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

Sick Again

I'm sorry I haven't blogged in a little while. We all have been struggling with a stomach virus that started late Monday with me and has proceeded to pass to each of us as the week has progressed. So far only Kayleigh has avoided it. Please pray for her protection from it and for our healing.

We expected when we came to Ecuador we would have some illness the first 6 months much as we did in Costa Rica. We did not know it would be almost every month still 7 months later. We covet each of your prayers concerning this matter knowing that the Great Physician is able. Blessings to you all.

Love Letter From God

I found this video and wanted to share it with all of you. Hope you all enjoy it.

Medical Mission Trip March 2010

This last week I had the privilege of being part of a medical team from North Carolina.   We ministered to the people of Carcelén and San Jacinto.  Both of these areas are very poor, especially the latter.  Over 720 people were seen in the clinic with 1370 people hearing the gospel.  Many prayed to receive Christ.  It was an exhausting but thoroughly blessed week for the team and the members of the church in Carcelén that worked alongside us.  Please pray for the people of these areas and especially the discipling being done by the believers in Carcelén in both of these communities.  How exciting to see God use this young church to draw more unto Himself.
I am posting a few photos now and plan to add more as they come from the team members.  Shout out to Sara Broom and the team members for letting me use the photos.  Enjoy.

Everybody Needs Jesus

This week while I am helping out with a medical mission team I thought I would share a short music video with all of you that explains just why we have these teams.

For His Name's Sake

Recently my Mother sent me an email about the early apostles and the persecution they faced in the early church.  It really helped me put things in perspective concerning my daily struggles and trials. 

Matthew , suffered martyrdom in Ethiopia, killed by a sword wound.

Mark , died in Alexandria, Egypt, after being dragged by horses through the streets until he was dead.

Luke was hanged in Greece as a result of his tremendous preaching to the lost.

John , faced martyrdom when he was boiled in huge basin of boiling oil during a wave of persecution in Rome.  However, he was miraculously delivered from death. John was then sentenced to the mines on the prison island of Patmos .  He wrote his prophetic Book of Revelation on Patmos.  The apostle John was later freed and returned to serve as Bishop of Edessa in modern Turkey. He died as an old man, the only apostle to die peacefully.

Peter was crucified upside down on an x-shaped cross. According to church tradition it was because he told his tormentors that he felt unworthy to die in the same way that Jesus Christ had died.

James, the leader of the church in Jerusalem, and half brother of Jesus was thrown over a hundred feet down from the southeast pinnacle of the Temple when he refused to deny his faith in Christ. When they discovered that he survived the fall, his enemies beat James to death with a fuller's club.

* This was the same pinnacle where Satan had taken Jesus during the Temptation.

James , the son of Zebedee, was a fisherman by trade when Jesus called him to a lifetime of ministry. As a strong leader of the church, James was ultimately beheaded at Jerusalem. The Roman officer who guarded James watched amazed as James defended his faith at his trial.  Later, the officer walked beside James to the place of execution.  Overcome by conviction, he declared his new faith to the judge and knelt

beside James to accept beheading as a Christian.

Bartholomew also known as Nathaniel was a missionary to Asia. He witnessed for our Lord in present day Turkey. Bartholomew was martyred for his preaching in Armenia where he was flayed to death by a whip.

Andrew was crucified on an x-shaped cross in Patras, Greece.  After being whipped severely by seven soldiers they tied his body to the cross with cords to prolong his agony. His followers reported that, when he was led toward the cross, Andrew saluted it in these words: "I have long desired and expected this happy hour. The cross has been consecrated by the body of Christ hanging on it." He continued to preach to his tormentors for two days until he expired.

Thomas was stabbed with a spear in India during one of his missionary trips to establish the church in the sub-continent.

Jude, the half brother of Jesus was killed with arrows when he refused to deny his faith in Christ.

Barnabas, one of the group of seventy disciples, wrote the Epistle of Barnabas. He preached throughout Italy and Cyprus. Barnabas was stoned to death at Salonica.

Matthias, the apostle chosen to replace the traitor Judas Iscariot, was stoned and then beheaded.

Paul was tortured and then beheaded by the evil Emperor Nero at Rome in A.D. 67. Paul endured a lengthy imprisonment which allowed him to write his many epistles to the churches he had formed throughout the Roman Empire. These letters, which taught many of the foundational doctrines of Christianity, form a large portion of the New Testament.

Perhaps this is a reminder to us that our sufferings here are indeed minor compared to the intense persecution and cold cruelty faced by the apostles and disciples during their time for the sake of the Faith.

 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake:  But he that endureth to the end shall be saved. Matthew 10:22.

Chick-Fil-A

Here is a not so subtle shout out and hint to my hubby while he is in Alabama.  Don't forget to bring the doggy bag home honey!

Guilty Until Proven Innocent

Perhaps one of scariest things about going to a foreign country is dealing with the police and or military of that country.  I remember when we were in Costa Rica I was mugged at broad daylight and couldn't even get the cops to come to the scene of the crime.  People have told me if you live in Mexico the last thing you want to do is call the police.  In the US that's actually the first thing you want to do. 

Anyway, we had our first "run in" with the police when we had only been here a little less than 2 weeks.  We were driving down the street at a pretty slow enough pace when a traffic cop stepped out in front of our vehicle from behind an obstructed part of the corner of the street (think moving cars and trees in the median).  Ken had to swerve to avoid him, but he did not hit the cop.  This cop was furious and had the next officer down at the next block pull us over.  Now with our limited Spanish we tried to explain that we were sorry that Ken did not see him.  This officer wanted to make a huge deal that Ken had a Costa Rican license and his US one wasn't on him.  Frankly it doesn't matter for the first 90 days as long as it is a valid license.  When we tried to explain ourselves the cop just kept insisiting that he couldn't drive with the Costa Rican license and the International License we also had on us.  We called the mission and one of the nationals that works with us, Daniel, spoke to the officer for all of about 1 minute.  The cop handed us back the telephone and told us to drive carefully.  I later learned that this was of course a shakedown and Daniel called the cop on it letting him know that what he was doing was illegal and that we had of course not broken any laws.

Fast forward to yesterday.  Ken has left for the U.S. and I am taking Kayleigh to ballet, late as usual.  I tried to park in a space that was on the small side, Connor looking out the back window, Kayleigh looking out the right side.  I realized I wasn't going to get in the space after 2 attempts (my back right tire kept hitting the curb because of the angle I was trying to get in), so I gave up and pulled off.  As I was leaving the street guard came walking down to guide me in and I just waved her off because I knew I wouldn't fit and by this time I was really late and needed to drop Kayleigh off at the door.  I drove around the street and stopped at the ballet studio, helping Kayleigh get in the door and telling her I'd be back at the end of class.  Right after pulling out a lady in a white car started to honk at me and said something about "saliendo" (leaving).  She pointed to me to pull over, so I pulled over thinking that maybe one of my tires must be low and the air was "leaving" (how they sometimes say your tire is getting flat).  Well, my tires were fine and I got back in my car.  She came up to me yelling in rapid Spanish saying I had hit her car and then left and she was going to call the police now that she had my license plate number.  Now I was completely confused.  I asked her what in the world she was talking about.  She pointed to the front of my car and said I hit her car and left.  I told her I left because I couldn't fit my car there.  I did not hit anyone!  She went around to the front of my car and pointed to a huge dent that has been there from another missionary incident over 1 year ago.  I laughed and told her that was very old and I would have known if I touched her car.  I did not do it.  She of course continued to threaten and when I asked what was wrong with her car all she could point to was a couple scratches on her back fender that could have been done a long time ago.  I recognized what this was about as she tried to demand my name and phone number.  I've heard other stories about this.  The old "let's hit up the foreigner for some cash".  I told her that just because I was a foreigner did not give her the right to say something that was not true.  She proceeded to call the police and I prudently drove away with the kids.  I then proceeded to take the car home and get a taxi to go get Kayleigh after ballet, still somewhat shaken and praying for God to settle my nerves.

What bothered me the most was the long night of wondering if the police were going to be pounding on my door soon.  I know that sounds crazy to your average U.S. citizen, but it is not so strange for us missionaries.  I personally know of 4 people who have been incarcerated until they proved their innocence in separate incidents here in Ecuador.  One man had a car accident where someone elso ran into him but then fled the scene.  He was in jail over a week.  Another man was placed in a jail cell with hardened criminals all because he lived in the apartment of someone who had lived there long ago and that other person had been a criminal.  It was a case of mistaken identity, but the police didn't care.  They arrested him anyway until the lawyers could prove the missionary wasn't that man.  It took 10 days.  I know of a young girl in high school that was placed in a city jail for some issues dealing with her student visa.  She has had to leave the country now as a result of that.  In many countries like this one you are guilty until proven innocent.  It is a very hard concept to wrap your head around until you see it for yourself.

Anyway, I talked to someone in our mission's office and explained the situation.  Fortunately the car is registered with the mission so I have some protection through that, but it still is disturbing to know that someone can go to the police and file a warrant for your arrest without just cause.  I will never take for granted again the wonderful feeling of being innocent until proven otherwise.

Who Will Go?

In two days Ken takes a trip back to the states for the Global Impact Celebration (GIC) missions conference at our home church, Shades Mountain Baptist.  He will have the wonderful privilege of speaking with the middle and high school students of the church.  Ken and I remember it was just 3 years ago at our annual GIC that we heard the call placed on our lives.  Please pray for the many lives that will be touched and that those God has called will be obedient to follow.  Please also pray that our church members will take an active role in being a part of missions as they search their hearts in how they will respond to the Great Commission call.

  "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."                                                                              Matthew 28:19-20

Carnaval 2010

Today is the celebration of Carnaval for all of South America.  It is a time of parties, parades, food and mischief in the streets.  I am told that most everyone goes to the coastal cities to celebrate which would explain why Quito is like a ghost town.  I love it!  We can eat at any restaurant (that hasn't closed for the holiday) without a wait, and shop at the Megamaxi with no lines.  I took the opportunity to make a King cake like I used to make in Alabama for Mardi Gras (the same holiday in Mobile/ New Orleans).

Yesterday we went to the Martinez house to celebrate the mischief side of Carnaval.  It is custom to throw water balloons, dunk people with buckets of water, use foam spray (which has a pleasant fruity smell), and even douse people with flour after they have been soaked.  Let me first say thanks to all my friends for not picking on me too bad since I have a nasty cold.  I was able to get some really neat photos to share though.  This photo is a personal favorite of mine.  To the right is Kathy Broom and to the left is Kelly Martinez.  Check out the Ecuadorians in the background watching the two gringas in all out foamspray war.

The kids really got into the fun, but my favorite was watching all the adults act like children to get the better of each other.  If anyone didn't have sufficient water, foam, or flour on them they were automatically made the target for the group.  I almost felt bad for poor Jonathon Jackson when the girls went after him as he arrived at the party all clean and dry......like I said, almost....

I hate that I had a cold.  I would have loved to get Ken good like Kelly is getting Rick here in this photo to the right.  Ken however, would have none of that.  He claimed that he had to stay dry for his trip to the grocery store he was making later.  Baahumbug!  As you can see, Cade, Connor and Kayleigh got into the action with enthusiasm.  It took 3 showers to get all of the flour and foam off of Kayleigh. 

Haiti

I wanted to share this video with everyone.  It was made by a missionary with HCJB, Martin Harrison, that lives here in Quito.  He and 6 other missionaries went to Haiti 3 days after the earthquake to help the people in the Baptist hospital there.  If this does not give you a great burden to pray for these people I do not know what will.  Please remember that long after the press leaves, the people of Haiti will still be picking up the pieces of their shattered lives.  Pray that with the Lord's help they will be able to build again upon the Rock that will not be shaken.

Personal Space

I am told that it is a well known fact that we Americans (US citizens) are known for liking our space. I remember when we first arrived in Costa Rica it took me some time to get accustomed to people getting in my personal space standing in line or when they greeted me with the customary hug and kiss the air next to the cheek. Of course if you have already met someone once then this usually becomes an actual kiss the cheek and not the air. In certain parts of South America and Europe you kiss both cheeks.

I have actually grown to enjoy this custom as I feel especially in church that it really shows more of a genuine love for others over our personal space. I have been told that this will be quite awkward when we go back to the states as we will reach in to give the hug and kiss and our friend or acquaintance will pull back a little bit awkwardly at the action. I am saying this for Ken's benefit as he goes to the states the end of this month, so if he reaches in to kiss your cheek please don't take it the wrong way. He's just glad to see you!

But perhaps my strangest experience of having my personal space invaded occurred this last Thursday on a long bus ride back from working in Shell. Let me first set up this scene for those of you unfamiliar with travel in countries outside of the US. First of all I will say that compared to many of my friends in Central America, the buses in Ecuador are actually much like a Greyhound and are fairly comfortable. However, there are a few things that make it virtually impossible to relax for the entire duration of the trip. For example, we spent the first 2 1/2 hours of the trip zooming around the narrow 2 lane roads on the Andes Mountains with sheer drop-offs of several hundred feet and passing trucks around blind curves with double yellow lines. Now I understand why they have a curtain partition between the passengers and the driver. As a side bar to that, if you get motion sickness do not forget your Dramamine like I did. The little sign that offers a bag for people with sickness is just that, a sign. There are no bags.

Of course, what would a 6 hour bus trip be without a few side stops along the way, like every 5 minutes? You see, if you want to take the bus 20 minutes up the road you can. Just flag the driver down and hop on. Hey, not at a bus stop?....no problem. Just tell the driver to pull over and he will be very obliged to do so. Did I tell you that this trip is typically a 41/2 to 5 hour trip by car? Anyway, one bonus is the frequent visitations by people selling things. I don't mind the food people coming on for a quick 5 minute trip to sell some chips, drinks, tamales, bread, etc....but I can honestly say that this is the first trip I have ever taken where I was urged to buy teeth whitener, a booklet on how to control diabetes, 2 different types of ginseng, and a pill to help me sleep (that would have come in handy if I wasn't so concerned about losing my bag on my lap). We also were provided entertainment by a clown with a freaky, gravelly voice that really reminded me of why I don't care too much for clowns in the first place. He wanted us to give him money so he could go and entertain children and people in the hospital and help them get better. (¿En serio?, seriously????)

But I digress. My comfort zone was invaded when an elderly Quichua woman got up too early for her stop. She apparently didn't want to walk back to her seat or for that matter take any of the other numerous empty seats near me in the front, so she sat in my lap. Yes, that's right, she decided to sit in the gringa's lap.

Now I have been in many unusual situations in the last 2 years, but this one just left me absolutely speechless in both my native tongue and Spanish. I really didn't know what to say to the poor old soul. "Hey, I know you're comfortable, but my legs are falling asleep." So, I just sat there with her riding contently on my lap for the next 5 minutes until her stop came up.

So the next time you are standing in line at the post office or the check out of Wal-Mart and someone is just a little too close, take a look and make sure it's not just some kind old little Quichua woman looking for somewhere to lean until she can get through. It might be the kindest deed you've done all day!