Haeger, Alice & Valerie: Our Ecuador Trip .

(February 16-24,2001)

As we walked down the steps of the airplane with our parents and Tomm Stewart, we were greeted by the humid, warm air of Guayaquil. We were excited and nervous as we went through the Ecuadorean customs. After finding Our baggage, we made our way to the terminal, where we saw many heads bobbing up and down looking into the airport lobby. We exited the building to find Jon Bloomquist, Alfredo Hernandez, and Ivan Viteri. As we drove through the city to the Hernandez home, the warm air carried many new smells to our nostrils. It was hard to believe that we had finally arrived. It was amazing to see the city still throbbing with so much life past midnight. Everything was so different from what we were used to.

When we reached the Hernandez home we were welcomed by Gladys and Maria Hernandez. We spent the next two days in Guayaquil where services were held both Saturday and Sunday evenings. We met many friendly people and cute children who loved to hug and be around us. It was precious to see the listeners, with Spanish Bibles in their hands, following along, and listening so intently. They yearned to hear God's Word and gain a better understanding of living faith.

We left our new believing friends in Guayaquil early Monday morning and began 9ur journey to Riobamba. As we climbed our way into the Andes, the vegetation began to change. We stopped at times to absorb the beauty of the country, take pictures, and most importantly let the van rest. Tiredness overcame us, but the thought of missing the scenery made us stay awake. By late afternoon we arrived in the town of Riobamba and from there it was only a short drive to the hacienda. The surrounding land looked like a patch-work quilt.

Services were kept two evenings at the hacienda. The second evening many indigenous people who lived in the surrounding hills journeyed down to listen to God's Word. It was amazing to watch them one by one repent of their sins and come into God's kingdom. They speak Quechua, so that evening three languages were spoken. Seeing people of a completely different culture and background become children of God made for a very emotional evening. With sadness, we left the precious believers living at the hacienda and took a bus from Riobamba to Quito. We also had to say good-bye to Gladys, Alfredo, and Cesar who were going back to Guayaquil. Throughout the long bus ride many vendors hopped on and off the bus attempting to sell their products.

From the bus station in Quito we took taxis to Pepe and Chela Viteris condominium. That evening services were held at Raul Hernandez's. In each city we visited, Alice gave a short Sunday school lesson in Spanish for the children. We all enjoyed hearing the children's comments about the story of Noah and seeing their faces light up when they heard her speak in their language. At services each evening the believer's of Ecuador would actively participate and help explain matters of faith to those who had just received the grace of repentance. It was very heart warming to hear them explain God's Word and it felt as if we were at a discussion in our home congregation.

Now that we are back home, we think often of our precious brothers and sisters in faith in Ecuador. One fond memory we have of our special trip was the time spent with the young believers each night after services. We had long discussions about our journey in faith as youth. Through the many repentances and discussions the power of God's love was revealed to all of us throughout our journey.

Alice Haeger

Valerie Haeger