Thursday, July 28, 2005

This was the final day in Ecuador for this trip. It was meant as a day of rest, and while some chose to remain at the compound to regroup, swim and nap before the long trek home, others took Denise up on her suggestion and headed up into the mountains to a beautiful spa.  Here they had the option of hiking, horseback riding or taking advantage of the many spa services offered here; facials, massages, exfoliation, everything a short term missionary could use after a hard week of service. The journey up the mountain gave them a beautiful view of the great volcano, Catapoxi.  If you haven't noticed, Ecuador is one of the most beautiful places on the earth.  Unfortunately, it is all too often contrast by extreme poverty and neglected infrastructure.. and that is one reason we are here. We praise God for this beauty and the opportunity to serve.

After a day of pampering, we gathered again at the Mill's home and began to pack our things.  Some caught some "shut-eye", while others played fooseball or visited with new friends.  At 2:30 am we began to load up the truck and bus to head for the airport.  We got checked-in and to the gate with over 2 hours to spare, some slept, some shopped, some just sat and stared off into space.  Everyone was pretty tired.

The first leg of the flight took us to Panama City, Panama.  A quick landing, off and on the plane and we were off again for Newark, NJ.  I know it seems like a long way to get to Atlanta, but that's our air system.  By God's grace, he sent us an angel that ushered us through customs in a heartbeat, but our flight had been delayed about an hour and a half.  So we settled into some good American airport food and joked about how good it was to be home where we could have ice in our drinks, drink out of water fountains and flush paper down the potty.  We all agreed it is the little things that we take for granted.

When we finally got on the plane, we sat on the tarmac for another hour or so because of the storms in Atlanta.  The trip home seemed as though it would never end.  We finally took off and landed in Atlanta 3 hours later than anticipated.  Some stayed overnight to finish the trip on Saturday.  Others pressed on to Chattanooga, making a 25 hour travel day.  It was brutal, but it was worth it.  Everyone polled agreed that they would make every effort to return again soon.

When we began this journey, 37 people, many total strangers, left the comfort of home, to travel thousands of miles, to work in dirty, germ laden conditions, to give of ourselves with no expectation of anything in return, to a group of people who didn't know our names, or speak our language, and who often smelled bad... and of all the marvelous movements of God's hand that we were blessed to witness on this trip, I believe that this is the biggest miracle.

The bottom line is that we went to help people, to touch lives, to touch hearts, and share the Good News of Jesus Christ... mission accomplished... and we had a good time too.

Thank you all for your prayers and gifts to this wonderful mission, and if the Lord puts it on your heart to participate either with your time, your talents or your financial gifts, please contact us. We need your support to continue this great work..

And please, begin now to pray for a mission next August that God is preparing us for.. Join us as we carry medicine and the gospel to the seat of evolution in the Galapagos Islands.