Well, what an exciting day! This morning we took our children to a "special" kids painting competition. Lots of children painting, mixed ages and disabilities, few with behavioural issues-as you can imagine we were fairly paint spattered and exhausted by the end of it! I was pleased to get an opportunity to actually watch a young man paint with his feet,was very talented. One of "our" children, Genesis, won first prize!!! Very proud moment for us. There were a couple of tv crews there filming and she was interviewed. Had fun at the end when of my little girls kept demanding to be interviewed too and ran up to the judges asking "what about me?" I'm afraid my soothing comments of Genesis winning for ALL of us and wasn't that nice for Genesis were apparently not convincing!

our kids

   Tonight I and Maria (the teacher I work with) went round to Ruths (other/headteacher) house for dinner. It was really fun, was so nice to get out and socialise with other women my age and just relax. We ended up by playing Spanish Trivial Pursuit. I have only played TP once in my life plus tonight was in Spanish and the girls speak no English!!! Thank heavens for expressive hand gestures ;) I was fully prepared to lose graciously and laugh it off with Christian forbearance however......I didn't lose!

Tonight I was walking back home with Pastor William after an evening prayer meeting (how good & serious do I sound?!) when we bumped into a couple of prostitutes! This led to a most interesting conversation about what is acceptable, laws, morals etc. Here prostitution is quite legal and poor William was quite surprised when I confessed that prostitution is sometimes tolerated but actually illegal in nearly all of Europe!


  I have to confess; this was not a conversation I expected to be having whist here!

Machala

Well, I`m back from sunny Machala. 7 hours there and another 7 hours back-long trip! Was boiling hot!!! I was melting the whole time which wasn`t so good.

                                                    Sunset over Machala

  On the Saturday the whole family went to a local river and went swimming. With everyone stripped off there was a lot of bronze skin on show, in comparision I was glowing white!!! But on the other hand my aglo-saxon blood was excellent to help handle the freezing cold water. I was brought up on bathing in the North Sea-nothing is cold after that!!!  The current was really strong, nearly got swept away a couple of times.

      The 7 hour drive was long but good. We drove past loads of banana plantations, banana trees as far the eye can see! Even passed a plantation for Del Monte!!! Think of me next time you eat a banana :) We also passed a sugar plantation, raw sugar canes. You could smell it before we arrived there. Finally went through a village on  flood plain-the houses built on stilts. Was soo exciting! Can`t believe it was real, felt like I`d somehow slipped into a film.

    Here the Anglican church are soo busy NOT being Catholic that they have wiped out all traditions including Easter! Talk about throwing the baby out with the bathwater!!! We didn`t do any Easter services which was dissappointing. When we arrived in Machala Friday night tough we landed in the middle of a proccession. Hundreds of people silently walking in the dark holding candles-very moving!

wow, I didn't know that!

5 Things I never knew about Ecuador


1)They just LOVE colour over here! Particularly vivid coloured check shirts for women. I even saw a yellow&green checked balldress. (my plain grey top has been hidden away!)

2) Wild dogs roam every street here. Some are pitiful, starved things and some are vicious and will savage you so carry a rock around with you and hope you can run fast!


3) Fresh fruit is NOT lacking

4)The national sport here seems to be how many people can you cram unto 1 motorbike. I've seen a family of 5 on 1 bike with all their shopping too-was a bit wobbly.

5)It doesn't matter what continent you are on-children will try to eat paint when painting!

to post or not to post

   Finally got to my mail box today and what a Shakespearean performance that was!!! Tried to mail letters and the man was quite emphatic that England did not exist!! 10 minute battle later and we finally managed to locate the UK but he was most reluctant. Wanted to send my mail to Italy and then forward it from there. I refused to believe that Italy was easier, closer or more popular than GB. I mean honestly! tut tut. The young man did not speak English (fair enough) but he wouldn't speak slowly and refused to repeat anything. He was evidently doing me a huge favour by deigning to serve me!

   Collecting post was just as fun including a need for ID which then had to be copied and checked. Plus a need for my signature in triplicate!

Love is all around

Feels horribly cheesy to quote from a pop song but....love is all around! And no I'm not tipsy on Sangria :)

  Finally checked the mail today and got a parcel off my mum, a letter from my gran, a package of proper tea off a friend and a bundle of letters from everyone in my church! I didn'y cry when I opened my mail but I have to admit to getting a bit teary eyed.
  
    I am so very LUCKY!!! I am soo supported, encouraged and loved. Everyone back home is so sweet and supportive. How lucky am I?

cough cough, who is it? Me!

Hello, how are you all? I'm afraid I'm a touch poorly. Cough just keeps on going and I`m exhausted all the time etc an had to saty off work. I`ve somehow seen 2 doctors! One says the weather is aggravating my asthma and has given me a new inhalor and if that doesn`t work then a pescription for steroids yuck. The other doctor says I`ve got an infection which is troubling my throat and "tubes" and has given me cough medicine and anti-biotics. Who do I listen to? More importantly, which will perk me up the fastest? After a long and serious thing I`ve decided on a "what the hell?" outlook and am now downing the syrup, taking antibiotics and puffing away on 2 inhalors-my idea is at least one of them has to work :)


  Decided to cheer myself up and watch a Poroit. I was just getting the good bit when the dvd died! Aaaaah. How evil is that? It's totally unimportant so naturally I went straight unto the internet and found out the ending. I'm pleased to say I'd correctly guessed who dunnit and how. Take that Hercule!
   It is in the process of being decided upon but it looks like I might start doing one to one work with the kids. Carry on with therapy etc laid out by the last therapist who worked here. Would be good to do more and have a set pattern for work. We shall see...
  Thanks a lot to anyone who has written to my new address. I don`t know what post may or may not have arrived. The Post Office is like Atlantis for me. I`ve heard of it but can`t ever get there! 

Liat

The school I'm working in and the work with abused women we're setting up is done by the charity that Jill (my mission partner) has set up. It's called LIAT- Life In Abundance Trust. So proud to be working alongside Jill doing all this wonderful stuff!

our shiny new toy

Hello,
         Excitements all round here! The mini bus for the school came hurrah! This means we can pick up and return chirldren from Laura Flores who are too poor and sick to take the bus or a taxi :) WE all went out for a ride on Saturday night; lots of waving from the windows, oohing at the cool things it does and generally playing with our new fabulous toy!

This is my host family and mission partner all standing proudly by the bus.

  Not quite such a fun moment this morning when I finished work early after the Inauguration at the school and went "home". Realised I'd forgotten my keys and had been locked out! Spent an hour or so with nothing to do dawdling around Jills flat. Not my finest hour!

thank God it's Friday!

            Thank God it is Friday! I say that full of shuddering thankfulness as one who peered into the abyss. Today our young “extra special” child returned and of course I got landed with him. I have been clawed at, bitten, scratched, punched, stamped on, had my hair pulled, slapped, pinched and even spat at! My top has been ripped and my personals groped. I am covered in crayon, plastercine, paint, glue and bruises! My only consolation is that he can’t do anything more to me..oh yes he also urinated outside during play time and I had to dodge that! I spent the morning alternating between shouting NO! And taking deep breaths and reminding myself to count to ten. I am seriously praying for extra patience on Monday :) 

a mixety maxty week

wow, you have no idea what  a fight I've had to get the internet and log on here! If you can read this then it is a MAJOR achievement believe me!!!

  What to tell you? Mmmm well let me see-I've started work! It is hard work but good. I've only been here for 4 days but already I can see how valuable the school is. These kids are poor, some live in the shanty towns and they just don't have any medical care. As far as I know only 3 of them have even been diagnosed as disabled. I haven't worked before with groups of children quite like these before so I don't know what to do. I'm worried that I might hurt or scare the kids. Some are big & strong-will they hurt me? Can they understand what I'm saying? Are they capable of doing what I say? A lot of questions and doubts! I'm not too worried though, it's only been 4 days! Hopefully, I'll pick it up as I go along.


   A great bit of news for me today. I've just received another £250. Oh happy day! This is particularly great since I extended my stay by a month and it was looking as though I might run out of money. God willing, this should cover me for the last month. Isn't that wonderful the way it all worked out?


  A quick pause while I treat myself to a cup of "real" tea. Ooops nearly put Avena in my tea instead of milk!


  Yesterday I went to Laura Flores for a meeting and to do some house visits. Only one house I went to had a roof on! This in a city where we had 12 hours of torrential rain yesterday :( There, life is totally different to what I know. The children have no shoes and they live on a rubbish tip so they all have worms and all sorts of illnesses and infections. I had a horrible shock when I was visiting a family and saw a toddler playing with a kitchen knife! 6 inch long sharp blade and nobody cared. At the same house a pile of wood fell on top of a little girl (thankfully she wasn't injured) but her parents weren't bothered. Life is different and it is very hard for me to not speak out and say lots of angry things to some of these people.


  On the brighter side whilst in L Flores there was a political rally. The ex president is trying to kick out the current guy. He was campaigning yesterday and we met him. Got my hand shaken twice and was highly honoured to received a promotional box of matches lol. I am the envy of the locals!


  My family here are fine and I'm settling in. It's official, I am no longer a veggie. I've had to eat chicken a couple of times and I think I may have had duck for lunch. I keep expecting something terrible to happen to me but it doesn't. I just find it hard (and weird) to eat meat after 18 years of abstinence. It feels so wrong :(


  My mum has been ill this week and it's hard being here and not at home. I can't nag her to see the doctor or look after her. I missed Mothers Day too! I'm not homesick but it is hard to be away from my family. I would love to see them. I don't know how long term missionaries manage. I sometimes think that may be my calling but I'm not sure I could cope without my family for years at a time.

here I am

    I arrived safely yesterday and am installed here in S Domingo! The suitcases are unpacked and I've completed my first morning at the school. A manic and exhausting work! 10 kids so far and all of them a very seriously disabled. 4 of them are ill due to the fact they are children from incestuous families :( This is going to be interesting. The weather here is incredibly hot and humid! My hair is already going fluffy and I've spent the last 20 hours wanting a shower every single minute.

   The family are nice and we all seem to be getting on fine at the moment. The 12 year old son has been kicked of hid bedroom (now mine!) and is sharing with his 14 year old sister. Neither of them mind!!!!!!!!!!!!! Such niceness cannot be normal!

we´re off, we´re off, we´re off in a motor car!

I´m off tomorrow afternoon! Today is packing day, oh joy! Trying to cram all my clothes, shoes, bags, documents, Malaria pills, anti-biotics and make up into 2 suitcases is quite a challenge! Not to mention all my new extras such as Spanish dictionaries, text books, notes from my classes and souvenirs. This all on top of a years supply of toothpaste and other vital essentials!!