Brethren Bonds

The past week and a half has been full of fellowship with family (biological and in Christ), exciting excursions, new connections, and plenty of work around the farm!

9/8

My Uncle Jeff, who is on FBU’s board and is head of the Brethren Global Food Initiative (GFI) program came to visit, and with him came some delightful interruptions of routine. In the evening, the Venezuelan volunteers, my supervisor Alfredo, Uncle Jeff, and I planned to go out for dinner at a nearby hotel restaurant. When we reached the highway at the end of the long farm lane, we knew we were in trouble—traffic was backed up as far as the eye could see! The nearby town of Tabacundo was throwing a party and had closed off some roads. Finally, by taking the backway that Alfredo knew, we arrived at a lovely restaurant and had just sighed in relief when we learned that the kitchen had closed half an hour ago. So, off we went again and ended up eating at a gas station that had solid dinner and ice cream options!

9/9

This morning I woke up with my stomach in significant distress again. However, Uncle Jeff gave me some meds, and I felt I would still be okay to go on an excursion with Alfredo, his wife, FBU employee Carlos, and my uncle to the coffee-growing region of Intag. My uncle has a coffee company that gets coffee directly from small producers so that customers in the US know the story behind their java, and he wanted to visit a coffee co-op in Intag. Carlos grew up in the area so he served as a local tour guide. I held it together on the 2-hour ride there, even with the road closure that forced us to take a very narrow, bumpy short cut (where we had to back out once because there was no room for oncoming traffic to pass) and a solid 45 minutes of switchbacks down a mountain. On our way down the mountain, we stopped to admire a mountainside where you can make out the face of a cacique (indigenous chief)! When we arrived in town, we learned that the co-op’s office was closed, but we were put in contact with the group’s president, Adriana, by an employee at the restaurant whose bathroom I needed urgently upon arrival. We drove to a barely perceptible opening in the forest, crossed a river on an Indiana Jones style swinging bridge, and walked down a wooded path to get to Adriana’s home. Even though she wasn’t expecting us, Adriana and her husband Gonzalo, gave us a tour and explained the coffee production process. For as much as I love coffee, I don’t think I had ever seen a real coffee plant and certainly had never tried the coffee fruit before! Unfortunately, I had to step away from the tour because I was feeling so ill, but I was kept company by some goats (the three of them at the foot of the bridge gave me Three Billy Goats Gruff vibes) and chickens, and Gonzalo jokingly told Uncle Jeff to tell me to watch out for boa constrictors. After our visit we got lunch, and I was very relieved when we made it back to FBU!

9/10

This Sunday, I had the opportunity to worship with the El Mesías congregation in the Llano Grande community. This church was founded by the Brethren back in the day and while it is now Methodist, they have a community garden sponsored by GFI. My Venezuelan housemate Gilbert preached and after the service I was able to pass on greetings from some former Brethren service workers in Ecuador to church and community matriarch Mercedes Tasiguano (I believe she was the first indigenous woman in the country to graduate with an advanced degree!). She was grateful for the greetings and for the Brethren legacy. Check out this link for some photos and videos of the service. After church, we had a delicious cookout at Alfredo and María Fernanda’s complete with a ginger/mint/strawberry/sprite drink, salchipan (hotdogs), pork, beef, fried bananas, potatoes, salad, and various sauces. We were stuffed by the time we took a bus back to FBU!

9/11

Today we raked fallen leaves and sticks off the sports fields before the Venezuelans, Jeff, and I crammed into a taxi meant for 5 instead of 6 to head to southern Quito to meet up with a group from the Ebenezer COB in Lancaster. Maria and Osvaldo, members at Ebenezer, have a long history of involvement in Ecuador and along with local partners from Quito, the group held a week of vacation bible school in the community of Boliche 1.5 hours south of Quito. We were hosted in the homes of the local partners and were warmly welcomed. It was a blessing to see some familiar faces in the Ebenezer group!

9/12

In the afternoon we left for Boliche in a tourist bus. We decorated the church, which though still under construction, may, God willing, become the COB’s first church plant in the country in some 50 years! This first night of VBS, over 100 kids and parents came, and despite some chaos, the kids learned about the story of the lost sheep, got to sing and do crafts, and left with full bellies. There were even more kids present on following evenings!

9/13

This morning we went back to FBU and did some weeding. I learned about the incredible cabuya plant whose leaves are squeezed for juice and when dried, its fibers can be used for weaving, making rope, and creating a traditional type of shoe. In the evening, after learning how to light the gas oven, I made mac and cheese for the Venezuelans, and they liked it!

9/14

This morning, the Venezuelans and I began a bible study of the book of Acts. We continued weeding and cleaning up the basketball court, which was hard work! I saw my first scorpion :/ Farm employee Vinicio taught me how to use the milking machine—funny how this Lancaster County girl had to go to Ecuador to learn this skill!

9/15

This morning I was honored to attend a community meeting in the neighboring town of Picalqui, where Alfredo floated the idea of me offering English classes for youth. The community members present seemed excited about the idea and will have another meeting to discuss details. On the wall in the meeting hall, there were pictures of FBU and Brethren workers from back in the day!

9/16

This was perhaps my favorite day since arriving in Ecuador! In the morning, Gilbert and Susanne and I took a bus to the touristy town of Otavalo. We saw some picturesque plazas with beautiful old buildings and then met up with the Ebenezer group at the famous Otavalo Market at the Plaza de Ponchos. You can find almost anything at the market! Fernando, trip coordinator for the Ebenezer group, helped me to haggle for two alpaca sweaters (he got them down from $20 each to $14.50 each). I also bought a mug, coin purse, magnet, and bookmark. After the market, we visited the nearby town of Cotocachi that has a spectacular view of the volcano by the same name and is known for its leather goods. My heart was so happy when I got to go to a cute coffee shop and admire some public art. It was a day full of connecting with new friends and feeling like a tourist :)

9/17

Today was restful, and I could reset for whatever the upcoming week has in store.