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Rising College Freshmen in Ecuador
This June, our incoming college freshmen spent nine days in Quito, Ecuador. While much of our time was spent serving in familiar mission trip fashion, the remainder was an experience that can only be described as "uncomfortable comfort." Rather than work our fingers to the bone in order to build a house in four days or less, we used some of our time to "get to know" Quito, Ecuador. Subsequently, we were forced to begin asking questions about the causes behind the conditions many were living in. This was the first step in "producing fruit" or taking our mission experience back home. Youth World demanded that we not only ask how we might help the people we met in Ecuador, but how they arrived at such poverty in the first place. Next, we were asked to begin thinking about what these lessons might mean back in our own culture. And lastly, we were called to action once we returned home.
It has been exciting to see what this class had done upon returning home. From letter writing campaigns to 4-square tournaments, they have been raising money to help build a vocational school in Ecuador so that the next generation living in Argelia Alta can begin stepping out of a cycle of poverty.
Thanks, as always, to everyone for your support and prayers that give our students the opportunities for experiences like this.
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Older College Students in Ecuador
On June 19, 15 young adults congregated at the Nashville airport, excited yet hesitant about spending the subsequent eight days in Quito, Ecuador. Hours later, in a foreign country on a distant continent, we were greeted by the smiling and familiar faces of Adam and Sarah DeVries, Debbie DeVries, and Trey Wince. Immediately I felt a unified sensation of eagerness, as each of us could not wait to embark on the incredible journey that lay ahead.
It is hard to capture the magic of our experience on a piece of paper, for the emotional roller coaster that we endured during our time in Quito was far more intense than I could have possibly envisioned on the days leading up to the trip. We spent the first day becoming acclimated to the city, absorbing the culture through sightseeing, tasting traditional Ecuadorian foods, and practicing our limited Spanish with the people we met. I think it is safe to say that we all fell in love with Quito that day, for our eyes were opened to the extraordinary beauty that Ecuador and its citizens have to offer.
We spent three days of our trip at Argilia Alta, a multi-purpose building located in an area of the city that is particularly impoverished. The array of ministries offered within this small building is amazing. Known as Remanso de Amor, or "Haven of Love," the dull, concrete walls house a school, church, and health clinic, as well as a central location for the Compassion program and several other services. Most of our time in this location consisted of playing and worshipping with the dozens of children that flock to Remanso de Amor daily. We were overwhelmed by the love and trust they showered on us, a theme we saw consistently with the different groups we worked with throughout the week.
The following days were made up of smaller projects, including an afternoon at the Quito dump and an evening watching a Liga soccer game with a group of boys that had spent a portion of their lives on the city's streets. Our group quickly adapted to the Ecuadorian way of life, an existence we quickly termed as "Flexidor." There was something incredibly refreshing about ignoring the value of a schedule, embracing relationships rather than the tasks at hand, and appreciating the Jesus and/or genius that we found in every situation, no matter how foreign or uncomfortable it felt. Our eight days in Ecuador were far richer than words or a photograph can express. I am so thankful for the time I spent there and the glimpse of Christ we encountered in each precious individual that we met.
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