Last Day

This will be brief. I need to pack still and we need to be up and going in around 6 hours (ouch)!

We had a nice relaxing day today lazing out in the hot springs (and when I say hot I mean SUPA HOT)! Then we headed back into Quito for some shopping at a cool open air market. We let the girls go off by themselves because I have NO desire to be near my wife when she is shopping. An absolutely dreadful experience! Lol...I know it's going to be especially troublesome when her eyes get big and her heart starts to beat louder and faster. We all found some nice souvenirs and gifts and left tired and ready for bed. But alas that was not to be...there was still the awe inspiring "Crepes and Waffles" restaurant that I have vowed I will go to EVERY time I am in Ecuador! It is such a wonderfully deliscious experiences that words can barely contain the yumminess that we experienced. I had a chicken and mushroom crepe, a Suprema Sundae, and a nice cup of English breakfast tea. I was a nice time just to relax as a team before starting the gruelling and emotional ride home. On a side note Amanda and I picked up some pretty interesting tea - Coca Tea (it is made from the leaves of the cocain plant and is supposed to be very good for your health). Let's see if we can make it through Panama and the US (don't worry I have been assured it is not an illegal substance).

Our flight break down like this. We fly from Quito to Panama with COPA Airlines at 7:00 a.m. Then we head to Newark on Continental Airlines at 10:00 a.m. arriving at 3:09 pm. We then have to stay in Newark until Sunday when we will catch a Continental flight home at 1:10 pm. It is sure to be a long journey and we would appreciate your prayers that it would be smooth and uneventful.

For those of you who need to know we are flying in on Continental Airlines Flight 2512 at 2:32pm.

We look forward to seeing all of you and showing you more pics (4000+) and some videos (2+ hours) of the awesome experiences that we have had here. We continue to miss these kids so much and look forward to what God has in store for both our futures and thiers.

Thanks again for reading along. Take care and God bless! Catch you on the cold side of the world!

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.'
'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you,
plans to give you hope and a future."

King Solomon and the prophet Jeremiah

J (for the rest of the team)

See you later

"I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy...being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart...God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ--to the glory and praise of God."

The Apostle Paul

Here I sit in Quito quietly thinking off all that has happened over the past few weeks. Most have gone to bed tired from the day's journey and from the emotions felt. Christian is playing worship songs in the background.

My mind wanders to the kids that I so desperately love. That all of us so desperately love. Tears come to my eyes as I think of their beautiful faces; when I think of their amazing faith that has carried them through things that I can only imagine. My heart breaks knowing that tomorrow will come and I will not be able to hug and kiss them all. To hold them in my arms and tell them that I love them. I know I speak for the entire team when I write these things. We have barely left these kids and already we are thinking about when we can come back and how we can tell more people about what is going on out here in this tiny little place. The lives that are being changed for the sake of Christ. This is what true religion is. To take care of these little ones that so many have discarded like trash. How? How can this happen? I do not know the answer but what I do know is that the Lord's loves each one of them more than I can know. If my heart is breaking for them what must his heart be like as he looks upon their tears?

As I am sure you can tell, it was an emotional goodbye this morning. We arrived at the orphanage at around 9:30 a.m. and had about an hour and a half to say goodbye. The kids were awesome. They put on a few little skits for us and some of the ladies even gave us a beautiful dance routine. After all of that came the time to say goodbye. I cannot begin to describe what that was like. These kids are so amazing...I can barely think of words to describe the love that we have for them. The one comfort we have is we know that they are going to be o.k. Our heavenly Father is going to look after them.

We then traveled to Monti Cristo and met up with Allan, Pearl and the kids to have lunch and say goodbye. Please be in prayer for this family as they sacrifice so much for the continued vision of Por Amor and Montanita Verde. They face so many challenges each and every day and their faithfulness to God's calling is clearly reflected in the eyes of the beautiful kids.

After our final goodbyes we headed to Quito. The gang is doing better this time because we all took altitude sickness pills in anticipation of what happened on the way here. We had a nice evening with Paul and Susan and found a great burger joint where we enjoyed something other than rice, plantains and fish!

Tomorrow we are going to head out to some hot mineral springs a few hours from here for a little R & R and then head to the markets for some shopping. It will be nice to be busy for a bit to help us work through the emotions of today.

I know I say it every post but thank you so much for taking this journey with us. Your prayers and support bring us such encouragement. Each of you had a role in making this a highly successful and life changing trip for all of those involved.

As we left Peter, the house Father, turned to me and told me that this was our home and these were our kids and that we were welcome back any time. It brings me such joy to hear these things and I know that one day my wife and I will return to Ecuador (as I know Danielle and Christian will as well).

God Bless you all,

Only 1 post left!

J (for the rest of the team)

Our Goodbyes

Another day at "La Playa"

Hello all! This is Christian signing in here. Jeremy decided to call in the poet to get things going for today. So lets all buckle are seat belts and enjoy another day in Ecuador!

This morning started off right! Jorge has given us, once again, his Ecuadorian delicacy-two slices of fabulous french toast! Us Canadians really appreciate this treat and I'm sure all other Canadians will hereafter. So with bellies full we ready ourselves for the last full day with the kids.

The beginning of the day involved some work projects that we needed to get done. One of the projects, which was to hang a bathroom door ended in disaster. Jeremy (LIAR, LIAR, LIAR - J here) forgot to tell me to put more screws in the hinges before we left, so in the wee hours of the night, the door game crashing down. Now some would say "but Christian aren't YOU the carpenter in this party, shouldn't you have remembered! " Rightly said, however..............um...........I was........uhhhhh........... well the door turned out to be slightly rotten, so a new door was needed anyways! Ahem, moving on. The other projects during the day involved, making a shutter for a window, sanding planks and things for signs, hanging the sea turtle sign with the name of the orphanage on it, painting the work room. Also, we finished and set up the wonderful Nativity scenes that my padre y madre made. THANK YOU PARENTS! They really loved them. It was nice to get a bunch of things done today. Regretfully there is still so much more work needed to be done. I wish we had more time to fix it all. Pray that help comes though as doing these construction projects can be a little stressful, as there are lots.

After the work it was time for play and we got a chance to hang out with the kids. For some of you that already now. I was planning on getting all of the kids hand prints stamped on my guitar. Well it is done. My guitar looks awesome. With help from Amanda and my sister, we got all there handprints in their favorite colour as well as there names and favorite bible verses written down. I love it. It will help me to always remember to pray for the kids when I'm back, as well as remind others of how amazing these kids are.

Basically in the afternoon the plan was to go to the beach again! But here you often have to "hurry up and wait." Waiting however involved, rat-tails, kids jumping off there bunks, locking the "Monstair", me, in a broom closet, Dutch Blitz, and many more quirky fun things. Eventually we ended up getting down to the beach. We piled the kids and ourselves into two pick up trucks, and with a bumpy, loco, ride we made it down. Much like the last time at the beach we hit some waves, watched waves hit some kids and just laughed and played and laughed some more. I tried to surf, but the waves were totally way too big dudes. It was an awesome couple hours too just spend with these kids. Every moment you cherish.

After the beach we all piled in the trucks to return to the orphanage. I was in Allans and he decided to take us on a lovely scenic route. Which turned out to be 12 people holding on for dear life. San Larenzo ain't no praiere land! But we fought to stay aboard, and made it to the orphange sweet and sound! Although with a few bumps and bruises. We ended up just saying "Hasta Luego" to the kids as we are going back up at night for there devotions.

The time to spend with this kids is winding down. We have tonight and tommorrow morning. Its amazing how quickly you can fall in love! We have only been here for 2 weeks and I'm going to miss them sooooo much. I know it will be hard for us to leave but I'm excited. I'm excited because I know God made this trip happen for a reason. I'm excited to see what the future holds for me with this place and for the rest of my family. As well as coming home and sharing this experience with all of you. I do look forward to coming back as much as I will hate leaving, because as Jeremy said before this is a "see you later", these kids have made there way into my heart, and I want to keep them there forever. Thank you all for your support, for your prayer and for taking the time to read this blog. We love you all!

C (for the team)

J here...man my little bro did a good job! He's so grown up! It's hard to believe! Especially when he blames the door hanging incident on his older, wiser, much more 'guapo' brother! Tomorrow when we are back in Quito I will post the spider picture! Peace!

Chifles, Plants and Bats

Hi all!

This is going to be a quick post because I am dead tired today. Christian and I ended the day with some awesome Bodyboarding in the ocean before dinner. The swells today were upwards of 3 meters. We got pounded good a couple of times but caught some really sweet waves!

But I am getting ahead of myself. I wanted to share briefly an awesome experience we had last night. After dinner we headed into the small town of San Lorenzo in search of these little baskets that the people out here weave. We entered the square in the middle of town and saw a bunch of people sitting on the corner. We said hello and asked about the basket and two little old ladies jumped up and began to lead us towards a house. One of the ladies put her arm around my waist and chatted away. I didn't understand a word and couldn't pry myself away so I just went with the flow. Once in the house they had us sit around a little table and then all of a sudden tons of kids and other adults started showing up. By the end there must have been about 20 kids and 6 adults standing around watching us take a look through their baskets. It was a pretty neat experience. After that we headed to a little bamboo hut that sells pop and these awesome Chifles (Plantain chips). We had in tow the 20 kids that we had met at the house so decided to buy them all suckers, some pop and some Chifles. It was mad chaos handing everything out but it was such a fun thing to do. We sat around for about an hour chatting with the kids and a few old timers that were hanging out there. It was definitely one of the highlights of this trip. A chance to connect with some of the people of this community!

Today we helped the kids plant a bunch of the trees that they had purchased. It was some good times! In the process of cutting away the grass to plant the trees one of the kids found a baby tarantula. It was a neat little furry red thing. We then convinced Christian to hold it in his hand. He did so reluctantly but it was the first step in overcoming his fear of spiders. I got some awesome pictures of it! Unfortunately Amanda went running away screaming (to the boys extreme amusement)...I think she is going to take a bit more work.

A bit of a post thought. When we first arrived at the orphanage this morning several of the kids were sitting in the corner of the house playing Dutch Blitz! It was such a funny thing to see! They were having so much trying to beat each other. The end of the game came when the entire 'mob' started yelling and screaming at each other about cheating! It was awesome. We're going to leave the card game with them to play!

After the tree we played around with the kids for a bit and then headed out on the jungle hike. It was super hot so we took our time but it was really interesting. Alexis is a certified nature guide so he showed us some really interesting things about the jungle. It was another awesome day with the kids, holding their hands and chatting about things as we hiked through the jungle. Near the end of the hike came the moment we had all been waiting for...the bat caves! I ran across the road with a few of the kids and made my way down a really steep gravel covered hill. It was a little nerve racking trying not to lose control while sliding down the side of a 40 foot 'cliff'. Once I was in position with the video camera the chaos began and all the kids (with my family in tow) began running through the tunnels. The noise of the bats was intense and was quickly followed by the screams of my family members and the kids. I got some awesome video's of the whole thing. Our walk ended in San Lorenzo where we hung out with the kids a bit more and then headed back to La Cueva to play in the waves!

Only one more full day here with the kids and we are really starting to think about our departure. I had a talk with Paul (our ER leader) and he said that Juanita and Peter have been so thankful that we have been able to be here spending a lot of quality time with the kids. It has been such a priviledge to be here and have the opportunity to develop relationships with these precious children. Each of us have made very real connections with a lot of the kids. Connections that we all know will last forever. So, though we are sad to be leaving soon we all know that we are not saying goodbye for ever but rather more along the lines of see you later.

Thanks again for all of the support and the comments you all have made. We appreciate you being on this journey with us and investing your time and money into bringing love and joy into the lives of the kids here and into our own lives through them.

Now I am off to bed because the planting, hike and waves have punished me.

God Bless,

J (for the rest of the team)

More Pictures!

Mud, Peanuts and Plants

Today was a good day. It started out with a huge rainstorm (no thunder or lightening though). It was pretty cool because I watched come towards us from way out in the ocean as I did devotions.

After breakfast we headed to Montanita Verde to continue working on the various projects we are engaged in. One of my favorite times with the kids is saying hello and goodbye. Every morning when we get there we walk around and get hugs from all the guys and huge hugs and kisses on the cheeks from all the girls. It is such an awesome time of connecting with the kids. Each hug is given with such huge, beautiful smiles...it starts the day off right. A warning to all of our friends...ladies you will probably be kissed on the check by Christian and I...it is a custom to great every woman (whether you know them or not) this way!

After the greetings Amanda and Danielle loaded into the truck with Paul and Susan to head back tom Manta to buy some plants/trees for the orphanage and do some other errands. They came back at around 2:00 p.m. with a Mango tree, Papaya tree, Avocado tree and a few other really neat plants.

Christian and I stayed back at Montanita Verde to continue trying to get our work projects done. We put together the Christmas Creches (sp?) my parents made for each of the house (they are really beautiful) and we plkan to present them to the house parents tomorrow at some point. After that, because we were not feeling well, we began to lazily get things done. Christian finishing his work bench and me back in house 2 putting up the bathroom accessories. Just as we were about to head out the boys came and got us and told us to follow them to get some sugar cane. Not ones to disappoint young children (he he) we followed them down the road. Now initially we saw all the kids were wearing rubber boots and we were only wearing sandels. We asked if this would be a problem and they said no. They were wrong. With the rain the road turned into a nasty, muddy mess. The type of mud that stuck to our sandals every step. In about 15 feet we probably around 10 pounds of mud and donkey feces on our feet and squishing through our toes (yes it was as gross as it sounds). After getting some awesome chunks of sugar cane the kids to us to a guy that knows the Jackson's garden. Once there he showed us the honey bee hive (filled with African Killer Bees). It was cool until the dog ran down to the hive and the host turned and started running yelling at us to do the same. Little nerve racking. I guess if the bees get ticked off they can swarm you and kill you. Nice. After that we spen an hour helping the kids pull peanuts out of the ground for them to roast. It was a dirty, messy, grand old time! Especially when we started throwing mud balls at each other!

After that wonderful adventure we came back and finsihed our projects in time to have lunch around 1:30 p.m.

After lunch (2:30 p.m.) we had another awesome time hanging out with the kids. Christian hung out with the older girls dancing in the kitchen (I got some great videos), Danielle hung out with the lads on the front porch and helped Paul clear one of the gardens and I attempted to teach a few of the boys a new card game, "Gang of Four". We had spanish instructions so at least they had that but it was still difficult. After the card game Christian and I headed out and played Ecua-Volley with the lads (a game similar to volley ball but with some really different rules). Good times.

The day ended like it began. Hugs and kisses all around with fun threats of wrestling to come. We are all having a bit of a difficult time coming to terms that we are going to be leaving here so soon. Each of these kids have left their hand prints on our hearts in such a lasting way! Tomorrow we are going to help the lads plant the trees/plants and then finally we are going to get to do the jungle walk! Going to get some good video's of the other 3 running through the bat cave!

That's it for today. I may try and post some more pictures tomorrow if I have time (like 4 hours)!

Take care! Continue to pray for our health as we are still feeling a bit ill. The sore on my butt is still nasty and soar. There was talk that I might have had some weird parasite lays eggs in me (ya I wasn't amused and more disgusted than you are right now). After having several people look at it (including Juanita the house mother...ya real nice) they all say that they don't think it is anything to worry about but I need to keep an eye on it. Ya...so...enough of that, I appreciate your prayers!

God Bless,

J (for the rest of the team)

Sickness, Dead Chickens and La Playa

Here we are again...sitting at La Cueva waiting for dinner, watching the sun set over the ocean and thinking about the last two days. Not a bad life!

Saturday the kind of day where nothing happens as planned. As you will remember we were supposed to head out for the jungle walk and bat caves but a torrential rain storm changed those plans. It would have been way to dangerous hiking down the mountain with muddy trails!

Instead Danielle, Amanda and I headed into Manta with Alexis, Paul and Susan to do some errands. It was quite an experience because we went right into the depths of Manta. It was also shocking to see how hard it is to find basic necessities. There is no central 'buy-it-all' superstores. The stores are located on busy streets with no signs advertising there products. It was crazy! But I did manage to find a store that sold machetes so I bought two! Look out weeds here I come!

Christian opted for option B. Option B was loading on the bus with all of the kids and heading out to the church to help them slaughter and pluck 50 chickens! When he finally returned we found out that he only made it through 2 chickens because he went out there with 'stomach' and 'bowel' issues. Evidently dirty, poo covered, bloody chickens doesn't really help the situation at all. So after the two chicken he headed up to the pastor's house with a few of the ladies and watched a movie about Joseph and a separate one about a "Guardian angel force"! The ladies were even able to get him English subtitles! Despite the sickness he said he had a great time hanging out with the kids.

After we got back from Manta I ended up crashing pretty hard with a 'bob' attack (for those of you who don't know about bob...find someone who does). I got really sick for a few hours and with the rest of the team feeling a bit it we ended up heading back to La Cueva to relax, have dinner before heading back to the orpahange.

We had the awesome opportunity of getting together with the kids for their bible study time. Honestly, we really didn't understand a single thing but it was a great excuse to cuddle with the kids. After the bible study the kids, with Dayana leading, had a little 'sex education' lesson. It was pretty funny to witness. They went through all the stages of development touching extensively on puberty and the changes that occur. At one point Juanita (the house mother) went through all the kids that had already gone through puberty and those who were about too...she names each one! Lol. Can you imagine that happening in North Amercia...the kids would die!

Today we joined the kids for church which is always a great time. Instead of shaking hands when we great each other the whole church gets up and we give out hugs and kisses to everyone! It is awesome. Near the end the pastor had us up to the front and thanked us for coming to Ecuador. He said we were the hands and feet of Jesus in relation to these kids. It was a little emotional as we begin to think about saying goodbye. It is amazing how much you can love these kids after such a short time. I am not looking forward to the goodbyes...they are going to be more difficult than last time.

After lunch we had a rough day of ministry...hanging out with the kids at "La Playa" (the beach)! I know, I know...I can hear your sympathetic voices now. We had an awesome time playing in the waves, wrestling, body boarding, playing football and throwing sand. At one point several of the older girls, Jessenia, Estephania, and Marjorie, told us that they were going to cry when we leave. Again, it is going to be difficult to leave this place. It was a bit sketchy at the beach sometimes because the rip tide was tremendously stong so we had to really keep an eye on all the kids. But the day ended well with everyone tired (4 hours at the beach), a little burnt, sand in places I cannot write about and more love than ever for these beautiful children.

Quotes of the day from the team:

Amanda, "I'm crazy in my head because I scream at crabs!"

This said in relation to an up close and personal experience that involved Carlos putting a crab in her hand and then pretending to throw it in her hair. I have the pictures to prove it.

Christian, "I get knocked down but I get up again!"

This said in relation to the immense beatings he received from the waves, children and sand as he wrestled, played, fought and drank the ocean. I think he was in for 3.5 hours!

Danielle, "If I could fit one person in a suitcase it would be Luisito!"

This said in relation to Danielle watching Luisito dig himself a hole on the beach, sit in it, and then wait for the tide to come in and wash around him. Once it did he started to giggle and grin. Pretty darn cute!

Well dinner is almost ready...I'll be updating the blog again tomorrow so stay tuned. Tomorrow the plan is for us to work a half day and then hang out with the kids in the afternoon again. My mission is to get pictures of all the kids and find out some specific information about them. We are also going to teach them a card game called, "Gang of 4". I am sure they will love it but will probably cheat like mad (they cheat in every game)! Our games usually end with cries of Tramposa y Tramposo! Cheater! Cheater! Good times!

Thanks again for sharing this journey with us. Be praying as most of us are still feeling pretty sick and I have got this weird blister that I have to watch carefully for infection! Don't worry no ones dying! We miss you all but are enjoying our time here tremendously!

God Bless,

J (for the rest of the team)

On the Road Again

Make yourself comfortable...it is going to be a long one!

First things first, the pictures.

From bottom to top (not sure why they posted in reverse order but hey I'll take what I can get! It only took 4 hours to post ten pictures!)

1. At the Sambisa Dump Ministry in Quito, Ecuador - We had the opportunity to visit the amazing work that is going on here. We are standing in the day care that is offered for the children whose parent's work in the dump. The workers are called 'miners' and sort through the trash (sometimes containing medical and human waste) for any recyclable material so they can sell it for cash. They average $50 a week or less.
2. A tarantula that Alexis (the house parent's son) found and brought back to the orphanage for us to see. Amanda and Christian stayed well away!
3. Anita, one of the oldest kids, sitting at Allan and Pearl's house reading her bible. She is an amazing young woman whose faith is so strong in spite of her circumstances. She is definitely an encouragement to us.
4. A bunch of the kids as we hiked through the jungle behind Allan and Pearl's house. This was the easy part before we got to the crazy down hill section. Notice the smiles still!
5. The entire group (less Marlon and Jan Carlos - the inured two) who made the grueling trek that day. We were extremely proud of Luisito ant Justin (Tuti) the two six year olds of the group who did the entire thing without complaining! Such a special group of kids!
6. Luisito enjoying his time in the pool. After the hike we all got to go fool around in the pool; not something the kids get to do very often!
7. Christian teaching some of the kids some different chords on the guitar. The little guy in the front looking stunned is Jan Carlos, the young man who needed to get the stiches.
8. The whole lot of us ready to head out on a lake, Poza Honda, that we drove to for some fun. We had 30+ people piled into that thing! I was a little nervouse at first but once it got going it got alot more stable. Again this was the first time any of the kids were able to do something like this.
9. Out on the lake enjoying the beautiful day!
10. Several of the kids, Carlos and Leo pictured here, spent the rest of the day fishing with nets. They didn't catch anything here but later on were able to get a few fresh water shrimp.

O.k. so now onto the blog from yesterday. Most of it was already explained through the pictures so I will be brief.

We were up early and ready to leave by 7:30 a.m. Once in Manta we joined the kids on the old bus they use for transportation. For us this is probably one of the best parts as we get to hang out with the kids as we journey to our destination. Yesterday's journey was a long one, over 2 hours on the road! And let me tell you this was no nicely paved highway (some of it was) but most of it was pretty rough...but you know, with these kids it was a lot of fun!

Once we got to the lake we piled into the canoe and went for a wee tour around. It was great to see the smiles on these kids faces. Afterwards we walked to the edge of the dam and swam around for an hour or so. It was great fooling around thowing the kids into the water. They absolutely loved it and so did we!

Then we all piled into the bus and headed to a park where we had sandwiches and drinks. Most of us fell asleep in the bus on the way home as the sun was wicked hot and drained us of any available energy!

Then we came back to La Cueva and headed to bed super early. Most of us got burnt once again by the sun. We have discovered that a lot of it has to do with the Malaria medicine we have been taking (that and super trippy nightmares). Amanda and I have decided to stop taking it especially for me because I cannot keep burning! So definetly something to pray about. But no worries, everyone we talk to says there is no Malaria in this part of Ecuador.

We are so thankful for every day out here. I am constantly amazed by these kids! There love for God and there love for us is overwhelming at times. So many of these children have had things happen to them in their past that would make us all sick to our stomach's but the joy that we see in there faces every day is so refreshing.

Please be in prayer for each one of them as so much depends on the support of others. Please be in prayer for us as well as we begin to question what our ongoing role here at Montanita Verde will be.

Thank you for sharing this journey with us! We will continue to keep you posted over the next few days. Today we are doing work projects (Amanda and Danielle are painting, Christian is building a work bench, and I am hanging bathroom accessories in House #2 and doing the blog) and then around 3:00 p.m. we going to spend some more time with the kids. Tomorrow we are going to do a jungle hike with the kids and Alexis! We are hoping to see some howler monkeys and get to run through the bat caves! And Sunday, after church, we are going to take all the kids to the beach to play around in the waves and play soccer. We are probably going to play "Horses, Knights and Cavaliers" a game we taught them two days ago!

Thanks again! And hello to all the kids in Dad's class who are taking this journey with us as well!

Blessings,

J (for the rest of the team)

Again I am too lazy to spell check...just enjoy the mistakes!

Juego!

Here we are 7:45 a.m. on Thursday ready for a new day! I suppose, however, I should tell you about yesterday.

It all started out with us working on our respective jobs; Danielle and Amanda painting the back of a large tortoise shell that will be used as a new sign for Montanita Verde and Christian and I continued to learn how to lay bricks (not a pretty sight). We worked on these projects until around 2:00 p.m. The only thing I can add to this part of the blog is that it is hot. Not just a little hot but really stinking hot. We have learned that the sun down here is WAY stronger than in Canada and combined with our trippy Malaria medication we are getting burned like mad. And that is after two applications of SPF 45 (we are probably garnering no sympathy from you snow bound Canadians).

After our work projects we spent the afternoon playing games with the kids. Games like "Horses, Knights and Cavaliers","Hide-and-Seek", and Dutch Blitz (which we taught them several days ago). We also broke out the Ninendo Wii they got for Christmas but are unable to play much because they need to be supervised. It was quite the sight to see these guys playing the boxing game. Some were so serious (Jorge) that we were a bit scared...lol! Christian also spent some time teaching some of the kids how to play guitar, another activity they don't get to do much because of supervision. It was great to be able to hang out with them and give them the opportunity to do things they do not normally get to do.

We ended the day by jumping in the ocean back at La Cueva. Christian and I went body boarding (the waves were HUGE - 8+ feet) and near the end we got caught in a cross current that took us danerously close to the rocks. I made it in quite a bit away but Christian, who was getting extremely tired, had a lot of trouble and got danerously close to the rocks. But after praying he managed to catch a wave in. We dragged himself to the beach tired but decidely NOT dead.

Now we are off for another day with the kids at some Lake where we are going to go swimming and take them on a canoe ride (15 people per canoe) up a river. Again, really fun stuff for these kids to do on there summer vacation and something they do not normally get to do.

Thank you for your support because all of the activities we are able to provide these kids comes from your donations!

Please find a few pictures posted below...I do not have time to explain them. Sorry.

A Day of Experiences

Well, it has been quite a day! After only about 4 hours of sleep, a combination of barking dogs and yelling children, we began our day with pancakes and syrup. It was a funny thing to watch because while it is an extremely common thing for us the kids had no idea how to eat them. Most of them were a little leary of the syrup and would often just make sandwich's out of the pancakes with jam.

After breakfast, before the hike we were to take, the kids and Christian and I (Danielle and Amanda opted out) watched some locals slaughter one of Allan's pigs for tonight's dinner. It was a sobering experience hearing the cries of the animal and watching it's blood flow out. Certainly not something I had seen before but it did two things for me. First, it gave me a deeper appreciation for the food that I eat everyday. The clinically wrapped meat in the hygienic markets came from an animal whose blood had to be spilled so I could eat. The other was a thought about how gruesome the sacrifices in the Old Testament must have been like and how thankful I am that Jesus Christ was sacrificed once for all!

After that we began our 'hike' up a mountain behind Allan and Pearl with all of the kids. Monti Cristi, the town where Allan and Pearl live is at around 2000ft and the hill we were climbing, at it's appex, is around 3000ft. 1000 vertical ft in a very short amount of time. It was certainly an experince because the hike was through jungle most of the way. Several spots on the path were no more than 2 or 3 ft high so you had to crawl through. Going up was tough but we were rewarded with an amazing view of Monti Cristi, Manta and the Ocean. It was going down, however, that presented the real challenege. It was EXTREMELY step with loose dirt and gravel and jungle on both sides. You spent most of the time sliding down on your backside or watching out for the smaller kids to make sure they didn't fall! Christian sped ahead with a group of 'extreme hill runners' and had, as he puts it, a pretty awesome wipeout (word on the street is he was sliding down and got both feet hooked on a root...this stopped the momentum of his lower half while his upper half kept going down the hill). I floated around the middle helping Luisito and Tuti, the youngest ones, get down the hill. There was one scarey moment where Tuti almost lost it, but she got control at the last minute and came out unscathed. Danielle and Amanda were both HUGE troopers and brough up the rear with several of the girls. Needless to say we were VERY tired by the end of the hike. My legs felt like jello. But these kids, the constant bundles of energy they are, kept running around like nothing had happened. We then walked through town for a bit until the vehicles came to get us.

We rounded the day out with an awesome time swimming at a local pool. It was a great time to toos the kids around, play water games and generally have a blast. I know most of you do not want to hear this but it has been STUPID hot around here lately with sunshine everyday. It think we all lost about 10 pounds of sweat through the whole process.

So now we are back here at Allan and Pearl's house getting ready to have dinner with the kids before heading back to La Cueve. It has been a great time for us to be with the kids and help them do something that they do not normally get to do!

Tomorrow morning we will head back to the orphanage for another 1/2 day completing various work projects and then in the afternoon we are going to do a few more things with the kids (guitar lessons, jump rope, crafts etc). We are all pretty tired and appreciate your prayers. It is tough sometimes when you do not have any time to yourself but we are taking each moment we get as an awesome opportunity to develop bonds with these amazing kids.

J (for the rest of the team)

Feb???

I know it's Monday, but that's about it! The days seem to melt together here and I'm always so amazed at the end of the day when I reflect back on all that has happened. Saturday was a work day for us. Jeremy finished his wall, but will have more brick laying ahead of him. Christian finished the door frame and hung the door. Danielle and I painted the key box and had Christian hang it for us! Danielle, Susan and I (with some help from the kids) also took on the task of cleaning up Dirty Dog, one of the four strays that hang around. She enjoyed a hair cut helping to cool her off as well as get rid of many mats that where pulling on her skin. We still have plans to give her a bath, but we didn't want to do too much in one day because she was behaving so well.

On Sunday we went to church with the kids and out to lunch, It was so nice to eat lunch with them, because most of the time we are separated for our meals. We hung out and played a bit and then walked back home. Jeremy and I walked with Dayana all holding hands the whole way. Then it was time for 'team building' at the beach! We were bodyboarding for hours (and don't worry, we found the 45 waterproof sunscreen Mom!) It was nice to share the time together playing in the ocean. Paul and Susan (our hosts) joined us. They are such wonderful people full of love and wisdom.

Today beagn a new adventure - Camping with the kids! The day started out with us hanging around the orphanage waiting to find out what was going to happen when (a common thing here in Ecuador where the motto is, "Hurry Up...and wait!). Finally, after a few odd jobs, lunch and some awesome bonding time with the kids. We loaded up the bus and Paul's truck and headed, all 30 of us, into Manta to spend the night at Allan and Pearl's Casa (home). Jeremy helped the boys set up all the tents while I doucmneted the event with our video camera. Once they were set up we had some more play time with the kids jumping on the trampolene and other creative activities. AT one point one of the little guys, Jan Carlos, fell off bike and cut his knee pretty bad. I don't do well (as many of you know) with blood and all that but I picked him up (although in my effort not to look I smoked his head on a tree branch..oops...but hey at least I didn't pass out)! They took him to the hospital and he got 4 stitches. We then enjoyed hamburgers, soft drinks and some yummy birthday cake. They have a tradtion here that has the birthday-e's face smooched into the cake. We did that and it degraded into an all out cake fight. Fun but nasty. We got some good video's of that!

Anyway's we are about to settle down and watch a movie with the kids, Open Season 2, and then they arew all heading out to the tents to camp out (we, however, are going to 'rough it' in beds in the house...I know, wimps)! Tomorrow we are going to get up and make lunch, after a pancake breakfast, and hike up a mountain behind Allen and Pearl's house with the kids! Then we are going to com back for a pig roast and more hang out time with the kids.

What an aweseom opportunity we are having out here. Everyday I find myself loving these kids more and more.

Amanda (with a little help from Jeremy where it gets 'longwinded')

We have to go watch the movie...so no editing...forgive the mistakes!

Bricks, Burns and Soccer

Well...we successfully completed our second day out here at Montanita Verde!

We started the day out with devotions on the beach and then Christian and I were beaten by a crab (short version - it went in a hole, we tried to dig it out, it ended up with us sitting in a large hole very confused as to where the crab had gotten too)!

Then we headed up to the orphanage where we hung out with the kids all morning. It was a great time for me to get reacquainted and for the others to get to know these kids. House 2, which our team in July helped get ready, is now occupied with two new little boys, Leiton (8) and Justin (1), who were rescued from a pretty rough situation.

We then enjoyed one of Wanita's (the mother of House 1) famous lunches (HUGE) with soup, fried beef, rice and mashed potatoes. Amanda was a little shocked because the portion size was so big but was a trooped and was able to finish more than half.

After lunch we began some of the work projects which we will be engaged in. Danielle and Amanda helped Susan sort through clothing donations and were able to find some stuff for the new boys, who came to Montanita Verde with nothing. They also began sanding a key box that will be used in House 2. Christian's skills as a carpentar were put to good use as he began build a frame and a door for a new tool shed/work room that will give a more secure place to store the tools. I got to start leaning the new skill, for me, of brick laying. A wall needs to be finished and another needs to be built totally around this new room. It started off a bit rough but I quickly got the hang of it.

After working all day we finished things off with an awesome game of soccer with the kids (girl's included which is rare). It was a good time that effectively tired us out.

The only casualty of the day was my poor white winter Canadian skin. I got burned bad on my shoulder's and neck. We could only find the 15 SPF lotion which, needless to say, was brushed off with disdain by this strong Ecuadorian sun.

So here we sit at La Cueva listening to the ocean with full bellies ready for bed. It has been such a blessing staying here, a nice respite at the end of the day. Certainly not roughing it!

Tomorrow will be another work day and we will solidify the rest of our schedule which will include a lot of day trips with the kids (including camping) which we are tremendously excited about! It is such a priviledge and an honor to be here once again with these kids.

We will keep you posted (oh and tomorrow someone else will write here so you don't have to always read my ramblings)!

J

The First Morning

Well, we made it!

Flew into Quito last night around 11:30p.m. without any major incidents. Customs here was smooth and all our bags made it without a problem. We hit some MAJOR turbulence flying into Quito which the rookie among us, Christian, really enjoyed.

One funny story of the journey down happened on our flight from Detroit to Houston. Because of prevailing headwinds of 150 MPH the pilot informed us that out flight would be longer than normal. Once underway we kept looking at our watch concerned we would miss our connection to Quito at 3:55 p.m. We inquired and the stewardess assured us that we would be arriving at 2:15 p.m. As the time came and went we began to get quite concerned. Around 2:45 p.m. we asked the stewardess again to check our arrival time because we were all very worried. When she came back she looked confused and asked us, "You guys know it's only 1:45 p.m. right?" Oops, no we didn't realize that. The time had changed and rolled back an hour! She then proceeded, in a very joking manner, to call us losers. We were able to relax much more after that.

So here we are on our first day in Quito. The elevation is affecting us a little with headaches and sore stomachs but we will not be here long. (FYI Ottawa sits at about 180M above sea level while Quito is around 2900M so it is a bit of a difference!) After breakfast we are going to be heading to the Quito dump ministry that Extreme Response helps run. Then we are off to Manta, a brief stop at the orphanage (I cannot wait to see these little kids again) and to settle in at La Cueve, our home for the next 2 1/2 weeks.

Paul, our host, assures me that we'll be able to get internet access at the orphanage so I should be able to update pretty frequently.

Take Care and God Bless,

J

The Night Before

Well it is now 8:30 p.m. the night before we head to Ecuador.  I can hardly believe the day is almost upon us.  Ever since I came back from Ecuador this past August my heart has been stongly drawn back to the place that saw me learn so much about the love of God.  My journal can attest to the fact that each day I was in Ecuador the draw to return with my family was overwhelming.  And now just a scant few hours from that becoming a reality I slow down from the chaos that is packing and thank God for this opporuntiy to return.  I also want to thank each and every person that has contributed financially and through their prayers for this trip.

Whenever possible I will try and update this blog during our journey.  This is not an easy thing in the town of San Lorenzo where internet access is dodgy at best but I will do my best.  There will more thank likely be no pictures until we return.

So, briefly, here is what our day looks like tomorrow:

3:00 a.m. - Awake

4:30 a.m. - Airport Check in and Goodbyes

6:00 a.m. - Flights begin - Ottawa - Newark  - Houston - Quito

10:30 p.m. - Arrive in Quito

We will then spend the night in Quito and fly out to Manta (where the orphange is) the next day.  Just prior to our departure from Quito we will have the priviledge to visit a local children's ministry help at the city dump.  A Pastor from a neigboring town has created a day care center for the children of parent's who work in the dumps (and by work I mean sort through the garabage for anything they can sell or eat).  It is quite an awaking and the first step in our journey.

I will do my best to keep everyone posted.

FYI, for any of you that have Google earth you can see the 3 cities in Ecuador by typing the following:

Quito, Ecuador (Our First Night)

Manta, Ecuador (Where we fly in)

San Lorenzo, Ecuador (the Town we are staying in - - if you go up the coast of San Lorenzo we are staying in the group of buildings closest to the cliffs.  It is called, "La Cueva")

Now I must sleep!

Jeremy (for the team)