Rainbow Butterfly

I woke up at 4:30 as usual. The kitchen staff always wake me up. Our tent is right outside the kitchen, arg! We were at the job site at 7am. I grouted a lot. Cut wire and bent it for tying the rebars. I don’t really remember anything else. It’s Tuesday night and I’m writing this. I have no free time! Every morning we are up at 6am for breakfast then cleanup and worship. We are at the work site by 7am. Noon is lunch and we are back to the site at 1pm. We finish working at 3-3:30 and clean up the worksite, put away all the tools and scaffolding. Then we shower, talk or play soccer with the locals. Supper is at 6pm. Worship is at 7pm and bed is at 9. No time! But it’s so awesome to always be doing stuff. I don’t really mind being busy all the time

Ecuador day 5

Church was held in Babahoyo. There were 6 or 7 different churches there. The individual churches had been doing church where the children were involved the past few weeks and this week the children did the whole church service. So the kids were very involved. It was really long, but that was because every church had a special music or skit. A 13 year old boy had the sermon. He has been preaching since he was 5! He was real good. He Talked about having cataracts in our spiritual life. After the sermon the kid had an alter call. 8 kids came up. They were all young, 6-8yo. We thought it looked like they were being pushed by their parents to go up. That didn’t sit to well with some of us. But we later found out that they had been doing bible studies for 3 months and were just nervous about going up in front of all the people. =)

2 of our staff singing special music at church. Cristy-anne sang in english and Gabe sang in Spanish. Vlad was holding the mic. haha

After the service we went to a church that had a baptismal tank, but some one forgot to fill it, opps haha, so we went down to the river for the baptisms. The kids would run in get dunked and run out. They were afraid of getting leaches and it was also really scurvy looking. It was kinda funny.

Lunch was right after, haystacks. I was like yay! I love haystacks. But no, it was all salad stuff with Doritos, yeah. No offence to you green lovers, but eww.

We went down to a river afterwards. Steve didn’t tell us we would be hiking a mile through Ecuadorian forsest to get there. Most of us girls were wearing flip flops. Two of us our flip flops broke from getting stuck in the mud. Akk! I don’t think I would have wanted to be wearing my tennis shoes either. Some places there was mud ankle deep we were walking through. When we got down to the river, not the same one as before this one was much cleaner you could see right to the bottom, it was obvious it was worth the hike. =D It was so pretty! Every one was being careful not to fall in. haha right. There was a couple of us trying to find a place to walk across the river that was not too deep. I found a spot that went just above my knees and walked across. I got a few splashes on my shorts nothing that wouldn’t dry in a few minutes. There were a few others that didn’t think that they could make it across so I walked back. Just as I was getting back I stepped on a big flat rock that was just under the surface. And there went my dry shorts. I slipped on that rock and landed on my bottom, belly button deep in river water. Everyone was laughing. =p We went farther down stream and found sorta a rock dam. It was a bunch of wabblely rocks stacked up less the a foot wide spanning the 20 foot river. It was waist deep on one side and jagged rocks on the other. Much safer. Um hm. So they thought. There was 4 of us crossing. 2 went across and made it fine. I headed across and made it loosing my footing only once, but it was only knee deep where I slipped. The last guy headed across when he got about half way across he tossed me his camera and shoes. He didn’t make it across dry. Haha Good thing I had his stuff.

When we left some local people gave us some sugar cane and tangerines. The sugar cane was so good! Something different down there, you know how when we get oranges or tangerines they are nice and orange in color? Down there they are all green, but they are as ripe as can be…. Just something I noticed.

After the sun went down,6:30ish, Julio took us to the area hang out. It was like 15 minutes by bus, which was what we took. It was interesting. They cram as many people on the bus as they can. Just when your thinking not possibly one more person could fit they would pick up 10 more. Then some cross dressers got on the bus and were flirting with some of our guys. Haha They about died.

When we got to the place, a basket ball court and a basketball court turned into a soccer field, about 5 of us girls wanted to play soccer. The local guys said we’d get hurt and wouldn’t play. A few of the shorter locals played with us and every time one of us girls would get the ball the locals watching would all OooOOoo and laugh at the guys. One time I stopped the ball but it popped off my shoe and hit one of the local guys in the face. It didn’t hurt him, but man, the rest of the night the locals were all banging on him on how a girl got him. Hahaha After the game I walked over to the basketball court to watch them play. (when we’d play, soccer and basketball, we’d have a team of our people and a team of locals.) All the local girls were over on that side watching because some of our guys took off their shirts when they were playing. *rolls eyes* Some local girls came up to me and told me I was so tall! hahaha I'm only 5'7 but compaired to them I was a good 5 inches taller. It wasn't all that great watching the basketball so I went back over to the soccer field and sat with a group of our people. Around 9:30 a van came and picked up a group of us. I was in the first load. Our driver didn’t speak English, we were trying to tell him to change the radio station. We had 2 teens that could translate but they were being doofy and pertending they couldn’t speak Spanish. Lol When he figured out what we were saying he started changing the channels. He would change to all the really really slow music and pertend he liked it then change it for to a station with a good beat for like half the song then change it back to the slow station. Hahaha It was so funny. Every one in the van was yelling at him and he was yelling back and we were laughing so hard cause no one knew what the other was saying. Ah good times.

When we got back we stayed up talking till the other group got back then Steve sent us off to bed.

Two Bee's...

EXPLODING BEE!

BEE Post 101…Breaking the Spell

Ecuador day 4

I didn't sleep well. Oh my goodness, it’s so humid here. And really really hot. I am staying in a little bitty pop-up tent with a girl named Rebekah. With us two in there is was quite warm let me tell you. Not to mention the dogs and pigs and rooster. They started at 1:45 am. Seriously let me sleep!! The pigs were the worst. They were screaming so loud! We woke up in the morning and our hair was all stuck to our faces and necks with sweat. eww! I got up around 4:30. The cooking crew was getting up so I figured I might as well get up. Breakfast was at 6am. It was this weird “cereal”. I don’t know if you’d really call it that. It was more of a sprout slurry. What ever it was it was gross!

We headed to the site at 7am. Work was hard! First we made a line to move the blocks. I’be never seen so many blocks! My back won’t even move in the morning I bet. It doesn’t hurt now but while I was working it was getting tight.. Laying block was real frustrating at first. Brianne and I teamed up. It took 2 blocks to get it down. That took us like 20 minutes. After those two we were flying. It was fun. Then I got pulled off to do grout crew. That pretty boring but one of the staff loves me now cause I stuck with it. Not alot of people liek to grout. Now everytime he sees me he says K-k-k-katie like my grandpa does. Hehe funny. Grouting, if you don't know, is filing the walls with grout, a sort of mud, concrete mixture. It's very messy.

This is a group of grouters. We had to scoop a bucket of grout then pass it up the wall. The ones on the wall would pour pack and pass the bucket back.We would get several buckets going so you were always moving

This is Julio and I after a day of grouting. This wasn't even my dirtiest day. haha

.Lunch was at noon. Mac and Cheese. Ah So yummy I pigged out so much! I was starving from having nothing but rice and potatoes.

I grouted the rest of the day. Which I'm starting to like grouting. You don't have to be perfect with your work like the layers do. :-p We started cleaning up around 3 and headed back to camp around 4. Some people took showers and some were going to go play soccer. I wanted to play soccer!! So I went in my dirty work clothes. It was so much fun! I was on a team with Kirk, Justin, Julio, and tim. We won the first game but lost the second. I totally wiped out some little kid. I felt so bad! He didn’t even care. Lol Tough booger he was.

Supper was eww! Tomato soup some strange Ecuadorian potato. Blah. I ate a banana, which by the way are way sweeter then at home.

We had worship and now we have a ½ hour to chill till bed at 9:15. The pigs are already out. >:-(

Ecuador day 3

Thursday 7-19-07

The teens from Houston got in around 2 am this morning. Anna, Kaileen and I got up about 5:45. We packed up our stuff and headed down stairs. Turns out some of the kids were antious to get on the road and started packing the busses around the time we got up. So nearly all the packing was done. Steve was so shocked. He then spoke about us being like ants during worship.

We once again had rice for breakfast. Eww. Lol. I’m eating lots of fruits to fill up.

After breakfast Steve told us how there isn't rest stops in Ecuador. So if we had to go we had to tell him and he would tell the bus driver to pull over. Then every one that had to go would get out. Girl on the left, boys on the right. He said he'd count to 3 and everyone would drop their draws. Then every one would be occupied with their own bussiness and shouldn't look at you. Then he told us how we shouldn't be embarressed about pooping. haha it was hilarious. He pulled out this book called Everyone Poops. And read it to us 150+ teenagers. Some of the teens were mortified. But most of us were laughing our heads off. He also said how some of the sites would just have a cardboard sheet up for a stall. He said after a day or two you will be able to tell whos in the stall next to you. #1 That smells like you. #2 That sounds like you. Ok so it may not have been the best of things to talk about but it was what alot of them needed. He said that last year there was someone that desiceded that she wouldn't go #2 on the whole trip cause it was too embarresing. She ended up getting pretty sick. So that's why he gave us the Everyone poops talk. hahahaha

We were on the road at 9am looking forward to a 7 hour drive. ugg We started out the ride telling our “life story” to the person sitting next to us in 1 minute. Then we would switch seats and talk with the next person. We got to know each other a little moer that way. I met this girl named Crystal. She’s been homeschooled for her whole life other then 8^th grade. After an hour or so of talking the ride got really really long. I started to get motion sick. so so so sick! Going through the mountains made it even worse. I almost ralfed once or twice.

We stopped for a leg stretch about 5 hours into the trip. At a gas station, WITH bathrooms!!!!!! Steve and Riley, the pastors of the site, asked if I would hold worship in the morning. Hello of 20 some teens they had to ask me. And guess what I said? Just guess, you won’t believe it. I said…..YES!!!!! Yeah little ole me. And for the rest of the week I’m to find a new person to talk each morning. Crazy! But I’m not nervous at all! I’m pretty excided actually. Weird, huh?

We got back on the bus and Steve started to tell us about our site. He said us girls have to have a guy with us when we go out. The guys here are way worse then in Quito. Steve said when he came down here last week he asked a taxi to drive him down to our site. He refused to take him said it was too dangerous. OooOo. I’m not to worried though. We have an 8 foot wall surrounding us. Yay go wall!

We unpacked the bus in a jiffy. We made like an assembly line. Setting up the tents too a while. Haha. Some people had never set up a tent before. Supper was rice and beans, again, same as breakfast. :-p We ate then I played cards with Rebecca Crystel Riley and some one else, I forget. Fun Fun. Worship is about to start so I’m off for now! Oh and by the way we didn't end up having to do the 1..2..3.. drop your draws thing. We all held it till we got to the site. =D

Ecuador Day 2

I woke up at five from Anna’s alarm clock. She didn’t wake up from it so I went to take a shower first. I turned on the shower and waited a few minutes for it to warm up. It didn’t. Five minutes later it was still freezing! Turns out they had the handles on wrong, for us, so I had cold water running the whole time. After I figured that out I took a nice warm shower. I got out and it was still dark outside. Hmm?? I’ll just lay down for a minute. I woke up 2 hours later to room service calling telling us that it was 5 am. Huh? I got up at 5 and took my shower. Didn’t I?? Turns out Anna was 2 hours behind Quito and she forgot to change the time. So I was up at 3 am taking my shower. No wonder I was so tired! Lol We didn’t get up though. We slept another 50 minutes. Kaileen rolled over and gasps “guys breakfast is in 10 minutes!”. We made it to breakfast though we were rushing in our room. Ended up we were pretty near the beginning of the breakfast line. One group of guys came down close to 7 and said they had just woke up from their alarms that had been going off since 5am. Haha They stayed up a little to late last night I think.

Breakfast was rice with potatoes and papaya. It was alright. Worship was held by Steve Case. He told us to talk to each other about how we got here. Then he told us that 9 teens had missed their connecting flight to Quito. Their first flight had been delayed due to bad weather and the second flight left before they even landed. Heidi, the gall who works in the Maranatha Office, called the airports to try to find some way to get them to Quito. The Houston airport has only 1 flight a day to Quito and the next week was booked. So the only way to get them here was if some one didn’t show. But that would only get one teen here. Oh my goodness! I felt so bad for them. And this morning there was 2 teens that lost their luggage. Eek! He went on to say that even when you’re loosing your mind God still has a plan. The exact second he said mind a coo coo clock started going off. AHH!! It was so funny!

After breakfast we split into our groups for the day. First we went to “Middle Earth” to take our pictures. After that my group went to a Cathedral and got a tour of the place. I couldn’t take any pictures other then the floor in one room. Arg! The painting and statues were so amazing! But they had a city law or something that prohibited photography. Outside the Cathedral was a big band and some dancers. Very pretty. There was even little kids in costumes dancing out there. So cute! After the dancers left some police men walked by, they guarded the place. They were carrieng swords. Kaileen and I were like AWESOME!! So I went up to them and asked if we could get a pictue with them. They both said “Si”. Hehe So we got our picture with them. They didn’t really smile for the picture but Anna saide we made their day. Haha She speaks Spanish so she could understand what they were saying.

After that we headed for the market place. There was hundreds of shops set up. Kaileen and I went around buying stuff together. She knew how to say “how much” and I knew numbers so we bartered like crazy. It was so fun! One guy was all like “come get tattoo. Earring pretty on you” Kaileen and I looked at each other and laughed. I smiled and said “No grais.”. Kaileen was looking for a sweater for her mom. She found one she liked and asked if the guy had it in a larger size, it was a small. He said “ No, one size fit all, si. Look.” Then he takes it and stretches it over himself. He was a good sized guy too. He insisted it would fit her mom. hahaha One of the staff was trying to get a picture of this one lady. She was wearing traditional clothes. She must have known because she kept her back to him the whole time. He just kept trying. She took off around the corner once and put on a different color shawl. It was hilarious.

We headed off to the gondola after that. We went up 13,000 feet to the top of a volcano. No worries it was inactive. Everyone got sick. Ugg. So tired and light headed. Everyone said I looked awful. Great.

We got back just in time for supper. Once again rice and potatos. I think I am going to starve if that’s all we eat. After supper Steve told us that not one, not two, but all nine of the Houston bound teens got on the flight. How crazy is that! All of them! Then when they got in they said someone saw the Maranatha on their shirts and bround them the luggage the other two teens lost. So they brought it along, not even knowing whos it was. God works in amazing ways doesn’t He?!

After supper we had worship. Sang lots of songs then headed off to bed. Anna, Kaileen, and I stayed up late talking about nothing. Haha good times.

I am back!! Ecuador day 1

I got back home early Tuesday morning around 1am, July 31st. I have been kinda lazy getting back on here. hehe Sorry about that. I journaled everyday I was down there so I'll those as I get them typed up onto the computer.

The plane ride down to Miami was pretty good. I sat next to a gal named Debbie. It was her first time riding a plane, too. J She was going down to Mexico City with her friend Rosa. They were both really nice. They asked about the UW, they saw my shirt. So I got to share with them all about what Maranatha was doing. The landing was hard for me. Well not so much me as my stomach. I got pretty queasy.

After landing Matthew said “see ya in Ecuador” and headed off to catch his plane.(Matthew was going on the mission trip too) After walking in circles for nearly a ½ hour I managed to find my luggage. I finally got up 2 sets of escalators; mind you it was really hard! I checked in got my boarding pass and had nearly 4 hours to kill. I finally found a restaurant where I could buy something to eat. A turkey and cheese sandwich for $7.00!! That better be one good sandwich. It wasn’t. It was the nastiest thing I’ve eaten in a long time. Yeah! I threw all of it away but the turkey and cheese.

Around 3 o’clock a girl named Sara showed up. She was real friendly. Not too long after her friend Jael showed up. They started talking and I was kinda bumped out. But on the same flight was Michelle, Alex, Zach, Julia, and 2 other girls, I didn’t catch their names. Michelle and Alex are real cool. MIchelle is not in my group though. Bummer. Alex is though. He’s really funny.

The flight out of Miami was late. They had some trouble getting luggage on. But, it worked out real well. Two teens flight had been delayed and made it to the plane right when they were getting ready to get going! They made the flight! I fell asleep on the plane before we were off the ground. I was so tired. I woke up ½ hour - 45 minutes later when the captain was saying we could get up and when we would be arriving in Quito. Then they started playing that one movie about the farmer building the rocket in his bard. It was kinda boring. When that was over we were well over the ocean. It was weird because the waves didn’t even look like they were moving. It musta been real cold out side cause the windows all had frost on them. Sitting next to me was an Ecuadorian lady and her daughter; she was probably 4 or 5. About an hour from landing she got scared woke up from turbulence. Poor thing cried nearly the rest of the way. About a ½ hour from landing the visa forms were handed out. Haha I was so confused. I had to cross out half the stuff cause I wrote it in the wrong spot. whoops. Zach helped me fill it out. He was in the seat behind me. Close to landing a Korean girl asked us what Maranatha was. We told her and she told us she was with a group of like 30 teens that were going to build a school in Ecuador. How cool is that?

After we landed and got through customs we headed out to meet the staff. Ended up beings our flight was delayed so much the group after us had landed right at the same time so there was a good sized group of us, 80-100. When we walked out the door the staff was all yelling and cheering for us. I got so many high-fives and hugs. Hehe. It was cool. We loaded on the bus and headed to the hotel.

At the hotel we handed in our passports, glasses, and vitamins. I got assigned to a room with two awesome girlies. Anna and Kaileen. They’re real cool. This is their second trip, I believe. Around 1am I finally got to sleep. *phew*

Rainbow Butterfly

Ecuador day 6

Ecuador day 5

Two Bee's...

EXPLODING BEE!

BEE Post 101…Breaking the Spell

Ecuador day 4

Ecuador day 3

Ecuador Day 2

I am back!! Ecuador day 1

'Green' Bee Desserts....HELP!!!

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