Sucua

Well our trip to the jungle has come and gone!  Internet was not great at all so I am now finally getting to post again.  I will try to recap to the best of my ability!

Leaving Guayaquil was very hard.  I didn't think it would be as hard as it was, but I made new friends and I loved working with the team, and I saw how great the need was in and around that city.  The people I got to work with were just awesome and it was the first time I think I have worked with people from 3 different nations doing a single program! We had the team from the US, a Peruvian Masters Commission and then a group of Ecuadorians from the local church, and it was just really neat to see us all come together and work toward one common goal!  Needless to say, I didn't want to say goodbye.

The drive to Sucua was long, so we broke it up into two parts and stayed the night in Riobamba again.  The drive was once again beautiful and I could feel God winning my heart over to this country.  This country I have come to love, this country that already feels like home to me.  Just when I feel like it's too tough or it's not what I wanted ideally in my head, God paints these pictures for me and reminds me of His love.....

And not just of His love for me, but of His love for the people I see as we drive through each town.  The people who don't know His love yet, the people who have never been told.

Last week, I wrote about a little girl, Gladys, in Guayaquil.  She is one of those precious faces that will never escape my mind.  She had so much pain to be so young.  All she wanted was someone to show her that she mattered, that she was loved.  That's why she didn't let go of me for 15 minutes. Let me tell you though, that 15 minutes changed me forever.  Someone got a pic and I didn't realize it so allow me to give you a brief snapshot of that moment...

This is why I'm here.  This is why we are called.  There is so much pain in the world, but there is hope.  And if we have that hope how selfish do we have to be to keep that hope from others?  We are His hands and feet, and if a little kid needs to know that they are loved by the One who created everything and thought of them from the very start, then of course I'm gonna hold them for however long they need and speak truth to them as I do it.

Guayaquil wrecked me, in a good way, as you can probably tell, but on to Sucua.  Like I said the ride was beautiful (see above pictures).  Sucua is a tiny town in the Jungle and the first thing I noticed was that all of their taxis were trucks... Hmmm that was a new sight.  I figured it was due to the fact that they had to drive out into the villages and needed four wheel drive to do it, but my suspicions wouldn't be confirmed until later on in the trip.  The climate wasn't as terrible as I thought it would be.  It was cool at night and there was a nice breeze most of the time during the day.  I mean it got hot but at least there was a breeze or afternoon shower to cool it down a little!

Unfortunately, the first few days I was sick as a dog!  What I thought was a sinus infection turned out to be the flu, and I spent a whole day on my bed not able to move in my little tiny cell block of a hotel room, with no air conditioning... It was rough! Lol this is a pic of me laying in my bed, and literally the door is at the end of my bed and I had a little window that didn't open... Haha gotta love it!  Luckily I had a portable fan!!

The lady who owned the hotel was SUPER sweet though! Her daughter is a doctor I think, well anyway, she went out with PA who was sick with the same thing and she got us some flu medicine (that I'm pretty sure would be illegal in the States) and within 24 hours I was up and moving again and taking part in programs.  I mean I was tired and taking it easier than normal, but I was feeling 100% better than the pitiful shape I was in only a day before.  Thank you to those of you who were praying for me!

The kids were once again precious, and I got to hang out with the little littles while we were doing VBS.  Obviously, I love them all! 

We even got a special treat when a rainbow appeared during one of the programs...

I think we ministered to over 700 kids this past week over a three day VBS program.  The last day (Friday) we went out into the jungle into a village where they were preparing a meal for us after we did a little kids program for them.  The trip out there was a hoot.  The buses could only go so far and then we had a bunch of those aforementioned taxi trucks bring us in the rest of the way...

Except, when we got to this one bridge, they made us all get out and walk across, as then the trucks drove over and we could continue on...

When we got to the village we played with the kids and then did a little program for them, and then they invited us in to their church and had a little presentation for us.  They did some dances and then fed us a typical meal.  They also have this drink they pass around the circle called chicha (I'm not sure on the spelling of that but it's pronounced chee-cha).  This drink is special to them and it is seen as disrespectful if you don't take of it as it passes by you.  The way they make this drink is by going out into the jungle and digging up this root, and then mashing it up and turning it into a liquid.  The way they mash it up is the kicker.... The little old ladies in the tribe sit around and break off a piece of this root and chew it up in their mouths and then spit it out into a bowl when it is nice a ground up. Then they let it sit for however long so it can ferment.... 😳 Yep, that's the truth. Fermeted chewed up root spit.... Mmmmmm delicious... Lets just say it was an experience!

Ohh yeah, no silverware either... No problema we used our fingers!  Haha the missions life, gotta love it!  All in all, it was a good experience and I'm glad I was there.  I wasn't as sad to leave Sucua as I was Guayaquil, but I definitely made some memories!  Now for a few days of relaxation!! 😊