Monday, March 03, 2008

 

Ecuador demonstration...

Part of my time in Ecuador was spent in a camp near the top of one of the mountains. There are a number of flower plantations that have been established around the camp. They have greenhouses where flowers are grown, trucked down the mountain to the airport, and shipped around the world. The trucks from the plantations have torn up many of the roads from the villages on the mountain.

So Saturday morning we start down the mountain and right before the highway, the road is blocked off by a number of villagers who are burning brush and tires across the roadway. You could pass on foot but not in a vehicle. All three roads off the mountain were similarly blocked. The villagers were going to demonstrate like this until the plantation owners agreed to work on the roads.

We explained we were from a Christian camp, had ministry activities to get to, and would like permission to pass. They were very polite, very friendly, and very interested. They were also very sorry that we would not be allowed to pass. And I felt better when I figured out the machetes were for cutting brush and not for stupid foreigners who wanted to pass.

Then the police showed up. They too were very polite, very friendly, and very interested. They too were very sorry we could not pass.

After two hours of waiting, visiting, begging, and praying...we found a compromise. They could not let us pass because that would defeat the purpose of the demonstration. There was an alternate route to another road and they would not watch if we wanted to try that. So we did. We drove thru a pasture, by a lady's backyard where she was washing her clothes. She seemed rather surprised to see us. But we got out.

It all served to remind me about how things work differently in different cultures. It reminded me that sometimes people have different priorities. And it reminded me that somehow things always work out. And they did. Our lunch appointment went fine because they were about two hours late getting everything prepared. The only thing we ended up missing was supper and that was OK because they served me enough at lunch to last for two days.

As always, God worked it out. Must remember that.

Comments:
Steve, I'm laughing over this scenario...only because I've experienced it in South Africa. We get to one bible study, there's mounds of food, second bible study- mounds of food, lunchtime- can't eat cause I'm still full from the morning bible studies. Go to afternoon bible study, there's even more food, get to dinner- can't eat. Too full!

Our host kept saying, "Please, eat something. Some of these folks have spent two weeks of wages just to have you come into their home and provide these snacks." So, you do the polite thing and you gorge!

Never been to Equador- but have heard that it is a paradise. I'll add it to my list of travel destinations!

-TMS
 
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