Ecuador Day 2: Carmen Bajo, Ríos, Chicos
Saturday morning, we enjoyed a delicious breakfast of pancakes, passionfruit, and coffee at El Refugio to give us energy for our first day with the kids.
We began our day at Carmen Bajo, one of the poorest neighborhoods in Quito.
There we met Joel, a youth pastor at Carmen Bajo's local church. He gave us a tour of the neighborhood and shared his incredible life story.
Next, we completed poverty training with Cameron Vivanco from Education Equals Hope.
Key lessons:
- Poverty of Condition vs. Poverty of Being
- It is more blessed to give than to receive (so allow people to give to you!)
- Reciprocal partnership instead of mutual using
Before we left, the Fellows found time for quick games of basketball and volleyball.
We stopped for lunch at Riobambenita and enjoyed fried pork, boiled corn, tree-tomato salsa, pickled onions, fried corn kernels, and avocado!
With our stomachs overflowing and our spirits jubilant, we met up with the kids of Carmen Bajo at Pastor Fabian's beautiful property.
After meeting the kids, we hiked to a nearby creek and played in the water.
Upon returning to Pastor Fabian's property, we debuted our special Spanish song that we had been preparing for weeks: Solo Dios Puede Salvar! It was a smash hit.
Next, Clara shared a message in Spanish based on Colossians 3:23 -- "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord."
One student was so inspired by Clara that she asked for her outline!
The Fellows ate Cordon Bleu for dinner, while the kids enjoyed good old-fashioned hot dogs around the fire!
After dinner, we boarded our bus and departed for the Rose Cottage, a local hostel that would provide our lodging for the evening.
Though a picture tells a thousand words, we have more words to share than these pictures can tell.
Nevertheless, here are some more photos:
