Hospitalidad in Lumbisí

Sense I arrived last Thursday I am yet again overwhelmed by the hospitality and joy that I have felt and experienced among my family, friends, and even those that I am just getting to know. This small town has taught me more about life in community than anything else ever could. In a place where the people have at most a few dollars to their name on any given day I have been fed, gifted and welcomed into humble homes as an esteemed guest.

As I walk though the streets of Lumbisí some recognize me and call me by name (or something close to it..Courley, Corney, Korlik), asking about my family and how I have returned. Others, mostly children, run into my arms without words holding on as if for dear life, or possibly just because they know my time will again be temporary as it is with most gringos. Many others, however, just stare. They might ask ‘y los negritos?’, referring of course to my two best friends, Diego and Wilmer. They know that if we are not together we have mistakenly gotten separated.

I have passed whole days visiting with different families, chatting while a mothers puts on boiling water for tea, or pour different flavors of cola into small glasses. I have a backload of invitations to eat, stay the night or even just play a game of futbol.

I feel very honored to be remembered and welcomed by such a beautiful little town. I can already tell that its going to be hard to move to Quito.