It has been a busy weekend in Quito that's for sure! First, we visited Youth World. It was great seeing everyone and meeting the new Quito Quest staff (what Ashley did last year). We will definitely be seeing them again. After visiting Youth World, we took the day seeing Old Quito with Juan Miguel. We visited the Basilica, museums, churches, La Casa del Presidente, and Plaza Foch. After we got back from a long day of walking, we bought cleaning supplies for the guys house and cleaned the kitchen for 2 hours. It was quite the experience to say the least, but the boys were very appreciative and even some helped us.
Today, we attended Juan Miguel's church . It was great meeting such welcoming people. Also, praising God together in a difference language was such a reminder that we are all a body of Christ. We experienced some culture shock finding out that church was 2 and a half hours long.
Spending time in Quito has really opened our eyes to the culture. One thing specifically is transportation and the customs. We have taken the trolle, different kinds of buses, taxis and our favorite, walking. Each of these experiences have been incredibly different. Sometimes we get lost and have to find our way back home, sometimes we almost get shoved out of buses because it's so packed, and sometimes we have to really watch our backs from stealing in the bus.
Another hardship is adjusting to the Ecuador diet. They eat rice & chicken at every meal with little to no vegetables. It isn't very safe for us to eat the vegetables here. At times it is difficult to be gracious about the meal that had been prepared for us and really challenges our ability to be "uncomfortable". It just makes us all the more appreciate of the things we take for granted back home!
But all of these things have been reminding us that life can be a lot like that. I think we get this idea in our head as to what life should look like, and we strive to get there. Or we are comfortable in our own home and refuse to accept other cultures. Learning to adapt to Ecuadorians ways have been difficult, but it is revealing to us the importance of celebrating and loving one's culture. I think we learn more when we surrender our plans to God and let him lead us in whatever circumstance we get into. There's a peace that overcomes when our plans becomes God's plans.
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