Caving!

What a day!  I'm so blessed to be here with all of these fantastic people.  Today we went for a day trip to the caves.  When I speak of caving I'm not talking your every day walk down into a hole in the ground.  First off we had about a 30 min drive down a rather rough road.  From here we came to a small place to park and from there we set off on foot.  We walked a few hundred meters to the entrance.  Oh haha that was just the entrance to the jungle.  The caves were far from being approached.  We proceeded to hike on a muddy, single person path through the jungle that, at times had evil plants and vicious bugs.

Towards the end of the path, which took about an hour to travel, we encountered muchos árboles caídos.  So our lovely guide Franky proceeded to hack away at the jungle, forcing it to produce a path.   After passing through this area.  Just a little ways ahead we encountered the caves.  Boy was it worth the hike!  There were SO many cool things to be seen in the cave and from the start it was a tight squeeze.  I'm afraid to admit it, but according to Franky, I'm muy grande y grasa.  For a fat man however, I maneuvered some pretty tight spots =).  When we got towards the back of the cave and were preparing to turn back towards the caves entrance, Franky had us all stop and sit on a big rock.  We all turned off our lights and he told us a story about a man who he had met who happened to be the original discoverer of the caves.  That was so neat especially in the pitch black.  From here we worked our way back out of the caves and hiked our way back to the van and drove down to the river.  We washed our clothes and swam for a bit, cooling off quite nicely.

After this, we drove back to Mera (a small town adjacent to Shell), where we dropped Franky off and then we drove back to Shell.  When we got back into Shell we stopped at a small restaurant and had our first Ecuadorian cooked Almuerza, or essentially their traditional lunch.  It consisted of Soup for the first course and meat, beans, rice, and salad for the meal.  We also had fresh juice and some Coke.

When we arrived back at the compound, we had free time.  While the other interns rested (sleeping and whatnot) I went and joined some of the missionary kids and adults for some basketball.  What a great time!

To end the night we had a dinner of pizza at the bighouse.  It was a great time of fellowship.  Finally we watched, Through the Gates of Splendor and Beyond the Gates of Splendor, two documentaries about the men who were killed on palm beach in 1955.  These men were seeking to bring the gospel to the Waodani (also know as the Auca) indians.  Their lives were lost, but not in vain.  Their deaths opened doors, allowing Elizabeth Eliot and Rachel Saint, along with many others, to reach the Waodani for Christ.  What an amazing story of redemption!

That's what happened today!  Lots of new things, and an amazing reminder of what Christ has done.  Tomorrow we are attending a church with Linda and Ian in Mera.  I look forward to worshipping with the locals!

God bless,

Sam Hodges

Before

After 

Our guide Franky telling his story (this occurred in the dark =])

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Fitting through some tight spots =)

Early in the trip on the trail

My first tarantula sighting!

Basketball with the missionaries!

Orientation and More!

Today was quite the day!  It seems like I've been here for weeks now.  We had a busy day of tours around Shell and orientation.  We learned all about what we should and shouldn't eat, and what we can and cannot touch.  That was a bit monotonous, but definitely important information to have when you encounter an adorable, yet deadly caterpillar...

One of the tours we got to go on brought us through the Nate Saint house.  It was neat to see where they lived life and hear a bit about their ministry and testimony.  The house is actually a totally rebuilt replica of the original house because the original house was destroyed by termite damage.  After that we got to go over to the airport and tour around there.  I can't wait to go on my first jungle flights on one of MAF's Cessna 206's.  Later in the day we went out with a sweet lady by the name of Linda, and shopped for groceries.  The markets are SO cool.  You can get so many neat things.  It's tempting to get things from the street vendors, but we've been cautioned against it for the sake of our stomachs.  After touring shell we came back and had an hour of free time before dinner.  I used this time to get some quality time in with my hammock.

At 6:30 we all gathered for a potluck.  We got to sample dishes made by the different missionaries, and I must say, I liked what I tasted.  After that point we got to hear from the various missionaries.  Some of them are leaving and so we spent some time praying them off and praying us in.  I love that bond that we have through Christ.  I feel right at home, accepted and loved here.

To finish off the evening we spent some time with the Thomas family playing ping-pong and just chatting about life.  They have 4 children and are teachers here at the Nate Saint Memorial School for missionary kids.  They are also about to go back to the states for about 6 months so it was nice to hear from them and fellowship over some fun.  Tomorrow we go spelunking!  We'll walk through the jungle to a nice hole in the ground and explore!  I'm super excited =).

That's all for now.  I continue to covet your prayers as I adjust to all of the new things here, and am so blessed to be supported by a family in Christ back home.  Bye for now and be blessed!

In Him,

Sam Hodges

Getting ready for the potluck under the Concha

The outside of the Nate Saint house in Shell

The MAF hangar

The bridge I get to cross every day to get to the compound

SELFIE!

Travel Travel Travel!

Wow!  The long anticipated journey is over!  The past two days have been full of travel, and new sights all along the way.  My flights were uneventful for the most part.  I met one of the other interns (Kevin) at the Miami airport and we took the same flight to Quito.  When we arrived, we were greeted by three really nice people who work for Reach Beyond.  We then waited for the rest of the crew to arrive.  That night we spent in a hotel about 10 min from the airport.

This morning we woke up and ate a lovely breakfast of eggs and toast (not eaten in my quarters).  We then loaded up our luggage and hit the road for Shell.  If I've learned anything about Ecuador it's that we are in the mountains, and I mean IN the mountains.  There were roads that ran on the side of cliffs and tunnels that dug through the sides of mountains.  After the curve filled, scenic drive of about 5 hours we found ourselves in the nice little town of Shell.  We transported our luggage to the various places we would be staying (guys in a house which is across a rather legit cable bridge), and then hung out until dinner was served at the McFarland's house.  They were very hospitable and we had a great time.  Finally to end the evening the other two guys helped Eric Fogg (the lead engineer in Shell) with his side project of fixing up a motorcycle.  While they occupied themselves with gears and gizmos, I took the task of entertaining Jacob, Eric's 3 year old foster child.  We played catch and caused trouble for almost two hours.  Now I'm just relaxing a bit before bed and orientation starts bright and early tomorrow!  Thank you all for the many prayers and encouraging words.

In Him,

Sam Hodges

Jacob

The Engineering interns in front of our hotel Rancho San Carlos 

I couldn't help but imitate the sign (don't judge)

The team along with Pat and Denise two of the ladies who
picked us up along with an awesome waterfall in the background.

1 Day 14 Hours!

1 Day 14 Hours and a whole lot of packing to go!  I'm so super stoked to get on my way to Ecuador.  It has been an incredibly blessed time being back in NY for the past few weeks, but I've never felt so ready to do something.  As the moment is drawing nearer it has been a bit sad saying goodbye to friends and family for such a long time. However God is comforting me with the reminder that, even if I don't see some of these people again this side of heaven, we will have an eternity to rejoice in awe of Christ together.  How exciting!

My itinerary has me leaving out of Albany, NY at 8:05 AM.  I have connections in Charlotte and Miami and then the last leg takes me from Miami straight to the City of Eternal Spring (Quito).  I should be arriving there around 6:30 PM and then I'll spend the night at Reach Beyond's headquarters in the city.  Hopefully at that point I'll be able to post something quick to let everyone know I have arrived safe.

If you're in the business of praying, please remember me for a few things.  Firstly, please pray that the Lord would protect me as I travel, and that there would be no complications with flights or customs.  Secondly, please pray that after I arrive I would gain a knack for the language quickly.  If you know me at all, you know I love to build relationships and I love to talk.  It'll be a challenge to be limited in this ability =).  Finally, pray for peace for me and the loved ones I'm leaving behind.  I know this is where God is leading me, but I also will miss the loved ones in my life.

That's all for now.  If I survive the packing, I'll be in Ecuador soon!  Thanks for each and everyone one of your support.  God bless!

In His Name,

Sam Hodges