Bienvenido a Ecuador

February 18, 2021

Bienvenido a Ecuador

Waldrop, Pena, and Kiehl Families

Hola!

It has been over a month since we have landed in South America and we are still blown away by the beauty, the people, and how God has truly touched our family during our transition. There is so much to share in just the first few days of arriving!

We were told to have a clean slate on expectations, so we were pretty open to whatever God handed to us. This is greatly appreciated, because when we rely on our own expectations, we are often led to anxiety, stress, and fear.

We arrived with the Pena family in Quito late in the evening, so we decided to stay at a hotel nearby the airport. The Pena family is another missionary family in training with us. Emmanuel Pena already speaks Spanish and has helped us tremendously. In fact, they are the ones who guided us here. Really, we have been riding on their coattails, and without them, we would be TOTALLY lost. We truly see why Jesus sent His disciples two by two!

The next day we drove to Baños de Agua Santa (Baños for short). It is a little tourist town in the Andes Mountains and next to the Tungurahua Volcano. We arrived at our school first, met our head mistress and a few teachers, and then drove to our living quarters. Our apartment is on the bottom floor of a cute three-story house. As we walked in, we noticed the influence of American culture right away. There are posters of Frank Sinatra, Elvis, James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, and more actors and actresses lining the walls, along with a large wall-sized skyline of New York City in our dining room. It's funny how much importance some of our culture has on others, but also a little sad for me. This is all great, but the greatest BEAUTY of America (the "normal" people, nature, diversity) is missing. You not only see this influence in our little casa, you can see it on advertisements, television shows/movies, restaurants, stores, and the like. I hope and pray the world sees more than this, as America has so much more to contribute to the world other than what they see in Hollywood.

It wasn't long before we had to go to lunch and meet the Kiehl family. The Kiehl family has been in missions for about nine years. Their current post for the past three years is in the jungle around six hours away - Chontapunta. They were in Baños on their way home from a much needed family vacation. This beautiful family made us feel welcomed, helped us get acquainted with the area, and created confidence in a foreign setting. We felt more peace here in our "new home". I don't think this could have worked out any better and we are grateful for what we feel was God's provision.

Some "take aways" from our first few days here:

1. Although we knew this already, we saw firsthand the church being the center of town and primarily the influence of the culture. We noticed right away the devotion of many that is inspiring, to say the least. The Blessed Virgin and the saints are very revered and honored, but of course, Jesus is the center. A BEAUTIFUL display of the Christ child in the manger was lit up and so flashy, that it was difficult to look away. :) The basilica is old, but SO MUCH work has been put into it. Even CJ noticed and stated that it must have taken YEARS to get it the way it is now. No doubt there was much blood, sweat, and tears that went into building it.

2. Most Ecuadorians here have a small breakfast, large lunch, and small dinner (with a tea/coffee break between meals). The usual lunch plate: meat, rice, beans, salad, soup, french fries and fresh local juice ranges from about $2.50 - $3.50 a plate. Ecuadorians don't usually tip. The total price is the total price. However, there is no mercy when you accidently break a plate or cup, or if you buy a product and it spills, you still pay for it. We do not return items. We just give it to someone else who can be blessed by it.

3. We learned that toilet paper goes in the trash can and not in the toilets. The trash is picked up daily! Nice, right?! Every night, we place our trash bags by the road. We know the trash truck is around, because it sounds just like the ice cream truck in America. It plays music to let you know that they are coming. And you better hurry up, or you have your trash for another day! :) It was recommended that we use a paste for dish soap instead of a liquid because only cold water is usually available in the kitchens here and the paste soap is better for that. PRAISE GOD we have warm water in our bathrooms. MANY people do not have that option as well.

4. Groceries: Milk is in a box or bag, yogurt is in a bottle, and peanut butter and jelly are in pouches. American products are double the price of everything else, if they are available. The best bread is in the Panadarias (fresh daily!) and fruits and veggies are sold in little tiendas as well. Most are organic and grown by nearby farms.

5. Most people are VERY obedient to guidelines required for the pandemic. - People even wear masks while driving by themselves, and some are even double masked. Most are obedient to all rules (EXCEPT for driving).

6. There is not much recycling, but many REUSE items often. Our filtered water bottles must be returned to use again or we pay a high price for them.

There is much more to share, but this was our first impression as we arrived. Again, this is a small tourist town, so the lifestyle here is different from other places we have visited. We still have the jungle to describe - and that is worthy for a whole other post! Thanks for your prayers and your patience with us. We are truly blessed by your love.