Tuesday - Back to Work

We started the day at 630 a.m. a group went down to the school to play with the kids. Even though they didn’t have school, about 20 children showed up and played basketball, jump rope and kick ball. We left about 750 a.m and said good bye to Santa Rivera the Panama hat maker. We got back to La Cueva about 8 a.m. had our devotions “Its Not About Me”. Had a wonderful breakfast of fruit, rolls, scrambled eggs. At 900 a.m., a few of those who had volunteered went to the high school to help build an addition. They started out by digging out 22 holes two feet deep. Next they witnessed an amazing process of putting bamboo poles about 15 feet high in the post holes. All this was done by manual labor, no blue prints, no regulations—just Ecuadorian ingenuity. They got done with the exterior structure by 430 p.m. It was hard work but now there is more room for students at the high school.

The other group of us went back up to the orphanage and worked on sanding and varnishing slats for bed, cleaning the bathroom tiles and floors from paint and grout. Tim was working on assembling bunk beds, putting up shelves etc. It was hard work especially after that grueling hike we had yesterday. But the building is looking much better. Juanita served us a wonderful lunch. It was a delicious chicken rice dish that I want the recipe for. Our work day usually stops around 300 p.m. or so. This allows us to play games or do an activity with the children. We always look forward to that part of the day.

When we got back to La Cueva, we had a really big treat waiting for us---clean clothes to sort thru. I never thought I would enjoy clean clothes so much. My jeans and underwear were standing up by themselves. …I think others were doing likewises. So to those at home, enjoy that washing machine!!!

God bless you all!

John and Patricia

See you tomorrow on the blog.

What a Monday!

We had a special trip in the plans for today…a trip to Isla de la Plata, Silver Island. We actually first saw the island when we arrived in San Lorenzo last year, on days when it was a little clearer. After talking with Jorge, the owner of La Cueva where we are staying, a bit he shared that there were tours that went out to the island that is also known as the Poor Man’s Galapagos. Last year there was no time in the schedule for the team to visit the island, but this year there was!

We woke extra early for a 6am breakfast of bananas and ham and cheese sandwiches. Many on the team also enjoyed a dramamine with our delicious fresh squeezed orange juice. Soon we were all jammed into a bus/van headed south down the coast. We had to travel an hour and a half to the coastal town of Puerto Lopez to board the boat that would take us to the island. Jorge accompanied us on the trip. During the ride it was very interesting to see many different small villages along the coast.

We arrived in Puerto Lopez, which is a much larger town in comparison to San Lorenzo, there were many people going about their business on Monday morning. Among them were many fisherman boarding and unloading boats on the beach. Fishing is a major part of the economy here on the Pacific Coast of Ecuador.

We boarded the boat minus shoes and headed out for the hour and a half boat trip to the island. The ride was a bit rough, and some people were not feeling very well. The excitement of the ride occurred when we spotted some whales! They were very close to the boat! It was an awesome site! We would later hear that it was likely a female with two males chasing after her. We spent some time following the whales which made the trip a bit longer. As we continued and neared the island, we saw a school of dolphins swimming! Again it was an amazing site!

We neared the island which was so much larger up close than from the main land. As we arrived on shore there were some large sea turtles swimming in the water. We had a quick meal of bananas and banana bread and headed out for our hike. We were lead by two Ecuadorian tour guides who shared about the vegetation and animal life on the island. We saw blue footed boobies, masked boobies, a single sea lion as well as an albatross! They were all so close to us, it was incredible!

The hike was very rough at times. There was no shade for long periods of time and the sun was hot! We hiked for over three hours, and some on the team wondered if it would ever end! We hiked up and down several hundred stairs in the process and drank a lot of water!

Finally we arrived back on the boat for a quick lunch of tuna and cheese sandwiches, fresh fruit, and other snacks that we had brought along. We ate lunch while traveling around to another part of the island where we took a quick dip in the refreshing ocean. It felt great after our long hike in the sun! Some of us even went snorkeling and saw some magnificent fish! There were some awesome orange clown fish swimming in schools near the boat.

Soon we were headed back to the port on another hour and a half boat ride. Some people were happy to nap as best as they could during this time. After we arrived at the port, we boarded back into the vehicles for the drive back to San Lorenzo. One of the vans stopped for some yummy ice cream along the way!

It was an incredible day all the way around! Some people are starting to question whether this is a boot camp training instead of a mission trip! It seems that we are a very active team and enjoy all things outdoor!

Thanks for continuing to share in our experience through this blog! We look forward to sharing more with you all when we arrive home on Saturday!

On behalf of the team,
Jennifer

Saturday and Sunday

Circus Saturday

Even though the San Lorenzo children do not have school today, we still made our early morning stop at the school playground where we were able to get in a rousing soccer match…North American adults vs. South American ninos. Of course we lost!

The work truck was broken down so many of us had to walk up the mountain to the work site. We argued over who had to ride in the car! We spent the day varnishing the beds we had just made, cleaning up the rooms and then we played a water balloon toss game with the kids. Yes, many of us got hit with the balloons!

Paula and Jenny definitely have the critter room. They had more visitors this morning…another scorpion, a spider and a lizard. They seem to enjoy the company!

After walking back to La Cueva, Kelly told us we were “Going to the circus” tonight! We were soooooo excited!!! Of course, we had NO IDEA what we were in for. The children were also surprised…they were told they were coming into town after dinner to play with us. They were excited to hear we were all going to the circus together. We met in front of the school and as we were waiting for the kids from the orphanage…several of the local children came by to play. So we took them ALL to the circus. It was an experience you cannot even imagine. Let’s just say, be sure to ask your Ecuadorian tourist about it when they get home. I will tell you that the seating was very makeshift and the top row broke and one of the teens fell off the seat. Luckily he was ok, but it scared Tim and the kids that were sitting right next to it. Marlone (one of the orphans) got to dance on stage…very cute!

Sunday

The truck is still not working so we walked to church through the jungle! The church is the carport under the pastor’s house. Katrina interpreted the sermon for us in English. The pastor played the tambourine while we clapped and sang many songs in Spanish while the roosters crowed along.

After the service, we hiked back to the orphanage and gave the kids their gifts, they loved them. They all got new bathing suits and following lunch we went back to La Cueva and the kids had a blast playing in the swimming pool…even though it was cold enough that we all had sweatshirts on!

We were all exhausted after dinner and have to get up early tomorrow for the ride to the island, nicknamed “Poor man’s Galapagos.”

That’s all for now folks!
Asta manana (probably not spelled right, either).
Ann & the Team

Friday - Through the Jungle

HOOOOLLLAAAA DE San Lorenzo amigos!! Well today has been quite an adventure. It started out with a jungle walk led by children. They were equipped with machetes and led us through the hillside. We encountered a peeing monkey (mona), a few huge hill slides and a bat cave! We ran through a tunnel under the road which was filled with hundreds of bats. The boys ran through first and scared them all and were trapping them at the other end with the machete! Even Patricia went through! Everyone said if you scream it makes the bats avoid you because of their echo location…and that’s why I did it… seriously. One bat got stepped on and Leo chopped it in half then I had to stomp it out to put it out of its misery. On the ride back we had 34 people in the back of our “Gringo Mobile” and it was a great time. We also bought a bunch of goodies from a little sweet shop on the edge of town. The Bengal tiger was no problem, but I had to beat the shop owner to death with his own shoe or Ozzy wouldn’t go on stage. JK LOL

Back at work today there was some bed making and some sanding going on. It was only a half day but we still go a lot of work done. There was also time for Paul, Tim and I to play some volleyball with the kids and some of our construction friends. Joey was busy as always playing on the zip line and got Erin and a few of the kids to try to do it backwards (against gravity).

We just had a delicious feast and are about to do some life tokens on the beach, and enjoy a smore or three. We are at the half way point and I’m not even sick of anyone yet. What a great group. Hasta manana. B^2

Thursday -“Que Eres Jugar?”

We’re happy to report that our sick ones are up and moving today… not quite into the hot sauce yet, Jeff said he has retreated into a “temporary diet wigwam.”

Our daily trip to the school is always a blast. One of the big hits is the LONG jump rope! We counted jumps in English and Spanish with the kids. Most of them can count to 10 in English-some of us can count as high in Spanish. As you can imagine, the conversation is just flowing here…though few of us have any idea what the other one is saying!

We are learning lots of new Spanish phrases. Jenny taught us “Que eres jugar?” (Which I probably spelled wrong)-but it means “Who wants to play?” It comes in very handy all day long!

The work crew finished the cement work (yay!) and many of us got to put our hand prints in the cement. A part of us will always be here in Ecuador!

Brad was sanding wood today and was surprised by a bunch of crickets when he moved a piece of wood (yes, he screamed)! THEN he saw the tarantula that had been moving in on them. I think Brad ruined it’s lunch when he sent the crickets flying.

The children’s activity today was t-shirt painting. Very, very messy, so you know they had a good time! They turned out really cute. We also had them make a shirt for Peter and Juanita, the house mom and dad, with their handprints on it. Then we played drop the pennies in the bottle (thank you Dana), at least until Tutti dropped the bottle instead of the pennies…then Juan Carlos tried to lighten the mood and jumped up on the chair and raised his fist in the air and yelled “Viva la Fiesta!” We all joined right in…they are so much fun!

On the ride back to the hotel, we stopped to pick up a hitch hiker. He was an older gentleman…a Jehovah Witness. He was excited to use his few English phrases on us. Jenny speaks Spanish, so he tried his best to convert her in the short ride into town. As he jumped off the truck he waved, smiled and yelled, “Bye, remember me!” I bet he didn’t think he’d make the blog!?

Jenny and Paula had a scorpion in their room this morning. They were very brave and we didn’t even hear them scream! All the newcomers said the bugs aren’t at all as bad as they had thought they would be…in fact, everyone gets pretty excited when we see an interesting creature! Just wait ‘til you see pictures of the giant beetle…he was very ‘friendly!’

Thank you for all your prayers and good wishes! We LOVE reading your comments every day!!! Don’t be shy!

Con amor, (with love)

Ann & Team Ecuador 2008

Kickball and Cement Mixers

Hola! Yet another wonderful day in Ecuador! We woke again to sunshine! Walking out onto the balcony felt as if we were staying at an exclusive resort location. The view from La Cueva is breath-taking. Walking along the ocean is such a peaceful way to begin the day.

Several of the team members again went to the school to play with the children before school began. The director actually invited us to stay an extra 15 minutes each morning because the children enjoy it so much!! This morning, we even taught them “Duck, duck, goose” in English.

Unfortunately, a few team members weren’t feeling up to par today. Please continue to pray for the health of each team member.

The team was able to accomplish quite a bit including cement work, painting and bed construction. By tomorrow, there will finally be a cement floor in the work room that we spent days excavating last year. What a blessing to see Joey working side by side with Tim helping him sand and nail the beds. Both Joey and Erin have added so much to the team. Their mornings are spent working while the afternoons are occupied playing with all the children once they return from school. You would never guess that there is a language barrier!

We finished the day out with a game of kickball – children v Team Ecuador. (Not a fair match considering that most of the children are expert soccer players.)

Once back in San Lorenzo, several people ventured into town looking for Rene. Though we haven’t located our buddy from last year, we are reassured that he is still here. Not sure we’ll be riding any burros this year though. We found a circus in town. The word is that there’s a show tomorrow night so…

We are looking forward to a bonfire on the beach this evening complete with smores! It will be an awesome way to end a perfect day.

Thank you all for your messages and prayers. We miss you!

Teresa

P.S. HBD BF!!!! GICUB4UROK2!

P.P.S. Hola Jim! We miss you!

P.P.P.S. Jose dice “Te amo, padre”

P.P.P.P.S. Meow right back at ya gatos!

P.P.P.P.P.S. Sarah, we love your special cards!

P.P.P.P.P.P.S. Benny & Sofie, Mama loves you and thinks of you every second! Ciao, amores!

PPPPPPPPPPeeps: Hola everyone at Superkicks! We miss you!

Ppppppppppp.ssss from Patricia…miss you, cannot mail anything out, so this is it guys. Love you all Anita, Jean, Amy, Patti, Rich, Rob, Mike and and JonaH, Tamer, Josh, Hally, Chris, Tyler, Angela, Alex, Leah, Brook, Cassie, Cyler, Carey, Sarah, Sammie, did I miss anyone? Love mom/grandma.

A Special Request and Let the work begin!

The entire team would like to start today’s blog with a special request for all of you reading the blog. One of our team members, Marta, left Quito yesterday to return to the United States due to some health issues that her father is experiencing. We ask that you all join in praying with our team for Marta, her father, and their entire family.

This morning began early for many on the team as a group left for an early morning hike up the many stairs to the lighthouse. Some others left soon after to walk to the local school where most of the team met up to play with the children of San Lorenzo. It was great fun as we played with basketballs, footballs, and jump ropes with many of the kids. Many recalled that some of our team had been down in August to play as well. About twenty minutes after we arrived, another bus dropped off the younger children from the orphanage. What a fantastic reunion with these loving children!

When the children lined up for class, the team headed back to La Cueva for breakfast, another delicious meal! By 9:00 we were boarding the open air truck with many supplies in tow to head up to the orphanage. Once there, we were greeted by the older children who attend school in the afternoon. The living room was decorated with several posters welcoming the team and a special note thanking many on the team for coming back to spend time with them. The pictures that our team had taken, printed and left with the children in August were plastered all about the orphanage.

Due to the familiarity of the job site we were able to get right to work! A group joined with a few locals working at the orphanage to do some excavating and cement laying for a retaining wall around the front of the first building. Another crew began wiping down the walls of the second home and painting a final coat of white paint throughout the house. Tim, our team carpenter, began construction of bunk beds for the second home. Still others spent time preparing a delicious lunch with our missionary host Susan. Finally another team spent time making fun crafts with the children when they arrived home from school. We all had a very busy, productive day! It was a great end to the work day as we all spent a little time at the end playing with the children outside.

Now some of you may be wondering about this crazy idea of playing outside, and that deserves some explanation! Much to the amazement of some on our team, when we arrived in San Lorenzo yesterday, the sun was shining! AND, it was hot! We even watched a beautiful sunset and saw the moon and a few stars! It was so warm that we took an hour at the end of the night to have a bonfire on the beach while sharing life tokens and some great music courtesy of Brad and Ann. Wow, what a day!

This morning when we woke up it was overcast and raining a bit, much more like the weather that we experienced last year; however, through much of the workday it was pleasant and a wonderful day to play outside. Also, the mud is gone! There have been many changes at the orphanage since our first team left in August! Someday perhaps you can come down and check it all out for yourself!

Tomorrow we will continue with our projects that began today as well as start laying concrete in the lower room that we worked on in August.

Thank you for partnering with our team in this awesome adventure!

On behalf of the team,
~Jennifer

p.s. Happy Birthday Wishes to Joe and Sam!

p.s.s. A rumor has started to circulate that now that we are back in town the internet café may reopen. ;)