a taste of sunshine

This past week, I was blessed beyond words to be able to spend a week in a cabin of girls on the beach of Payas Ecuador.

It was a trying week, a week with a lot of patience and love all bundled up within one..however it was so good. I am so glad I was able to be a part of the Ecuadorian camp season of 2012.
This was my cabin of girls, cabin 14....and let me tell you...they were a testing group. Sadly moments after this photo was taken, two of the girls had to be sent off back home from due to their naughty behaviour and lack of respect. Even though they were difficult individuals, my heart ached while having to put them on a bus back to the city.

There is something special about camp life. So many lives put into one small space for a number of days...so much can happen within that time, a bonding which I feel like cannot take place anywhere else. A little taste of heavenly community (even with difficulties...it is a community like no other).

Each day we had the opportunity to go swim in the beautiful Pacific Ocean. We would take this long bamboo path, through the incredible camp doors onto the sandy shores of the Playas shores. It was such a treat to be able to splash and play in the salty sea knowing full well that our ocean will not be ready to be played in for quite a few more months yet. I loved being able to splash around with the kids, and see other Canadians building relationships with kids, without language. Words are not necessary for playing, and it was so evident in hours of play this past week.
We were able to join families and share a night in their homes over the weekend within this community which you see photographed above, and I have to say that it was one of my highlights of the week away. I had the opportunity to spend a night at one of my favourite Ecuadorian family's home, and was it ever sweet. I loved feeling as if I were part of the family, one of the gang. We joked and laughed and played a brilliant game of 'pictionary' and it was hilarious. I had the giggles throughout the whole game, and I was loving my life.

The next morning, I climbed into bed with a few of the girls from the family, and we just spent about half an hour laughing and chatting, while we woke up. It was so great. Just being able to be with them, enjoying their company and just 'being'. I cannot wait for the day when I will be able to converse with them all without any language barrier. One day Alli, one day...it will happen.

I am always so blown away by the simple little details of beauty which surround me while I am in Ecuador. The flowers, the people, the sand, the beach huts, the shells, the grillos (kidding), butterflies...so many things. Sigh. I feel full and blessed. Slightly exhausted...but happy.

I must now go catch up on reading, and sleep....but enjoy these few photos which my little blue camera took, while I was away.

a little sun-kissed-feather.
a.