Rick and Rachel Sams moved to Quito in September of 2007. Bless their hearts, they didn’t have a clue.
2008 was their first full year in South America. (Well, I guess technically it was Rick’s first full year in South America. Rachel has a bit of history there.) Throughout the last 12 months, Ecuador has been (at varying moments) a dream come true, a crucible, a very honest mirror, fertile ground, and an absolute nightmare. Probably in many of the same ways that the settings of any of their friends’ and families’ lives have been. (Except perhaps with less learning of other languages, customs, cultural idiosyncrasies, and complete career changes.) Otherwise, I’m sure it’s very similar.
With regard to language learning, Rick can now tell taxi drivers “Vamos a la Granda Centeno y Bobadilla, junto al Canal Cuatro. (We’re going to Granda Centeno and Bobadilla, near Channel Four.)“ If pressed for more info, he can also tell them that Bobadilla’s first name is Gregorio, and that the whole kit and kaboodle is “cerca de la intersección de América y Brasil (near the intersection of America and Brazil).“ He has also developed the ability to insert other street names and landmarks into the basic formula, on the off chance that he wants to go somewhere other than home. Ordering food in restaurants was one of the first skills he developed, but the last year has seen him move into the uncharted waters of being able to ask them to upsize the drink, to please refrain from slathering anything with guacamole, and to kindly batter and deep fry the pork that’s going in his “chancho agridulce (sweet and sour pork)” instead of just using slices of pork roast. On a side note, “kit and caboodle” doesn’t seem to have a direct Spanish equivalent. Rachel has learned the appropriate conjugations of the verb ‘coger’ (to grab, pick up, or catch … but can mean something very different and very bad and very starting with the letter “f” in much of the rest of South America) and phrases such as ‘Hay, porfa’ (a whiney, Ecuadorian way to say “please”). Rachel can also read complicated Spanish novels and newspapers, have conversations in Spanish about politics, religion, and all the other things you’re not supposed to talk about at parties, and never says she “did” something when she means “never will do.” Rick tries not to resent her.
Back to 2008 … Rick started the year by entering the employ of Alliance Academy International. The previous 3.5 months had been pretty scary, as he watched his three-year-old business dissolve. The plan had been to continue to operate Elemental Design from Ecuador, but you know what they say about the quickest way to make God laugh. Rick spent the second semester shadowing/assisting David Tieszen, the teacher that he would replace during the 2008-2009 school year. In January, Rachel was already most of half a year into her position in the counseling department. It was a definite shift from her previous job (less prostitutes, meth addicts, and sex offenders), but came with its own share of challenges (more middle-school girl meltdowns, more elementary girl meltdowns, etc.). Rachel was one of two counselors, and the only full-time one. She worked with Deb Anderson, the counseling department head, who despite not being there all the time, prepared Rachel pretty thoroughly to take over the position the following year. Over the summer, Deb and her family returned to the States on furlough, and Rachel has taken over the department head position, managing three part-time counselors as well.
Rick’s uncle Robert Tate, from Alaska, visited Ecuador in January. He was along for the ride with a group from the Wesleyan Church’s Kansas district who were working on a church plant just outside of Cuenca. Rick and Rachel had visited Cuenca just about a month earlier with some friends, had loved the town, and jumped at the chance to visit the group. (Particularly since his aunt in Alaska decided to pay for the plane tickets.) What had been a 9 hour bus ride in December was only a 45 minute plane ride in January. Rick still believes he’d move to Cuenca in a heartbeat. It’s a beautiful place.
The big news from February was kidney stones. After four hours in the emergency room, and another three days of sheer agony, it all “came to pass.” Rick decided that he’d about had enough of peeing through a sieve, and promised to drink more water from here on out. The entire medical bill for the incident was less than $140. File that one under “reasons to live in Ecuador”. (The medical costs, not the altitude/dehydration/kidney stones bit.)
March was a major milestone, in several ways. Records say that Quito experiences several earthquakes a week, but March 20th was the first one the Sams’ actually felt. It awakened them at about 1:00 a.m. and was over by the time they realized what was happening. Rick got all giggly about it, but Rachel has slept through several earthquakes and didn’t seem quite as excited. They also had their first visitors. Brian Fischer and his daughter Brianna (aren’t they cute?) came down for a whirlwind, four-day tour of Quito. Brianna says she now has the travel bug, and Rick and Rachel would like to think they had a little bit to do with that. It really was a big, big deal to have visitors come specifically to see them. That the first ones to do so were essentially family made it all the more special. March was also a turning point in terms of the way that Rick and Rachel were thinking of their role in Ecuador. Despite both being missionary kids, neither of them had been very comfortable with the title when it was applied to them. “Missionaries” were people who were sent by agencies to plant churches, win souls, and generally build the Kingdom in huge ways. Anyway, after months of chewing on it, the Sams’ started thinking differently. They celebrated their new mindset by performing one of the quintessential functions of a missionary — they asked for money. March of 2008 was the first month that Rick and Rachel received outside donations from supporters other than the stipend that the school gave them. Since then, the support on an average has steadily increased. The whole process was one that was a big step. Admitting that working with the children of Ecuador’s elite in a setting where they were able to share the gospel, build relationships, and be hands and feet was really a calling worthy of their honor and diligence made Ecuador seem like less of a transient experience, and more of a destination. Knowing that it was God’s will was one thing, knowing that what they were doing was really building Kingdom was another. Additionally, the morale boost of having people partner with them financially went a long way toward making them feel like they weren’t really alone.
April and May were a blur of school-related activities. Rick and Rachel got more involved with Peer Helpers, a group of high-schoolers that had joined up because they’d expressed a desire to pursue a career and/or lifestyle of helping or ministering. The group turned out to be a great place for building friendships, exploring touchy (but vital) issues, and really knowing others. Toward the end of the school year, the Sams’ had the “privilege” of tackling the subject of sex with the group. It was a success, really, and a meaningful discussion ensued. Both Rick and Rachel looked forward to the following year, when they would have more control over the group’s direction.
The beginning of May brought a four-day weekend, and the opportunity to travel with some friends. Baños (kind of the Estes Park of the Andes) had been on the docket since arriving in Ecuador, and Rick and Rachel took it in. It was a gorgeous trip, and full of relaxing fun. Baños is famous for its taffy, its waterfalls, and its hot springs. The Sams’ just loved the fact that they could walk the streets at 11pm with no fear of getting mugged. It was a good time out of the big city. On the last day of May, Rachel celebrated her first birthday in Ecuador by going out to eat with some friends at Mongo’s, a mongolian bbq in La Mariscal (the touristy district … think Westport with more attitude and culture). Rick and Rachel both love the Mariscal. Good food, which isn’t really a priority in much of Andean culture, is in no short supply there. A wide variety of dining and entertainment options abound. On the weekends the place really doesn’t get hoppin’ until about 11:00pm, and the crowds of people keep it at least moderately safe. Though they love the apartment they’re in now, with its proximity to the school and friends, Rick thinks that if they ever do move within Quito, La Mariscal is where he’d like to end up.
June brought about the end of the school year and the second round of house guests. Former youth group kid and seriously loyal friend Dan Audley came down for the better part of two weeks. He got the typical tourist treatment: Otavalo (market town an hour or so to the north), Mitad del Mundo (middle of the world equator monument that’s actually several hundred yards off the equator because the French couldn’t get it quite right), and the Teleferiqo (cable car ride most of the way up the mountain around which Quito lies to the east). Dan got into town just in time for Rick and the yearbook class to miss it’s completion deadline, and got to spend two days in the dungeon (a.k.a. “Rick’s classroom”) helping him finish it up. After that, Rick and Rachel were better hosts.
From July 4th through July 16th, Rick’s family descended on the Sams’ place in a happy, buzzing horde. For four of the nights, there were eight people sleeping on couches, inflatable mattresses, contrived mat-like beds and such. The last time the whole bunch had spent the night at Rick and Rachel’s it had been at their duplex in Olathe. The apartment in Quito, at three, had two more bathrooms than the Olathe duplex did, which greatly contributed to the emotional (and physical) well-being of all. All the touristy/foody sites were visited. Christmas in July was celebrated. Having family visit was the highlight of the year for Rick, and by “family” he means his nephews and the other folk who came along with them. Rachel’s folks have not been able to visit yet, but they’re hopeful that 2009 will see that happen.
Then came August. It wasn’t a good month, really, for either of them, but Rick in particular found it excruciating. All the house guests were gone. Most everybody they knew from the school was back in the U.S. A friendship in which Rick had (foolishly) placed a lot of stock went south in a dramatic fashion. A trip that Rick took toward the coast with Samaritan’s Purse ended up being a hellish experience on several levels. About a week into the month, he began (violently) coming to grips with the fact that he’d been suffering from a depression for the better part of a year that had been slowly growing. Now that the buzz of early summer was over, and the quiet of impending autumn had fallen, the darkness began to grow more quickly. Rachel didn’t really know what to do except for just be there. This wasn’t something that could be “fixed.” They had planned on painting the apartment after company left. Rick spent most of the painting time holed up in the bedroom staring at the wall and sniffling, while Rachel made the place prettier. Rick didn’t want to live in Ecuador, didn’t want to learn Spanish, didn’t want to do without Tea Garden, or Chipotle, or Brian, or Kurt, or Shawn, or Jon, or Chris and was sick and tired of pretending that everything was okay when it so obviously wasn’t. Rick saw a psychiatrist. He started taking anti-depressants. He reached out to a local pastor acquaintance, looking for a shoulder to lean on. He started spending a lot of time in the gym. Slowly the darkness started to lift. Once the medication leveled out, things started looking less bleak. Ecuador began to seem like less of a sentence, more of an opportunity. The pastor became a valued friend, and started meeting with him weekly. (He continues to do so.) Rick put 70# on his bench press by the end of the year. Not a huge accomplishment in the greater scheme of things, but something he could hold onto.
School started. Rachel was the counseling department head. She’d never managed anything before. Now she had three people under her. Meetings and scheduling and administrative work took up much of the time she had for pursuing what she’d loved so much about the position the previous year. Much was different. Still fulfilling, but different. Rick was teaching for the first time ever, and realizing that leading youth groups wasn’t adequate preparation. He loved the kids, and even loved seeing them learn things he cares about. But the mechanics of teaching wasn’t something he could honestly say he loved. His additional responsibilities (graphic design, member of the public affairs team, webmaster, peer helpers, etc.) kept him busy as well, and provided some variety.
The 2008-2009 school year brought a lot of new people, and more affirmation that the AAI/Quito missionary community is highly transient. This year, the nationality most represented in the Sams’ group of friends is, oddly enough, Canadian. Next year will be different, likely There’s a group of a dozen or so that make it a regular date to crash their place on Tuesday nights for 2-for-1 pizza night and occasionally a movie or two. There’s no shortage right now, really, of people to hang out with. Real engagement and authenticity are harder to come by, but are starting to make an occasional appearance.
September also brought a new ministry opportunity for the Sams’. Alliance Academy has a program called CSO (Christian Service Outreach), where high-school students can get involved in ministries that range from mentoring middle-schoolers, to working with families that live at the city dump, and anywhere in between. Rick and Rachel hooked up with one called Opción de Vida (Choice of Life), that ministers to homeless street boys in Quito. It’s been remarkably rewarding for them to be out and about and be recognized by kids on the street, including one fire-eater who performs for commuters near the school. Just a week or so ago, the OdVida group picked a bunch of the kids up on a Saturday and took them out to a property the school owns about thirty minutes north of the city. The boys played games, rode horses, ate lunch and had a short devotional out in the country, far from the harsh reality of their city life.
Rick turned 39 in October. He celebrated it with a large number of friends at his favorite restaurant in the Mariscal, the unfortunately (and highly intentionally) named “Uncle Ho’s”. The owners created a special menu for the occasion, and gave him a t-shirt that says “I (heart) Ho’s” on the front. He’s careful where he wears it. Rick had been planning his 40th birthday for several years, but obviously had to readjust some of that since he now lives in another hemisphere. The redux is coming right along. Stay tuned. Rick and Rachel started the process of getting their Ecuadorian drivers’ licenses in September, and finally got them in October. There was a ridiculous amount of red-tape to navigate, and the process really underlined the degree of government corruption that exists in Quito. They owe most of the credit to a friend, Doris Ruales, whose husband is high up in the police department. In a city where clout and persistence pay off, Doris has both. (You can’t tell her no, Rick has tried.) She’s been a huge blessing on many occasions.
November meant the Thanksgiving holiday, which is a big deal at the school, but not really in Ecuador. Thus, it’s a great time for the gringos to head to the beach. Rick and Rachel visited La Mapara, just between Cojimies and Pedernales, for the second time. This year the weather was much more cooperative, and nearly everyone came home with sunburns. Incidentally, Rick got to prepare two turkeys for the holiday, and got to explain the brining process in Spanish several times.
The holiday season is always a busy one, especially in school life. Everybody needed posters, brochures, flyers (etc.) from Rick, and there were concerts and performances and parties to attend. For the Sams’ there was the growing anticipation of their first visit back to the U.S. since their arrival 15 months earlier. Finally, December 20th arrived. They visited three states in twelve days, and saw hundreds of people. Their time in Kansas City was insane, packed full of parties, lunches, coffees, and late night runs to Buffalo Wild Wings. The time with the respective parents was much more subdued, which was a different kind of fantastic. Returning to Quito was rough, after just having been in the States long enough to see all the wonderful things, but not long enough to remember that paradise isn’t spelled “K-A-N-S-A-S”. The adjustment is setting in, though, and the countdown is on for a possible (longer) trip back stateside in the summer.
Much has changed in the past 12 months. Crime in Quito is on the rise. Rick and Rachel know several people who have been mugged, many of them students, some at knife and gun-point. Friends and co-workers have had cars stolen, their houses broken into, and in one case were attacked with screwdrivers. The government is wandering into crazy mode again. New legislation severely regulating imports is affecting the costs of nearly everything, including groceries. Life is getting exponentially more expensive and less secure. Some days it’s easy to look at it all as a lesson in where security really comes from. Some days it’s easier to wonder how they’re going to eat. Community has begun to solidify, but the intimacy that history provides remains rare. Rick and Rachel have started attending the English Fellowship Church full-time, largely due to a desire to be able to participate in ministry opportunities. Rick has started occasionally working with the worship team there, but wants more. Keep them in your prayers. Life is good in thousands of tiny ways, but the path is still sometimes hard. They’re gonna make it, probably in spite of themselves.
Here’s some things you can be praying about during 2009:
Increase in giving - The support coming in is making a huge difference, but there is still a need. Budgeting for 2009 is hard, considering the growing instability in the market. Prices are literally climbing weekly. Rent has gone up along with everything else.
Community - It’s difficult finding authentic engagement in a culture that’s defined by what everybody does, namely missionary work. Pray for meaningful and real connections as Rick and Rachel seek out authenticity both within and outside of the missionary community.
Transportation - The Sams’ car in Olathe still hasn’t sold. That’s nearly $400/ month that would be freed up. Additionally, Rick and Rachel are starting to see how having their own transportation here would be a great benefit, both in personal and ministerial terms. A goal for 2009 is to at least get closer to having their own wheels in Quito. As vehicles cost almost twice as much in Ecuador, and usually have to be payed for in cash (credit options are minimal) this will require some effort. The good news is that the resale value is also very good.Â
Grace/Patience/Longsuffering - As Rick takes on two new classes (four times a week each) and adds them to an already hectic schedule, and Rachel tackles an increasing amount of inter-student drama, the planning of seminars and such for students and parents, and administrative hoopla, pray that their patience and emotional reserves are kept filled by something external.
Safety - Quito is quickly becoming a less safe place to live. Rick doesn’t like to let Rachel go anywhere without him. And while they know that “safety” is an illusion, and that their fate lies soley in the hands of God, some days it’s easy to fear.
Government - Ecuador’s president and government are facing some monumental challenges, and seem to be doing so in a fairly reactive manner rather than looking toward the country’s long-term well-being. Pray for wisdom and guidance for those whose decisions so radically impact the least of these.
Opción de Vida - The kids of Opción de Vida really are, in so many ways, the most fundamental reason why the Sams’ are in Ecuador. These kids juggle, eat fire, pick pockets, get high, don’t sleep all night because they’re afraid, smell bad, cuss a lot, beg, steal, lie, fight, and look at you with the eyes of those who have hope because there’s no farther down to fall. It’s challenging, rewarding, heart-rending, and a total blast to work with them. Please pray for the building of relationships, the filling of stomachs and hearts, and the changing of lives … both theirs and the ones who serve them.
EFC - The English Fellowship Church in Quito, Ecuador has got to be one of the weirdest churches in the world. About 50% Ecuadorian national, 40% missionary community, and 10% everything else imaginable, it provides a challenge unprecedented to any who’d dare try to create a demographic needs profile. Any given Sunday, anywhere from 5-50 people may be there for the first and last time, as they travel through Quito on business, with a short-term missions group, etc. Pray for Len Kinzel and the elders as they lead and attempt to respond to a wild array of needs. Pray for Rick and Rachel as they settle in there and look for ways to lighten loads.
If you’ve gotten this far, thanks for reading.
