Part of the Bodega (storage room) where me and Zoe are always organizing and finding clothes, etc.












At the hot springs. This is the spout of freezing cold water that I went under after sitting in a hot tub!











At the Aguas Termales (hot springs) in Guayabamba... these are where you can catch fish with baskets.











The apartment we recently started renting for some guys that have no place to stay. On the left is Blas. His sister lives in Kelowna and he's really involved with Street Church, the Radio, evangelizing, visiting prisoners, etc. Isaac is in the middle. He's Ron and Glenda's (the missionaries that run the orphanage) son. On the right is Bienvenido. He's a new Christian and an ex-gang member.





An old Catholic church in Quito.


















Cable cars up the mountain.













Path up the mountain that you can hike up and go to 16,000 ft.












At the top of the mountain after enjoying a cable car ride to 13,000 ft.












Me and Amy at the Equator in Quito.


















At the Equator (Mitad del Mundo) with Amy and Christian.


















Eating lunch at a restaurant at the Equator.

Isaac and Naomi at the Radio. We talk about God and play Christian music.












Danilu, me and Paola at the Radio. Danilu is in charge of the interviews and we are really good friends.











The Radio station.













This is where we go to do the Radio program every weekend... it's from 6 to 8 on Saturday and Sunday.











This picture is for my mom... it's the new jacket she helped me buy here in Ecuador for the freezing cold nights.











Burning our "viejo" on New Year's Eve. It was a light bulb or "luz" symbolizing the end of the government turning off the power or "luz" in Spanish.










Me and Zoe finally done all the presents and stockings for Christmas.












Here's a picture from Christmas Eve. There were a ton of donated toys that were received too close to Christmas day to wrap... the rest were individually chosen for every kid (about 80 in all) and wrapped.










This is part of the journey to Macas going the scenic route. You have to drive through a few rivers, but it's very beautiful.

Quito Trip

Saturday morning, me and one of the volunteers (Amy) left on a bus to Quito (the capital). It was a 3.5 hour trip that cost $4... then we took a taxi to the airport (on the way back we took the trolley which only cost 25 cents!) At the airport we met a group from the States that had built a house near the coast. We knew the leader/translator and he had asked if it was okay to just tag along. First, we went to a nearby town called Otavalo. Almost everyone (including the men) has long hair because it is mostly an indigenous population. There's a huge market too, which was cool to see. In the market, I decided to play Carnaval by having a foam/water fight with some kids and then some other people. I ended up with foam all over my face and hair and I couldn't even open one of my eyes! Then we went back to Quito and they took us out to Pizza Hut! The next day we went to church, then to the Equator (La Mital del Mundo). We walked around looking at all the touristy kinds of things and taking pictures on the equator. After we went on these cable cars that bring you up to 13,000 ft. Me and Amy hiked a little, but didn't get very far because we ran out of time. Apparently, it takes about 3 hours to get to the top, which is at 16,000 ft. After we toured around the colonial part of Quito. When Amy and I were looking for pan de yuca (a type of bread) we entered this little store. Then I heard this little girl say to her brother "mojale" meaning "get her wet." Since it was Carnaval I knew exactly what that meant and sure enough I saw her brother with a bucket of water so I got out of that store fast! Good thing I know a little Spanish! The next day I went to Ambato to a music festival. A lot of the street church people like rock/heavy metal so they really liked it. I, on the other hand, just went for the cultural experience! haha. On the ride home I almost froze in the back of the truck. Riobamba is sure a cold place.

Aguas Termales

Hey... again! Hola... otra vez! Yesterday I went to a nearby village to go to their hot springs. Ayer, fui a un pueblito cerca para meterme en unas piscinas de agua caliente. I woke up at 4:30, but we didn´t end up getting there until around 6:00. Me levanté a las 4h30, pero no llegamos hasta las 6 mas o menos. Luckily there are was no one there yet so we had the whole place to ourselves. Por suerte, no habia nadie alla todavia entonces teniamos todo el lugar para nosotros mismos. It only cost a dollar to enter and the scenery was gorgeous. Solo me cobró un dólar y la vista era maravillosa. I was brave enough to go from the hot water to freezing cold water 2 times! Yo era tan valiente a irme de agua caliente a agua bien bien fria 2 veces! After we went hiking up this mountain and the path was covered in mud! Despues, fuimos subiendo la montaña y el camino era puro lodo! When we arrived at the bottom we ate corn on the cob with cheese and empanadas. Cuando llegamos abajo comimos choclo con queso y empanadas. On the way home we stopped in another little town to walk around in the nice hot sun (finally). En el camino a casa nos quedamos en otro pueblo para pasear en el sol caliente (por fin). I got home at 11:00 and was so tired I went to bed and slept for a few hours before teaching English. Llegue en casa a las 11 y estaba tan cansada que fui a la cama y dormi por unas horas antes de que enseñé inglés.

Guayaquil

Hey everyone... it's been a while.

I'm not sure where to start once again, but I guess there are 2 things that come to mind. First, 5 volunteers from the States came about a month ago and now another one has come. It's great having more help around. Lately, me and Zoe have been working on organizing the storage room and the container as well. The container is huge and was sent over 6 years ago. They're still using the stuff in it... even the candies!

Last weekend was really cool. I got to go to the coastal city of Guayaquil. It's a 5 hour bus ride that only costs $5. The city has like 3 million people I think and petty crime is really high. However, I got to meet 2 friends of the volunteer (Amy) that came with me. She knew one of them from Peru and the other from her church in the States. On Friday we got to go downtown where there is this huge river, a lighthouse on a hill, some parks and an art museum. We got to walk a lot, which I loved and it was nice and hot as well. At night me and Amy watched her friend (Christian) play soccer and then we went to his brother's house to stay the night.

Saturday morning we hopped on a bus to go to the beach. We stayed there most of the day and then went home to order pizza and make brownies. The water was nice and warm and it was very relaxing.

Sunday morning we went to Christian's friends church... His friend is the pastor and there was a breakfast for the kids so I helped cut bread and put cheese in them. However, Amy got sick so we had to go early... but it wasn't so bad because we went to this person's house and I ended up watching the first part of Indian Jones 4 and just chilling out.

The reason I think I liked Guayaquil so much is because I feel at home there. I think it has to do with the fact that it reminds me of the Dominican. There are a lot more dark people as well as black people. It's hot and humid so the people wear similiar clothes to those in the DR and there are more palm trees, etc. Also, the people talk faster and more animated.

Last night Jessica's brother was throwing a surprise party for a friend at his house so I went. Before the party me and the Ranalli's (Jessica's family) played MarioKart on their new Wii. Then once everyone arrived I chatted with this lady and then ate a lot of pizza and some really good chocolate cake!

Today we were supposed to go to Banos for a baptism, but there was a mudslide and the roads were closed. The person that was supposed to call me to tell me the trip was cancelled didn't have my new phone number so I went to the "apartment" where some of the street people stay at 7 in the morning to find a bunch of people sleeping. So I decided to just grab a blanket and join them on the floor. Apparently most of them were quite surprised and found it really funny that I was curled up on the cold floor. At 10:30 I woke up and watched a bit of Avatar. Then I went home to find the gate locked so I had to climb over it while all the passer-byers stared at me (like I don't stand out enough being white!)

Tonight is the radio and then street church. And next weekend is Carnaval... where everyone throws water balloons and sprays foam at those walking by... in other cities some people throw eggs and flour. Well, that's all for now. Chao y Dios les bendiga.

A Little of Everything

Sorry it´s been so long, but blogs are hard to keep updated...

Let´s see... the 5 volunteers from the States came over a week ago and it´s nice to have the extra help and company. It´s fun translating for them the odd time I´m working around them... I´ve been mosting re-organizing the Bodega (storage room) where we have all the donated toys/clothes/shoes. Teaching pre school has been good and we have a new student just for this week. The kid is getting adopted to the US next week so I´ve been teaching him preschool in English even though he usually goes to elementary school. I´ve been teaching him the colors, numbers, shapes and stuff like that in English.

Just starting this Monday I´ve been teaching a 2 hour beginner English class and then a 1 hour advanced class in the evening... I definitely enjoy the advanced class cuz it´s mostly conversation. Today we´re going to go for pizza as something fun to do. Next week I´m supposed to start a children´s class where I just sing songs and teach them colors, etc.

Recently, some friends of mine started renting an apartment for the homeless. It´s cool to see people buying stuff for the apartment and being able to meet there for prayer meetings and street church if we want. There aren´t any beds yet, but we do have some mattresses and blankets from the Ark.

I got an email from 2 friends living in Jacmel, Haiti. One of them is living in his van and says the city really stinks. Lately, he´s been translating for doctors that have come to help. The other one said that there are bodies everywhere, there´s no water, gas costs like $18 a gallon, and the city is a wreck. He´s really discouraged right now... please pray for Amos and Candace and Lubens and his family. Thanks.

So I officially got accepted into the Children at Risk school in Colombia. It starts March 15th and ends July 3rd. I can´t wait to go and learn and then work with street children. It sounds so cool. Now I have to buy a plane ticket and pay for the lecture and outreach fees... please pray that God will provide.

Miss you all and have a great day.

Earthquake in Haiti

Right now I want to ask that everyone pray for the situation in Haiti. I have a sponsor child in Port-au-prince, Haiti and I don´t even know if she is alive. I also have a lot of friends there and I don´t know if they or their families are okay either. Communication is very bad right now and it´s really hard on me. After spending 2 weeks in Gonaives and a month in Jacmel, I really feel a connection to the country and it hurts to see this happen. I thought the 4 hurricanes in 2008 were bad enough, but now this. I´m trusting in God and would appreciate your prayers very much.