welcome to safari airlines...

"welcome to safari airlines...today we will be flying to the USA...and if your flight is to somewhere else, you will have a brief lay over in the States....Before you board, make sure you have your ticket and your luggage that carries your Social Studies book..." this was how i opened today's class...with our first "fun friday." it was a great time..and was perfect bc we are talking about water, land, and AIR :) so we took a flight :) had an on flight snack of coca cola and some peanuts...and an on fight book :) and when we landed...did some predicting and observing of gliders vs. flat paper vs. crumpled paper...it was great...the seats were even labeled A1, A2, etc :) the kids loved it..."please make sure your book bags are securely fastened to your chairs :) really funny

here are some good pics of the class with their tickets..and me in full "safari airlines" uniform

its crazy to think about how much a classroom can change in a week. on the first day of school, i had 3 students...now, I have 5 students, one of which has downs, and an aide...a total of 6 people, including myself! on wednesday, rachel, david's aide (david is the boy with downs syndrome) came to observe my classroom and to see how things "run." originally, i thought david was going to arrive on monday...but when i arrived in my classroom today...he was there! it was definately a shock..and i panicked for a couple seconds....but it all worked out...it is probably good that he just showed up...bc i didnt have time to really freak myself out about it.

he is really a great kid...he can read like a pro...but will have difficulties in math...his family is great...which also helps a lot! the kids are really nervous and dont know how to act around him...but it will take change and getting used to...even for myself! it is weird having another adult, rachel..she just graduated from high school...in the classroom...it makes me 2nd guess everything i do...now i know what it was like for mrs. burton! it would drive me almost crazy! esp when someone is learning from me...ahh!! :) but its a good experience...

not too much going on in shell..the johnsons..my shell family left for furlough today...they are spending 4 months driving 8.000 miles in teh states to try and raise support...and homeschool at the same time! mission life can be crazy! so since they left..it will be more lonely...but you never know! school does take up a lot of my time..and hopefully ill be in a bible study soon with some women around here...im keeping up on running, which is nice...it really helps me when i go before school...

my dad is in cambodia and he doesent even want to come and visit me :( :)

hope all is well!!

hitch hiking to Palon del Diablo
tip: dont worry about how you get in...just get in...
and get in REALLY fast :)

view of the volcano (white peaks) on my way to school!

one full week of teaching under my belt and i dont want to kill any kids yet...so far so good:)

we had the parent teacher night thing...and it went ok...i wish there was more time to talk to the parents on an individual level...but oh well! i made a brochure about my class and everything and had the kids take their parents on a safari tour around the room wearing their camo miltary hats...it was cute!

today i went to ambato with margie grant to get some groceries at a wall mart like place...bc in shell you can only get the BASICS...so its nice to get frozen meat...vs meat that hangs on a stick out in the warm air all day...ill have to post pictures of that!

last weekend, i went to Palon del Diablo, which is a great waterfall here...and david and i hitch hiked there (IT WAS SAFE) and it was fun...

hope all is well! drop me a line!

eileen clayton
hospital vozandes del oriente
shell, pastaza, ecuador
south america

peace and love

I AM REALLY TEACHING IN SHELL, ECUADOR!!!!!

this is what i realized today during my run...wow...i was like, geez...I AM HERE! i have talked about it for so long...and i am actually doing it! I AM A REAL TEACHER...in many ways i honestly cant believe it...but i am...i have to soak it up...and teach my students to the best ability ever...and just pray that they learn :)

this week is "parent's night" at school...thats really teachery :) its hard because i have to act like i know what i am talking about...and i do...but i dont...its hard to understand! now, i really understand college professors when they say that teaching is all improvization because it is! you have to be an actor to act like you know what you are talking about! you have to make a fool out of yourself for the students to love you and learn to love learning...i need to be more enthusiastic ...more!

life in shell continues to go well...i am now alone in my age group again...but it will be good...for a little while :) i have definately learned not to take people my age for granted anymore! i cherish them around here...bc there are so few...oh well...in chicago i got used to hanging around "old people" i.e. people my parents' age :)

hope things are going well with all of you! thank you for all of your prayers and support

school has begun! i cant believe it! It is fun....not so hard with 3 kids in my class...the most challenging thing is to keep them occupied and working! When there are only 3 kids...they work pretty quickly...and if they dont...one is always behind...so i am going to have to work out the kinks for sure next week...plus on monday, ill have 4 kids in my class.

the first day was a lot of fun! we played some get to know you games, took a "tour of the safari" and did other fun things like that...it was neat because at the end of the day, each kid said something different for what their favorite thing of the day was...

here are a few pics of my class so far :) it will be challenging to challenge them...bc now i can see why so many teachers just do the bare minimum: its easy. i cant fall into that trap

well, yesterday, i went to banos with my friend david...and we hiked to Bella Vista..and this was the view from the top...a view of Banos...it was fun and a little difficult! It was different being in another town and there are a lot of tourists in Banos too, which was a little different. Its weird being in a foreign country and not feeling foreign because there are so many tourists...i dont know if i like it...hmmm...

i had a very cultural experience in banos...at some "thermal pools." from a tourist perspective, they sound great, kind of like going to a place with a couple of different jacuzzis to choose from, right by the mountains and a small waterfall..beautiful...plus they only cost about one dollar! we walk in...and i was in culture shock...you see this "thermal pool" with about 50 people squeezed into it...no personal space whatsoever...and in my mind, no enjoyment or relaxation...it was honsetly one of the grosest feelings ive had in awhile...there were also about 20 kids in there...and you know they werent holding their bladders! needless to say, it was a good experience....we met some cool guys from the UK...and it was a good growing experience...

today was the first day of school orientation...basically, going over school stuff, get to know you games, and we also prayed in every room, which was really nice. i am real nervous and scared...but i know it will be ok...i had dinner with a family tonight who's son will be in my class..he will be great...and it was good to meet him before school and get to know another family..families are really supportive here....which will be nice!


heres another picture of banos, in town...it is really great to see God in different cities and different landscapes...its one of my favorite things to do! i really hope i can continue to travel around ecuador becuase one, i love to travel and do new things, and two..it will help pass the time...

i was able to talk to my mom and danielle and nicole tonight..which was great! i love my family and friends...it would be great if they were all here :) (ps. tickets are not that expensive and travel here is cheap :) and i know of about 2 excellent restaurants that even would be good in chicago :)

well...today i and a work team group went to Hola Vida, which is in the jungle...for a short hike..with an ending at this waterfall (see pic) for a swim and some lunch....it was really pretty and fun! it was one of those places you wish that you couldve been there with your boyfriend and just hang out there all day and have fun... :)

the ride to Hola Vida was the bumpiest ride, on medium sized rocks, that i have ever been on in my life..really...guess you had to be there...

it was neat being in the "jungle"..i say that, bc there were paths and the area is "developed"...because it did give me a greater appreciation for the missionaries who work in the jungle...it cant be easy...although i would like to try it...to rid my fears of a lot of things...my friend here..david...does things just to get rid of his fears. ex: he was afraid of diving, so he joined the diving team...etc...i really admire that because i am afraid of so many things..and a lot of times, just dont do it...but i need to...and its good to be around that kind of spirit!

the other day, david and i tried running to puyo, a 5.5 mile run...not so bad...but it was pretty rough considering neither of us had run that long in awile...plus we are constantly dodging huge buses and trucks...during my finishing sprint, a bee flew into my eye...and i got stung, which was awesome..also...we tried sugar cane for the first time ever...and loved it....and at the end of the night hated it...becuase it can make you sick :)

tomorrow, we are off to Banos to explore and hike...it will be interesting and a nice little trip before i really start buckling down for school!!! wow...

needless to say, God knows the desires of my heart, and yours...and he is definately teaching me that on this trip...just to trust him...its obvious im supposed to be here...and i just need to trust and obey...and get over my fears and just go for it! (esp the dark :))

hasta luego!

more pics... david and i with our pb&j sandwiches :)

group pic from camping!


hello! well, life continues to be well in shell...
the lord is continually providing for me...esp with people here my age! just in little ways..even meeting people for a few minutes...is still a way! there is a guy here, named david who is from cali...and he is a "nurse assistant" here in shell for a month! i have gotten the chance to get to know him...and its been great! just to talk to someone else my age about the experience here, in shell! originally, we both were hoping for a more primitive missionary experience...which is not here in shell...

since there have been a lot of missionaries here in shell, its not so much about sharing the gospel...but about making sure the ecuadorians arent relying so much on the missionaries for help anymore...they are helping them become more self sufficient...because the missionaries wont be here forever...so its just another type of mission work...so eventually, i think i would like to be a more primitive missionary...but well see!

i am continually spending time in my classroom...organizing, etc...i keep telling myself that im spending a lot of time in there bc its my first year :0 well see! im really excited becuase im having a jungle/adventure/safari team theme! for my reading area, im using a mosquito net :) its cute...and i also got some camo miliary hats for my studnets to "earn" to join the safari...its not all together yet...but im getting pumped!

its nice, bc david likes to explore...this weekend..im getting to go to the jungle with a group ...and hopefully explore some local towns!!!

hope all is well!

more pics from camping...














me and my horse...dakota :)















our camping site!