guayaquil.

The hottest week of my life was spent last week in Guayaquil. We went to repaint the Nazarene district center. We got a lot of work done, and I think our ministry was very much needed. We toured the city a little bit too. I liked the city, but it made me love Quito even more.

Latest photo albums:
bien, ¿no?
good friday in quito.
guayaquil a.k.a. inferno.

good friday.

We went downtown to see the Good Friday parade in colonial Quito. It's a procession of cucaruchos, which are people who have paid a penance to walk in the parade. They dress themselves in what appears to us as a purple Ku Klux Klan. They walk for hours through the streets, carrying crosses and beating themselves. It really is a disturbing site to see.

unsuccessful pickpocket.

I was at an open air market today for a class project, and while in a bakery, I felt something touch my pocket. At first I thought it was Ashley because she had dug in my pocket earlier for change when my hands were full, but then I realized it was my camera sliding out. I turned around and saw a small man running off with my camera. I yelled, "He stole my camera!" and without hesitation took off running after him. As I started to run, I yelled, "Tommy!" and he took off with me. We chased the guy around a corner and up a street where he took every turn possible to get away. Tommy was far ahead of me, and I was yelling "¡Para!" after the man. What amazed me most was every person on the street stopped and asked what was going on. Even a soccer team stopped practicing and came out into the street. When I stopped running, one of them asked, "Gringa, ¿qué pasó?" I said, "Él me robó la cámara." I looked around and cars had stopped in the street. Men were getting out of their trucks. We had caused quite the scene and were drawing a lot of attention. I saw Tommy chasing the small man through the street ahead of me, and with the help of the men around, he was able to stop him. I walked up to the scene and a woman stopped me. She had my camera - the small man had pitched it when Tommy got too close. The men in the street had the small man on the ground and were beating him up! They kicked him in the head, even knocking his head up against a cement wall! He pleaded with the men, saying that he hadn't done anything. I told them that a woman had retrieved my camera and that I had it. Tommy insisted that I make the man apologize, but I didn't want to. I made him leave with me. I thanked everyone in the street as we walked back. It was amazing. There must have been fifty people that stopped what they were doing to help or ask what was going on. I don't know what happened to the small man because Tommy and I left him in the hands of the men on that street. But I got my camera back, and it was quite the experience. Apparently the people aren't too fond of thieves.

Tommy and me after the chase.

seen the news lately?

I never imagined that while I was in Ecuador such a political dispute would break out, but alas, here we are. Rafael Correa, FARC, Raul Reyes, Hugo Chavez, George Bush, Alvaro Uribe - all over the news. If you are not familiar with the situation concerning the northern countries of South America, you can read up on it here.

Here on our campus we have students from Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru and the United States. The people defy the way the politicians behave. I live with a Colombian. I dine with Ecuadorians. I play foosball with Peruvians. What the TV and newspapers say does not mock our community here. I don't like to get political, so I won't - I don't want to be that girl.

For those who worry, don't. We're safe. All that has happened is currently nothing more than a political dispute.

riobamba.

I fell in love with Riobamba this weekend.

Friday the 29th (the day I fell in love with the city): We were free to explore the quaint city for a couple hours. That's when I tasted the best ice cream I've ever had, and we encountered the best parade I've ever seen (by my own terms of course). All ages of children and young people performed traditional dances in the street. During the evening we teamed up to do street evangelism with the youth group from Pucara Church of the Nazarene. What an experience that was because not only have I never done street evangelism, but I've certainly never done it in Spanish!

Saturday the 1st (the day I fell in love with the people): We explored Ecuador's tallest mountain/volcano, Chimborazo. Unfortunately I was still suffering the aftereffect of something flu-like and was unable go the full length of the hike with the group. You would never dream that with so much snow it would ever be warm enough to take off your jacket and lie in the snow in a tank top! In the evening we attended a special youth service that tickled me pink. What a beautiful church and a beautiful people!

Sunday the 2nd (the day I fell in love with the church): This morning we attended the church service at Pucara. How we packed 160 people into that tiny church, I'll never know. The building is without one of its walls too. It is undergoing construction as it bursts at the seams each week. The young church really does have a beautiful vision for the future. Pictured below is one of the young men from the church, Cristian, a civil engineer with a big heart who shares in the vision of his church. In the evening we attended an indigenous church near Riobamba. There the women sang and the children and youth danced.

Monday the 3rd (the day I fell in love with the school): Today, before leaving, we visited the Nazarene school. It includes levels from preschool to the 12th grade. The children are beautiful, and the school is expanding. There is nothing I would love more than to teach ESL at a school like that!

And that's how I fell in love with Riobamba. It was definitely the highlight of my semester thus far. I was sad to leave, and I may have even shed a small tear or two when we drove out of the city. I can only pray that God would be gracious enough to allow me to return.

If you want to see more pictures of my new favorite place in the world, click here.