During March break, I had an opportunity to go to Ecuador on a mission trip. In Quito, the capital city, slums dominate, stray dogs exist on every street corner and walls topped with broken glass or nails frame the city streets. Most of the city seemed to be held together by pure will, from the one room shack resting on the side of a mountain, to a wall leaning so far over it doesn’t feel safe to walk beside. The contrast between the North American world and Ecuador is enormous.

In North America, we try to hide our problems behind shiny glass and steel buildings. We cover our emotions with stuff. The world sees the proud, beaming face put forth by the cities and economies of the Western world. In reality, something important is lacking beneath our skyscrapers and monuments. From my perspective, the life of the average family revolves around what you own and what you do for a living. Families fall apart and the days of knowing your neighbors are long gone. In truth, people appear lonelier and unhappier.

In Ecuador, many people face problems. Poverty, abuse, alcoholism, unemployment and broken homes are apparent in Ecuador. Yet the people who live through and under these conditions are some of the happiest, most optimistic people I have ever met. They are always smiling and greeting people. If you get close enough they’ll pull you into a hug and talk to you in Spanish even though you can’t understand a word they are saying.

As I worked alongside the Ecuadorians - hauling cement, gravel and sand to pour a floor - it became clear that the things North Americans are missing are the relationships and sense of community that hold the people together. These are the key elements to our happiness. Without relationships what else do we have that lasts?

The people of Ecuador lack so much, yet they have so much more to give. The children are raised by a community, and their expressions of love are far more effective than our North American attempts to love our children with stuff. The Ecuadorian people help each other in all ways possible. I was able to experience this. They pulled me in and shared their love with me. In one of the strangest places I have ever been, I felt at home.

In North America, we need more love, and more community. We need to sacrifice for the good of others; to share and give love like the people of Ecuador. If we would, our world here would be better. Under our masquerade of steel and glass, we are more damaged than some of the least privileged people in the world. I went on this trip to help people, but in the end, they helped me more then I could ever help them.