The Final Countdown
words by Merlinn
Hola!
Here we are, our last day in Quito. It’s been a restful day. We started the day with a women’s professional soccer game, Liga vs. Barcelona, in a beautiful stadium that could fit thousands of people (though far fewer than thousands were there this morning). Liga is a local club here in Quito. Barcelona is from Guayaquil, a coastal city over eight hours from here. Both cheering sections were small but had voices that could be heard from one side of the field to the other. South American futbol is full of passionate fans and players that can’t seem to decide if they are hurt or not. But that’s always been a part of their soccer culture. It’s is theatrical and passionate! The game ended 4-1 with a win for Liga.
After we got back to La Casa Blanca, we ate lunch, played some volleyball, made our way to the local store just around the corner, and said goodbyes to Hector and Lore. Since then, it’s been packing and laying low in preparation for our long night. For my part, I’ve finished packing and thought I’d take a moment and share some of my reflections on the trip…
First, one challenge we faced regarding our work days was a lack of efficiency. In our “cold culture”, the United States bends toward working efficiently. In a “warm culture” like Ecuador, efficiency is not as much of a cultural value, so at times, our work felt pointless. We pressed into those moments and learned that obedience takes priority over efficiency.
Second, the girls saw a greater purpose in our work beyond efficiency and success. They saw that God can be our motivation in what we do.
Third, there was a great balance between serving tangible needs and building relationships with the locals. Both are important. This is my first mission trip that required me to get my hands dirty and do something I wasn’t passionate about in order to serve Cumbre Alta.
Fourth, personally, I battled sickness throughout the trip. Yesterday, Ellie shared out of Psalm 119 in her morning devotional, and the poetic words sung to my heart as I watched the team go on their next outing while I stayed back in order to get my strength back. I have been looking forward to this trip and preparing for it for a long time, so missing portions of it to lay in bed was disappointing. A thought that struck me was that even the things that you wait for, are excited for, and are clearly from the Lord do not always have perfect results. That fact does not contradict God’s goodness, rather, it was a reminder that regardless of good results or bad results, God’s presence is always with me. With this reminder, I rested in knowing God was with me. Today, I am feeling like myself and have the strength necessary for the next 24 hours of travel!
I’m looking forward to the evening ahead as we will spend our time eating and debriefing the trip. We head out late this evening and look forward to getting back home. Please continue to pray for us as we process together, travel, and push play on reality back home.
There will not be a post tomorrow as we travel, but you will see one last blog post on Tuesday to wrap up. To our friends and family in Colorado reading this over the last ten days, we will see you soon!
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