Below are the 13 most recent journal entries recorded in quito_girl's LiveJournal:

Monday, July 24th, 2006
5:09 pm	Last Entry Until Further Notice:) My time at Precious Miracles is coming to a close. Tomorrow night the youth group arrives. I will spend the morning packing, and spend the afternoon with the niños. It is hard to believe that nearly 4 weeks have gone by. I have loved just about every minute of it, aside from the getting sick part. These precious miracles have truly had an impact and a piece of my heart will forever stay with them. I know that I have learned a lot, I just can´t put my finger on it at the moment. I am sure God will make it more clear after the trip is over. The funny thing is though, that the trip is not over, I am just starting the second part of it. The next two weeks will be full of sight seeing and serving at more minitries here in Quito. I am so excited to see familiar faces and see more of Quito. For as long as I have been down here I really haven´t gotten to see a whole lot. The move really changed a lot of the plans that we originally had. Thank you all for praying for me through my struggles down here and for all your support. I can´t wait to get back home and share my experiences and pictures with you in person! (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Friday, July 21st, 2006
3:21 pm	Relocation Project Complete! We made it! It was a long long day full of stress, sweat, and some tears. Stacey and I left for the old house at 7:00am to get the lunches made for the niños. The group was expected to arrive at 8:00am. We fed the niños breakfast, redressed them in their matching Grace tshirts (thanks Pastor Mark!), and waited for the group to arrive. They got to the house at about 8:15, 10 of them loaded the kids onto the bus and they headed to the park. The rest of the group helped clear out the house. Unbelievably, the house was practically empty and we had the first load of clothes, toys and blankets packed onto the bus for the first trip to the new house. At this point Stacey and I were happy with how fast they had emptied the house and were confident that the rest of the move would go just as smoothly. The chaos started the minute the first load came off the bus. All of the sudden people were everywhere asking where they should put their load. They came in so fast that Stacey quickly became overwhelmed and I felt helpless. Although 35 extra people was helpful in packing up, 35 people was a problem moving in. There was stuff everywhere and they were all asking "what should I do?" Finally the house cleared out when the entire group took a lunch break, leaving Stacey, Jim, Selah and I in the house to organize the craziness. At this point the kids were returning in less than an hour, and the entire front room that needed to be situated before they came back was still full of random stuff. We quickly put it all out of the way, and were relieved when the kids arrived and the group left. It was so cool to get to see the kids in the new house. It is so much bigger than the old house, so they were a little overwhelmed. They took a nap, we ate pizza and relaxed a little before tackling the room where the group had stuffed all the extra toys. After their nap, Stacey took the toddlers on a tour of the house. It was about the cutest thing I have ever seen. She walked into every room and showed them where each of the kids would sleep and they would all say "Ya, ya, ok." Guess you had to be there, it was cute! Funny story: I had been working in the room where all the toys were stuffed earlier that morning and could smell food, but had no idea where it could be coming from. I forgot about it and went about organizing other things. At around lunch time, the interns that came with the group were wandering around everywhere looking for a box with the lunches in it. They looked everywhere, but couldn´t find it so some people went without lunches. Later in the afternoon after they had left, I still could smell food and swore that the lunches must be in this room. Sure enough underneath a bunch of toys were about 10 or 15 sack lunches. We served the sandwiches and apples to the kids at dinner that night:) So, everything by dinner time was in its place except for the office, and Stacey and I were definitely out of energy. It was a productive day, but I was glad when my head hit the pillow last night. This morning, Sharon, Stacey´s mom, had made an appointment for the three of us to get pedicures. It was really nice. So moving day is over and I am in the home stretch with the group arriving on Tuesday. I can´t believe that it is already time for them to be here. It will be weird not seeing the niños everyday. I have truly grown to love them, and they have grown to like me. The older ones call me "olly." It will be hard to say goodbye to them and to Stacey. This is a long entry today, but yesterday was full of so much excitement. I hope all in well in the States! (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Wednesday, July 19th, 2006
3:12 pm	Almost Moving Day! Tomorrow is the big day and Stacey is not stressed at all. I certainly would be and kind of am. Moving my room of stuff is overwhelming enough let alone an entire house. There is a huge group coming to help tomorrow, about 35 people. Some of them are taking the kids to the park, while the rest of us move and organize the new house so that it is ready for the kids. I am excited to see their reaction. It is bigger than the current house with lots of room to run around. Stacey gave me the morning off to relax before tomorrow. It was nice to have some down time. Tonight we are going to see Superman with some friends of hers from church. I am hoping that it will be subtitles rather than dubbed over. Either way I am excited to go out and have some fun before the exhausted task that awaits us tomorrow. Everything else is fine, the kids are all healthy and back to normal. We think they can sense the stress and strain of the move because they have been acting out a bit-- fighting a lot and crying a lot. Can´t wait to be on the other side of this move! Hope all is well with you guys! (Comment on this)
Monday, July 17th, 2006
10:52 am	Praise God! God is so good! I am feeling 100% better and God blessed me yesterday with amazing fellowship, good conversation, and reassurance that this is where I am supposed to be. After being sick a second time, I was feeling a little down. It is hard to feel enthusiastic at a time like that. On Sunday, I had the morning before church to myself because Stacey had to go early to church. After church we went to a BBQ for a missionary couple going back to the states after 32 years in Ecuador. It was an emotional goodbye party, but the food and fellowship was great. It was exactly what I needed. Church ladies are the best cooks ever! We also got to do some praise and worship (in English!!) and Stacey and I had fun chatting about guys:) Also, a mother of a girl in the church passed away yesterday, so I got to witness what they call a "viewing." The family sits with the casket for 24 hours until the funeral. It was very interesting. We only stayed about 15 minutes. I am glad that God has sent me here. There are times of course when I question what the heck he was thinking, but then he calmly reminds me that he knows whats best. I am growing tremendously in my faith down here mostly because of the challengesI have faced. Thank you for hanging in there with me. Half the reason I am surviving down here is due to your constant prayers for me! Can´t wait to see the group a week from tomorrow! Good luck with all the preparation stuff! (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Saturday, July 15th, 2006
3:34 pm	So Exhausted! We just packed up the last of what was left after the garage sale today. There was still a ton left over. It didn´t help that the wind picked up just about the time we decided to pack up. I am so tired. I was sick again yesterday, and slept more than I have in a long long time. I am feeling better today, but not 100% better. I guess I don´t have as strong a stomach as I thought. I don´t know what caused it, but it stinks to be sick and away from home. Mike from America (that is now an inside joke here:)), I am so sorry that I missed your call yesterday. I could have used a call from home being so sick. Sorry there is not too much to report. We are still in the process of packing stuff up, which is why I really need to get over this stomach thing, so I can help. I hope you all are doing well. Thank you for your comments and prayers! (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Wednesday, July 12th, 2006
2:00 pm	Garage Sales! So on Monday we had the first of two garage sales. With the move next week Stacey is getting rid of a ton of stuff! We did surprisingly well considering it was a Monday morning. Ecuadorians will buy anything and everything. Saturday is the last garage sale. A high school youth group from North Carolina came that day too, and mostly frustrated Stacey and I. They were so disrespectful and not really willing to help and made more work for us in the end. I am healthy now, but sad to report that something is going around with the little ones. Pedialite has become the staple for those who can´t keep their dinner down. Sick kids are not fun, especially when they throw up on you...true story, it was gross (good thing I have a stronger stomach than Emily:)). I got to see the new house, it is huge, and perfect for energy filled toddlers: lots of room to run around! Not much else to report. I am falling in love with the kids more and more everyday! (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Sunday, July 9th, 2006
2:20 pm	Not too much to report Now that my sickness is pretty much gone, the kids are sick. There are about three that have a stomach thing now. I hope it wasn´t from me. Sad to report that the trip to the jungle may not happen due to the sudden relocation project. I really want to go. There may be a chance right before the group gets here. Please be praying that that would work out. I used some spanish yesterday. A guy came to volunteer at Precious Miracles yesterday and just started talking to me. It was so hard and I was struggling the whole time to understand him. Turns out he was actually hitting on me...no not cute, he was 45!!! So maybe I should work on the comprehension thing, before I consent to marriage without knowing it one of these days:) Anyways, it was a good experience because it forced me to speak spanish. I think it surprised the workers because they were observing in awe at the fact that not only I had the ability to speak, but the ability to speak in there language. I guess you could say I have been a bit shy the past week... Other than that, all is well. Looking forward to a crazy week with two garage sales and some packing! The group gets here two weeks from Tuesday, I can´t wait to see familiar faces. (5 Comments |Comment on this)
Saturday, July 8th, 2006
9:18 am	Yay for stomach aches! So, I got sick. Pastor Mark told me to expect to get sick, and I did. Not sure what caused it. Had a terrible head ache and nausea on Thursday. Then I stayed home Friday with a really bad stomach ache. Today I am doing a lot better. I think the head ache might have come from the altitude. Although I come from 7000ft, the trip from Cumbaya to Quito is about 2000ft in 30 minutes, and it kills me every time. I am alive and well, so no need to worry. God truly works in ways we just don´t understand. Stacey looked at another house last week as a new place for the orphanage. Shegot back and couldn´t stop talking about how wonderful it was. She seriously started thinking about opening another house for more kids. She talked with her parents, and the board and in the end decided it probably wasn´t a good idea. The moment she decided to turn down the house, the land lady from the current house called and told her that someone had bought the house and she needed to move out. She hurried and called the realtor and she will be moving into the new house on the 20th! So God brought this new house into the picture for a reason, just not for what we thought! So, for the next few weeks I will be helping to pack everything up. God knew what he was doing, sending me down here at this time! Thank you guys for the comments, please remember to put your name otherwise I don´t know who wrote what:) (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Wednesday, July 5th, 2006
2:48 pm	Women´s Prison and the 4th of July Great title don´t you think? So this was the first 4th of July I spent out of the country. It was Mrs. Smith´s birthday too, so we went to the Swiss Hotel. They have an amazing buffet, and it is free on your birthday! Ironically enough the theme of the buffet was Venezuela who apparently hates the U.S. with a passion:) It was really good though, I had an entire plate of dessert which was inevitable when half the buffet was dessert- we all know I live for sweets:) Stacey and I then spent a nice evening at home making fun of the 4th of July celebrations on TV (she gets NBC, ABC, and CBS) We found the fact that Dr Phil was hosting the CBS one most amusing:) Today, I went to the women´s prison. Mrs. Smith is now in charge of a ministry there. She works, along with other missionaries, with the international girls charged with drug smuggling. It was a very interesting experience. We waited outside for about a half an hour. They let you in, take your passport or id, stamp your arm and then search you. I have never been searched like that before, talk about a violation of personal space!! Then we go through a door where the guard lets you in one by one. It was pretty scary inside the jail looks kind of like a ghetto, there are clothed hanging from the line, and women lining the walkway gambling, smoking and looking scary (I am such a wuss). The ladies that we worked with though, did not look like criminals, in fact in the room with missionaries and criminals, it was hard for me to determine who was with us, and who was not. There was a group there from Alabama, with whom I spoke with the majority of the time, because it was so crazy. They were very nice, and had been helping out at the prison for the two weeks they were there. We sang worship songs, and a couple visiting pastors spoke. There are two prisoners from Thailand who made us lunch (Alli, I thought of you!) They made sticky rice for dessert! The most powerful thing though, was a prisoner named Dawn from Nigeria who gave her testimony. She had been one of the most violent women in the prison threatening girls to stay out of her way and making sure she made them pay if they did. She told us how full of evil and hatred she was, but through the help of one of the missionaries and a pastor she was able to let go of that and give it to God. She had the entire room in tears by the end because the change in her was so obvious, and she was totally filled with the love and peace of Jesus Christ! It was a very cool experience, I am hoping to go back to get to know the girls better. As scary as it was, my eyes were certainly opened and my comfort zone was challenged. I am still having fun. Stacey and I are getting along great! Looks like I most likely will be going to the jungle in the next few weeks, which I am totally stoked about! Thank you again for your prayers! Oh, my blistered bug bite is healing. Sharon, one of the kids, asks to see it everyday. She calls it a "yaya." (7 Comments |Comment on this)
Sunday, July 2nd, 2006
3:12 pm	Bug Bites and Authentic Cuisine:) So apparently I am allergic to mosquito bites and/or chigger bites. I went to the horse therapy place, and didn´t think to put any repellant on. I had noticed the bites on Friday, one started to grow yesterday, and then this morning I woke up to a blister about the size of a dime. Totally gross, but kind of cool! I took pictures:) Stacey seemed a little alarmed, so she asked the workers at the orphanage what I should do (they were shocked when I showed it to them too). They said to pop it and clean it. I did so, and all is well now, it itches a little, but it certainly looks better with a bandaid on it. Besides the bug bites, I went to the mall yesterday for lunch with Stacey to find a crowd of people congregating around the big screen TVs in the food court. They were watching the world cup. Portugal and England were in a shoot out (thought of you Em!). The people live for soccer down here! Stacey said they put the TV´s there just so people could watch the world cup:) It was pretty funny. Today, I went to Jim Smith´s church. It was great! The people were very friendly, the worship was good, and I understood almost all the sermon:) We took Juan Marcos (the baby) to church with us, and everyone was trying to get him to smile. He is a very serious baby:) After church the Smiths took me to a restaurant that they assured me would have authentic Ecuadorian food. It was delicious. I had fried pork, Hickima (sp?), corn nuts, and a roasted banana. It sounds kind of weird but it was really good. I also tried the black raspberry juice that Laurie Smith recommended called Mora. They took me home through the scenic route-- absolutely gorgeous!!! Still not doing so well on the Spanish, I am hoping it will just come to me eventually:) Still loving the kids, as crazy as it can get here:) I hope all is well with you all. Thinking about you a lot! (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, June 30th, 2006
2:48 pm	I Made It! I made it here. Made it through crowded airports, disgusting airline food, and the dreaded customs! My flight was late getting in, so I didn´t get to bed until 1:30am. I am loving it here though. Quito is a gorgeous city, everything about it takes my breath away. I am living with Stacey, the director of the orphanage, in her apartment that happens be be above a candy factory. It smells so good everyday! This morning we came to the orphanage to meet the kids, and then took three of the special needs kids to a special therapy that uses horses. It was really neat to see the kids smile while riding. Then we came back and played for a while, and had lunch. Mealtime with twelve little kids is quite the challenge, but we made it:) I love the kids already, and I still can´t believe that I am actually here. Please be praying for my Spanish, the confidence is lacking. I love you all! Thank you for your prayers. (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, June 27th, 2006
10:31 am	Close to take off! I will be boarding the plane in two days. My parents and I are leaving around 6:00 in the morning on Thursday. The past two months, since my first post, have been full of anxiety and excitement. What has been most amazing is how God's timing is so perfect! He has prepared my heart up to the very second that I am going to leave. This is so encouraging, because I know without a doubt that this is where God wants me to go for the next 5 weeks. I know that it will be difficult, lonely and hard at times, but I also know that God is not going to allow me to face anything I can't handle. I will be in the very center of his will, which is the best place to be! Thank you so much for your prayers. I can't wait to share all the exciting things that happen with you all. My next post will probably be from Quito, Ecuador! (Comment on this)
Sunday, May 7th, 2006
7:19 pm	First Entry Welcome! This is for me to let you know what I am up to prior to leaving for Quito, and then while I am in Quito. I figure it is easier than mass emails:) I leave in 53 days! To be honest, I haven't had a whole lot of time to think about this trip too much because of stress with school. I admit though that part of me is terrified to go. Mostly because I will be traveling and working by myself for the majority of the trip. I know that this is where God wants me to be, but Satan is certainly taking every chance he can to discourage me. Please be praying for peace, humility, and patience with the preparations for this trip. Your prayers are very much appreciated. Thank you all so much for your support! Current Mood: excited (1 Comment |Comment on this)