Kristen in Ecuador: Thoughts on a Rainy Day

A rainy weekend taking care of the girls at the Hacienda. What a beautiful time. "Stuck" in a house filled with tons of laughter, homework, Disney teenage musicals in Spanish, singing, dancing, and more Spanglish than you can imagine. (like Cynthia at lunch today, laying out of sight on the bench, groaning: "Yo no avanzo...my belly is going to explotar!") Other highlights include: Cynthia shoveling broccoli down Carmen's throat, biscuits shaped like deformed rocks (it happens when you have little girls helping you), Carmen so upset because her doll's head keeps falling off, María and Magali giggling so hard that they can barely stand, drinking tons of cinnamon and apple tea, seeing my girls work so hard on their homework and feeling proud of themselves, and time snuggled up in the adorable new pajamas that 'grandma' bought.

I love my life here. It's often hard, and I get homesick at times, but I love it. At times, I've felt like I'm never fully myself here. Every day, I deal with people and situations that frustrate and sometimes flat out anger me, but I am growing and learning through it. I am constantly in either a teacher or parent role for large groups of kids, which can be exhausting. Before I came, I prayed that God would use me in every way, and use this time to teach me to give my all, with my physical resources, time, energy, and love. Some things about the culture that I am living in make that very difficult, but other things really encourage me and give me a great example of how I should be. In some ways, being here is like a crash-course in letting God teach me and use me. I pray that He continues to and that I learn as much as I can so I may serve Him better every day.

I have so many blessings here. First of all, I have the overwhelming support and encouragement of Jerry, Pat, Justin, and Amanda. They give so much to help me in my life and my work here. I have my beautiful, energetic, passionate, big-hearted roommate and dear friend Laura, whom I have learned so much from. I don't know what I would have done without her this year. God was absolutely working when he put us together this year. I have fellow co-workers and teachers at school that care so much for the students and put their heart and soul into these kids' lives. I have fantastic friends like Maritza, Tatiana, Alegría, and Clemencia to joke around with, laugh with, and pour out our hearts to each other. I have the constant love and huge hugs of a million students every day at school. There's nothing like it to cure frustrations. I have the most hilarious high school students, who never cease to entertain me. I have a beautiful apartment and kitchen (thank you so much, Jerry!) to relax in, work in, cook in, and invite people to. I have beautiful friends and family back in the States that provide constant support and prayer. I am so blessed.

In many ways, I am so ready to be back home with my friends and family in the States, but I love my life here. With only a few more months left, I am going to soak up every minute of my time with people. I pray every day to be an impact on these children and the people surrounding me, and for me to be changed and taught by them as well.