day.trip

I don't know how many of you know this, but I love day trips.  Pack up a camera, sweatshirt, water bottle, appropriate medication (here that includes ibuprophen and dramamine at all times...like I just keep them in my backpack...and occasionally pepto...) a change of clothes, and ideally a picnic lunch and I'm ready for an adventure.  (Take note, people...if you want a buddy to take a little trip with you, I'm your girl.  I'll even pack lunch.)  This weekend my host family took a trip to Otavalo, a town about 2 hours north of Quito.  There are some beautiful lakes there, and a big market.  We didn't go to the market, but we're going there with our whole group next weekend.    Come see Otavalo with me!

 

Driving there...this trip was really just a drive there and back...every now and then we would pull over, hop out, and take a few pictures.  I'm realizing just driving is a very cultural thing here.  My host dad has more than once packed us up and driven around town for no apparent reason other than spending time together.

Me, Ally, Our host mom Anita and Host Dad James

In front of Lake San Pablo
It was a really cloudy day here -- drizzling of rain and thick fog.  I'm sure the lake would have been incredible in the dazzling sun, but the clouds created a different kind of beauty.



Our host dad...he's SO protective! He always tries to make sure we're ok, and asks if we need anything (often food :).

Down by the Lake!

On the way back from Otavalo we stopped in a town named Cayambe and had lunch. The bread-looking things are called "bizcochos" and are a hard biscuit.  It's traditional to eat them with a sweet cream (dulce de leche), hot chocolate, and cheese.  It was delicious, but I sure had a sugar stomach ache after :)



This is where we are!!! Ecuador!

SUNDAY

Sunday we went to church in the morning -- and met so many people!  Our parents are really well respected in their church and somehow everybody knows them and wants their acknowledgement.  And our mom is more than happy to introduce us to everybody she sees.  She's quite a determined woman -- what she says, goes :)

Me, Ally, Ecua-mom, and our Ecua-sisters (Maria Fernando and Maria Jose)
After church we went out for lunch.  We got in the car and started driving north (our house is south of church). I knew right away we weren't going home, but of course have no idea where we're going -- and it's not just because my Spanish isn't good because Ally never knows either.  I honestly don't know when they plan things around here because I never hear any reference to where we're going or what we're doing, but somehow everybody else just seems to know!  I have to ask super specific questions to get any information -- "Where is Otavalo?"  "What should I wear?"  "What should I bring?"  "What time are we leaving?" etc.  I often joke (but in all seriousness) it's a good thing that I came here now and not two years ago...because my adaptability skills have increased exponentially in the past two years.  Adaptability is one crucial skill here!

After lunch we got this delicious ice cream (I of course didn't know where we were going until we got there... :)

Backseat feet on the hump!!  This is how we travel places...3 in the front, 3 in the back.  Solid.

Today I had Worldview class from 9am-6pm (don't worry -- we had several breaks -- during which I either ate or napped).  This was the culmination of the class (as far as lecture goes...now we have some quality reading and writing to do) and we ended in a celebration dinner at a wanna-be-Chipotle.  It wasn't Chipotle, but it was still really good.  Good for my tummy and good for my spirits.  This class was big (as in, big topics), it was challenging, and it was rich.  Last Wednesday I would have told you it was terrible.  It was really hard, but now I'm seeing with bigger eyes, and I can honestly say it was a really good class.  I'll probably write more about it later, once I've had more time to process, but for now let me leave you with this:
In my cultural story (that is, on planet earth, specifically North America), I am my final authority. I hate admitting that I've been shaped by the cultural story, but I have.  A lot.  And that's ok, because we're living in that story.  However, in a story where Christ is King, God is my final authority.  Those two things try to overlap at a surface level, but when one tries to take full ownership, they clash -- hard.  I know that. I've always known that.  What I didn't know was what it looks like to let them clash, let the cultural story crumble, why that is so scary, and then how it looks to rebuild a story where Christ is truly King over all parts of my life.  After all, over what part of a kingdom does a King not rule?  None.  I want that to be the truth in my life.