An Ecuadorian Mission Experience

Buenos dias!!

We had pretty smooth travel to Quito. The only small hiccup was that we had to wait on the Charlotte tarmac for 45 minutes prior to taking off because of delays in Atlanta. The layover in Atlanta was fun times with food, games, and laughter. The flight to Quito was pretty cool. We had little tv touch screens with movies, games, and tv on demand. Awesome! A bunch of the youth played an interactive trivia game against each other. It was pretty epic. Grayson says that he won, but he really came in second.

Arrival at Quito was crazy! It is so hectic and overwhelming. Everyone rushes off the plane and then you wait in a long line at Migration (immigration). The baggage claim is insane! We set up an assembly line: one group grabbing luggage, passing to a second group, who then passes to a third group whose job is to watch the luggage. Then we hop into the longest line ever to go through customs. After customs, you get one of the coolest experiences ever. You bust through some doors into the welcome area where there are hundreds of people waiting to greet their loved ones. It's like out of an old movie. There's a railing that separates folks waiting from those arriving, and people are holding signs and yelling and whistling. It is awesome and crazy.

Cameron and Roberto greeted us along with Gina (one of the Youth World staff...she's the one I emailed with). Rachel and Jose Louis were also there to greet us. They are our missionary intern hosts, and they will be spending the next 10 days with us...guiding us, helping us, leading us, praying with us, translating for us, and much, much more.

We hopped on a bus, and they zipped us to our hostel. It is a way cool place that is a ministry that serves cancer patients. The gentleman that owns the place (I met his son, Mateo...very cool family) provides a place for cancer patients to stay while they receive treatments. Apparently, they have alternative treatments for cancer here in Ecuador, and patients from all over the world come here for the treatments. There are two patients on our floor from Georgia (not the country) and Kansas (very nice people!).

We are on the third floor, sleeping in four bedrooms on bunkbeds. Each bedroom has its own bathroom, and the water pressure is awesome! (can you tell that last year's water pressure may not have been the best?) We have a common area with a small kitchen. There is a rooster just outside the girls' rooms, and apparently, he likes to crow at 4:20 and 5am...and then again at 6am.

Right now, Rob has cooked up a pretty awesome breakfast, and we are waiting for our missionary hosts to arrive. After breakfast, we will go to the Youth World office for orientation, then out to lunch, visit the Basilica (Catholic cathedral), and tour Old Town. It'll be a fun and crazy day! Tomorrow we travel to Riobamba.

Be in touch later! Hasta luego!

blessings,
dorian