Sunday in Mulalillo

Mulalillo is a village of mostly indigenous people where Frank’s parents live and Frank grew up. It is half way up a mountain with a center plaza that is a park surrounded by little shops, a constant flow of local buses and small pick-up trucks which park for a few minutes until they are packed with passengers and off they go.

Our Sunday morning began with an early morning walk at 6:45 with Frank’s mother to buy chocolate at a local shop and then eggs at a neighbor up the hill. After a breakfast of eggs, cheese, bread, and hot chocolate, we take another walk – this time with Frank and Janelle and Frank’s large dog. At 11:30, we attend the Catholic church service. We got there early and the church was empty. I decided to go out and walk around outside until the service began.

I suddenly found myself in the middle of a funeral procession and more than a hundred people. They lifted the casket out of the car and waited until the priest came out and sprinkled something over the casket. I was trying to stay in the background taking photos. As they entered the church, I joined them and discovered the church was now packed with more than 250 people – standing room only.

It is now about 1 pm and more extended family has arrived. Everyone is busy – washing crabs, cleaning shrimp, getting a charcoal fire burning, preparing sauces and salads, peeling potatoes.

An hour later, SURPRISE – friends from Riobamba arrive including Nicole and her family. The fiesta gets bigger! Before long fish and plantains are frying over charcoal, crabs are boiling in a huge pot of stew, potatoes are cooked, and shrimp are ready.

The feast is prepared and spread out on a large table where we all gather for the multi-course feast – shrimp with a special sauce, then soup with crabs, more crabs, then a platter of fish, rice and potatoes, and finally all kinds of fruit. The food and fellowship continue all afternoon until 5 when many of us take a long walk up winding paths with beautiful views.

It is now 6:30 and getting dark. Nicole is off to Quito to begin her second semester. The rest of us are eating empanadas and will soon head back to Riobamba – about an hour and a half drive.

A day of worship, fellowship, food, fun, and exercise. A gift from God!