Home Sweet Home

As I sit in my bed looking out the window towards a snow-capped Cotopaxi in the heart of the Andes, it's crazy to think that I left Greensboro almost a month ago. We moved into the house last weekend, and based on the messiness of my room, it seems that I really feel at home (that also could be the fact that there are 2 hangers in the closet). I love being in Conocoto. Besides being safer and less polluted, this is also a place to call home for the next year. Language classes were extremely helpful, and I was more than well fed at my homestay, but it's refreshing to be reminded that I'm not here as a tourist for the next year. My heart was so pulled in so many directions in Quito. My thoughts jumped from "What was I thinking? Am I insane?" to "I couldn't see myself anywhere else." Between my doubts in my spanish-speaking abilities and getting used to Dave, the roommates, or Mom not being a phone call away, I began to see the glimpses of hope that God has ordained this and called me here for a purpose. But moving to Conocoto gave me more comfort than just having a place to rest my head every night. We started working with the community members this week. The people we will be working with is why I'm here, it's what drives me.

We have held a summer camp for teens every morning, and we've helped the old PDs run the library in the afternoon. On top of that, I've been shaddowing Serena, the PD who taught Women's Exercise last year. Our group has a pretty heavy focus on health, but we all have varying interests in other programs as well. Although we don't yet know which programs we will be running, I have some sort of direction. At the same time I'm refusing to believe that the old PDs are head home in a week, leaving programs and the organization in our hands. It's a terrifyingly exciting transition time.

On Sunday I realized I was getting used to being an ex-pat in Ecuador when I was sitting on the roof watching a woman herding cattle down our street and didn't think it was anything out of the ordinary. Don't get me wrong, the squeaky rubbery cheese makes me long for the blue box mac and cheese. Yes, powdered, fake cheese is better than this sweaty substance. Let's just say dairy is not Ecuador's strong suit. The yogurt is liquidy and the milk is un-refridgerated and stored in a box.... yum. Also, it's second nature to throw my toilet paper away (the pipes aren't strong enough to flush tp), and I've stopped asking why people water their sidewalks. My favorite "where are we?" moment was when we loaded the bus for a weekend trip to Mindo (a little town in the cloud forest) a few weeks ago. When we get ready to load on, the bus attendant tells us that the door is broken, so we have to climb onto the bus through the window. So without questions, we climb up a ladder on the side of the bus through a window. 14 gringos, a crying baby, and some enthusiastic Ecuadorians through a window, and we were off to the cloud forest. 15 minutes down the road, magically the door opens. The attendant then proceeds to tell us that the door isn't in fact broken. Apparently that specific bus wasn't allowed to accept passengers at that stop, so making us climb through the window was the way around the rule. Who even knows?

All in all, I'll sacrifice cheese and the comfort of a normal bus boarding for the gorgeous views from my window and relationships with some awesome Ecuadorian folks who want to see change in their community. It's an adventure and I'm leaning on the promise that God's plan is flawless. He has already drawn me closer to Him, and I can't wait to see how He moves in the next year.

"He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them His way." --Psalm 25:9