Field reflections.

Just checking in to give you guys a field update. :)

First of all, I really love what I'm doing. So much that it would be a dream to continue to work in this same capacity for the rest of my life! I don't even want to think about leaving. The population I work with interests me so much, and the girls are such a joy. Okay, once in awhile they're a little tough--but their resilient spirits and beautiful personalities far outshine their occasional bad moods. I'm much more at ease with them now, and I'm slowly getting more insight into their personalities and stories. I love being able to share in this journey with them, offer them tools and knowledge for their futures, and serve them in any way that I can. I am so blessed to work in an environment where missionaries visit twice a week, and so I have been free to share my faith and encourage the girls in theirs. In fact, I have shared the Gospel with one and taught her how to pray. She is now reading her Bible and I believe ready to accept Christ, so I have given her a prayer and talked about it with her. What a joy to be a part of that! 

Just to remind you of what exactly I do there: I'm in the house from nine to five every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday (Wednesdays I work in the office). While there, I just do whatever they're doing. Sometimes another intern gives a workshop, sometimes the lawyers come to talk with the girls about their legal cases (because all of them are basically serving a sentence for underage prostitution under Ecuadorian law, although the agency recognizes that most of these girls were coerced into sex slavery), sometimes there's a lecture on HIV. Sometimes we have group therapy, sometimes we play sports outside...it all depends and the schedule is very fluid. This week I spent some time sorting good potatoes from rotten ones so we can eat them later. So, the routine changes a lot, but I always have something to be responsible for. For instance, I teach English on Mondays, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays I give workshops about the theme of my choice. I tailor these workshops to the lives and culture of my clients and always try to make them fun and interactive. I've learned so much through giving these--from new Spanish words, to how to tailor interventions to fit another culture, to how to engage adolescents effectively. I've also learned so much about how social services are run in developing countries. I imagine that in the U.S., clients and social workers alike aren't sitting on the pavement sorting potatoes donated to the agency (or maybe they are!). And yet, there's something really humbling and just plain great in doing that. You don't need a fancy facility to have an impact on people's lives. What matters is the relationships, not the money. All of us in social services can learn from the way Ecuador does things.

Needless to say, I'm loving what I do. I really don't want to leave my field placement, and it is my dream to one day have a home of my own (although how God's going to make that happen, I can't imagine). But that's not to say that field is easy! Sometimes I find myself eating chicken feet or organs for lunch. Sometimes I don't understand a phrase in Spanish or get frustrated because I can express a thought so much better in my native language. And other times, I see, hear, and read really tough stuff. Really tough stuff. In my experience, you really don't notice that all the sin and suffering is affecting you until one day something just hits you, and it all comes to the surface at once. Sometimes I read case notes and just want to put my head down on the desk, because it's too terrible to imagine. Sometimes looking at the girls' physical scars and watching them continue to struggle with their past makes me want to cry. Sometimes knowing that a large number of my clients return to their pimps makes me think, "What exactly are we accomplishing here?" But that's when I remember how much I feel called to be here, doing what I'm doing. 

It's not an easy placement, but I'm right where I want to be, and more importantly, where God wants me to be. I cannot believe how blessed I am to serve here, and I have learned so much that will follow me throughout my social work career. Being here in Ecuador and working in this agency is a dream come true! Even on the days when I eat chicken feet!