Women's Retreat at Papallacta

Thursday morning Arlene and I packed the car, said goodbye to our men, and made our way through the mountains to Papallacta. Jesse and I had the privilege of attending the church's annual women's retreat, and it was such a blessing to be able to tag along. I've come to a few conclusions during my time here.

Conclusion # 1) Mountains sparsely populated are far more inviting than the ones jam packed with trees. I like to see mountains that look penetrable.

Conclusion #2) If I could purchase a big plastic ball, I would take it to the top of a grassy mountain and have the ride of my life. I would do it, because the mountains here are just that inviting.

So we spent roughly 2 hours winding up mountain roads, snapping some photos of Cotopaxi-the highest active volcano in the WORLD, and enjoying the beauty of road tripping. I love road trips, especially when Jesse sleeps through them :)

Cute picture moment.

We arrived at the mission house that can comfortably sleep about 30 women at around 2 in the afternoon (we took our time, having stopped for a very cheap and enjoyable lunch platter of sliders, onion rings and chicken wings-- worth mentioning)

Papallacta is a small 'pueblo' right in the mountains. The view from the dining room window was spectacular, but the highlight would have to be the natural hotsprings about 5 minutes up the road. Cheryl, Arlene and I went up to check out prices, and I thought we had stumbled into a 5 star resort. Thatched roofs, hot springs, beautiful flowers, a rushing river, wooden bridges--I can see why this is a prime retreat location. Not to mention, it cost $3.50/person for the entire day.

Conclusion #3. This country has no clue how to price things appropriately.

Another picture moment.

Sonia Liliana in the icy river

And so I spent Thursday to Saturday with a group of women that began as strangers (somewhat) and became a lot less strange as the retreat unfolded.

Conclusion #4 : Women do not get lame with age-- they just need an opportunity to step away from everyday life for a time to recover how fun/funny they actually are. Arlene has told me a few things about Ecuadorian women, and there just seems to be so much suffering. But for a brief women's weekend, they find their therapy in the Scripture, in cooking, and in eachother. For example, on Friday night all of the women decided to go for a late night 'hot spring' dip. The place is open until 11pm, and it was only around 8:30, so we went for it. Jenny said she'd drive the pick-up truck, and without blinking, 26 women attempt to get into the truck. Obviously, no amount of people stacking would make that possible, and so I moved along with the overflow into the back of the pickup. 11 grown women wedged in the back made for one hilarious night time drive. At one point, we hit a serious bump and almost lost Estella. Everyone screamed, then laughed, and out of the Spanish phrases being whipped around I hear Elda say in crystal clear English " I have a pain in my ass". This sets her off into hysterics, as we continue to zoom up the mountain side, in pitch blackness, under the briliant stars, with a stray dog chasing after us up the gravel road. Memorable. Very memorable. And then, considering it was freezing, the hot springs really hit the spot :)

(Elda, Rosita, Alex, and myself)

So it was a weekend of good food, great discussions, bible studies, hiking, swimming, caring for Jesse, and worship. I experienced a few more Ecuadorian dishes like cevicha, soup with popcorn, more choclo con queso, and then something that I'm sure was tasty but gave me a nasty case of food poisoning that lasted through the night and into the next day. I won't dwell on it, but it did leave me exhausted, and ready for home (so James could nurse me back to health, or at least watch Jesse while I tried to recuperate). Rosita (the Jonkman's maid) roomed with me, and she was an awesome help, taking Jesse at 5 am while he cried and I visited the bathroom. I'm sure our friendship will only grow stronger :)

We ended up having to leave early anyways because it was the weekend designated for Catholics to make their pilgrimage to some holy virgin statue. The roads would close at 3 leading to the Idol, and we wanted to book it out of there before getting stuck in too much traffic. From what I hear, this is an annual pilgrimage Catholics will make, and when they can drive no further, they park their cars and walk a ways, and then the last leg of the journey is done on their knees. They fast throughout the day, and when they make it to the virgin to pay their dues, they celebrate by breaking their fast and getting wasted. A true religious experience...

Anyways, we made it home earlier than expected, and it was nice to be back 'home' with James. Here are a few more pictures of the retreat.

Rosita unpacking the limes.

Hot springs!

Jesse involved in our Bible study

Prayer group outside

Beauty.

Early morning walk on the 'road'

At the top!

Playing outside

The Group

Some house in Papallacta

Boy walking his sheep

And a boy walking his donkey.

Hasta luego.

Sights of Ecuador.

At the market!

Exploring our options for our future home. The nice thing about this is you can roll through the walls in case of a fire. Worth considering.

You're fire place also serves as an oven and stove top. Very economical.

An amusement park at the base of teleferico. If you look closely, there are kids in giant plastic bubbles floating in water. Their turn is over when they run out of air.

My husband.

Guinea pig on a spit is a delicacy among the indigenous. It didn't sit well...

A 3 hour soccer match--youth vs. elders in the church. James and I both brought our A game--which meant we didnt' kick people in the back and still scored goals :)

7 months!

He's got character :)
Looking down into a community that has been built in a volcanic crater.
At the top of Teleferico. Stunning view of mountain and city.

My baby is 7 months old today!

When we arrived in Ecuador, Jesse was 6 months old. He could hardly sit up on his own. He cried 2-3 times a night. He sat in a laundry basket. He did not eat solids.

The 7 month baby report : a whole new Jesse

We have Arlene to thank- full time missionary/part time baby coach. Having raised her own 6 kids, I was in no position to object to any of her suggestions regarding Jesse's lousy routine. It took about 1 week to train him. I may not be a 'routine' person, but I am now. I've figured out that I do enjoy sleeping for extended periods of time at night, and so does Jesse.

Now he goes to bed at 7:30, and he wants to be there. He grabs his blankie, curls up in a little ball, and sleeps. It's beautiful.

He proceeds to sleep until the sun comes up (5:30-6 am). I'll take it.

He eats a big bowl of oatmeal cereal with fruit--- gone are the days of acid re-flux, and loads of laundry.

He plays/crawls like lightning around the house, under tables, into cupboards, occasionally pulling himself up to a half-standing position and knocking his head on objects that get in his way.

When we sit down for breakfast, he squeels at our heels until he is pulled up into a lap to watch what goes on up there. Eating is something he is very interested in, and so he gets a few scraps to gum and gag on while we eat.

By 9:30 am, he's put in his time, and he's ready for bed. He'll be out until 11:30 (that gives me another 15 minutes to finish this post :)

He'll wake up, cry a little, get fed, and play around the house until 2 ish. Second nap-- and we can count on that lasting at least an hour.

By 7, he's washed, fed, and waiting for 7:30, so he can assume fetal position with his blankie.

Routine? He loves it.

This is probably old news for most moms, and a bit of a 'snore' report. My apologies. But it is news to me--great news-- and the future is promising.

Turns out, all Jesse needed was a trip to Ecuador :)

So, our family is doing well. God is blessing us, and we are doing what we can to be a blessing to others. The ESL classes started up last week, and we had 20 kids show the first day! It was so much fun to get up and teach again. I have missed it. James has found a new passion in his life in the form of web design, and plugs away diligently in his task of creating 4 of them before we take our leave. This coming Thursday I will be going on a women's retreat up in the mountains until Saturday. Their will be good food, good fellowship, and natural hot springs.

Rosi, a friend of mine from the church, invited me over for lunch the other day. She was cooking tortilla's de papas, (potato stuffed with onion, cheese, and garlic) and wanted me to come try out some real Ecuadorian cuisine. I am excited that she will be going on the retreat.

Last night, Ashleigh and her friend Jedidiah came over, bringing with them some Sangria and a pie. We played Euchre, ate pie, and sat in the hottub. We could have been in Canada.

That is to say, we are no longer settling-- we are settled. We are doing our best to soak up this experience, because it will be over in a flash. |
It is nice though, to feel home.