There’s no better way to end a long, tiring week of service
than a red-eye flight followed by a seven hour layover. As we flew those many
hours late at night we all remembered what an amazing and once-in-a-lifetime
mission this was. We thought about all the caring people from the church that
we gave a long goodbye to, and the moving moments that we experienced. In one
week, we went from a team to a family that will always be connected by this
mission. The goodbyes were definitely not final, whether that means coming back
with St. John's or becoming a team host in Quito (which many people now have
interest in). For me, the small things will stick with me the most - like
playing soccer at the hostel, singing random songs while painting, or starting
impromptu dance parties in the street.
We thank the chaperones who made this trip both safe and
fun. Caroline, Mrs. Strayer and Julio all brought something special to the
table making a perfect team. They gave amazing emotional support, listened to
our requests, and made sure we were all very safe. This trip would not have
been what it was without their patience, organization, and care.
We also thank the incredible team hosts who made this trip
what it was. Pablo and Danishi are both incredible people who were always on
top of everything. They connected with each one of us and were the ones who
really made us a family. They were somehow strict with the schedule while never
being rude and always having fun with us. We would be lost in the middle of
Ecuador without their planning and organization.
We thank all the members of Buen Pastor who opened their
church and home to us. They provided us with amazing meals and new ways of
thinking. They made us all feel included whether it was giving us paper roses
or teaching us how to dance (which is much harder than it looks). They most
definitely trusted us a little too much with our painting abilities, but
somehow we pulled through - meaning we thankfully did not destroy any rooms
there. A very moving moment came when the youth minister told us we are her
family and she would die for any of us at the end of the week. She didn’t even
know all of our names, and with a language barrier hadn’t been able to have a
full conversation with many of us. Yet she truly meant what she said, and we
could feel the love behind it.
Finally, I would like to thank my whole youth team, which
were the fourteen other youth who went on this mission. Each one of them worked
very hard and showed a side of themselves I had not seen before. I was able to
make new friendships with members of the team that I had known for years. We
all had a connection with one another by the end of the week that has bonded us
together. Before we went on the mission there were a few different groups of
friends all going, but by the end it was one big, loving team.
This Sunday morning many of the mission team members
attended the 10:00 am service that Caroline had invited us to the night before.
During the service many moments reminded us of the work we had done. A
particular moment was in the Psalms, “The Lord will be a refuge for the
oppressed, a refuge in a time of trouble.” This reminded me of the two women I
met during the home visits. Both were going through very hard times, yet were
very faithful in God. At first this confused me, how could they struggle so
much, yet be so calm in Him. But after hearing this Psalm, it all clicked. The
Lord does not leave us during these hard times. He is the one pushing us
through and comforting us during the hard times. Instead of the women thinking
about why God would put them through this, they instead turned to God, knowing
he would be the one who would help them through it.
As we adjusted back into our life in Tallahassee and the
heat, our mission has not ended. We are all changed in some way and have
brought this change back home with us.
(written by Annika Strayer)
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