Fresh Air!

There is nothing more refreshing and spirits brightening than spending a day outside in the sun! I spent the weekend outside in some of the beautiful parks here in Quito, and I feel so happy and refreshed (albeit a little sunburned). On Saturday morning, I went with Audrey with my first grade boys and her 2nd-4th graders to Parque Itchimbia. It is right up the hill from the La Marin Center, so we just walked up with our nine boys who showed up and played for a couple hours. The view from Parque Itchimbia is breath taking - you can see all of the city, but also at certain points you can’t see any of the city and only the mountains that surround the city. Quito is right in the middle of the two large mountain ranges, so it a very long city but not that wide and you can see the mountains from any part. After running around and going to a couple of the playgrounds and playing soccer, we bought ice cream for the boys and went back to the Center in time for lunch. They are so darn cute…and there is nothing better than hearing them yell “teacher or Taylor” and then running over for a big hug! Then Audrey and I went over to Dr. Giuliana’s house for lunch where we also met up with Jess and Jenny. Dr. Giuliana is in charge of the medical department at the Working Boys’ Center, and she invited all of us that work in special ed over. It was nice and really good food, but by the time we got home I was exhausted. I had a ‘crazy’ night of playing Trivia Pursuit with some of the guys before heading to bed!

On Sunday mornings I have been going to an outdoor aerobics class and then an aerobics/dance class in Parque Carolina. It’s a fun way to get outside and work out, as well as get some great people watching in! The park is always packed on Sundays. I decided it would be fun for my high school girls to experience the dance class too. So eight of my students met me at the Center, and then we all headed over to the park for the dance class. It was cute as they were trying to follow along (it can be really hard) and then getting embarrassed to do some of the moves! I especially loved watching my shyest student, Gladys, barely moving at all at first to very awkwardly trying to keep up. She was smiling the whole time though, so that’s all that matters! Then we had a picnic lunch and “played Carnaval.” Let me explain… Carnaval is the equivalent to Mardi Gras, celebrated the weekend of Fat Tuesday (or the beginning of Lent). It is a huge party here. People throw water (or even eggs and flour too) and spray ‘carioca’ (kind of like shaving cream) at their friends and random people in celebration. Well, although Carnaval isn’t for 2 more weeks, people are already starting to play. So my girls bought some carioca (and I bought one for retaliation!) that we emptied on each other throughout the afternoon. Then they were also filling up water bottles in this little man made river to soak one another. It was so much fun! We needed to lay out for a little while after though in order to be dry enough to be allowed on the bus! It was such a great day with my girls, and fun to not have to be strict with them but just have fun and hang out.

Thank the Lord for sun and children - both of which make me so happy and keep me smiling!

“We can do no great things, only small things done with great love” (Mother Teresa)

(Maybe days like this past weekend are simply why I’m here? And, honestly, they’re worth it!)

Why am I here?

Now maybe you are thinking, Taylor, you have been in Ecuador over 5 months now and you still don’t why you are there? Well, yes that is partially true. But that is why I have faith. I have faith that God has me here for a reason, but quite honesty that reason hasn’t exactly just hit me over the head or anything. I feel that I do need to be conscious of the ways in which I am developing and growing, but also simply have faith that in the end God does have a plan me for this year and onward.

To start, why did I come here in the first place?

I came because I really felt called/ felt right about returning to this lovely country that has given me so much joy and wonderful memories. The spring of 2008 was maybe the best 5 months of my life…I came into study abroad totally unsure what to expect, very nervous, but excited to immerse myself into a totally new place. I lived with an amazing family (that I still see about monthly), met great friends, and felt so free being adventurous, traveling all over the country. During study abroad, I also worked here at the Working Boys’ Center 3 mornings a week in special ed, which I also enjoyed as everyday I felt so loved just showing up. After leaving Ecuador, I spent 3 months in Juarez, Mexico and then returned to Madison. All along really feeling a strong passion to serve under privileged youth in our own country. I truly feel that there is such a great need within our own neighborhoods, and there is such great opportunity surrounding a lot of American youth although so many factors beyond their control pulling them down exist too. Okay, from that side note though, why again did I come to Ecuador if I am passionate about serving our neighborhood youth? After all, the Bible does say to serve your neighbor. Well, last spring I started praying about it a lot as I was really considering what I would do after I graduated. I had all plans to get a paying job and was applying for jobs and doing interviews, but then all of the sudden it started coming up over and over in my prayers to return to Ecuador. I thought I was crazy though, until I finally mentioned this to my mom. To my great surprise, she responded that this idea of going to Ecuador just felt right to her as well. When she said that, I really took volunteering here seriously and looked more into it. I decided that I would stop volunteering at the Boys and Girls Club and (finally) become staff for the summer to make money until I would leave for Quito in August. So I reconciled the idea that as the Lord talks about our neighbors, he doesn’t just mean Americans, but also he means the neighbors, the people that poured into me during study abroad, that are in Ecuador. And I arrived in Ecuador, ready to start fresh again.

Second, what am I questioning?

I question constantly if am I really doing the best that I can do and showing the love of Jesus to my community. For one, although I speak decent Spanish, it is definitely a lot more difficult to have a serious conversation in my second language. As I have become closer to Ecuadorians, I have tried to explain my values, understand their values, and I feel like I am succeeding partially, but also I don’t know how much gets lost in translation. In addition, I am finding language is one thing, but culture is another thing. I understand more or less most of what is said now, but I am still very often times confused. I get frustrated about things that I probably shouldn’t take personally, and in addition know that I often times act in a culturally insensitive way. God definitely works through our human imperfections though! I also work and live in a Catholic community in which often times I don’t feel completely spiritually filled, but am also growing in knowing that we all love and worship the same God and Jesus Christ. Finally, I am teaching most of the day. What? I am a teacher. Well I don’t know if this is exactly my calling. I want so much for my students to succeed and to understand what I am teaching, but I feel that I often times let them down. After 18 years of schooling, I’ve had plenty of teachers that I know what kind of things that I enjoyed and what things drove me crazy. I know I can be that boring teacher, I wish I were more animated, I wish I knew how to integrate “real life” (why does this matter?) in my classes more. I definitely need to rely on God to reach my students in my weakness. It is hard for me to completely let go, however, and often I still try to go on and do it on my own. I also want to continue to grow in my relationships with the volunteer community. I am still having trouble knowing how to best serve and be Christ to each one of them. It has been hard having some trouble connecting with the group that I am also the closest too, but I pray for strength to not give up.

So, why am I here?

I am here to be Christ’s servant. I am here because beyond my plans, I am presented daily ways to be Christ to those around me. As well as being a witness to God’s love and protection for me as His daughter. I am here because when I get 20 hugs as I enter La Marin at night or hear my teenagers and 1st graders yell my name, I feel loved in a way I’ve never felt before. I am here because I trust that God will grow me here in Ecuador to serve my community wherever I go next. I am here because when I feel weak, I have no choice but to trust that God will make things happen. I am here to learn, to experience life, to live life to it’s fullest and give it everything I’ve got. I am going to question, because that’s just the way I am, but I hope to continue to find peace as well. I am here as a part of my life, not as an in between or a time of “not knowing what I am doing with my life.” This IS my “real life,” and I can’t wait to see how the Lord continues to work in me and through me as I continue on.

Thank you all for your prayers and support through this journey of mine. Life is great!

<3 Taylor

Ñaño’s Visit

So my ñaño is my brother, Brennan. I have called him Ñaño since I studied abroad in the Spring of 2008. My host family always would ask me about my Ñaño, so when I got home I started always calling him that. Anyway, after anxiously anticipating his arrival all holiday season, Sunday night, December 27th at 1:30am, Bren began his Ecuadorian adventure.

Brennan slept in late on Monday and then we eventually got up and went over to la Mitad del Mundo…the equator monument museum. We went to the “real equator” museum, which was my first time so it was interesting and cool. They do a bunch of demonstrations and such which is fun. Then we went to the mall, bought bus tickets, and by midnight we were on the bus to the beach! Of course Bren was really excited about this one, but hey, you’ve got to relish every moment. By 6:30am we were taking a nap in the hostel and then heading out to Atacames beach. Brennan, Laura, and I mainly just enjoyed hanging out on the beach, drinking lots of batidos (fruit milkshakes), and dancing the night away! Oh and playing lots of Cuarenta (Forty), an awesome Ecuadorian card game.

After 2 full days on the beach, we took another over night bus back to Quito in order to ring in the New Year here! Once again we napped for the morning then ventured out to the movie store to by some pirated films before heading over to a friend, Cristina Gomez’s house. We took a couple buses and got to see a lot of the city with all the viudas (men dressed up as women begging for money - it’s tradition here) and all the dolls ready to be burned for later. (A lot of people make stuffed dolls representing some person or thing that the doll’s owner wants to forget about or burn away to start fresh the New Year. Then at midnight there are big bonfires of the dolls in the streets.) Anyway, we got to the Gomez’s just in time to have dinner and have a couple drinks. Then we all went down to the center of their neighborhood in the South of Quito to dance and hang out. At midnight, all the dolls were burned and everyone tried to eat 12 grapes in 12 seconds for good luck….I took pictures of it all instead and only got 3 grapes down! We ended up staying out dancing until around 3am - all of us “kids,” but also Mr. and Mrs. Gomez (he’s one of the original working boys and a director at the CMT) and also Cristina’s grandpa! It was a lot of fun. We then all crashed in their house for the night and got up and left as soon as buses were going again.

With only a week to travel, Brennan and I were off again. Right from the Gomez’s we headed to the bus station in order to catch a bus to Baños. Being January 1st, a lot of buses weren’t running so we had to go through another town and then join this group of people begging a bus to take us to Baños. Despite the bit of difficulty and being exhausted, Ñaño and I made it there for $3.50 by 3:30pm and with no big problems. We were starving though as we still hadn’t eaten all day, so we dropped off our stuff at the hostel and got food. Not wanting to miss anything, we also did the hike up to the Virgin of Agua Santa and then Brennan joined in on some basketball in the park for a little while. Needless to say we were very tired by the end of the day though, so we went to a bar for a little while to see the end of the Rose Bowl and then were in bed by about 10pm!

Saturday we rode bikes to the waterfalls…my third time this year, but still so enjoyable! It is absolutely gorgeous, and with Bren we stopped at every waterfall to get a picture! At Machay, a huge waterfall, we both got totally soaked, but it was so worth it and so cool. We got home exhausted and then took showers and took our time getting ready to go. Then we had an amazing steak dinner at this cute French restaurant, that I also went to with Mom and Dad, and once again heading home to play some cards. Another action packed day and a quiet night, followed by another morning where we got up to do another hike up the cross before heading home. (We definitely got out exercise in!) The bus ride home was smooth with great scenery, not a cloud in the sky so we could see the snow covered mountains!

Monday morning school started back up again and now with Brennan here to experience it all. Brennan didn’t skip out on a class in his week and a half of shadowing, so I was pretty impressed. We had especially fun with the little guys in La Marin. Brennan made a “mejor amigo” (best friend) in a week with a 5 year old named Oscar. I don’t think Oscar will stop asking about him for a while. So adorable (see picture on the side). Brennan also loved the bakery classes and made some more amigos there. I really love these adults a lot too; they are so genuine and nice to talk with. We’ve also had students from Le Moyne College in New York and Loyola Marymount University in California visiting here all week, so a lot of them have been shadowing me around too. It’s definitely been busy, but cool to see other people connecting with the Center kids and opening their eyes and hearts to a totally new culture and way of life. (And showing me how much I really love short term missions…hmmm) I’ve loved all the questions, most of which I don’t have answers to, and being stimulated again into thinking about what I am doing here and also the injustice which leads to the Working Boys’ Center’s existence. (aka the fact that almost all of my students have to work out on the streets and therefore need to be able to only go to school for a half day and get all their basic needs provided for)

Last weekend once again Brennan and I didn’t stop to rest….we’re young! We got up early Saturday morning and went to Mindo, the cloud forest about 2 hours away. We were planning on staying the night, but decided to pack it all in to a day. We did a zip line canopy tour which was fun and walked the long path to get there. Then after eating a late lunch, we rented an ATV for the last hour before taking a bus back to Quito. So fun! I definitely need some practice driving, but Bren did a good job and after it started raining we got SO dirty riding back on the very muddy path. We snuck into a bathroom to change our clothes though and put the dirty ones inside out so they would let us on the bus! I can’t wait to go back and do it again. We didn’t even get home that late and had time to hang out with some of the visitors and relax a bit.

Then Sunday, we had another jammed pack day of seeing all the historical sites of Quito with my Ecuadorian sisters, Diana and Jenny (and Ernesto and Cynthia). We went to the wax museum, the “ghetto” goods market, the Panacillo, the big cathedral, and walked a lot! We also had a delicious lunch and big ice cream cones too! After which, we of course had to go to their house so Maria Luisa could serve us dinner and make sure we left with full tummies. I absolutely love this family - they are a big reason that I came back to live in this country. They are so genuine, giving, and honestly care for me like I’m one of their own. I’m glad my brother got to meet them for a little bit too.

Brennan’s visit concluded with more classes and hanging out with all the little friends he had made. A highlight was on Tuesday when only 2 of my first grade boys showed up on time for class. We decided to take them over to the mall to reward them for this. This was Oscar’s first time ever going there and Elvis’s second. They were so adorable and amazed. The escalator and elevator were such novelties and they almost couldn’t eat their food just watching the elevator. When we finally got on, Oscar just kept saying “que miedo” (how scary), but in a happy, loving it way! There is nothing better than seeing such joy in small things.

I don’t think I have spent so much time with my brother in years, but it was great to have him here and to have him experience a little bit of my Ecua life. I think he truly learned what “cada dia, una aventura” means as even with the routine I have, no day is alike. It will be good for me to really get organized now again for a little bit, and then I can’t wait for Mom and Dad to be here in March! I love having visitors…and you know you can stay here for free! So come! :)

Love you all!
God bless,
Taylor

Wow, I am so blessed!

#1 Sorry for not writing in the last 3 weeks. It has been awesome and busy.

#2 THANK YOU! I think this was one of my best Christmases ever. I feel like I have received so much support and heard from so many of you in the last month when I really needed it. I also got 75 lbs worth of presents! Goodness, I was like a 9 year old at Christmas freaking out about everything. Linda Aubey, I am in utter amazement in your generosity and all the amazing things. I literally received an entire suitcase full of NEW! Clothes, toothbrushes, etc. Brennan was watching me look at everything and making fun of me for pretending I was going to steal half of the really cute shirts (if I was only XS!). Also, Aunt Ginny, Betsy, and Amy helped give Bren even less room for his stuff ;) (oh, and he loved it!) I have already been stamping away…and it’s a great reward! Also, now not a single one of my students doesn’t have a toothbrush with a cover to keep it clean. And I have excess so I’m getting other volunteers on board with me! It may be a small change being made in the Center, but people are excited about it.

#3 Christmas: an overview.
The 24th and 25th we were very busy and it was honestly so great! On Christmas Eve morning, a group of us volunteers got up kind of early and started out our day ice skating! One of the malls close by has a little skating rink. It was a lot of fun and got us in the spirit. After which a big group of us watched Home Alone! Then at 5pm we had “gringo mass” in English, which I loved as we sang a bunch of Christmas carols. Then we went straight from there to Guangopolo, a small indigenous community Father Halligan (Padre Juan) has been involved with since he arrived here 45 years ago. It was definitely an experience - felt like almost the whole town was there, a procession even came in after mass had started, there were dogs roaming around, and they all get their Baby Jesus figurines blessed so there were around 200 of them up front. Then Padre provided hot chocolate and animal crackers to everyone after mass. By the time we arrived home on Christmas Eve it was 10:30pm and Madre Cindy had put a huge sandwich spread for us and a bunch of desserts and drinks. We had great fellowship and then the madres showed us a slideshow of the fall and the 2nd year volunteers gave all of us little “joke” gifts. I received toothpaste for my toothbrush obsession.

Christmas Day we had to get up semi-early again to go to mass down in La Marin and then come right back to Cotocollao for mass again. It was 2nd grade First Communion also, so they all looked pretty cute. After mass, we had a big feast complete with ham, potatoes, and all. There were probably around 60 people there between all the families of volunteers visiting and all the Chin family, who were more or less adopted by Madre and Padre years ago and now they’re all grown and the majority of them work at the Center. After eating we all piled into the living room for more gifts. Madre Miguel and her sister Judy always do a little “joke” gift type of thing every year. This year was a “photo contest that we all won, so they wanted to thank us all for being the subjects of their photos and what we won for.” There were a lot of funny (and old) pictures of some of the people. Aunt Kitty, you will be SO proud of what I won: the etiquette award. The exact description: “Etiquette was the first place winner for our photo of Taylor Barrett. Judges suggested that Taylor could qualify for the Emily Post prize for table arrangements, never suspecting that Taylor had never heard of Emily Post.” Very true, Madre! I like my plates to match on a table along with the place mats and the same glasses…and Madre Miguel took a picture of me with one of my table setting one night! So Aunt Kitty, all your work at making sure we set tables right and had good manners paid off! It was a fun afternoon and night of just hanging out with everyone.

#4 Brennan’s visit: We are having a great time, and I think Bren is starting to love Ecuador too after being very inquisitive of all the things that “don’t quite make sense here.” Exactly why “every day is an adventure (cada dia, una aventura)” for me as well! We have 4 more days left in Quito and then I’ll write a full update of our time together. Please pray for a good last week together for us at the Center and for safe travels for Bren back to the States Thursday.

Did you make it to the end?
Iola Grandma, I know at least you did so it’s worth it! Jeg elsker deg!
Enjoy the beautiful snow and stay safe.
(Also Go Badgers!…big win over Purdue last night!)
Love,
Taylor