The past several weeks have been busy...but good weeks overall. We have finally moved into our home and have begun to get settled. We have been able to plug into an outreach effort to a state-run orphanage and into some mentoring programs at the school. Teaching is going well. Bryan has been able to build many good relationships with the students. It is really neat to have such an ethnically diverse group of kids to teach and mentor. We are very thankful that our new residence has a decent sized yard to play in. Nearly all residences around us do not. We see this as a great opportunity to open up our home to neighborhood kids, especially to the kids from the school. Kids need a safe place to play. Most here do not have that. We have already had a group of kids over for an afternoon. Several of them from the USA stated how much they missed having a yard and that this was a good break for them. We look forward to opening up our home on a regular basis.
With the property owner's permission, we have been able to plant a small vegetable garden (about 10' x 10'.) Nearly everything will grow here, though some things grow more slowly due to the cool nights--which often dip down into the upper 40s. While some of the warmer climate plants are slightly struggling to grow, like tomatoes and peppers, other plants like squash and peas are really taking off in the rich, volcanic soil.
Last week, Bryan and Jonathan were able to visit the orphanage with a group of students from the school. The children ranged from around ages 4-8 and generally came from two backgrounds. Some of the kids were "traditional" orphans...meaning that they had no parents. Either their parents had died, or they had been abandoned at birth. The other kids there had been dropped off at an early age by their birth parents (with a plan to be picked up when they get to an age where they can work for the family or worse.) All were starving for attention and love. During one of the activities, we overheard a little boy sobbing. (During this activity, the kids were supposed to write a letter to an orphanage worker thanking the workers for all that they do for them. Evidently, some of the kids at that table were doing something slightly different by writing a thank note/cartoon to their birth parents (who had probably abandoned them.) The crying child who was sitting at the same table had started to write his note but then realized that he had no parents to write it to. It was heart-breaking. Thankfully one of the students, a junior named Dany, picked up the child and was holding him in her lap. This helped to calm the boy, but we can only imagine all of the broken hearts in that orphanage...and all orphanages.
You may be wondering how we are doing "menatally". To be honest, we are very much homesick for our dear, dear friends back in Montana and across the country. We think about you all every day. We so much miss Montana itself too. Bryan misses his former coworkers in Missoula and at church a good bit. If you are looking for something in particular to pray for us about, that would be #2...after our continued safety.
Physically, we are doing well. The frequency of illnesses is slowing down as we adjust to all the germs, viruses and bacteria around here. We are all getting into pretty good physical shape. Bryan and Jonathan are losing a good bit of weight having to walk everywhere. Will's dietary problems continue to be pretty much a non issue here. Bryan is frequently banging his head on things--most times unintentionally. (Most Ecuadorans are fairly short, so some doorways and passageways are built with low clearances as well.) Last week, he cut his head and it bled for 6 hours.
Heather, Rebecca, and Will, are planning on flying to Jacksonville, FL at the end of this month to pick up some things that we had to leave behind when we came in January while Jonathan and Bryan stay in Ecuador. We are thankful that American Airlines waived the ticket change fees on our credits that were left from the fiasco (failed home sale) back in July. Had they not, this upcoming trip would not have been possible. We also plan to restock on some supplies and hopefully bring back some elk meat that was left in the freezer in Florida.
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