Last May, a team of nine students and three staff traveled to Ecuador for our summer mission trip. I had the privilege of planning for the trip and leading the team. What a great team!
We left the Miami airport on May 6 and arrived in Quito, Ecuador that night. We spent the night in Quito and Monday morning, we met Ron and toured the school affiliated with the ministry, Montebello. We began our journey to Misahualli. We stopped briefly in Banos and were able to walk around the town before resuming our drive through the countryside. The scenery was beautiful!
Tuesday and Wednesday were spent ministering in Misahualli. After eating breakfast at the hostel, we spent the morning working at the school. Half the team painted, sanded, and treated the missionary, Roberto's, house and the other half built a small building to protect their water pump. We also shoveled dirt around the foundation of the pump house; talk about a workout! In the afternoon, we had a Vacation Bible School with the children in the community. Roberto and his team have been working with this community to become familiar to them and gain their trust. The students had a brief skit for the kids (Noah’s Ark) and sang songs in Spanish with them. The kids were then divided into three age groups and rotated through the Bible story, craft, and game station. We ended the VBS with snacks and spent some time playing with the kids.
Thursday, we took a motorized canoe down the river. We stopped at a community to have a VBS with the kids, visited a zoo with animals native to the area, and ate a river-side lunch. That afternoon, we enjoyed an intense hike to see the local waterfalls and swim.
Friday, we traveled back to Quito by a different route. We stopped at Papallacta, springs that are heated by a nearby volcano and combined with cold river water in pools. After working hard in Misahualli, this was a welcomed treat for the team. That night we had a BBQ and campfire with Ron and his family.
Saturday we spent the day in Quito doing out sovunier shopping. We visited the city park where many of us purchased paintings by local artists. We also went to the market and purchased a variety of items for ourselves, family, supporters, and friends. We ate dinner at Pizza Hut (which I think has a better crust in other countries) before returning to our house to pack and prepare for the journey back to the States.
Sunday morning, our team woke up early to eat breakfast and finish preparations to return to Miami, and from there, to their respective homes. The team departed Quito that morning and arrived in Miami that afternoon.
About a month after our trip, some of us got together to exchange pictures and laugh about the great experiences we had while in Ecuador. It was such a blessing to watch how God drew this team close together and even after the summer break, how these students have a special bond.
Here are some links to pictures from Ecuador and a video made by one of our very talented team members:
Facebook album
Video
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