Las Flores, El Barney, y La Vida.

Translation: Flowers, Barney, and Life ! Mas o menos (more or less), just an update!

What have I been up to lately? Well, for one thing, we started our final class this past week! We’ve had 1 class per about every 3 weeks- it’s been intense. But this final class is about Ecuadorian culture and issues- all in Spanish of course! Our professor is amazing (as in, she asks us very difficult but great questions i.e. first day of class, “Cuales son tus suenos?”: What are your dreams?) and the content is incredibly interesting. We’ve been studying immigration, drugs, and flower workers, all within an Ecuadorian context. We even visited a flower factory on Monday. (Flowers are the #1 export of Ecuador). The hombre (man) who guided us around, Francisco, was charming, and we were happy to be out of the classroom! Mostly young people work (hard) at this flower factory- people about 18 years of age. It was absolutely bonita (beautiful) to see so many roses in one place, and even more interesting to see the entire packaging, shipping, etc. process. We often forget that our “things” come from somewhere else, yeah?

(Una rosa, claro.)



Speaking of flowers, there is an expression that is said here, “Una rosa sin espinas, no es una rosa.” Rather, “A rose without thorns is not a rose.” I thought this was beautiful. And I wondered, what exactly does this mean? Those of you who have grown up with me know how much I adore simple, make-you-think quotations, and this hasn’t changed much. I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m not sure what it means. But we speak so often of the good and the bad, the beautiful and the ugly things of Ecuador in class. Perhaps it is difficult to have something beautiful, maybe create something beautiful, without pain, without hard work. I’m not sure. I’ll think about it some more. Let me know your thoughts all you little poets out there.

Que mas? (What more?) We went to the park yesterday to eat, play, and be merry. We played some Frisbee, ate some Oreos, watched dirt bikers, clowns, and all sorts of typical Ecuadorian people. Oh, and we ran into Barney! He refused to take a picture with me without me buying a stupid dog balloon from him. Sorry, Barney! No gracias! And you might notice my hair is a little darker- I colored it Saturday night. I wanted so desperately to grow my hair out my natural color. But some of you (cough, cough Rachel and Drew) know that I have some delightful gray hairs. So, shucks.


(Barney resisting- he wouldn't even look at the camera.)







I’ve had a few nightmares about being back in the states without having said good-bye. Apparently I’m not ready to leave. I love it here. Life is tranquil, simple, but so lively. It seemed as if the entire city was in the park on Sunday, just enjoying each other, being with one another. That is one thing these people value so much- togetherness, family, people. It seems that I’ve lost sight some of this, with the business of life. With our independence in the U.S. we are so free to do as we please, whenever we please, and we often do it quickly. (i.e. runs to Target, the grocery store, drive-thru for a coffee). But here, time is a gift, conversations are so valuable, people are so valuable. And I personally feel valued. I hope I have, and will better be able to make the people in my life feel valuable. Thank you, Ecuador for teaching me more of how.

Heading to the orphanage tomorrow- will post pictures and write of this next.

Tu Amiga Ecua-Americana

(Yo)

San Francisco Plaza

Awake me please when this is over.

(El Bosque in Mindo)





I reference this certain song lyric because I am living in a dream!

Well, fortunately, I am not- but I have just returned from a trip to Mindo; a little region a few hours northeast (I think) of Quito. It is in what they call a Cloud Forest, so with the clouds in full view outside of my windows it truly felt as if I was in a dream. In addition to the setting (which honestly, our hotel was a treehouse- SO chevere), my experiences were unreal. We started out Saturday going tubing. Folks, this was no typical tubing. There were about 10 huge black tubes tied together and we were going to be riding down a freezing cold, choppy river. We had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. The gentlemen who accompanied us on the tubes were what I liked to describe as water cowboys. I hope that gives you a sense of how they had to control the tubes as we ventured down the rio (river). It was a rush, and totally dangerous! But we all survived, and were undoubtedly able to experience a certain type of informal tourism. I highly recommend it.

While we only had 2 days and 1 night in Mindo, we managed to get our fill of hiking in the forest. Saturday we hiked a shorter trail but were able to learn a great deal about the biodiversity and history more or less of the Cloud Forest (while wearing big rubber boots of course). But yesterday, oh yesterday! We saw Tucan Sam, hummingbirds and their nests, flowers that have patterns as if they are hand painted, hiked up a river, and proceeded to climb cascadas (waterfalls). It was incredible, tiring, beautiful, muddy, and was nothing short of the set of Ferngully- if that movie hadn’t been animated. I feel in awe once again as I reminisce of this weekend’s adventures.



(Rubber boots!)




But you must know, I feel most as if I’m in a dream because of something quite different. This past week I have finally begun helping out at an orphanage! It was something I knew I would want to do here, and I’ve got the place! With all of the free afternoons I have here I’m going to be able to help out at least a few times a week. I went for the first time on Thursday, took a short tour of the orphanage, and fell in love. The orphanage is beautiful, clean, well-run. I was impressed and so thankful that such a place is available in Quito. And the little ones!! Oh my gracious I can’t even express how much life they give me! On Friday I spent a few hours with the toddlers- my favorite age, and made so many new pals. Isn’t it a mysterious and beautiful gift children have- the way they have so much energy, are so honest, so life-giving, so unconditionally loving. They are undoubtedly giving me just as much love as I am trying to offer them. It’s true that when you give you receive so much more. What a wonderful new hello from all of the children, but I am foreseeing that I will be having a very difficult time saying goodbye.

I’m headed there this afternoon so I’ll be offering many more details about the orphanage and all its little characters- just you wait!!

Sending you mucho sol (sun)!

Una Foto de Galapagos

A Summary: Las Islas de Galapagos

I did it- I had the privilege of visiting one of the most radical, raz-ma-taz places in the entire world: THE Galapagos Islands! Let me begin by saying that it was not what I would have expected (as often things never are). We arrived in what appeared to be the desert. 20 minutes into our bus ride it felt as if we were in the jungle. And eventually we landed at our hotel right on the white, sandy beach. What an arrival- this was the island of Isabela that captured all of our hearts. Isabela is less developed than most of the other islands, which was so wonderful. We were able to wander and see "real life" (oh yeah, and wildlife like this crazy marine iguana) in this place. The people were so kind, so relaxed, so often laying in hammocks. What tranquility in Isabela!

I may have mentioned in my previous blog that I swam with sea lions, and sharks, and mantarays, oh my! Honestly, swimming with sea lions was like a dream. The blue-footed boobies were cool, too. Their feet really are so vibrant!

I am at a loss for words today, so I hope that my photographs will give you a glimpe into the Galapagos. I checked out a photography exhibit the other day in downtown Quito- I must write about that another day. A photographer had said that photography is a "universal text". Therefore, I hope my pictures speak for me!

But now I am back home, in Quito. (My home is Quito, how crazy!) And I have to deliver a presentation in about an hour regarding illegal immigration- in Spanish of course! But I wanted to be sure to get this thought down before it leaves me.

Loving Jesus is a daily decision, a daily choice. If we wish to grow, be changed, love more we must put him before us daily. We must cling to his truths, Him, daily. Easier said than done, I know. But life is just a blink and we must live every moment fully and well. A Robert Frost excerpt I recently read reminds me of all of this. Take a look!

...why abandon a belief

Merely because it ceases to be true.

Cling to it long enough, and not a doubt

It will turn true again, for so it goes.

Most of the change we think we see in life

Is due to truths being in and out of favor

As I sit here, and oftentimes I wish

I could be a monarch of a desert land

I could devote and dedicate forever

To the truths we keep coming back and back to.

Feliz Dia de St. Valentin mis amigos!

Finally, fotos!

Lo siento for the extremely late postage of photographs! It's an ecclectic selection, but those of you who know me know how "ecclectic" I am. Enjoy!

(Brent and I at the Basillica)



(Cutest chicos en la calle)



(A hostel up near Cotopaxi)



(Fresh Fruta)

Please, won't you rock my boat?

Karla, this blog's for you, amiga!

I just received an e-mail from my dear friend Karla who stated that my blog is like eating a cracker a week. She added that she would prefer to eat a whole loaf a day! I love the way she put that. And I am grateful that some of you are continually checking up on me! Hopefully you will get what you wished for, Karla! I'm going to do my best to fill you all in on la vida aqui (the life here).

Please don't be muy celoso (very jealous), but I am writing to you from THE Galapagos Islands! I just got back from hours upon hours of snorkeling with sea lions, sharks, mantarays, and lots and lots of fishies! For those of you who went to Washington with me over the summer, you'll know that this was a dream come true! There were so many Manny look-a-likes! But these sea lions were super playful! I was in heaven- but much wetter!

We spent the last few days on an island called Isabela. It had so much character I'm not even sure where to begin. We were basically the only Caucasian people on the island with a bunch of natives- such a blast, our hotel was right on the beach, sand/dirt roads, warm sun, warm rains, marine iguanas, and the stars at night lit up the entire sky. PS- the Big Dipper is upside down here!! One negative point (I know it seems that this is impossible), but they too were celebrating Carnaval- right in front of our hotel. We had the pleasure of listening to Daddy Yankee's reggaeton albums until about 3 in the A.M. Heather, you'd love it. Rompe is your favorite song, isn't it? But other than that I can't complain too much. I have had a bit of a cold, but the incredible things we are doing have a way of making me feel so much better.

Nonetheless, now we are here, in Santa Cruz. This island is much more "developed" for lack of a better word. I type to you from an Internet cafe without Dial-Up. That's right, the Internet Cafe on Isabela was Dial-Up. Talk about a lesson in patience. But in all seriousness, again I felt like God was revealing the beauty of simplicity in Isabela. There were so many less distractions, and so much more beauty in nature to admire. And for me I am unable to separate the beauty of this place and the existence of God. I wake up and see him everywhere.

Something I learned today. Like the tide, we often feel that God retreats, and returns, retreats, and returns. But if we could just raise our eyes for just a moment we would see the ocean. We would see that God is so immense, so huge, and so near to us, all of the time. What comfort! What a promise.

Perhaps I'll write again tomorrow- I must schedule my classes for this spring before the sun sets! I love you all so very much.

Mucho sol, y mucho amor from the Galapagos Islands!