October

October has come and gone both slowly and quickly all at the same time. The month has been full of new feelings, new people, and a new routine! Lots of New! There is so much I want to share, and I struggle to find a way to write it all. I’ll just jump right in.

Working at Casa de Acogida has been one of the biggest gifts this month. I feel a sense of belonging there that has been shaped in the past month. I’m no longer someone who just shows up a few times a week. The women and their children trust that we will be there four days a week ready to talk and do fun activities. I’ve become particularly close with one woman and her two girls. Her oldest girl turned seven this month. She was so excited to get to go out of the shelter for the day and eat cake at the mall. We spend hours playing uno and learning math. Each day she runs up to greet me screaming “ABRAZO!” What a beautiful way to start my work day. One Thursday, I brought a bracelet I had made for her mom. She accepted it by saying “For me?” as if it was the first time anyone put her first. She is in the middle of healing while also caring for two sweet girls. Their family holds a special place in my heart because of the trust they have put in me. I’ve spent many hours dancing with the women in between conversations about how hard it is to live in this space. The seven women living there need to heal, but also have kids to care for while doing so. They aren’t allowed to leave without supervision. Plus, they each have a different opinion on how to live together. Through all this pain, I get to share smiles and laughter as well between my silly dance moves and broken Spanish. I’m navigating how to hold both joy and heaviness in my hands as I continue to form relationships with the women.

When I’m not at work, we’re running around the neighborhood visiting people as we go through our day. We spent almost four hours with Nereda and her family one Saturday. Her daughter is fifteen and so fun to talk with. She made us the best chicken noodle soup I’ve ever had! (secret ingredient was mint). This month I’ve spent a lot of time with Maria and Alfredo. They own one of the tiendas we frequently buy our food for our dinners. They have a daughter Anie and Alfredo’s sister Elena lives with them too. Maria loves to play UNO also so I will sit and play with her in between customers. Elena is so funny and likes to talk about the drama in the barrio. She and Anie have a special relationship, which is amazing to witness. This family greets us everyday as I pass to catch the bus to work. They are the hardest working people I’ve ever met. Maria and Alfredo work 365 days a year. He gets up at 3am to go to

the market to purchase the food to sell each morning. Maria gets Anie to school and by 8am they are both working until about 2pm. Alfredo will then take his afternoon nap and will start again at 4pm to finish the day by 9pm. Their smiles light up as we pass. It’s a true grace to have their family be a part of my everyday life. Alfredo knows some English from past volunteers and Mark taught him “What’s Cookin’ Good Lookin’” so that’s how I’ve been greeted this past week. This feels closer to the life that Christ led. He would walk down his street and stop to talk with the local shop owner for hours. We share smoothies over a game of Jenga on the side of the street while they continue to serve customers. I feel a part of their everyday life too. It feels mutual.

Monica and David are about to move out as the first retreat group comes in two weeks. Their presence has been beyond amazing, but I know they are ready to get back to their own house too. Luckily, Monica won’t be too far when I need a laugh, or cry, or recipe. They hosted us for a barbeque on our patio about two weeks ago. David ran

the grill with veggies, chicken, some cow meat, and corn while Monica made rice and manestra. It was one of the best meals for multiple reasons. It tasted amazing, but we also spent the whole night talking with the family. We took our two kitchen tables and put them together outside to make a mega table. Everyone was there including my gal Adami. I spent a lot of time playing with her- we are now best buds.

We finished the night with our favorite dessert, Chocobananas. Frozen bananas covered in chocolate- so so good. Our neighbor two doors down sells them- Lilly and I frequent here tienda :). Even though I am speaking in a different language, it takes very little energy to converse with Monica’s family. It’s comfortable and safe. I will miss them being so close, but it’s great to know they are still so close and now we get to share in their lives more because of how comfortable we are with them.

Getting to know my community has been another highlight. We have some really funny stories from figuring out how to live life in Ecuador. I really appreciate our Spirituality and Community nights. Spirituality nights are a great space to process our week and reflect on where we see Christ in our daily lives. It’s a space to ask questions and seek advice on how to grow. Community nights are so fun filled with lots of laughter. My favorite one this month was Karaoke Night. We made it a competition with a theme and a prop. Mark and I performed ‘Can You Feel the Love Tonight’ from Lion King.. and won! We pranced around as lions with red shirts as our manes. Other examples of community nights are Olympics, movie night, and the communal viewing of “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.” We’ve had a lot of fun in the middle of the week with these nights.

Another important part of my October was participating in the indigenous community that lives on our street. They moved from the Sierra to Monte Sinai about 15 years ago and have found a way to bring their traditions to our street. Lilly and I went to their 7am mass one Sunday and loved it. I love the music played with their traditional instruments. They have welcomed us right in too. We were invited to participate in their novena as well. We went to their Wednesday night mass and participated in their fiesta after. Their fiesta consisted of a large table, a dish brought by each family, and a lot of spoons. I felt a sense of home here. No one cared if you double dipped, they just kept saying “Come, Come (eat, eat)” Christ wants this kind of gathering after mass. A fun, casual gathering of people laughing and exchanging stories after mass. Again, I see strong women leading their family in their faith. Their kids greet us everyday on our walk home from work. They are beginning to feel like family. They watch out for us and we watch out for them.

I’m finding plenty of ways to have fun as well. We had a day off in October where we went to Parques Samanas for a food festival. This park has a ton of courts and fields to play on. We were able to find a basketball court! It was awesome to play all together. The girls have not been able to play sports as the guys have because we are not welcomed on certain courts. If you know me at all, you know I don’t like to be told what to do- and you also know I like it even less when I’m told I can’t do something because I’m a woman. That’s something the girls and I struggle with every day, but we are learning how to balance and push the boundaries a little. Anyway, it felt good to play a sport with everyone. Afterwards, we tried different food stands around the park. I had Encocada Camarones y Peanut Butter Ice Cream.

We also took a night and spent it in Center City Guayaquil. We spent one night in a hostel, which was a first for me- something I want to try again. We woke up Saturday morning and went to Parque Historicos. It was an amazing green space where we walked through and saw some different animals. It ended on the river where we could see the skyline of Guayaquil.

We then went to the commercial market to look for some trinkets and earrings. We wanted to explore the city more before retreat groups come so we know spots to take them. We finished with a delicious cup of coffee and a maduro con queso. It was nice to take a day outside of our neighborhood to get to know each other a little better too. We had community night when we got back- It was my night to plan so I made pancakes with Nicole and we listened to Taylor Swift’s new album all together- it was a GREAT day!

Last weekend, we hosted a Haunted House Halloween Party for our neighborhood. We set up our house as the maze and the neighbors walked through as we popped out from different doors and scared them. About 80 people came! Our neighbors continuously show us hospitality so it was amazing to be able to do the same for them. We had face painting and coloring sheets for the kids. Just about everyone went through the House. It was exhausting, but so fun!

October had its ups and downs emotionally too. There were days where I couldn't stop smiling and I was so happy to be here. Other days, homesickness hit hard. I usually tell the passage of time with the seasons. It’s still hot and sunny here, just like when I left Avalon. I miss the leaves changing color and the breeze. I miss watching college football with my mom and fire going over fall break. I miss listening to Taylor Swift in the car with my best friends. Our schedule is getting more and more busy as the weeks go. I love getting a hug from Elif when I walk past her each day. I love hearing Adami cry at night as we go to bed. I love listening to the laughter of my community mates each night at dinner. I love taking a nap in the hammock on our patio. I love the hugs I receive from the women as I leave work each day. I love how much my Spanish has progressed in just two months. As with all things, Ecuador has its joys and challenges. I’m grateful for both. I’m interested to see what the next two months bring with the holidays, retreat groups, some vacation time, and continuing to discover Christ in all things in Monte Sinai.

As always, I love receiving emails. Please send a note if you think of it. Family and Friends, please know I miss you dearly and think often of the first hug back from Ecuador. Until then, I love you all.