GMP trip in Quito, Ecuador 2016

We just came back from a very interesting GMP music missions trip to Quito, Ecuador.  It was a little different than the usual in that typically we have about a dozen worship services on our itinerary, this time we only had four because our time was spent every afternoon with music camp for kids and masters classes that were open to all.  We did get to see a lot of Quito, and at 9,500 ft, it was very picturesque and interesting.  The photos are all captioned so, again, it is like a travel log.  The intent is that after our last GMP trip in 25 years, we can look back and be reminded of what we saw.

The Team

It is always good to see who the team members are.  Here are photos of the team.

Worship Services

Photos of the services can be found here.

There are also some videos that were made available, taken with a smartphone.  The first full service was televised and the plan was to have it streaming.  However, until then, here is a link to one interesting feature we observed..

          Videos of panderistas, or worship dancers, here.
          Worship team at Verbo is here.
          Full orchestra on Joyful, Joyful is here.
          Orchestra playing Majesty is here.
          Leading and singing Te Alabare is here.
          Trumpeter extraordinaire on Amazing Grace is here.
          Wild trombone solo on Jericho is here.

Music Camp

Photos of the music camp can be seen here.  There were some videos made so you can get the flavor of the music camp.

          Video of trumpet demonstration at music camp is found here,
          Video of kids singing "I Believe" is here.
          Video of kids singing "My God is So Strong" is here.
          Orchestra playing Ecuadorian National Anthem is here.

Ecuadorian Food

An important element of any GMP trip is food.  We had breakfast at the places we stayed every day and lunch and dinner were typically served at Alliance Academy International (AAI), the location of the music camp.  However, there were several special dinners we had but ending with a banquet at AAI.  Here are photos of various food venues.

Scenes Around Quito

Even though we were kept quite busy, we did get to see a little around Quito.  Of course, being at 9,500 feet and in the mountains, it is very picturesque.  Here are photos of various locations.

Basílica del voto Nacional

One of the special places we visited was the Basílica del voto Nacional.  Construction of the Basilica was launched in 1884 and finally consecrated and inaugurated in 1988.  The Basilica remains technically "unfinished."  Local legend says that when the Basilica is completed, the end of the world will come  Here are photos of the Basilica.

Excellent Public Transportation Concept

The first time I saw this concept was in Curitiba, Brazil and doing research on it, apparently other cities were using this as a model.  The concept is providing busses total use of the center lanes of main streets.  Guadalajara in the last two or three years has begun construction of this nature.  The concept can be seen in Quito in the photos presented here.

Market

There always is time for shopping, especially when there are deals to be had at a market.  The trip to Quito is no different.  Here are photos of the market that we visited.

         Here is a video to give a feel of the market