Nearing the end...

First let me apologize for not blogging this past month. So much has happened, and then I get overwhelmed writing in my journal AND on here, so.. fail. Forgive me. Trips to Inca ruins, to waterfalls, to Baños, to the rainforest, conversations with my sisters, drivers ed classes with Lili, laughs with my papi, first time ever in a discotec, walking in the pouring rain with a huge Amazon leaf as an umbrella- all of that I will have to tell you in person when I get home.

It's raining outside... and guess what. Last night there was a huge beetle-like bug in my room. And I called in my brother to kill it... oh Ecuador. :)

I have 17 days left in Cuenca, and many thoughts are beginning to come with the pending departure. For one, I'm getting tired of not having any kind of fixed job or schedule- I'm truly on vacation here. No more English classes. No homework. No gym membership. No car to get places. Back to a place of dependence. Those things are tough. But I try to make the most of my free moments in the house, and looking forward to being in the Word more these last few days. Talking to my Dad and Jared the other day made me miss them a lot, and long for the familiar things that I've been lacking. However, I think of leaving my family here, and the Ortiz family (cousins and all) and my heart hurts. So so much. And I think about returning to my full full life back home, with all of its responsibilities, and that too makes me cringe. But I have to continue to grow up, move on, and advance in my studies and career and faith... just as I have grown in different ways being here this summer. More on that later.

I think I'll post one more time before I go... or at least I will try. Keep me in your prayers- I'm feeling spiritually dry and weak and lacking motivation to seek the Lord. But yet He is near. Pray also that I would not think about leaving, but concentrate on the present and on blessing everyone around me.

And so begins the second half...

Today is a clean-the-house-stay-in-pijamas-till-the-afternoon kind of day. Guido Adrian is outside sweeping the patios, Lili's playing with 1yr old Emily, the 3rd grandchild, Andrea is resting (suffering a brutal migrane), and Guido and Nancy mis papas are out shopping. I just finished washing all the dishes from desayuno by hand (there is a lavadora but it does not work...). Breakfast was fried eggs, coffee, and balls of squished plantains and butter.

This is the 2nd half of my stay in Cuenca, and things are going to look very different from here on out for several reasons. Last week I finished up with my students- one of them had his visa interview in Guayaquil last week and he passed it! It made me happy to know that he did well. Anyway, this means that I no longer have a set job to do here. So that means I've got to fill my time with something else. There are a few more museums left to see, and some more trips I want to plan to see more of Ecuador. I'm praying for more opps to serve ppl while I'm here- many are eager to master English. Yesterday I stayed in the house all day until about 5pm and could not bear it- I had nothing to do!

The house is more lively with Lili here, and I'm so glad she's here as well. She's still adjusting to the strangeness of coming home after being gone for 11 months, but, you'd be amazed at the difference it makes to have a girl close to my age in the house now. I'm excited to meet her friends as well.

Last night I hung out with a sweet sweet girl exactly my age that I met the first or second week here. She literally walked up to me in the park as I was reading and wanted to ask me questions in English for an English project in the U. By the time she left, we had exchanged numbers and last night we FINALLY got to hang out. We walked arm in arm around Cuenca, and stopped in Frutelados to have coffee and dessert. She comes from a conservative, Christian (not Catholic) family as well, and we have several things in common. What a blessing- a female friend! And I can't get over how welcoming people are here. She probably invited me to 3 different events while we were together. I hope to spend more time with her these last few weeks.

Now off to do... something! Sending my love. Chao.

Water Crisis Averted.

The title refers to the fact that we were without water for almost a week in the house. Basically it was even less luxurious than camping- we heated up big pots of water on the stove and bathed in such a fashion. It isn't all that bad though, really!

This past weekend I went to the beach with a lovely family that is hosting the other American boy who is here. It takes about 6-7 hours to get there. The single road to Guayaquil wound its way through fields of banana trees and rice fields. We stopped at a Chinese restaurant in Guayaquil. I see why they call it the Miami of South America. I've never been to Miami, but I definitely thought that it was the most American-city-like city I've seen yet, palm trees and all. The beach we arrived at, called Salinas, was not warm by any stretch of the imagination, but it was the beach. We stayed on a naval base which made it even better- very few people were around us. It was nice to get away. Pero que pena (what a shame) that I had to be in Ecuador for the coldest months... I'm kissing my summer tan goodbye as of this instant.

What else has happened... well, Luke and I took 2 mornings this week to do some museum-visiting in Cuenca. We went to the Modern Art Museum, which I definitely enjoyed. I miss making art... oh I wish I had my paint and markers here with me! I'll have to buy some... We also went to a mini-zoo and saw some turtles (shout out to the TERPS!), tiny little poison arrow frogs, and way-too-big snakes. *shiver* ...I really don't like snakes.

We visited this incredibly wild house that's a self-proclaimed museum of "extreme art." It basically consisted of many strange paintings and skulls and statues and gargoyles for decoration. There were arms and bodies of manikins hanging from the ceiling. Not quite my taste, but definitely piqued my interest, and was the last thing I would expect to find in Cuenca. The Cuencanos don't like it, because it's so counter-conservative. But my travel guide is written by Americans, thus... we checked it out.

The Hat Museum was my favorite of the week. Inside a man named Efriam took us around the factory and showed us how the Panama hat was born. AND I'll have you know that they are only called PANAMA hats because the workers on the canal used them as they were building the canal, since the hats were shipped to Panama from Cuenca and exported the rest of the world from there. They come from CUENCA. It could take 4 months for a chola cuencana to make one of these hats, woven from grass. There I am above hugging a lovely manikin wearing a dress made of Panama hat brims. Dad, I'm going to get you a hat, but I don't know your head size!??

Also, yesterday I had the privilege of meeting another gringita! She's from Colorado, and was studying in Peru for a year and now traveling throughout South America. She's traveling alone- HOW BRAVE. So she came to Cuenca yesterday and Julio and I picked her up and brought her out to lunch. Then she and I walked around the Centro as I tried my best to point out the colonial beauty that is Cuenca. How awesome it felt to walk around without a map in my hand! I know the streets now, without getting lost. Practically a native... aside from the hair and eyes. I got along very well with the girl (Brooke)- it was as if we had known each other for years- and very much wished I could travel with her, but she was leaving that very night. Sigh. But what a blessing to meet a friend from the US, and break some yuca bread and slurp some naranjilla-flavored yogurt with her. She has pictures of us on her camera, or else I would post one...

And today arrived the last Bustos daughter, Liliana. She lived in Wisconsin this past year to learn English, and she returned to Ecuador this afternoon. She is wonderful, sweet, and joyful and I'm so glad she's here! It's been fun to hear about what she thinks of our American customs and how she adjusted, especially concerning the bad food we eat over there... oh boy. :) This weekend is going to be a weekend of celebration of her arrival- on Sunday family and friends will flock to the house to welcome her home.

I'm still very much in love with Ecuador. The Lord is blessing my trip immensely. I feel like crying when I think of leaving it.

Catch-up: Exactly 4 Weeks in Cuenca.

Today marks the 4th week that I've been in Cuenca. I feel like much has happened but at the same time that not a lot has happened… I still have much of the city to see.

My Spanish has much improved since i got here, and it's more natural now to speak it! It's so wonderful. I've also gotten comfortable with going places by myself- a cup of coffee there or some pan dulce there. I've been looking for good places to just sit and write and read where no one will bother me. So far the University of Cuenca and coffee shops serve this purpose.

More cultural observations. Girls walk down the street arm in arm all the time. I love that. Muy cariñosas (loving). Also, friends always pick each other up when they go out- they go together, they don't all drive separately and meet up. Maybe this is because Cuenca is so small that it isn't a bother. Also, driving around the city on a Saturday night is a normal way to hang out with friends. Most people that I've met here have thought that I'm way younger than I am- 16 or 17. I think this is because I don't wear much make up, and Cuencanas wear tons of make-up. For that reason I think they look way older than they are! They also wear heels (called tacos) for every day wear. I asked Dad to mail me my heels.

Animals roam free all over the place. So far I've seen and chicken and a dog get hit by cars. The dogs here are like the deer in Maryland, except the dogs actually have owners.

What have I been doing?? Well, Friday, I went to a colegio (high school) graduation party. The other American boy's family invited me. They have 4 daughters and the mom is absolutely lovely. She is so sweet and kind. It was a fancy deal- in the Cuenca Tennis Club. Each family was seated at their own reserved table. We had to wait almost 2 hours to eat dinner, but it was worth it for some shrimp atop mashed potatoes, and then a nice round piece of steak with olive & tomato salad, another cheesy potato type dish with ham, and a roll of chicken which happened to roll off of my plate as I tried to cut my steak. We toasted to the graduates with champagne and then danced the night away… Wisin Y Yandel, Juan Magan, Chino y Nacho…todo.

Saturday afternoon we went fishing in Cajas. I was expecting a big lagoon with fishing poles, then found myself in a little pond area surrounded by stones with a fishing line connected to a stick in my hand. All you had to do was throw the string into the water and pull it back in with your hands. It started raining, but that didn't stop me from catching a nice trucha (trout)! Thank goodness I didn't have to take out the hook. I was the only one that caught a fish. Afterwards we went to a hueca (a hole in the wall restaurant) that couldn't have been more of a hueca. It felt like we were literally in a hole in the ground- the walls of the place were made of earth and it smelled like earth inside. We drank some canelazo, which is a drink that comes from sugar cane, and ate delicious mote pill.

Sunday I went to church for the first time since getting here! It was a Christian church, though it was no Covenant Life. Though the people loved the Lord just the same. It was so nice to be there. At the end of the service, I found myself being pushed to the front of the church to receive a prophetic word from a woman. She prayed over me as if it was the Lord speaking- and it was the Lord, I am sure. He met me. Helped me refocus my gaze on Him, amidst the distractions of being in this different culture.

After church I went to Yunguilla, a nearby town, with the Ortizes. It was so very typical Latino that 4 of us were completely squished in the back seat of their little red SUV for the hour ride that it was to get there and back. But we were laughing and laughing the whole way. While there, Michelle and I explored the area and climbed through barbed wire fences looking for this pond with crabs. We never found the pond, but saw lime trees and orange trees and raspberry bushes growing wild. It started to pour when we got back to the house- after the rain passed we all packed up and went back to Cuenca.

This weekend I experienced a wake-up call. I was gone Thursday-Sunday, doing things. And it was too much. And it caused a burden on my family here as well. So I need to cut back. Dad reminded me of my principal goals- to learn Spanish and to glorify God while I'm here. How do I glorify God? By being a blessing to my family and others around me. I bring my sin with me everywhere I go, and even here in Ecuador I'm learning how to lay down my selfish desires to bless others.

So tonight I went with the family to their church meeting. Then we came back dying with hunger and ate the trucha (along with eggs and rice of course) that I caught on Saturday. I couldn't clean it myself- the slimy fish is too much for me. But Nancy, mi Mami, pulled the guts right out as if it were nothing and cooked it deliciously.

So tomorrow I'm going to try and hit some museums. There's at least 10 of them in Cuenca, and my mornings are free, so I'll be getting out and exploring in the coming weeks. Must milk every hour for all it's worth!

Besitos a todos y buenas noches.

Honeymoon's Over.

Ok, so now real life in Cuenca is setting in. I now realize that I REALLY miss summer. Because here it does not feel like summer. It is roughly 60 all the time, and when it rains it gets cold and when the sun goes down it gets cold. The house has no central heating so a space heater is my only salvation. And earlier this week I awoke with a sore throat and have also had a little bit of a cold. Not to mention my nose ring seems to be disagreeing with Ecuador. But really, this is all I have to complain about- the weather. :) I just miss the sun! It's always cloudy. And the umbrella is just as necessary as the wallet or the cell phone.

What have I been up to? Well. A lot. If you've been following my pics on facebook, you would have seen pics from Corpus Cristi, the 7 day sweets festival that's held around the central park, El Parque Calderón. Also, on Saturday I was out all day on a paseo (road trip) to Chordeleg (known for it's gazillions of jewelry shops) and Sigsig (great name). These towns are tiny and mountainous, yet more developed than the others, such as Quingeo. I went with a bunch of old people. Haha. Well, people in their late 20's. :) But it was SO nice to be with some girls- the Luna sisters were so sweet and welcomed me into the group warmly. At the end of the day we went to El Cafecito- a very hipster-friendly cafe/hostal where lots of backpackers stay as they pass through. The papas picantes were delicious.

FRIDAY I went to Quingeo with Valeria, oldest Bustos daughter. She turned out to be way more adventurous than I expected. We found ourselves attempting to drive up steep mountain paths of dirt in a tiny V4 (or whatever the smallest engine size is) silver Chevolet. Manual. It was insane- I was seriously scared that we would get stuck there in the middle of no where. But we survived. And we ate some cascaritas on the way back. These are hard pig skins that are fired with a torch and cut off the pig right in front of your eyes. You prob saw the pic on FB- Yes, the huge pig body with the knife sticking out? That's what I ate from. But it was pretty good, actually! And the lady who made it only had like 2 teeth and was so super friendly. She asked me if I liked Ecuador, and I said, "Yes! Me encanta!" Then she asked, if I met a boy here that I liked would I stay in Ecuador? I didn't understand at first, then said, "Yes!" Then she proceded to point to a man with a beard behind her, saying that I should meet her son! No gracias. She was verry friendly though. I love how open and friendly EVERYONE is here! After Quingeo, back in Cuenca we went to Turi again- that town that's up high and has a view of the entire city. It's really awesome.

Sunday... Sunday was very laid back. I Skyped with about 5 people, and later that night helped Andrea with some muy feo deberes (homework) for her English class. It was about human rights and security and law... But I was glad to help.

Monday I had Andres for my English partner in the afternoon, then Santiago the next 2 days. It's been fun having these English conversations, but at the same time difficult. It's not like a class- it's VERY informal- just talking- so I always have to have some kind of topic that we can discuss. And it also messes with me, because when I leave the little room where we talk, I have to switch back to Spanish. It's not preferable but it gives me something to DO! Thus I am grateful. That day since Julio was bringing me home I went with him to the store and we bought the most random things- sprinklers, light bulbs, spongy material for his mami to make cushions, a beach umbrella. Must have looked odd. On the way, saw the discoteca on wheels- it's literally a bus. With smirnoff ice pictures all over it. Interesting. haha.

Tuesday night I took my first taxi into town from the house. Cost me 4 stinkin dollars. I didn't expect that. But I was glad that I was able to communicate with the driver and call the taxi radio and get where I needed to go! Anyway... Latinos are always late. We were all meeting up at the restaurant (Monday Blue, Mexican food and more, tiny place covered in pictures and blue and red paint) at 8:30. Well... I supposed that meant 8:45. But it really means 9pm. So I was waiting in there for the rest of the group to get there. Juan Andres, Julio, Michelle, Claudia (Michelle's friend), and fellow gringo Luke. Poor guy can't speak Spanish too well, but speaks it better than he did a week ago upon arriving. He was a champ for trying. But we had fun- chilling and eating and playing games. I taught them the statue game, and Julio was the only one that got it. For once I understood what was going on and the Ecuadorians didn't. :) just kidding.

There's more I could say, but my time is limited! More to come. Besos y abrazos a ti.

I've got some news for you. I'll prob be blogging only one or two times a week tops. I've noticed that when I get online, I get sucked into the big wide world of the world wide web. Then I look up, and realize I'm in an incredible beautiful and breathtaking city and country, and I ask myself, "What the heck am I doing online when I could be talking with people, eating Ecuadorian bread, or driving through the Andes mountains?" I'm also reminded of the challenges I have here- it takes more effort to communicate with people and to make friends here than it does in the US- hence, I start to feel sorry for myself and dread the next step... so the internet is my enemy. :)

I do have a lot of things to mention on here- PATIENCE! :D Look at my pics on Facebook!

There you have it.