Ecuador

As I mentioned on a previous post I was privileged to go to Ecuador on a medical mission trip with a group from our church. We left on October 17th and returned on the 25th. This was not my first international mission trip...Josh & I have been to Romania twice ('03 & '04) but this was the first trip I had been on without Josh. We had a wonderful group of people go and were able to serve with another group of equally wonderful people. How incredible it is to be part of the body of Christ!

This is a picture of most of our group. Everyone in yellow is from Utica and the non-yellow wearers are some of the nationals that helped us and a couple from Houston that translated for us.

We helped and were hosted by Mark & Sherry Cody. They are serving with the International Mission Board in Ecuador. They took great care of us and were a pleasure to work with. Sherry's parents are members of Utica so it felt like "old home week" for us.

Seven of the Ecuadorian nationals that helped us during the week. They are an incredible group. Our work was in partnership and almost a special event for the work they do in and around Ambato, Ecuador. They translated, transported, fixed lunches, and prepared the sites for us.

Nancy & Juan from Houston. They are members of Mark & Sherry's home church in Texas. They willingly joined our team and served as FANTASTIC translators for us. They are honorary members of Utica's mission team.


Our trip over to Ecuador was eventful. Instead of landing in Quito on Saturday night we were rerouted to Guayaquil because of fog. We landed around 11PM. Guayaquil is on the coast and about a 7-8 hour drive from Quito. After being on the airplane for way too long as it sat on the runway we were able to go inside the airport and wait some more while the airline folks tried to figure out what to do with us. We were an international flight and because of the late hour were not able to go through customs. Finally at 5AM our group was called to the desk and told we were being taken to a hotel to wait until our flight to Quito at 6PM. What a mess! There was much frustration and concern but everyone handled the shake-up of plans pretty well. My roommate (Sherry) & I got into our room and in bed at 6AM. We got up at 11AM to have breakfast/lunch and see the sights of Guayaquil.

First place we went was a park dedicated to Simon Bolivar and across the street from a beautiful cathedral.

The park was also known as iguana park...can you guess why? There were huge iguanas all over the place. Also a pond/fountain with some fierce looking turtles. After looking in the cathedral (which had flat panel television screens on columns for the services!) we walked to another park/shopping area on the water. A beautiful city but much warmer than where we were planning on being. We did get back to the airport to wait some more and finally make it to Quito by 8PM. We had four of our bags containing medicine and glasses held in customs. Our other bags made it through no problem and we had all the medicines and supplies that we needed for our first clinic.

We stayed in Ambato, about a 2 hour drive from Quito, and our first clinic was in a village that was about a 2 hour drive from Ambato. The landscape was BEAUTIFUL. Being a mountain girl it was restful to see the countryside as we traveled to our first clinic.

The landscape called to mind the following quote...

"When you are a child of the mountains yourself, you really belong to them. You need them. They become the faithful guardians of your life. If you cannot dwell on their lofty heights all your life, if you are in trouble, you want at least to look at them. The man who wrote three thousand years ago: "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help," knew this, too. And even Our Lord, when He was weary and tired out and wanted to be alone with His Father, ascended a mountain." - Maria Augusta Trapp

The ride to and from the clinic was when I missed Josh the most. He would have loved it.

The pictures are a bit deceiving...these are not low rolling hills, we are at about 11,000 feet.

Here is a picture of the snow covered volcano Tungurahua. The clouds are seldom open enough to get a good clear view. She last erupted in 2006.

Fortunate to get a picture of Tungurahua's peak.

Our first clinic was in the village of Cahuaji Alto...elevation 12,000 feet and across the valley from Tungurahua!

The community center where we set up our clinic. The red bus was our transportation for the week.

Inside setting up the various stations.

Pharmacy station where I ended up working most of the time.

Another picture of the village. The cemetery is the walled in area at the top of the mountain. Check out the clouds on the left...we were higher than some of the clouds!

With some of the local children. They were having "recess" and came and played Duck, Duck, Goose (Patu, Patu, Ganse) with us. The orange sherbet building in the background is the Catholic Church.

I tried to throw the Frisbee with this little guy after the older kids had returned to class. Tungurahua is in the background.

This is cuy, a delicacy in Ecuador...we call it guinea pig. On our last day the president of the village El Rosario brought us cuy and abas (sorta like lima beans) as a thank you. I had a touch of the Ecuadorian two-step so decided not to try it. Those on our team that did eat some claim that it tastes a bit like squirrel. We were honored and humbled at their gift...cuy is not cheap.

The second village where we had our second clinic...El Rosario.

Inside the community center where we had our clinic. There was a school across the way and all the children came to have fluoride and get some treats. The kindergarten class.

Another class...most likely second/third grade.

Gerri was one of our triage nurses. She would take the patients temperature, blood pressure, weight, and when needed prick their finger to test their blood sugar level. Here Katherine translates for her.

Susan filled in as triage nurse (even though she's a banker here in the states!) and had Byron translating for her. These two women loved on so many of the Ecuadorian people. Susan was given a huge pile of onions at the end of the week as a thank you!

Kathy was our floater. She filled in wherever she was needed...triage, pharmacy, nurse practitioner. She also gave me a crash course in "squatting"...Ecuador facilities leaving lots to be desired!

Sherry (my roommate for the week) and I worked in the pharmacy. Sherry is fluent in Spanish, having grown up on the mission field in Peru. She is a delight to work with and room with. The two of us had "debriefing" each night in our room...which always turned into giggling.

Doug was able to get to work on Thursday giving out glasses. Our four bags that were confiscated by customs were released on Wednesday. He had a Spanish Bible that he would use to help the people judge their improved sight.

A family that came to the clinic.

The school in El Rosario allowed us to come into their classrooms and hand out sunglasses. Being at their elevation and on the equator means that there are lots of eye problems. Sunglasses are one way to help prevent/slow down the progress of some sight issues.

Dave, our trip leader, was able to hand out Spanish New Testaments to the two oldest classes. Victor translated for him.

What precious faces!

Our last day in Ecuador we returned to Quito. On the way there we went through a town that was having a festival of some sort with a parade.

We went to the equator! Very neat place to visit. I learned all kinds of random trivia (it's what I do). For instance on the equator you have no resistance. You can't keep someone from pulling your arms down if they are over your head whereas only 3 feet away they are unable to. Our tour guide also had a sink display where she was able to show us the water swirling different directions as it drained on the south and north sides and also no swirl on the equator. We also learned about the indigenous tribes...think shrunken heads.

Perhaps the coolest things was getting the chance to try and balance an egg on the head of a nail. You can be successful in other parts of the world on the vernal & autumn equinoxes but everyday on the equator it is possible.

Very cheesey picture of me but I was SUPER EXCITED about balancing that egg!

I have a lot of pictures on this post but it is nothing compared to the total amount of pictures I have of the week. There are so many stories to tell but I know this post has rambled on long enough. Thank you to everyone who prayed for me and the week. It was amazing to see God work through us and such a privelege to be used by Him.

"To go to people and say "Jesus loves you!" and yet do nothing to help change their circumstances is not a complete message." -John Richard Wimber

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. -Ephesians 2:8&9