Life Lately According to my iphone Pictures

We've been running around a bit lately. We travelled to Manta last weekend to go to the special day assembly, then stayed with the Guyton family (need greater family living in Manta) till Monday morning.  Matt gave the public talk for their English group on Sunday.  It was just what we needed.  The preceding weeks I had found myself wearing out a little and needing some encouragement.  My head had been hurting from trying to keep up with the language and culture and my patience had been wearing thin when it came to getting used to being a foreigner and everyone thinking you're rich, and getting ripped off by taxi drivers and yaddah yaddah. I needed some gringo time, American style chillaxin and that my friends, is exactly what we got.

We also got to meet Bruno from the 2012 WT series about those who have served where there is a greater need in Ecuador (wt 7/15/12). We met him and his wife at the special day and didn't put it together. We ending up grabbing dinner with them and somehow the Ecuador wt article came up...oh and i gushed and gushed about how encouraging it was, how MANY times i read it and as I'm mid sentence, Bruno's wife points to Bruno and goes...he's Bruno! Now how many times did you read that article?? That was a good laugh, but now for the record, I DID love that article, very memorable, but cmon, Bruno? That's like the most common name ever. :)

So of course, I interviewed him, in all my star struck giddiness about how one could possibly make this a way of life despite the challenges of living away from home.  He gave great advice about making your living place just as you would have it, within reason, if you were in your country. Make it an oasis. He also recommended taking a breather sometimes as needed to get together with others that share a similar culture and language as you. Great advice, I think.

Life here has been mostly about service and having fun sleeping in and deciding not to go in service:) jk, er sort of. But a day off is good for the bones every once in a while and Bruno said I could, so there.

But seriously, I've counted up and I've got 8 studies now with the possibility of starting a ninth (!) Whaaa?? I can't believe it, I'm one of those  people haha.

On to the pictures...

Special Day Assembly

 Getting laundry done by hand..very slowly. It's very common not to have a washer and dryer here and the locals can whip out their laundry like, "oh what? I'm cooking dinner and breastfeeding now, you still on your first sock?" Yeah like that.

Selfies on the beach. Most patient man I've ever met.

  

We made shrimp ceviche! It was just like the locals and we were so proud of us!

Our hall has been awesome putting up with mid service photo shoots. "No lean out a little more, no more, like leeaan...ok, sure, like that. just sit there like that, that's perfect."

Love them all so much already.

Miss you guys so so much♡♡♡