Anthropology at Church in Ecuador

The clock reads 9:50am and Sunday morning worship service is about to start at “Cordero De Dios”. The worship team sets up at the front of a sparsely decorated five by ten meter room on the second story of a typical 400 year old mud block building in downtown Loja, Ecuador. Mismatched paint shows that the auditorium was recently created by removing a wall dividing two smaller rooms. The name of the church is written in Spanish in gold painted Styrofoam letters taped to the front wall. Gold curtains cover one of the two windows, with a makeshift attachment holding it to the wall. Rows of 75 blue plastic chairs are crammed into the room with a narrow isle down the middle. Near the stage is a large speaker, two meters in height, which is more than sufficient to amplify the sound of five microphones, two guitars, a bass and a drum set in this small room. There is a projector connected to a desktop computer which is turned on and ready to project the lyrics of the worship songs on the wall. Everything is ready.
On the side wall of the room is a large tattered red paper heart displaying pictures of several families from the church, which is titled “The Family of God”. Slowly, some of the faces from the heart begin filing into the room. Each person who arrives greets everyone else. Sometimes the greeting takes the form of a wave from a distance, but most often it’s a cheek to cheek kiss from the women and a handshake with a pat on the back from the men.
People are dressed differently based on their positions. The pastor is the best dressed, with a black blazer and slacks. Other male leaders wear button up shirts and slacks. The rest of the men have jeans and t- shirts on. A few older women wear dresses but most of the women are dressed in slacks or even jeans. The teens all have jeans on regardless of their gender. All of the older people wear reading glasses. The choir members wear robes over their other clothes. Everyone is dressed in western attire except for an older Indian woman who is dressed in the indigenous attire of Ecuador including a black hat, a puffy purple skirt, and a grey sweater. Her hat is the only hat in the room. Skin color ranges from a light Spanish tone to a dark Indian tone. Everyone has black hair but all of the men’s hair is shorter than their ears while all of the women’s hair is longer than their shoulders. Every woman wears earrings while none of the men do. Though people are dressed differently, everyone looks well groomed for church.
At 10am, when church was scheduled to start, additional members of the worship team were still arriving and sound checks were still being done. Only six people were seated in the congregation, most of them church leaders. At 10:05am, the music team practiced a song. Then at 10:15am a deacon welcomed everyone to church, all 12 people on stage and the 17 people seated. He read a passage of scripture and invited the congregation to stand while a woman opened the service in prayer. With all still standing, the worship leader took over and again welcomed everyone to church. The first song began at 10:20am, as people continued to arrive. By the end of the second song, there were 35 people in the congregation. The people in the chairs continued to greet the new comers. Younger people looked slightly embarrassed to be arriving late. The deacon who gave the welcome now helped people find seats in the crowded room. Even though a nursery was available, some mothers kept their babies with them. One mother in the center of the church half covered herself with a coat and began nursing her baby.
The sixth and final song ended at 10:40am and 48 people sat down. The deacon returned to the podium and once again welcomed everyone to church. Meanwhile, the power point projector turned from song lyrics to a slide show of announcements. A woman walked through the center isle handing out bulletins and offering Bibles for people to use. Without an official announcement, all the children and teens exited to their Sunday school classes as the pastor walked to the podium. Before the pastor started preaching, he waved and welcomed everyone to church in what was the fourth official welcome of the morning. More people continued to arrive.
The pastor began by reading a passage of scripture, calling attention to the fact that the passage was displayed in a Bible program projected onto the wall at the front of the room. In reality, the Bible text on the wall was so small that no one could read it, but that didn’t stop the computer operator from scrolling along with the verses being read. Most people followed along in their own Bibles instead. The pastor read the sermon text from a modern translation of the Bible. On one occasion, the pastor asked a member of the congregation to read a passage of scripture aloud. The person stood and read from an old Spanish translation which includes verb tenses that are not in common usage anymore, but no one seemed to notice.
The pastor involved the audience as he preached. He routinely paused and waited for the congregation to fill in words from his sermon outline in the bulletin. It was mostly the women who responded. This was consistent with what male and female roles had been during singing. The women in the audience raised their hands and swayed back and forth in worshipful dance, while the men occasionally clapped along but were generally more subdued. Once, during the sermon, a woman even interrupted the pastor to ask a clarifying question. He wasn’t flustered by the interruption but answered her question by quoting a Bible verse from memory.
At the end of his hour long sermon, the pastor reviewed his three points by asking the congregation to say the points along with him. In closing, he asked everyone to stand and pray with him. After the prayer, the pastor told everyone to greet those around them with a hug. The men gave hugs and the women give cheek to cheek kisses as before.
The deacon again took the podium and gave a short reflection on the pastor’s sermon before making announcements. Announcements included the Christmas play, a fund raiser, and a request for volunteers to clean the church building. Next, the deacon passed the microphone to two women to pray and collect the offering. Everyone again stood during the prayer. Then one woman passed an offering basket around while the other woman read more announcements from the bulletin. Several older women put money into the offering basket but asked for change. The usher left the room and returned a few minutes later with folded dollar bills to make change for those who had requested it. Meanwhile, this round of announcements concluded with a group reading of the church motto from the bulletin. The deacon took over again and made more announcements. He talked about trusting God in hard times and announced another fund raiser.
Finally, each of the three children’s Sunday school classes was invited in to say the verse they had memorized. As they finished, the kids ran to find their parents. About 40 children squished into the already crowded seats. At 11:55am, the deacon asked everyone to rise one last time for the benediction and a closing prayer. Then, everyone stacked their chairs, hugged and kissed each other goodbye, and left. Within five minutes the room was empty.
Many insights can be gleaned from my observations at this church service. Three things stood out to me about Ecuadorian culture. First, greetings are valued over punctuality. Next, Ecuadorians see themselves as poor. Finally, men and women are different but equal.
The different values placed on importance of greetings and punctuality was striking. Church started fifteen minutes late, and I don’t think that anyone even expected it to start on time. The fact that only 29 people were at church when the service started, including the worship team, and 65 people at church by the end of the service made being late the norm. The four official welcomes served to mask any tardiness. Everyone was treated equally regardless of when they arrived. In Ecuadorian culture, not greeting someone is rude, but being late is acceptable.
Another recurring theme was the attention drawn to the fact that people in the church are poor. First, people talked about being poor. Before the offering, the deacon gave a pep-talk about how times are hard right now even in the rich United States so it should be no surprise that money is tight in a poor country like Ecuador. Next, people acted poor. Instead of bringing exact change for the offering they ask for refunds. Letting it be known you couldn’t afford to give very much is not shameful. Economically, this method of making change also shows the lack of money in circulation. Finally, food is a typical element of Ecuadorian hospitality which was notably missing. The absence of coffee and snacks served to highlight the sense that the members of the church feel that they are poor and can’t afford to corporately splurge. As a church, the people seem to agree and accept that they are poor.
The way that men and women dressed and acted made gender roles hard to figure out. Almost everything in the service was repeated by both men and women. We had three sets of announcements, four official welcomes, and four public prayers. The repetition seemed almost purposefully intended to demonstrate that everyone can participate in all aspects of the service. Yet, specific guidelines for men and women’s dress were rigidly followed. Long hair and earrings are signs of femininity. Without exception, every woman had long hair and earrings while none of the men did. So, while men and women are allowed to serve in the same ways, they remain different. This is evidence that Ecuadorian Christians have a rich and complex view of men and women created equal but different in the image of God.
By examining people’s actions, their values and attitudes become apparent. However, the real value of ethnographic research is not merely discovery but the chance for application. While all of my observations about Ecuadorian culture were interesting, the information about greetings and punctuality are the most easily applicable. I need to be more patient when people are late because tardiness is the norm. I must also learn to make greeting people one of my highest priorities because failing to do so is insulting. By changing both my expectations and my behavior, I can share God’s grace through my actions in more culturally appropriate ways.

Cultures in Conflict

We arrived to the church for youth group as usual just after 7pm but the church was locked. We made some phone calls and found out that everyone from the church was at the pastor’s house waiting to surprise him with a party for pastor’s appreciation month. Within minutes friends were at church to escort us across town to the pastor’s house by bus. At the pastor’s house we sat in the living room with members of the church for over an hour waiting for the pastor to get home. When he arrived, he was holding an envelope containing a results of a medical test showing that he most likely has hepatitis. Then the party started.
Since we were thought we would be leading youth group, Johanna had her guitar and song sheets with her and was asked to lead a few choruses until the hired musicians arrived. So we passed out song sheets and about 5 of us sang while everyone else chatted. It ended awkwardly for us when the hired musicians arrived and started setting up during our singing. After the musicians were setup, one of the deacons of the church opened us in prayer and we were all given small glasses of raspberry wine to toast the pastor’s health. Then the musicians serenaded the pastor for the next hour with the crowd crying in unison “Vive el pastor!” at appropriate places in the song.
By now it was long after the time youth group normally gets out and we were farther a field than usual. Titus and Stephanie were also visiting us that weekend and were waiting for us to return home. I tried to make as quiet and polite an exit as possible using Titus and Stephanie as our reason for needing to leave early. In Ecuador, arriving late is not impolite in the least, but leaving early is very rude. Rather than being allowed to leave, we were escorted into the kitchen for reasons unbeknownst to us. Once in the kitchen we were told that if we left now at 9:45pm we would miss the dinner which had not yet been served! So we were given plates of chicken, rice, potatoes, and two types of salad. We politely ate our food, said our goodbyes and left thinking what an odd and yet delightful cultural experience. We hope we didn’t offend anyone too greatly, but staying three hours at a party we didn’t even know about was as long as we could spare.

September Update

Our September update has been posted on our website. Check it out to read about our first month back in Loja, Ecuador. http://micahadamson.googlepages.com

Summer 2008 Update

Check out http://micahadamson.googlepages.com to see what we did this summer. Enjoy! - Micah

Summer Speaking "Tour"

Last night Micah began his summer speaking “tour”. Maricopa Community Church is hosting three days of Teen Nights with the theme “Think About It”. So as we enjoy family time in Arizona, Micah is also the main speaker for these teens challenging them to think about Christ and all Christ has done for us. Micah is excited to also preach at church this Sunday here in Maricopa.

The fun isn’t over yet. When we arrive to Washington, Micah will preach our four Sundays there at New Heights. He looks forward to preaching a series on Philippians. He’s doing what he loves doing and was doing in Loja, sharing the gospel. Two weeks before leaving Loja for the summer, Micah preached at our church there in Spanish. Here is the link to listen to the sermon. Enjoy!

http://www.newheightschristianchurch.org/sermons/2008-06-01MicahActs16SpanishSermon.mp3

Making Lefsa

Micah and I spent our first stop in the US with our grandparents in Minnesota. We had a wonderful time with family. The Folden relatives had a picnic get together organized by my grandma Ivie Folden. We spent time with Micah's grandparents talking and going to the lake. Yet, it was my time with my grandma that really stands out for me.

Sunday morning we had the privilege of seeing how my grandma spends her time. Walking across the street to the assisted living home, we gathered for a worship service with people from her retirement home as well as the elderly people from the assisted living home. Meeting her friends and the woman she babysat back in the day was a pleasure. I know that when I'm that old it will be unlikely I will be able to introduce my grandkids to those I used to babysit. My grandmother has many connections. And it amazes me. I'm glad I can now visualize where my grandma worships God.

Another memorable time during our short stay in Minnesota was making lefsa with my grandma. While Micah fixed her computer, we rolled the pastry thin and fried the lefsa to perfection! Oh, are they good. Spread some butter, sprinkle the sugar and roll up the potato dessert for a satisfying tasty bite of Norwegian tradition. Now I need to make it again soon so I won't loose the knowledge my grandmother imparted upon me. Thanks Grandma for the lesson!

Home For Vacation

After eight hours on a bus from Loja to Guayaquil, seven hours in the Guayaquil airport, 15 hours flying and waiting, we made it to our first destination in the US. We are excited to be home in the States for six weeks before we return to Loja, Ecuador. Currently, I'm really excited to be done traveling for another week before we hop onto another plane headed to Washington.

Like usual, I have many goals for our "vacation". Resting, reading, researching, writing, planning, family time, getting up on things, etc. However, I'm learning I need to make small realistic goals I can actually accomplish. So this summer, we'll start with one goal a day. That way I feel like I accomplished something...and what a good feeling that will be. And today has already been a good day...I made a post on our blog after five months of silence.

We miss them

Titus and Stephanie and Sofia finally made their way to Guayaquil and have been there now for a few weeks. They are excited to have made it to their final missionary destination. We are happy for them, but we miss them. We miss the lunch time meals, talks and discussions about missions, and playing with our niece, Sofia. Titus and Stephanie took the driving course here in Loja before heading out. During this time, we had the privilege of watching Sofia. We had many house of quality aunt/uncle and niece bonding time. On walks, we would find flowers and cows. If we couldn’t find the cows, we would “moo” really loud hoping they were come to our call. It never worked. We are grateful for this time with our family as, even though we are still in the same country, we continue to live miles apart.

I just love this picture of Micah and Sofia making smoothies!!!

Christmas Pictures!

We are Moving

At the end of January, we say goodbye to the apartment we have been house-sitting and hello to the next home we will house-sit. We are not sad to move away from all the noise we have encountered while living here. Let me tell you that we’ve had some pretty loud nights. Yet, we have been very grateful for this place to stay. As we prepare to move to the SIM Director’s house, we continue to be grateful for this additional place to stay through June while living in Loja. We are enjoying our house-sitting tour. Hopefully, we will be able to continue house-sitting next year.

Cooking with Oswaldo

    I believe I have already expressed my initial regret at the differences between Ecuadorian food and Bolivian food; however, I am learning to enjoy Ecuadorian food and I am even learning to cook some. Our friend Oswaldo comes over every week or two and cooks with me. The first thing we made was fried Yucca which I missed from Bolivia. They eat yucca (manioc root) here in Ecuador which is an 18 inch long tuber that tastes somewhat like a potato. In the US we only use it to make tapioca pudding and root beer. Ecuadorians mostly boil it instead of frying it like they did in Bolivia. But no one in South America makes root beer out of it, which makes me sad. Since making fried yucca, Oswaldo has taught me to make yucca patties by boiling and mashing the yucca and filling it with cheese before frying it.

    The next starchy food we made was a stretch for me as Lisa and Scotty can attest. We fried bananas… And I liked it! I didn’t like fried bananas before this recipe. In fact I disliked them enough to have a shirt made while I lived in Bolivia proclaiming my love for yucca and my dislike of fried bananas. But even more miraculous than enjoying fried bananas, is that we melted cheese on the top of the fried bananas and I found that I liked the cheese!

     I have eaten cheese all three continents that I have visited and was surprised at how different it is from place to place. I am always tempted by South American cheese because I miss North American cheese so much, but after eating it I am usually disappointed. South American cheese reminds me of the type of product you would get in return from doing a deal with the devil. It looks good from a distance but the moment you get near enough to it, it smells rancid. I don’t think that my descriptions do it justice. You will have to come visit us to see what I mean.

     On the outside chance that you have access to South American cheese and green bananas, I have included recipes for my favorite two dishes prepared with them. If you can’t get South American cheese, mozzarella works as a tasty substitute (unfortunately Ecuadorian mozzarella doesn’t melt). Green bananas are known as plantains in the US and are available at many grocery stores and lots of specialty stores such as Valley Harvest or Trader Joes.

 

Répe (Potato and Banana soup with cheese)

2 green bananas

2 medium potatoes

2 cups of water

4 oz cheese

¼ cup fresh cilantro

Salt and Pepper

1 avocado

 

1. Peal, cube, and boil the potatoes.
2. Peal and cube the bananas and add them to the boiling water.
3. When the potatoes and bananas are soft, mash them into the water.
4. Grate the cheese into the soup and wait for it to melt.
5. Add the cilantro and turn the soup off.
6. Salt and Pepper to taste.
7. Top with slices of fresh avocado and cilantro.

 

As long as you are eating cooked bananas and rancid cheese, why not try making patacones (or majaditos as they are called in Panama)?

 

Patacones (Twice fried bananas toped with cheese)

2 green bananas

4 oz cheese

Salt

 

1. Peal and cut the bananas into 1 inch long sections.
2. Fry both ends of the banana chunks in a pan with vegetable oil.
3. Remove the bananas from the pan.
4. Salt the bananas on both ends.
5. Smash them flat using a mug.
6. Fry them again.
7. Top with cheese and cover pan until cheese melts.
8. Serve with Ketchup, Mayonnaise, or Hot sauce as you like.

 

Garbage, Garbage, Garbage

I didn’t believe it would happen even when we were warned. After many diligent nights retrieving our trash can from the street just as the garbage truck passed by, we waited too long. The garbage truck comes by each night to pick up garbage. Is it green tonight or black? We always ask each other as the colored cans are picked on alternate days. Green is for, we think, compost material, while black is for all other trash. Each evening we wait to hear the garbage truck coming, much like an ice cream truck. Click here to hear download the garbage truck song on MP3! Once they come close enough, we drag our can out onto the sidewalk. Now, you are supposed to quickly rescue your can immediately after the garbage men empty it. From the first day, we were told that if you are too slow, your trash can we will be stolen. And so, one night, we waited too long. The moment we remembered we needed to fetch our garbage can, it was gone!

Why would someone do that? Take our trash can? For the next few weeks we secretly put our bags of trash into the trash cans of our neighbors. Not a big problem. Others take their trash to public trash cans on the streets. We thought we would have to do this for the remainder of our stay in this apartment and then pay for the lost garbage can. Last week, we were heading out of the house for church, when I opened up the door and there was our black garbage can! How did it get here? Not just outside our gate, but right next to our front door. Insider work….either someone from our apartment building found it, or it was them who needed our garbage can for awhile. We are grateful to have it back…!

Keeping it clean!

Loja is proud of their clean city. However, if it weren’t for the green men and the orange men, this place would be a garbage pit. Every day, we see green men landscaping public gardens while the orange men sweep the streets. With this help, it makes it convenient to toss your garbage onto the streets.