The concert

Everything except the weather is totally different from home. There is no central heating and air but I am cold natured so it's no big deal.

About time: "on time" doesn't seem to exist. I went to a Christian concert with the Tates' last night which was about sexual purity. There were musicians, skits, and a pastor who spoke. this concert was supposed to start at 6pm but didn't until about 8pm. I couldn't believe it! This concert was held at a soccer stadium and there were thousands upon thousands of Ecuadorians. This was the epitome of culture shock.

I'm not sure what time the concert was over but we left about 10:30 and it was still going on strong! I understood most of what was said by the pastor and the actors who did the skits but only if I was looking at them and paying close attention. If I turned my head and looked in a different direction, all understanding was lost! It is pretty frustrating.

When I talk to native speakers for the most part they are very understanding and slow down when I give them "the look". I'm sure you all know what "the look" is. Eyes glazed over with blank stare. Yeah I have gotten used to wearing this look.

All in all I have had a great couple days here and I can't wait to post more and read your responses. And as they say in Ecuador "Que el Dios te bendiga".

Finally here!

I know it has been a while since I wrote something but it has been a busy couple of days. I will try not to make this too long. Friday was a busy day. It started out in North Carolina, then to Atlanta, on the plane and to Miami, and then to Ecuador. Getting through customs was fine but going through security was another story. They stopped me when they scanned the ultrasound machine and about three different security guards asked me what I had and why. So I had to explain my story atleast that many times and multiple times to the same person. It was so frustrating because I could see Jim and Caty (missionaries who picked me up) right past the gates and waving but I couldn't get to them! I was surprisingly patient during all of this.

We finally got home and I went straight to bed. I stayed in the daughter's room whose name is Eliana. Jim and Caty Tate also have a son names Philip and he is 13. Eliana (Eli) is 11. They are so much fun . They remind me of me and Jeremy when were were younger-they are really close but fight a lot. That's all for now but there will be more soon.

2nd Day Prefield Training

Today was pretty much the same schedule as yesterday with breakfast and devotion at the same times but we had different skits. We played a card game with 5 different groups and each group had a different set of rules but we didn't know that. No one was allowed to talk and the loser of each round had to move to a different table. So without being able to talk and having a different set of rules was incredibly frustrating. But this was to help teach us that just because we have a way to do things doesn't mean that anyone doing it differently is wrong, just different. Basically we were learning about diversity.


For our activity today we did the high ropes and that was a lot of fun. I thought the zip line we did at the end was going to be the easiest but it turned out to be the hardest for me. I was a lot more scared than I thought I was going to be. There was a lot of balancing yourself and weight transfer. Oh yeah and it rained almost the entire time, so that made it a little more difficult.

Overall it was a really fun but an incredibly tiring day and on the way back to the cabin to pack I saw this beautiful rainbow. Above is the picture I took of it but it really doesn't do it justice.

First Day of Prefield Training

During our first full day of training we started off with a group devotion. The theme for the day was about team work and being able to get through differences while on the field so the devotion addressed what to do when we "mess up" or do something wrong. The natural tendency is to try and fix the problem through behavior modification or try to hide what we have done. The devotion leader explained that the best way to work together and work through differences can be
illustrated by the waltz. That's right, the three step dance.

1. Repent of our self righteousness.
2. Believe-preach the gospel to yourselves everyday.
3. Fight-fight the tendency to to be prideful and
work towards obedience.

Now, I may have missed a few things somewhere in there, but I think I covered the main point.

The next half of the day was spent doing team building activities. Today my team did the low ropes courses which is mainly working on the communication and tomorrow we do the high ropes. Today was a lot of fun but I am super tired. I'm looking forward to doing the high ropes tomorrow.

Brevard, North Carolina

So I just made it to Brevard (Ridge Haven is the name of the camp) where we will be having prefield training. It really is beautiful up here. I will try to upload to some pictures. In about 15 minutes we will be having dinner and I hope it's good! The road up to the cabins did wind a lot so I'm still a little nauseated. The only other thing scheduled for tonight is a picture with all of the summer interns. I will be here until Friday morning and then headed back to Atlanta to get on the plane and go south! Thanks for all your prayers thus far and I hope this blog can give a little taste of what my trip is like.

Packing

I hate packing. When doing it for a long period of time makes me a little stressed because I don't want to forget anything. I had to go to Walmart for some last minute things and if I were ever unsure before I am certain now that I hate Walmart too! I actually appreciate Walmart but when I am in a hurry everyone seems to be in my way! When I got back home I realized I had forgotten something. But that's ok because my excitement about being able to successfully pack the ultrasound printer into the same case with the ultrasound machine made up for it :) They are both pretty heavy so pray that it won't be over 5o lbs, because if it is I will have to pay $50. I will be leaving in an hour or so to go to Macon and spend the night with my brother and sister-in-law and then in the morning it's off to Atlanta!

My Last Week in Valdosta

My last week in Valdosta has been a very busy one. The beginning of the week I did work but the latter half of it was spent getting everything ready for leaving. Until this week I didn't know if I was going to get all of my support for the trip. I was praying about it and many people at MTW were as well, but not knowing is a little scary. The Pregnancy Support Clinic that I have been volunteering at met and decided to support my trip with $1,000!! That really was the highlight of this week.

My least favorite part was getting a recommended Typhoid shot, which by the way hurts about as much as a Tetanus shot for those of you who have had one. My last day at the Pregnancy Clinic, which was Thursday, was a busy day because I had to pick up the portable ultrasound machine the PSC is gifting the clinic in Guayaquil, Ecuador, "Fundación Lluvia de Gracia", or Showers of Grace Foundation. It was kind of a last minute decision but when I asked the director of the clinic in Guayaquil she said it would be a huge blessing to have the machine. The whole week has been full of emailing back and forth with MTW and the clinic in Ecuador and getting everything ready for being there for 2 months!! That's a long time.

Friday afternoon my brother and sister-in-law came into town and were able to hang out for a little while. I got a phone call from a family member and found out that my aunt whom I knew had cancer is fatally ill and may not make it through the end of the month. So we went to see her in the hospital and the thought of leaving the country and knowing that when I return she may not be alive has been really hard. So when you read this please pray not only for the success of this trip but for my aunt and her family. She is a believer, so that is comforting, but she is in a lot of pain. Today is Saturday and John and I just created this blog. Tomorrow is my last Sunday in Valdosta and I will be singing at church and then going with John to his church. On Monday I will pack all of my things and spend the night with my brother and sister-in-law in Macon and then Tuesday morning I will go to the Atlanta airport where I will take a bus to North Carolina for prefield training. I don't actually leave the country until next Friday the 29th, less the a week away!

Where is Guayaquil??

I will be going to Guayaquil, Ecuador, which is located on the Pacific Coast of South America. Guayaquil is the largest and most populated city in the country. It is a port town of approximately 3 million people where fishing is the dominant industry. Here is a link to the current conditions in Guayaquil. As I learn more about the local customs and culture I will update this blog with my discoveries and photos. Please keep reading as I hope I can bring some of my experiences to you folks back home.

Thanks for all of your support,

Love, Jen