Ecuador Again

Hey everyone. So I arrived in Quito, Ecuador safely last Monday. But I guess I should back up a little to my Going Away party in Colombia...

The day before I was going to leave for Ecuador I decided to have a get together to say Good-bye. First we made delicious hamburgers and fries in the house of a Venezuelan. Afterwards, we decided to play UNO with a bunch of crazy rules to make it fast and interesting. We also decided that if you lost the round, the person that went out could draw one thing on your face with permanent marker! Well, we all ended up with something on our face, but since I was the guest of honor they all attacked me at the end and drew all over my face and arms! It took more than an hour to get it off (leaving me with black spots in my pores!)

The next day I flew out of Bogota and arrived in Quito at night. A friend was there to pick me up and then the next day we traveled around the city. I took the bus to Riobamba with all my suitcases and stayed the night at a missionary friend's house. A team from the States was there so I got to hang out with them and play some cards.

The next 2 days I went back to visit the Ark Children's Home and see all the kids again. One boy asked me why I hadn't taught preschool and I was gone 4 months! It's so cute that he remembered. It was cool seeing the newborns even though they definitely aren't newborns anymore! They were all so big and chubby.

I also got to see old friends. We hung around downtown a little than went to the radio station's (I don't know how many year) anniversary party and then to a devotional at the orphanage.

The next day I headed off to Guayaquil where I am right now. I'm staying at my friend's family's house, which is a blessing and am looking at a ministry here. On the weekend I just hung out with friends, but Monday I finally started "doing something." haha.

Someone recommended Operacion Movilizacion (OM), which is an international christian organization that focuses on evangelism. Yesterday, we started with a devotional and then we headed off to an island called Santay. Although it's surrounded by Ecuador's biggest city (Guayaquil) you have to go on a canoe ride to get there and you feel like you went back in time. Several hundred people live there in bamboo houses on stilts. When we arrived we ate a typical lunch of rice, lentils and chicken. Next, we did an adult church service where we sang, had a sermon on Josiah and then split into small groups for discussion. After, we did a program for the kids where we sang, had a puppet show, played outside and colored. I got to teach one of the songs I learned at the orphanage in Riobamba, which is always a hit. On the way back to the mainland our canoe got stopped by the military because our driver didn't have the right documents (at least he had life jackets).

Today, I got to go to the hospital to the children's infectious ward. We sang and visited a little. Then I helped with a children's program where we had a Bible story and taught some songs. One of the kids has been there a while and his parents hardly ever come. Another was abandoned. There were also some very very small babies.

Tomorrow I'm planning on going to an orphanage to help out and do a program. Then on Thursday I think I'll go with my friend's sister was visits various government daycares. And this weekend will hopefully be a trip to Montanitas (a famous touristy beach in Ecuador!) Next week I'll be back in the Andes and on the 7th of August I have a trip planned with one of the volunteers from the Ark to go to Quito so she won't be alone and then on the 9th I'll be able to pick up my friend from Switzerland at the airport. After that who knows what!

Thanks for the support! Keep praying for direction and open doors for ministry opportunities! See ya.

Buenas tardes a todos.