Greetings from the Desert.

Well, after coming back to North America, saying hello and goodbye to everyone I'm close to, and graduating from college, I've finally landed in my new home. And this time, we don't know when or where we will be moving next--so although this isn't our last stop, it's at least the last one on the calendar.

I'll admit, moving out of Illinois was not easy. I had just one week to see everyone I love and graduate (not to mention pack) before I was on the move again. This time, I'm not even sure when we'll have a decent amount of time in Illinois again. I'll be coming to a couple weddings and of course we want to visit for Christmas, but you just never know if that'll happen in the Army. In short, it's very strange to know that I'm in a place semi-permanently, and that this place is about 22 hours from the people I've known for my entire life.

I also definitely feel like "the new kid" these days. Growing up I was fortunate to live in the same place, keeping the same friend group from my elementary years through high school. And of course, everyone's new in college. While we lived at Fort Lee, we were part of a group of 2LTs and their wives who were all young, new to Fort Lee, and often new to active duty. All we wives had was each other, and we became really close. My best friend from Virginia saw me through some really tough times. Since getting here, though, I definitely feel like the new girl in town, and even my own husband already knows everyone and has his own group of friends. We went to a church barbecue for Memorial Day, which was great but overwhelming--I can't tell you how many people I met, most of whom said, "Oh, I've heard so much about you!" Meanwhile, I can't even remember their names! So, still working on the whole making-friends thing. 

Although the first week or so was pretty tough, there are good things happening too. I finally organized our apartment, so it feels more like our space now. I've used the commissary and PX (which are way bigger and better here, and as a result they're stricter about doing 100% ID checks), had lunch with AJ while he was at work, and applied for a public library card. I've now been on my graduate school campus once, and I've already had one great interview for a possible field placement. Two couples from church have invited us over for dinner, although I have yet to meet any Army wives more my age. AJ says I'm expected at the FRG meetings (Family Readiness Group; it's run by the Army to keep families informed and prepared) anyway, so maybe I'll meet someone there...maybe.

The last few weeks have definitely been a bit of a shock. This city does not look like anything that I'm used to, and I feel like I'm starting over completely here. To add more complexity, AJ has already established a life here that I've felt pressured to fit into. Still, I'm starting to feel like God has a purpose for my life here, not just for my husband's, and I know that things will get better and better. I miss family and friends a lot these days, but ultimately we're called to be here right now, and so we might as well embrace it. I keep telling ourselves that we're going to have lots of adventurous stories later on.

In other news...our couch comes tomorrow! Looking forward to actually having some furniture in our living area. :)

Beach debrief.

On Sunday morning we left for the Ecuadorian coast, specifically a town called Canoa. Canoa is a tiny, remote town much like any other on the Pacific coast of Ecuador. For once, we didn't have a ton of activities planned--just sun, surf, and good food! In the mornings we had some devotional time together before hitting the beach. Canoa is known for surfing, so several students tried their hand on the waves. I got plenty of sun and went in the water quite a bit, because it was so, so warm!

For lunches we went to a little place right on the beach, where the seafood is great. I had fish, rice, and fried plantains on the first day, and chicken on the second because I don't like shrimp. I spent the afternoons in a hammock on the roof of our hostal because I didn't want to chance getting burned on the beach (the sun is so, so strong on the equator. I wore waterproof 50 SPF and reapplied several times--still got a little burnt). The hammock was perfect for some great conversations, naps, devotional time, and more. 

After dinner we spent some time debriefing as a group. On our first night we recalled some of our highlights from the semester, as well as the challenges and what we thought God was teaching us. The second night was a little heavier on some reverse-culture culture shock and re-entry material. We learned about the 5 F's, which depict the stages of reverse culture shock. They are Fun, Flee, Fight, Fit-in, and Fruit--pretty self-explanatory. We also talked about some symptoms of reverse culture shock, just like when we talked about culture shock at orientation. It'll be interesting to see how I react to coming back to the U.S. Honestly, I've become so accustomed to Ecuador that I can't even fully remember what's different about the States. That's really weird!

Some other great memories of the beach were participating in dance therapy (bailoterapia) with the entire town on night outside our hostal. Once they played an American song we all just did our own thing and stopped paying attention to the man leading. It was so fun. That same night we went out for batidos (fruit juice blended with ice and mixed with condensed milk). I got coconut, just to be exotic. After we finished them the owners of the restaurant put on some music for us, which meant an impromptu salsa dancing party started. I'm still working on my salsa dancing, but I have the steps down so it's getting more natural. 


Well, that's about it for the beach! We got back to Quito around 5pm on Wednesday, and Thursday is a packing and cleaning day for most of us before we fly back to the States. We're having lunch at an amazing Italian restaurant as one last thing to do together before we go our separate ways. I definitely can't believe I'll be in the U.S. tomorrow.

I miss you, America.

This post is going to be about some of the things I've learned to appreciate about the States since I've been living in South America. And here they are:

1. So, let's talk about toilet paper. Although I got used to throwing it in the trash can pretty fast, I will admit that it might be kind of cool to flush it again. Also on that note, it'll be pretty cool to be able to assume that a public bathroom even has toilet paper. And that it won't cost you anything. In this country you often have to bring your own TP or pay for it. And if you forgot...you better hope a friend is in the next stall with some extra!

2. I'm looking forward to a safer environment in general. Here we can never walk around or take public transportation after dark, except for taxis (and I've even been warned against some taxis). This means that all my business pretty much has to be done by sunset each day, and if I didn't leave field exactly on time I'd get into trouble. There are also streets in our neighborhood (which is really nice) that I should never, ever take because they're known for muggings (except I do that anyway because otherwise the walk is too long). Basically, you always have to be watching your things in Ecuador, and even then you can get robbed. Being a foreigner makes you an extra large target. So, I'm excited for safety.

3. Food. I'm definitely looking forward to some American restaurants and dishes that I couldn't make here. But more than that, I'm excited to not have to worry about how everything is cooked here. I've been in several situations where I had to eat with Ecuadorians and I wasn't sure if what they gave me was safe (but I was always fine in the end). Here you have to be careful with things like ice, produce, and even meat because it may not be handled properly. If you're not careful you could end up with diarrhea or a parasite, and those are not fun. So, although I've avoided all the bad stuff, it'll be nice not to worry.

4. English. Okay, I know I said I'd really miss speaking Spanish, and I will. Still, it'll be nice to communicate fluently wherever I go and actually feel like I know things. Sometimes living in a second language can be super embarrassing and frustrating, so I'm kind of looking to being an expert in my own language and culture again.

5. Warm showers, the ability to control the temperature in my apartment, baking at normal altitude, driving a car, and all those other super awesome little things that I've been doing without here. No, they're not essential or important (well, heat and a vehicle actually are in the States). But they are nice.

6. Not sticking out like a sore thumb because I have white skin and light brown hair. Although there are some foreigners living in Ecuador, it doesn't seem like there are many. Normally, wherever I go, I'm surrounded by people with black hair and dark skin. This means that it's obvious that I don't belong, and that attracts unwanted attention. This could mean being stared at or gaining the affections of men, or being a target for a robbery. I get whistled at a lot, and not long ago one young man kissed his hand and then quickly grabbed my arm. And then stared at me as he walked away. Most Ecuadorian men are super polite, but being a foreign woman just means I'm exotic to them. Some people also assume I can't speak Spanish and speak to me in English, which is frustrating. However, this doesn't happen a ton because the people who know English are definitely a small minority.

These are just some things Ecuador has taught me to appreciate about my home country. Don't get me wrong, though--I love this country and I could definitely live here long term. There are things I like about Ecuador more than I do the States, and vice versa. I just wanted to be honest with all of you about what it's really like to live here, because it's not all fun all the time. It's not realistic or honest to say you love absolutely everything about the culture in which you live, whether it's you native culture or a foreign one. Overall, though, I'd say that I've been super blessed to live in Ecuador this semester and would highly recommend it to anyone! It's a tiny country that not many Americans have heard of, but it is 100% worth a visit. I wouldn't have chosen any other place to study abroad! This amazing country has so much to offer, and I only hope more people can experience it while keeping Ecuador as unique as it is.

I'll miss you, Ecuador.

As my time in Ecuador is coming to a close, I've been thinking about all the things I'll miss about this amazing country. Here's my list of things I'm reluctant to leave behind in South America:

1. Speaking Spanish all the time. I know, I haven't always been so thrilled about having to speak Spanish, especially in homestays when I never spoke English. However, my Spanish has grown by leaps and bounds in just three months, and I know I won't see that kind of dramatic change once I'm back in the U.S. 

2. The natural beauty of this country, no matter where you go. Ecuador is a breathtakingly beautiful place everywhere you look. I've been living in the Andes mountains, which are guaranteed to provide stunning views of green peaks and snow-capped volcanoes. The Oriente (or the Amazon) possesses its own kind of beauty, with exotic plants and animals and untouched landscapes. The Galapagos is a paradise all its own, with pristine light blue waters, white sand, black volcanic rocks, and bright green plants. The Coast, of course, offers plenty of stunning Pacific beaches and even lush, green hills. I have honestly not been to a place in Ecuador that did not have some remarkable natural beauty, and I have not just been spending time in all the pretty tourist spots. It's just that great of a country.

3. The culture. Ecuadorians are so, so warm and friendly. I have always felt so welcome with my host family, the staff at my field placement, and other places where I spent a lot of time. Even strangers will go out of their way to help you and say hello to you. Priority is always given to older adults and people with children, everywhere you go. Ecuadorians have also preserved their culture so well, even with outside influences. It's very common to see indigenous men and women dressed up in their traditional clothing, just because that's what they wear every day. I've heard Quichua spoken on the bus and the food has remained much the same over thousands of years. I hope that never changes. 

4. The weather. Although I've heard Ecuadorians complain about how unpredictable it is, it's almost always great! Sure, you have to be prepared for rain at all times, but even then the temperature is usually fine. And although it can be rainy here, it never gets humid in the Sierra region (where Quito is), which means my joints are very happy.

5. Shopping at little tiendas. I love walking down the street for some fresh-baked bread, walking over to the fruit and vegetable tienda, and then stopping by the one with all kinds of things on our corner. Sure, it's more stops, but it's easier in a way because you can pick up only what you need on your walk home from work.

6. The slower pace of life. Although it can sometimes be mind-boggling for us North Americans used to things happening on time, Ecuadorians definitely have their priorities straight. They always take time for family and friends, no matter what else is going on. Ecuador is "The Land of Mañana" so things don't often happen on time, but after a few months in "Flex-ador" it's really not a big deal.

7. Not being so distracted by materialism. Ecuador is a developing country, so life is much simpler than it is in the States. I walk or use public transportation everywhere I go. I don't get caught up in wishing I had nicer, more fashionable clothes. I don't freak out about cool showers (although the icy cold ones are awful). I don't think about television anymore, because I haven't seen it since I left the U.S. I'm used to having less choices at restaurants and in grocery stores. Heat and air conditioning are non-existent, but that's okay. And safety standards...who needs them? ;) Seriously, though, the consumer culture of the U.S. is going to be one of the hardest parts about going back. I'm scared I'm going to lose the attitude I had in Ecuador and will get caught up in materialism again.

These are just a few things I'm going to miss. These days when I walk around Quito I come up with more, but there are too many to list here. I got you the biggest ones though. :)

La comida.

Today I'm going to talk a little bit more about the food here, just to give you a better idea of what it's like to live in Ecuador. There's actually a lot I could say about the food, but I'll sum it up as best I can. 

First, I'll start with the fruit. There are a ton of unique fruits in Ecuador--so many, in fact, that I'm still discovering more after living here for over three months! Here are some pictures of fruits I've had here that are uniquely Ecuadorian.

Granadilla, otherwise known as snot fruit. I had AJ try this when he came.

Guanabana. It's sweet and the juice is delicious.

Mora, which is kind of like a tart blackberry.

Taxo, which tastes a little bit like papaya to me. Not my favorite.

Tomate de arbol, or tree tomato. Used to make aji (hot sauce) and in juice.

One of the great parts about living in Ecuador is the juice. Ecuadorians make juice out of everything and drink it all the time. My favorite happens to be good old ordinary peach, and I drink it every morning. Mora is a close second.

Empanadas.

In general, Ecuadorians seem to eat pretty simply. Lunch is the biggest meal of the day, which typically includes juice, soup, rice, a small piece of meat or fish, salad, and maybe beans. Some other popular side dishes are choclo (corn with cheese on top), llapingachos (potato cakes), mote (a big grain that really has no flavor), menestras (like baked beans), fried or grilled plantain, and lima beans. Ecuadorians also love ceviche (cold seafood soup with tons of cilantro, lime, and onion), humitas (smashed up corn and cheese cooked and wrapped in a leaf), and empanadas (my personal favorite!). Stews made of chicken, beef, goat, or pork are also pretty common. Guatita (cow tripe stew) is a big favorite here, although I really, really don't like it. For the most part, we eat the whole animal here, which is not surprising as this is a developing country. You already know that I'm not such a fan of animal feet or some of the cuts of meat we'd normally throw away in the U.S. Food is not heavily seasoned here, and it's rarely spicy--even aji, or hot sauce, is usually not spicy to me.

Hornado--roast pork with mote, avocado, and rice.

Although I really like most food here, there are some things I'm really missing or am not a big fan of. Cheese here is really not so good--it's rubbery, tastes sour, and there's only one kind unless you're eating somewhere fancy. I also miss American ketchup--I don't know if the salsa de tomate here is missing sugar or what, but I don't eat it. Sometimes I miss brewed coffee, because instant coffee is the norm here. Pop is served without ice, which is good and bad at the same time because ice is often made with tap water and will make you sick. Another part of the food here is that you have to be careful with vegetables, fruit, and water, depending on where you go. If something isn't washed properly, or is washed in tap water, Americans will get sick from that too. As a result, we wash our produce with grapefruit extract in the apartment and boil water before drinking it. Still, despite all the precautions you take, you will get sick from something. Fortunately, it looks like I'm going to leave this country without the bad bacterias and parasites some of the other students have gotten. I've been really healthy this whole time as far as that stuff goes. 

Humitas.

So, I'd say there are pros and cons to Ecuadorian food, just like anywhere you go. But for the most part, I've really enjoyed it and will miss a lot of my favorite dishes. Especially the empanadas!

School update!

Last week I had written to you that I would be starting graduate school in the fall with a graduation date of May 2015. Well...that changed! While I was in Misahualli I received an email saying that a slot had opened up in the Advanced Standing program and that I was first in line for it. I couldn't believe that something else had changed as soon as I thought things were settled! I emailed AJ about it and we agreed that I should go for it. This means that I'll be starting school on June 29th of this year, and I will have my MSW by May 2014! I'm so thrilled with this news. I'll be super busy, but AJ and I will save a lot of money and I will be done with school forever in just one year. Taking care of all this resulting paperwork in Ecuador is not exactly a blast, but I'm just happy to be so close to the end, finally!

Giant trees, Shell, Banos, and Volcan Tungurahua.

Me and the big tree.

 On Thursday morning we left Misahualli, but not before we went to see "The Big Tree". Not too far down the road from our hostal is a giant rain forest tree--so giant, in fact, that you could easily drive a car through it. Once we heard about this tree, we knew we had to go. So, we got a jungle taxi (meaning a pick-up truck, and everybody rides on the edge of the bed) and made the short hike to see this tree. While it didn't change my world, it was definitely worth the trip. :)

Missionary plane taking off from the airstrip.

After that we were on the road again, this time to make a stop at a little jungle town called Shell about two and a half hours from Misahualli. This town wouldn't be significant except for the fact that it played a huge role in the story of five missionaries who were killed trying to bring the Gospel to the Huaorani tribe in Ecuador. Long story short, five men (all married, some with children) felt that God was leading them to contact an extremely violent tribe called the Huaorani living not too far from Shell. The Huaorani were famous for spearing themselves into extinction and for still living as though it were the Stone Age. At first the jungle pilot, Nate Saint, found a way to lower baskets full of gifts to the Huaorani from his plane. This continued for awhile until the men finally went to meet the people of this tribe in person. When they did, however, they were all speared to death. Later on their wives and children returned to this very tribe, showed them forgiveness, and shared the Gospel with them. It's an amazing story. 

The Saint house.

Nate, the pilot, lived in Shell with his wife and children as a missionary pilot bringing supplies to missionaries deeper in the jungle and transporting indigenous people who needed medical attention. We visited his house, the hangar for the plane, and the very same airstrip he used. The woman who showed us around works with the Huaorani and lives among them for most of the year, although she and her family are based out of Shell. In fact, her husband is currently at a conference in the States with Mincaye, the tribal leader (this will mean a lot to you, Mom!). It was incredible to be standing in the very same place where so much of this story took place. It's an experience I will never forget. 

One of the baskets used to give gifts from the plane.

To bring you up to date about the Huaorani, many have received the Gospel and are empowering themselves to take charge of their own affairs, including medical care, education, government, and spiritual matters. However, there is a tribe called the Taenomenane (or something like that) that broke off from the Huaorani people and is still living in darkness. They remain uncontacted and are still spearing--in fact, they killed at least 18 people (not counting children) about a month or so ago. I read it in the Ecuadorian news. The Huaorani are trying very hard to reach their people, but it's a challenging and dangerous process.

After Shell we stopped at "Bridal Veil Falls" to ride a gondola across the ravine and get a close look at a pretty big waterfall. This gave us an even more gorgeous view of the Andes mountains, as if that were possible.

This is what it looks like around that waterfall. Incredible.

After the waterfall we ate lunch in a resort town called Baños in the mountains. Lunch was a typical Ecuadorian almuerzo of cow foot soup, rice, chicken, salad, and beans (although it wasn't safe to eat that salad). After that we had some dessert empanadas, which were amazing! I had banana, and it was so, so good.

Finally, we were back on the bus with Quito as our next stop. On the way we saw Volcan Tungurahua, another active volcano not far from Cotopaxi. It was actually sort of erupting! It was spewing lots of smoke and ash and we could see it very clearly. Apparently it's been doing that off and on for a few years now, which means it may erupt sooner rather than later. That's something I never dreamed I'd see! It was a great way to wind down the trip.

Tungurahua!

Overall, I liked this second jungle trip even more than the first one. Sure, I got eaten alive by those nasty jungle gnats (they're way worse than mosquitoes) and it was hot and humid as always. But this time I knew even more about the ministry and the people, and that made me enjoy it so much more. The jungle really does feel like a totally new country apart from Ecuador--the landscape, food, clothing, and housing are markedly different. Poverty is much more obvious there, and there is a lot of it. Living in such an isolated, challenging area would be pretty tough, but it would also be incredibly worth it. I'm so happy we went back :)

Second trip to the Amazon, part two.

The parade.

Although most of our time was spent working and running the sports camp, I have plenty of other memories from the jungle. First of all, I was able to ask one of the missionaries about what it's like to reach this culture with the Gospel. Apparently, this can be very difficult because of the witch doctors still present in many jungle towns. Many locals prefer to keep their witch doctor because it brings in tourism. This means that the witch doctor is in control, and no churches will be allowed into the town. This witch doctor aspect is pretty serious; one of Roberto and Charmai's adopted sons was the son of a witch doctor and had a really, really hard time emotionally and spiritually because of it. Some of these people are also afraid of losing their indigenous culture, as in the past Western missionaries have forced them to give up their culture to receive the Gospel. Because of this, they close their towns to Christians and North Americans. So, although Ecuador is supposed to be a Catholic country, there are a lot of dark spiritual powers still at play that come from the ancient indigenous religions. Besides that, many Ecuadorians are Christian or Catholic in name only and do not know what it means to truly follow Christ. Much like the States, in fact.

Antioquia kiddos.

As I said in my last post, there was a lot of celebrating going on throughout our time in Misahualli. Part of the program included a dance contest for local high school students. Before the high school boys and girls performed, however, we had to watch the Baile de la Vaca Loca (literally translated, the Crazy Cow Dance). At first four preteen boys came out and pranced around in a circle with some paper mache animals, including the crazy cow of course. The fourth boy was dressed as an Ecuadorian rancher and he was in charge of chasing the cow. After awhile I was getting a little bored of this, but little did I know, it was about to get really exciting! A man lit fireworks on each paper mache animal, one at a time. Initially these fireworks looked like innocent sparklers, but before long they started to explode and shoot uncontrollably in all directions, including directly into the crowd. People were screaming and laughing, and I thought for sure someone was going to get burned or something would start on fire. Of course, there is no fire department in Misahualli. It was hysterical! Only in Ecuador, where safety standards are way less important, would you get to experience this Crazy Cow Dance. 

Ladies and gentlemen...the Amazon jungle. Much prettier in person.

After that we got to watch the students perform traditional dances in traditional clothing. The clothing for the girls consists of a bra and mini skirt covered in shells and beads, along with a headband and bands around their knees, which really does resemble traditional indigenous clothing. Although I'd heard from the missionaries that the young men end up a little too captivated by the clothing aspect (or perhaps lack of clothing), it was a great cultural experience for me.

The next morning we came out for the parade of schools to support Antioquia. Like many events in this part of the world, the parade didn't start nearly on schedule and no one seemed to be able to say when it would start, other than "soon" (which can mean two hours from now in Ecuador). 

On Wednesday morning we got a reprieve from moving rocks and hiked through the jungle to a waterfall. I got to experience being bitten by a giant red ant on the way, which is really painful. It stings like a bee sting, and the dumb ant attaches itself to your skin so it's hard to get off. But pretty soon I was fine. The waterfall was well worth it, and some of us swam in the pool at the bottom.

Finally, we spent our last night making chocolate as a treat. Cacao fruits grow everywhere here, and on a sunny day you can see people laying out the seeds to dry on the roads. To make chocolate, you dry the seeds in the sun, roast them, grind them, and then mix them with hot water (or milk) and lots of sugar. I tried the dark chocolate, and it was very dark so I actually liked it. It really doesn't taste like what you buy from the store, but that's because it's real! You can also eat the cacao fruit--you just pop a seed covered in fruit into your mouth and suck on it like candy. It's kind of sour, but really good.

Back to the jungle.

Papallacta! Is this nice or what?

From Saturday, April 27 to Thursday, May 2 we were back in the jungle for a second time. Although the ride is pretty long (about five or six hours, depending) we made it fun by stopping in a town called Papallacta on the way. Papallacta is a town pretty high in the Andes mountains known for its volcanic hot springs. There are spas all over the place as well as pools heated by the volcanoes. There are several different pools at the spa, all of different temperatures, so you can hop from one to another. I stayed in the pretty hot one the whole time, relaxing and talking with the girls. It was amazing, not to mention the beautiful scenery! By the time I got back on the bus I was so relaxed, I hardly noticed the rest of the journey.

Yet another volcano visible from the pools at Papallacta. 

Once we arrived in Misahualli we had an early dinner (delicious, as always!) and headed out to the town plaza to meet up with the missionaries we support there. I've already told you a little bit about Roberto, Charmai, and their school, as well as the other American missionaries who work there. The group from Antioquia (the name of the school; Antioch in English) had planned an evangelism event to take place during Fiestas de Misahualli, which is basically a long town party to celebrate the founding of the town. Once we met up with them we found out we were going to be part of a flash mob! They had planned two dances to reggeton (that's the most popular type of music here other than salsa. For the record, it's not reggae) music with Christian lyrics and we all learned them quickly. After that, the missionaries and their children put on three different dramas, all very well done. Testimonies were shared and the Gospel was communicated beautifully. It was such a great way to start the week.

View of Misahualli from the hostal window.

On Sunday morning we started work on a basketball court for the school. Let me tell you, anything you do in the jungle is about ten times harder than anywhere else. Clearing the land seems like impossible work, even if it's just a small portion. The guys set to work removing some tree trunks and roots from the court area, while the rest of us moved river rocks to form the foundation of the court. It was hot, sweaty, humid work, not to mention all the jungle wildlife we saw (mostly in the form on scary spiders and other bugs). We continued with this work on Monday and Tuesday mornings as well. Eventually I volunteered to help place the rocks on the basketball court, which was even harder work. The rocks were big and heavy, and fitting them together is like working on a giant puzzle where the pieces don't necessarily fit together. The sun was brutal on Tuesday morning as well. Still, we all stayed encouraged and I didn't mind the work too much. I actually enjoy physical labor for the most part--but not so much the bugs!



Sunday afternoon was spent hanging out at the beach next to the Napo River, which is basically what the whole town does on weekends. Communities in this part of Ecuador are so isolated that people rarely venture out of their tiny towns. There are no big grocery stores, just little tiendas that pretty much offer one kind of just the basics. As far as things to do, there's soccer, swimming, discotecas, and that's about it. At least, that's all I've seen but perhaps there's more!

The rest of the afternoons were spent running a sports camp for the local youth. By doing this we were able to reach younger kids and teenagers, and I think everyone had a lot of fun. Since I didn't know a ton about the sports we picked (basketball and soccer) I translated, talked with the teenage girls, and told a Bible story on one of the days. Roberto, who is Ecuadorian, told me I had great Spanish after I told the story. It was a little moment of accomplishment for me. So, that's a basic overview of what we did, but there's so much more to tell, coming soon!

The end of field...

On Thursday, April 25th I went to my field placement for the last time. Wednesday of that week had been my last day in the office. Although that day I did my normal paperwork, the staff let me choose where to go for lunch and we had some great conversation over delicious Chinese food. It was a very nice day, although it was much easier to leave than the girls' home was.

On Thursday morning the missionaries were there as always, and we just played some fun games with them for about two hours. After that we had a short workshop given by one of the staff members and I don't remember what else we did after that. For lunch that day I ate my last chicken foot (thankfully the other meat dish was just a small piece of beef!) and gave my last workshop about wild animals (requested by the girls) in the afternoon. I'm glad I saved that one for last, because it was a lot of fun for all of us. We learned a lot! After the workshop concluded I passed out some chocolate chip cookies I had made for everyone, including all the staff. The girls told me they were delicious. Little did I know more sweets were to come!

Once my workshop was over the girls started going about their own business until suddenly the bell rang to call them into the dining room. One of them came over to distract me as the door was closed and a frenzy began inside the dining room. I soon guessed that they had planned something special for me.

When it was finally time to go in, I found everyone sitting around the table, which was full of chips, pop, and cookies, all of which we never eat there. And I was told to sit directly in front of a big cake! They had written "Muchas gracias" (Thank you very much) on the cake themselves. Right away everyone started to thank me and say sweet things to me. We recalled some fun memories and laughed a lot. The staff joined in as well. I got lots of hugs and a mountain of cards (which I think I'll wait to read until I get to the States). I cut the cake for all of us and we just had a great time. Finally, it was time to go. I gave the girls I was closest to some final hugs and made my way to the gate for the last time. One girl, who has touched my heart in particular, followed me all the way to the door and slipped a bracelet she had made onto my wrist. We promised each other we would not cry, and I was off. And I didn't cry--until the police officer shut the gate behind me! I let myself be emotional for a little bit and had it all back together by the time I was at the bus stop. I could not have asked for a better despedida (goodbye) from everyone I've worked with these last three months.