recounted all of our adventures. It was amazing how much we did and accomplished during the 7 full days on the ground. Then James and Emily sang a song for us…I want it that way! Very funny. No worries, you’ll get to see the video soon. We cleaned up, got a little bit or rest, ate a quick breakfast Friday morning, and then headed to the airport. The trip home was an adventure in itself! For now though, check out the pics from Thur and Fri:



blessings,
dorian