| FRIDAY: a Long But Fun Travel Day This day began early. It was time to travel back to Quito and head on home to the US of A. We have a long ways to go and several thousands of feet to climb to get to Quito, so we’ll leave here at 0700. We passed our Centro Yuu clinic, bumping along on the rock road, and we all waved adios one final time. Some of the group were still looking for some necklaces (made of some seeds and the vertebrae of either a Boa or one of their very poisonous snakes around here), so our missionary host, Don Wolfram, knew where to stop along this road, and a family who makes some of these items came out to greet us. They use American dollars in Ecuador, so we left a few with this family, and came away with some very interesting “jewelry”. Then, it was on to the “Balsa Factory”, near Shell, where we spent about 30 minutes picking up some interesting local crafts (some of it made from Balsa wood). We re-boarded the bus for the 10-minute drive to Shell, and then had to say good-bye to our new friends, Pastor Manuel and Miriam. Again, there were lots of hugs, as well as a few tears, and Manuel spoke to the group one final time, again thanking us for our help, and expressing their love and appreciation. As our 2 churches now have a permanent connection (because of Centro Yuu’s people and their love and hospitality, because of our church’s generosity in donating their money that will now finish the small church in Centro Yuu, and because of the closeness and friendship that developed while we were here), Manuel asked that we extend a very special thanks to our congregation and pastor back here in New Smyrna Beach. He and Miriam presented us with 2 special gifts, one for our church, and one for our Pastor Bob Brown. Now it was time for a little travel mixed with fun. We stopped at Tarabita, a beautiful waterfall and river, and we took the cable car across and back. Beautiful, and exhilarating… Then, more bus time, but at least it’s on paved roads now. We climbed back up into the mountains, passed by some volcanoes again, and ran in and out of drizzly rain. For lunch, Don called ahead to a place he knew of that could make sandwiches (sort of like a sub), and the team ate on the bus as we continued higher into the mountains toward Quito. We pressed onward. This part of Ecuador, at about 9,500 feet, was cool, gray, and drizzly when we arrived. Some of us had to hit the wool shop first, just to get something to stay warm. We got short of breath just climbing up the steps in the Equator Monument. We made it to the Equator, just on the north side of Quito, by about 5 PM. After the obligatory photos standing on or astride the line of the Equator, there was a little more shopping to do, and then Don narrated us through a tour of the Equator Monument, describing many of the diverse groups and cultures within this country. How does he know all of that information? !! At 7 PM, we headed to a Community House run by a nice Canadian couple, and carried our bags in to some really nice rooms….like a nice hotel in our own country. Electricity! Plenty of lights! HOT WATER!!! Now, it as on to a nice restaurant, “Spaghetti”, where we ate a great meal, our final one in Ecuador. More importantly, while there, we got to meet and hear form Henri and Yadira (sp?), who represent a new horizon for Missionary Ventures. They will be leaving this week as missionaries to Morocco…..Ecuadorians serving God as Christian missionaries in the Arab world. Now, back to our Canadian friends’ Community House, and a few minutes of final reflection beside their fireplace. We finally hit the beds at about 11:30 PM, with the alarms set for Saturday 3:15 AM, since we had to be at the airport before 4:30. The flights home were uneventful but long, and the clearance through Customs and Immigration in Miami went rather smoothly. We were back in America. After the 4.5-hour drive to New Smyrna Beach, it was time to say good-bye at 9 PM….not easy. REFLECTIONS On our way out to Centro Yuu, we visited the former home of Nate Saint, one of the 5 Christian aviator missionaries who initiated evangelistic efforts in the 1950’s with the previously un-contacted Huaorani people of the Ecuadorian jungle….a few more miles “out there” from where we were. After these 5 missionary men were killed by Huaorani spears, Jim Elliot’s wife Elisabeth and Nate Saint’s sister Rachel, incredibly, traveled back into the Huaorani land and continued the work their husband and brother had started. They ultimately were accepted by the tribe, and lived with the Huaorani for many years. (Elisabeth Elliot, wife of murdered missionary Jim Elliot, wrote a book, “Through Gates of Splendor”, detailing those times, and 2 movies were eventually produced about the story. The first movie, “Beyond the Gates of Splendor”, told the tale of the missionaries following the story of Mrs. Elliot’s book. The second movie, “End of the Spear”, tells the story from the perspective of one of the Huaorani, Mincayani, who killed the missionaries, and from Steve Saint, the son of murdered missionary Nate Saint. The 2 eventually formed a close bond that continues to the present time.) It was a very odd feeling, standing there and looking at this deteriorating house, and thinking of the dedication, sacrifice, and love that was represented here. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It is 2,022 miles as-the-crow-flies from New Smyrna Beach to Quito, Ecuador, and then about 9 or 10 hours from there by bus to Centro Yuu. It is literally a world away. This mission team of 13 prepared for 6 months, held team meetings several times in Florida, appealed for and received generous donations from our friends at CCUMC, and traveled on the Wings of Grace to serve the Shuar Indians. While some of their grandparents were warriors – the infamous “headshrinkers of the Amazon” – we found our new Shuar friends to be loving and compassionate people. We also found God in the land, the beauty, the people, and the local leaders and pastors. We found Him in the rushing river behind our hotel, in the huge moths, snakes, and orchids of the jungle, in the faces of wonderful Shuar children, in the 2 Seminary students from Centro Yuu, and in Manuel and Miriam. He showed Himself through Don Wolfram, and through Edwin and his 2 sons. Two churches, Coronado Community United Methodist Church in New Smyrna Beach, and the soon-to-be constructed church in Centro Yuu, are now forever linked. They are linked across time, across cultures, and across the Equator. A thousand CCUMC members here in Florida, a hundred or so Shuar Indians there in Centro Yuu, Ecuador, 13 medical-dental mission team members who traveled there and back, and one God…. |
It's cold up here at 10,000 feet at the Equator.
Don introduced us to Henry and Yadira, a new brand of
Missionary Ventures missionaries.
Missionary Ventures missionaries.