Adios Riobamba, Ecuador!

Our last day at the orphanage was an interesting one! Heather and I helped with the babies while the rest of the gang helped level out a volleyball court for the children to play on. We worked for a few hours and then were able to play with the children a little before we were heading back to pack up at the Cozy House (our apartment) and then off to Quito.
After we were done working, Naomi, one of the Allan children brought over an interesting dish for us to try. Cui, also known as Guinea Pig, was on the menu for us today. To all of our surprise the poor innocent Guinea Pig was fully intact and was smiling at us! We all decided to try it….well all except for the Deans and Jared. I was the first one to try a bite and to my surprise it was not that bad. The rest of the gang continued to try the Guinea Pig. We all made our way to the dining room and continued to try different parts. A little boy named Tito was sitting next to me eyeballing the little guinea pig. We asked him if he wanted to try it and he eagerly said yes! To our surprise he gobbled it down and asked for more. It was the funniest thing I had seen all week! Chad, Jordan, and I were feeling brave and  we decided to taste the brain of the Cui. While we were being disgusted by the taste of it, we were brought back to the table to see 10 other children chewing and ripping apart our Cui!!!! It was a funny sight!  We will post videos on our facebook soon!
After laughing and laughing, other emotions began to sink in. It was time to say goodbye. We held our tears together as we hugged each kid and told them that we loved them. It was a bitter sweet feeling. I am ready to be back in the states, but I was not ready to say goodbye.
I met God in Riobamba, Ecuador. I met him in the faces of EVERY child in the orphanage. I met him in the hearts of Glenda and Ron. I met him at the sight of his Chimborazo mountains and even at the view of his volcano Tungurahua. I met God in the people of the city Riobamba. I met God in dirt on my pants, the pee on my shirt, the dust in my hair, and in my warm bed after every long day. I have to say goodbye to Riobamba today, but I have the greatest souvenir ever, my changed heart for God’s children, and God’s mission for everyone to know him better.
Our apartment is all packed and we are about to get on the bus for Quito tonight. We travel four hours today, crash at a hostile in Quito, and then we head for the airport in the early morning. Please pray for  safe travels and peace of mind. It is hard to say goodbye, but we cant wait to bring back all that God has taught us to the states. Our mission is not over!

Until the Whole World Hears,

Aaron J. Zapata