What I am going to miss most about Ecuador

I have about 6 and a half more weeks here.
If circumstances were different, and I was not committed to another year in downtown LA, then I would try to figure out how to stay here. So, in a moment of sentiment, the things I will miss (in no particular order):

• the 20 minute fight through crazy Ecuadorian drivers and the constant breathing in of heavy fumes of smog on the way to my school in Pascuales every day


• being ambushed by the mob of children when I walk into the school room every morning while they shout with smiles in their cute little latin way, "SENORITA KATALINA! SENORITA KATALINA!"


• using smiling to make someone trust that I love them because there is no other way I can say it


• the fresh fruit from the mercado


• the boat rides to the island


• my famliy that is starting to grow here


• the dirty reality of poverty on every corner and in every forgotten slum that makes me want to jump up and get a thousand degrees so I can be a doctor, an architect, and school teacher, a pastor, a musican, a fishman, a seamstress, a painter...and help teach people to dance and sing, and pray. And let them cry and not be afraid that they will be hurt again.


• The ability to worship God in a foreign land, with foreign music and witness how he can still teach and grow and work his spirit in me, d remind me that his power and his plan transcend the barrier of language


• I will miss walking around with barefeet and skirts everyday


• greeting people with a kiss


• saying "chao"


• being humbled by my inabilities and helplessness
• the frustration of not being able to communicate any better than a child in kindergarten


• the fresh orange juice


• 7 hour conversations with people that are so common day to day


• the way of life of being "tranquilo"


• the spanish worship services held outside my window that keep me up every night


• the kids

"If you are not firm in faith, you will not be firm at all" - Isaiah

But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one. Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. For,
“Yet a little while,and the coming one will come and will not delay; but my righteous one shall live by faith....But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.

-Hebrews 10:32-39

Today was my first day teaching in Luz y Libertad. The minute I sat down to work with my first group (the 3, 4 and 5 year-olds) I was overcome with a sense of hopelessness; a fear that they would not understand anything, and that if all they got out of my two months with them was how to say the words "zero" correctly, then it would be a waste. How does that have any earthly or eternal value? Our hour came quickly to an end and I felt worthless. I could not understand what Bartola was asking me, and since I was the only english speaker in the school I was at a loss. I moved on to the second class of 7 and 8 year olds. There were about 10 of them and they greeted me with a "Buenos Dias" as soon as I walked in. (The small classrooms are all seperated by dividers) They understood and were able to pronouce the numbers much better and I was able to get through to number ten, assign homework, and at their request draw and write flower, car, and house in English. The third class was the 9 and 10 year olds. We had a lot of fun. By this time I was getting the hang of it, felt more comfortable and was excited by the fact that I was teaching by trial and error. There was no one to show me how to teach these kids enlish, and no real lesson plans, so I would just try different things and ideas until one got the point across. After and hour with these guys, I moved on to defenitly the most lively and oldest class, the 11 and 12 year-olds. There are 5 of them attending right now, and one girl who came just to take the english lesson. They were crazy at first but then we warmed up to eachother. We praticed our numbers from 0 to 20 and then how to introduce themselves - "My name is...." They enjoyed that one very much. My goal for this class by the end of my two months is to get them to be able to think of and write one sentence on their own in english. I do not know if this is a simple or difficult goal, because I have never done this kind of work before, but I will find out. At the end of class one of the boys (who was causing the most trouble) asked me when I am leaving, and if once I go back to the stated if I would come back to the school. Of course I told him yes, and I do plan to come back. Whenever I can.

It is amazing the weight that can fall on people when you are working in such an impoverished place. There can be such a sadness all around that these kids seem to be so attracted to and so comforted by a smiling face...even if we cannot understand eachother.

The last part of Hebrews 10 talks about so many of the people I have had the opportunity to meet and serve alongside of in Ecuador. People whose faith and confidence are obviously in the Lord and his promises for our lives. He is preserving them, and I pray that my life would one day be as humble and full of such grace as theirs.

Mis Amigos

Yesterday I went to La Universidad Catolica con un amigo. I went to an accounting class and a macroeconomicas class. Despues, we went to have lunch dowtown.

We met two little friends who sat and played with us as we ate.

Mas Photos

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think

It is an odd thing to serve as an answered prayer to someone. I came to serve in Ecuador, not knowing exactly what ministry or church I would be working with. I was presented with many options before I came down and became discouraged when what I wanted to do was no longer an option for me, unless I knew spanish fluently. I wanted to work with people who were ministering in the slums and with the street kids, but the people actually doing that work would not have time to accomadate a wide-eyed gringa who meant well, but would just be a lot of work that they would rather not make for themselves.

So I prayed.

There was an option before I came down here about working with a school in a poor neighborhood called "Pasquales". There, a Christian Ecuadorian couple had started a school. (many of the children could not afford uniforms or books, so they would not attend any school). Bartola y Fran saved up there money until they could buy some cement. And now they run a school that is in much need of everything you could think of. Including teachers. The missionaries who connected me with them said they did not know if there was anything to do for me there, but I may be able to just come and observe a day or two during my stay here in Ecuador. So this morning I showed up at the school and met bartola and 5 of the youngest students: caralita, saralita, rael, kenya y marina. We sat down and talked and I told her I would be here for two months. She said she has been praying for someone who could come and teach english to the students. And what do you know, here I am, frustrated because not knowing fluent spanish was keeping me from serving, yet she hasn't been able to find a fluent english speaker to teach english classes. They have all the material, but none of them know english, or even how to pronounce the words. So begining on Wednesday I will be spending my morning and afternoons at La Luz y Libertad (Light and Liberty) school giving english lessons, helping run crafts, and I will work with one special needs child for one hour everyday. After school is out I will be able to walk about 5 minutes with Bartola and her three kids to there home and help her take care of them, take them out to play and spend time with the neighborhood kids. I will also be able to go on visitiations with her to her neighbors. She even offered me a place to stay in her small bamboo home, where the only running water for everyone comes out of a spicket that they have to walk to.

I do not know why I always forget that God provides and looks after our lives...and that he knows what he is doing.

La Isla Santay

The island from the boat

Saturday was my first day on la isla. Taking a taxi down al mercado y the market itself was something to see, and smell. There is a big market where the rickety old boat we use to get to the island leaves from.

It was Dia de Los Ninos, so this Saturday was one big party for the kids. As we pulled up in the boat I was shocked at the perfection of the island. There were spaciouscly scattered bamboo homes in rows on the coastline and the center of the little village was a big school that was built. Once inside the school we met a prayed and sang some worship and had devotions (all in spanish) and then we split up into small prayer groups. After this was done we spent the rest of the day entertaining dozens of little children and appeasing their wants of lots of candy and snacks. We left for the island around 8AM and returned to the market around 4PM. There were about 10 of us left and we were appointed to carry a large amount og long, heavy bamboo from a spot next to the market, to the loading dock and onto the boat. They needed more bamboo on la isla to build and fix up some things. (Next Saturday the group is going to mostly work on reparing homes and more labor oriented tasks, like building roofs and hauling sand.) After the island, about 6PM by now, we all shared a meal at the local Mcdonalds then all went home to shower and get ready for the church service that began at 8PM. Despues el servicio I walked around with some people and got to see a littlew bit more of the city. And I got to have my first "shawarma".

My first sunday in Ecuador was spent at church, watching a Futbol game of Ecuador vs. Peru (Ecuador lost) and going to the movie theater. The city of Guayaquil is very, very similar to Los Angeles in alot of ways.

Tomorrow, por fe (by faith...an expression my ecuadorian friends use excessivly), I will be going to a vrey poor neighborhood named "Pasquales" and try to see how I can help there.

As of day three I have learned:

1) I love Ecuador
2) My hair dries curly in extreme humidity
3) We either die as a result of sin, or we die as a result of giving up our lives to Christ
4) I need to get more sleep, and pray more

i met some missionary girls from Quebec who did not know English, so we spoke to eachother in spanish...one of the most random situations...
So with 17 new bug bites, I am so excited for more

yo llego

I arrived. I just spent my first night in Ecuador. The trip was exhausting but I was able to use my spanish. Especially on the connecting flight from Panama to Guayaquil, because no one who sat around me spoke english. SO I ended up making friends with Jonathan Torres, a Guayaquil native and business man (who is also Catholic). He was really interested in what I was going to be doing in Guayaquil as well as the states. We also talked alot about Jesus y Maria and the differences in our beliefs.

I was greeted at the airport by my roommate Isabel's missionary friend Dave Erdel, as well as the pastor who goes to the island, Quicke, and three friends he brought along. We drove through downtown Guayaquil and made a few stops because Dave needed to take care of some things.

It amazed me to see as we were pulling out of the airport, a little girl run up to a group of 3 scruby looking kids on a side walk with a small box of KFC. They just eyed her hungrily and happily accepted the gift she had brought for them. I saw many different groups of children like this. They are much more dirty looking than if you saw a young kid who roamed the streets in dowtown LA. There would be little baby's just hanging around on the sidewalk. A little girl ran up to me with beautiful brown eyes and braids all in her hair asking me in spanish for any coins. I just looked away to Dave for help, I didn't know what I should do. He reached into the change holder in his van and handed her a couple peices of candy and apoligized for not having any change today. She thanked him and skipped away.

Once I got to the house I will be staying in for the next few days I sat and talked with the missionaries. I heard tons of shouting outside and found out that they do AWANAS at the church across the street. Or Owansa in spanish. I of course snuck over to watch the children and then sat in for a little while in their youth group-like worship. I was shocked to see some of the most fashionable young people. So, I escaped quickly and talked a while with Isabel's sister Marina and her mother who stopped by.

I am leaving in about 5 minutes now to head to La Isla Santay with Quicke. It is "Dia de Los Ninos" today (Children fo Ecuador day), and we are throwing the kids a big party....really I have no idea what I am doing but I know it will be great. And I can only use spanish...

It is hot and very humid here, and at about 5 this morning I woke up to rain. Everyone greets you with a kiss on the cheek, and leave you with a very chic "caio".

I love Ecuador