Home Visits and WBC #2 Work Day

This morning, our group and the group from St. Peter's Prep in New Jersey (10 boys, plus leaders Ryan and Mora) left this morning on the large bus at 8:30 am to make home visits to some of the employees/volunteers and clients of the downtown center, la Marin (WBC #1). We drove through the city center, through the south side into a barrio. We arrived at about 10am. The bus dropped us off at the bottom of a hill. We still had to walk quite a ways up to reach the first home. The views were amazing!

We visited three homes. The first family was a wife and husband and his mother. Between them, they have 10 children who attend the Center. They had 2 pigs, and a couple of dogs. There house was just one room with a big bed and small kitchen area.

 The next house was further up the hill. The lady who lives there has two children. Her house was little more than a shack. The entire family leaves home at 5am to go to the center and returns at 10pm. There are no paved roads, no street lights, no safety measures of any kind. She used to be able to cook inside, but someone borrowed her gas tank and has yet to return it.

The next house belonged to a man who works at the downtown center as the maintenance man. He lives with his 18 year old daughter and three other children. His wife died so the oldest daughter now acts as the mother. When we were there, she was home with a little baby, her sister. They had 2 kittens, a litter of puppies, chickens, and quite a large plot of land which was further up the hill stilll then the previous two. There house had three rooms, the middle was the kitchen, then two bedrooms; one the left for the father, and the right for the children. The children had a TV and stereo in their room.

The house was neat and tidy, everything had it's place. Following these visits, we walked back down the hill (some of the kids ran down) and boarded the bus. Teresa, our guide, wanted to show us more houses - these folks are her neighbors and friends - but we were tired and didn't want to walk anymore. We drove into town and we stopped at a woman's house, she was a fish monger. She let us take a photo of her fish, but not her or her house! She had a lovely house, two rooms, but a great courtyard out front as well as a patio set up for her fish selling business. She also had a real bathroom which a lot of us used!

We continued our journey back to WBC #2 Cotocollao to eat lunch, then volunteer in the Center. Turns out they had jobs for us - painting some classrooms. We partnered again with the "Jersey Boys" to paint the two rooms. We met the Director of the Center, Marco Polo (yes, his name is really Marco Polo) who has worked her for 30 some years. When we had finished painting, he invited us to attend the Kindergarten graduation at 5pm which we did. It was so cute! Now it's down time until a slide show that Madre Miguel will show at 7:15pm, then dinner at 8:40 pm and off to bed. We have an early start tomorrow morning...and a walking tour of the city!

Wachay Yasi & CMT #1 Work Day

Last night two new groups arrived - one from Wisconsin and one from New Jersey. We welcomed them and it will be fun to get to know them.

This morning began early - we were to meet Saskia (a BVM Sister who is an Ecuadorian and lives with Sister Luann) for a tour of Wachay Yasi at 8am. Turned out that she was running late and didn't arrive until about 9:30 am. We waited on the bigger CMT bus (the smaller one broke down) with o ur driver. When we finally left, it took us about 40 minutes to get to Wachay Yasi. The name means "House of Wisdom" in Quechua and it is a school for about 60 students from all over Ecuador.

There were children from 10 different cultures there, from Cotopaxi, Quito, Otavalo, etc. Saskia speaks English so was able to translate for the Director, Orieta. She showed us the garden with all the native plants. There were several different types of potatoes, several medicinal plants, and quinoa. All the gardening is totally organic, the theory is that chemicals hurt mother earth (pachamama) and our body's. They reject fast food and processed food. All the children are involved in the planting and harvesting of the food.

After the garden tour, the children gathered and performed some of their native dances for us. When they were finished, they invited us to dance with them! They also shared some jicama which us (which they called a potato, although it looked like a sweet potato, but tasted like jicama, only sweeter).

When we left, we went to WBC #1 La Marin to attend Mass at 12 noon, eat lunch and then do some work. Mass was lovely, we were able to sit with the little children today. They were so sweet, hugging us and holding our hands. After Mass, we were told to go to the library for lunch. They had cheese, ham, bread for sandwiches, chips and coca-cola and bottled waters for us.

After lunch, we were broken into two groups for work. Maria, Fr. John, Laurie, Steve and Sue went upstairs to clean the walls of the kitchen. Lauren, Victorina, Chris, Alex, Vivian, Katy Katerina and I went downstairs into the arts & crafts room to paint the window frames.

We finished sooner than they had expected and they were not ready to take us back yet. So Marcia, a teacher from the Center took the bus back with us to make sure that we got home safely. It was quite an adventure! We had to take the yellow "Metro" bus to a transfer station. Then we got off and transfered to a blue regional bus back to CMT #2. We finally got back here at about 4:45 pm. It was a long day!

Mall - Last Night

Last night we all went to the Condado Mall for dinner. It was a typical over priced American style mall. We did have pretty good food which was not too expensive. They had a mini soccer stadium in the middle of the mall, complete with sports announcer.

Maria and I went into a store called, Todo Hogar. It was a cross between a Bed, Bath and Beyond and Best Buy. She was buying just a few items and paying with cash. The cashier asked for her cell phone number, which he inputted into the computer. It wasn;t accepted. I explained that we don't live here in Ecuador, that we are from los Estados Unidos. He then asked for her passport number, which he inputted. He couldn't complete the transaction until he had inputted the correct information. He then asked for her address, but put that she lives in Quito!  He was finally able to complete the transaction and print out the receipts. It was the funniest thing...

Monday, a day of dancing!

Its Monday evening here at the Center, and I am blessed to be using Sabrina's computer. Every day that we spend here in Ecuador is better than the previous one. Yesterday, we really enjoyed the teamwork, the people and being able to work with our hands at the minga. The church that we worked on was up high in the mountains, and we could definitely feel it. But the views from there were just spectacular. Karl would have loved it!

Katy and I took a break and went to Mass with the people who came to the church. We were delighted that they handed out a worship aide that had the responses in Spanish, so that we could participate. The sisters were very welcoming. The children who sat around us smiled at us and had the most beautiful faces and dark eyes.

Katy did a great job helping to shovel lots of dirt into wheelbarrows. The adults took turns moving the wheelbarrows up and over the hill. I haven't had a "runner's high" in decaades. Because of the altitude, it felt like we were floating in the air!

For lunch we had the most delicious balony sandwiches that we have ever tasted! We returned to the Center by bus, which we all enjoyed very much. Now I understand why dogs like to hang out of windows and watch the world speed by!

Today we visited an amazing school for indiginous where we walked in a garden planted with native plants, and enjoyed native dances prepared by the children. There were costumes, and a pot of fire and circle dances. In the end, we were all on our feet, invited into the circle, held by the small hands of the children. A real highlight.

We spent the afternoon painting windows at the second Center. So Katy hasn't gotten to paint a mural, but she did get very dirty and loved it. On the bus ride home we were treated to rap music and dancing by two young people who performed in the asile of the bus. Their music came from what looked like a home made ihome.

Being here continues to be a blessing. Today, the adults were reflecting on how lucky we are to have this opportunity.

Minga & the Mall

Today at 7:30 am we met Felipe for a minga. A minga is a work gang. People from the CMT (Centro Muchacho del Trabajor which is how one would say Working Boys Center in Spanish - I have been using WBC and CMT interchangably), get together on Sunday's and help each other with building projects. Today were were helping Felipe build the church in his barrio (neighborhood). Felipe is from Colombia. He and his wife have two children, some time ago, his brother in Colombia died of cancer, so he brought his sister-in-law and their children here, to live in Quito with him. They have all enrolled in the programs of the CMT. He is now trying to build a structure in front of his house so that he was house a business there. But today, we helped to build the local church.


We took a 45 minute bus ride into the hills - into a neighborhood called Pusili. The Church there is run by Salesians. The nuns have a school directly behind the Church building. The Church is called Iglesia Nuestra Senora del Ascension. The sisters are from Italy and very grateful that we were there to help.
Under Felipe's guidance, our group had two tasks. One: move a large pile of dirt from the land below the church, to a space in front of the church. This involved loading the dirt into a wheelbarrow, then pushing it up a steep hill and dumping it in the appropriate spot. They then used the dirt to make concrete for a wall that they were building. Felipe and some of his men had already dug the trench for the fence columns, they were fabricating the rebar to act as support. Fr. John, Laurie, Vivian, Katy, Steve and Sue worked on that project. Two: On the other side of the Church building, Chris, Victorina, Alex, Maria, Lauren and I had the task of moving some rocks from the side of the building to a "gran montana" of piedras, a grand mountain of rocks. I had a little trouble intrepeting Felipe's instructions, at first, so unfortunately, we had to re-do some of what we did. In the end, we got it down and make quite a difference.

At 10 am the parish celebrated Mass. It was packed! All the neighborhood folks got together to attend. Several people from the barrio saw us working and came to help out. At one point Felipe came and asked how many were in our group. Later a lady (who was a neighbor, I think) came with bologna sandwiches (they call them sanduches here) and soda for us! A couple, Jesus and Ines were some of the folks that came out to help. I have never seen such a skinny man be so strong! We picked up a boulder that must have weighed 80 pounds and hefted it over his head and threw it at least 30 feet into the "gran montana". Ines struck up a conversation with me as soon as she arrived on the scene. They have 6 children, 4 jovenes (teenagers) and 2 ninos. (Later I met one nino, named Jason). Her husband builds houses for a living, she is a street vendor, selling soda and aqua frescas. They had a dog that was milling about the site as well, Max. He looked hungry and was very friendly. Jesus fed Max his whole sandwich, I have never seen a dog jump so high!
Chris and Alex were trying to break up the rocks (which were move like clumps of rocks cemented together, I think I was a former retaining wall) with a sledge hammer whose head kept falling off. Jesus noticed this, took it with him, came back a few minutes later with the handle whittled down, ready to piece it back together for us. He continued to break up the majority of the clumps so that we could move them to the "gran montana".

 I was so impressed with the warmth and generosity of the people. Everyone that we have met has been very warm, friendly, helpful, caring and open. These people are so beautiful - out of nothing, they give all they have. This couple, Ines and Jesus left to go home before the work was finished. However, right before we were leaving, they came back with cut-off two liter soda bottles with aloe vera plants planted in them. They didn't bring enough for all of us and so wanted to go back and get more! Felipe came over and told us that we had to get going...the rest of the group were going back to the bus. We excused ourselves, said thank you and headed back to the bus stop.
One the bus, I sat next to a lady named Olga who immediately started up a conversation with me. She was so sweet!
Once we returned to the Center, we showered and rested a bit. Then we walked to the Condado Mall to have dinner. The CMT is closed on Sunday's for family day so the only safe place to get food is the Mall. It's about 5 blocks away from the Center. It is very Americanized, complete with food court, Payless Shoe Source, McDonalds, Tomy Roma's and Lee Jeans store. Prices were more expensive then in the states. We noticed that most of the people there looked relatively affluent, but still I wondered how they were able to afford the goods being sold.
When we got back to the  Center, we celebrated Mass at 6pm in the library. A new group from Wisconsin arrived last night, so there were here and greeted us. They joined us for Mass. For the homily, I asked everyone to share highlights, inspirations from their day.
Tomorrow we are going to Luann's

Saturday in Ecuador

Its Saturday afternoon, and I am logging into facebook and the internet for the first time since our departure. We've been so busy, I've hardly had time to miss my electronics, but I do miss Karl and Kelsey. Katy is having a great time here in Quito, which means that I am having a great time also. Yesterday after Mass, several of the kids came right up to her and started asking questions...what is your name, how old are you....Katy drew them a picture of a cat, a chicken and a pig. Its amazing how well kids can communicate.

When Karl and Kelsey came to Ecuador 5 years ago, Kelsey painted a mural in the center....we found it in what is now a reading room, and took a picture. I've never been here, and yet, I recognize so many things from seeing the pictures. It feels new, yet familiar at the same time.

This morning we went by bus to the Equator...the center of the world....the bus ride through the streets was one of my favorite experiences. We sped past buildings, streets, businesses...even with limited Spanish its amazing how many signs you can read. We discovered that they do give change on the bus ( unlike in Washington DC!). Our bus fare was only 34 cents each way. On the way home, vendors walked through the bus selling wallets, ice cream, and other delicacies. It was fun to just sit and take it all in.

Living here at the WBC is wonderful. There are volunteers from all over the US, so there is always something going on. Right now, the world cup is blaring in the lounge, Katy is making a collage and the McCreddins are getting ready to give their soccer clinic. Love to all, Vivian

further reflections from yesterday...

At last night's meeting, I asked the group to share some of the highlights of the day with the group. What were the experiences that will stay with them? What are some things that touched their hearts? These are their responses: at Mass - the faces of the children, the way they were dressed and even though some were obviously very poor materially, they were not poor in spirit, they all were smiling and happy. The children's participation in mass, they brought up the gifts, without prompting or instruction from the teachers, the choir - the girl playing the drum. The shoe shine boys at Mass - that that is there work, they had their kits, hands and clothes were stained with polish, and they offered their shoe shine kits in the offertory procession. The hospitality of the people. At Center #2 following our tour, the teenagers stayed to play on the playground with some of the children. Mass was being celebrated at 4pm, their was a little boy whose job it was to walk around ringing a bell and usher people into Mass. The teens said that he kept trying to get them to go to Mass! Someone commented on the peacefulness and saint-like qualities of Padre Juan and Madre Miguel when we had met them at orientation. The conversations that are occurring despite the language barrier that exists. The experiences that we are having are just incredible and can't be described in words. One has to visit this place, this country and meet these people to understand what we are experiencing.

Tour Day

Today was a busy day. Below the Center, there is a panaderia (bakery). Steve and I ventured down

this morning for coffee and pan (bread). We bought 2 coffees, 3  pans, and 1 soda for $4.80.

Everything was very delicious. While we were enjoying our sweets, Madre Miguel and Padre Juan

walked in, they welcomed us with hugs. While we were introducing ourselves and getting

acquintained, Victorina, Lauren and Katerina walked in. They were also welcomed. Madre Miguel

let us know that we would be meeting a little bit earlier than our planned 9:30 and asked that

we meet them in the library. I did my best to round up the group (Alex and Chris overslept a

bit) then we gathered in the main room. Miguel wanted to take our photo which we did then moved

to the library for our Orientation.
At the orientation, we learned a little more about the Center and it's volunteers. There are
young people here doing a year of student teaching or just volunteering, plus groups of

teenagers from all over the U.S. that have come to visit and help out. We are just one of the many groups to experience the care and compassion that this Center offers to the people of Ecuador.

The weather today started out nice, sunny, a few clouds. Now at 5pm, it's a little cooler, a little muggy and cloudy.

After Orientation, we met Vincente (our driver from last night) who took us to the downtown Center.

It took about 30-40 minutes to travel through the city, which just seems to go on and on, to get there. That center is much smaller than this one and no volunteers live there. We begin that tour by attending Mass. It is the end of the school year and the last school mass of the year. Mass was celebrated by Padre Juan but the 6th grade children had parts, all the readings, offertory procession, there was even a wonderful choir complete with girl drummer. Mass took place in a "multi-purpose" type room, all the decorations were made by the children.

During Mass, at the sign of peace, the children all came up to us to give us the sign of peace. They were practically climbing over each other to touch us, give us hugs and hold our hands. It was so touching! Following Mass, we meet our tour guide, Miriam who showed us all around the Center #1. She spoke almost no English so I was translator for the group. It was difficult, but I am very proud of myself for being able to communicate well enough to understand what she was saying and being able to tell the group.

She has been at the Center for 22 years, first she was a student, her brothers were shoe shine boys, she was educated there and now directs the Center. The Center offers the classical education for students, mathematics, reading, etc, but also art, religion, health, music, library. They have a day care center for little ones, plus programs for adults as well.

When the tour was over, Vincente, our driver was there to meet us. We drove back to WBC #2 and had a little bit of free time. It was about lunch time so we went to the restuarant downstairs. This was my lunch: stewed chicken, rice, cream of spinach soup, a roll and a drink, all for $1.85. 

At 2:30 we met Rodolfo and his wife Maria who gave us a tour of WBC #2 (where we are living). We started with the Beauty Shop and learned that young girls (12 and up) begin their training for 3 years, once completed, they can work in the Beauty Shop and earn a "titulo" a degree which they can use to secure employment throughout the city. Next was the restaurant, where we had eaten lunch, then the cafe, which we had frequented already too! The last place was the "gift store". They have toys "dedactilos" basically toys with moving parts that are made in the Center's carpentry workshop. They have furniture that is also made there, plus T-Shirts, CD's and other items made by the Center's participants. In the sewing workshop, the women were making men's Abercombrie & Fitch shirts! Rodolfo said that the WBC got a contract from them, they were supplied with the material and patterns. I asked about the working hours of the women - Ecuador has a 40 hour week, 8 hour day, legislated by the government. Someone else asked how much they get paid per shirt - Rodolfo said he wasn't sure, but that they got paid a set amount for the "contract", not a per shirt rate.

Our tour ended at 4pm and with an invitation to join the padres of the center vs. the volunteers in a pick up soccer game tomorrow at 3pm!

We had free time then until 7:30 pm when we would meet with the group to share about our experiences and pray together. (Dinner was at 8:40 pm). Everyone did different things, I relaxed in the living room, Chris and Alex played cards until they were inlisted to help in the kitchen preparing dinner. Katerina, Lauren and Victorina went shopping in the store down below. 

8:40 was dinner - tuna, noodle and cheese cassarole, peas, and califlower. oh, and some amazing soup - sort of a tomato based spicy soup. Not sure what was in it, but it was delicious. Here, people put popcorn in their soup, that was actually very good too, provided some texture.

After dinner - bed! I slept like a log. Tomorrow - we are going to the Mitad del Mundo (Middle of the World).

I Love it Sabrina!!! Thank you so much for your detailed blogging...I feel as though I am there!!!
Cant wait to check in later!
Have a wonderful day...
Love to you all esp....my Katerina!
Corrine XO

Day One - the Adventure Begins

Day one, the adventure begins

Even though I am exhausted (that is really an understatement), I am so excited about the trip and beginning our adventure, that, like clockwork, my eyes opened at 6:30 am local time and there was no thought of going back to sleep. I prompted opened my curtains to reveal the city and the sunrise. It’s a beautiful day, clear blue skies, a few puffy white clouds, and a little haze, but overall, wonderful. My room faces a busy street so throughout the night there were cars passing by. This morning there are buses (there are blue Metrobuses, and yellow buses) filled with people on their way to work or school, many taxis transporting folks, I even saw a pickup truck full, stop in front of the Center and what looked like a mom and her two children got out and walked into the Center’s grounds. Maybe we will meet them later?

Directly across the street from my room is a kennel/vet for dogs and cats: “Hospendaje Canino y Felino”. That explains the dogs barking throughout the night.

I also saw these two stray dogs wandering the streets this morning. There’s also an auto shop which hasn’t opened yet this morning. Right outside my window is a sign “Mini Mall CMT Centro del Muchacho Trabajor” that has signs for the stores that the Center runs...Muebles y Mas (furniture and more), Panaderia y Pasteleria (bakery), Mi Olla Quitena (my Quiteno cooking pot), the restaurant, Las Estilistas ( the beauty shop), and Taller de Confecciones (workshops, I think). I can’t wait to check out these stores more.

Travel Day - Thursday, June 24th

Travel day – Thursday, June 24th
I arrived to the San Francisco International Airport at 5:50 am – early, which is totally typical me. Laurne and Katerina were the next to arrive, then Fr. John, Maria, Laurie and Victorina came together, then Karl, Vivian, Kelsey and Katy (Karl and Kelsey didn’t travel with us, but brought Vivian and Katy to the airport to say “vaya con dios” to them). The McCreddin family was the next to arrive, then Alex and Anne. Anne was originally going to go on the trip with us, but because of her mother’s recent fall and surgery, she had to sent Alex on his own.

We stood in line to check in which took quite some time, Victorina’s bag exceeded the weight limit so she had to redistribute some of her stuff, Lauren helped and graciously volunteered to help pack some of her stuff in her bag. I think we didn’t even arrive to our gate until about 7:30 – which was fine because our flight didn’t leave until 8:35. We had time to buy breakfast, coffee, snacks, magazines, use the restrooms, etc. before boarding. Our flight to Atlanta took off on time. Some of the group switched seats with others so that all the teenagers could set together, and those who wanted aisle seats could have them.
Flying over the U.S., I was struck by the beauty of the scenery (I had a window seat). It was an exceptionally clear day, very few clouds, and especially the Rockies Mountains, the quilt like patch work of the fields and neighborhood etched out of forest, wooded areas and desert.

We landed in Atlanta on-time as well to concourse A. We had to find our way Concourse T – took a train/tram thing and walked a little ways. When we arrived to our gate, we were all hungry and a little tired. Everyone split up to find food, bathrooms, etc. We thought we had about an hour before the plane would begin boarding, but they began boarding really early. Lauren and Victorina were missing, I called Victorina to find out where they were - they had ordered food and headed back to the gate right away. Alex, Katerina and Chris had also taken a walk, they made it back to the gate in plenty of time as well.

The plane from Atlanta to Quito was much smaller, less leg room, more people, and children, several crying toddlers sitting in the rows behind the row that Fr. John, Maria and I were sharing. We all felt so back for the poor mother, but these children didn’t not stop crying/screaming for the entire 4.5 hour flight!
Flying over Panama was amazing – it was nighttime so I could see the east side and west side of the isthmas, where the country began and ended. It was very beautiful.
Upon arrival in Quito, the first thing I noticed was the pattern that the lights made on the outskirts of the city. There were rows of lights in block-type patterns, not clumps of lights as when flying over other cities. I tried to photograph this, but since it was dark, the lights couldn’t be seen. To me it seemed very unusual. When we got closer to landing, I saw a Tony Roma’s!

Upon arrival at the airport, at 11 pm, local time (which is 1am San Francisco time – and I’ve been awake since 4am this morning!) offboarding the plane went smoothly, although as soon as we were walking to Immigration, I began feeling the effects of the altitude. We are about 9000 ft above sea level, breathing is more labored and I was feeling out of breath. I am ok now, but definatley have to take it easy until my body acclimates to this altitude.
Going through immigration was a breeze, Customs was fine too – they just scanned all our bags. This wonderful man, a Porter, about 4ft tall, came over to me and asked me if I needed help with my luggage. I gratefully accepted the help and Steve thought I should tip him, which we did. Greta and Taylor (two volunteers from the Center) met us at the airport. Taylor is from Wisconsin and has been here since last August, Greta is from Hamburg, Germany. Vincenzo drove us to the WBC along with his wife, Laura. There were several men outside by the bus who helped load our luggage into the bus. Greta mentioned that they do this for groups and expect to be tipped. We all gave them a little money – a dollar or two. We all got loaded in and drove about 10 minutes to the Center, El Centro del Muchacho Trabajor. Driving through the city, everything was closed down for the night, metal doors were pulled shut, people were home in bed. To me, the neighborhood looked very much like the garment district in Downtown Los Angeles. We saw a Domino’s Pizza, KFC, and something that looked vaguely like an In-n-Out Burger, although it was called something different. We arrived to the Center, unloaded and got a brief orientation (with a more substantial orientation to follow tomorrow morning at 9:30 am). We got all our luggage out of the bus, into the Center. Took a brief tour of the kitchen and communal dining area. All the volunteers are free to fix their own breakfast in the morning, there’s fresh fruit, cereal and milk available. Then we were shown to our room. Here’s mine...

There is actually another twin bed behind where I was standing, and a restroom. More tomorrow.

Looking forward to take off!

Tomorrow morning we take off for Quito, Ecuador. It will be a long day which starts REALLY early (much earlier than I am used to waking up). We will arrive to the airport, check in, board the plane and be up, up, and away. I am so looking forward to the sites, sounds, smells, and wonders of Ecuador. I can't wait to meet the people of the Working Boys Center, those who minister and those who are ministered to.

Ok we are signed on!!! Wishing you all a very safe trip!!

Imagining through photos

Its hard to believe that we are going to be in Quito in just a few days. How amazing to imagine sharing the sidewalk with Brother Iguana! We saw lots of pictures today from the last group's trip. The colors, the beauty of the children, and the green of the countryside was inspiring. Only a few more days before we depart. On Thursday, I will no longer have my cell phone, my computer 24/7, my daily run, and the ability to understand all the conversations around me. But I'll have the chance to absorb some of the beauty that I've seen in the pictures, and that is wonderful to ponder.

Tomorrow - Final Meeting

Sunday is our final meeting. I have been waiting so long for this trip, I can't believe it is here in just four short days.

I remember back to the first meeting, last August when we were just trying to gauge the interest of the parish. Those who attended that first meeting have evolved from "interested" to "travelers". This trip will be life changing for our group. We will see things that we have never seen before, and experience people who will truly inspire us for years to come. It will be tough for our families to see us go, but I am confident that this is what God is calling us to do.

We are going with a spirit of openness, to experience and to be of service in whatever way we are needed. Our agenda is up to the staff at the WBC. This is a huge leap of faith for me, someone who always needs to have a plan...I am planning to not have a plan for this entire trip - well as soon as we touch down in Quito, at least.

Some technical stuff - I have changed the settings so that everyone can comment...please leave us your words of support and encouragement during this journey. Share with your family and friends if you would like. And most of all, please keep us in your prayers!

Hi, to everyone! I am very excited about this adventure. It is my 1st to South America and my 1st mission trip, working vacation if you will. I am looking forward to experiencing the people and culture of Ecuador and being available to the Working Boys Center. The Center is amazing and the need for the services they provide is overwhelming. We have great, diverse group and I am looking forward to getting know everyone better. Adios!

Jumping in to the Blog

Testing one two three. Or maybe it should be uno, dos, tres! Sabrina sent an invitation to join the blog, so I'm just playing with this to see how it works.

I've never been to Latin America, or even Mexico, so I am sooooo excited about going to Ecuador.

I work in administrative ministry, so I feel so blessed to be able to go out and really see what it is like there.

I can't wait to meet the kids, the BVM community, and whatever is going to happen on this journey.

At the same time, it will be hard to be away from my husband and older daughter for 10 days. Karl and I have been married for 21 years. The last time we spent this much time apart, it was hard. I really really missed him. My older daughter will be off on another coast, learning new things, working on her driving....and I won't be there.

But I know this is where Katy and I are called to be.
So I pray that we can just be present and open to the moment.

Volcano in Ecuador

Please pray for our safety on our upcoming trip to Ecuador. There was just a volcano - albeit about 80 miles southeast of Quito - not exactly close to where we are headed, but the airport in Guayaquil (where we will be flying into and visiting on July 1st) was closed for a few hours today because of the ash in the air which caused lack of visibility. See the headlines in El Comercio for more information (El Comercio is in Spanish, but if you open it with IE or Google Chrome, both have a translator that works pretty well). Here is a map which shows the location of the volcano in relation to where we are headed. Since there are still 12 days until we leave, I am praying that the volcano settles down, that the people who live and work in that area are safe and that minimal damage is done to the environment.

What to expect?

With only 18 days until our group leaves for Quito, I keep reflecting on and praying about what we will encounter when we are there. I have images in my mind of what things are going to look like - the people, the Center where we are staying, our rooms, etc. but I know that these images might not be right - I am trying to keep an open mind and not imagine too much so as to not be disappointed or surprised by what it's actually like.

As leader of the group, I feel like I need to be prepared and ready for all - but having never been to the Working Boys' Center or Ecuador, the reality is, I have no idea what to expect! I can only imagine what things are going to be like from the photos I've seen (from the 2005 trip and that Sister Cindy's sent me), stories I've heard from those who have been, movies I've seen and things I've read. Finding a balance between second hand-experiences and my own expectations is a challenge. I continue to pray each day leading up to the trip that our experiences will be eye and heart opening, that I can embrace whatever I experience and be touched in a profound way and that God leads me where he knows I need to be.

So, as far as preparations are concerned - the poster with photos and bios of each of the group members is now up in Fr. Lacey Hall at St. Matthias. Mary Smith designed the logo for the trip and Jacqueline Carter-Walker interviewed each of the participants and edited their bios.

Last night, I made a list of everything that I will need to pack. I am going to do a "dry run" of packing to decide which suitcase I need to bring - the "papa sized" one or (I'm hoping) the "mama-sized" one.

I read the whole "In Focus: Ecuador" book this morning and am working on writing a summary of the history of Ecuador for the group (something I've been looking forward to doing). I'm also reading the BVM Sisters blog to read about their experiences (Click here to read it for yourself) since their group just went in April - May.

I also am trying to stay caught up on reading the Quito newspapers, El Comercio to stay informed about current events.

So, even though I am doing everything possible to "prepare myself", truth is - I have no idea what to expect ... and, I kinda like it that way. Besides, if I knew what to expect, what would be the point of going?

Only three weeks left...

We leave in three weeks from today! At the masses on the weekend of June 19-20, the group will be blessed and commissioned by the parish for this pilgrimage. Following the 10:30 am Mass, we will have our final meeting, pack up the soccer uniforms so graciously donated by the parish, view the photos from the 2005 trip to help us get a better idea for what we will be seeing and doing, and finally, arrange carpools, etc. to the airport! I can't wait!