An Ecuadorian Mission Experience

Hey there folks!

Well, we are back in Quito now, and so you have the priviledge of taking some time to check out many pictures from the last few days. I don't have a lot of time, so I can't write too much, but I think you'll be happy with the pictures. Yesterday was mostly travel back to Quito. The bus ride was a little more intense. You drive faster going up than going down! So some folks had some motion sickness issues.

We stopped at some gas stations and bought some neat snacks (like the combo of potato chips and pork rinds). We actually saw a bus that had swerved for some reason and was off in some trees. Kinda scary, but our bus driver was the best and he took very good care of us. I don't know if I mentioned this earlier (too difficult to go and look back right now), but you get to drive through some different regions. The coast, the jungle and the highlands. The jungle isn't the Amazon (it's on the other side of the mountains, the east side), but it is still neat to travel through the jungle. We saw banana farms and African Palm farms (they harvest the nuts for oil). Then you quickly rise in elevation and enter the mountains. Incredible views. I don't think the pictures display the full glory, but you'll get an idea.

Gedeon is a band and music ministry that Cameron's husband Robert is a part of. They travel around Ecuador putting on concerts and sharing Christ's love and the Gospel. Pretty awesome! And their music rocks! There was also a group from Christ Church School in Greenville there with us as well. We knew a couple of the people in the group, but not as many as past years. There were a couple different acts that opened for Gedeon. There is a ministry called Casa G that helps get street kids off the street and then trains them to be Christian leaders. A few of them did freestyle and choreographed dance for us. It was a good bit of break dancing, and they were incredibly talented. There was a couple of dudes from Carmen Bajo (a church in a certain slum neighborhood of Quito) who rapped for us as well, and they were quite talented (and of course it was all in Spanish). And there was a band from Casa G that played a song that was sort of a reggae/ska mix. And then Gedeon rocked it out. It was a blast, and it was equally fun watching our group, the group from Christ Church, and the Ecuadorians mix and dance and laugh and have a great time.

And then we finished the evening with Papa John's pizza! Haha!

Well, I'm off to church, so I hope you enjoy the pictures!

blessings,
dorian


Day 2 on the Ground: Travel to Atacames and our first ministry site:



Day 3 on the Ground: first full day in Atacames and visits to 2 schools and a park:



Day 4 on the Ground: Construction at Iglesia Zoe:



Day 5: Travel back to Quito and Gedeon Concert at Carmen Bajo: