Swimming with the Sharks

The program of NILI (Nazarene International Language Institute) is designed to blend language study and immersion with ministry and cultural/travel opportunities. Following final presentations and papers, the program of 3 ½ months concludes with a four- day cruise/tour of the Galapagos Islands for all the students.

The Galapagos Islands are part of Ecuador, but lie some 600 miles west of the coast of South America in the Pacific. Of course, they were made famous by Charles Darwin’s research back in the 1800s that contributed greatly to his signature work, Origin of the Species. Many of the animals and birds found in the Galapagos are only found there. “Endemic” is the word our guide often used to describe this phenomenon. I was so proud that I could answer his query, “What does ‘endemic’ mean?”…I tried to appear nonchalant.

I found it amazing to be so close (as in right next to) to wild animals that seemed quite comfortable in our presence. They acted as though we belonged there, not fleeing nor being aggressive towards us. Thankfully, there are strict rules about respecting distance, not initiating touch or contact with them, staying on the trails, etc. One day a sea lion swaggered across the sandy beach and “whisker-kissed” my leg. That was within the rules because she initiated the contact. Another day, Darlene lied down on the beach next to (within 2-3’) of a mom and two sea lion pups. Again, that was okay, because she respected their space and did not touch them or try to bait them into contact. So there they were, 4 bathing beauties enjoying the tropical sun on a white sand beach.

We sailed aboard the Yolita II, a cruiser whose cabins sleep 16 passengers. To do the complete tour, it takes up to 7 or 8 days, so our tour concentrated only on the southern groupings of islands. We missed seeing the volcanic hotspot on the islands to the west and north, but seeing as much as we did was a real treat.

Our crew of eight was born and raised in the Galapagos, Their Spanish was very rapid, and I needed a bit more clarity in their enunciation to be able to catch their interchanges. Thankfully, our guide, Washington spoke English distinctly enough to make possible the learning of all the fascinating creatures, plants and the Galapagos’ history.

In short, we sailed, hiked (more like nature walks) and snorkeled for most of four days. The bird life featured frigate birds that have a red balloon-like sack on their chest that, when inflated, looks to be a balloon about to burst, the wave albatross with their animated love dance, and the famous blue -footed booby. By looking at their sky-blue webbed feet , it’s readily apparent how they got the first part of their name, but I haven’t a clue as to the last part. I also want to mention the iguanas: marine iguanas, land iguanas, red, green, black iguanas, iguanas that are unique to these Pacific isles. Oh, I’d be remiss if I did not acknowledge the 100+ year old giant Galapagos turtles, in whose honor the islands are named. We saw several mature adults that reminded me of the size of miniature Volkswagen Beetles.

The snorkeling was our favorite part, as it was as though we entered another world.
I can’t begin to describe the vast assortment of fish we encountered. Sometimes, it reminded us of scenes from “Finding Nemo” or “The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau. “ The treat for us was to swim in very close proximity to sea lions, sea turtles, rays, and even a few sharks. You could get very close to the sea lions and sea turtles…..the rays and sharks were a bit more elusive. That brings me to a point of reflection.

On an early morning snorkel experience, our guide was hoping to take us to a point near some rocks called the Devil’s Crown for a chance to see eagle rays, golden rays, and white-tipped reef sharks. Swimming in the presence of sharks has never been on my personal “Bucket List”, in part because I’ve always figured I’d likely kick the bucket in such an encounter, never to complete the adventures on my list. Washington, though, was excited about the possibility of shark sightings. I had mixed feelings, but we were “in” for the adventure.

We took a dinghy out to the spot and jumped in. As the bubbles cleared, we found ourselves in what seemed to be a immense aquarium with thousands of fish of various species, of a myriad of shapes, colors and sizes. The variety of types and colors were extensive. Each time we’d jump out of the dinghy into a new area for the first time, I would have a few moments of uneasiness. I think Darlene did as well. We were quickly aware that this under -the -sea world is a very big, deep and blue world of its own, and I would feel pretty vulnerable. Even with wet suits, the water was a bit cool, reminding me of my limitations. What’s behind me? What’s beneath me, beyond the scope of my vision? But, our guide said it’s going to be great, so I’d try to relax and not worry about the things I could and could not yet see.

On the “day of the shark”, I found myself trying to stay pretty close to where Washington, our guide was, more so than ever before. I think the word “shark” was the reason for this motivation. For some reason, being close to the guide who had assured us of a great adventure with minimal risk was important to me. Earlier, we had a couple of students who encountered the sting of jellyfish, so we were all now wearing wetsuits for added protection. We had encountered “reality in sea-life”, and my wariness of jellyfish stings and now, the prospect of shark attacks (in my imagination) created a slight degree of hesitation and wariness in me.

Washington wore a weighted belt that allowed him to dive down 30-40’ below the surface. Suddenly, he dove, and we watched from the surface as he approached a rock ledge or shelf near the ocean floor. He started moving his arms and flippered feet around and soon out came 4 sharks that had been sleeping under the ledge, hidden from our view directly above. They looked to be between 4-5’ in length, big enough to be beyond the “cute little fellas” type of description.

For the next several minutes we watched in wonder (and with a bit of wariness) as the sharks swam around directly beneath us. We were sitting ducks, so to speak, or maybe “bobbing sea lion lookalikes” in our wetsuits would be a more appropriate word picture. At night, our guide said, these sharks feed and can be “aggressive”. I hoped they weren’t waking up on the wrong side of the bed given that their slumber had been abruptly cut short by our arrival. Nearby, Darlene would tap my shoulder and point toward sharks or rays that were in the neighborhood.

I started thinking about how I would have never been there to witness such beauty had I not trusted the knowledge, assurance and presence of our guide, Washington. I would have stayed in the boat, if one of our group members had said, “Follow me, I know where we can swim with sharks.” “No, thanks,” I would have replied, “I like having four limbs for their intended use.” But, this invitation for adventure did not come from one of us novices, but from a guide with 18 years experience. Our trusted guide delivered as promised. I felt free to explore, wander and wonder at what we were experiencing.

In those moments I began thinking about the Lord as our Guide. It was natural to think of how my life takes on more of a tone of “adventure” when I trust God to be my Guide. I find myself more willing and eager to “go places” in all aspects of life when I follow His lead, His leading, and take Him at His word. Seeking to stick close to Christ as our guide can lead us out into waters that are unknown, containing elements of both risk and adventure. He knows the environment that we enter, and how to guide us to make the most of the opportunities. I thought of how His Word, His Life directs, liberates, and also alerts us to potential dangers within and without. The promise of His Presence enlivens and emboldens us to “move a position” and explore, to go on adventures with and for Him.

There are, of course, times when the adventure leads into waters that are quite deep, with shadows of unknown origin or nature. But, life will bring such times to us all, whether we stay “in the boat”, or if we’ve chosen to “get out of the boat” and explore, embarking on an adventure. What lurks under the ledge, or in the deep blue of what lies in front of us? I’m hoping to have my trust in a loving Guide develop to where I can trust Him when I find myself in those waters that are deeper and that hold more “unknown” than I had bargained for. I want to live life with Him as an adventure. That’s one of my hopes and prayers.

So, that was my devotional thought from our “under the sea” experience that day.

Well, there is much more to write about, such as the lizard that can “eject” or release it’s tail when a bird swoops in, attempting to pick up some fast food. The bird then goes for the tail and the lizard, unattached, escapes to safety under a nearby rock. Fascinating. But this is enough for now. It was an honor and privilege to have the privilege to witness the genius of the Creator as evidenced in the Galapagos.

I was "schooled"

When I was a boy, growing up in Indiana, the options for sports were baseball,football and basketball. Soccer was nowhere to be found on the youth sports horizon in the old days. I can only recall attempting to play soccer in the front yard of my childhood buddy, Ricky Wambach. We had no idea what we were doing, but it was fun kicking the ball around. That's about all I can say about my soccer career.

During my years at SNU, I watched a lot of soccer, and began to gain an appreciation of the sport. It took years before I could understand why "off sides" is "off sides". Then, Kaylee played soccer at BHS for a couple of years, and watching the Lady Bronchos helped my understanding of the game.

This past Sunday, I entered a new world. I became a futbol player...at least for a day. After the a.m. church service, I was invited to play in the "game of the week" featuring teams from 2 churches. Remembering all of the "not so holy" moments in my church softball experience (others' "moments", not mine, of course) I hesitated as I pondered the passion with which Latin American players play the game. But, they insisted that I'd do okay, so I became goal keeper for the San Francisco (a barrio here in Quito) Church of the Nazarene. I wondered if my being placed at goal keeper was the equivalent of being placed in right field in baseball/softball as a kid. Time would tell, and it did.

The members of the other team seemed younger than my comrades. They all wore yellow jerseys, with "Pilsener" emblazoned on it. I don't believe that was the name of their church. They were thin and wiry. One of my teammates commented...."they look skinny, but they are tough." He was correct on both accounts.

I lasted at goal for awhile. I actually saved the first shot on goal that I faced. My teammates cheered. My dear wife smiled as she snapped a photo of her "man". Then, my fortunes changed. Before I knew it, two shots on goal had eluded my defense, and I was being moved out of my position and became a defender.

I actually did pretty well at defender, if I do say so myself. I thwarted several attempts to get around me. I actually kicked the ball with my left foot, and it went about 30 yards. Maybe it was more like 20-25 yards. At least I kicked it to a teammate!

Then, in the second half, I must have lost my concentration. Somehow, my guy got around me, and he scored....on two occasions. I'm not sure how it happened. I had him "marked" pretty well. The only problem was we had been tied with them, and those 2 goals put the game out of reach. None of my teammates mentioned anything to me about when the next game is scheduled. They did include me in the team photo at the conclusion of the contest. That was nice of them, allowing the gringo in the photo shoot.

So, I was "schooled", "taken to school" in futbol. It was humbling, but I"m hopeful, because I think they see potential in me. One of the seminary students told me he wanted to give me gift, a soccer jersey from his favorite team, Barcelona. I thought Barcelona was in Spain, because I visited a town by that name in 1998. Maybe they moved the city, because he tells me Barcelona is an Ecuadoran team. Well, I love the jersey, but haven't figured out when to wear it. In bold print on the front of the jersey it reads, "Pilsener", and above it, "Cerveza". Be that as it may, I think they believe I've "got game".

Cheep, Cheep, Cheep

Most of the blog entries are lengthy, but this morning I want to note one thing. We are usually up and at 'em before 6 a.m....this a.m. after fixing coffee pot for students and staff, I walked down the "hill" to look at the wide variety of flowers here on the seminary grounds, and also to keep an eye out for any birds of interest. I know this may sound boring, but there is quite a variety of both flowers/plants and birds here.

Hummingbirds have a call or song that's more like a squeak....a "cheep cheep" sound, at least some we've seen here. As I was walking up the hill by the mission office, I heard that sound. I stopped and waited, because the little fellas or ladies, as the case may be are, at times, difficult to spot.

Above me, and just down the hillside sat a hummingbird on a branch. This was one of the varieties with 2 long tail feathers. I'd say the bird's body might be 2" in length, and the tail feathers are about 6" in length. We looked at each other for a good bit, then as he/she (identity issues, here) flew away the two long tail feathers spread out and had a 'bowlegged' arc to them. Quite a sight.

Before I jump back into working on a paper, I just wanted to make note of this 'sighting'. Cheep-cheep thrills in Ecuador.

Our "Not So Jolly" Trolley Ride

It really happened. Much like we had been told it might. I was the victim of a pick-pocket theft today. My wallet was lifted from my front pants pocket as we rode in a jam, slam packed street car/trolley downtown to the area known as Colonial Quito...buildings, churches from the spanish colonial era beginning in the 1500s to the early 1800s. Beautiful area. Such history.

Here's the scoop on the theft. We have been warned aplenty about the potential for theft at certain times, in certain areas. There are basically 4 methods of transport available to us.
1. Ride in the "Sprinter", a transport of the NILI program for official trips, etc.
2. Take a taxi.
3. Ride the bus.
4. Take a trolley. this means taking a taxi or bus to the trolley station, then changing.

All the NILI students headed to see sights outside of Quito this weekend. We opted to stay here and visit some Quito sights we wanted to see, or wanted to see again as the case may be. We've been traveling quite a bit and also studying quite a bit, so staying close and having a relaxing Saturday seemed good to us.

We opted to head for colonial Quito via a bus/trolley combo. We've never taken the trolley before. It's a bit quicker and is cheaper (25 cents) than other modes. We noticed as the trolley went along the crowds inside increased as we went deeper toward the downtown area.

We first wanted to stop at Parque Ejido, which is in/near the more modern part of Quito downtown....On Saturdays they have an artist's market there...it's a lovely, large park. We had a very enjoyable stroll through the park, and Darlene found some souvenir gifts to her liking. We went by a bank and got out some $, went back to the park. I gave a good portion of the $ to Dar.

Then we debated whether to just take a taxi the rest of the way to colonial quito (about a 10-15 minute ride) or get back on the trolley. We decided on the trolley, even though it seemed extremely crowded.

As we were waiting for the trolley, we met a young man from Quito who was wearing an OU Sooners cap. His name was Juan and he had studied as an exchange student in Mineral Wells, TX. I asked him about the cap, and he said that even though he'd been in Texas, there was a friend there from Oklahoma who gave him the cap. It was good to see another Texan see the light.

A trolley pulled up and it was packed to the brim. We squeezed in but had just made it inside the doorway when the doors squeezed shut behind us. We had ridden in crowded buses, but nothing like this....it was like a swarm of people, and a lot of pushing, squeezing, and burrowing whenever the doors opened. We could not move away from the door area, which was unfortunate, because that kept us in position where someone could make a quick escape upon stealing from us.

I had read an article in the paper a few weeks ago about theft problems on the trolley system. I always carry my billfold in my front pocket. I had a backpack today, but that would not have been a good place for my wallet...easy to hit and run. I thought I was prepared. We had not had even one threatening experience.

At the stop prior to the one near colonial Quito, there was an immense crush of people entering and exiting the trolley. People often just jam in, not waiting for people to exit. The result is pushing, burrowing, twisting. I was trying to make sure Darlene's hand didn't get pinched/smashed by the opening door. I was holding on to my backpack with one hand and a rail with another to try to brace myself as people pushed and twisted me around as they said their "con permisos", all the while plowing into us.

I suddenly felt a "vacancy" in my front pocket. As I turned to check, the last of the passengers exiting had left along with about 20 others. I felt my pants and knew that the wallet had been taken, as I had felt an absence that was noticeable.

The door was closing as I thought about whether to give chase...but which one to chase?
I had no idea, the sea of people ebbed and flowed together. I just told Darlene that I thought my wallet had been stolen.

Thankfully, I had given a good portion of our cash to Darlene. I think I lost about $40, plus my debit card. Also they had my Ecuadoran ID card, which is kind of an important document, so I'll need to revisit that process pronto, as I need that if I am stopped by police, as well as for when we go to the Galapagos. It could have been much worse, so we are thankful. But I was angry, feeling like a victim who had no recourse. If it had been $100, I'd have felt more sick, and also angry, and if it had been $5, I'd still have felt angry. It's the principle of the thing. For a moment, in my mind I looked at all the trolley riders and saw them all as though they were thieves (spanish: ladron)

Well, we got out of there before reaching our destination. We stopped to have some pizza and think things through. Then we headed for a phone/internet store where I made an international call to cancel our debit card. We then felt a little more relaxed, and toured some exquisitely designed churches with a lot of gold leaf overlay. It was relaxing to sit in the cathedrals/churches and reflect quietly. I wondered if the thief might show up for confession.

Then we made 2 police reports, as I know they are trying to track where most of the thefts have occurred.

We then met Kimberly Haddon, the assistant director of our program for dinner. We ate at an old restaurant that has rooftop dining, where you can see the lights of Quito on the surrounding hillsides, and the beautifully lit old churches and the Basilica. It was gorgeous. Then it began to rain. So, that plan was modified to a inside window seat with a view.

We had an interesting tour with a self-appointed historical guide, who agreed to a 30 minute tour ($1) of some neighborhoods we'd not seen before. One was La Rondo, which is the oldest neighborhood in Quito....some 500 years old. The streets are very narrow, flags hanging on the side of the buildings. Then we ended up at a church that is about 400 years old. He led us inside.....right into a wedding. He told us that we could take photos as though we'd been invited. As the wedding party departed, our "guide", Juan took us up to the front altar, where a family was having their baby baptized by the priest. It was almost as though we were part of the family, but our guide vouched for how appropriate it was us to be in there for these occasions. I felt like we were in a scene from Forest Gump....like we didn't quite fit. When the tour was over, he whined about the $1.50 I gave him, then whined when I gave him 2 dollars. He now wanted $5. I gave him 50 more cents. He wanted $3. When I showed him my empty pocket and told him of the experience with the thief earlier today, he wanted to know how much was stolen. I told him......for some reason, he just turned and left.

Well, that's enough for now. One of the policemen told me that I should put my money and ID cards in my sock. Other people we met, when told why we were downtown, warned us of thieves. It seemed to us that everywhere we turned that was the message: Watch out for thieves." I thought I had done just that. Oh, well.

Cloud Forest, the Sequel

Actually, before I write about our weekend trip to Mindo, Ecuador, I'd like to make a couple of notes about the Good Friday experiences I wrote about in the most recent entry concerning Holy Week here in Quito. The processional of the cucuruchos (penitents in purple robes with pointy head coverings)left me weary and a bit sad. I've been to Latin America 3-4 times now, and I'm still trying to figure something out. Why the extreme focus of the Roman Catholic church (at least here in Latin America) on the suffering and death of Christ to the neglect of His Resurrection? I can surmise a few things, such as possibly enhanced job security for some, or a high need to control, but overall, it still remains a mystery to me. Another thing I wonder about is how justification by faith, salvation by God's gift of grace seems so absent. "Works" seems to be the order of the day in this culture, when it comes to how many perceive right relationship with God. Of course, in our tradition we often talk about His grace, but often judge others and our own standing with God by a standard of works-righteousness. I know that I need to walk my talk (about salvation by His grace, not by my own merit) more freely and consistently. But, "theological things" seem different here. I've been influenced positively in the faith by writings of several Catholic writers, so I'm trying to figure out the difference here.

Okay, let me see here....oh, our trip to the western slope of the Andes. Mindo, Ecuador was our destination, about a 2-2 1/2 hour bus ride from Quito. To get there involves passing the Mitad del Mundo monument/park. That's the equator. A funny thing is that the climate in that area (only about 10-15 miles from where I sit in our apartment)seems unusual. It's almost high desert-like right around that point here in the Sierras...high and very dry. What's unusual is that soon afterward (as in mere minutes) one enters a cloud forest region of the Andean slopes with a lush forest/jungle like setting.

We went to Mindo, primarily because we'd heard and read that it is in one of those birding "hot spots". That's about all we knew about it, other than it was tauted to be beautiful. It is that, for sure. Our trip was a spur of the moment decision on Saturday. Two other NILI students (Kyle and Jessica) joined us. Because time was short and the bus didn't leave til late Sat afternoon, we opted to splurge a bit and take a taxi. We could leave sooner and get there quicker. This turned out to be a good idea, given the circumstances. $45 for a 2 hour ride for 4 people seemed quite reasonable. The return trip on the bus cost $2.50 per person.

Soon after passing the equator monument, we entered a mountain cloud forest. It began raining, which continued past midnight. We arrived in Mindo about 4 p.m., and checked into a hostel called Jardin de los Párajos (Garden of the Parrots/Birds). It was clean, had hot water (not all hostels who advertise hot H20 actually deliver the goods), offered a 2nd story veranda with hammock, was off the beaten path, had a pool, lots of colorful flowers and hummingbirds, plus a tasty breakfast...all for $13 per person. I bunked in an ample sized 2nd floor room with Kyle, and Darlene with Jessica next door.

We took to the streets (what few there are) of Mindo, to begin to explore what there was to do, and how to go about making arrangements for the next day's activities. We chose to do the following: zipline/rainforest canopy experience, check out a location of multiple variety of hummingbirds, butterflies,and orchids, and take an early morning self-guided exploration looking again for birds of various feather-types. We had a nice $5 steak or chicken dinner, then coffee at a place owned by an Oregonian. He also had a degree from Oregon State, so we had a bunch to talk about when we met. Then we settled in to listen the tropical downpour on our rooftop. Kyle and I, stellar students that we are, studied Spanish homework until falling asleep amid the pounding of heavy rain on the roof. I had trouble falling asleep. I think my former work life kicked in and I began wondering/planning how I could get our group out of this mountainside town, and back to Quito should there be a huge mudslide. Those happen here. Sometimes, I just can't seem to help myself. I came up with no great ideas other than to walk.

We were up at 5:30 (this time I didn't mistakenly wake everyone up at 4:30 as I did on our journey to the eastern slope/cloud forest)and set out for our "bird search" hike. Sunday dawned with clear skies. The hike at dawn was beautiful, complete with mountain and valley vistas. Again, we heard more exotic birds than we saw, but we were rewarded when Darlene spotted a small flock of green/red parrots headed our way. I was thrilled to see them clustered in a tree about 40 yards from us. That was the best of the bird sightings of the early morning, but we enjoyed the sounds of many more than we saw, plus the hike was well worth the early morning rising....a different kind of sunrise service.

Ahhhh, the zip line experience in the cloud forest canopy. The best $10 I've spent in many a day, as far as recreational experiences go. We had 12 separate zip line "flights" or runs/experiences, approaching a total of 2 miles of zip line. We went solo, and some segments were about 150 yds in length, others as much as 1/4 mile in length. Most were "way above" the treetops, though some were zipping along at tree line. We actually spotted a big Toucan (remember Fruit Loops?) about 20' in front of us in the forest. So colorful!! He was yellow around his face/beak area. We were able to opt to ride the zip line upside down, which was a blast. Darlene did that, too! A highlight for me was when, during one of the segments, I looked down in the forest/jungle and could see a waterfall and then my shadow on the canopy of the trees in the dense forest about 100' below me. A fun and reflective experience.

We then visited a spot where there were "scads" of hummingbirds. I've never seen so many varieties of hummingbirds. They say Ecuador is home to about 130 varieties of hummingbirds. We think we counted at least 10 different varieties. One of our favorites had white chest and underneath tail feathers that fanned out white, with blue neck and back. His head was black. Another had a royal purple look, while one of the smallest had a real skinny tail with "poofy" feather-balls and when he perched he looked like he had little white booties for feet. We also got to tour an area where there were a wide variety of butterflies (my father in law would enjoy this place) and orchids.

After trekking back to town, we enjoyed some pizza which was pretty good, then found our way to a business that grows cocoa beans and makes chocolate. There we met another Oregonian, who lived about 8 miles from where we did when we lived there.....so we've met a total of 4 Oregonians in our time here. We had a huge chocolate brownie, made from the beans grown nearby. I've now met several Oregonians, and I'm looking for a fellow Okie. I might have luck over in the oil region of the Amazon basin.

The bus ride home was crowded. Darlene and I were in the back row, while Kyle and Jessica's assigned seats (we bought the last 4 tickets for this trip) were in the very front of the bus. I tend to get claustrophobic, so we had the window open a bit, even though it was a bit chilly. It was again foggy and rainy as we made our way back up the western slope cloud forest of the Ecuadoran Andes, then over the pass and into Quito.....and to homework.

If you'd like to see photos from our experiences at the cucuruchos processional in Holy Week and also of our trip to Mindo, here's the link that you can copy and paste.

http://www.facebook.com/#!/album.php?aid=157714&id=753486023

Holy Week in Quito

Just about every week we have an academic or cultural outing where we get to experience and learn various aspects of the culture and history of Ecuador. These are generally very interesting. The last two days certainly have been.

Holy Week or Semana Santa in Ecuador is filled with ceremonies and customs that are new to us. Yesterday, the group spent a couple of hours making a special soup that is traditional Santa Semana cuisine. It's called fanesca. Fanesca is advertised at many restaurants this time of year. It is a soup that features 12 different grains....mostly different beans. The number 12 is significant in that the different grains represent the 12 disciples. (Judas is represented by lentils, Peter by a huge and thick lima looking bean about the size of a quarter that's called "habas". Jesus is represented in the recipe by the presence of fish, which, in the case of our soup, was albacore tuna. It's a pretty rich or dense (as Darlene says) soup. We had fun making it for about 16 people....pretty labor intensive as you have to shell most everything. We roasted peanuts, then took the skin off and blended them with milk...peanut milk to go in the mix.

Now, today is Good Friday...featuring several processionals through different parts of the city. The most famous is the procession of the "cucuruchos", not to be confused with "cucarachas"(cockroaches). There are about 500 people (mostly men) selected to be cucuruchos from many more who apply. It basically is an honor to be chosen to participate in this Catholic tradition on Good Friday. Those chosen go through some educational training throughout much of the year. They are basically doing penance for their sins, and also many of them are seeking a miracle for themselves or for others.

They wear purple robes and pointed hoods that cover their faces....much like the KKK, though thankfully nothing of that sort, in terms of what they represent. Many go without footwear, and the pavement really heats up for them. Here's a sample of what we saw today in "old" colonial Quito, built some 450-500 years ago....

1. Groupings of 25 penitents (so about 20 such groups) accompanied by a Jesus in each group carrying a heavy cross, often trudging along with Roman soldiers. One of the Jesus characters wore a crown of thorns made of actual barbed wire. While other Jesus characters had fake blood, we noticed that his was real.

2. We saw some penitents wearing the head coverings but shirtless, flogging themselves on the back with a shrub/branch of some kind.

3. Every now and then a marcher would have a length of chain dragging behind him, chained to his ankles.

4. There was a penitent who was crawling the entire length of the parade/processional. He wore cardboard sign hanging from his neck that called for people to care for the poor and hungry.

5. There were a good number of children in the processional, most dressed in their own purple or pink robe with pointed hood and face covering. A few were decorated as Roman soldiers....and a couple of 8 year old Jesus characters were outfitted with a size-appropriate cross of their own.

6. Many walked barefooted on hot asphalt. When the parade would stop, many had friends or family who'd run out in the street and slip some paper under the marchers' feet to give them a break from the heat. Some marchers walked the white line in the middle of the street to keep their feet a little cooler.

7. Some of our group (Aaron, Stephanie, Alicia, Kyle, Darlene and I) voted for our choice of Penitent of the Day. We called him Cactus Jack. He was wearing the hood, but his purple shirt was pulled up in the back and strapped directly to his back was a cross about 3' in length with crossbeam of about the same length.....made completely of cactus, with the long needles/spines of both crossbeam and vertical piece embedded in his back.

8. Between the groupings of marching penitents were small marching bands. That's about all I have to say about the marching bands.

9. There were throngs of people lined 3 deep along the narrow streets of Colonial Quito in the equatorial sun at mid day when the processional began at the Church of San Franciso.

10. It was a intensely sunny day here at the equator at 9300 feet. Street vendors were having a big day selling plaid umbrellas. If you only looked at the sea of umbrellas lining the street, it would be natural to assume it was a rainy day.

The local Nazarene church about a mile from the seminary had a Good Friday service from 3-5:30..organized around the last words of Christ on the Cross.

I think that's all I have to say about Good Friday.....except that I like what the theologian Karl Barth responded when asked later in life at what point in life that he was "saved". His reply speaks to me...."one Friday afternoon in A.D. 34." Thanks be to God for His costly Gift.

Full Moon Rising

I think I'll make note of an unusual and most amusing moment on our recent ministry/service trip to southern Ecuador.

We were traveling south from Riobamba to a town of about 4,ooo people called Alausí (pronounced Al-ow-see) to the site of the first ministry efforts of our week. We came upon an indigenous woman (in the states, we'd say Native American or Indian) walking her cow down the road. Or maybe it was the cow walking her. Either way, the lady was wearing the typical attire of a brilliant colored, knee length gathered skirt, with a red shawl and brown fedora.

As we passed by, some noticed that she had just lost grip on the rope and the calf...I'd guess it was a yearling.... was now trotting down the road in the same direction we were headed. We noticed a worried look on her face as she gave chase. The cow was quickly distancing herself from her owner. We drove ahead of the cow and one of our team leaders, Lucy Silva got out to assist....the cow slowed its pace as it approached Lucy. Just then, 2 of the guys (Kyle and Yoan, a seminary student from Venezuela) jumped out the van and began to give chase to capture the heifer. This of course spooked the cow and away she went....running right past Lucy. The owner looked even more desperate. The boys gave chase, but it was quite a distance before they caught up with Ms. Bovine, or Señorita Vaca. They were able to grab the lead rope and triumphantly returned the cow to the grateful owner, who could only express her gratitude in Quechuan. The young men understood her sentiment, if not her words.

While we were stopped, awaiting the capture and return of the cow, 3 of our young ladies asked if they could find a spot in the bushes to answer nature's call. We had been traveling for a good while with no signs of an approaching town or gas station of any sort. 1 of the girls walked over in a "northerly" route and the other 2 went in a more "southeasterly"direction to find their location of choice behind trees, shrubs, etc.

A few minutes later, we heard some anxious "squealing" or "shrieking", as often occurs when one comes upon a snake unexpectedly. A moment later, a man comes into view, walking from the general area where the 2 young ladies had last been seen. He had a big grin on his face as he passed by our vans and proceeded walking down the road.

He was soon followed by the girls, who told us (with no small amount of emotion) that the spot they had chosen turned out to be just off a well worn path. Just when they had fully "assumed the position", along comes this fellow up the trail, passing within mere feet of their potty station. He passed by just at the most opportune/inopportune moment, depending on his or their perspective. As if that wasn't bad enough, they then turned around and realized that some 100-150 ft below their "station" on what they then realized as being a fully exposed (in more ways than one) hillside bluff, was a little town. A bus was going by beneath and behind them, and there was a group of people, sitting on a front porch of one of the houses facing the hillside. They were drinking coffee, all the while watching 2 full (American) moons appear on the horizon directly in front of them, quite a bit earlier than the normal time for sunset.

After we heard the story in detail, and our laughter subsided, we loaded up in the vans and resumed our journey. Just around the next bend along the mountain highway was a gas station with the long desired facilities. As we passed by, howling with laughter, we soon came upon a road crew doing some repairs. As fortune would have it, there was "the man" waving to us (well, probably it's more accurate to say that he was specifically waving to a couple of our group) wearing that same broad grin.

I have withheld the names of the victims. I will only say that they attend a certain university that is sponsored by the Church of the Nazarene.... located about an hour south of Chicago.

Sitting at the internet booth

Thinking of a few miscellaneous things.

1. If I was president of Ecuador, I would enact 2 laws immediately.
a. Ecuador is one of the most beautiful places on the planet. Please, people...clean up the trash.
b. I would outlaw the use of mayonnaise on hot dogs, and on pizza.

2. We were in a Juan Valdez (seriously) coffee shop in Quito. I saw this girl smiling really big in my direction. At first, I thought I was seeing a former SNU student, Misty Chenault. As it turned out, this young lady was smiling because she is from Oregon and she was happy to see my Oregon St tee shirt. We started talking and the conversation centered on where she lived and where we lived when there...come to find out she knows Darlene's cousin's daughter in the small town of Silverton, OR. Only downer in the conversation was to learn that she is a Duck fan.

3. I think there are more dogs than people in Ecuador. Since I am much more of a dog fan than cat fan, I think that this is okay, but you have to watch where you step at times.

4. Kaylee turns 21 tomorrow. Wish we were home for the big event. Thanks to Scott and Mary Lynn and Laronda for subbing for us. WE LOVE YOU, KAYLEE!

5. Dinner for 2 with my girlfriend, Darlene tonight. Enjoying the Spanish colonial town of Cuenca. Oh, dinner was under $8 for the total tab.

6. Other than the Super Bowl.....little/no TV for 2 plus months now. March Madness? Spring Training, Olympics? Not for Mr. Miguel. Soccer rules here....and I am actually starting to enjoy watching it...I can hardly believe it. A seminary student gave me a gift of his favorite team's soccer jersey. So nice of him. It looks great. The biggest logo on the shirt is that of the sponsoring beer company.

Hasta luego.

Not at all "a-lous-y" place

We are in the middle of a 10 day ministry trip with our NILI university students and several Latin students from the Seminary. I think there are about 19 of us in total. We´ve been doing some children´s outreach events, evening services and some work and witness type experiences such as painting the interior of a church and working on the roof.

We´ve journeyed south from Quito several hours. We stopped in Riobamba and visited a enormous vegetable and fruit market. Trucks galore. We learned that 80 per cent of the produce of Ecuador passes through this market. Vegetables and fruit, some familiar, some unfamiliar were displayed beautifully. It was a visual smorgasboard of color.

Riobamba is surrounded by mountains, with 3 large volcanoes in view in various directions. We drove up to one, Chimborazo, the highest peak along the equator in the world. It´s over 20,000 ft, and we were able to climb on it for a few hours. We began our climb at over 16,000 feet, so oxygen was in high demand. Some in the group climbed about 1500 or more vertical feet, so we were up in the range of 18,000 is my guess. We´d stop to check our pulse and you could just feel it in your chest and didn´t have to put your finger to the neck or wrist. We eventually were hiking on a glacier, though the top was covered with cinder. Darlene and I turned back when our fingers became numb (packed the jackets and the stocking cap but forgot the gloves). about 6 or so pressed on to the area where the glacier wall was above or on top of the volcanic cinder. Needless to say, it was a good aerobic day.

We then spent a couple of days in a little pueblo called Alausi (sounds like, She had a lousy day....with the emphasis on the last syllable). It´s located on the side of a mountain, and is actually named San Pedro of Alausi. There´s a 100 ft statue of St. Peter on a hill at the edge of town watching over the city. It´s made of those very small and colorful ceramic tiles. Peter is holding what looks to be the keys to heaven or maybe they are to his room at a local hostel, and also what looks to be a Bible. But the NT hadn´t been written during his lifetime, so maybe it was a forerunner of a Grisham novel?

We loved that town...peaceful, easy to walk (except for all the series of stairs!) around and visit with people. On Sunday, we were responsible for the church service, but it didn´t occur until 5, so we visited the markets....went to the animal market about a mile down the hill and watched people barter with each other over horses, sheep, cattle, pigs, goats, etc. No auctioneer, just one to one waving and gesturing, standing in the middle of the pens. Some were eating ice cream (the people) while standing in the middle of all that....well, you know.

We went about town inviting people to church. The pastor wanted to take advantage of having a cast of gringos present...so we hit the streets to pass out literature and invite people. Several told me that they´d be there, but I didn´t have high hopes on return for my investment, as folks here don´t like to offend directly so they might say "yes" to a commitment and then just not show up.

3 folks that I invited did arrive early to peer in to listen to the praise band or team practice. However, when the pastor arrived, I tried to introduce him to these 3 and he kind of just brushed on by to enter the church. None of them stayed, and I can´t say as I blame them. 2 were little guys, shoeshine boys. On Saturdays and Sundays little guys about ages 7 to 12 from up in the hills come in to shine shoes in the plaza for some change. They work long hours. They are often dirty from the polish or from just plain lack of care.

Throughout the day, about 6 different little guys approached Darlene and me about a shoeshine. We were wearing our hiking shoes, so black polish didn´t seem like a good idea. But, these little guys really tugged at my heart, so I took each of them aside and thanked them for their long hours of work and their effort. I gave them each a $1 as a thank you for their work. I checked with one of our Ecuadoran leaders to make sure I wasn´t encouraging begging, so when she gave me the thumbs up, I went about the business of trying to encourage them. I hoped that 2 of them would come to the church service, but I think they were too intimidated, or maybe they had to keep working. They said they had to work til sometime after the service started. At 8 to 10 years old that´s pretty long hours.

There was a rooster/cock fighting event that afternoon. We didn´t make it there, but we did see the bull fighting ring or arena that´s used in special holiday festivals.

We did seem some butterflies and moths that looked to be taking steroids (they were very large) and we did spot some more colorful birds, which made me very happy.

The next day, we enjoyed a ride down a steep mountainside to an interesting scenic point called El Nariz del Diablo....the nose of the devil. Actually, you can take a train. I´ve seen a National Geographic special on this ride, and we hoped to take the train. But, the train line is over 100 years old and the weight of the train often spreads the track rails and the wheels slip off the rail. Plus, tradition is that folks ride on top of the train. Well, they´ve had some deaths.

Things came to a "head" apparently about a year ago, when 2 Chinese tourists we decapitated while riding the train down the steep 2 hour journey. They apparently were taking photos and didn´t duck when the train entered a tunnel or passed under some piece of equipment. Anyway, the government paid out 20 million and decided that riding on top was no longer an option. They have since decided to repair the rail lines as it will enhance tourism, and have closed the line for 7 months. So, maybe next time. But the ride down was very scenic, reminding us of the Eastern Highlands of Papua New Guinea, Darlene´s home. Taking in such an experience with college students in an adventure in and of itself. Love it.

The two days of riding south have been some of our favorite during our journey. Mountainous, pastoral, with patchwork gardens covering the mountainsides, in many cases almost to the crest. I think that Ecuardian cattle must have interchangable legs. The downhill set needs to be a bit longer than the pair of legs on the uphill side. When I was in Argentina for student mission corps back in college, I noticed that the beef was very tender and learned that Argentina is famous for the quality of it´s beef. On the other hand, the beef here in E is quite, well, durable and long lasting when chewing. I think I understand the difference. The cattle of Argentina enjoy living and dining on the Pampa, which is lush and FLAT, while the Bovines of the Andes here in Ecuador have to climb-climb up Sunshine Mountain, and down the mountain, and across mountains to graze. These bacas have muscled up, hence the opportunity to savor a long chew when we get to enjoy beef.

Well, since Alausi, we´ve been in the beautiful Spanish colonial city of Cuenca, site of 3 days of ministry and 1 day of sightseeing. Much to say about this experience, but I´ll let my blue paint encrusted fingers take a break and post those reflections later.

Last night at the church service, the students did a great job of leading in worship...with the congregation singing with gusto....and joy. Then, Stephanie, an ONU senior who is on her way to Notre Dame for grad school, preached in Spanish and did an excellent job with such a warm spirit behind her words. A couple of guys (Kyle and Freddy) shared their testimonies in Spanish. They are all part of the Advanced group of students. I´m swimming along in Intermediate land, but hopefully am improving. Anyway, they did great and the Spirit of the Lord was apparent and the bond of fellowhship between believers from different cultures was touching....plus they served us some tasty Ecuadorian dishes afterwards. So, church potluck Ecuadorian style ended about 10 p.m. with smiles and hugs all around.

Eastern Slope of the Andes

We embark today on a 10 day ministry trip to 4 locations to the south of Quito. We will be sharing this team experience with several of the Latin students from the seminary, as this week coming is a "ministry week" for all students here. I spoke with Gustavo last night who is headed over into the "selva" or jungle region to minister at a church in a small town for the week. So, this is part of their training here. We'll eventually end up in Quenca, Ecuador's fourth largest city, with ministry and outreach to children and youth as the primary focus. I have learned this about Quenca from a bit of reading. It is the home of some beautiful Spanish colonial architecture, and also is "the" place or the area where Panama hats are made. Then why not call them Ecuador hats, or "Ecuador Jack" instead of his more famous Panamanian counterpart? Darlene says that it's because that during the years of the construction of the Panama Canal many of the workers wore these hats that were made in Ecuador. So, people started calling them Panama hats. She did the research when I was buying one such hat a month back at a market in Otavalo. She's so smart.

Before we leave, I think I'll write a bit about our trip last weekend over to the eastern slope of the Andes. Darlene and I, along with 3 university students (Kyle, Jessica and Sarah-ONU students) traveled about 3-4 hours over to the beginnings of the Amazon region, and visited a retreat area in the mountains. I had been inquiring about a great place to see some of the over 1500 species of birds that make Ecuador home, and this option came open.

We traveled over a road that is the paved road that travels at the highest elevation of any road in Ecuador, over 13,000 feet. When we reached the pass, both coming and going, we stopped for some photos of Antisana, one of the tall volcanic peaks. We could only see the base and lower 1/3 of the mtn. going east, but returning to Quito on Sunday, we snapped some photos of the snow covered peak as well. We stopped and viewed/touched "paper trees"....the bark feels like very thin paper. We stopped in the small town that was at the epicenter of a devastating earthquake in 1987. They built a new town just a few minutes to the east, but had restored some of the original town. We saw men leading horses with wooden frame packs strapped to their backs, loaded with 2 large old fashioned milk cans, taking their product to the collection center to be processed before heading back to their mountain homes.

At the cabaña, the retreat house, we were hosted by Susana and Marco Silva. She's worked for Peace Corps and he is an engineer who's also taught math. The log cabin in the jungle was wonderfully rustic and lovely. The meals were simple, and very tasty. They have their own little hydroelectric operation from mtn stream water to provide some of their electricity. Marco led us on a couple of jungle hikes, where we saw some "first growth, or primary forest, with some trees being as old as 1300 years. We saw a couple of bear caves, which actually are under the roots of these giant trees. They were home to a spectacled bear that has white around it's eyes. A very timid bear, Marco has seen one, but 6 people in the jungle gave the bears, and the curious but timid pumas and tapirs that live in this area plenty of advance notice. We wore high rubber boots, because it was so boggy at places along the trail that we'd sink up almost to our knees in places.

We took a late night hike in the jungle and it had been raining, so when we turned over our lights for some of the walk, it was fun to hear the night sounds without being able to see anything of yourself or anything nearby.....we held hands and walked on as we heard raindrops splattering on the leaves nearby. We head two little headlamps (Marco and me) that we eventually turned back on so that we could find our way along.

The next morning we were up for the "bird watching" experience. (My phone/alarm woke me up an hour early, as it apparently changed due to the time change back home. I went around waking everyone up at 4:30 a.m, thinking it was an hour later. Darlene and the students let me know of my error fairly directly, quickly, and with an absence of malice.)

I know that birds of a feather flock together, but in the jungle they can be easy to hear, but difficult to see, especially at daylight with a slate gray sky. Eventually, we were able to see some beautiful birds with yellow chests/belly, green wings and white head feathers, and some hummingbirds, a little brilliant blue fellow, and a couple of large parrots flying over on a walk to/from the river along a gravel road later.....but largely I didn't get to see the volume and variety of birds that I'd hoped for....but it's like fishing, in that patience is a virtue as well as enjoyment of the act of searching/seeking to spot colorful critters. My quest to see a toucan continues.

We had a couple of river hikes (Jessica fell in, soaked) that led to seeing some exquisite red orchids. The mountain terrain reminded Darlene and me of Papua New Guinea, her childhood home. She enjoyed seeing that so much.

The area was much less populated than we expected, which was a delight. We had a great experience, one that was "natural" and relaxed, and are grateful for the memories.

Da Bus

I seem to recall that one of C.S. Lewis' books was The Great Divorce. If my memory serves me well, the subjects in the story were on a bus ride to hell. Something about free will, choices and consequences, as I recall. The concept of what a bus ride to hell might be like crosses my mind when I think about riding the bus here. It's often very crowded. As in the, "excuse me, I don't even know your name" kind of crowded.

Last weekend the "traditional students" of NILI had a home stay with an Ecuadorian family. So, us "non-traditionals" were left to determine our own destiny. We had received an invitation from an pastor who is indigenous to come visit his church. It's about 2 hours away from Quito. Travel would involve a bus ride. I started thinking of C.S. Lewis. I knew that our destination was supposed to be Guasaquil, about 20 minutes up in the mountains from Otavalo, the home of the world famous artisan market that we had visited previously. As I contemplated a bus ride for Pastor Dan from Michigan, Darlene and me, with me being the most experienced speaker of spanish among the 3 of us, and thought of my experiences on the city buses of Quito, well, I thought again of the destination of C.S. Lewis' bus ride. I wondered if ours would turn out to be a similar route. But, all were up for the adventure, so off we went.

Actually, it was a pretty tame ride. We left early Saturday morning, so the crowds were okay on the bus. I gave Darlene the window seat and planted myself on the aisle. The bus filled up as the assistant to the driver barked "Otavalo, Otavalo" over and over, attempting to drum up business from those arriving at the bus terminal. He would hang from the door like a monkey, shouting for customers. The seats were filled, and there were only about 10 people standing in the aisle on this bus. I didn't envy them standing for 2 hours. I thought about giving my seat to a lady. For some reason that's all I did was think about it for bit.

I should have given her my seat. She was almost in my lap, as she stood in the aisle immediately to my left. Her backside and her backpack were about 6" away from my face. She was with her family of 5. Thankfully, they only rode for about an hour with us before departing the bus.

Some people brought their own food, which added some rich aromas. Others purchased food from "traveling" salesmen or saleswomen who would jump on the bus at a stop in a village, walk up and down the aisles offering sweets, ice cream or chips (sweet or salty) made from the yucca plant. Then after a round trip to the back of the bus and return, the bus would stop and they'd hop off.

Folks tended to look at we three gringos with interest. Little children would flat out stare. Traffic was light on the 2 lane PanAmerican Highway. I thought, "Hey, if we stay on this road for several days, we'll be in California. My second thought was, "Otavalo is a good distance for starters."

We road by scads (that's Spanish for "lots") of greenhouses on the mountainsides and in the valleys as we headed north from Quito. Growing roses for export is Big Business here, somewhere down the line from Oil, Bananas and Shrimp....the big 3 of Ecuadoran exports. A dozen of these beauties (roses) will tap you for $1. That's one (uno) George Washington.

The bus route was $4 round trip, per person. $8 for the two of us was a tremendous price for an adventure on Da Bus.

Darlene was in fine forme as a bargain hunter at the Otavalo market. She thinks I am too soft. I don't feel comfortable haggling over $2. But, she's right...it's part of the game there. I prefer to take pictures and talk with the "casaritas/casaritos" (artisans who sell their products) about the family, etc. Don't get me wrong, I find it fun to shop there and Darlene has to restrain me from buying much more than we can use or give away. A few of the vendors remembered us from our visit a month earlier. That made for a nice connection.

We stayed at the hostel "Valle del Amanecer", which is translated Valley of the Sunrise. Last time we were awake well before sunrise, due to the party-hearty crowd in the vicinity of our room. This time, all was quiet and our $11 a person room with hot water and a scrumptuous breakfast of large pancakes with pineapple, banana and papaya included in the price were bargains in and of themselves.

Sunday, we loaded us and our stuff into a truck with Pastor Luis and driver and headed up to Guassaquil. The service was half in Spanish and half in Quichuan, an indigenous language. It was great to see the people in traditional dress, with women wearing white blouses that were delicately embroidered with lovely, colorful handiwork. Many of the men wore the traditional (for them) white sandals, white pants and shirt and navy blue poncho, with a fedora. Pastor had asked us to prepare testimonies in spanish for the people, so that was an enjoyable experience to be able to share of the Gospel's importance in my life. Meeting the people and especially Pastor Luis' extended family was a genuine highlight. We shared communion together. Pastor Luis' looks just like what I imagine the long lost brother of my friend and former professor, Dr. Gerard Reed might resemble. Gerard has a strong Native American heritage. I emailed Gerard with the good news that I'd found his brother.

The bus ride home was uneventful. We had the back of the bus pretty much to ourselves, with the windows open to enjoy the fresh mountain air. We were even sufficiently adjusted to our environs to take a little nap while the bus wound it's way through the mountains, past the volcano Cayambe on our way back to Quito, once again crossing the equator.

Back from our little "on our own" adventure, we enjoyed listening to the adventures of our younger classmates with their Ecuador families....and then it was back to the books.

This weekend, 5 of us are off to a cloud forest. Ecuador has over 1500 species of birds (more than the U.S. and Canada combined), many of which are exotic. We'll be on the eastern slope of the Andes for 2 days, hiking, "birding", fishing for trout (that's what they said we get to do...I hope so) and I think we get to hike to a bear's cave. I hope Mrs. Bear is off to Quito for a weekend of shopping and not available to personally greet us.

In Praise of Virgil, "ButterBall" & Mrs. O

We've been back in Spanish classes following a 5 day road trip into the jungle region of Ecuador. Blogging about verb conjugations, reflexive verbs and the four uses of the conditional form lacks the excitement of subject matter such as waterfalls, monkeys, jungle flights and riding in a dugout canoe on a jungle river. So, I've been silent on the blog scene for a few days, trying to adjust back to the work at hand....improving in Spanish.

As I've been thinking a lot about grammar again these days, I've found myself thinking of (with gratitude) for some of my English teachers that laid the foundation for the level of understanding that I actually do have of things grammatical.

"Virgil", "Butterball" and "Mrs. O" were three of my English teachers in junior high and in high school. Of course, when addressing them directly, they were Mr. Schultz, Mr. Bartlett and Mrs. Ossenberg. We also had another English teacher nicknamed "Lead Bottom". I'll refrain from further comment. I assure you that the nicknames were passed down to us from the previous generation of students, and are not something for which my classmates and I bear responsibility!

It's been a good while now since I sat under their tutelage, but I've not forgotten their names, their nicknames nor the great care they took in fulfilling their charge of teaching a bunch of adolescents the nature and grammatical structure of the language and their attempts to help us begin to appreciate literature and it's powerful impact on life and one's worldview. Some days they did that....other days they just managed to get through the class period.

And then, as most good teachers do, they also share bits and pieces of practical "life" advice. For example, Mr. Schultz told us that he thought it wise to sign your name the same way each time you sign formal documents, such as personal checks. For some reason, that advice stuck with me. So, Michael A. Brooks it's been for a long time now. I still think of Virgil every now and then when I'm signing "mi nombre oficial".

During these first weeks in Ecuador, I've especially been thinking of these good folks, and also of my English profs in college. There are days when I really wish I had paid more attention in their classes back then. It would have made the process of learning the concepts of the spanish language somewhat easier. Then there are the other days, when I realize that I wouldn't be able to do as well as I am in seeking to acquire a second language were it not for their good instruction. Some of their labors are bearing fruit in my life here and now.

I also took a year of Beginning Spanish and a year of Intermediate Spanish during my working years at SNU. Prof Delores Wood was my professor, and I would say that she was one of that group of teachers and professors who are most engaging and passionate about learning. But that was 15 years ago or so. I wish I had not stopped taking classes at that time, but I am thankful for that foundation leading into this experience.

Language study for me is a "3 steps forward, 2 steps back" kind of process. Just when I think I'm making progress, along comes an experience in conversation or a grammatical concept that I just don't quite "get" and I realize how far I have to go. (The other day, I complimented the seminary president on his good looking suit. At least that's what I intended. He smiled when I realized that I had bragged on what a nice looking dress he was wearing....take two steps back, MB. I knew the word for "suit"...I really did.:) So, I've had a little of both types of experiences these past few days. Tomorrow, we have another exam. I wonder if it'll feel like a step forward, or backward? I better quit blogging and resume preparing, or I can guarantee the answer to my question.

Although not as exciting as outdoor or cultural adventures, I'm grateful for the opportunity to study this language. So, to the memories of Virgil, Butterball, Mrs. O, Prof Wood and others.....Muchas, muchas gracias.


Miguel

This thrill's for "Will"

We've been thinking a lot about our cousin, young Will Bumpus, who departed this life suddenly and unexpectedly last Sunday. The day before I had received word that my Uncle Delwin had passed away, so back to back days with the loss of significant persons in our lives was stunning or shocking, to say the least. We are enjoying very much our experience in Ecuador, but suddenly we also wanted to be back in the States where we could share this time with our girls and these dear relatives in their time of loss and grief.

We received word of Will's passing on Sunday evening, upon our arrival for 4 days in the jungle region of Ecuador. A missionary friend called MB with a message from Mindy about the tragedy. After the initial shock and disbelief soaked in, we began the journey of grieving while also desiring to fully engage in our learning experiences here. It became sort of a split experience for us. I found myself thinking of how I could honor Will in and during my experience in the jungle.

I began praying that I'd not only see with my eyes the wonders of God's creation in this beautiful place, but that I'd be "seeing" for Will, as though he was here with us. Thankfully, he is in an even more beautiful setting than we are. Given how God has blessed this country with great natural beauty, the thought of the beauty of Will being in the very Presence of God took on new meaning for me. I thought of the Psalmist's words..."how lovely is Your dwelling place, O Lord" and "You are resplendent with light, more majestic than mountains filled with game". Will is now in a most beautiful "place" with a Most Lovely Creator whose beauty is beyond words.

On the day we flew by Cessna deeper into the jungle, probably 2 days walk from "civilization" there was, in my mind, someone sharing the seat with me, gazing at the rainforest canopy below. I was imagining the excitement that Will would be experiencing in taking this journey with us. He loved adventure, and was so full of life that I knew he'd be excited to climb aboard for this jungle flight. When we were with him, he and I loved to tussle, to wrestle a bit, so I imagined him hitting me on the shoulder as he looked out the window, saying "hey, Mike, take a look at that!"

As I gazed at the rainforest canopy beneath us, I thought it looked like a giant green carpet with a deep thickness. Or, maybe it was more like flying above a sea of broccoli crowns. I wondered how Will would describe it. Whatever words he used, there would be exuberance in his voice. He might have been a little disappointed that his cell phone wouldn't work well out there in the jungle, but he would have soon forgotten about that when he stepped into a dugout canoe with some of the Huorani villagers as river guides. Will would have soaked up that river ride, literally and figuratively!

Thus went our experiences of the week, seeking to welcome the memory of Will's personality into the activities of our day. Whether swimming at a jungle waterfall, or watching a villager carefully craft a clay vessel by hand in her hut, I tried to mentally picture Will experiencing this with us. I think he would have said something like, "This is so cool!" I probably can't rehearse his lingo accurately, but what I am sure of is the sheer energy and love of life that he would have brought to this new place and these experiences.

And so he continues to do so today, in an even better place that is beyond his comprehension in both beauty and "coolness". For this prospect, we are most thankful. But speaking of "beyond comprehension", those words accurately describe our thoughts and feelings at the thought of Will not being part of our lives here any longer...."beyond comprehension". We grieve for our cousins, his immediate family who are also dear friends to us....Lisa, Benjamin, Scott, Mary Lynn, Lynne and Kevin, Nathan and Emma...and other family members and friends who keenly feel the absence of Will from their lives. We grieve also for Greg and the Bumpus clan as they grieve their loss.

So, our adventures in Ecuador hopefully will continue on, but now in a new way....when we see or experience something thrilling, we'll be thinking, "This thrill is for Will" as well as for us.

Just Your Average Field Trip

I think I'll entitle this little essay, "What We Did in School This Week!" We took a week off from the classroom setting and moved it outdoors to the Oriente, which is the Amazonian Basin region of Ecuador east of the Andes. It's a pretty vast area, so we only caught a few glimpses of this incredible region that's so important to the sustainability of life on our planet. Here's some of what we experienced.

* Rode an open cable car over a vast canyon, high enough to be over a sizeable waterfall.
* Hiked to a powerful, pounding waterfall, this one over 200' in height. Got wet just from the spray.
* Served as "playground" equipment for a variety of monkeys ( I think there were more than 50 there at this reserve.) You can check out some photos on Darlene's Facebook page.
* 2 mile educational hike in the heat and heart of the jungle. We learned about various plants' medicinal value and saw the type of palm trees from which blow guns are made.
* Swam with my beautiful bride under a waterfall, just like you see on those ads for exotic vacations. Only thing was, we were with a dozen students. So, what else is new? Most every anniversary has been celebrated in the midst of students of some variety these 33 years.
*Fresh cooked fish (whole tilapia) and rice dinner among the palm trees....think it cost about $2 per person.
* 13 mile raft trip on a river that eventually feeds into the Amazon. Class III and IV whitewater on this section. Sorry, no piranha stories to report. Guess we needed to be further in the jungle region for that level of excitement.
*Also, wanted to see an anaconda (at a safe distance) but had to settle for a photo of several pastors holding a 36' anaconda with a entire pig in the middle of its belly. The photo was from the same region we visited. The snake goes to sleep for quite a while (as in days or weeks) after consuming such a sizable snack, so that's how they were able to hoist Mr. A for a photo. Took about 15 guys to lift it. We did see a 5' boa constrictor that had recently ventured too close to the hostel where we stayed. His new home was in a large pickle jar on a table outside our cabin. Doubt that it was necessary to go to that extreme measure.
* Jungle flight into the rainforest via an MAF (Mission Aviation Fellowship) Cessna. Deja vu for Darlene from PNG days. Landed on grass airstrip in the jungle.
*Visited 2 indigenous (Indian) villages. Learned interesting customs. Learned how to shoot a blowgun. MB actually hit the target....a piece of fruit hanging from a branch 15' away. Such a tribesman.
* Drank a potion/drink especially prepared to welcome guests. The plants are cooked down then chewed and actually spat back into the pot....then the "juice" is passed around. Offensive (to your host) if you refuse. Can also be offensive, in another sense, to the one who consumes the beverage, if one thinks too long on what one drinketh.
* 2 rides in a dugout canoe. Fun, but not the most comfy excursion, but you gotta get in the game if you're gonna play.
* Highlight: we were welcomed by a pastor to his Huorani village. The surprise was that he himself was one of the group of Huorani warriors that killed 5 missionaries in the mid 50s in the jungles of Ecuador. What a moving experience to watch and listen as he put his arm around the mission aviator that brought us in to his village, and prayed for him and for our group. Having read the stories and seen the movie, End of the Spear, this was an incredible moment for us.
* Tropical downpours on our jungle bungalow at night.
* Sightings of colorful birds of the tropics.
* Saw world's largest freshwater fish, but can't recall their name....they said they grow to about 20' and 500 lbs. These were in the 7', 120 lb range, I'd estimate.
* Darlene got to munch on sugar cane again to her heart's desire, and we enjoyed some freshly made- in- our- presence taffy made from the cane...with a raspberry type flavor. MB was offered a beverage he thought to be pure juice from the sugar cane....turned out to be a bit stronger brew than that. He turned himself in to the trip sponsors, but they decided not to send him home, because of good behavior (he refrained from asking for seconds) and innocent consumption.

Transportation of various sorts

The theme for this post is "transportation". Just a thought or two before heading off to bed.

We have an early start tomorrow as the entire group of 14 students and 3 staff heads off to the Oriente...which is one of four distinct regions of Ecuador. It is also called the "selva" or jungle, as it is tropical and includes the Amazonian Basin of Ecuador. So, we'll be trading the dry, cool air of the Andes (la Sierra) and the 70 degrees (more or less) of Quito for some steamy heat. Darlene and I visited a small slice of the selva last weekend, so we are excited to return with the rest of our classmates and visit another slice of this region.

As far as the "transportation" theme of this blog entry goes, we hopefully will get to fly (by Cessna) deeper into the jungle and land on a grass airstrip, have a jungle hike, raft a river with some rapids and also spend some time with indigenous people in that region. First, we'll have a drive of a few hours in length past some volcanoes, a rich agricultural area where a wide variety of fruits are grown, a town that specializes in ice cream, a town where jeans are made and scores of half-mannequins line the street displaying the styles and low prices available. I've heard that we may take a cable car across a canyon to a waterfall. So, drive, fly, raft, cable car and hike seem to be potential modes of transport on this trip from the Sierra to the Oriente.

More about transportation here in Quito. Motorcycles and scooters, both of the smaller variety are popular here, though not as popular as cars. This mode of transportation of the 2 wheel variety has the advantage of weaving in and out of traffic and they apparently have the blessing to go between rows of stopped traffic, or on the far right or left of the lanes of traffic.

We've seen some interesting passengers. I would guess that the average motorcycle I've seen is something less than a 200 cc, and therefore also pretty small in passenger capacity. Yet, today I saw a man zipping along with his grey Schnauzer type dog sitting upright n the motorcycle seat, immediately in front of him. Pooch was helmet-less :), a fearless canine in the sea of Quito traffic. I was impressed with Pooch's focus and balance. It's nothing unusual to see Dad and Mom with little Junior or Juniorita straddling the seat, squished between the adults. Today, Darlene saw a child that she estimated as being about 4 fully asleep in his mom's arms/lap while Dad was weaving along the heavily traveled streets on their little motorcycle. I've asked a seminary student if I can hitch a ride on the back of his 180 cc motorcycle...in this city, it should be a memory. I just will have to trust that I won't be a memory, if I do this.

A final note about modes of "transportation", this one of an eternal dimension. I received word this afternoon via an email from Mindy that my dear Uncle Delwin has been transported to heaven. I have been blessed with some dear "characters" in my family, and I have cherished him as a special person in my life for as long as I can remember. As a boy, I loved our vacations to grandparents' farms in southern Arkansas, in no small part because of relatives. Uncle Delwin was among the warm memories of my youth. Later, our own girls (when they were young) were very impressed with his ability to touch his nose with his tongue. When they last saw him at Christmas time, they begged him to see if he could still do it. He did, but he was careful that no cameras were pointed his direction, before consenting to their request.

Delwin would tease you, pick on you and make you laugh. If you knew him, he could and would often challenge you to be the best person you could be and to make the most of God's gifts to you. He and his wife, my Aunt Billie, had 3 children. I consider David, Sharon and Wayne and their families as special gifts. Delwin taught at Southern Arkansas University, coached and taught swimming, among other things. I told him once that I really wanted to learn the butterfly stroke. He agreed to teach me. I nearly drowned that afternoon.

I have a personal Hall of Fame of people who have deeply influenced my life, whom I cherish and am grateful to God for the gift of their freindship. Delwin Ross has been enshrined in my Hall of Fame for a long time now. Even though this 'blog' is about Ecuador and our experiences here, I want to mention him in this context, so as to honor him a bit. I hoped that I could honor him and his memory by being present at his memorial service, but I will have to settle for expressing here just a "touch" of the honor, love, gratitude and high regard I have for Uncle Delwin. His recent heavenly mode of transportation was a different kind of "flight" than the airplane to the jungle we're anticipating taking in the next couple of days. But, all that knew him are assured that this man was enthralled at and by the grace of God, and if our understanding of the next life is aligned at all with reality, Delwin's "flight" has landed him in the arms of the One he loved so dearly and served so faithfully.

From Jungle Jane

Darlene wrote a letter to the "fam" early this a.m. Then I garnered the computer to post a blog about our trip to the Oriente, the selva (jungle) this last weekend. When I read her letter, I decided to cut and paste from that for this posting, with a couple of editorial comments along the way. Darlene has always written in a very interesting fashion, so I think you'll find it engaging. Since I'm new to the world of Mac, I may have to do this in stages. Here goes.

Our trip to the jungle with Dwight and Carolyn Rich (25 yr missionaries here was incredible. If you have seen my photos on facebook you can "see" it. The terrain and scenery was so similar to PNG! I just couldn't get around the fact, however, that we were on paved roads the whole way, sometimes cruisingalong at 60 mph!!! Dwight said this has not always been the case,
however. Prior, it was a teeth-rattling trip along wash-board roads at 20 mph. In fact, it was his first time to drive all the way on such good roads. "The Jungle" and "Paved roads" just didn't seem right. Ha. Well, anyway, we met a lot of wonderful people, dedicated little
pastors out in the boonies. That is always inspiring and humbling.

The District Assembly was held outdoors in an park like pavilion/picnic shelter type of thing. The setting was lovely, as it was in the jungle (tho just off the road) and outside a town of about 200 people. So many varieties of flowers. The special treat was to see these birds colored black and brilliant yellow (on their backs and part of their wings). Mike scouted out their "roost" on the hillside and found their very unusual nests. We have included pictures of these on Darlene's Facebook. In a nutshell, the nest looked as tho a bowling ball had been placed inside a panty hose or long tube sock (about 2-4 ft in length) and suspended from limbs. There were about 30 of these in a large eucalyptus tree. Mike said that if he had to spend an entire day at a district assembly, this was the type of setting he prefers. Actually, he was blessed by the devotion of the pastors and lay leaders that he met.

There was to be a youth service that night following the assembly at a small local church in a small community. On the way to the service, Dwight asked Mike if he would preach. Since Dwight had been driving a lot and had facilitated much of the assembly that day, Mike agreed to help him out. Mike gave some greetings in spanish and then Dwight interpreted for Mike. I think Mike could have preached much of the message (it was a simple, basic Gospel message) in Spanish had he had the time (Editor's note: Yes, as in all day to prepare!) to prepare. It was a fun experience for Mike, reminding him of his 2 summers in student missions in S. America back in college days, when he often preached through an interpreter. Having a college friend like Dwight interpreting was special for Mike as well.

On our trip down to the jungle it was overcast and cloudy, and we had two huge downpours during the night. But Sunday was clear and jungle-steamy hot. That made it so neat to be able to see further in the distance. There is acertain section of Ecuador referred to as "The Avenue of the Volcanoes" and that's where we are. There's actually an active volcano within view of our apartment. It's quiet now. There is a particular active volcano that we past right by on this particular trip that had a MAJOR (as in lava flow) in 2006, and it's started up again. So we stopped to get photos of this mountain, if for no other reason than that we could. It is cloud covered lots of times, even on clear days. So we pulled over on the side of the road for our photos and there before our eyes the mountain lets out a huge puff of back smoke and ash! We
were the first ones to see it and before long the whole road was lined with cars and others taking photos. It really was magnificent. It kept belching out more as we proceeded on, so as you can tell on my facebook, we took quite a few shots! Even experienced volcano watchers like Dwight and Carolyn were excited.

Another highlight for me was getting to eat some sugar cane again! They sell it along the roadside, some in little plastic bags, already peeled and cut up. Easy on the teeth. It was delish!!! What a treat. In this particular area where the sugar cane grows the people
have learned to make taffy out of it, so along the way you also see people in there little shops pulling fresh taffy. I personally prefer the sugar cane itself.

I can't get over how industrious these people are. Selling something along the roads ALL THE TIME. Standing out there all day long, on the dusty corners of the roads. I don't know how they make enough money to live on.

Well, this is a longer than usual posting. Thanks for sharing in the adventure.

Have a plan.....but be flexible!

We did have our jungle trip scheduled for the next few days postponed due to lack of fuel for the Cessnas flown by MAF. When I first visited this part of the world back when I was in college doing student summer missions work, the missionary with whom we chiefly worked gave us some good advice that not only came in handy then, but has been a mantra that I've tried to live by. Missionary Ardee Coolidge, one of the Hall of Fame people in my life advised us to "Have a plan, but be flexible!" It is interesting that yesterday, Dr. Stan Hall, the leader of NILI, when he was telling us of the possibility of needing to make a sudden change in plans advised the same...."plan, but be flexible....especially in this culture." So, it seems to still be good advice to cope with sudden, unexpected change.

However, early this morning our friend, Rev. Dwight Rich who is the Mission/Field coordinator came by the apt. He told us that since this weekend is "free", they'd like to invite us to go to a part of the jungle where they are holding services this weekend. So, true to the mantra noted above, we eagerly said "Sure", or maybe it was "Si!" Anyway, it looks like we'll get 2 jungle sightings, or at least we'll get to see another part of the country than otherwise planned. It's in the SE part of Ecuador.

Last night from about 9-11:30 p.m., we had a great time of fellowship, laughter and prayer with a young married couple who are completing their studies here and are preparing to move to an area about 4 hrs south of here to minister to the Quichuan people of that area....those are the indigenous people native to Ecuador. Manuel and Marcela are Colombians and they hosted us for a "cafesita", complete with coffee that would make Juan Valdez proud. They presented us a gift of a bag of the Colombian good stuff...and I am referencing coffee.

Those of you who know details of my culinary preferences know that I don't drink coffee. But, last night I drank 2 cups....with sugar, no cream. Those were the first cups of coffee in mi vida...in my life. Of course, Darlene, a coffee lover was excited about the quality of coffee. It was a special time for us to practice conversation, mutually share some of our histories (we have more of that than they...history, that is) and share hopes and dreams for ministry. Manuel y Marcela are great folks with a strong and refreshing commitment to Christ.

Well, the missionaries are ready to go, so Hasta luego!

Flapping Over to the East Side of the Jungle (Maybe)

Today, we went to the premier anthropological museum in Ecuador today (with archealogical artifacts from about 3000-4000 yrs or more ago...) quite amazing except for the "unamazing" fact that I only understood about 60% (maybe at the most...you know, this is part of the immersion experience) of what the tour guide was saying.

We are scheduled to take a drive/fly combo viaje (trip) for a few days leaving the lofty altitude of the Andes and go to the jungle for a few days. But we received word this evening that they don't know if there will be fuel for the MAF Cessnas when we get to the jumping off town for the flight into jungle.

I guess we'll just be flexible and wait and see. we're supposed to drive 5 hrs east/south of here into what is called the Orient (it's where the jungle begins....much more tropical) to a town called Shell Mara (named after the oil company who came to the area when oil was discovered back in the 50s ?) It's said to be a laid back little city with the central plaza. Shell is home to a missionary doctor-staffed hospital/clinic that serves both the townsfolk and people from villages further out in the jungle. This is the same town/area where Nate Saint, Jim Elliot , and Co. (End of the Spear) lived and ministered and were martyred. So, this will be a meaningful experience in more ways than one.

The plan is to give us an opportunity to fly in a Cessna (for 16 people this could take a squadron) out from Shell into the "selva" or jungle....there we are to get to do a jungle hike, eco-hike kind of thing and then also whitewater raft.....but we may have to reschedule or go with no guarantee of flight to lack of fuel. How can they have no fuel when the drill for it in that general area? We'll have to ask that.

This will bring back memories for Darlene, as her travels to and from high school (boarding school) in the mountains of Papua New Guinea was by Cessnas flown by MAF (Missionary Aviation Fellowship) and JARS (I think this stands for Jungle Aviation)....we are looking forward to this experience!

Darlene esta en la cocina!

Most of our meals are provided in the seminary's cafeteria, which allows for conversations with students from the seminary and staff. So, that's a great way to practice Spanish while building friendships. However, desserts are not a common occurrence in the dining hall, so Darlene decided it was time to do something about it.

Following class today, she decided to make some of her world famous cinnamon rolls. She consulted with a couple of the missionaries about what adjustments would need to be made given the 9300 ft altitude here in Quito. I knew that all was well when I could smell that familiar (and cherished) aroma outside our apartment. But, what to do with 30 or so cinnamon rolls?

Open house, or open apartment was the answer. We spread word to fellow NILIs that we had some treats and suggested that they drop in and also invite their Latin roommates to drop by sometime this evening. There were about 20 or so students drop by for dessert and conversation. This gave us a chance to extend some hospitality to those seminary students and NILIs that were able to spend some time with us. They seemed to enjoy Darlene's culinary creations a LOT (who doesn't?), and we enjoyed their laughter and joy. We hope to this occasionally. I would like to find a bbq grill so I could cook up some burgers or chicken. I haven't seen a grill around here yet, but will be on the lookout. Too bad that I didn't have room from some of my favorite bbq sauces to pack in the suitcase. For some reason, KC Masterpiece or Carolina Treat have not been spotted in the stores that we've frequented.

Speaking of NILIs, I don't think I've mentioned our new friends. There are 14 people here from the U.S. studying. 10 university students (8 from ONU (Kyle S, Beth, Freddy, Sarah, Jessica, Nelli, Kyle K, Stephanie), 1 from SNU (Alicia...yeah for the home team!) and 1 from MNU (Aaron....yeah for the alma mater!). Then there are 4 of us that are called "Professionals". Dan is a pastor from Michigan, Linda from Orlando, FL and Darlene and me. We are really enjoying being a part of this group.

Tomorrow, a break from class to go to a famous anthropological museum of Ecuador. Ancient indigenous cultures, Incas, Spanish colonial period and more. Should be a good learning experience.

Of Buses and BBQ-Miscellaneous Thoughts

Well, I have to admit it. I'm missing BBQ. This is not exactly surprising to me, but tonight the longing was brought to the surface by 2 things. First, dinner and I were not best friends tonight. We'll try to make up and patch up our differences tomorrow. However, I was able to cope by finding my stash of peanut butter back in our apartment's kitchen, and my spirits were lifted and my hunger somewhat satiated, at least for a few hours.

Then, after studying for a couple of hours, I logged on to Facebook and encountered the 2nd of this evening's provocations that have brought my hankering for some BBQ to the forefront of my thinking.....yes, even in front of improving my use of the Spanish imperfect tense which is also vying for my attention. The advertisement that came up on my Facebook page (you know the location of those ads about finding long lost high school friends?) Well, just beneath the ad inviting me to search for names and faces from the class of '72 was a photo of a slab of baby back ribs, complete with a side of bbq sauce! Some OKC restaurant was tantalizing or maybe it was that the owners were just taunting me. Well, the quest for Spanish proficiency went out the window and I have been staring at that platter of BBQ for quite a while now. I need to stop gazing at them, because it's not making things a bit better....but I am kind of enjoying the thought of BBQ, I guess. Honestly, I try not to allow those thoughts to set up shop. It makes for a long, long evening.

After class today, about 1/2 of our group boarded a Quito city bus for the journey out to a ministry site. It's the one I mentioned previously....the Quito city trash facility. There at the "dump" there is a ministry to children whose parents labor in the trash and garbage. The ministry is a place of grace and encouragement to some precious children. We spend an afternoon each week singing, drawing and playing with the children, followed by the trip home on a much more crowded bus. This evening personal space and additional oxygen soon became prized (and scarce) commodities on Mr. Blue Bus. The cost of the ride was 30 cents, and the experience was priceless. At one point, 3 city buses were side by side, jostling at about 30-40 mph for position. We gringos were at the back of the bus. Since I am taller than most on the bus, I could see that the majority of those standing were pressed toward the back of the bus where we happened to be. Each time the bus stopped, few seemed to exit, but more tried to pack in and join the fun.

I saw a sign posted that the capacity was somewhere around 100 (seated and standing) and it was at capacity about 5:45. One dear lady dressed in the attire of Andean indigenous people and carrying an open bag of bread and "greens" of some sort boarded the bus from the back and was forced, due to lack of space, to sit on the back stairway of the bus. As more folks squeezed in, she too was squeezed until her face was "smushed" up against the vertical metal pole. It took a while for her to get free and on her feet, but we were able to make space so she could join Darlene on the back row. Taxis are more efficient and more expensive (though still cheap by U.S. standards), but travel by bus sure is entertaining. It can also be oppressively slow, but I'd prefer to focus tonight on the positive, especially since those ribs are out of the realm of possibility.

These little piggies went to market

We experienced the colorful sights, sounds, aromas (food), and people of the Otavalo market last weekend. It is an extravaganza for the senses, to be sure. The region around this town about 80 mile north of Quito is home to artisans and crafts-people (men and women). If you've seen pictures of indigenous Indian people of the Andes and their stylish dress, then you have a basic idea of the people of that area. Their native language is Quichua, with Spanish their second.

We had 3 different market experiences. First in San Antonio de Madera (Wood), and we watched wood carvers in action there...then on to Cotacatchi which is quite famous for it's leather products. I had my eyes on a particular jacket, but the shopkeeper and I couldn't quite agree on a price (part of the experience is bartering), so I left it hanging in the shop, with reluctance, but with no regrets.

But the most entertaining was the Saturday Otavalo market. Artisans and vendors would leave their homes as early as 4 to travel with their goods, in order to be ready for business before 7 a.m. Darlene and I joined one of our college students, Beth from ONU for a 6:30 start....they were already open for business in the center market square and with all available spots taken, vendors' booths stretched down the 4 streets that led to each corner of the square.

Hand woven tapestries, alpaca blankets, hammocks, sweaters, table runners and table covers, clothing, embroidered blouses, jackets, handbags, jewelry, pottery, artifacts and crafts of wood and stone are examples of what was available. COLORFUL was the word for the day. If you'd like to see some photos, Darlene has them posted on her Facebook page.

The shopping was intense, as the vendors were eager to assist! :) Darlene thought I did not barter enough, and she did garner the better deals, I'm sure. I most enjoyed visiting with the people, meeting their families, taking pictures here and there. Watching the small of stature but strong of body men and women carry large loads of goods into the market in what looked like large coffee sacks on their backs was amazing and humbling. A little guy was pushing a wheelbarrow full of coconuts all day, offering a refreshing treat. A grandma was toting around a couple of mesh bags, into which we could see familiar shapes..... puppies for sale. We found some areas where we could hear chirping. Snooping around, we located little chicks in a box underneath a table with children watching over them.

Did you know that those famous "Panama" hats are actually made here in Ecuador? There were plenty of those available, and I garnered one for my use at a reasonable price. I was fond of the woven tapestries, while Darlene had fun shopping for handbags, fine scarves, table coverings, to name just a few items on her list. We treated ourselves to a plantain (banana) grilled over coals, while also finding our way to a wonderful pie shop during an afternoon break from the grueling shopping extravaganza.

It would be fair to say that we've not experienced any "market" experience quite like Otavalo. Did I say COLORFUL? Maybe a Google search of Otavalo, Ecuador is a good option for those interested in seeing more.

Our lodging was in a hostel that had a center courtyard with hammocks strung between trees. Our room was located immediately adjacent to the fireplace that bordered the courtyard. When guests lit up the fire late (very) at night the smoke fumes managed to find their way into our room (and others' of our group, too)....we hoped we wouldn't asphyxiate during the night as we said goodnight. We woke to the dawn and the music still playing from a nearby "club"....the hostel stay was a fun experience for the entire group.

On Sunday, we visited an indigenous church in a village up the mountain from Otavalo. The majority of the service was in Quichua. (as if Spanish wasn't challenge enough!) Women dressed in traditional Quichuan attire, men in blue ponchos with white pantalones with their hair braided in long pony tails. A large traditional drum was played during the time of singing praises, and after the service a traditional fare of some type of potato soup with rice was being served up on the front porch of the church.

Back to classes and then, today, we spent part of our day at a ministry location that serves children whose parents work processing/recycling at the Quito city waste/trash facility. They care for (in a most wonderful way) and seek to educate children from infancy to 10ish years of age, on site at the trash facility. As one would imagine, these children hold great promise, but very limited opportunity. The ministry's goal is to help these children be able to enroll in public school and break the cycle of generations of working in such conditions.

Holding babies, playing with children, drawing pictures, interacting....it will be a weekly experience for the group....one of three different ministry locations. The others are a senior citizens home and an orphanage for children with special needs.

Signing off (for now) from Quito!

Spring Training for Darlene's shopping

In anticipation of an upcoming weekend venture to a community of Quichuan artisans who create spectacular goods and wares, Darlene was interested in having shopping "warm up" or Spring Training of sorts. So, along with a couple of like-minded (aka bargain hunters) university students from Olivet, Darlene and I hopped a cab for downtown Quito after class. Their mission: to scout a similar (but much smaller) market setting in anticipation of bagging "big game" and learning the bartering process for this weekend's big trip to Otovalo.

They enjoyed the bargain hunting and shopping. Their brief foray into the narrow aisles around the artisisans' display booths yielded positive results. Each bagged some small treasure while getting a preview of what they might find in Otovalo this weekend.

On the other hand, I particularly enjoyed the cab ride and conversing with the cabbie as he weaved his way thru the busy and often narrow streets. I really liked him because he was complimentary of my spanish abilities. After spending hours in class where I usually feel like I'm trying to keep up, that was nice. Maybe he was saying nice things to just get a good tip, but I prefer to think that his motives were pure. I also enjoyed paying $5 for a 45 minute, 15 mile cab ride. $5 divided among 4 of us was a good bargain for this hunter.

On a culinary note, Dar and I were invited this evening for dinner at the home of the Director of the Language Institute. They served taco salad. I wish we could tell you the extreme level of culinary delight that we experienced. We do not take such treats for granted!