Two Years

Exactly 2 years ago today I started this blog.  So, it seems fitting that today will be my final post.

I am sitting in my house in Canada, looking outside at the snow and I can’t help but wonder if the last 2 years really happened.  Was it really just 2 weeks ago that I was in the middle of goodbye week in Quito?  I feel like I am in a time warp.

So, what’s next?

I am back in my previous house with my previous car and my previous job.  On the outside things seem the same.  But, inside I know I have changed – I have learned a lot.  I don’t know how that is going to manifest itself here, but little by little I will find out.

I am going to stay connected with Carmen Bajo in an official capacity as the International Teams representative here in Canada (official title: Impact Ecuador Project Champion).  Unofficially  I hope to keep up friendships that have grown over the past 2 years, although I know that it will be challenging (especially with the kids).

Thanks for all your love, support and prayers.  I hope that you have felt part of this experience because you were part of it.  I look forward to catching up in person.

In between

I am in the Miami airport feeling a bit lost – in between worlds.  I just finished a week filled with emotion and goodbyes.  I am so sad.  But, at the same time I am also happy to be returning home.  I’m not sure whether to be looking back or looking ahead.

Well, here’s looking back at a few of the many highlights from the last week:

Farewell lunch with Youth World office staff

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday at the park with one of my favourite families

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Farewell program from the Compassion kids

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Farewell from all the staff at Carmen Bajo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Final dinner with the Ecua-fam

Go with the flow

How is it possible that after 2 years in Quito, I am still learning cultural lessons?  I guess I am a slow-learner.  Three weeks ago when the beginning of the end of my time started, I sat down and made a detailed schedule of my remaining time.  The factor I didn’t include is other people and the fact that they wouldn’t check in with my schedule!  I suppose the schedule helped a bit, but the times I have held to it too tightly have resulted in much frustration.  Since then, I have adopted the “go with the flow” strategy.  It has served me very well.

More to come from the final week in the next post …

Girls Group – a great ending!

Today was a day of firsts with the girls group from Carmen Bajo … the first time the girls actually initiated an event themselves and the first time we had our group in one of the girl’s houses.  The occasion was to say good-bye to me.  I felt so honoured.  It’s hard to explain how rare/special this was, especially given all the ups and downs we have had with the girls the past year.  We sat around the table and laughed as the girls told silly stories from their high schools.  It was one of the best times we’ve had together.   It’s great to end on a high note.

The decorations …

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Making Colada Morada – a pot of strawberries, a pot of pineapple, a pot of juices (mora, blueberry, naranjilla and pineapple) and a pot of herbs … so delicious!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The group (a couple girls missing):

View from the roof

A week ago I made my final move.  I had been house-sitting for a family from Youth World, but they  returned from the States last week.  So, I moved in with my Ecua-family for my final month.  It’s a privilege to be able to share this time with them.

The new apartment has a few down-sides, but one of the greatest parts is the incredible view …

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No expectations

I can’t tell you how many times I have gone out to Carmen Bajo with a long to-do list  and then have come home disappointed at getting nothing accomplished.  Yesterday was the opposite.  I went with no agenda and no expectations and I had one of my favourite days.  I learned how to make a scarf out of yarn and then made one while chatting about nothing in particular with the ladies in the office.  I had a delicious lunch with great friends.  I received many hugs from the kids.  I got to feel very useful while helping a couple of high school kids with their english homework.  I hung out with a couple of girls from my small group.  And, to top it off, on the way home I enjoyed an amazing “guagua de pan” (bread in the shape of a baby – a traditional food for the holiday on Nov 2nd ) filled with nutella with 2 of my favourite people.  Oh how I’m going to miss days like this!

A day to remember

Today was a special day – a wonderful day.  After talking about it for over a year, we finally arranged a cooking day with a dear friend from Carmen Bajo.  The food she makes is incredible.  Today we made 3 dishes out of green plantains – empanadas de verde, corviches and enrollado (all typical ecuadorian dishes).  I don’t know how to describe them to you other than that they are the most delicious foods ever.

Even though the food was amazing, the day was even more memorable because of the conversation.  I simply asked the question of my friend, “how did you learn to cook?”.  Her answer started with, “well Sarah, my life has been complicated …” and then she continued to tell the story of her childhood over the next several hours as we cooked, chatted and ate together.

I have become a bit of a cynical person lately, wondeirng whether people can really change (that is, whether God can change people).  I was overwhelmed to be sitting with someone who had passed through so many horrible things in her life and yet, by the grace of God, had overcome.  While at times it was clear that the memories still hurt, she has been able to forgive and she can now see that in the midst of the terrible times, God was with her.  Wow!

Proudly displaying my first-ever empanada:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Empanadas ready to eat (my mouth is watering just seeing the picture!):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The cooking team – showing off the corviches:

Thanksgiving Weekend

I had a great weekend celebrating Canadian Thanksgiving (when you are surrounded by Americans, you can’t just call it Thanksgiving!).  Of course it wasn’t the same without the beautiful fall colours, but it was still a special time.  In fact, I really maximized the holiday, eating lots of good food all weekend long.  It started out with crab-fest on Saturday, followed by lunch with some wonderful friends on Sunday followed by a huge Thanksgiving feast on Monday with some fellow Canadians from Youth World.

Pics from Sat and Sun:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4 pairs

Yep – that’s how many pairs of my shoes this city has destroyed.  I have literally worn through 4 pairs of shoes.  I don’t know if I have ever completely wore out shoes in Canada.  The latest casualty was a pair of Sketchers purchased maybe a year and a half ago. Walking to work today in a light rain, I couldn’t figure out why my feet were wet when my shoes didn’t appear wet on the top.  Then I got to work and realized that both shoes have holes in the soles.  I know I walk a lot and the terrain in Carmen Bajo is rough, but this is ridiculous.  At least it will make packing easy!

Micro-credit update

We are well into our first group of micro-loans that we started back in June/July.  Of the 4 loans, 1 did not work out (but, it was a really small loan so not a great loss), 1 we are nervous about, but so far has made all payments and 2 that are working wonderfully.  I would say those are pretty decent results for our first crack at this.  We’ve started conducting follow-up interviews with the recipients to find out how the loans are functioning.  It’s encouraging to hear about the growth in the businesses as a result of the loans.  We are now contemplating our 2nd round of loans and also hoping to have someone come in and conduct a workshop on starting a small business.  It’s fun to be part of this!

Heres’s a photo of me learning about being an Avon salesperson in one of the follow-up interviews.