We spent the day at Hacienda El Refugio, the rural training and retreat center ministry of Youth World, which is located on 300 acres about 45 minutes north of Quito. El Refugio's mission is to facilitate a deeper relationship with Jesus through adventure and nature experiences.
On the way to the Hacienda, we stopped at the "middle of the world", the Equator. The site we visited was recently determined by GPS to be the exact location, not the larger, more commecialized site which previously thought to be the location! This site was an interactive museum, with information about the culture of Ecuador and the effect of the equator on the laws of physics.
While at El Refugio, we hiked to the Tree House (at about 10,000 ft) for devotions and a time of personal reflection. The picture below does not do justice to the location, surroundings or view.
The highlight of the day was the opportunity to help with reconstruction of a house located across the road, owned by Pedro, one of the laborers who work at the Hacienda. This is a 4 room house (serving 5 people). Recently Pedro was attempting to replace the roof when one of the exterior walls collapsed. The staff at the Hacienda rebuilt the wall and put on new rafters and fiberglass roofing (to replace the tin roofing which leaked). Our project was to put in a plywood ceiling in the rooms which will help keep the home warm. It has no heat, and tempuratures do get close to freezing in this area. The plywood was reclycled from shipping containers and was only about 1/4 inch thick, at the most. Pedro was recently able to add indoor plumbing to the home.
Pedro's grandfather was a share-cropper for prior owners of the Hacienda and earned a small plot of land where the house is located. Nearly all of Pedro's relatives still live on this property, which they have divided up into small plots for their homes. It was an honor to meet Pedro and his family members and to be able to help out in this small way. Funds from our mission were used to purchase the plywood.
We finished the day with hot dogs cooked over a campfire, along with a sample of "Qui", an Ecuadorian delicacy, whieh we call guinea pig. The campfire was a great setting for our evening devotions.
We praise God for all he is teaching us this week and for all of the people we have met. Thank you for your contiued prayers.
(Pete cleaning the kitchen at the hostel before we left)
(Group picture at the Equator)
(Original house at Hacienda El Refugio)
(garden area outside of new meeting room)
(the Tree House)
(Qui - also known as Guinea pig)
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