rebecca joy: 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.