Day 3 (2024): Education=Hope in Carmen Bajo and at La Granja del Tio Mario

We started off day 3 with a great breakfast by Anita, including croissants, bologna, and a delicious cantaloupe juice. After that, Caroline talked to us about poverty and what it should mean to us. We learned one way to understand poverty is as a broken relationship. We all experience broken relationships with God, with other people, with ourselves, and with creation. We can respond to this brokenness as Christians with love through relief, rehabilitation, or development depending on the situation.

A warm welcome from the team at Carmen Bajo

Then, we hopped on the bus and headed over to Carmen Bajo’s Church. Once we got there, we were greeted with open arms. We played amazing icebreaker games with the kids and were blessed to receive a delicious lunch. We learnt about Romans 12:9-16 and taught us how to have genuine love for eachother and for God. 

Little Sally Walker walking down the street...

After we all had lunch, we hopped back into the bus and made our way to the petting zoo. Once we arrived with our new friends, we were excited to see all of the interesting animals. We were able to ride horses, pet bunnies, feed cows, and much more. We then played tingo, tingo, tanga (duck, duck, goose) with all the kids and had a blast.

Tingo, tingo, tingo, tingo, tingo, tingo... Tango!

We learned how to tell the difference between llamas and alpacas up close and personal

After playing lots of fun games we had to leave and take our new friends back home to Carmen Bajo. After that, we went to eat dinner at El Manglar and celebrated Will’s birthday and smashed his face into some cake. This is an Ecuadorian tradition that Will was surprised to learn about. He showed us all how to adapt graciously to a different culture with nostrils full of whipped cream.

You have to be 18 to drive in Ecuador, but Will did get to ride a horse at least

After dinner, we headed back home to the hostel and debriefed about our day. We shared about some of the lessons we learned from other people today. It was a great day to say the least and we built a lot of relationships.

-Connor Adams and Graham Roe

And a very special 16th birthday blessing for Will Brown

O God, our times are in your hand: Look with favor, we pray, on your servant Will as he begins another year. Grant that he may grow in wisdom and grace, and strengthen his trust in your goodness all the days of his life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.