The Final Days

It’s time for another update!  I arrived at home in Wisconsin yesterday.  I don’t know where the time has gone.  Since my last update I have went to Baños, I have seen more surgeries, I have taken Salsa classes, I had to say goodbye to Shell as well as the hospital and I went to the Equator (Mitad del Mundo).  I have learned more about the Lord and His faithfulness within the past couple weeks, and I have come to embrace the call that the Lord has to go to the world with His Gospel.

A view of the hospital after work. 

I went with my team, Jennifer and DeNise Love to Baños a week and a half ago.  We left for Baños, a neighboring city to Shell, after work on that Friday.  The bus ride took about an hour and a half.  When we arrived we were tired and hungry, so we went out to dinner at a Café called ‘CafeHood’.  Much like CafeHood, Bañosis a hub for American and European travelers so it’s common to hear English being spoken in the markets and in the restaurants that we went to.  I was beginning to feel sick with a cold that night so I went right back to the hotel to sleep after getting dinner.

In front of CafeHood in Baños. 

The next morning we got up, had breakfast at the hotel and then got ready for our canyoning adventure.  We met our guides, Marcos and Enrique, at the Geotours office in Baños at 9am.  We got suited up and drove to our canyoning site.  We began by hiking up a couple hills to get to the first waterfall.  We had a little tutorial about how to repel correctly before embarking out.  I was a little nervous at first, but I felt confident in our guides.  We chose to do the half-day option of canyoning which involved going down four waterfalls which ranged in heights from 10 meters to 30 meters.  It was amazing to see the Lord’s creation in all of its beauty and wonder.  That by far was one of my favorite parts of my time in Ecuador!

Our canyoning group!

After canyoning we went back to the hotel and showered off and had lunch.  We then walked around and went shopping.  It was really fun to see all of the authentic gifts that we could buy.  I was able to buy some gifts for my family which will hopefully give them a unique taste of Ecuador.  After shopping we went to an Italian restaurant for dinner.  By dinner time I was feeling worse than I had earlier that day.  I left dinner early to go back to the hotel to rest and ended up sleeping for ten hours.

Going down the first waterfall.

In the morning I was feeling much better so I went to breakfast and had some journaling and alone time.  It was a perfect morning.  I had bread with jam, eggs, juice and hot coco.  There was salsa music playing in the background and the sun was rising around Baños.  I met up with the rest of my group after breakfast and went shopping with them.  We then packed up our belongings and headed towards the bus station.  On the way there we stopped and bought some empanadas.  The best one was the chocolate and banana empanada.  We then loaded onto the bus and road back to Shell.

We had Bible study with the Fogg Family that night.  It was a powerful Bible study for me because of all of the wonderful reminders of the Lord, His provision and His.  They also urged us to remember to be on mission at home.  Whether we are in the grocery store, church, in Ecuador or in the States we are on mission if we take the Great Commission seriously.  It was wonderful to reflect on why I am in Ecuador.  It isn’t just a trip for me nor is it just an internship.  I want to emphasize more and more that this is an opportunity to see what the Lord is accomplishing in Ecuador, on the mission field.  He has reminded me of living and believing that He is real.  Believing that what I pray for can happen, that the Lord is the Creator of all, and that we are His hands and feet to the people around the world has been some of what I have gained from this opportunity.

Hospital Vozandes del Oriente

We worked our last week in Hospital Vozandes del Oriente.  It was really difficult to say goodbye to a lot of the patients that I was able to get to know over the five weeks that I spent in Shell.  There were a couple women that I met during their pregnancy check-ups that I was able to then see them with their babies after they had given birth.  It’s absolutely incredible to see that kind of progress and to truly get to know people from another country.  One patient that stood out to me during my time at Hospital Vozandes del Oriente was a 60-year-old man named José.  He had severe lesions on both of his legs from his knees down to his ankles.  One of the first weeks that I was in Shell I had the opportunity to treat his legs by wrapping them with something called a uni-boot.  It basically consisted of a couple layers of gauze followed by a covering.  This allowed his legs to heal.  On my last day at the hospital he came in for his final check-up.  I was able to take 30 minutes or so washing his legs and talking with him.  It was so enjoyable to laugh and praise the Lord for the improvement that we had seen.  I might never see him again, yet the Lord used him in a very impactful way in my life.

At my last morning meeting with the doctors at rounds.

The next day we packed up our baggage and said goodbye to our home in Shell.  It was difficult to leave.  If I didn’t have family, friends and school to come back to in the States I think I could have stayed in Shell for a couple more years!  We drove with the Leon’s, DeNise and Jennifer towards Tena.  On the way to Tena we stopped at this beautiful swimming hole called Laguna Azul.  It was a series of waterfalls and huge rocks perfect for sun bathing in the Napo River.  We spent at least three hours exploring, swimming and enjoying the beauty of that place.  We then loaded back onto the bus and headed to Tena.  We were heading to Casa del Suizo, a resort on the Napo River close to Tena.  In order to get there we needed to ride a boat there.  After a fifteen minute ride in a motorized canoe, we arrived at Casa del Suizo.  In the middle of the jungle stood this resort.  It was breathtaking!  We spent the next day and a half relaxing and debriefing from the trip.  I shared the same opinions as my teammates that we wished we would have been able to stay in Shell longer instead of going to a resort.  I am happy to say that I was able to fully experience the jungle when we went to Washinsta instead of experiencing a fabricated, tourist version of the jungle.  Nevertheless I enjoyed my time at Casa del Suizo.

Decorations at Casa del Suizo. 

We got back to our bus two days later and then continued the long voyage to Quito.  When we arrived in Quito I experienced a lot of culture shock.  This was mostly due to the amount of people, cars and how americanized Quito was.  We were able to go to the legendary market and buy any last gifts that we wanted to buy.  We were also able to go to the Equator.  The hardest part of the last couple days was saying goodbye to my team.  I am not sure if I will ever see them again even though we have hopes to have a 20 year reunion back in Shell.  I was incredibly blessed to spend the last six weeks with them.  I wouldn’t have wanted to spend it with any other group!

I landed in Minneapolis last night after having a long day of travel.  I am sad to say, “Goodbye” to Ecuador, so for now I will just say, “See you again soon!”

At the Equator, Mitad del Mundo, before my last day in Ecuador.

Thank you for all of your prayers, support and interest throughout the summer.  I couldn't have done this without you and without the Lord's provision.  I pray that the Lord may encourage you as He has me to go out with His strength and to share True Life with people through the Gospel.

¡Chao Chao!

Un Corazón por Ecuador

I have officially been in Ecuador for one month!  It has been two weeks since I have updated my blog, and the time has flown by!  I have embraced more of the culture here in Ecuador and have grown to love the people here.  I am over half way done with my adventure and am beginning to feel sad about saying goodbye.  The Lord has shown me a lot about service within the past two weeks, and I look forward to sharing it all with you!  

The central parque in Shell.

At the end of the last post I talked about my time in the jungle community, Washinsta.  So I will just pick up where I left off.  After arriving back to Shell from Washinsta I was able to spend a couple hours  of resting and relaxing with the girl interns.  Our guy teammates stayed in Washinsta until the end of the week working on a water project.  We went to a Zumba class that night.  It was a lot of fun!  If you ever get a chance to take a Zumba class, take one in Ecuador!  There are instructors that offer classes every morning and every night for free as an attempt to encourage health and exercise among the population.  After going to that we had a girls’ night filled with homemade pizza and a movie.  On Friday of that week I spent the day in Physical Therapy with Daniela, the physical-therapist at the hospital.  It was a wonderful opportunity to practice my Spanish with her.  I also really enjoyed getting to know her better.  Prior to this trip I hadn’t really considered Physical Therapy as a possible future career, but I enjoyed observing how she treated her patients with stretches, massage and exercises.  

A view of Sangay, a mountain in Ecuador, that is only visible on clear days. 

That night we had Bible study at the Barton’s house, a missionary family who has been here for seven years.  I really enjoyed there hospitality as they led us through Bible verses focused on the question, “What is Poverty?”  We talked a lot about material poverty as well as spiritual poverty.  This was a good time for me to reflect on in what ways I have experienced or seen poverty.  One thing that we have really strived to be conscious of during this internship has been caring for people in a holistic way, making sure to be aware of their spiritual, physical, mental and emotional needs.  Every week we have a Bible Study at a different missionary family’s house.  This is a good opportunity to engage with the missionary families that have been serving here in Ecuador for many years.  It has also been helpful to hear about what ways they felt called to the mission field and how this experience in Ecuador has shown them more of the Lord.

On Saturday we had the opportunity to explore with the Fogg’s, a missionary family that have been here for a year and a half, with a day of hiking around waterfalls and seeing the beauty of Ecuador.  We walked around a couple waterfalls as we made our way to Baños.  I was most amazed by one waterfall that was called Pailón del Diablo.  It was one of the most powerful waterfalls I have ever seen.  We were able to hike up right next to it and in the process we got completely soaked!  It was one single waterfall plunging into a pool or cauldron surrounded by sharp rocks and cliffs.

In front of Pailón del Diablo in Baños, Ecuador. 

After going to Pailón del Diablo, we enjoyed a lunch close by.  We then went to another waterfall and took a cable car across the valley over it.  We had a chance to walk around and see a mandarin orchard as well as a couple avocado trees.  We then took another cable car down to the base of the waterfall.  It was beautiful to walk around the waterfall and to feel the spray from it on my face.  It is truly amazing to see the Lord's creation here in Ecuador.  I love being able to marvel at all of the plant life and natural wonders there are here!

My team and I on the cable car ready to ride over to the waterfall. 

We joined the Fogg's for church on Sunday and were also able to celebrate David's 21st birthday.  We went out to lunch and ice cream, and we then played David's favorite game called "Bang".  On Monday we went back to the hospital to work.  I shadowed Dr. Wolff, a surgeon who has been here in Ecuador for 24 years.  It was wonderful to tap into his wealth of knowledge about medicine, faith and family.  I could tell he loved practicing medicine because whenever I would ask him about surgery his face would light up.  That night after work we went to a fancier restaurant in Puyo, a neighboring city to Shell, for Mark's 21st birthday.  I have really enjoyed getting to know my team and am blessed to know them all.

On Tuesday I joined the other medical interns and the doctors on morning rounds.  We then were able to observe two surgeries.  The first surgery was a thyroidectomy, removal of the thyroid gland, in a young woman from a mountain community.  The surgery went well and she was able to go home after a couple days.  The second surgery was for a woman who had a shallow shoulder joint.  She therefore would frequently dislocate her shoulder.  Dr. Wolff performed the surgery and was able to add a piece of bone to deepen her shoulder joint.  We then were given permission from one of the doctors to practice ultrasounds on each other!  I was able to see my own heart beat.  We were also able to see the kidneys, bladder and pancreas.

Raquel and I scrubbed in for surgery. 

Anna and I excited for our surgeries. 

I was able to shadow Dr. Patton, a visiting doctor that will be here for six months, on Wednesday.  I really enjoyed watching his care and compassion for his patients.  He told me that if you love your patients and love restoring them to good health then you will never work a day in your life.  It is wonderful to observe such a genuine bedside manner.

I have also had the opportunity to do some cooking and baking since I have been here.  I was able to make some homemade pizza one night.  I was also asked to cook a chicken for a Young Life fundraiser last week.  Last night I was able to bake an apple pie for a Hoedown that was hosted by one of the visiting doctors, Dr. Hardin.  

Making homemade pizza for girls' night.  

My first time cooking a whole chicken!

Apple pie time! 

On Thursday I went with Mrs. Barton, a family practitioner who has been here with her family for seven years, to Casa de Fe for the morning.  Anna, Raquel and I helped out with lice treatments for the kids.  I had a tearful moment when I got there and I saw thirty kids rush into the room where we were doing the lice treatment.  I felt as if time stopped for a moment as I thought about how these children didn't have families and didn't have people who loved them.  I felt incredibly burdened for them and wanted to do something for them.  The Lord showed me that all I could do was to pray earnestly for them, for comfort and for love to enter their lives and to care for them even if that meant giving them a lice treatment or combing their hair.

A sign at Casa de Fe reminding the children of the Lord's unconditional love.

We spent another day at Casa de Fe on Friday.  We assisted Dr. Barton on doing physicals on the toddlers and babies.  We had to record their height, weight, respiratory rate, head circumference, pulse and Oxygen saturation.  I really enjoyed doing this.  I enjoyed it mostly because I was able to spend time with the children and also because it gave me a chance to do something practical to help Dr. Barton.  After helping out at Casa de Fe in the morning we went to the hospital for a celebration of a work organization that was started 40 years ago.  The celebration consisted of a parade through Shell led by the Ecuadorian army band, sports and food.  There were four different teams that we competed against: blue, white, orange and yellow.  I enjoyed seeing all of the hospital employees in a different environment and away from the seriousness of the hospital. I am very thankful for all of the hospital employees and for how sweet and carrying they are.  They have been so hospitable and accommodating for us as interns this summer.

Kathryn, me, Anna and Raquel after the parade.

On Saturday we went as a team to Papallacta.  The drive took about three and a half hours from Shell in a van.  It was a beautiful drive there as we followed the road as it curved through the mountains.  I spent the weekend there with my team, Alex, Alfredo and their two kids, Martin, Julia and their two kids, Ruth, Steve and Jennifer.  Alex and Alfredo are both engineers and have been living here for seven years.  Martin and Julia are a short-term mission couple from Germany who will be spending 18 months in Shell.  Ruth and Steve are a couple from England.  Ruth is a writer and Steve is an engineer.  They will be spending 18 months here as well.  Jennifer is our intern coordinator for the summer.  She is a teacher at the Nate Saint School and will be spending one more year here.

We decided to go on a hike once we got there.  Martin, Anna, David and I went hiking above the hot-springs while everyone else went to the hot-springs.  It was easy to feel out of shape and affected by the altitude as we walked since there was such a drastic difference between home, Shell and Papallacta.  To put it into perspective Wisconsin is at 1,000 ft. elevation, Shell is at around 3,000 ft. elevation and Papallacta is at 11,000 ft. elevation.  After a couple hour hike we went to the hot-springs.  It was fabulous.  There were beautiful trees that surrounded the pools and overhung with brilliant flowers.

Anna and I on a hike in the mountains before the hot-springs.

We started our long journey back to Shell from Papallacta on Sunday.  We made breakfast together and then enjoyed a hike around Papallacta.  We were able to explore the town that was nestled in the middle of mountains.  We were also able to watch part of a soccer game!  After having lunch we started our drive back to Shell.  Ten of us loaded into the hospital van, and then Martin, Julia, Alex and the kids drove back in a truck.  It was a beautiful drive for the first hour and a half.  We then began experiencing some difficulties when the van broke down.  We quickly realized after a couple minutes of trying to figure out what was going on that it wasn't going to start back up again.  After trying to flag down a couple cars and buses, we finally were able to flag down a bus to Tena.  It took us an hour and a half to get to Tena and then we had to wait for an hour before we were able to get a bus to Puyo.  We then had to get a taxi to Shell.  Our estimated time of travel went from three hours to eight hours!

Enjoying the beauty of Papallacta. 

A church in the foothills of Papallacta. 

I have spent the past couple days in the hospital.  I was able to watch a couple surgeries including a hernia repair on a man, a hernia repair on a baby and a lipoma removal on a woman.  All of the doctors here have been so wonderful in helping me in my journey of medicine so far.  I have really appreciated all of their honesty and knowledge on how to care for people in a holistic way.

Dr. Barton is an anesthesiologist from Texas who has been here for seven years with his wife and four children.  Dr. Allison is a family practitioner from Nebraska who has been here a year with his wife and four children.  He will be leaving for the States in two weeks.  Dr. Wolff is a orthopedic surgeon from Germany who has been living and serving here for 24 years with his wife.  Dr. Graham is a general surgeon from the Texas who has been here with his family for nine years.  Dr. Patton is a family practitioner from the West Virginia for six months with his wife.  Dr. Hardin is a family practitioner who just arrived here from Texas and will be staying for two weeks.  All of the Ecuadorian residents, doctors, nurses and hospital employees have also been so hospital and genuine for us during our internship thus far.

I look forward to what the next two weeks hold before I embark back to the States.  I have already learned gained an abundance of knowledge about missions, the Lord and medicine.  I am excited to continue to keep you all updated.  Thank you for all of your prayers!