God Is With Us

I made this video last year while we were serving in Ecuador. I still believe it is the perfect Christmas song, so I am sharing it again this year. We pray each of you has a very Merry Christmas!

Baptism

Ken had the wonderful privilege of baptizing Kayleigh over the Thanksgiving weekend.  I wanted to share these photos with everyone.  It was such a blessing for our family.

In The Words of Satan

Tonight we watched this video at church. As I listened (and read) the words it really hit home to me all of the lies we hear in today's culture. How many times have we been criticized for saying that there is right and wrong as others claim that it is intolerant of us to say such things? How often have we been told we are judgemental just because we believe in the Truth that is found in the Bible and do not accept that there are "many ways" to heaven and that "if it feels good it's OK." Anyway, this is performed by the group from South Africa called "The Arrows". In their own words they said they wrote it "to expose the lies that Satan weaves around families and people's lives in the hope that if we illustrated it plainly, that people would identify themselves somewhere in it and be set free....Our hope was that people would feel God's redemptive power, victorious over anything else."

Monster Mash

Here are some photos from our Halloween weekend with the Marcum family in Orlando.  It was a Mash!

A Passion for Pink

Recently I started working odd shifts at the hospital in order to cover the rooms in the afternoons.  I was lamenting this fact as it affords me much less time with the kids and makes life a bit harder for Ken in the evenings to study.  One particular day I came in late only to find out I had to take care of a patient that had been bleeding for a few days due to an abortion gone wrong.  When I was first talking to her in pre-op, trying to get the facts so I could get an idea of her health history, etc..., she seemed very brave and not just a little defensive, asking lots of questions, especially about why she needed to go to sleep for her procedure instead of just taking another pill or something like she did before for her abortion.  I explained to her better the procedure, risks, and why it was advisable to have anesthesia.  She said OK and I went to check on something in another room. 

When I returned the other two nurses standing around were closing the curtain and I assumed she might be trying to sleep.  A few seconds later I could hear her softly crying.  I asked the nurses if she was crying and they nodded yes and walked away.  I now knew why I had to work the late shift that day.  I went to see her and told her that I felt God wanted me to tell her that He loves her.  That although she is confused and hurting, He can give her peace.  We talked for a while about what she was going through.  I asked her if I could pray for her and she said yes.  I prayed with her and through the prayer shared the gospel with her, telling her of the great love God had for her by sending His Son to die for her so she can be forgiven.  It was a rare moment that I have time with a patient like that, but I knew it was God-appointed and I continue to pray for that girl who is so like many of the other girls I saw when I was a counselor at Sav-a-Life.

This month is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  Statistics say that over 465,000 women die each year worldwide from breast cancer.    This means that approximately 1 in 35 women will die in their lifetime from this disease. They say that awareness is changing these numbers and dramatically bringing down the number of deaths due to early detection and prevention.  Everywhere you go you see pink this month, at the store, at school, the restaurants, even the NFL is wearing pink.  It seems that everyone wants to do their part to save women's lives.

So what about the life of an unborn baby?  Statistics say that 1.37 million babies are aborted each year in the U.S.  Worldwide the number is staggering - 42 million babies die each year.  That is over 90 times more deaths than breast cancer every year!  In the world 1 in 4 women will have an abortion in their lifetime.  In countries like Russia and China the number is even greater with each woman having an average of 4 abortions during her lifetime.  Closer to home, in New York, 7 out of every 10 pregnancies end in abortion.

So why is there never talk of this?  Why do we not have awareness made of this?  If cancer kills, does not abortion do the same?  If we love our women enough to wear pink and tell them to get their "girls" checked regularly, do we not love our children and babies enough to tell women that abortion stops a beating heart?  How about the fact that these women are never the same again?  I have never, ever met a woman that 5-10 years down the road was happy she had an abortion.  Never.  In fact, these women live with a guilt for the rest of their lives that even becoming saved and knowing Jesus paid the price for that sin still haunts them many times.  Substance abuse among women who have had an abortion is 4 times more likely than a woman who has never had an abortion.  Intrestingly enough studies have also shown that abortion raises a woman's chance of having breast cancer by 12.5 % due to abrupt hormonal changes.   Approximately 1 in 100 women procuring an abortion is expected to die as a result of abortion-induced breast cancer.



So what can we do?  Here are 12 practical suggestions that can make a difference:

1. Pray daily for an end to abortion, for women tempted to have abortions, for doctors and nurses, for legislators, for clergy, for those who work in the pro-life movement, and for those who do not realize how wrong abortion is.


2. Wear the "Precious Feet" pin which shows the baby’s feet at 10 weeks after conception. (Available from Heritage House 800-858-30470.) You can also wear the pro-life red rose.

3. Use pro-life pins, decals, envelopes, bumper stickers, T-shirts, posters, etc.

4. Take part in pro-life street activities such as Life Chains, prayer vigils, literature distribution,  and sidewalk counseling. Attend the Annual January 22 March for Life, Washington DC (Call 202-LIFE-377).

5. Use checks which carry a pro-life message. Contact Identity Check Printers, Box 818, Park Ridge, IL 60068 (Call 708-PRO-BABY).

6. Speak up with courage and charity in defense of pre-born babies.  Do not be afriad to speak your beliefs in love with coworkers or friends.

7. Find out your doctor’s position on abortion. If he/she does abortions, express your disapproval by switching to a pro-life doctor. If a hospital near you does abortions, express your disapproval and use another hospital.

8. Distribute pro-life literature in public places, through the mail, on cars, etc.

9. Help to counsel women who are tempted to have abortions.

10. Support a local Crisis Pregnancy Center with donations of baby/maternity clothes and other needed items. If there is not a center near you, help to start one.
11. Find out whether candidates running for public office support abortion. Help with voter registration and education.

12. If you know someone that has had an abortion, spread the word that forgiveness, healing, counseling, and support groups are available for women who have had abortions. Call the National Office of Post-Abortion Reconciliation and Healing at 1-800-5-WE-CARE

Above all, I ask that anyone who knows someone who has had an abortion, please show God's love.  These women cannot undo what has already been done, and they need to know that we serve a Lord that loves and forgives if they are willing to be forgiven and accept Him as Lord of their lives.  I cannot tell you how important that is in the life of someone that is hurting from abortion. 

I myself have lost a grandmother to breast cancer.  She died shortly before my birth and I wonder if the special attention paid now to detection and prevention would have prevented her death.  I also wonder how many babies' lives could be saved if we had the same passion for the unborn as we do for breast cancer awareness.

Stats and helpful info I used for this blog:
www.abortionbreastcancer.com/The_Link.html
www.afterabortion.org/drugs.html
www.cpforlife.org/truth_about_abortion.htm
www.forums.catholic.com/showthread.php?t=249547

Peace in Troubling Times

I have been very bad lately about blogging. I apologize, but alas I did not have much inspiration lately as I have been mainly busy with work and life and knew that would not make for very interesting reading to anyone.

This last week however was special as we had some friends stay with us for a week from the mission field. They came with their 3 children to renew their passports and then return to the field. We were happy to have the opportunity to spend time with them again as we haven't seen them since language school. We were glad they were able to spend some good time resting and decompressing (something m's don't really get to do very often when they don't live near any other people from their own culture). Anyway, they are back in their place of service and we continue to pray for their ministry and health as the wife is struggling with some health issues currently.

Shortly after our friends left we learned of some developing problems in our former city of service, Quito, Ecuador. Apparently the police began a strike this week which involved an attempt to control the president. We lived literally 2-3 miles away from the hospital where much of this took place. Our friend Guy Muse put some of the details on his blog which you can check out below.

http://guymuse.blogspot.com/2010/10/sad-day-for-ecuador.html

Although we are not big fans of Correa's agenda and his method of leadership, it was sad to see the police allow this situation to become so dangerous for the people, with lawlessness and looting in the streets. A friend of mine who lives in Guayaquil told me on Facebook that she had friends who had lost everything in their stores within minutes of when the police started their strike. To me it shows that man is truly born of a sin nature and it is only through the grace of God and His divine intervention in our lives that we can live any differently from those who do not know Him.

Please take the time today to pray for Ecuador, the people, and the missionaries there that seek to share the gospel in a place torn by political strife, poverty, and such an obvious need for the Lord.


Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace. Romans 8:5-6

Dog Days of Summer

It's hard to believe, but summer is almost over. Funny though, no one told the weather here in Florida. I think the heat index was 101 today. I called Ken during my lunch break and he sounded a little winded. I said, "What are you doing?" He said, "Running." I said, "From who?" knowing that #1 He hates running and #2 It is hot outside! He assured me that it was overcast and he wouldn't get heat stroke.

Some batting advice from big sis.

With the fall comes fall baseball, so I am enclosing a few pics of our boys playing with their new teams. Connor's team is the Red Sox and Cade's is the Marlins. They seem to be enjoying the game, but it has been a little interesting to get back into sports in the US.

Batter up!

It was so much more low-key in Costa Rica and Ecuador. Here they want to practice 3 times a week for 1-2 hours including late on school nights. And this league calls itself laid back. I guess maybe it is if your kid is going to be playing in the minors instead of the majors, huh?

Running home!

No One Laughs

I heard a song on the radio the other day. It really hit home. I have found that South Florida is really more of a mission field than Central or South America were. Why you may ask? Here everyone talks about God, but it is usually to use His name in vain, to make a joke, or to use His name like a lucky charm. A man that helped move our crate in told Ken this amazing story about how God had used someone to save him from throwing himself off a bridge during rush hour traffic and then took him to a phone booth and called the number for the man's wife and then left. This was a stranger he did not know and never even told he had a wife he had been separated from. It was an obvious intervention from the Lord and this man said he had committed his life to the Lord since then. After this amazing testimony the man then talked about how he needed some money and he was praying that God would bless him as he went to do some betting at the casino.

I am using My Utmost for His Highest right now as a devotional reading and today's lesson talked about prayer and how so often "we look upon prayer as a means of getting things for ourselves when the Bible's idea of prayer is that we may get to know God himself." And so I think this song is very relevant in today's culture where people often look on the idea of prayer and a relationship with God as amusing or even laughable until tragedy strikes in their lives. It is relevant in a culture where people pray for God to change their circumstances instead of praying that God changes them.

Here is the video by Regina Spektor and following that are the words if you want to read them.




No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war
No one’s laughing at God
When they’re starving or freezing or so very poor

No one laughs at God
When the doctor calls after some routine tests
No one’s laughing at God
When it’s gotten real late
And their kid’s not back from the party yet

No one laughs at God
When their airplane starts to uncontrollably shake
No one’s laughing at God
When they see the one they love, hand in hand with someone else
And they hope that they’re mistaken

No one laughs at God
When the cops knock on their door
And they say we got some bad news, sir
No one’s laughing at God
When there’s a famine or fire or flood

But God can be funny
At a cocktail party when listening to a good God-themed joke, or
Or when the crazies say He hates us
And they get so red in the head you think they’re ‘bout to choke
God can be funny,
When told he’ll give you money if you just pray the right way
And when presented like a genie who does magic like Houdini
Or grants wishes like Jiminy Cricket and Santa Claus
God can be so hilarious
Ha ha
Ha ha

No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war
No one’s laughing at God
When they’ve lost all they’ve got
And they don’t know what for

No one laughs at God on the day they realize
That the last sight they’ll ever see is a pair of hateful eyes
No one’s laughing at God when they’re saying their goodbyes
But God can be funny
At a cocktail party when listening to a good God-themed joke, or
Or when the crazies say He hates us
And they get so red in the head you think they’re ‘bout to choke
God can be funny,
When told he’ll give you money if you just pray the right way
And when presented like a genie who does magic like Houdini
Or grants wishes like Jiminy Cricket and Santa Claus
God can be so hilarious

No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war
No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war
No one's laughing at God in a hospital
No one's laughing at God in a war
No one's laughing at God when they’re starving or freezing or so very poor

No one's laughing at God
No one's laughing at God
No one's laughing at God
We’re all laughing with God

Daydreaming Boy

Well, I could not do videos for Cade and Kayleigh without also doing one for Connor's birthday too which is on August 16th. So, here is my video for Connor. It was so hard for me to pick only 2 and a half minutes of pictures for the video. Connor has always been a ham for the camera and it certainly shows. Happy Birthday my little daydreaming boy!

Close to You

This video is dedicated to my sweet girl, Kayleigh, who turns 8 on August 9th. I sang this song to her as a baby just like my mom used to sing this song to me, and if anyone knows Kayleigh then they know why this song fits her so well. We love you sweet girl. Happy Birthday!

Off the Face of the Earth

I know many of you probably wonder if we have fallen off the face of the earth. The answer is no, not yet! It has been a little hectic lately and blogging has been forced to the very bottom of the priority list, but here is the latest:

I have started my new job at Good Samaritan. It is good to finally have a regular job! I am learning my way around and am known now as "Alabama" by my peers. I always used to believe that Florida is in the south. WRONG!!! Apparently Florida is actually a very hot version of New York or New Jersey with palm trees and alligators. There are tons of Yankees here, and although I consider myself a Southern belle, I do like to remind them that I was born in Detroit, MI, making me a pseudo Yankee (but not a psycho Yankee).

Anyway, the surgeons tease me and tell the patients they'll be happy to translate for me if the southern drawl is too hard to understand. Also, I have found several people I can practice my Spanish with. Please pray especially for my new friend Cielo (heaven in Spanish). She is from Columbia and her family is living there now. She is trying to get a visa for her family to come and join her and still has not been able to get one after over 2 years, so she travels back and forth every few months so she can see them.

The kids are enjoying the end of their summer and Ken is ready for them to start school. Really ready! I can almost see that school bus now! The kids are excited about meeting new friends and starting classes, but not quite as enthusiastic about wearing uniforms. I think it will be much easier for Ken to help pick out thier clothing in the morning, "hmmm... should I wear the blue uniform pants or the khaki?" Anyway, bring on the classes! My kids are getting bored with summer and I have the perfect cure, Pierce Hammock Elementary!

Travelers Beware

Well, it has been almost a month since we left Ecuador. I was warned that we would experience culture shock, and I really didn't feel any at first other than just the difficulty making choices when there are like 50 snack foods to choose from and like 20 different types of Coca-Cola (cherry Coke Zero is now my favorite!)

I felt like we were doing pretty well, even when we left Alabama and came here alone to Florida. We got settled in and the kids met some neighbors pretty quick. I am still waiting to start my job at the hospital, but in the mean time I have been staying fairly busy. We went to a party for the 4th of July weekend like I posted. It was really a big deal with about 75 other people there from our neighborhood. That is when the feeling of being a stranger in a foreign place sunk in. Ken and I sat alone when the kids ran off to play. We tried to talk to people, but it seemed that everybody already knew each other and they quickly talked about things and people they knew, leaving us out of the conversations. I turned to Ken and said, "I miss Quito". Now he knows when I say that I don't really mean I miss the place, I miss my friends. It seems that no matter where you go, what really makes a place home is the friends that you make along the way.

And so here I am on the side of the road, trying not to be overwhelmed by the quiet and trying to come out of my comfort zone a little as we meet neighbors and make new friends. Although it is not nearly as dangerous as walking next to a canal full of gators, moving to a new culture does have it's share of stress. So please continue to keep us in your prayers as we seek direction in where God would have us get plugged in and how.

Let Freedom Ring

Today is the 4th of July and we are celebrating it in the US for the first time in 2 years. Last night we went to a party at a neighbor's house and were entertained by a brilliant display of fire works despite the constant rain. What seemed odd to us was the lack of patriotic music for the display, just lots of classic rock songs. At one point the sound system was not working properly and a group of people started singing "God Bless America" to the continuing firework display. It felt much more fitting to celebrate this special holiday by singing a song that honor's God and acknowledges His hand upon this nation.

After living overseas I now truly appreciate the freedom that this country has. I can now also say that I am tired of hearing people bash God and His roll in the founding of this great nation. With every year I feel our country is taking a step further away from what He called us to be. We heard an excellent sermon today at Christ Fellowship Church which encouraged us to seek the truth and take a stand when it comes to our beliefs and this nation. As I see the results of taking prayer out of schools (increased crime and now metal detectors) and even the pledge to our flag for fear of "offending" a teacher, I realize our shortcoming as a nation is a need to "tolerate" others without really standing up for what is right and what is true. As Psalm 11:3 says 'If our foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?"

The pastor pointed out that many lies have been spread about of founding fathers being unreligious or Deists at best. People forget that the Bible was used to draft our constitution and the term "separation of church and state" is nowhere in our Constitution, our Declaration of Independence or any other document associated with the founding of our government and nation. It was merely written in a personal letter from Jefferson to reassure a friend that there would be no state-sponsored religion as there had been in England.

All of this to say that our forefathers never intended for God to not be a part of this nation. To me that is what has made the United States the greatest nation on earth. It is impossible for me to not tear up and thank God personally when I hear our nation's anthem and when I see a soldier solute the flag. It is impossible for me to keep my mouth shut when I hear someone say that we should not make our children learn the pledge at school or that we should not be able to pray in school because of "separation of church and state". That is a lie and we should, no we must, let the truth be known. No more changing our history and teaching a more PC version to our kids so that people can convince us our history is not that of a Christian nation. We are a Christian nation and the moment we allow ourselves to believe otherwise is the moment we lose the blessing of our Heavenly Father.

I am proud to be an American Christian and I say "Let Freedom Ring!"

Fun in the Sun

Blood Beach

Well, we have made it home to Alabama.  We are right now staying in Loxley with Ken's parents and the kids are having a ball playing in the grass and on the slip-n-slide and visiting with their grandparents and cousins.  Ken and I keep waiting for the reverse culture shock to set in and the only thing that really shocks me is the price of food.  How do people in America feed their families????  The price for a movie ticket was a bit overwhelming too when you are use to a $3 ticket.  I can't believe the price of a matinee ticket is really almost $7.  Guess we won't be hanging out at the theater this hot summer.  Other than that we are happy to say that we have enjoyed driving on the interstate, going shopping at Target and eating some custard, and yes, Sarah....we ate at the Chick-Fil-A first!

One thing totally unrelated to culture shock, but very sad nonetheless was visiting Gulf Shores/Orange Beach area.  The oil spill has made it there and although the beaches are still a pristine white up high above the tide, there is a distinct chemical smell not too unlike a gas station.  The water also has a sheen to it and leaves a tan colored residue on the sand when it washes up. 

I am including several photos.  The actual tar balls are very different looking.  There are large soft dark brown globs of oil and then these small hard round pieces or "tar balls".  The brown pieces are really more prevalent and much bigger.  Connor of course pointed out they look like big dog turds.  Thanks, Connor. 

There are many crews there working out in the water putting up booms and skimmers and from what we can see combing the beach as well.  We are praying they will be able to clean it up, but realistically it is evident that the traces will be there for a long time to come. 

I allowed the kids to touch the water with their feet, but we all cleaned off with soapy water right away before leaving.  Although it didn't sting or anything, it was not easy to wash off.  You can see some in this photo of Ken's foot. 

It is really more of a brown color almost like rust.  It leaves a rust color on the sand where it comes up on the shore.  I had expected much worse, but then again I think there is much worse to come, and the beach was practically deserted.  Please continue to pray for the Gulf Coast and most importantly all the people who depend on these waters to make a living through fishing and tourism. Many people have observed in the evening this reddish brown color areas of the gulf have that are reminiscent of blood in the water. It does cause one to think of those words in Revelations because the surf has a rust colored appearance.

Lastly we want to thank everyone for your words of encouragement and your prayers.  We are still waiting to find out when I will begin work and trying to find out the latest with our crated belongings in Quito.  When we left they were still packing items, so we are praying that they all made it into the crate and that we will not be overcharged by space since we could not completely oversee the packing...but that is another blog.  We will keep you posted.  Blessings to you all.

Cuy and Other Delights

This is our last week in Ecuador, so we went to our favorite tourist spot one last time before leaving. Mitad del Mundo to us is everything Ecuadorian. There are dozens of small shops that line the square in front of the monument dedicated to the center of the earth. If you look back to my blog dated October 1st you can see a video with some cool pictures from Mitad del Mundo. To the right is an interesting billboard you would see on the road to Mitad del Mundo. It is a poster dedicated to Jesus of the trees. I don't think you'll find a tree Jesus anywhere else in the world!

This last trip was one of our best as we finally took the plunge and tried the popular dish from the sierra called cuy. For those of you not familiar with this dish it is fried then roasted guinea pig. Here it is considered a favorite among the people that live high in the mountains. They raise them like farmers in the states raise turkeys or chickens. We have missionary friends living out in the mountains that have had the joy of having a neighbor prepare it for them in their own home, even letting the kids play with the little rodent first. We chose to try it at a restaurant where we would only see the end product and not get attached to the little guy first. I am not sure how many of you have tried rabbit, but I am told this tastes very similar, and no, it does not taste like chicken!

There is a park there in the middle of all the stores. It's a great place for the boys to hang out while the girls shop. Of course what would a shop be without a collection of shrunken heads? Connor got a cool wooden knife made by the Shuar with a very dense wood found in the Amazon area., the same people who used to shrink the heads of their enemies years ago.

After our lunch we watched a band and dance group do local indigenous dances. We enjoyed the lively music and even bought a disc of the band to remember the music of Ecuador. It was a great way to say goodbye to the country that has been our home now for the last 10 months. Our prayers and thoughts will continue to be with these people and this country as we move on to the next step the Lord has for us in this journey to serve Him.

Two Roads Diverged

I have been putting off writing this blog for a while. I knew that it would probably open up all kinds of questions and concerns, and I wasn't really sure how to even go about writing it. But then I thought about all the wonderful verses of scripture God has reminded me of lately encouraging me to trust Him (Prov. 3:5) and that in His power all things truly are possible (Phil 4:13), so here goes.

We will be returning home to the States in June. Many of you know we were not supposed to come home until next summer, but some recent changes with our mission board has made it apparent that they will no longer be doing work among Mestizos (Hispanic city dwellers), and so after prayerful consideration over the last 5 months we feel God is calling us to back to the U.S. to work with Hispanics and area churches.

When we signed on with the mission board now over 2 years ago we knew God had called us to work with Hispanic Urban Professionals, and we felt like Caracas,Venezuela was where God was leading us. Unfortunately we were not able to enter Venezuela due to difficulties obtaining a work visa and the rising costs of food and necessities in that country. This was a huge discouragement for us, but we were very grateful and excited about the opportunities that awaited us here in Ecuador. Recently we learned that any area with a concentration of 2% or more evangelization would see a removal of personnel from that area. This means that we would not be able to return to Quito either to work with the people here. There were also many other changes that factored into our decision as well.

We know where God has placed our heart and desire concerning Latinos of South and Central America. We also know that the talents and gifts God has given us are best used among these people. We do not fault the board for focusing on underevangelized areas of the world during these tough economic times. We know that the direction the board is taking is certainly warranted in these difficult times we live in. We also know the burden God has placed on our heart for Hispanics, and so we cannot leave that call God has placed on our lives. We merely find ourselves looking to fulfill that call in a place we never dreamed of going...our own country.

And so we will be returning to the States in June and spending a few days with family. I will begin a new job in West Palm Beach later this summer and Ken will take the 18 months he needs to complete his on-line seminary degree through Liberty Baptist Seminary. Through this all we will continue to do mission work through local churches and the state Baptist association to see more Hispanics reached for Christ.

Please pray for our children and ourselves as we make this transition. Although we are thrilled to be near family and old friends again, we will miss the friends and "family" that we have made here in Ecuador. Please also continue to pray for our mission as many other families are making similar decisions in the face of so many changes. It is a bittersweet time for us, but we rest in the Lord knowing that He is in control of the future.

I leave you with one of my favorite poems by Robert Frost.

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth.

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same.

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

I Want Candy

Here is a video collage of the photos from Cade's 4th Birthday. Enjoy!

The Road to Shell

Last weekend was Mother's Day and I wanted to spend it with my family, but in order to do so they had to take the trip down to Shell with me. I knew I would be working this week at the Hospital de Voz Andes del Oriente, so my family came with me to spend a relaxing day (or so we thought) in the jungle.

Let me start by saying that the rainy season is not the ideal time to take a trip to Shell. There are lots of derrumbes (mud slides) and the roads can be fairly treacherous when it rains. That withstanding, we were able to see many of the sites that in my mind are uniquely Ecuadorian. We have 3 favorite towns that we have given nicknames to. One is known lovingly as jean town. Here it is called Palileo, but ask any Ecuadorian where to go to buy any brand of jeans you want and they will tell you this small town located midway between Ambato and Shell.

Here they sell jeans in all styles, sizes, colors, etc... They also sell every brand of jeans, Lees, Levis, Gloria Vanderbilt, etc...Yep, for $10 you can get some GV or other designer jeans. Just pick out any of the many jeans they have to chose from, go to the counter and tell the salesperson what brand you want them to be. They will open a large drawer with hundreds of labels in it and then sew whatever label you want everyone to see on the back. Not bad if you don't mind the jeans only lasting about a year.

Another favorite place is called Baños. We like to call it Taffy Pull City. This little oasis is known for their thermal spas (It is located at the base of Volcano Tungurahua). They are also known for their homemade melcocha (taffy). What makes it unique is how they pull the taffy. They use large hooks in the doorframe to pull large globs of taffy right in the doorway of their stores. It takes over 20 minutes for them to pull it into the right consistency. This is both fascinating and slightly disgusting at the same time. They pull the taffy out in large bands and then slap it against the door frame. Having a male dog I don't think I need to explain the disgusting factor in all this...Anyway, I think I'll just take their word that it is delicious.

The town I still have not stopped in, but I want to is Salcedo. That is the ice cream town. For some reason every store in this town, and there are several, sells a certain type of ice cream. It is so popular here that they even have a monument to this particular type of "helado" made with anywhere from 2 to 5 bands of flavors. They have special cups they use to pour one flavor at a time and then allow to freeze, add a layer, freeze, etc... The most popular one has mora (blackberry), guanábana and piña (pineapple). Yummy! I have tried this helado in Quito, but I have been told it is even better in Salcedo.

The only downside to this trip is the long length of it. I have made it in typically 4.5 hours, but lately due to protests by the indigenous and more tourist traffic it is taking 6 to 7 hours. The poor kids were so tired of sitting in traffic and not going anywhere I almost suggested they get out and play while we waited for the cars to move. At one point I was forced to do the unthinkable in the U.S., but extremely common here. I think this photo pretty much sums up what they had to do. If any of you witness my boys doing this in the U.S., please forgive them. I'm trying to break them of it....

So if you find yourself on the road to Shell, get some ice cream in Salcedo, check out the jeans in Palileo, and watch some expert taffy pulling in Baños. I do suggest however, that you schedule those bathroom breaks!

So long for now

Today we had a "despedida" (farewell party) for one of our missionary families here, the Brooms. They have been dear friends of ours here in Quito since we arrived. I remember when I first met Kathy and Paul and we realized that #1 they had served in Venezuela (the place we felt God had called us) and #2 they were from Alabama. I knew we would be good friends despite the fact that they pulled for Auburn, and we of course for Alabama. As Paul said tonight, only in the mission field will you find two families that are Alabama and Auburn fans be such good friends!

We are sad to see them go after serving with the mission board for 15 years now, but we know God has some wonderful plans for them back in Alabama. They talked about how they had left a piece of their heart in Venezuela when they had to leave almost 3 years ago due to a new law saying no children born in the country (their middle child, Nathan, was born there) are allowed to leave without the permission of the government. They had seen the Lord move in a mighty way there and I know it must have been very difficult for them to say goodbye to all of their friends and the nationals they had grown to love like family.

One thing I believe many people do not understand about living overseas is how different our lives are here versus there in terms of relationships. Relationships are everything here. Ask any missionary what they would rather do, go shopping, see a movie, or hang out at someone else's house and play board games, hanging out wins every time. I cannot count the number of times we have gone to their house and vice-versa just to hang out and eat together. Living in a foreign country has it's hassles for sure, but it really does make you appreciate so much more other people that share your heart language and culture. And so we will miss the Brooms and the things they have taught us about the importance of relationships and being there for others. I know this is not really goodbye for us, just so long for now....

Changing of the Guard

Each Monday at precisely 11:30 in front of the presidential palace on Quito's Plaza Grande Square you can observe the formal ceremony of the changing of the guard. This ceremony is performed with great solemnity and aplomb as dignitaries observe from above the presidential palace on a veranda. We took in the sights on the Monday after Easter with some other missionaries as the children were out of school for their 4 day weekend.

The guards (or Granderos de Tarqui) stand at attention for nearly 8 hours a day, day in and day out much like the Beefeaters of Buckingham Palace. The grenadiers are the guard of honor of the Presidential Palace, a building which dates back over 300 years and has been home to many Ecuadorian presidents, although the current president does not reside there. The Granderos de Tarqui along with the Liberators Simón Bolívar and San Martín were part of the patriot troops that drove out the Spanish in 1812.

The guards wear the same uniform they wore back in the 1800s replete with shiny brass buttons and black boots. Although they change guards twice daily, the ceremony with pomp and procession only occurs for the public on Mondays. We witnessed a few foreign dignitaries on the veranda along with the well loved vice-president of Ecuador, Lenín Moreno. Whenever the president is in town, he too attends this solemn ceremony in which all sing the national anthem along with other national songs.

One of our missionary friends who grew up here in Quito told us that there is always a group of the elderly Ecuadorians who come out to this park every day to socialize and watch the changing of the guard. We saw several of these "ancianos" sitting around and talking before the ceremony. There were street vendors selling ice cream and several children from local schools there to be a part of the ceremony. Right before the exchange of the sword to the guard coming on duty, we witnessed a drum corps and a bugle corps as well as the military band march to the center of the square. It was a really nice tradition that I am glad Ecuador has maintained. I hope they continue to carry this out as a reminder of their proud history of independence.

The Search for the Holy Week Fanesca

This last week was Semana Santa and most of Ecuador celebrates with a traditional soup called La Fanesca. It is prepared with a broth of sambo (a type of gourd) and zapallo (a type of pumpkin), fava beans and 12 different types of grains (chocos, abas, peas, corn, lentils, etc...) each representing the 12 disciples of Jesus. There is also a salt cod cooked in milk that represents Jesus. It is garnished with fried plantains, hard boiled eggs, parsley and herbs. I am told it is really good, so we decided to go search for this typical Ecuadorian Easter dish on Good Friday.

We packed up and headed to Parque Carolina. I looked at all the typical vendors in the area and found many typical Ecuadorian dishes, but no Fanesca. Ken went into a small restaurant to buy the kids some chicken and hot dogs and himself a churrasco (a marinated, pounded out piece of grilled beef over rice and topped with two fried eggs). I walked back towards the vendors and took my chances with a popular dish called Ceviche de Chocos. This comes with fava beans, a tomato and onion broth, herbs, lemon, ají (a spicy pepper here), fried plantains, corn, and small pieces of pork. It was very filling and tasty.

The children decided they wanted to take a paddle boat ride. Since we had the dog with us I stayed on land as they tooled around for a 30 minute ride around the paddle boat river. There were probably about 30 or 40 boats in the water. Ken said it was a lot easier with Connor helping him because he pulled his load, but Kayleigh got distracted by all of the things to look at. It's a pretty good bargain at $3.75 for 30 minutes of rigorous paddling.

Next of course came something I have been wanting to do since we came to Quito. The Caterpillar Ride. Basically this long chain of carts is attached to what looks like a modified Jeep. There is loud Latino music playing in the front and the driver takes the train around the entire park (about a 15 minute trip). The fun part is the driver is swerving and weaving all over the road like a caterpillar does including on the busy streets of Amazonas and Los Shyris (very busy side streets to the park). We had a couple of close calls with some buses and an ice cream truck. Snickers really enjoyed the ride in the fresh air with his nose held up high. I think I saw him smile! We decided it was a blast and we will no doubt make that a regular family activity.

Well, we never did find our Fanesca, but today I saw in my e-mail from our friend here Gail that we needed to go one block past the park. Sounds like another adventure today for the Nelsons!

Traditions

Easter has kind of snuck up on me this year. I have no idea what I will cook. My cupboards are bare and I really need to shop. I have not even bought the candy yet. It has always been a tradition for the kids to follow Easter clues Easter morning that lead them to their baskets. I haven't even started on that yet. I know all of those things are secondary to what Easter truly means. I believe this is the year that we will focus on the true meaning. Now before any of you write me and say, "No candy for the kids?" or "No Easter egg hunt????", no I do not mean I won't do that. I just mean that maybe this year I won't spend all my time preparing a large meal and clues and picking the perfect candy for Easter baskets. Instead I think we will read the Easter story together on Easter morning. Maybe I will have the kids help me make Tomb cookies Saturday night and then Sunday morning we can talk about the significance of the empty tomb. I am just looking for some new traditions that will emphasize more about why we celebrate Easter.

So I am asking some of my faithful readers to please share with me some of your favorite Easter traditions. I would love to get some new ideas that we can use here that bring home the message of Christ's sacrificial love. I would like to leave you with a beautiful poem I found that sums up what I want to convey.

THE RESURRECTION

We hold so close to our hearts

The cross where Jesus died
But so much more than the blood-stained cross
Is that Jesus came back to life

The stone's been rolled away The tomb lay open and bare
They looked for Him, and then the angel said
That He is no longer here

Oh what joy they must have felt
To see Him just once more
To eat with Him, to drink with Him
To receive Him back as Lord

So much did He accomplish
Through His death upon the cross
And in His rising from the dead
He reconciled us back to God

Nothing else could bridge the gap
That sin had wrenched apart
Now we can freely go to God
And receive Christ in our hearts