Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Ecuador Post Part 1





NOTE: FYI THIS WAS WRITTEN SEVERAL DAYS AGO.

ON MY WAY TO ECUADOR!!!

Unfortunately, I've been too busy to post the big news, but here I am on the plane telling you now that I am on my way to Ecuador with my dad! We're going on a mission trip with Compassion International and Stadia (an amazing church planting organization) to visit the churches they planted and the children they rescued last year. And, believe it or not, Wes Stafford, the president of Compassion is coming with us! This is a nationwide trip that many pastors (and their kids) from all over America are going on. I looked at my trip info and there's people from Nevada, Arizona, California, Ohio and all kinds of states coming.

When we got to the Akron/Canton airport, we checked our bags in and waited for the plane. While we were waiting we got acquainted with two of the people going with us. Greg Nettle, the pastor from a church that we planted called Rivertree and his daughter Tabitha. We chatted and got to know each other a little more while the plane was being repaired.

I happen to be wearing a just-below knee-length skirt and ballet flats on the lower half of me and it just happened to snow today! Bizarre! It hasn't snowed all winter (very strange) and the day we decide to take-off, it drops like three inches! So, as I was crossing the bridge from the “portal” to the plane, the wind picked up and was whipping the skirt around my legs and I was using my purse to keep it contained. When I made it to the plane, the stewardess (who looks like Aibileen from the Help) said, “Whoo, girl! You wearin' that skirt with no pantyhose and those little flat shoes! You makin' me cold!” I smiled. She seems very nice, like someone I would be friends with, so I prayed for her.
We're about half way through our first flight from Akron, OH to Atlanta, GA. It's an hour and a half flight and we were delayed, thank God! There is a 5 hour layover in Atlanta and with our delay, it's cut down to something like three hours, I think. From there, it's 5 hours to Quito, the capital city in Ecuador. We'll arrive some time around 11 or midnight. The crazy thing is that Ecuador is in the same time zone as Ohio! Isn't that bizarre?! Look it up!

Daddy and I are sitting in the very back of the plane by the lavatory and the engines. I guess we got the cheap seats this time :). The stewardesses just passed out puny peanuts and drinks. I took a zero-cal water poured into a coca-cola stamped plastic cup from a goliath-sized water bottle. Why don't they just give me the whole thing? I'll drink it all and take it as a souvenir!

Speaking of souvenirs, yesterday, I went around and asked all my siblings what they wanted me to bring back for them from Ecuador and I got a lot of different responses: Max wants an ancient artifact (which unfortunately, is illegal to take), Moses wants some LEGOs, Mirial wants “jools” (you LOTR fans will know what I mean), Matthew wants a sword and so on. But get this, Marley asked for me to bring her an ancient rock and some leaves and also...wait for it...bottled air. I laughed and promised her a rock, a leaf and some air. So, I'm going to ask the stewardess Aibileen for the bottle and bring Marley back and extra-large bottle of air!

ATLANTA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
Jan. 2, 2011 3:27 PM

I'm waiting here to board our second plane to Quito. The time is passing slowly, so I'll share what has happened since my last “entry”.
After we got off the last plane and were waiting for our checked luggage, I had the opportunity to talk with a little girl. She looked to be seven or eight years old and she was waiting with her mom who was also waiting for her luggage. I saw that she was holding an American Girl doll, and dolls, especially American Girls, being a subject of which I am exceptionally knowledgeable, I commented, “I like your doll. What's her name?”
“Rebecca” she replied.
“Oh! I remember, she's from 1914, isn't she?”
“Yeah.”
“I have an American Girl doll, too. Her name is Kaya.”
“Oh, yeah! She's the...um...”
“Indian doll.”
“Yeah! Doesn't she have a horse?.”
“Mhm, but I don't have the horse.”
“Rebecca doesn't have a horse...”
“But she has cats, doesn't she?”
“I think you're right!”
The conversation went on and I sat by her while her mom was picking up their bags. I asked if she had any brothers or sisters, and when she told me that she has two brothers, I told her that I had four brothers and three sisters. I was impressed at how quickly she did her math and determined that I had seven siblings and that there were eight kids in all. “Wow, busy parents.” A mom nearby commented. A moment later, I said goodbye, but after we were in the terminal, she came up and thanked me for watching her and talking to her. I wanted to scoop her up and kiss her because she reminded me of my Mirial, but of course, I couldn't, so I just smiled and told her that I had a nice time, then waved goodbye. I'll never see her again, but I will never forget her and always keep her in my prayers.
Well, we still had plenty of time to eat lunch and get to the gate in time, so we took a train to our gate (which was on the complete other side of the building) and walked around until we found a good restaurant. And it was GREAT! It's called Nathan's Famous (www.nathansfamous.com). I had a Philly Cheese Steak with bell peppers and mushrooms OMP (oh my pie)! It was really good! It came with a medium fry and a bottled water. If you can locate a store, get there and see for yourself.
Daddy eating his Nathan's. Isn't he handsome? Tired, though.
"Nathan's Famous" logo.
After a quick chat with Marley on the phone over a Starbucks Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate (Please try it, I know it sounds weird, but it's awesome!), we headed to gate T4 and here we are. It's about 4:00 and we're waiting for our flight which departs at 5:30. I am writing this post down in a document file and will copy and paste it later into a post, once we find some internet usage! It's not working here!












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