La Playa y Feliz Navidad!

Well, it's Christmas and even though it's about 78+ degrees and doesn't seem like Christmas without the usual family traditions, the Brown's (missionaries I am here with) really tried to make our Christmas special and full of fun so we wouldn't miss home! 

Our fun didn't begin so fun, but ended up great! It all began with a LONG and HOT 8-hour bus ride up and down and around the mountains to a beach off the Pacific, called Samé (not pronounce like the English word meaning the opposite of different). Anyway, I slept most of the way so I wouldn't get motion sickness.

Mi hermano "Chi-anner", as they call him.

The gorgeous beach at Same!

The Browns have a friend that lets them borrow their condo twice a year. They have never invited interns on their vacation with them, so it was very special that they allowed us to join them. Oh yeah, side note-my brother (Tanner) flew in to Quito the other night and he is here for the Mission's Conference that starts in a few days. So, back to my story. We finally arrived at the beach and were greeted with amazing weather and a gorgeous beach! We spent the next two days laying out and getting to know everyone better. PS, the sun is way more close in Quito than in South Carolina...which equals massive sunburn in less the time...oops!

It's a hard life....

Merry Christmas, from Quito!

Nicole, Lisa, and I

 

This totally looks like a prom pic... haha!

 

Tanner, me, and Nicole before getting our Batidos (fruity drinks)

We spent Christmas Eve driving back to Quito and picked up another  intern in the evening. We all went back to Casablanca for a restful night in our own beds! Christmas morning Nicole and I woke up and spent some time in the Word reading about our Savior's birth and remembering why we celebrate this glorious holiday! We decided to walk to the Orphanage to see our babies on Christmas and kiss and hug them! 

Precious Sophia!

Antoinella fell asleep eating her lunch!

Later we all headed to the Brown's for our big Christmas dinner and they even had stockings for all of us to open!! Stockings are my favorite, so this was such a great surprise! We had about 20 people over for dinner and desserts, what fun!

I pray this day brought everyone joy and hope. Hope in our Lord and Savior, the one that humbly came to give life and light to those in darkness! "You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end." -Luke 1:31-33

You know you're in Ecuador when...

Ok, so I am loving Quito! It's beautiful here, the people are wonderful, and the sites are amazing! There are a few things that I have noticed in the past week that could only happen here! So, I wanted to start a list so I will always remember the distinct things that set Ecuador apart from los Estados Unidos:

1. You know you're in Ecuador when...the taxi drivers drive in REVERSE for 250 feet in order to come to a space in the median where he could do a u-turn to reverse his direction! Ummm, scary!

2. You know you're in Ecuador when...you see signs with Santa saying, "Jo, Jo, Jo!" I am sorry, but this will always be funny to me. When I receive text messages from friends here, they type, "ja, ja, ja!" It cracks me up!!!

3. You know you're in Ecuador when...red lights are optional!

Oh how I miss modern things sometimes...

96 screws+96 bolts+24 headboards+24 footboards+48 sideboards+168 planks

=my first Saturday in Ecuador!

The other two interns (Jacob and Nicole) and I put together 24 bunk beds for the Casablanca. These beds came in pieces and we spent our entire day putting them together with no modern tools. We used only our fingers for the screws and bolts, it was pretty interesting. We got pretty good at this little "game" and Jacob and I began timing ourselves and competing against, um, ourselves?! Anyway, the job was hard, but quite rewarding!

After the Mission's Conference next week, these beds will be used for the other interns who come to work with Inca Link and then eventually, the Casablanca house will be used for pregnant teens to give them an alternate option to termination or abandonment. Here in Latin America, it is extremely frowned upon to become pregnant before marriage and families will kick their daughters out of their own homes and leave them to fend for themselves. It's so sad, but the true reality and so what Rich and Lisa Brown's vision is to create a save haven for girls to come and be taken care of, prayed for, and loved. These girls will have a comfortable and safe home to be able to carry their babies to full term. It's an amazing vision God has given them and I am honored to have been a part of preparing such a place. Oh, by the way, when it is no longer used for interns, the bunk beds will come down. We don't want any pregos trying to hoist themselves up on a top bunk, haha!

Operation Christmas Child...and I got branded!

So, we were able to go to the women's prison this week for their weekly bible study and I got to experience one of the greatest things I think I have ever been able to experience on a mission's trip. As most of you know, and many of you have been able to participate in, around Christmas time the Samaritan's Purse begins collecting shoe boxes full of gifts for underprivileged children in other countries. I have been a part of filling these boxes and have always wondered what the other side looked like. Well, today, I was able to experience this amazing gift. The women who get put into jail in Ecuador have to take their children ages 0-3 with them. So, sadly enough, the women and children are BOTH behind bars! We were able to pass out the shoe boxes that were filled in the States to the precious little children at the prison! What an amazing thing to see unfold and an incredible way to share about Christ's love with the women and children.

In order to enter the prison, we have to hand in our passports, receive two huge stamps on our arms, and go through the most rigorous and invasive body search I have ever experienced! The "tattoos" didn't come off for days and it looked like we got "branded."

Altitude sickness and Cute babies

Today (day two) I began to feel the effects of being 10,000 feet above sea level. Being from SC, the only "altitude" I ever experienced was a cart ride on a golf course! All is good, my body will adjust soon.

On a good note, I was able to do one of my favorite things today...hold babies!! There is an orphanage just up the street and I was able to go help out for a few hours today. There are three separate houses for the different age groups. I was in the newborn/infant house this day and loving it! I fed a few newborns and held the crying infants!! I love coming here, but feel sad at the same time. Sometimes I feel like I'm at a day care center, but then I realize it's an orphanage and these sweet, sweet babies are there all day, everyday with no mommies and daddies! They don't get held very much at all and they just love the attention, hugs, and kisses! I love being a part of their lives and am so blessed by their sweet smiles and precious little personalities! 

Nicolas, so cute, big cheeks!

They weren't thrilled with posing today!

My favorite little girl, Antoinella. I want to adopt her one day!! 

Precious little Julian, he has some developmental delays, so I plan to come and work with him on his gross motor skills.

The orphanage was started by a Christian couple and their two young children  who came to Ecuador for two-week mission trip one summer. While in Quito, they heard God calling them to move to Ecuador and love the people. After two years in Quito, the family  sold their California home and packed up a few belongings and headed to Ecuador, where they still reside and have a very successful home for about 50-60 orphaned children.

First night in Quito

Well, I made it to Ecuador!! The flight went smoothly and I was in South America in no time! After a LONG hour and a half wait in the immigration line and quite a struggle to lug my many bags (come on guys, it's me, are you surprised?!) I finally saw a few familiar faces! They took me to where I'd be staying for the next three months and showed me around the property, which consists of the youth pastor and his wife's house, the love shack (a quaint little one-room getaway for married couples, la casablanca (a huge house that hold at least 20 interns), and a sewing house for the woman who just get out of prison, to have a place to work. This video was taken of the property (that's me in the beginning) and it explains the Brown's vision and mission for this plot of land. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eK_sId-nhq4

 The property is beautiful and sits on the side of a hill, which in the morning if it's not too foggy, you can see the snow-capped mountain in the distance! God's creation is beautiful and a constant reminder that He is sovereign and the Great Almighty!!