Day 2 (2019) - Orientations!

Today was our first full day in Quito– and my first day in Ecuador! I think it was a good day, although it’s a different day from the rest of the week (at least from what I’ve been told.) As far as getting to know the city, our team, and the organizations we’ll be working with this week, I personally can say I feel very prepared for the days ahead!

We started the day bright and early with a “crisp” (a favorite word of our group) 2-4 hours of sleep by waking up, eating breakfast, and getting ready for a big day of learning about our mission (doesn’t that sound fancy?!) My roommates made fun of me for going through my skincare and hygiene routine when I just done it a few hours ago, but you can never be too clean, in my humble opinion. We became familiar with the hostel– the creaky and warm bunk beds with a beautiful view of the city (and a soundtrack of children singing at the daycare next door!), the tap water and its different uses from bottled water (a crucial part of the morning!) and the wide variety of Ecuadorian foods our hosts, Sebastian and Naomi, had bought for us. One favorite (that has somehow disappeared by the time I’m writing this) was the chocolate wafers, called Amors, in addition to Noggys (tiny delicious chocolate balls). If you’re a chocaholic like me, Ecuador will definitely satisfy your sweet tooth!

We also got used to the altitude this morning. Living at cruising altitude along with the delightful effects of a few hours of sleep takes some getting used to! We drank many bottles of water and are heading to bed at a good time tonight (in the words of Daniel Tiger, as quoted by Cameron, “rest is best!!”). 

When we were finally ready to go, we went downstairs and met with Cameron and her husband Roberto to learn about the organizations we’d be working with and about Ecuador as a whole. We learned about the history of Ecuador, the economy, population, language, and the regions of the country. Then we went around the circle and introduced ourselves in terms of age, grade/occupation, Spanish proficiency level, Ecuador experience (had we been here before?), pets, and favorite breakfast food! We got very well acquainted. And hungry for pancakes.

After that, we piled into cars and headed to the Education = Hope office. Cameron gave an excellent presentation about the different organizations and how they were started. They’ve come so far over the years and I’m really excited to be a part of the programs!

We took some pictures outside the office while we waited for the bus, and then we went to get empanadas for lunch. They were delicious, but also very easy to get on your clothes– especially if you’re wearing white pants or overalls like Kyndall and me. 

Cameron and Roberto’s adorable kids, Graham, Liam, and Francis flew us to China after lunch on their “plane” (chairs in rows) and it was the best plane flight I’ve had all week! No turning around and going to Panama = success.

Our batteries were all feeling a little drained, so we decided to move our visit to the Basilica (a very old church overlooking Quito) to Monday and head home for a nap.

We rested at home and then had dinner of rice, chicken, and avocado! We discussed the trip last year and the interesting participants. After dinner, we went downstairs and heard from Cameron about the five F’s of post-mission (Fun, Flee, Fight, Fit and most importantly Fruit!) and the four prejudices to avoid. Finally, we did the debrief I had heard so much about from last year’s team– it was a lively discussion of our expectations of the mission versus our reality. So far, it’s not as cold as we thought it would be – but definitely not humid – and the roads are not bad at all! I’m looking forward to forming a mutual, sharing relationship when the Ecuadorians we meet tomorrow at Buen Pastor as opposed to a solely giving, charitable role as I’d pictured before coming here.

We’re heading to bed now, but I can’t wait for the days to come and all the surprises and excitement they’ll bring!

With love, 

Abby Schnittker