picture tour

here is a picture tour that i took today on my way to school! it was a very beautiful morning





view from the right of my door













the gate to the "compound where i live" on the other side of the gate is the town of Shell.

this huge sliding gate is my best friend. one night i was closing it, and for some reason my toe was in the way, (it takes a lot of force to shut this gate) and it ran over my big toe! the next day, it wouldnt stop throbbing--and got bigger as the day went on. later, i went to a friends maintenance workshop, sat up on the table, and he drilled a hole in my toe nail to release some/a lot of the blood. it didnt hurt...and it is better now (2 weeks later) i am still thinking my big toenail might come off! ouch!








El Altar














Sangay












gate/bridge leading to where the other compound is with the guest house

this sign is no joke and should be posted all over ecuador.






view of the bridge

bible study 1...ecuadorian/gringo style

i have been obsessed with rob bell lately...and i got a couple of his NOOMA videos, which i think are great...and i brought some here with me and thought we could do some studies with them. as i was talking to rachel (one of my student's aide) and beth (new 1st grade teacher) we thought it would be good to invite some ecuadorians to the study too...and this was all going to work out because the videos have spanish subtitles.

since beth and i's spanish is below par...and rachel's spanish is a little above par...we decided we could do it...with rachel being the main translator (thanks rach :))

so beth and i were at my place, when spencer (a visitor from texas helping out MAF with computers) arrived, then Ivan (ecuadorian) arrived...which was great, except it is just hard when your spanish is barely good enough to carry on a decent conversation. rachel and "pato" arrived a few minutes later and we were ready to begin.

due to the language barrier, our song choices were limited...rachel and i know a fair amount of spanish worship songs..but since beth and spencer dont...it made things kind of difficult...and awkward without a guitar! so..we decided to sing "abre mis ojos" which is open the eyes of my heart...so we sang it with some snapping..and a little spanish mixed with some english to fill in the parts we didnt know :)

we watched the NOOMA video: Rhythm. i highly recommend it. he compares our relationship to God to a song. the song is always playing..in everyone's hearts...and the question is: are we in tune? it was a good conversation...except im not sure what the ecuadorians think of us. i was kind of facilitating the questions...and i was just asking some questions that Rob Bell asked during the video...just to get some discussion and see what people thought--which is normal in an american bible study. even though we all know the "right" answers to the questions, we like to ask them to learn different perspectives and insights.

but whenever i asked a question like that..rachel would translate, and then Ivan would find a bible verse to answer our question (which was very impressive!)....that was fine to answer with a verse...but im not sure if were we all totally on the same page...but I know God speaks to our hearts and the Spirit was there, so that's all that matters. i think we all got the "are we in tune" part..which was the main gist.

prayer requests were also hilarious! rachel was telling that her dad needed some prayer because he is working a lot and doesent like his new job. she went on to say that her dad was feeling a little depressed, etc. the ecuadorians asked how old he was, and she said 50. then they made a comment about that yeah, he must be tired because he is getting old! then rachel was trying to justify that he was healthy..but it was his mind that was hurting....then we just had to stop there...because they were thinking her dad was loony and in a facitlity....it was pretty hilarious....and we were ALL laughing outloud..because we were all just like...wow. we need to learn spanish..and this is funny!

so all in all, we think (the gringos) think it went well and are excited to keep meeting, studying, learning more of eachother's languages...and having fun.

ahhhh...the adventures! pray that our "study" would go well and that we would learn more about GOd and eachother's cultures in an effective and God glorifying way.

pictures of shell

here are some pictures of Shell, Ecuador where i am living...there have been some clear mornings recently, which is always a treat because you can see two volcano peaks. below is El Altar, which is the one i hiked to last spring..with all the crazy adventures. experts say that if this volcano would still be a cone shape, it would be taller than mount everest!



El Altar














here is the hospital, one of the main missions here in Shell. i live right behind the hospital...on the far left corner that you see, i basically live straight behind it...where the "compound" of missionary houses is also located.












this is the street i walk/bike past every day on my way to and from school. they are doing a lot of construction on the roads right now, which makes things very interesting. notice that there are no caution signs or cones...anywhere! and there are these tunnels/hole things everywhere!

i will post some more town pictures later hopefully! things are going well....just getting back into the swing of things...and getting used to the fact that there is nothing to do....but i am ok with that....for short periods of time.

the new bunch

here are my students, all 9 of them...they are a great bunch. i have a funny new rule: NO NOSE PICKING AND EATING IT!! i was tired of almost gagging everyday when i would see one of them pick a juicy one and stick it in their mouth. so i created a say no to nose picking campaign. every time i see them do it, i give out a slip of paper with a nose and a finger in it crossed out. i encourage them to get KLEENEXES, then they can pick it with one of them. we are going to go through a lot of kleenexes this year....but i will have a booger free classroom! :)

good lines from rob bell

"so at the end of his time with the disciples, Jesus has some final words for them. He tells them to go to the ends of hte earth and make more disciples. And then he leaves. He promises to send his Spirit to guide them and give them power, but Jesus himself leaves the future of the moment in their hands. ANd he doesen't stick around to make sure they don't screw it up. He's gone. He trusts that they can actually do it.

God has an incredibly high view of people. God believes that people are capable of amazing things.

I have been told that I need to believe in Jesus. Which is a good thing. But what I am learning is that Jesus believes in me.

I have been told that i need ot have faith in God. Which is a good thing. But what I am learning is that God has faith in me."

rob bell
velvet elvis

monkey see monkey do

today was a beautiful afternoon and evening...a perfect day to finally find the lap pool i need to visit...so i called up a friend, katie, and she was going to go swimming with her daughter anyways...so it just worked out! we arrived at a place called Puyo Pools..which is a popular place among the Ecuadorians and the Americans...there is a lot to do there...basketball, volleyball, and tennis courts...a wave pool, large pool slides, high dives, and a lap pool. i was going to do some laps...so katie joined me. when we got in the lap pool, there was only one other guy practicing swimming.

after about 5 minutes we had a small crowd watching us swim...and then, the next thing you know...about 15 people are in the lap pool trying to swim! which might be ok...except if you are trying to swim vertically...and they are swimming horizontally! it was very interesting...im not sure if everyone got in because since we are americans...they should do what we do...or what. it was interesting because katie started swimming backstroke...and i said something like it would be funny if other people started doing it...and they did!

im not sure what to think about this...katie made the point that its fine if they enjoy swimming, but dont just do it because we are.

as i was walking back from school tonight, trying to get everything ready for tomorow, i was thinking about the situation more...and trying to think about how that might not have been an accident situation that occured in my life...and i think God pointed out to me how i, as well as people in general, see famous/stylish/skinny/beautiful people and think that if we look and do as they do...we will be cool and lead soooo much better lives. but as i experienced today...seeing people copy (or try) you...you look at them and think that they are really foolish and look silly. like katie said, if they want to do it and enjoy it--fine...but if it is just for the sake to look like the americans...then maybe they shouldnt do it. maybe we shouldnt copy people just to think we look cool...because in most cases we probably just end up looking stupid.

this situation causes me even more to just be myself and not to care what others think about it...id rather look stupid being myself than copying someone just to think i will be cool or more people will like me....we spend so much of our lives trying to figure out who we really are as individuals...and yet, most of that time--we let others looks and magazine articles shape who we "think" we are...when that isnt who we are at all.

be your beautiful/handsome :) self

back in ecuador

well, the time has come...the time i have been waiting for all summer...i am back in ecuador! i got here on tuesday night, drove to shell on wednesday, arrived at 11...started unpacking my things in my house...arrived at school at 3:30...and was there until 9 trying to get my classroom ready for my first day! it was great teaching again...and its kinda weird that teaching just feels really natural...i guess i expected more of an adjustment, but there really hasnt been one...yet :)

it is great to be back in shell where a lot of my friends and support are....it just feels natural to be here....for how long?! im not sure....only God does...i just dont know how much longer i can do it alone...

thank you for all of your support..i am looking foward to this year...it will be an adventure in every way

whitney and jon's wedding!!!!

well...lets just say that staying longer in the states just to be there for whitney and jon's wedding...was well worth it...i am extremely joyful for them, and know it is God's timing, and gift to them...they are such a great couple, and both are really good/best friends of mine...what an easy going/authentic couple and friends that i dearly love! the wedding was just perfect: simple and beautiful. it was great to be able to spend some time with my dearest/best high school friends and be a part of this amazing celebration of love, in so many ways! i met some great new people and caught up with some old friends...God is definately giving me encouragement and support through friends this summer, which i really needed...so thanks to all of you!!! here are some pictures of the fine occasion!

left: whitney, me, and danielle (who is engaged!)



















left: "nomads" at the reception dancing our little souls away! top left: danielle, whitney, rachel, me
bottom left: nicole, lyndsay









left: whitney and jon about to kiss :) it was such a beautiful wedding!


perfect weather, everything!


















left: me, whitney and jon, and mike (best man :))





needless to say, it was an amazing time (did i already say that?)

what a way to end my time in the states....