testing, testing, are you receiving me?

Hello,
        After months of writing here and getting no comments, followers or feedback I was beginning to think nobody was out there! I confess that I got a bit depressed and had a little moan and was told that actually quite a few people read this but can't write comments etc. I know I sound like a mad alien conspiracy person but it's good to know there's "life out there"!


   My week has been good. Recently my life here has really "blossomed". My friendships are developing and I'm doing a lot more social things; going out for meals, cinema, playing on a PS and even karaoke! New opportunities for work are opening up. No idea when yet but I've been asked to help with a support&counselling group for prostitutes and abused women. Also hoping to start at PEPE very soon (pre school classes for shanty town kids.)


    Today, for the first time, I managed to understand the whole service-including all the songs, readings and SERMON!!!!!!!!!! AS you can imagine this is a huge breakthrough for me. I am soo pleased. We have some American missionaries working here in Santo for a couple of weeks. My goodness me but 30 6ft tall, burly Americans can fill up the place ;) Watching them struggle to understand conversations, look doubtfully at the food and generally look lost made me realise how much I've progressed. Hugging and greeting people in church, gossiping with friends and making plans to go out-I suddenly realised that I feel as though I belong.

my hot and steamy encounters!!!

Yesterday was our missionary "fun day out"! We went to Papallacta. Know what that is? No? Well I didn't either until yesterday! Papallacta is a village which have thermal springs. We went to a hot water spa pool. And believe me it was HOT! At first none of us could actually get into the pool it was soo hot. 


What a beautiful sight we made-14 white missionaries sitting in a pool and doing a Bible study!!!!!!! I think we might have startled the locals :)

As you can see it was quite steamy in there!

Sadly the weather was dreadful yesterday where we were. Cold. misty and pouring rain. We spent lunchtime wrapped up in jumpers and fleeces and eating our picnics in the car! Lots of jokes about it being just like a typical day from a British summer holiday ;)

the evilness of speaking Spanish

Hi,

    Last weekend most of my family went off to Machala for the weekend leaving me with just the mum. This actually turned out to be a great time for us to get a bit closer. We bonded over a girly afternoon of shopping and manicures! (the hard life of a missionary!)

     I decided to get some layers put into my hair since it was a bit wild and wooly looking. Apparently I said "longa" instead of "largo" when describing what I want and ended with....a disaster! I don't mind getting words wrong but I do resent my hair being made to pay! Lets just say my dearest wish right now is for a hat ;)

  Tomorrow I'm going swimming with some friends. I've been putting this off for weeks but they became quite upset yesterday when I tried to delay it again. I didn't have the nerve to say my objections are because I feel fat & white so tomorrow we go swimming! Swimming costumes are NOT done here so I need to buy shorts to swim in. Why swim in clothes? I love this country but there are times when I just don't understand what on earth is going on and why. Those are the times that call for a vague smile and the ability to just go with the flow.

      Yesterday I  was at the prayer meeting and I had to pray out loud, in Spanish in front of a whole group of people Aaaaaah! Plus I was praying for a womans son who is an alcoholic. I really wanted to comfort her and offer a prayer of strength and healing for her son. I secretly prayed first asking God to inspire my prayer and help me make sense. When my big moment came, I forgot everything I'd planned to say and muttered a few words as quietly as possible. I felt awful! The lovely thing is afterwards the woman came up and hugged and thanked me and we chatted for a while. Was such a sweet moment.

my journey

What am I meant to write? Every tine I sit here I wonder what on earth I’m meant to say. I’m sorry if I end up just waffling or writing rubbish!

  I’ve been thinking about what I had to do to get here. I messed around on google trying to find work&charities that interested me (I spent about 1 hour actually researching charities and about 10 hours on facebook.) I then picked 3 charities and emailed them and then filled in their online forms. They all kindly responded so then came the rounds of emails, personal statements, phone interviews and face to face interviews. Then came the worst bit...waiting for a response!!! Waiting for the phone call and being terrified when the call does come! Happily I got accepted by all three chrities which was nice and for the only time in my life it was an easy choice.

  Now came the training, choosing a placement and the oh so exciting fundraising. Months of selling sweets to sugar happy kids, selling my car (sob!), cake stalls, bag packs and genrally begging! All this on top of buying equipmet (at the last minute) getting my inoculations done, applying for a visa (less than 24 hours before I left)and saying goodbye to my friends and family. All in all it’s been a funny year; a weird mix of waiting around and rushing around.

  In the midst of all that I couldn’t actually picture myself here but here I am. I am living in Ecuador! The first words I speak each morning and the last thing I say at night are in Spanish. My friends and family are all Ecuadorian, all my money is in dollars and I’ve started to read a Spanish bible. I am well and truly settled here and I am happy. There are times when I can’t quite believe this is real. When I look back at what I’ve achieved to get here and my hopes for the future I know that this is a momentous year. A friend calls this my “awfully big adventure” (I’ll let you work out the quote) and she is right!

a goodnight kiss

Today is Dia de Madres (Mothers day.) Instead of the usual 2 services in church we had one big joint service at 9. I was a bit confused as to why 9? After all if there is only going to be 1 service why not make it 10 or 11? Well, I now know! The service was about 2 and a half hours long!!! On top of usual worship, Bible reading and talk we had love songs sung to the women, a drama, several poems, special "mum" themed prayer sessions and 7 people got up and spoke about their mothers! It was EPIC. Long but lovely. Obviously the service was very special for everyone even the church had been decorated with balloons and streamers.

At the end we were urged to go and hug our mothers and have a lovely day. A lady asked me whether I was going to hug my mother and I had to reply that it might be a bit difficult since she's several thousand miles away across an ocean!

     I'm sure you can guess what comes next....I want my mummy! I want a hug. We email and write but it isn't the same is it? I miss her advice (even when I ignore it), her very helpful common sense, our mutual love of books, our identical sense of humour and silly private jokes we share.

     I am happy here yes and very well looked after but it isn't the same as having my own home or my family with me. I miss the silly, boring chit chat and the constant cry of "kettles on, do you want a cup?" Plus I miss the physical contact; a passing hug, a cheer you up hug and most of all I hate the fact I don't get a goodnight kiss.

Terry the terrorising turtle

We found a turtle this morning in the garden. Lots of general oohing, aahing and squeaking! One little boy was scared and for some reason thought that if he didn't work he would be SHOWN THE TURTLE!!!! This rather unusual threat worked miracles on him. I now thoroughly recommend a turtle as a teaching aid!

boy v girl

This week in school we are doing the body! Learning the names of parts, how to eat, wash etc. However due to some mild gender confusion with the boys we've incorporated an extra twist-what is a boy/girl and WHO is a boy or a girl?
   Today we did dressing up to demonstrate appropriate clothing and here is the result:

As you can see the boys didn't get it quite right!

After the dressing up we moved on to toys; boys were given cars and the girls got dolls. I feel we managed to move the feminist cause back about 50 years in 5 minutes but.....slight gender issues aside it was a really fun morning!

 

is it just me or I do I look like a 70s reject?