3/28/24
Wow, I can’t believe I’m writing this but today is our final
full day in Ecuador and it is most definitely going to be a long one! We have
our normal camp day but once it’s over, we will be heading into Manta for the
camp concert at the pier. That’s definitely going to be a long day but I’m sure
it’ll be fun!
I started my day earlier than normal so that I could watch
the sunrise over the mountains by the pool while I write and read my Bible.
Once I finished, I headed to the cafeteria for breakfast before heading to
security training for the Manta show. That basically consisted of Steve giving
us a map of the area and instructing us where to lead our kids to for the show.
He also explained the show order so that we would know when it was our team’s
turn to perform.
When campers arrived, I learned pretty quick that it was
going to be a wild day. The combination of tired kids and a lot of excitement
kind of made me feel like I was herding cats. I still strove to find ways to
love on the kids though. David brought me a bag of homemade popcorn all for me
which was definitely a sweet gesture. I also took an opportunity to play soccer
with Jian. Even though I’m the world’s worst footballer, he still showed the
most personality that I had seen out of him the entire week. Of course, there
would be plenty of bottle flipping as well.
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| This is me and David. |
Once the camp day ended, we had a quick sack lunch of ham
sandwich, chips, apple, and juice. Then it was time to hop on the bus. While I
had originally kind of hoped for a quiet ride, the mom of Sheila (one of our
translators) sat down next to me and started chatting. We actually spent the
entire drive to the pier chatting back and forth and I was happy to continually
provide affirmation to her on her English skills.
Once we arrived, Wilton and I herded the kids to the grassy
area where they would be sitting and waiting for their turn. This was actually
a fairly stressful experience as I was constantly counting kids to make sure
that I still had all nine. Several times, I had to use the translator app on my
phone to remind my team to stay put and wait patiently for their turn near the
end of the show. Finally, that time arrived though.
Part of my responsibilities as group leader meant that I would be joining the kids in dancing along to their song. While I’m certain that video exists of said performance, I haven’t actually seen it yet. Once the program ended, it was time for my final goodbyes to the kids, Leo, and Wilton. While I had initially expected to feel relief, I was definitely saddened to issue my goodbyes.
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| This is me and Leo. |
If I’m being honest, my goodbye with David was perhaps the
most heartbreaking as I watched him cry in his mother’s arms over camp being
over. Mason and Micah saw this display and were quick to ask his mom if they
could buy him a sno-cone from a local vendor. She was quick to say yes and even
responded with giving us all big hugs complete with traditional “air kisses”.
Once everything was officially over and all of the kids were gone, many members of our team bought sno-cones from that same stand (I actually bought two; yes, I’m a pig) and explored the pier for the next hour. My favorite moment had to be when most of our American crew gathered near a large monument at the end of the pier and chatted about the week a bit while listening to the waves crash below.
Finally, the entirety of our team along with a few remaining Ecuadorians gathered to hop the bus back to Hacienda Los Cerros for our final night’s sleep at camp. Also, in perhaps the most important development of the day, the first thing I did once returning to camp was to shave! Bethany will be so excited; I just know it!
#DaddyWrite
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