All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth And Other Great Memories

We had a good Christmas here in Ecuador and wanted to share a few photos and memories with you all of our last two weeks.  Just a few days before Christmas Kayleigh lost two more teeth making the grand total 7 (5 of which are still not grown in yet).  We have a few new nicknames for our little "Gummy" girl.  It was rare for me to get her to show her teeth in this photo, you will notice the next few are closed mouth.  She was chosen to play the part of Mary in a children's nativity at the church we have been visiting.  She made a beautiful Mary and we really enjoyed the program.

They even had a great evangelistic message as part of the program to really show the true meaning of Christmas.

Connor surprised us all during the Christmas program at school when we found out he had won second place in the school art contest for the Christmas program.  I later found out he was surprised as well.  The program had a bunch of great carols and Christmas songs in English and Spanish.  It was wonderful to hear all those great songs as last year we found that most churches in Costa Rica did not celebrate Christmas with carols, decorations or any of the traditions that we have in the states.

Of course Cade was up to his usual mischief.  As I was sewing his name on his stocking late Christmas eve I kept hearing him say in his room, "I heaw leighbells Connow!"  Eventually we got him to settle down and go to sleep.  The next morning he was delighted to see the cool set of drums "Santa" left him.  All I can say is that revenge for our upstairs neighbor with the loud, profane rock music has been found in a 3-year-old budding drummer.  Unfortunately, it isn't quite as sweet as I'd hoped for...

Well, we hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas.  I know for many of you it was a white one!  We too plan to go visit some snow here in Ecuador on top of volcano Cotopaxi sometime this week.  I promise to post some photos of the trip when I can.  God bless everyone and have a safe and fun New Years!

God Is With Us

This is a beautiful song I put some photos to from Casting Crowns.  Merry Christmas!

You Might Be A Missionary If....

1. You have to stop and think about what to do with used toilet paper.

2. You think a 2 hour church service is too short.

3. You read a National Geographic and realize that you know some of the people in the picture.

4. You point with your lips.

5. You miss getting junk mail.

6. You have eaten food that would be a pet in the USA.

7. You are surprised the electricity has stayed on all day.

8. You have 6 different types of ants in your house and you ignore them all.

9. You have purchased lunch or items for your house at the stop sign in town.

10. You bring a sack lunch and a novel to the bank.

Thanks to Dwyndl for the list.

The Fog

Ever had one of those days?  Weeks?  Months?!!!???  I always try to be uplifiting, humorous, and informative on my blog, but today I think I will just be real.  I hope that my 5 regular readers will indulge me. 

I cannot say if this blue-like feeling came because my Mom left a few weeks ago and I know I will not see her for at least another year or maybe 2 years.  I suspect that plays a big part in it.  Maybe it is the uncertainty we are now facing in our job.  So much has changed with our mission recently and we are not quite sure where we will fit in in 2 years when we can't really even figure out what we are supposed to be doing now here in Quito.  It's funny how when you are in language school you just keep thinking "When I get out of school then I will really be able to do something!", but right now I feel like I really accomplished more when I was in school and part of the weekly Bible study at House of Restoration.

I suppose another possibility is that culture shock has set in.  I remember last year around the start of November we were in the heaviest part of the rainy season and I recall standing in the tiny kitchen looking out at the back porch (by that time a small swamp) and saying to God, "What am I doing here?  Why do I feel so much like I made a mistake?"  I just started crying and let it all out knowing that I couldn't keep it in any more.

Now, 1 year later, I have that same feeling.  "What am I doing here?  Why do I feel so much like I made a mistake?"  I know God has a plan for us and a purpose, but for so long we had believed it would be in another city.  Please do not get me wrong; we love Quito.  For Ken and I it is very difficult because our jobs have always somewhat defined us.  Ken was a recruiter for engineers.  I was an anesthetist.  Our roles and job functions were clearly laid out.  When we went to work we knew exactly what we needed to do and we did it.  The lines are so much more blurry when you are a missionary.  You do not go to work because you are your work 24/7. 

I don't know.  Maybe I just need a good cry.  Maybe it's hormones, huh?  But please pray for us as we struggle with these issues and try to see God's will clearly for our lives.  Right now we just feel like we are in a fog.

La Corrida del Toros

Every year in Quito there is a celebration the last last week of November/ first week of December marking the founding of the city of Quito by Sebastian Benalcazar in 1534. One of the ways Quiteños celebrate is to hold annual bullfights known as the Feria de Quito or the Feria de Jesus del Gran Poder. Some of you may remember Ken's visit last year to the bullfights in San Jose, Costa Rica (see January 7th, 2009). This type of bullfight is very different from that. It is much more like the bullfighting in Spain.

For those of you who are against bullfighting and think of it as animal cruelty I will not argue with you as I have seen firsthand the blood and gore not only of the bull, but also of horses used in the ring. I do want to inform those of you who have never had this cultural experience of what a bullfight is like here in Ecuador. That being said I want to tell everyone that in my life I have run one marathon. It was an experience that I have had. I did not really enjoy it, but I learned much from it and now I can cross that off my list of things that I have done in my life. For me the bullfight was like that. I have now seen one and although I did not particularly enjoy it, I did learn something about the people and

the culture and want to pass on my photos and explanations to those that are interested.

In the first part of the bullfight the matador uses a pink and yellow cape called a "capote". This is done by the matador with as little movement of his feet as possible. We personally witnessed one matador not move his feet at all for literally 10 different charges by the bull. Pretty impressive. Each time the bull charges the crowd obligingly shouts "Olé!" There are also a few other assistants in the ring at the beginning. They are like the rodeo clowns of bullfighting, there to protect the matador.

Soon after this the trumpet sounds and the next group of people enter the ring including two "picadores" (mounted horsemen). They are to stay outside of the 2 white lines of the ring. The purpose of the picador I am told is to cut some neck muscles of the bull to keep him from being able to lift his head fully. This is supposed to protect the bullfighter, but I can tell you the crowd does not care much for the picador. There were many whistles (polite boos) and some jeering especially when the horseman allowed his horse to be knocked over. I think this is what I found to be the most cruel, leading in blindfolded, armor padded horse knowing that the bull would invariably charge the horse and rider when the picador took aim.

The next part involves these decorated barbed spears called banderillas. The object of the banderillero is to place the banderillas two at a time in the back upper neck of the bull. It is a pretty dangerous act by the matador and most matadors have an entourage of matadors in training that help them with this part of the fight. El Fandi was the only matador we saw that chose to do this himself and we quickly discovered why. He was no doubt the most precise. The other banderilleros seemed to have difficulty placing two at a time with usually one not being placed. Apparently the banderillero has to come at the bull head on in order to accomplish this task. After placing them he then has to run with all his might to the side wall for safety, dodging back and forth to confuse the bull.

After 3 sets of these banderillas are placed the matador then returns for the third part of the fight, the faena. The matador now uses his red cape, a "muleta". The bullfighter has 13 minutes in which to kill the bull in this stage. If he does not accomplish his task the bull goes free. Also, the crowd can call out "que vive el toro" and wave white kerchiefs if they want the bull to be pardoned. This is pretty rare though, sadly enough. I can say that of all parts of the bullfight, this appears to be the most about the matador than anything else. He continually uses the red cape to entice to bull to charge him. Most important for the bullfighter is to make a quick and clean kill between the shoulder blades. If this is not done properly the bull suffers, the people jeer, and the matador has to try it again with another sword. Of the 5 bulls we witnessed (I just couldn't stay for the 6th) only 2 of them seemed to be killed fairly quickly without assistance. They do have a man there that makes sure the bull is dead by inserting an icepick in the brain at the end. Wouldn't you just love that job description on a resume?....hmmmm, qualifications....raising cattle, breeding bulls, and the bull terminator.

The only redeeming thing I can truly say about this entire event is that I have learned all the bull meat is donated to area orphanages and shelters. The bullfighter can win an award at the end of the fight if his performance is noteworthy. These awards consist of either the bull's ear(s) or tail (an even greater reward) or the ultimate award, leaving out the main grand door of the bullring. Overall it was an experience I will never forget, but please don't ask me to repeat it!

Life Means So Much

There is a Chris Rice song that I think explains the last week-and-a-half we have had as a family. My mother decided to come and spend her 70th Birthday with us here in Ecuador and we are so glad she did. It was a wonderful time of exploring, adventure, and just enjoying each other's company. Let me just say when you see this video you will agree that Grammie is not your typical 70-year-old! Happy Birthday, Mom! Let's climb Cotopaxi next year for your 71st, OK?

The Master's Charge

In Me

November has been an amazing month for us. Ken went to the jungle to work with the Tsáchila people with a couple of men for a few days. They experienced life for the "Colorado" people, called this because of the red dye they use in their hair. It was an amazing time for him as he saw first hand the people of this tribe living out their culture and heritage, but now using the Bible to guide them spiritually in their new Christian walk. He asks that you pray for these people as they seek the Lord, to live for Him and know more of Him each day.

I was able to go on a 9 day medical mission trip with a church from Oklahoma (Henderson Hills). We had clinics in Guayaquil, Zaruma and Pasaje, with me covering over 32 hours in 1 week on the road. We saw over 500 patients, treating medical and dental needs, but also seeking to help them spiritually. At the end of clinic we would have a night time church service in each location to share God's word and love with the people of these communities. We saw on our last night in Pasaje several people give their lives to Christ, and several recommit their lives as well. As one of our team members Tommy said at the end of the trip, "We planted some seed, watered some, and even saw some harvest."

Ken and I are are so thankful that God has allowed us to be a part of these amazing mission trips. Please pray with us that the people that were ministered to will grow in Christ and encourage each other as a young church. Please also pray for the pastors of the churches in these communities as they disciple the people and face the challenges of living in these areas.

Day of the Dead

We have found that in each culture there are different celebrations honoring certain people. In Costa Rica they had a big celebration to honor the farmers or their country. Here in Ecuador they have a celebration honoring the dead.

Every year on November 2nd as a result of the combination of Catholic and indigenous beliefs, the Day of the Dead takes place among families. They see it as a way to "catch up" with the ones who are no longer with us but have a life in a different world. People pack lunches of traditional food, flowers and offerings for the dead and head to the cemeteries where they spend the day as a family talking, eating, cleaning up the gravesite and speaking to the dead person. Ceremonial foods for this festivity include colada morada, a thick purple drink served hot made with raspberries, blueberries, cinnamon, pineapple and other fruits. To some this drink symbolizes blood showing the life of the ones that have moved on from this existence. The other traditional fare is the guagua de pan. This is a piece of bread shaped like a person. They decorate the bread with icing and it often has a filling of guava paste, chocolate or cream cheese inside.

Although the tradition of visiting the cemeteries has declined in the urban areas, it is still very common to see the bread and morada sold here in the stores for celebrations in homes around the city. Last Tuesday at our national women's Bible study I took my neighbor, Adrianna, to celebrate the holiday together at the home of one of the ladies from the study. She made the colada morada from scratch and we had two types of guagua to eat. The drink made fresh is wonderful. I tried to make it at home with a mix...not so great, but fresh, fantastic! The bread is a little sweet and really good with the guava filling.

The children at school even enjoy this tradition as all 3 of our kids had parties in their respective classrooms. Cade's daycare combined Halloween and Day of the Dead with having the children decorate their own bread and having them wear costumes and hunt for candy. I was told that Halloween in not permitted here in Ecuador as the current president does not desire for any foreign holidays to be a part of Ecuadorian culture. I don't believe the people necessarily care about that because plenty of moms, dads, and kids were enjoying their little version of trick or treat at the party.

One interesting fact is there are 3 national holidays over this same weekend. For the celebration on November 1st, All Saints Day, they have colorful parades and festivities in the southern provinces of the Sierra honoring their favorite Catholic saints. The 3rd of November marks the Independence of the province of Cuenca, so it is a 4 day holiday weekend for us.

Fall is Here

Last week was a great time for us as we received our crates from the U.S. We spent most of the weekend unpacking boxes and rediscovering old memories. Every once in a while I could hear one of my children exclaim, "Wow, look at this! I didn't know I had this!!!!!" I too was excited to open up my kitchen things and most especially all of my family photos.

We are almost done unpacking now and one of the wonderful things we discovered were some of our fall decorations and Halloween costumes, just in time for the fall festival at school on Saturday. Here are a few of the photos of the kids from the festival. It was a fund raiser for the high school students to go on an upcoming mission trip.

The picture of Kayleigh receiving the roses is one of the fund raisers, roses and kisses. She received a rose from each of the men in her life, Daddy, Connor, and Cade. It really made it feel like fall for us, especially since the rainy season has started.

Thanks again to everyone for their prayers over our crate. We received most everything we packed and are only missing one box of china and some shoes, so we are very grateful to finally be settled in.

$4

Expendability

A few years ago I knew I heard God speak to my heart as I sat in a dark theater watching the movie "End of the Spear". Little did I know, I would find myself just 3 years later in the very country where those 5 great missionaries, Jim Elliot, Nate Saint, Ed McCully, Peter Fleming and Roger Youderian willingly gave their lives to share the gospel with the Huaorani people.
Last weekend we had the opportunity to go to Shell, Ecuador, the home of Nate Saint and the MAF mission and landing strip. We saw the building Nate had built to house visiting missionaries. Unfortunately it is in bad repair these days for lack of funding to keep it up, but there is so much history within it's walls. Before dying on Palm Beach (the site of the attack) Nate Saint spoke the following:


"...This very afternoon thousands of soldiers are known by their serial numbers as men who are expendable. During the last war we saw big bombers on the assembly line, row after row, powerful, costly implements of war! Yet we all knew-we actually knew that many of those bombers would not accomplish even five missions over enemy territory. We also knew that young fellows, many of them volunteers, would ride in those airborne machine-gun turrets, and their life expectancy behind those guns was, with the trigger down, only four minutes. Tremendous expendability!
We know that there is only one answer when our country demands that we share in the price of freedom, yet when the Lord Jesus asks us to pay the price for world evangelization, we often answer without a word. We cannot go. We say it costs too much.
God Himself laid down the law when He built the universe. He knew when He made it what the price was going to be. And the lamb of God was slain in the counsels of God from before the foundation of the world. If God didn't hold back His only Son, but gave Him up to pay the price for our failure and sin, then how can we Christians hold back our lives, the lives He really owns?
...Missionaries constantly face expendability. And people who do not know the Lord ask why in the world we waste our lives as missionaries. They forget that they too are expending their lives. They forget that when their lives are spent and the bubble has burst they will have nothing of eternal significance to show for the years they have wasted.
Some might say, isn't it too great a price to pay? When missionaries consider themselves - their lives before God - they consider themselves expendable. And in our personal lives as Christians isn't the same thing true? Isn't the price small in the light of God's infinite love? Those who know the joy of leading a stranger to Christ and those who have gone to tribes who have never heard the gospel, gladly count themselves expendable. And they count it all joy.
'Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone,' the apostle Paul said. 'I die daily. I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.'
'And Jesus said, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's, but he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time...and in the world to come eternal life.' " ~Nate Saint

Ecuador is a very different place today than it was 50 years ago, but there are still many who die in the jungle by the spear. As recent as 2 years ago a lady and her 2 children (ages 16 and 9) were speared presumably by a group of Tagaeri Indians, cousins to the Haurani. But here is the amazing thing; right now our mission is training several of the Huaorani and Shuar people the stories from the Bible. These men are learning these stories because they want to go to the Taromenane and Tagaeri tribes and share the good news with this unreached people group.

Before we left the US I had many people ask me why we would give up our cushy middle-class American life style to go to the murder capital of the world (Caracas) and be missionaries. Well, all I could think was, why not? I have found more joy in the last year-and-a-half of living in God's will than I had in 10 years of living in my own. Although many may consider it a sacrifice, we consider it a privilege. Maybe that is because we know that the largest sacrifice we can make is that first step, the willingness to go. I do not believe God calls all of us to go across the globe to share the gospel. We can and must share the good news of Christ with our neighbors, coworkers, friends and family. I do think however that we must be willing to go, and if indeed the Lord has called us, we will never know true joy until we heed that call.

I believe if you had asked any of those 5 men that gave their lives, or even the 9 children and 5 wives they left behind, if it was worth it to see a unreached people not only come to a saving knowledge of the Lord, but also to reach out to their enemies and share the gospel it would have been a resounding "Yes!".

To the Ends of the Earth

Caught Up in the Middle

Here are some recent pictures from our trip to "both" of the equators. The original was placed before GPS in a location by French explorers, and the last pictures are of the actual equator about 200 yards from the original. It has a museum as well as many indigenous artifacts. There are also all kinds of cool tests done at the real equator to show the difference in gravitational pull.

Runnin' on Empty

This last week marked 6 weeks here in Ecuador for us. The children had a one mile "fun" run at school this week for each grade. I call it a "fun" run in quotations because there is nothing fun about running a mile at close to 10,000 feet above sea level. I can say personally that your lungs feel like they are on fire just after a 5 minute jog. Combine that with the dense smog that covers the city on any given day and you can say it is a unique form of torture for a new gringo.

This week we all had a small bout with a stomach bug, so I was especially proud of Connor and Kayleigh for running the race. Kayleigh and her friend Olivia had the two best times for the girls in her 2nd grade class, completing the mile in 9:50. Connor placed 2nd with the boys in 4th grade with a time of 9:03. I am so proud of both of them. It would have been so easy to just give up and say, "Well, I'm not really use to the altitude yet." They both plugged on and not only completed the race, but finished it strong.

During this last week we have been somewhat discouraged by recent news of cutbacks throughout the mission board that have resulted in cuts in our medical benefits, retirement, and salaries due to a sharp decline in giving through the Lottie Moon offering and Cooperative Program. This cut in funding may affect many of us with small children in the ability to stay on the field long term. For us it is like the race is not only being run at a high altitude, but now it is also going up a steep hill. It would be so easy to say, "Well, we're not really ready for this uphill climb, we haven't even gotten use to the altitude yet!" But we are told in Acts 20:24 "However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace."

This is our motivation in times of struggle and trial. In the race there are many obstacles and points when we need encouragement. One of my fellow IMB friends remarked as the children were making their way around the track, "I wonder if they would give up if we were not here cheering them on to continue." I mused on that thinking that those words were probably very true. In the face of hardships without encouragement and hope, is it not easier to just give up? But is it not the prize at the finish that motivates us more than anything? 1Corinthians 9:24 says, "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize."

We are a long way from the prize at this point, but we must continually keep it in the horizon. In those days that we receive bad news or discouragement from the obstacles that surround us, we must focus on that prize at the end. I remember the first time I ran a marathon I reached the proverbial "brick wall" at mile 21. I remember in training one of my friends who had run many races told me, "At some point towards the end of the race you will face a "brick wall". You will think that there is no way that you will be able to take another step, much less make it to the finish line. When that happens you will have to remind yourself of your motivation for running in the first place. You must envision that and keep a hold of that to drive you to the end of your race." Wise words. As I reached mile 21 I heard the shouts of my family and friends as they encouraged me to continue the race strong.

We know we have barely begun the race. I can still hear the crack of the starter gun ringing in my ears, but already the uphill climb has begun. Although the prize looms in the distance, we have to pace ourselves for the

distance we must run. With this in mind we cling to what Phil 3:12-14 says, "Not that I have become perfect yet; I have not yet won, but I am still running, trying to capture the prize for which Christ Jesus captured me. I can assure you my brothers, I am far from thinking that I have already won. All I can say is that I forget the past and I strain ahead for what is still to come; I am racing for the finish, for the prize to which God calls us upward to receive in Christ Jesus."

Operation Walk

This last week has been a wonderful and exhausting experience for me as we had a team from the US come for a medical mission. The group of Operation Walk consisted of Orthopedic surgeons, medical doctors, anesthetists and an anesthesiologist, recovery room nurses, OR nurses and techs, floor nurses, physical therapists, medical students, PAs, translators, and volunteers. The plans for this trip have been in the works for quite a while, but I was fortunate enough to be a part of it at the last minute. I provided anesthesia for many of the 40 patients we did surgery on that week. There were knee replacements and hip replacements for people of Ecuador that could otherwise not afford the surgery. Some of these people had arthritis so bad that they had literally been bed bound for years.

One gentleman I did anesthesia on was 38 years old and had not walked for over 3 years. It was exciting to see them take their first steps after so many years of immobilization. I was privileged enough to be a part of the whole week by unpacking supplies, giving blocks, helping recover patients, and even assisting them in taking their first steps after surgery.

One man in particular touched my heart as Dr. Taughton (the physician that helped arrange for me to be part of this group) came in to pray for him. I had put in the man's spinal/epidural for his surgery and remembered how kind he had been. As we visited in the room Dr. Taughton asked me to translate a prayer he wanted to give for this kind gentleman. As Dr. Taughton finished his prayer the man had tears in his eyes and told us that he was so grateful to God for sending us to help him. He wanted us to know that he and his family would be praying for us as well.

One of our last nights the Foundation that helped plan this trip had a banquet in our honor and presented us with gifts. I especially enjoyed it as they presented all the doctors with Panama hats. A little known fact to most is that Panama hats are actually made here in Ecuador.

Our last day at the hospital we had a group picture with the patients. They had all walked to the end of the hall with walkers and crutches for the photo. While there they wanted to express their thanks to us for all the work and time we had put in that week. Some people had worked literally 14 hour days at the hospital. I was so touched as I listened to person after person say how grateful they were and how they would never forget our kindness. Many people said that they knew that they would never have been able to walk again without our help. One lady cried as she told us, "I have nothing to offer to you for the wonderful gift of healing that you have given me except my tears".

This week I saw some wonderful acts of kindness and selflessness as so many people sought to serve these wonderful Ecuadorians. I thank God for the opportunity to be a part of such a wonderful mission and pray that the Lord will give me many more opportunities to make a difference in the lives of these beautiful and amazing people.

Snickers

There are times in your life when you get a sinking feeling you are being taken for a ride. A couple of weeks ago I had that experience as I was following directions in my car from a Ecuadorian lady that I had been waiting on for almost an hour. I had one of our missionaries in the car with me including my 3 children. This lady was giving me instructions to a house that held the prize we sought, a little male Yorkie. As we drove further and further away from the safe part of Quito into the "hood" I was just certain that this lady had some kids waiting to carjack us or take the money I had brought to buy a puppy for the kids.

I found myself driving up a VERY steep hill in a stick shift truck (only my second day driving it by the way), praying that we would find this place soon. I could sense my friend Gail ( an MK born and raised here) was feeling a little uneasy too. We came to a small shack perched beneath the street and the lady in the car with us called the owner of the house on the phone telling her to come out with the puppy. As she came up the many stairs from her small abode I could not see any dog and was keenly aware of a group of teenagers some 50 feet behind us. When she approached the truck she lifted up her poncho and there held the cutest little puppy I have ever seen. At that moment my children fell in love and I knew that I would not be able to leave without that puppy. The children played with him in the back seat as we haggled on the price, the papers (she didn't have any with her, but said she could get them), and the shot records (didn't have those either, but once again said she would get them.

We agreed on a price and I started to drive us back down the mountain into town so she could produce the papers and a receipt for the dog. The lady and my friend Gail were having a discussion about Christ and I could tell that this lady didn't think too much of Jesus. She kept saying that Jesus didn't love dogs, whatever she meant by that.... When we got to the corner she immediately opened the door and said she needed to leave there. Of course the traffic cop waved me to go, so I had no choice. No papers, no shot record, and no receipt. But we happily went on our way with a pooch named "Snickers" by the kids.

Our first night was rough as he threw up and then passed blood in his stool. I was certain he had parvo and had Ken take him to an all-night vet clinic nearby. The vet recommended a special diet and some medicine. Within a few days we had a happy, healthy little guy with a sweet personality all his own. Snickers is now one of the family and we couldn't imagine life being nearly as fun without him.