First of all, I want to thank Visiting Orphans for making the trip to Ecuador possible. Matthew and I attended a fundraiser for VO in August of 2009 and fell in love with the ministry then. God has truly blessed this ministry as it’s grown since its inception. Tom Davis spoke and Britt Nicole sang. It was an amazing night.
Secondly, I want to thank Oswaldo and Denise. They have recently devoted their lives as missionaries with IncaLink and so graciously led our team during our time in Quito and Santo Domingo.
Accommodations—
While in Quito, we stayed at Casablanca, the guest house for IncaLink. It is a beautiful, 2-story home with multiple rooms and bathrooms.
IncaLink has several interns who also live there, as well as the incredible Fabian and his wife, Mabe. This precious couple fixed our meals for us….and oh my, they were fabulous!
Every breakfast consisted of cereal, fruit, fresh-squeezed juice, breads, and coffee. Lunch was usually a sandwich, chips, fruit, juice, and water, that we took with us. We had several dinners there ranging from chicken, beef, fish….with all the fixings. We were never left hungry!
While in Santo Domingo, we spent 2 nights at the Victoria Suites Hotel. I think our team occupied almost every room there. The hotel owner was very gracious to us. The rooms had 3-4 beds each with a large bathroom. Breakfast there was great, also! There was a large common area upstairs by our rooms which provided a place for debriefing, card games, and Skype!
Orphanages—
We visited 2 orphanages…one in Quito and one in Santo Domingo….and another one in Quito, that will open soon....tesoros.
The one in Quito is run by the government. There were about 25 children there….ranging in ages from about 13 mos. to 9 years old. These children are absolutely precious. To be able to hold them, chase them, play with them, tell them Bible stories, and help feed them, was absolutely amazing. Some of us got to help change their diapers, where we quickly found out the tias don’t use wipes….they hose them off! The youngest ones wanted primarily to be held. They were so content to just sit in our laps, for hours….communicating that they don’t get that kind of love and touch very often. The thought alone was heartbreaking, yet at the same time, very fulfilling as I thought about the passage in Matthew 25, when Jesus was preaching about the things that we do to help the poor, that in itself, is a ministry to Him. For a few hours, to engage in the things that the Bible speaks about, that touch the very heart of God was truly humbling.
My little princess was having a hard time saying goodbye one day. Oswaldo asked me if we’d like to stay and help feed them dinner. We graciously accepted the opportunity and it was very moving. They ate soup, rice, and beans. These little toddlers, feeding themselves as if they were starving. If one child left anything on his plate, the one next to him surely grabbed for the leftovers. Our last day there, Thursday, Aug. 2nd, we had a party for the children. We bought KFC for them at a nearby mall…pollo, papas fritas, cole slaw, Coke, and pastel (cake). Oh my….they LOVED it! Some of them had 3 pieces of cake. It brought us so much joy to see them enjoy eating something they rarely get. Goodness all the things we take for granted….if you’ve never had your perspective or selfishness challenged, this trip surely did that. On any given day in the US, most of us can buy and eat pretty much whatever we want. Not so with these children. May I never forget, Lord, the blessings You have given me….and may I steward all the gifts You have bestowed in ways that please You most.
The orphanage in Santo Domingo, Hogar Valle de Feliz, is run by the Catholic church. There are several nuns and workers who take care of the children. This place is home to about 50 girls...grades K-HS. The homes are beautifully and colorfully decorated. They have a large playground area and we painted the borders around the different equipment. Hopefully another team will go there, tear down the old, rusty equipment and build new stuff for them to play on. The painting project was a great bonding time for our team. 12 people were from Decatur (one had just moved to Houston, so we still claim her ) and the other 7 were from NC, OH, CT, GA, and MN….I think I got that right.
We enjoyed playing soccer with the older girls….boy, that was fun! Some of them, hands down, are far better than many of the HS athletes I have seen here….incredible athletic ability! Several of our team members prepared crafts for them to do also. The younger ones had fun with the parachute we brought. 2 of the crafts directly related to salvation…the salvation bracelets and the cross necklace made of 3 nails, held together by twisted wire. In all we told the story of Creation, David, Joseph, and Jesus. I loved hearing the children repeat Truths in Spanish. Regardless of language, the bond of Christ unites us all.
We also had a party for them the last night there (July 31st). We had hot dogs, soda, and papas fritas. They seemed to enjoy the special treat! It was definitely difficult to tell them goodbye.
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