Hello, I'm posting another update while I have some time to write. I hope you enjoy it.
In Quito
I arrived in Quito on Monday January 27th and went from the airport to a hostel in Quito that was conveniently located for me. (It was my first time staying in that one.) I got along well with the clerk, although the property wasn't all that great for the money.
I was close to the bus terminal that would later take me to Mindo, and I was also close to a mall where I could hole up in a few coffee shops at times and get some work done on the computer. I was able to do some writing and communicating, as well as move my taxes along online. I also was able to make preliminary plans for the rest of my time here in Ecuador, including developing some plans and schedules for workshops, presentations, and possible retreats.
One step toward that was investigating a retreat center for a possible small-group retreat. After a couple tries, I was able to visit a center located nearby, and near the bus terminal. The center was good, but I would prefer the center in Mindo.
I had arrived Monday with plans to leave Wednesday, but stayed an extra night to catch up with Lorena Perez who is charge of the pastoral in Centro Muchacho Trabajador. We had a good opportunity to catch up, as it's always good to catch up with friends in ministry and stay open to possibilities for collaboration.
Visit to Mindo
I came to Mindo on Thursday, and immediately headed over to the retreat center to see about possibilities. The good news is that the timeframe we would be looking at (if it all does in fact come together) is available there, and the current guardian of the property will be staying through that time. The tougher news is that the cost has gone up, from $16 per person per day, to $25. That would include all the food. Those are challenging costs for people in Chontal. However, we can reduce the price to $15 per person is we also bring our own food, which the guardian's family would prepare. That would be the likely path. So, we'll need to plan over the next few weeks.
I also spent time each day at the retreat house in prayer. I took some photos to share with folks when it's time to talk about the facilities. I've shared photos of this place before, but here are the ones I took, along with a few videos:
A walk through the grounds:
While in Mindo, I also frequented a few coffee shops and was able to make more headway on the presentations I'm hoping to share in Chontal, ones describing how I original got to Chontal. I was also able to finish my taxes online.
In Mindo, I typically get the typical lunches that locals would eat. I also buy grain bread and peanut butter to use for dinner. Those help to reduce the overall cost from the effects of the coffee (which is the same cost as a typical lunch) and the hostel (which is $20/night including breakfast).
Also while in Mindo, I caught up with a friend, Antonio. He is an Ecuadorian man who has worked many years in England as a Spanish teacher, particularly in the English government. He's in transition in these days, and expressed interest when I described the Tree of Life -True You workshop I'd developed. I thought, why not just do it now? So we did.
Antonio lives in a house that is very rustic, on a small property that includes bananas, guayaba trees, and other fruits. In Mindo it rains a lot as well in the afternoon, so it's a piece of the garden of Eden. It was a great spot to do a workshop on the Tree of Life, that brings a person back to their genesis and their true selves.
One of the critical pieces that I would buy in the States is a cross-section slice of a tree. Antonio had one on hand from the guyaba trees on his property, so we used that. With a few more dollars, we had all the materials needed. The retreat lasted about 3 hours including a break, and turned out excellent. Both of us were inspired by it. He's enthusiastic about participating in offering it to others as well, as of course am I, so we plan on talking more about that.
To Puerto Quito
I was able to stop by Puerto Quito for a few days as well. I had lunch with the Franciscan Missionary Sisters in their house, and they generously gave me a room to stay in.
I lived in Puerto Quito for a year in 2013-14, as my first substantial experience in Ecuador. I had made it back to visit a year ago, and it was good to see it again this year.
I was able to visit and see a number of people I had gotten to know back when I lived there. I ran into one of the members of the newer program for people with disabilities, Fe y Esperanza (Faith and Hope). He invited me the next day to visit the program, which has moved to a new location. I went the next morning and arrived for the dance therapy - fortunately for only the last 15 minutes! It lasts an hour, and in the heat, it certainly makes you sweat! But it was a nice surprise for all of us.
I got to catch up with all the familiar the folks in the program, had lunch, and the new staff showed me some of the activities that they do. It's a great support for people with disabilities. We got a few photos at the end:
The Sisters continue in a smaller way the Amigos del Arca program, which is a similar program that I had participated in back when I lived there. I got to say hello to those folks as well as they set out for their end-of-the-year day trip. (That program is on the academic calendar, which just has finished.)
I caught up briefly with the pastor, Pd Julio, who is a busy guy. I also ran into Pd Martin Kelly, who was the long-term pastor for years from the St. James Society. I hear that he is living there for a few months helping out saying masses.
I ran into several other folks from the programs for the disabled, including Maria Bazurto. I had lived briefly next to the Bazurtos about 5 years ago, so I try to visit when I return to Puerto Quito. The next day I went with Maria to visit the family, and we all caught up. It was a short but good visit.
One of the other discoveries was a new adoration chapel that has air conditioning. Puerto Quito is very hot (I need 2 showers a day), and it must be very expensive to keep the small chapel air conditioned. But it's a good break from the heat!
In the night, I caught up with a friend who is a school-teacher there. It was my first time playing a little basketball in a long time. But seeing that there's almost no other opportunity to play basketball where I am in Ecuador, it was welcome. Later, William and I caught up in conversation, especially talking about various school projects.
The visit was really great. It was nice to see everyone again, and just the visit is appreciated by the people. There's always requests for me to stay, but the visit helps them to better accept that I can't be there right now full time.
It's also a chance to see what opportunities might be open for ministry. My going to Chontal to focus my time and energy there was really something that I wanted to do from the beginning of my time in Ecuador, and it was triggered by the landslide disaster of 2014. But now that that time has passed, there's a desire to develop ministry that can be done not just in Chontal, but beyond. Maybe even be based somewhere else as well. So, as I look to develop ministry across-parishes, it's good to keep eyes open in the other places that I've been, to see if there's a calling to do something there.
Back to Mindo
I returned to Mindo again to pick up my suitcase and get some money for the next month, as well as continue to work on the presentation for Chontal. That night I ran into a couple who were part of a German religious lay association, who had a property in Santo Domingo until last year. Because of problems with their founder in Germany, their group was asked to leave the diocese. This couple has stuck around and are staying in Mindo. They have some strong views about culture that I may not always agree with, but they were very hospitable to me whenever I visited their property for a break and prayer time. So something is happening in Mindo …
Anyway, the next morning I headed out to Chontal, and here I am finishing up this update.
Best wishes to you for a blessed February, including Valentine's Day. May God's love on that day fill up the loves we already have and those we don't.
Jerome