Reality Check

Back in the United States, when Blake and I would get tired of our children`s greed, the difficulties of the workplace, the fast pace of life, and the mind-boggling choices, we would joke with each other, “Let`s just sell it all and move to Cuenca.” Recalling our honeymoon thirteen years ago, Cuenca, and Ecuador in general, seemed to have the simplicity and slow pace that was timeless, and people weren`t chasing after worthless things. They had family; they had community. They had the beauty of the landscape.

Unfortunately, while we daydreamed about this place, something was happening. Call it cable TV, the internet, globalization, or whatever; Ecuador is a very different place now in 2007.

Take the little town of Baños de Ambato. Thirteen years ago the bus dropped us off in front of nothing but rows of tin shacks with people selling sugar cane and cane juice. As you walked into the town, the typical sight was the taffy-maker kneading his confection from the doorway post. Another sight was roasted guinea pigs (cuy) on the spit. Now, in 2007, a dinner of roasted guinea pig can set you back around $15, and the taffy people have been replaced by cell-phone stores, internet cafes and travel agencies. The sugar cane vendors are still there, but now they are surrounded by two-story buildings containing hardware stores, t-shirt shops and pharmacies. Nothing remains the same, I`ve discovered.

Not that we didn´t enjoy Baños. It´s a great little tourist town with spectacular views, nice climate, impressive waterfall, easy access to the jungle, and pizza! On our second day there, Pedro, a friendly taxi-driver, took us sightseeing on the road to the jungle. Blake and Nathan rode the terabita (basket on a cable across a canyon); all of us hiked to view the Pailon del Diablo, another beautiful waterfall; and we travelled down a dirt road to Casa del Arbol—a resort that had a 7-story tree-house, cave complete with resident bat, and swimming pool. Once in Puyo, we had almuerzo at his friend´s restaurant, we briefly visited Omaere Botanical Garden, and made one last stop at an exotic bird zoo. So we really had an amazing time. As tourists.

Baños is just one example of the globalization of Ecuador, but we`ve seen it in every city, and practically in every village we`ve passed through. The downtowns all have the same features: cell-phones, designer clothes, pirated movies and music everywhere. At the same time you have the indigenous people peddling their bags of tangerines, home-made potato chips, and lottery tickets. The mid to upper class girls and woman all are dressed to the nines, with high heels and tight jeans, cell phone in hand. Air quality is nasty even in the smaller towns. Everybody seems in a hurry.

We`ve been told, by our missionary friends, that often in a family, the husband will leave for the States, work there, and send money back. Apparently, the divorce rate is 70%. Television shows are, as Blake had mentioned in a previous blog, very risqué, and in fact we`ve been shocked by the commercials during a news report. From what I`ve seen, there are two main lifestyles. One seems to be the fate for most indigenous families: living below the poverty level. They do the hard labor, the domestic work; some still farm, raise cattle, weave, make simple goods—but instead of just relying on market day, they roam the streets of the city, even board buses to sell their wares. The other group consists of people working in blue and white collar jobs, scraping by on $160 per week, but obviously enamored by the American dream. A few very smart or lucky ones may own stores on main streets, like Rolando and Nori, employing maids and employees to maintain their homes and businesses, aspiring to own the status symbols like SUVs and country homes.

OK. So my romantic notions of Ecuador have been cleanly corrected. I feel disillusioned. But disillusion, by definition, is actually a good thing. Now that we are dealing with reality, maybe God can use us. So far, nobody in any of the ministries we`ve visited has said, "Hey there`s a need, come and help!" (Other than marketing consulting, which can be done via email.) We visited an orphanage in Riobamba run by a Canadian couple and their 10 kids. God is really using them in that place. I suppose if we asked, they could have told us where to start an orphanage. Their 21 year old son is in the process of starting one in the jungle town of Macas. We`ve returned a number of times to Chuquipata to love on the kids there. However, I thought something would stand out for us as a personal burden, but nothing has. All I can figure is that perhaps once we return to Long Beach we will be willing to serve in a way we might have overlooked before.

-Trudenski