I was watching a beloved movie Sunday, Waitress, and heard the following quote:
“I could find the whole meaning of life in those sad eyes”
It reminded me of Ecuador. One of the most amazing things about my having been to Ecuador is that I get to look into many eyes. I love eyes. Eyes are the very part of the body that can decipher more about you than anything else. In the week and a half that I was in Ecuador, I looked into more eyes at one time than I ever thought possible. And found meaning. I found meaning, in looking into their eyes and wondering about their story that backs up those eyes. You can tell half of someone’s story if you look into their eyes. As those kids looked up at me, I could feel the hurt and the frustration of their lives pour into me, not to drag me down, but to tell the stories that I’ve been sent home with.
The greatest thing that I can tell you about Ecuador is summed up pretty much, in one word: Flood. You know in The Lion King, where Scar sends Simba to this deserted canyon-like environment and all of a sudden like the gazelles or something like that, they just pour, out of nowhere, down the mountain? That’s what I’m talking about. It is just a rush, a wave of change that thunders through everything. Going to Ecuador again was one of the smartest decisions I’ve ever made. Seriously. Taking icy showers, going up this ‘suicide mountain’ so to speak, exhausting myself more than I’ve ever been exhausted, challenging myself, and going to a place where I can’t flush toilet paper is part of the best decision I’ve ever made? Yep. I wouldn’t have changed a day or even a second of it. What was also part of the best decision I’ve ever made is those smiles, those eyes, the hugs, the joy, the laughter, hunger, thirst for God, and excitement. We went into the villiage, and they’ll never be the same. The change was so radical, it was through only a flood. We got there the first day, and got outta our bus and started playin around, throwing Frisbees, and on the top of this mountain, there were so many children, a school, that was just up there. And suddenly, a flood of children came running down the mountain to play with us. It was just a flood. It was so quick, so swift and so fluid, there’s not another word for it. I looked up, and these colorful little people were just running.
When is the last time we ran like that to God? Watching that sight, I was immediately convicted, because there’s nothing that I’ve ever ran to God with in that fashion. Running, sprinting really, but running to my full capacity, straight to God with whatever it is that is burdening me.
As they surrounded me, they looked up to me, and I saw their eyes. Dark, like darkest and blackest chocolate you’ve ever seen. Shiny with the joy that they can’t contain over the fact that I’m here. Dirty and filthy, but somehow, in my eyes, I can’t find anything but pure beauty. The Quitchuas are a very beautiful people They’re so petite and so cute in a way, that they just radiate their beauty. I couldn’t help but think how lucky I was, at that moment in time. I’ve never seen such a beauty in a person, inside and out. Don’t get me wrong. I am completely surrounded by absolutely gorgeous people, inside and out! I can’t think of anyone that I associate with that is ugly either inside or out. But at that moment, I realized, I’m going to be one of the only people that ever gets to see their beauty. I’m gonna get to be one of the only people that gets to go out and tell the world of the Quitchuas, and what they have done for me. I was instantly humbled. No one else on this earth will probably ever go back to that village. No one else on this earth will ride up and down suicide mountain on an entirely too large bus. No one else on this earth will probably ever get to see their beauty as a people. It saddened me. In the age of great interconnectedness….these people don’t even have a phone. And these are the people that the rest of the world needs to see.
I feel such a great intense almost cosmic love for the Quitchua people. This love is more than I can muster out of myself ordinarily. I think God sometimes declares that we’re going to love something or someone, and it’s his love that we love those people and things with. I have a huge intense love for the Quitchua people, more than most people, not all, but most. I can feel the love radiate in every single thing that I do when I’m there, and how my heart aches to be there when I am here. Don’t get me wrong, life in America is great, and my education is wonderful, but there is definitely an ache inside of me that longs to be there.
If I ever master Spanish, I’ve decided that one of the things I’m going to do is to learn the native language of the people, Quitchua. The only way to learn Quitchua is to learn Spanish first. That way I can talk to them, hear their stories, the story behind those sad, deep eyes. That way I can invest some time in them when no time is normally invested. This is a culture that doesn’t understand just hanging out, one on one, with quality time for each other. I want to do that for them. That would mean so much. I want to go, sit down with them, hear their story and not say a word until it’s over and done, give them a hug, thank them and then move on to the next person.
I’m going back next summer. I’m going back because I feel a definite call. Over the year, I’ll be saving up my money, and if you ever want to help support my ministry in Ecuador, I’m sure that I’ll appreciate it! Next time, I will most likely going back to Guayquil, Ecuador and I think this time it will be a huge event. If you want to go with me, then talk to me, and we’ll see if my church will approve you. I would love to have you go with me, but I wouldn’t mind going alone! But I’m going back, and I can’t wait to see those eyes. Eyes are meaningful to me, they speak words that can’t be spoken. One of the people I’m closest to, I’m closer to her because she is such a good eye communicator. But that’s another story. I cannot wait to see those eyes again, when I’m in Ecuador, I find the meaning to my whole life and my whole existence inside those sad eyes. It’s crazy, but I really could. I find meaning in Ecuador, in my life that I can’t find anyone else. And I am so thankful for that.
Each day, I am sure to thank God for a few things, my friends, salvation and Ecuador. Sometimes it’s first, and sometimes it’s not, but it’s always on the list to thank God for.
“I could find the whole meaning of life in those sad eyes”
It reminded me of Ecuador. One of the most amazing things about my having been to Ecuador is that I get to look into many eyes. I love eyes. Eyes are the very part of the body that can decipher more about you than anything else. In the week and a half that I was in Ecuador, I looked into more eyes at one time than I ever thought possible. And found meaning. I found meaning, in looking into their eyes and wondering about their story that backs up those eyes. You can tell half of someone’s story if you look into their eyes. As those kids looked up at me, I could feel the hurt and the frustration of their lives pour into me, not to drag me down, but to tell the stories that I’ve been sent home with.
The greatest thing that I can tell you about Ecuador is summed up pretty much, in one word: Flood. You know in The Lion King, where Scar sends Simba to this deserted canyon-like environment and all of a sudden like the gazelles or something like that, they just pour, out of nowhere, down the mountain? That’s what I’m talking about. It is just a rush, a wave of change that thunders through everything. Going to Ecuador again was one of the smartest decisions I’ve ever made. Seriously. Taking icy showers, going up this ‘suicide mountain’ so to speak, exhausting myself more than I’ve ever been exhausted, challenging myself, and going to a place where I can’t flush toilet paper is part of the best decision I’ve ever made? Yep. I wouldn’t have changed a day or even a second of it. What was also part of the best decision I’ve ever made is those smiles, those eyes, the hugs, the joy, the laughter, hunger, thirst for God, and excitement. We went into the villiage, and they’ll never be the same. The change was so radical, it was through only a flood. We got there the first day, and got outta our bus and started playin around, throwing Frisbees, and on the top of this mountain, there were so many children, a school, that was just up there. And suddenly, a flood of children came running down the mountain to play with us. It was just a flood. It was so quick, so swift and so fluid, there’s not another word for it. I looked up, and these colorful little people were just running.
When is the last time we ran like that to God? Watching that sight, I was immediately convicted, because there’s nothing that I’ve ever ran to God with in that fashion. Running, sprinting really, but running to my full capacity, straight to God with whatever it is that is burdening me.
As they surrounded me, they looked up to me, and I saw their eyes. Dark, like darkest and blackest chocolate you’ve ever seen. Shiny with the joy that they can’t contain over the fact that I’m here. Dirty and filthy, but somehow, in my eyes, I can’t find anything but pure beauty. The Quitchuas are a very beautiful people They’re so petite and so cute in a way, that they just radiate their beauty. I couldn’t help but think how lucky I was, at that moment in time. I’ve never seen such a beauty in a person, inside and out. Don’t get me wrong. I am completely surrounded by absolutely gorgeous people, inside and out! I can’t think of anyone that I associate with that is ugly either inside or out. But at that moment, I realized, I’m going to be one of the only people that ever gets to see their beauty. I’m gonna get to be one of the only people that gets to go out and tell the world of the Quitchuas, and what they have done for me. I was instantly humbled. No one else on this earth will probably ever go back to that village. No one else on this earth will ride up and down suicide mountain on an entirely too large bus. No one else on this earth will probably ever get to see their beauty as a people. It saddened me. In the age of great interconnectedness….these people don’t even have a phone. And these are the people that the rest of the world needs to see.
I feel such a great intense almost cosmic love for the Quitchua people. This love is more than I can muster out of myself ordinarily. I think God sometimes declares that we’re going to love something or someone, and it’s his love that we love those people and things with. I have a huge intense love for the Quitchua people, more than most people, not all, but most. I can feel the love radiate in every single thing that I do when I’m there, and how my heart aches to be there when I am here. Don’t get me wrong, life in America is great, and my education is wonderful, but there is definitely an ache inside of me that longs to be there.
If I ever master Spanish, I’ve decided that one of the things I’m going to do is to learn the native language of the people, Quitchua. The only way to learn Quitchua is to learn Spanish first. That way I can talk to them, hear their stories, the story behind those sad, deep eyes. That way I can invest some time in them when no time is normally invested. This is a culture that doesn’t understand just hanging out, one on one, with quality time for each other. I want to do that for them. That would mean so much. I want to go, sit down with them, hear their story and not say a word until it’s over and done, give them a hug, thank them and then move on to the next person.
I’m going back next summer. I’m going back because I feel a definite call. Over the year, I’ll be saving up my money, and if you ever want to help support my ministry in Ecuador, I’m sure that I’ll appreciate it! Next time, I will most likely going back to Guayquil, Ecuador and I think this time it will be a huge event. If you want to go with me, then talk to me, and we’ll see if my church will approve you. I would love to have you go with me, but I wouldn’t mind going alone! But I’m going back, and I can’t wait to see those eyes. Eyes are meaningful to me, they speak words that can’t be spoken. One of the people I’m closest to, I’m closer to her because she is such a good eye communicator. But that’s another story. I cannot wait to see those eyes again, when I’m in Ecuador, I find the meaning to my whole life and my whole existence inside those sad eyes. It’s crazy, but I really could. I find meaning in Ecuador, in my life that I can’t find anyone else. And I am so thankful for that.
Each day, I am sure to thank God for a few things, my friends, salvation and Ecuador. Sometimes it’s first, and sometimes it’s not, but it’s always on the list to thank God for.
