This Sunday I participated in a Sunday school lesson I will never forget. The school: The Lifestyle of a Low Income Ecuadorian Family. The Lesson: God Provides.
After the Sunday morning service at the little rental place in the city concluded, we were invited to one of the families' homes for lunch. Knowing the family had little to offer us and would be super generous, Travis suggested that we bring two roasted chickens. The men went to pick up the chicken and see if they could find someone to look at Bolo's car that broke down just as we pulled up to the church building (Bolo is a national missionary that Travis works with who kindly drove us to Azogues--I'm sure there will be more written about him later).I accompanied the ladies on the journey to the house as I knew Lena couldn't make the journey on foot.
So up on my shoulders she went. Not knowing that we had to go twenty minutes up hill, the walk started out pleasantly. After about 8 minutes, things started looking steep. We were told that where there house is we couldn't take a taxi too. This was not a good sign. As we walked up the road we noticed that the houses started to get poorer and poorer. At about the half-way point, we walked past a donkey and some goats tethered on the side of the road. Lena said, "I ride donkey." We laughed. A couple steps later, we walked past a lady, in a reasonably large house doing her laundry by hand. It was such a juxtaposition. The house looked like it should have been equipped with a washer and dryer. Nearing the end of our trek, we came to a tight concrete walkway between two houses. At this point we were told we had 80-120 stairs to climb. What a unique experience. As the stairs switch-backed upward, there were entrances to several 'housing complexes.' I say housing complexes as I'm sure families and extended families continue to add rooms on to them as families grow. Finally we reached the top and entered a rusted, paint-chipped gate. We had arrived.
The site was a little shocking. The family presented themselves so well at the church. Don't get me wrong this family had what they needed. It was just that things were so old and seemed poorly kept. we stepped up three steep, rustic concrete stairs, ducked under a clothesline, and went into a bedroom. It was nice enough, furnished with an old wardrobe, a double bed, a couch and chair. They looked as though they were the original ones, bought used 15 years ago. There was a small concrete patio outside the entrance of the bedroom with lines and electrical wires strung across it. As you left the bedroom and walked the opposite direction past the stairs that you came up as you entered (the "hall" and stairs are all open air. We are not in an enclosed building) there was another bedroom on the left that was like the first. On your right, was a second small staircase made of wood that led to an 'upstairs' room that was smaller, but had old, dirty hardwood floor. If you passed the staircase instead of going up, you had about three paces before you got to the small kitchen on the left and the chicken 'yard' on the right. Straight ahead of you is the guinea pig pen and chicken coup combined, which as you can imagine had a scent all its own. The bathroom was as small room no bigger than your average closet, with a flush toilet and a shower right beside it. The walls were unfinished, old concrete.
The family is a family of eight with six children aged 14 through 25. Manuel is a shoemaker. He told us that he mainly does repairs because people won't pay the $20 for his handmade leather shoes. If I am correct, he said he makes about $290 a month! Yet this family doesn't appear to be lacking. They are close and love each other a lot. They work hard and have long days. These people are not focused on retirement and living 'comfortable' lives. They are focused on providing for their children as best as they can and taking care of each other. And God is their Strength. He is their Provider.
So up on my shoulders she went. Not knowing that we had to go twenty minutes up hill, the walk started out pleasantly. After about 8 minutes, things started looking steep. We were told that where there house is we couldn't take a taxi too. This was not a good sign. As we walked up the road we noticed that the houses started to get poorer and poorer. At about the half-way point, we walked past a donkey and some goats tethered on the side of the road. Lena said, "I ride donkey." We laughed. A couple steps later, we walked past a lady, in a reasonably large house doing her laundry by hand. It was such a juxtaposition. The house looked like it should have been equipped with a washer and dryer. Nearing the end of our trek, we came to a tight concrete walkway between two houses. At this point we were told we had 80-120 stairs to climb. What a unique experience. As the stairs switch-backed upward, there were entrances to several 'housing complexes.' I say housing complexes as I'm sure families and extended families continue to add rooms on to them as families grow. Finally we reached the top and entered a rusted, paint-chipped gate. We had arrived.
The site was a little shocking. The family presented themselves so well at the church. Don't get me wrong this family had what they needed. It was just that things were so old and seemed poorly kept. we stepped up three steep, rustic concrete stairs, ducked under a clothesline, and went into a bedroom. It was nice enough, furnished with an old wardrobe, a double bed, a couch and chair. They looked as though they were the original ones, bought used 15 years ago. There was a small concrete patio outside the entrance of the bedroom with lines and electrical wires strung across it. As you left the bedroom and walked the opposite direction past the stairs that you came up as you entered (the "hall" and stairs are all open air. We are not in an enclosed building) there was another bedroom on the left that was like the first. On your right, was a second small staircase made of wood that led to an 'upstairs' room that was smaller, but had old, dirty hardwood floor. If you passed the staircase instead of going up, you had about three paces before you got to the small kitchen on the left and the chicken 'yard' on the right. Straight ahead of you is the guinea pig pen and chicken coup combined, which as you can imagine had a scent all its own. The bathroom was as small room no bigger than your average closet, with a flush toilet and a shower right beside it. The walls were unfinished, old concrete.
The family is a family of eight with six children aged 14 through 25. Manuel is a shoemaker. He told us that he mainly does repairs because people won't pay the $20 for his handmade leather shoes. If I am correct, he said he makes about $290 a month! Yet this family doesn't appear to be lacking. They are close and love each other a lot. They work hard and have long days. These people are not focused on retirement and living 'comfortable' lives. They are focused on providing for their children as best as they can and taking care of each other. And God is their Strength. He is their Provider.
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