2.11.2013

Salon Del Reino Minga

This week is Carnival week here in Ecuador. Carnival is HUGE here and it is technically celebrated over a 3 day period, yet it really has been going on since we got here. The traditions are made up of throwing buckets of water, water balloons, corn starch or spraying foam all over passerby's, especially young ones.
Before coming here, we didn't know much about Carnival, we just knew it was a 'Mardi Gras' type holiday. Since we've been here, we have learned more about the meaning behind the traditions and it is truly sad how wrapped up in the holiday people get. The entire town basically shuts down, while all the locals go to the rivers and throw water at each other, drink heavily and party for 3 days straight. The worst part about all of this is that on Wednesday, the day after the holiday ends, the locals where black crosses on their forehead, signifying to God that they are repentant of the sins they committed the past 3 days. For the friends safety, all formal meetings for field service are canceled for the 3 days, so today we had a "minga."

Minga is Kichwa for Kingdom Hall Cleaning. Our congregation as well as the Kichwa congregation got together to spruce up the hall. 
 A few sisters washing the windows
 A brother cleaning up the sign
 We had to wash and dry every chair in the Kingdom Hall
And Wash the outside of our Hall as well

 Gutter Cleaning
  Every letter is cleaned!
 Yard Work
 All the cracks in the concrete wall from exposure to heat and cold have to be plastered, primed and then repainted.

 When it came to priming the plaster, we ran out of paint brushes.
 Lawn Maintenance
Washing Windows

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