Day 4 in Ecuador

Our team with our baby, Jesus, and yes he's wearing a diaper.

After an early morning breakfast, we were given our teams for the day (I was with Nikki, Jess, and Tim) and our clues for the Amazing Race. The first task was to get to church using the bus. This was fairly easy since Dale and I had already been able to use the bus before. The church we went to this morning was called "La Luz". It was all in Spanish, so very hard to know what was going on, but it was also neat to be able to understand some parts of songs and parts of the sermon. Anna, the intern coordinator, gave us a summary of the sermon afterwards which was also very helpful.

Once the service finished, our next task was to go to a market and buy a watermelon. We were to carry this watermelon around all day and pretend that it was a baby in order to sympathize with parents. We ended up making a sling to hold it which actually helped a lot. Then we made our way to a park where we were supposed to take a picture of a couple of paintings before making our way to another marketplace where we were to buy an figurine made out of Tagua (vegetable ivory). We later regifted this figurine to a stranger, but I'll get to that later. At that market we were also supposed to buy an ice cream cone, give it to a stranger, and then ask to pray for them. We did all of this to a street vendor who seemed to really appreciate the gesture, which was nice to see.

We gave our figurine to this store owner. 

We then left the marketplace and took a taxi to a restaurant for lunch that sold shawarma, which is a middle eastern wrap that is very delicious. It was here that we regifted our figurine made out of Tagua to the chef and manager of the restaurant. He was very friendly as well and seemed surprised but pleased by this gift. 

Of course we had to get cotton candy at the park

The next set of tasks were all involved in Carolina park and required our team to take pictures at many different places in the park. This was my favorite part of the race today because the park was amazing. It was the biggest park I had ever seen and had so many unique qualities about it. The mountains were in perfect view in the background and Ecuadorians were seen playing soccer, basketball, volleyball, and even cricket all throughout the park (You'll be happy to know Coach Dreves and Eddy that there was even a track and great paths for running). There were also many different street vendors selling delicious food and unique homemade crafts. I wish you all could experience what I did today, but my words will have to suffice. 

Next we went to the Alliance Academy where we learned about kids in a preschool class there and had the opportunity to write them letters. Many of the kids had gone through a lot through the year, such as deaths in the family or hardships within families so it was great to be able to help them even a little bit with our letters. The next challenges were on the Alliance Academy field and involved some soccer, which is always fun. 

The view from the preschool teacher's apartment.

This leg of the race was soon over but we first had to go a supermarket to buy firewood for a fire we were having later in the night. Then we walked up a grueling hill to the finish which was at the preschool teacher's house. Here we shared stories of the day, cooked hot dogs and s'mores around the fire, and hung out. It was a great time of relaxing after a long day of walking probably about a total of 8-9 miles. 

Fire, the city, and the moon make a beautiful picture

Today was a great day, getting to see many unique things in Ecuador that I had never seen before. It also was nice to get to know the other interns more and bond through the many different activities we did today. Something else I am learning is how friendly Ecuadorians are. When in the park, we had to ask many different people where to go and all of them were so welcoming and kind which is awesome to see. 

The rest of this week will be filled with Amazing Race activities during the day and Cumbre Alta activities in the evening. I am excited to get to spend more time with the interns and the Cumbre Alta athletes. Keep praying that these relationships will continue to grow and that God will be at work throughout this week!

Dios Bendiga,

Nich

Day 3 in Ecuador

The beautiful field the game was played at.

This morning began with Nate coming to pick Dale and I up at the Brown's apartment around 7:40. We were headed to Cumbre Alta's game which was scheduled to start at 9:30. They were facing off against the first place team in the division. Before the game, we were able to converse with some of the Cumbre Alta players and get to know them more. According to Nate, Dale and I are living their dream of playing soccer in college so they look up to us a lot, something that I was not expecting. I have also been surprised at how many people have remembered my name. It has been encouraging to see that they care about us and that we can make a big impact because of how much they look up to us.

Cumbre Alta warming up

The game actually didn't start until 10:00 am due to many players being late, something that frustrates Nate a lot. The fact that players were late didn't help the team and they ended up losing 3-1. We found out last night that we won't be able to play in any games with the team because we don't have our Visas. So Nate had us film the game, which made it hard to enjoy watching the game, but I know it's gonna help Nate out a lot. It is probably best that we aren't going to be able to play, because the games can get very physical (there were 3 red cards in today's match). 

After the game, Nate took us to a restaurant that made Chilean empanadas. It was delicious and one of the best meals I have had so far. Nate told us how soccer is different here in Ecuador, with an emphasis put on individual skills. He said that most players view a meg (or galleta) as better than a goal. Nate has been trying to change the culture to become more team oriented and he recognizes that it might take awhile as it is very counter cultural. This can be another area where Dale and I have an impact because we know what it is like to have an awesome team culture (thanks GCC soccer).

Later, Dale and I had some free time which we used to go buy smoothies from a local store recommended by Gustavo. The smoothies were delicious, but we also got the chance to talk to the three workers there for about 30 minutes. The conversation ended up going to religion and we heard their thoughts on religion which was very interesting. Dale and I were saying that we could keep coming back to this store and hopefully build the relationships and see where our conversations get from there. It's cool to see God working in the simple things, like buying a smoothie. Keep praying for the three ladies that we talked to and that God would be working in their hearts.

Two dogs named Guapa and Guapita (at la Casablanca)

In the evening, the interns returned from the jungle with many exciting and hilarious stories. It was cool to hear everything they experienced and ways that God worked in them. After dinner, the interns debriefed about the jungle and we ended up talking about challenges we have been facing and ways we have seen God. A common challenge that people talked about was feeling unequipped for the plans God has for us this summer, which is what I have been feeling. Something awesome that the intern coordinator, Patrick, said was that God doesn't call the equipped, he equips the called. This was a huge encouragement and reminder for me.

We were told we have to get up at 6:45 tomorrow morning which means our bedtime is soon. Tomorrow Dale and I will get to spend some more time with the interns which will be nice since we haven't been able to spend much time with them.


Dios Bendiga,
Nich

Day 2 in Ecuador

Dale and I sorting and organizing

Today we were able to catch up on our sleep getting to sleep in until 8:30. After breakfast, we had a meeting with Nate Taube, the soccer coach for Cumbre Alta, and Gustavo. During this meeting, we planned the events and activities that we will be doing with a team that is coming from Colorado Springs. This will be the week of June 16^th-27^th and everything that Dale and I will be doing will be with them. This meeting was exciting to me because I love having plans in place, which is something that this trip has lacked so far and something that I am having to adjust to.

After our meeting, we were told to help out Fabi, who works, cooks, and lives at la Casablanca. Our project consisted of emptying a storage spot in la Casablanca and sorting the contents in it. This storage spot was filled with donations such as clothes, toys, and electronics. We were in charge of sorting the clothes into women’s, men’s, and kid’s clothes, which ended up taking the whole morning. We were also able to meet a little boy named Tomas who lives in the pregnancy center that is part of Inca Link’s ministry.

The finished product

After eating lunch, we packed up to go to Nate’s house to hang out and talk. We successfully got around Quito through the bus system, which Dale and I were proud of, and Nate ended up picking us up at Pollo Gus (all you Grove City soccer players should remember that). We then talked to Nate for about an hour and a half about Cumbre Alta, his goals for Cumbre Alta, and where he sees us helping out this summer. It was cool to see what Nate’s plans are for Cumbre Alta and where he wants this club to be in the future.

The rest of the night was spent hanging out with Nate’s family, which consists of his wife, Kelley, and two cute kids named Canen (not sure quite how to spell that) and Eden, and also with Josiah Brown who is the son of the founders of Inca Link.

The view from the Brown's apartment

Pollo Gus!

In summary of the day, I was happy how productive it was and how much I learned about Cumbre Alta and just getting to know Nate more. After hearing about what Nate has planned for the summer, it excited me but also stressed me out due to how much stuff that we could be doing. In many ways, I tend to feel inadequate due to my weak Spanish skills, especially since his number one goal is for us to build relationships with the players. Please be praying that I would trust God entirely and know that He has an awesome plan this summer.

I was going to post this blog last night but I didn’t have access to the internet. Dale and I stayed at Rich and Elisa Brown’s apartment due to a team of 49 people that were staying at la Casablanca. This was only for one night so tonight I will post a blog about today’s events.

Dios Bendiga,

Nich

Day 1 in Ecuador

If you read my last blog, you are probably surprised that I am posting one tonight. Turns out, Dale and I were not able to go to the rainforest tonight. I'll expound on that later.

We started off the day by waking up at 6:00 am to greet and meet more interns that were coming from the coast of Ecuador. These interns had started training on May 17th, but due to my busy schedule this summer, I decided not to attend most of the training.The rest of the morning I was able to talk to many of the new interns and start to build relationships. Many of them shared about the previous experiences they had in Colombia and Peru and hearing these experiences was exciting but also made me regret not doing the training. Nevertheless I am trying to constantly remember that God had this whole summer planned to his perfection, even if it may go against my wishes.

Later in the day, all of the interns made their way to the jungle around 1:30 pm but Dale and I stayed behind in order to practice with the Cumbre Alta soccer team that we will be with a lot this summer. This was initially another disappointment but also another opportunity to step back and trust that God's will is being done.

After the interns left, Dale and I had some free time to ourselves. Dale started to teach me how to play guitar and I actually started to get the hang of it and really enjoyed it. We also went for a walk around la Casablanca before heading off to our practice at 7:30 pm. We had quite the adventure trying to get to the practice, which was actually at Alliance Academy (where we stayed last year). Gustavo, a helper at la Casablanca, told us to take the bus with very vague directions. So we took the bus and ended up getting off at a big bus station where we thought we were completely lost. After asking for help from some natives, who informed us that we were very far away, we decided to


take the trolley in hopes that it would get us closer to the field. It turned out that the field was the very first stop for the trolley and was actually very close to the bus station. God provides time and time again.

Soccer practice with Cumbre Alta was a blast. We were able to introduce ourselves and start to meet some of the players. Finding out that some of the players spoke some English lifted my spirits as it will be easier to build relationships with them. However, it is still amazing to see how soccer can bring together people who speak all different languages. Keep praying that God would work through the language barrier and that I would continue to work hard at my Spanish.

The first day of many days to come is over. Thanks for checking in for another day and if you have any questions feel free to comment and ask them!

Dios Bendiga,
Nich

Arrival to Ecuador

After a long day of traveling, Dale and I have made it safely to Ecuador. Thank you for all your prayers!

It seems hard to believe that less than 12 hours ago I was back in America, being lazy and not having much to do. As I write this I am laying in my bed in the house we are staying, la Casablanca, excited and anxious for everything that God has in store for me this summer.

I have already seen God at work in my life through this trip. First off, I have been overwhelmed by the support I have received from all my family and friends. From the support that I have received financially to the support I have received spiritually, God has been at work. I wanted to take the chance to thank everyone who has supported me for this trip. All your support is really appreciated and makes a huge difference! I am so thankful to God that he has put so many people in my life that care about me.

Secondly, God protected Dale and I as we traveled today and gave us the opportunity to connect with others. Our flight from Baltimore to Miami went smoothly, we were even able to have a seat in betw

een us because the flight wasn't full. After landing, we had to walk what felt like 2 miles to get to our next gate. We then had to eat a quick dinner and proceed to get on the flight with a very short layover. This was when our troubles started. Our scheduled departure was 5:20 pm but due to a malfunction in the PA announcement system, which resulted in a loud, annoying buzzing noise, didn't end up leaving until  around 7:00 pm. The great part about this was that Dale and I were able to converse with the passenger next to us who was Ecuadorian. It was a struggle for me to be able to understand Alberto but with the help of Dale were able to learn a little about him.

It is always neat to see how God can work in our lives, even when it seems like something bad is happening. The delay was frustrating and resulted in a long trip, but God gave us the opportunity to meet someone and share Christ's love with them.

Long line for customs

Leaving Miami

After our flight finally landed in Quito, we got through customs and actually met another girl, Bonnie, there who was an intern with Inca Link as well. Our flight got delayed so much that it ended up arriving at the same time hers was planned to arrive (Another awesome way that God worked today). After meeting with Bonnie, we left the airport with an Inca Link worker named Gustavo who drove us to la Casablanca.

That about sums up our long day of traveling. I apologize for any poor grammar or misspelling that may be due to my tiredness right now.

The room we are staying in.

Tomorrow we are venturing into the rainforest for some intern training activities. We will be there for 1 and a half days so my next blog won't be until after we come back.

Keep praying! Prayer is a powerful thing.

Dios Bendiga,
Nich