Welcome Home Team!

We arrived safely today on time....VERY grateful after a long day of crazy, chaotic customs checkpoints, but mostly VERY excited to see our families!!!

The last couple of days have been fun, busy and at one point down right scary! We went on a quick overnight trip to Banos where some ziplined, some shopped, some saw a real volcano & all enjoyed the beautiful scenery in the Andes mountains. It was a funtime, but on the way back to our dormitory (home sweet home for the last week), our bus engine quit on the side of a very narrow highway. The bus drivers got it re-started after about 30 minutes sitting in the right lane of the highway hugging a cliff. They pulled up the road a bit and it quit again. They asked us to get out and wait while they went to get it fixed....we were quite the sight (a bunch of gringo women on the side of the road in some random little village!) Anyway, long story short...bus got fixed..we got back to the dorm! Our timein the van turned out to be a very special time of sharing and debriefing for our "re-entry" in Fort Worth. I love these women! What an amazing time it was!!! We have each been affected in very real, personal ways...to God be the glory!!!

When we arrived back at the dorms, we had a sweet time with Mari as we all said "goodbye"..some of us renewing friendships, some of us gaining a new connection with the Tutens. It is just so great to have been able to see where they are and all that God is allowing them to accomplish in Quito! They were amazing & wonderful hosts to our team!

We have all been asked how we would respond to people when asked how our mission went....here is my short version:

I have been privileged to have been a part of a extraordinary group of women who made a difference in Quito, Ecuador in 2009!

Gretchen, we all agree....you were an amazing leader!!! Thank you!!!

Sherri