the big decision...

well, most of you know that ive been faced to make the big decision of whether to stay in Shell for another year to teach...or go back home and find a job there...if you have talked to me since last august, you know that this decision has constantly been on my mind...bc i knew that i was going to have to make this extremely difficult decision at this time! it was so hard for me because more than anything, i want to follow God's will and didnt want to make a decision that was going to be somthing that was not in his will..and if you have ever made a decision based on that...its hard bc sometimes God doesent tell you...and it is very blurry...everyone here knew how the decision was tearing me apart bc i miss my family and friends so much, but i also love it here too...i literally was really sick for a week, and i look back and am almost sure that this stress was making me sick! i was tired all of the time and just not my normal great self :) hehe

anyways...a few days before i knew i was going to have to decide, i thought for sure i was going home, bc i really missed home a lot, and if you know me, you know that i have never been homesick before...so it was really catching me off guard, and i was taking it as a sign from God...but the DAY before i had to tell the school board, for some reason, i just was feeling this consuming peace about staying here...and when i tried to think about going home, i literally could not...its as if God was blocking that thought out of my mind...which is a total answer to prayer becuase i was praying that he would make it clear...and i know others were praying that too! so praise God...even though it was the day before...he made it clear to me that i need to stay another year...and that i dont need to worry bc he is in complete control....so yeah! i am staying another year! i can and cant believe it...im really excited for what God has in store, and if anything, im just glad that I am where he wants me!

heres a verse that God has revealed to me as He has led me to this decision: matthew 10:34-39 (the message)
"Dont think Ive come to make life cozy. Ive come to cut--make a sharp knife cut between son and father, daughter and mother, bride and mother - in - law-- cut through to cozy domestic arrangements and free you for God. Well meaning family memebers can be your worst enemies. If you prefer father or mother over me, you dont deserve me. If you prefer son or daughter over me, you dont deserve me. If you dont go all the way with me, through thick and thin, you dont deserve me. If your first concern is to look after yourself, youll never find yourself. But if you forget about yourself and look to me, youll find both yourself and me."

so...im looking forward to going home this summer and spend some time with the fam and making some money! and its good bc this summer is a long summer for our school year..so i dont need to be back until after whitney davis' wedding in teh beginning of september!

if you have heard about the "End of the Spear" movie...it is about the 5 guys who came down here to ecuador to witness to the Waroni indians...and if it wasnt for them, i wouldnt be here..bc Shell, where i live was like their home base..and my school is called Nate Saint Memorial School, named after nate saint, the pilot who died! go and see it!

much love! eat healthy! eileen

national hat day

this past friday, was national hat day...so of course, it was a perfect activity for Fun Friday! better known as: fabulous friday, thanks to mrs. burton! its the hit of our school here :)
anyways, this is an updated picture of all of my 8 students now..we have fun together..each student brought in/made their favorite hat...from left to right, here are my students:
lydia, jem, timmy, philip, caleb, jacob, david, and jeremy

river adventures mixed with homesickness

well..this weekend was an adventure! it started off riding to Puto with 8 people crammed in the back of a 30yr old pick up, smaller than a S-10...trying to catch a bus to Tena, to go rafting..luckily, we caught the last bus leaving for Tena, which was packed full of people, but thankfully, all of us were able to get seats for the very bumpy 2 and a half hour ride...
it was a fine ride...when we got to Tena, we got a Taxi to our hostal, which was suprisingly nice, picture is to the right...it was 4 dollars a night, which included breakfast and hot showers :) it brought me back to my europe travelling days...it was nice. I really dont like travelling in large groups, bc it just makes situations 100% more complicated than they need to be..but i just shut up and tried to go with the flow..we ate at a bearable restuarant..then went off to bed for an aventure the next morning!
we were off on our 2 trucks at around 9am..2 girls from holland were able to join us, which was nice bc i really enjoyed their company (they are actually doing volunteer work in the jungle, which they have to walk an hour to get to their village!)
when we got to the dropping off point...we got all our gear on: helmets, wet suit like coats, and life jackets with crotch straps :)...it was nice to feel safe...once we had our safety speech by our leader, in spanish...we were off! In our boat, there were 8 people including the leader...it was nice...our rapids were class 3, so they werent that bad...but good enough for some adventure..the trip lasted pretty much all day...but it didnt seem like it, time went by nicely becuase there were a few stops along the way and between rapids, the leaders liked to push everyone in the river...it was fun though.
the BEST part was when he was letting people sit on the very front point of the raft and hang on to only the raft when we went through the rapids..that was so awesome! it was just you and the water...and you hanging on for your life! when you saw that you were coming up on a huge rapid..you knew you were in for a ride! it was truly amazing..and if i wouldnt have done that, the trip wouldnt have been as nice!
when we got back to our hostal...some of us girls needed to get back to shell, so we left that night..so im glad that im back safely...and ready for another week...kinda.
right now i have been sick with diarreah for over a week now, ive been hoping that it will just go away...but its getting a lot worse, and i need to walk over to the dr.s house and get some meds! i cant afford to miss another day of school!

well honeslty, i am really homesick and lonely here...it has hit me at kind of an awkward time in my trip...but it has hit me..the crying and everything...which is weird bc its hittinge me at a time where i need to make my desicion about whether to stay another year or not...which needs to be made THIS WEEK....its the hardest desicion ive ever had to make it seems and i really hate it! but i guess i should get used to it?! making desicions and all...

so today i am "spring cleaning" all of my cabinets out of termits and the wood that they love to leave behind...so im trying to organize my cabinets ...make life a little simpler/better for the next person that will live here...

hope all is going well...be thankful for your family if they are close to you!

back into the swing of things

my new tattoo :)
well..upon request, i will try to update this more often...since im just experiencing so much :)
so ive just spent the last week and a half trying to get back into things here, with school and all. i have 3 new students, so now I have a total of 8 (4 1st graders and 4 second graders) which is nice becasue its a good even number. My students are great...and we have a good time together in the classroom. It's such a unique teaching experience here because you are so close with a lot of the missionries here, and hang out with the studnets' parents...so its definately different, but nice, because there's not a lot of intimidation when it comes to the parent aspect of teaching...
This month i am in charge of chapel services, which we have at the school every Monday...so this past monday we didnt have a speaker, and I spoke..it was definately a challenge...but it was nice..I walked in wearing a disquise, and talked in a southern accent, I was named Emly Mae and was visiiting Miss Clayton for a week...it was funny...i had a beauty mark and all :) I told the kids how Miss Clayton wanted me to speak because I had gone through a lot of things that the kids could learn from...I told them a story about how when i was in 6th grade i cheated on a test, got the best grade on teh test, and got away with it...then i learned that i needed to confess and have people pray for me so i would have healing..then i read psalm 32..it was really good and the kids really identified with it...esp since there has been a few cases of cheating going on at the school.
this friday, i am supposed to go on a rafting trip in Tena, which is about 2 hours south of here...more jungle like i think..well see....a lot of the young people who are here are going...so it should be interesting...ill let you know how that goes!
its good to be back...i really like ladies and the families here...although i do miss my family...hopefully they will be here in april for my birthday!
have a great week!
bible verse the kids are learning this week: "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for." Hebrews 11:1-2

well......im back

well...ive officially been back in shell ecuador for about 4 days now...and right when i arrived in quito...it felt "normal" to be back...its just kinda weird how things work out that way, huh? bring home was quite wonderful...probably one of the best visits ive had at home for awhile now...and will (my bro) was home too...so that made things nice also...it was kind of crazy being home too because i had LOTS of appointments: dentist (total of 3 trips, 2 of which were the filling of good ol cavaties), doctor, eye doctor (i got glasses!)..etc..it was just full..but fun..will ended up having to get a root canal...i have truly now learned the importance of flossing..and you should too! its great...2 times a day! its not so bad once it gets to be part of the routine :) also while i was home i started whipping my butt into shape again while hitting the weights..which i love! i had been running almost every day in shell, but it just wasnt doing it..so i was able to work out with my parents personal trainer, which was nice bc i learned some new moves :)

so i have to make a decsion about whether to stay another year or not like right now, but for some reason it is just so hard to do! when i am home in the states, i want to stay there...but when im here, i enjoy it also...so who knows...but i think im leaning towards staying another year just because it is a great experience and i do like it here...plus i think the dynamics here are goign to change soon with missionaries..but well see...

because i needed to continue lifting weights..i got the courage to go to a local gym here and start working out..i even got a montly membership..for 10 dollars :) its nice bc i think the owners dont think i know how to do anything..so they are like my personal trainers! its nice! bc on my own i can tend to get lazy...

there are some new working visitors here from the states, which is nice..adds some variety..one girl even grew up on the west side of indy and her parents go to a church in plainfield (where my grandparents live)...it is a small world here in shell...i like it

hope all is well...thank you friends for coming to visit me in chicago..it was great! more pics later