Aug 6, 20193 min read

The Final Minga Post - An Incredible Experience - Crusaders Favorites

Updated: Aug 7, 2019

By: Lane Liska

"The best moments of the trip for me were the first day walking into the home and seeing the smiling faces of Luz and the family and what lay ahead of us knowing that all that had been planned and dreamed about for so long was finally in front of us about to unfold for them. Also, the last day as we celebrated with them because we could see the joy and love in their eyes and feel the warmth in their hearts and in our own. The love and grace that we took home with us from Ecuador and what we learned from them while there was more than any of us could have imagined." #mission4am #everybodyloveeverybody #letskeepthemissionmoving

"My favorite thing about the trip was seeing God's plan become a reality. From the mass, to the lake, to the family, to the Center itself...in the end, it was truly one of the greatest experience of my life thus far. I finally understand why God had me make each particular decision along the way."

"My favorite moment was all the times our minga group and our Ecuadorian friends worked together on the house. It was fun to work hard like that with my family and the workers. It was cool that everyone was working hard for the same cause -to help a family in need."

I'm going to reflect on our mission trip and describe my thoughts, feelings, and experiences of our trip to Ecuador. When we first got down there, I, as I'm sure the rest of our group felt, did not really know what to expect. But, as we arrived at the center where we stayed, most of our minds were put to ease, especially after meeting the people who worked at the Center, our leaders. The first two days, were "rest days" so we could get acclimated to the high elevations of the mountains of Quito. The weather was incredible the entire time we were down there. I, as well as what feels like a thousand people have asked me now, asked if it was hot, since it was on the equator. This was not the case. Crisp mornings and beautiful days with highs in the upper 60's were blessed upon us. Also, in Ecuador, the landscape is incredible. With the peaks, valleys, and views, I was truly amazed at the absolute beauty of the country. I was very surprised by this.

"My favorite thing about the trip was German. It just wouldn't have been the same without him. Also, being able to spread John's ashes was really awesome."

On the third day, we finally started our minga, which was the actual work we were all very excited about. The first work day, we did not know what we were getting ourselves into. In Ecuador, all work is done by hand. The mortar, concrete, blocks, and materials were all transported, mixed, or placed all by hand. There was no mechanic assistance. I guess I should have expected this but this somewhat came as a surprise to me. As each day went by, it was more of the same. Tough, brutal, very hard work. I have work manual labor before, and so I was semi use to the work, but it was still very tough. The views and the weather helped out a lot though because it at least wasn't 100 degrees and humid like in Texas.

"I really enjoyed our trip into the mountains. It was interesting getting to take in the differences in life between us as Americans, the Ecuadorians who live in the city, and the Ecuadorians who live in the mountains. Our traveling days were my favorite days. Getting a chance to see beautiful parts of the world not many people ever get to see in their lives. Every night, I also loved cooking dinner with the Ecuadorian women who cooked for us!"

Each day that went by, I felt more sore, and felt like the work was harder than the day before. Mainly because I think the crew saw that I was decent at mixing the mortar and the concrete so they made me do it as much as they could since it was not fun work and they did not want to do it. But, I was happy to do it. I wanted to help out in as many ways as I possibly could. The longer we were there, the more and more connected I felt with the project. We loved the family we were building the house for, we loved the crew we were building the house with, and we loved all the people we met along the way. I was amazed by all the incredible people we met. It seemed as if every single person we met had the same goal of making a difference in the lives of everyone in Ecuador. In that short time we were down there, it felt like I made many friends. Even though there were language barriers with some of the people, it didn't take words to understand each other and express our love for one another.

"My most memorable moment was when we left the house on the last minga day. Not because we were finished, but because of the emotional attachment to the project and the reason why we were there, to help Luz and her family. I didn't think it would have that kind of affect on me, but it did."

When it came time to leave, no one wanted to go. We all felt so connected with the project and the people that we all wanted to stay down there until the house was finished. For some reason, I felt personally responsible to see the house to completion, and I'm sure everyone in our group felt the same way. We wanted to see the house through, and we did not want to leave the great people we met who quickly became our friends. All in all, even though this trip was not even a vacation, it was one of the most memorable, satisfying, and even fun trips I have ever been on. I 10/10 recommend taking a trip like this whenever you are available to. It is very humbling and put a lot of things into perspective. Even when times are tough, It can always be worse. I recommend a mission trip to anyone who finds it in their hearts to do one and I've already even made a promise with my family that we will do another one. Seeing the things you accomplish, the people you meet, the places you go, and the lives you touch not only during the trip but throughout the entire process is really an incredible experience that I cannot wait to do again.