The proverb "All good things must
come to an end" has been on my mind lately. We have had an abundance of Good Things over the past months, and especially this July in our time here in Quito. My heart is full of thanks to God.
Was this trip easy? Kinda sorta. As we expected, we had some sickness to deal with during our time here. Fatigue, some fairly minor stomach ailments (a polite word that encompasses diarrhea and it's evil twin, constipation), colds, sinus issues (take 9,000 feet plus of altitude, add various types of weather and dryness, mix in Quito's horrible air quality, and you get lots of yucky, achy ugh). Dealing with 'Tiempo Latino' and unpredictable plans and schedules wore us down from time to time. And then there were those moments when someone was just missing friends at home or some other familiar thing, or someone had had enough people and excitement and sight-seeing for one day and was just plain cranky. We reminded ourselves that we would have faced these issues whether we were in Quito or in Waterloo, so may as well face them here!
But that's only a smaller part of the whole picture. Here are some Good Things that come to mind that made the trip pure joy:
- the love and care of the Erazo family for us and all they have done to make our time here the best possible experience. Saying goodbye on Tuesday morning is going to be hard for all of us.
- time with missionary friends and acquaintances - the Estevez's, the Ronquillos, the Jensens, the Saavedras, plus getting to know the Vivancos and Brad Miller. What a varied group of people, different ages and stages, but we've discovered that they, like us, have hopes and dreams and wonderings about where God is leading them and what he wants to do in and through them. They all took us under their wings and graciously offered whatever help they could to the Canadian family visiting for a month.
- What words can describe the sights we have seen? The bustling, always fascinating city of Quito, the mountains, volcanic lakes, quaint villages nestled among titanic snowcaps, the flowers that bloom in a never-ending torrent all year long, the exotic fruits, the beaches, the antique architecture of La Ronda like something out of a pirate movie. This was truly a vacation of epic proportions in so many ways!
- Carmen Bajo. The focus of our ministry, and the saints both young and old who give their lives to continue to build and to be a community of faith in the midst of hapless chaos. Each time we went to the Project or the church, or to an event organized for the kids or the young people, we looked forward to greeting them warmly in the typical Ecuadorian fashion. Hugs and a kiss on the cheek for the ladies, hugs and a handshake for the men. The culture here is polite but also VERY warm. I will miss it when we get back to our more reserved Canadian culture. I
can't hope to include every name here, but here are a host of the good people we count as dear friends: Rosa, Quinya, Rocio, Patricia, Vicenta, Maria, Laura Sr., Laura Jr.. Liz, Esperanza, Ruben, Isabel, Carolina, Victor, Andres, Faviola, Daniel, Lupe, Jose Manuel, and so many others.
- The Kids. Some kids we managed to learn and remember their names. As often as possible we would greet them by name. To see them brighten at being recognized was reward enough. To see Amanda and Kayleigh playing and interacting with various ones throughout the month was so cool.
- The Creekside and Grace Bible Chapel teams. Time spent alongside both amazing teams was rich and rewarding as we got to know others better in serving alongside each other. That's one of the real blessings of being part of The Church. Our common faith in the One who brought us all together bonds us into one Body.
- Worship in two languages. I'm getting more adept at switching mid-song from Spanish to English! Having the guitar handy has been a joy. I
fulfill something very unique and special in my calling when I lead worship in song. This morning I led a
circle of over 70 people from two cultures in worship to the same Lord and Saviour of us all. It was a joy and a privilege! I am also amazed and blessed to see a passion for worship among young people here in Quito. There is so much awesome music and songs being written and sung in Latin America, yes, they also love Hillsong United like we do, but they also have some equally great voices of their own!
Tomorrow is our last Sunday in Carmen Bajo, and Monday we pack and see and do a few final things, spending every minute possible with the Erazo family, before this Good Thing draws to a close. We will be thoughtful and prayerful as we return to our home and native land to finish out the rest of the summer and look ahead to what will undoubtedly be a challenging Fall.
And we will never forget this past
month in Quito.
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