Summer in Ecuador

As usual I am late updating my blog.  I am still committed this to be a scrapbook for me, so here goes the Ecuador update.  

 I shared a little bit about Ecuador in this post.  Dustin finished out his 9 years on staff with CRU (formerly Campus Crusade for Christ) by leading a summer project for college students to Ecuador for 5 weeks.  The first 3 weeks of the trip we were a part as I stayed back in Birmingham for work.  It wasn't the most ideal situation in our first year of marriage, but the Lord met us in those weeks and they went by pretty fast!  

The last 2.5 weeks I joined Dustin in Ecuador.  Het me at the airport with a sign and a coke light (my favorite)! It was so cool to get to join him and the team on campus and really see what they had been doing.  I spent 9 weeks in Africa with Campus Outreach when I was in college, so I felt like I was re-living the college cross cultural project.  They had some amazing opportunities and were able to begin a new partnership with the University and CRU ministry in Quito. 

Although it was summer we were right on the equator at a high altitude and it was chilly!  

Although I've been to Ecuador before this was a totally different experience and was really cool.  I loved being in the city and getting to be on a college campus again. 

 One Saturday we went up the Teleferico to see a beautiful view of the city.  Let me just say we were already at 6000 feet above altitude in Quito and then we went up several thousand more feet.  We were literally in the clouds and I've never felt so out of breath! But the view was worth it!  

The last few days before the team left we went to a small town called, Banos, outside of Quito for a time of debrief.  We stayed in this little hotel in the mountains, and it was gorgeous!

 Banos is known for it's hot springs, beautiful mountains, and all kinds of outdoors adventures.  We had a great time experiencing the beauty of this town and going on different adventures each day.  

On the last day we went to "the swing at the end of the world".  Basically a huge swing that goes off the mountain over a few thousand feet.  It was a pretty cool way to end a great trip with the team.  

I really loved getting to partner with Dustin in this trip.  I feel like we learned each other even more and it was cool to minister together oversees.  It was a great way for him to end his season on staff and to wrap up college ministry.  

After the team flew back to the states Dustin and I stayed in Ecuador a few extra days and went on another adventure...