Happy Halloween weekend to all in the States!
Halloween and Thanksgiving are not Ecuadorian holidays, so it's been hard to realize that the fall season is already upon us. There are no costumes or pumpkins or fake leaves in the stores to remind me! ;) Ecuadorian people do celebrate Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) here on Nov. 2nd, so this weekend is still a holiday weekend. Schools get Monday through Wednesday off. Tradition is to drink Colada Morada, a hot, thick, fruit drink (made with purple maiz), and eat Guaguas de Pan, sweet bread baked in the shape of swaddled babies. The dark red-purple color of the drink symbolizes blood and the shape of the bread symbolizes the children who have died before us. Both the bread and the drink are really good, and I have enjoyed sharing in this cultural tradition with the Ecuadorian people.
Last week was my last week with my Ecua family. I had a great week working at the orphanage in Casa Sol (with the 2-5 year olds), going to my classes, and spending time with Dario and Juanita. For my Culture and History class we took a field trip to a 17th century Spanish monastery, and a museum about the history of Ecuador. Those were cool places to see.
Last Saturday we held a despedida parrillada (a goodbye bbq) to thank all the families for hosting us for three weeks. The family that hosted Erica owns a finca (farm) an hour outside of Quito and they offered to let us come out there for the fiesta. We all spent the day hanging out, eating pinchos (meat and veggie shish-kabobs), and playing Ecuadorian and American games. We also got to milk some Ecuadorian cows in the afternoon, and kiss some brand new calves. :) Throughout Saturday afternoon it rained like none other, so we mostly stayed under a small covered porch. I wish that the rain would show up on my camera when I record, because it really is so awesome to watch.
After the bbq, we said our goodbyes and parted ways with our families, returning to the apartments we lived in at the beginning of this trip. It was sad to leave Dario and Juanita, and I miss living with them in Eastern Quito. They told me that I am welcome to visit whenever, so I will definitely take them up on that offer soon. They are such a sweet couple and are an incredible blessing to know.
On Sunday, I went to my friend, Jose Luis' church in the south of Quito and then went to his family's house for the day. Jose is an Ecuadorian I met through Dario and Juanita. He is a little older than me and an awesome guy. He is a full time missionary, working at his church as a youth pastor. He has a good knowledge of English, but no one else in his family knows English, so he helped me with Spanish throughout the day. His family was so precious and wanted to know a lot about life in the United States. We talked a lot and played some card games. In the afternoon, Rachel, Jose's mom, showed me how to make Colada Morada (the hot fruit drink). In the evening, they had some friends over so the house was brimming with people. It was an incredible time, with everyone talking over each other and at an incredible speed. Jose translated bits of conversations for me, which was nice, but mostly I just enjoyed being surrounded by pure Ecuadorian culture, which I love. I cannot wait for the next time I have time to hang out with Jose and his family. They were so inviting and warm, and I could literally feel the Holy Spirit's presence in their dear home.
This past week has been pretty typical working at the orphanage, except now it takes an hour and a half to get there, instead of an hour, since our apartment is farther away. Many of the children now recognize me and are a lot warmer towards me, which I am so excited about. Some of them even come running and give me huge hugs when I arrive in the mornings. (They make me want to melt with love!) These children in Casa Sol (where I have been working a lot lately) include Ricci, Jose, Jhosua, Jeremy, Leslie, Belen, and Dani. They now do what I ask them to, and ask me to play with them during their free time. :)
Since being at the orphanage, I have now seen three children be adopted. Two older children, Jessica (a 11 year old) and Fabian (a 8 year old) were adopted together by a couple from Italy. A one year old boy was adopted, but I don't know where he went. It has been cool to see the process of these children gaining new families and leaving the orphanage. It has also been very emotional for me in a way I never would have expected. Just as these children have been adopted, and are no longer orphans, I have been adopted by my heavenly Father and can find my identity as His child. :)
So, this weekend is a holiday weekend... which means we're headed to the coast! That's right, I'm gonna get my beach on for a couple days. ;) I am so excited. However, just because we're going to the beach, does not mean we are getting a vacation from classes. We will be having our World Religions class for six hours every day we're there. Youth World flew down a professor from the States who will begin teaching us at the beach, and then the class will continue on when we're back in Quito. The coast is seven hours away from Quito, so we're road-tripping it in a bus tomorrow morning. We leave at 5:00am!! :D *Looks down at watch and thinks to self "Holy cow, that's five hours away! I need to start packing!"* LOL. Good ol' Jenni, the procrastinating queen. ;)
So, not even kidding, I do need to go pack. I hope you all are continuing to do well. I am growing so much in my walk with God here and I wish you all the same wherever you are.
Many hugs and kisses,
Jenni
(Currently in the process of memorizing Romans 12:9-21)
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