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8-The Canadian Champion, Tuesday, Novemnber 23, 2004 Commiunity Page ,EclJador trip eye-opener for church group By STEPHANIE TH-IESSEN The Champion T osomeone living ini a ramshackle home with- out running water in Ecuador, ifs miînd boggling f0 think some North Americans have so much stuif they need rentai units f0 store if ail, Ilis. thts "encessivety excessive" way ol lite Ioi wlich Karen Hatton's attentiton mas driio s on her recent missions trip lto Gutayaquil, Ecuador wîth a team of eighs othen people from Mition's Souîhsîde Cîîmmunty Church. "A lot tif kids (in Ecuador> dîdn'î even have toys to play wih, yei ihey kepi ibrm- selves bîîsy and oui of trotie. Our kids comptain about brîng bored and thas there's noshîng 10 do," shte said Friday, juss Iwo days afier arriving home. "That parit 1found frusirating. Wr have so much, but wr'rr soi tbankful for mhaî wr have." The tram, which refi Novrmbrr 5, was led by Ms Halson. atong mith church mem- brr Aaron Lalvani. Thry iravetird 10 lEcuador 10 pantner with a local chîîrch and iatk I0 the people there about iheir failh. hopiîîg tii sc lives chatsged and -ai the very ieast -create an inierestin1 Christianity. Anîd they didi. But intî he process, they îlsemseIves ssere aiso changed. New perspective on life Ms Hatton saîd she reiurned frnt Ecuador a person dilferens from the tise whtî iris. Gose is the person mhose most important job mas juggtisg the tasks on ber ' ti dot' tisi as a cussiomer support represes- latine tir a techîsîcai hcîtline. In ils place is someose mbo's decîded to take a lessontsrom the Ecuadortans and Iead a siower, calmer pace tif life ltîcused tit wbai's truiy insportant anîd aiso iii culi- stîte a deeper appreciasios fi ohat she bas. This is the sectnd trip Ms Haison bas taken tii Ectadtin, and as oit tiihe first nisîs, il %%as the people wbo iruly impacted ber, she said. No master what slruggles ibey laceti, they sissieti as the strangers irîîm Cantada. No inItier hom ltille they had, they tîlleret i t p to the vs 'itos. "'ie petople .%ere so kînd -so oarm andi oeictmîsîg," she said. Sotime tii the groiip's sime \vas spettialk- îng 10 people sn the ghetto tif Duras, an eye-opening expersence. It's a poor area that starkly contrasts the more middir class suburb of Guayaquil. The picture Ms Ht-ton painted of this impovrished community wasn's preoty. Event the Iandscape mas dismal. with mosi- ]y dirt and juil a few trees. The homes had oflen just one mom and there mas no un- ning water, plumbing or sewage system. "Il main't clean ai ail,' Ms Haîton said. Solution flot simple The group's naturai instinct mas to mass to give the people money. But the problem -arnd solution - s much orte compiex, Ms Hatton said. "That wouid've heiped themn for a limtted lime. But ihey need govemment invoive- ment -people with money 10 sc beyond their four watts. If ihere mas sonne way 50 gel those mith money 50 give some 10 ihose mithons... Those wiih mosey have so, mnch lhey don't knom whaî t0 do mitb il." Co-leader Mr. Laivani, who bas now bren t0 Ecuador thrrr limes, said many of the tram members -isctnding bimurif - brcamr quise emotional over what they saw. "My gosb, we have garages fuit of boxes. Here in North America, we accumulase so mncb. Wr fit! our lives miîh îhings and puy t0 have them stored. They don't undersîand that there. They have no concept of that," be saîd. Something tangible the teamt was able 50 dot for their hosi church was pay for the pastor there 50 have some tests donc ai the hospitai ior a tiver prohiem. He couliot aiiford il on his owo., Mr. Laivani agreed with Ms Hatton thas the people in Ecuador are unforgestabie. "Ecuadonians are pracefut people. The people are melcoming - ihey hond wiîb you. Ait of a sudden, you'rr part of their iamiiy." Whîie ihere. the term met wth a Habitat for Humanity group thaïs startisg up in Ecuador and Mr. Laivant said Sonîbside Community Church hopes Io send some people 10 assisi them in the future. Ose of the things Mn. Lainant said stands oui in uts mind is the %%iiiingness of the people there 10 hear about Chnistianîîy possîbiy becttuse il ovas being deiivered by Canadians. "Canadians are res'ered -it's a land of weaith (in their eyesx." Mr. Lainant satd, adding. "We ocre there bo tell iheni God loves them just as much as (he loves) ns." 5u'phitt T/tiî'î.eui uanh"a li ced it Photo by GRAHAM PAINE Karen Hattan and Aaron Lalvani show a mountamn of travel gear, as weII as sonne big smiles, after a rewarding trip ta Ecuador. ~7~YCOGECO rCogeco Cable Channel 14 Programrning Schedule-TuesdayNovember23- MondayNovernber29, 2004 www.cogeco.ca NORTHI HALTON STUIJO Lausier Plaza 500 Laurier Avenue Miltas, ON L9T 4R3 905878-9306 x,îw S-u E - w' 5 x1flMý ý iluw spýN M N.' 22 Mw s -, 1 0w N wW'ý XR 1w' Hm~t C_ m oe p 5w ' û w p ffl . ý E r 0 5w'kw 'uniM 9WCM N2 vii', 010R 0- o, ý ER 730rw P-W'. 'w sa0P i w"',.' na,0.'.'ii Acton Santa Claus Parade - Friday, 7:3Opm & Sunday, 9:OOpm i -M