Three hours after boarding the plane was ready and we took off, it had become a beautiful, sunny morning. The Andes' mountain range grandeur swept beneath us and it was dizzying to me. I have never seen mountains like this - huge, yet rolling, green and lush to the very top, carefully planted fields in every nook and cranny. Our team members had seats assigned close together, though we each were lost in our own thoughts of good-bye's and what's ahead. Due to this delay in take-off Dave and I missed our connection in Houston. While waiting for our flight we enjoyed a burger and fries - tasted awfully good. Then home to Detroit where Glenn and Bekah picked us up and we finally arrived home about 10:00 pm, where we were greeted by our daughter Tina, her little dog Oliver, and three very relieved cats.Even though there was snow it did not feel very cold to me, guess I really am carrying some warmth from the beaches of Ecuador with me. I woke in the middle of the night feeling disorientated and had to think hard about where I was, our home, where we raised our kids, where we would stay again, I felt more like I was in a hotel room, needing to move on. Guess that will settle again soon. There's lots to process from this adventure and it probably will happen for some time to come. Today, my main aim was to work my way through a mountain of laundry, get some groceries into the house and find each item I brought it's assigned space again. There are so many things I'm grateful for, a list of God moments a mile long, as well as embarrassing moments, like wanting to become an ostrich and sticking my head in the sand throughout our long bus ride over the mountain pass from the beach (Ann helped with this by hanging a towel at the edge of my seat to cover up the view for me - I just found it unsettling). At a debrief meeting the night we arrived back in Quito Jenell asked how the whole trip had affected us, what had we learned, what were some highlights, how had God spoken to us in it all? Those are the things I will yet process for a while, but one thing is clear, God was speaking to me about my fears - how do I handle them? do I trust him with my 'whatever' circumstances? As Ann, one of my team members, said - we all have to learn to "let it go" in whatever areas we're struggling and we need to know that God can handle it and let him.
So for today I'll close. Tonight I get to meet with friends and worship God together at Lighthouse. And I realize that I continue to be enriched as God keeps adding more wonderful friends in my life, such as the team these past two weeks and I am so grateful for Andy & Jenell, Paul & Joan, Cornelius & Ann, Bev, Julie, Logan, Eva, Les & Elnise, and Fernando, as well as the many Quichua men, women and children who have left a mark on my heart. It has been such a privilege to be on this journey together for a short while. Thank you all!!!
The sky was overcast and gray but before breakfast the sky had turned blue again. After breakfast Trudy and I had one last walk on the beach and swim in the pool soaked up as much sun as we could before we all climbed in the bus to return to Quito. The trip back was good for most of the time but as we got closer and closer to Quito traveling up and up we were in and out of the clouds and then just as we got to Quito the skies opened up and rain started falling again.
I am not sure if it was falling, Quito is so far up in altitude that the rain maybe didn’t know whether it was to fall or go up. Anyway it was wet out there. The ride in the bus over 6 hours of driving was long and windy with the bus swaying back and forth as we went around turn after turn, not the most comfortable ride. I turned around to talk with someone for a couple of minutes and before I knew it my head was spinning and the head ache didn’t leave till the next morning. 
I didn’t have a great night. Whatever I have is hanging on. After waking with a coffee and the Lord and watching the sun come up I went outside to a gorgeous day. Blue sky (I did say blue). It’s the best beginning to a day so far here in Ecuador.
Everyone kicked back and spent time at the beach in the morning, relaxing whatever that meant reading, swimming, or sleeping whatever. Some of us drove down the coast a bit for lunch on the beach. It’s a gorgeous day. Bev’s 50th birthday was today so we had a time of celebration with her and enjoyed some wine and cake. We tried to find some ice cream but could only find the prepackaged ice cream sandwiches. 
Then it was off to the beach again. Everyone was trying some body surf boards. At the end Trudy and I tried them out. After a while we found ourselves out further than we wanted to be and it took some effort to get back in (more effort then we really wanted to spend). At 6pm we were off to town again for supper and one last shop. It seems to me that a lot of time was spent each day eating and it was more food then my body needed but it was fun. 
Decisions were difficult – pool? Ocean? Beach? Pool? Swim? Sun? Read? Swim? The decisions were too difficult for some of us so we did nothing.
The guys just hung out down town for a while or went back to the hotel and relaxed. I went to an internet café and updated the blog. All of us who stayed in town took a taxi back to the hotel. These taxis are motorcycles with a bench seat on the front and a canvas roof. They cost us a whole dollar to travel back to the hotel. You couldn’t have more fun on a ride at the Carnival .
Dinner was at a restaurant on the board walk again, enjoying the local fair and a slower life before we go back to our busyness at home.
People were on the beach early walking, running, two were in swimming and some locals started setting up for breakfast at some cabanas just up the beach.
For lunch we decided to walk to town and found a very nice restaurant. We had to spend some time though at a souvenir market under a roof waiting for some rain to stop before we could return to our hotel. All afternoon was on again off again rain but while it wasn’t raining the sun was bright and it felt very good.
We spent a very special final day with them on Thursday. (originally we were going to work up there on Friday morning as well, but got as much done as we could, and the rains made the roads more and more difficult to access). We managed our way up the slippery slope of mud to the top where the Tres Lote Church was located. For the first time all week I was able to make it up without having to stop for breath ! We continued working on rebars – Logan was surrounded by 5 – 6 children and a very attentive little dog. He was able to communicate very well with them through body language and many encouraging smiles. He was bending the connecting pieces for the rebars. The rest of us were wiring them onto the long bars with the help of a number of Quechua men and women. Eva and Julie kept all of us well supplied with the prickly wires and lots of encouraging comments and smiles. Eva dubbed the way we had to twist the wires “Jesus Cross loop” (? I think) 
Then our 5 team members performed two songs with puppets. I’m told the children followed with wide eyes and much enjoyment (I was behind the curtain – enjoying ever moment of it!) Dave had prepared two rope tricks and with Andy as a translator they fascinated and amazed the children and emphasized God’s love for them in yet another way. Then they all received crayons and a page from a coloring book and every last one turned around and on their knees so they could color on the bench they’d been sitting on. Even some of the moms quite intently colored a page. We were amazed at how even the youngest ones stayed within the lines and did just an awesome job. They all very proudly took their papers home afterward. Babies were being nursed and everyone seemed quite content. Dave and I went around with a puppet on our hand shaking the children’s hands and saying “Buenos Dias” and they seemed delighted. We finished our part of the program with a couple of choruses – and then it was their turn. 
They had prepared some special things for us! Their constant gratitude and appreciation was overwhelming, I was choking down tears from then on for the rest of the afternoon, at times not very successfully. A group of young girls performed a dance for us – the cd messed up in the middle so the teacher started them all over and patiently they did it all again. A group of children with the help of a teacher had made a picture frame for each of us with a heart cut out of the center so we might remember them. WHO COULD EVER FORGET??? 
Saturday night we went for dinner along the boardwalk and the beach and it was a “happening” place. Loud, party atmosphere, music blaring, horns honking, people speaking loudly with each other, little taxis (motorcycles pushing a bench seat ahead of them with a little canopy roof above it) were winding their way in an out of the crowd. We sat at an upper floor of a restaurant overlooking the street and taking it all in. Latin Americans throb with rhythm. We’re all trying different seafood as it is plentiful and fresh around here – though last night we began to wonder if they were still out catching it after it was ordered – it took a long time to come to the table. Everything is served with rice, one can also have fries, or those delicious platanos, a type of green banana, sliced an deep fried. Diet Coke is my drink of choice on the coast as we’ve been told not to trust fruit juice here. (you’d be right at home with this, wouldn’t you, Tina?!)
When we came back we enjoyed the pool and some games of “Mexican Train” – Dave was learning on the first game and then proceeded to win 4 out of 6 games. I left after the 3rd game. Sometimes one has to know when to quit. Last night Eva brought out an interesting game called Sequence. It’s a type of card game – I just might have to find it when I get home
It’s a six plus hour trip down the mountains. I think everyone is tired cause as we traveled all of us (except Fernando our driver) had some shut eye. As we traveled the windy roads down the mountains, the scenery began to change. There was a lot more trees and taller vegetation. We began to see palms and banana plants and the dress of the people became more and more western. The creeks became bigger and turned into rivers. Then I looked up and there on the horizon was the Ocean.
We arrived at our home for the next few days (our Hotel Rogers) on the southern outskirts of Atacomes. We are staying in the main building a big old looking mansion of a house with rooms everywhere, a nice outdoor pool and the ocean less then 100 yards away. After finding our rooms Trudy headed for the ocean and found the rest there. 