This is my first trip to Ecuador, and – as always – we met some amazingly resilient people on our first day in the field here in Guayaquil, Ecuador. We’ll be writing stories about the families we met in the weeks and months to come. But I just thought I’d share a small insight I gained today.
I learned that the city of Guayaquil is named after the Guayas River. Two large rivers – the Daule and the Babahoyo – merge here, making the Guayas.
As we left Guayaquil proper on our way to visit sponsored children and their families, we crossed the Daule River. Patricia (our communications coordinator extraordinaire) pointed to the wealthier homes on the bank from which we had come. Even from a distance, we could see that the homes were large, well-constructed and neatly spaced apart, much like what I am used to back home in Kansas City. On the other side – the one we were approaching – we could see the rickety shapes the poor call home, tightly bunched together in a seemingly haphazard way.
After a day of visiting with the families on the “other” side, I thought of the confluence of humanity that merges in every city around the world, like the two rivers that make up the Guayas. I was pensive as we headed back to the hotel...asking questions that – for me – have no satisfactory answers.
You know: the “why” questions.
But, as is the case each time we make a trip to the field, the families we spoke with had a gift for me. They may not be living in that big, sturdy, expensive house with the expensive TVs and furnishings, but their homes are often filled with generous spirits, a love for one another, beliefs and bonds that help them stay strong, and a gratitude for what they do have.
And every one of them mentions that the help they receive from sponsorship is one of the things they are grateful for.
It made me wonder how easily I can come up with a list of all the things I should appreciate....
Deron Denton, staff writer for Children International, is currently on the ground in Ecuador with a team from CI's Creative Services Department. Look for an update each day this week through Friday.
I learned that the city of Guayaquil is named after the Guayas River. Two large rivers – the Daule and the Babahoyo – merge here, making the Guayas.
As we left Guayaquil proper on our way to visit sponsored children and their families, we crossed the Daule River. Patricia (our communications coordinator extraordinaire) pointed to the wealthier homes on the bank from which we had come. Even from a distance, we could see that the homes were large, well-constructed and neatly spaced apart, much like what I am used to back home in Kansas City. On the other side – the one we were approaching – we could see the rickety shapes the poor call home, tightly bunched together in a seemingly haphazard way.
After a day of visiting with the families on the “other” side, I thought of the confluence of humanity that merges in every city around the world, like the two rivers that make up the Guayas. I was pensive as we headed back to the hotel...asking questions that – for me – have no satisfactory answers.
You know: the “why” questions.
But, as is the case each time we make a trip to the field, the families we spoke with had a gift for me. They may not be living in that big, sturdy, expensive house with the expensive TVs and furnishings, but their homes are often filled with generous spirits, a love for one another, beliefs and bonds that help them stay strong, and a gratitude for what they do have.
And every one of them mentions that the help they receive from sponsorship is one of the things they are grateful for.
It made me wonder how easily I can come up with a list of all the things I should appreciate....
Deron Denton, staff writer for Children International, is currently on the ground in Ecuador with a team from CI's Creative Services Department. Look for an update each day this week through Friday.
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