We got home from our post-Christmas trip just a bit after 10:00 this evening. It far surpassed our expectations! Everything from the center square and cathedral of Cuenca, to the Incan ruins of Ingapirca, to the drunk guy we almost got mugged trying to help … all of it was above and beyond what we expected. I only took 242 pictures and 11 videos. I’ll have something up soon, I promise.

Oh, and Mom? … Don’t ask too many questions about the drunk guy, mmkay?

It’s 10:30 Christmas morning. The mumble-fruit man has already gone by at least once. The guys are working on the new apartment building just up the hill. I thought things here would shut down more than they have. I suppose we’ll find out just how much of the work force is still out when we try to grab a cab later. It’s in the 60’s already. Last night I got hot enough (with no heat) to need to take layers of covers off.

Rachel and I had a couple of friends, Phillip and Melissa Summers, over last night for dinner. I made lasagne, which is quickly becoming a Christmas tradition for us. We watched “Reign Over Me“, which despite having some adult themes is a highly recommendable film, in my opinion. I had no idea Adam Sandler was an actor, but he really is in this movie. Then we ran up to the rooftop to watch fireworks. Ecuadorians set off fireworks for pretty much every holiday, evidently. Weird … and loud … especially at 3:00 in the morning. Another Ecuadorian tradition is to have the Christmas meal at midnight Christmas Eve. Then everybody opens presents, goes to bed, and sleeps half of Christmas. Really kinda made me wanna bang on people’s doors early this morning with Christmas cookies.

I did make about 25 dozen cookies the other day. Gave a bunch to the three other neighbors on our floor, the two regular guards at our building, and the concierge. Ended up sending another bunch home with the guy that I’m tutoring, and still had many dozens left over. We’re takin’ a bunch on our road trip tonight.

Oh, yeah … road trip. We’re leaving town tonight at 10:00 p.m. for Cuenca, a town in southern Ecuador. It’s got a lot of culture, history, shopping, museums, and other fun stuff. Ingapirca, the most extensive Incan ruins in Ecuador, are just under 40 miles away. We hope to be able to take them in as well. Phillip and Melissa are goin’ along with us on this trip as well. We’ll probably be there 4 nights or so. We hope to be back in Quito for New Year’s, which, by many accounts, is a much bigger deal than Christmas here.

Merry Christmas to all y’all. I’ll not lie … a week ago I was just hopin’ the holiday would be over quick. Today, though, I’m really enjoying myself. I’m gonna get off of here and call some friends, then get set up to chat with our families via webcam for a significant chunk of the day. Hope each of you has a blessed and meaningful day.

Hope you are all having a wonderful Christmas. Call us if you can!

I’m writing this from a computer in an elementary ESL classroom. I’m waiting for my K-1st kids. I’m subbing for a friend who’s in the States for the holidays. Just in case some of you missed that … me … small children … same room for extended periods of time …I’m actually enjoying it, but this is my last day of that. I have several periods of high school subbing to do later in the day.

And then … ! We’re off for two weeks starting tomorrow. I’ll enjoy it for a few days, then I’ll start getting bored. And a bored mind is the devil’s workshop here. I quickly get homesick when I’m bored. I do have some books to look at over the break, though. I’ve started tutoring one of the high school students in Algebra (don’t laugh, Jon) and Biology (don’t laugh, the rest of you.) So I have the textbooks at home so I can catch up on the first semester’s work. I’m actually looking forward to that, a fact that puzzles the guy I’m tutoring no end.

More later, the kids are on their way.

For those of you who haven’t received it yet, here you go!

As of 3:00-ish this afternoon, I’ve been extended the invitation to join the faculty of Alliance Academy International. I’ll start in January part-time, training under Dave Tieszen, the yearbook/digital media teacher at the school. Next fall, I’ll replace him, as he’ll be returning to the U.S.

My sister says she’s already starting to pray for the kids who will suffer the indignity of sitting under my tutelage. Altogether, probably not a bad idea. I would never have guessed I’d end up an educator!

I was chatting with a friend online the other day, and he asked me what spiritual lessons I’d learned in the last three months. I thought it an exceptionally good question, and perhaps one I wasn’t really ready to answer on the spot. My immediate answer was “Never, ever assume that you know what God is doing in your life” and “You may think that you want to know what God has in store for you next, but you probably really don’t.”

Now that I’ve had a few more days to think about it, though, I think my answer would be a bit more reverent. I think my answer today would be more along the lines of this:

“God is using every interaction that you have with different circumstances and people, every minute of every day to shape you into something that is pleasing to Him. Some of those circumstances and people are highly visible … like a move to another continent, where you trade the proximity of most of your best friends with that of perfect strangers and a completely new culture. Others can pass by unnoticed, if you’re not watching … like mail that doesn’t show up when you think it should, or the way the guard at your building greets you in the morning. All things are part of the divine machinery that is making us into vessels fit for the King’s use.”

Thirteen weeks ago tonight, we became residents of this country. In that time I’ve not gone hungry, been without shelter and a warm place to sleep, nor suffered the want of anything more significant than my favorite kind of deodorant and candy corn. I have been so blessed. God has been/is being faithful to place me in situations where growth is mandatory.

I’m not promising that there won’t be additional dark and spooky days where I miss my friends, my family, and my comfortable places. I am, however, giving notice that this is the context in which I “suffer”. The discomfort, frustration, and sadness that I feel is all being played out within the hollow of the hand of Him Who called, purchased, redeemed, and sustains me every waking moment … and He loves me more than I could ever possibly imagine.

… on a Mac. That’s a first. (Shut up, Doug!)

I’ve spent most of the day-time hours this week shadowing Dave Tieszen, who is the guy who I may be replacing next year. I’m learning a lot about Mac-based stuff, and getting to play with new applications. I’m learnin’ lots. Working with the Photoshop and yearbook classes is right down my alley, and I know a few of the kids from Peer Helpers.

I’ve also started 2-on-1 Spanish lessons, and am no longer auditing the high school Spanish class. One of the kids in the class told me that it sucked that I wouldn’t be in it anymore, cuz I was “kinda cool”. I took it as a compliment.

Maybe it’s the holidays. Maybe it’s the effects of a busy weekend. Maybe it’s finally sinking in how far away I am from everything familiar. I just want to sit at my desk and cry. I miss home.

Rick wrote earlier that he would let me talk a little about my part in our ministry here. I have to admit, I don’t really know what to write. Mostly, because what I do here isn’t too different from what I did in Kansas… only a little more international.

I am still in the process of getting to know the kids at Alliance Academy. There is still the stigma of being the ‘counselor/therapist/shrink’, where many seem to think that I am analyzing everyone I meet (if they only knew how easily my brain disconnects from that when I am not in session!).

Like any school, there are kids here who are/have been in crisis. Some of them come from healthy and supportive homes. Some of them come from struggling homes. Some of them come from abusive homes (which is tough, as there are very few laws here to protect children from abuse). Many of the issues here are the same as in any other school (anxiety, depression, overwhelmed, cutting, social issues w/ peers, bullying, etc.). Not all of the children, or their families, are Christian and not all of them have Biblical values. Even so, I haven’t met anyone yet that I don’t like. There is a glimmer of The Divine in each of them.

I am very thankful for the Peer Helpers group, where I am able to be a non-therapeutic leader in a group of teens. Rick seems to be coming into his own in this group, also. Last week he hammed it up a little more, and no one seemed to object… Those of you who have sat in youth group w/ him know what that is like! The group reminds me a little of Oak Hills youth group, which is nice and nostalgic at the same time.

Another part of what I do is ministering to the teachers. The teachers here all seem to be pretty experienced and capable, but a little encouragement goes a long way. Since the school has started taking in more national students, not all of them missionary kids and not all of them from Christian homes, the teachers are facing issues that were less common at Alliance Academy before (IE. single-parent homes, history of abuse, cultural issues, language issues, etc.). Several teachers have approached the counseling department to ask advice on how to best help the kids as they deal w/ these issues.

As Rick has stated before, I think that a large part of ministry is really just ‘doing what you’ve always done, wherever you are’. Our daily interaction w/ the guard/doorman at our apartment, our monthly interaction w/ our landlady, our chance encounters w/ our neighbors (even the little boy next door who rings our doorbell constantly!), and even the people in the supermarket who cut in front of us in line…

Thank you all for your prayers. The last month has been tough. Finances have been tight, as Rick’s primary client is no longer going to give him their business. We are desperately praying that God will provide for us here. The holidays are quickly approaching, and we will not be w/ family for the first time in many years. There are many blessings and many challenges ahead.