A Note from Jason Ledder: Continued from Home Page:
Not knowing what to expect, I stepped off the plane in Ecuador and into a whole new world – a world that is almost impossible to describe. At first glance, the areas in which we were to work could best be described as squalor – extremely dusty and dirty. It looked to me like somewhere where life as I have come to know it and happiness could never co-exist.
But that was only on the surface. To our
great surprise, it didn’t take long for our group to realize
that the abject physical poverty of the area was belied by
the spirit of the people for whom we were to work. Despite
the living conditions, these were some of the cleanest,
proudest and yes, happiest, people I have ever met in my
life.
Most of the houses we built were for families who, up until
then, slept under lean-to shanties made of old sheets,
hubcaps and scraps of wood. To see their faces as they
stepped into an actual home for the first time was something
I will never forget. The one-room bamboo homes that we
built would be considered sheds in the U.S., but to the
families we helped, it instantaneously became a home. It
was the first – and probably the only – real roof they will
ever have over their heads.
This trip was the single most eye-opening, life changing experience I have ever had. Working with these people who have literally nothing helped put my own life in perspective. The balance on my credit card bill and the mounting piles of work on my desk seem less stressful to me now. I am more motivated and less stressed in everything I do now. I hope that no one ever has to experience the poverty that I witnessed, but I am now more appreciative of everything I have been blessed with, because I did.
The Ecuadorian people were tremendously grateful to our group, and showed their appreciation in ways that I will remember forever. But, strangely, I feel it is I who owes a debt of gratitude. I am grateful to the church for making this opportunity available to me. I am grateful to R&J PR for giving me the time off to undertake this service. I am grateful (and will never, ever again take for granted) the many blessings of family, friends and home that I have here in the United States. But mostly, I am grateful to the warm, caring and generous Ecuadorian people, who taught me an important lesson on life, happiness and the great responsibility that we who are blessed with so much have to our fellow man.Mouse-over photos for info - Click to enlarge.
