I know it has been quite a while since one of us a posted, and this is not meant to be an excuse, but let me just give you a quick snapshot of the past few weeks: our last summer teams leave, we say goodbye to the Brock family (sniff, sniff, tear), we throw ourselves (Ok, mainly Bob) headfirst into trying to finish our little pink 'casa' (which, I believe, should kick off a new show: International Extreme Home Make-Over), I enjoy 8 days of new teacher training:-), by God's grace we move INTO the awesome little house, we find a driver to take us 1-way to school and finally, start school this past Thursday. Throw in Maggie's Sweet 16th birthday (complete with a set of braces:-), a 'free' dog that came with Bob's used motorcycle, and by golly we've got ourselves a good old fashioned Ecuadorian lifestyle: crazy, unpredictable, and totally on God's schedule.
We have learned alot of things our first few months here. We have learned to wait on buses. We have learned not to eat the lettuce and tomato in restaurants. We have learned that our new friends and neighbors love to chat, kiss you on the cheek when they greet you, and help you with your Spanish. Our new friends have smiles like none other. The youngest child can melt your heart while the oldest woman has a certain beauty in her smile that shows both outward and inner strength.
To see our kids assimilate to this culture is a measure of amazing grace. This does not go without it's down days, I assure you. Public breastfeeding is something Tim is going to have to get used to and I believe Bobby is now aware that 150 people on a public bus is just a fact of daily life for us. Our new motto coming home from school is " You take the right side...I'll flank left...ready...set...PUSH!" Victory is sweet when we all make the 4:00pm bus. That's when I buy them a 15cent BonIce at the half-way bus stop and thank God for another great day.
God is truly at work here in Ecuador. It is evident in the lives of the kids and staff at Alliance Academy. It is evident in the lives of the Pastor, house mothers and orphans at the Davis Fundacion. Our prayer is that it is becoming evident to our new neighbors up here on the 'big hill' (Matt 5:14-16). And by God's grace, it is evident in the lives of our family. We never would have guessed at this time a year ago we would be at this place, for this purpose.
It's great to be a part of His plan.
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