FRIDAY, 28 October, 2016
Jenny is feeling much better this morning so, perhaps if she continues to take the allergy medicine, she'll get well soon.
She felt well enough for us to go with Gerard to the Agave Mexican Restaurant, outside of Cuenca for lunch; we went there on day last year as well. It was a nice scenic drive; on the way back we drove by the big prison. Got "caught" in a really good rain shower while in the mountains but it ended as we reached lower elevations. It was, as always, an enjoyable time with Gerard..
For supper, we met some Church friends, Roland, Carolyn, and Inez, and went to the Chiplote Subs & Shots Restaurant in El Centro; very good food and prices were reasonable. After eating, we went to Roland & Carolyn's home for dessert and a few rounds of Mexican Train; all in all, a fun time.
Disappointed when we got back to the apartment and checked my emails; the guy (Brian Gary) notified me the trip to Puerto Lopez and "poor mans' Galapogos" has been cancelled because he only received interest from about 15 people when he needs 30 or more to make the trip profitable. So, unless a door opens, we won't be making that trip. :( :( :(
With that, it's bedtime, actually even past mine since we stayed out later than usual - it was worth it!
Friday, October 28, 2016
THURSDAY, 27 October 2016
Jenny is still sick so she stayed in the apartment all day and missed the Thursday noon game time with Denise, Inez, Jeff, and Cathy. Today, we played Mexican Train, a first for some, a refresher for others. I think Inez won every game! We also played a couple rounds of Chicken Foot, new for everyone except Denise but it had been a long time since she had played.
In the PM, we (Pastor Ken, Lisa, Gary, Katy, Jenny and I) went to Chuliabamba (sp?) for dinner - quite the spread! It was good to see Raul when he wasn't suffering from pollution allergies! We didn't stay long because Pastor and Lisa had to get back to put the kids to bed. Normally, they would not have been able to get away even for a short time but Gayle, Inez, and a Cuancano woman volunteered to "herd" the boys so they could get away for just a little while. Jenny felt somewhat better so enjoyed herself. She was still very tired (side effects of the allergy medicine, I think) so she went straight to bed when we got home.
Although I don't mention it every day, I usually spend my mornings printing tracts/information brochures for the church and English classes. Pastor's printer is pretty slow so it takes awhile; after printing them I cut and fold them.
Jenny is still sick so she stayed in the apartment all day and missed the Thursday noon game time with Denise, Inez, Jeff, and Cathy. Today, we played Mexican Train, a first for some, a refresher for others. I think Inez won every game! We also played a couple rounds of Chicken Foot, new for everyone except Denise but it had been a long time since she had played.
In the PM, we (Pastor Ken, Lisa, Gary, Katy, Jenny and I) went to Chuliabamba (sp?) for dinner - quite the spread! It was good to see Raul when he wasn't suffering from pollution allergies! We didn't stay long because Pastor and Lisa had to get back to put the kids to bed. Normally, they would not have been able to get away even for a short time but Gayle, Inez, and a Cuancano woman volunteered to "herd" the boys so they could get away for just a little while. Jenny felt somewhat better so enjoyed herself. She was still very tired (side effects of the allergy medicine, I think) so she went straight to bed when we got home.
Although I don't mention it every day, I usually spend my mornings printing tracts/information brochures for the church and English classes. Pastor's printer is pretty slow so it takes awhile; after printing them I cut and fold them.
Wednesday, October 26, 2016
WEDNESDAY, 26 October 2016
Jenny has been sick all day, with either a cold or allergies, so she stayed in bed or the apartment all day. One of the Ecuadorian ladies who helps with the boys home gave her a pill that's supposed to help and some menthol salve (like Vicks) for the congestion. If she isn't better by tomorrow morning, I'll go to the pharmacia and get something else. I did get her some freshly squeezed orange juice at a nearby tienda - actually watched the lady squeeze it out of the oranges, and stopped by Supermaxi on the way back from the Gourmand Cafe (see below) and got her a larger bottle of natural orange juice.
Although Jenny was sick, my day was not idol. I went to the Gourmand Cafe to get some bulk coffee beans for the church. Silvia wasn't there so I dealt with a Cuencano lady who spoke no English; we made it okay though. However, she started talking about something totally unrelated to the coffee transaction and, even though I told her I didn't understand, she persisted in the conversation. I called Pastor Ken to talk with her; he told me she was saying something about rugs so he really didn't understand. So, I called Gerard; after he talked to her he told me she wanted to know if Ken had bought some rugs and how much he paid for them. Gerard translated to her that I knew nothing about that so would pass the message on to Pastor Ken when I got back - she was satisfied. When I told Pastor Ken what she had said, he said she had him confused with someone else because he knew nothing about any rugs. I sent a PM to Silvia about the conversation so I'm sure she will get it all straightened out.
Had a decent turn out for the Bible Study - Karina, her daughter Amy, and her two sons were there! After church, we ate pinto beans and rice! Talked to Danilo about upgrading my laptop to install a backlight for the keyboard; he said it could not be done. So, he's going to bring me, on Sunday, a small light to attach to the frame so I can see the keyboard at night. It's an option I could have gotten when I bought the laptop over a year ago but didn't see a need for it then; hindsight is 20/20!
So, the end of the day has come and I'm going to bed - no Netflix tonight.
Jenny has been sick all day, with either a cold or allergies, so she stayed in bed or the apartment all day. One of the Ecuadorian ladies who helps with the boys home gave her a pill that's supposed to help and some menthol salve (like Vicks) for the congestion. If she isn't better by tomorrow morning, I'll go to the pharmacia and get something else. I did get her some freshly squeezed orange juice at a nearby tienda - actually watched the lady squeeze it out of the oranges, and stopped by Supermaxi on the way back from the Gourmand Cafe (see below) and got her a larger bottle of natural orange juice.
Although Jenny was sick, my day was not idol. I went to the Gourmand Cafe to get some bulk coffee beans for the church. Silvia wasn't there so I dealt with a Cuencano lady who spoke no English; we made it okay though. However, she started talking about something totally unrelated to the coffee transaction and, even though I told her I didn't understand, she persisted in the conversation. I called Pastor Ken to talk with her; he told me she was saying something about rugs so he really didn't understand. So, I called Gerard; after he talked to her he told me she wanted to know if Ken had bought some rugs and how much he paid for them. Gerard translated to her that I knew nothing about that so would pass the message on to Pastor Ken when I got back - she was satisfied. When I told Pastor Ken what she had said, he said she had him confused with someone else because he knew nothing about any rugs. I sent a PM to Silvia about the conversation so I'm sure she will get it all straightened out.
Had a decent turn out for the Bible Study - Karina, her daughter Amy, and her two sons were there! After church, we ate pinto beans and rice! Talked to Danilo about upgrading my laptop to install a backlight for the keyboard; he said it could not be done. So, he's going to bring me, on Sunday, a small light to attach to the frame so I can see the keyboard at night. It's an option I could have gotten when I bought the laptop over a year ago but didn't see a need for it then; hindsight is 20/20!
So, the end of the day has come and I'm going to bed - no Netflix tonight.
Tuesday, October 25, 2016
TUESDAY, 25 October 2016
A relatively calm day around the church and boys group home. We walked to Coral, got a few things, and back to the apartment. Kevin (the new kid) was around all day because whomever is responsible to do so has not found him a school to attend yet.
Cathy and Jeff came a little before lunch - Cathy prepared lunch for the boys. We visited some with them; they left for awhile then came back and were here for dinner of tacos (good!). After they left, we hung out in the church area and I played with Marisio, a kid of about 7-8 years old who is full of energy! I wrestled with him until his bedtime.
I called Rita Story, our neighbor, to see how things are going at home and to get an idea of what we can take back to her as a gift. Although she's lived next to me for as long as I've lived there, I've never really gotten to know her so wanted to find out what she would like!
Found out from Desiree that Antonio, her new fiance, is actually illegally in Ecuador; he is Peruvian. That definitely complicates their relationship because Desiree's mom wants them to get married in the States, which cannot happen because he can't apply for a Visa when he's here illegally! Oh well!
A relatively calm day around the church and boys group home. We walked to Coral, got a few things, and back to the apartment. Kevin (the new kid) was around all day because whomever is responsible to do so has not found him a school to attend yet.
Cathy and Jeff came a little before lunch - Cathy prepared lunch for the boys. We visited some with them; they left for awhile then came back and were here for dinner of tacos (good!). After they left, we hung out in the church area and I played with Marisio, a kid of about 7-8 years old who is full of energy! I wrestled with him until his bedtime.
I called Rita Story, our neighbor, to see how things are going at home and to get an idea of what we can take back to her as a gift. Although she's lived next to me for as long as I've lived there, I've never really gotten to know her so wanted to find out what she would like!
Found out from Desiree that Antonio, her new fiance, is actually illegally in Ecuador; he is Peruvian. That definitely complicates their relationship because Desiree's mom wants them to get married in the States, which cannot happen because he can't apply for a Visa when he's here illegally! Oh well!
MONDAY, 24 October 2016
Had sent an email to Brian at Gringo Network EC about an upcoming trip to "Poor Man's Galapogos", an island off the coast of Puerto Lopez on the west coast. Received an email reply stating more information is forthcoming and that there would be a meeting on this coming Sunday. So, there's hope for Jenny that we'll be able to see, up close and personal, some of the animals of Ecuador, all of which are also on the Galapogos Islands, just not as many.
The guy who works for Pastor came and repaired the Church roof; guess we'll know if he got every leak repaired the next time it rains really hard - we may not be here for that one.
Inez cooked for the boys so afterwards she stayed awhile and we played Mexican Train dominoes. Watched an episode of Supernatural, Jenny went to bed, I caught up on Facebook and emails, then to bed.
Oh, the 14 year old diagnosed psychotic kid came; we had very little interaction with him so nothing to say. Some government officials did bring a bed for him to sleep in; he's in a small room right next to us.
Found out that the guy who was baptized Sunday morning proposed to Desiree, Ken and Lisa's granddaughter.
Had sent an email to Brian at Gringo Network EC about an upcoming trip to "Poor Man's Galapogos", an island off the coast of Puerto Lopez on the west coast. Received an email reply stating more information is forthcoming and that there would be a meeting on this coming Sunday. So, there's hope for Jenny that we'll be able to see, up close and personal, some of the animals of Ecuador, all of which are also on the Galapogos Islands, just not as many.
The guy who works for Pastor came and repaired the Church roof; guess we'll know if he got every leak repaired the next time it rains really hard - we may not be here for that one.
Inez cooked for the boys so afterwards she stayed awhile and we played Mexican Train dominoes. Watched an episode of Supernatural, Jenny went to bed, I caught up on Facebook and emails, then to bed.
Oh, the 14 year old diagnosed psychotic kid came; we had very little interaction with him so nothing to say. Some government officials did bring a bed for him to sleep in; he's in a small room right next to us.
Found out that the guy who was baptized Sunday morning proposed to Desiree, Ken and Lisa's granddaughter.
SUNDAY, 23 October 2016
Nothing unusual for yesterday; pretty much hung around the Church area but walked to Supermaxi, got a few things, and back so Jenny could get her steps for yesterday.
Today, a good crowd for the morning services; Raul and Chelita were there - Raul was feeling better but left soon after the morning services because his allergies started acting up. They did invite us to their home for this coming Thursday, the 27th, along with Pastor Ken and Lisa. I asked Lisa about it this afternoon; Pastor said there's no way both can get away but Lisa said she would go but it would be a quick evening.
A decent turn-out for the evening services. It poured rain, harder than I'd ever seen, even during our previous visits! As a result, we discovered the roof over the "new" sanctuary had a few leaks. Karina nor her boys were at either service.
After some fellowship, everyone went home, we visited a little with Ken and Lisa, then to our apartment.
Buenos Noches!
Nothing unusual for yesterday; pretty much hung around the Church area but walked to Supermaxi, got a few things, and back so Jenny could get her steps for yesterday.
Today, a good crowd for the morning services; Raul and Chelita were there - Raul was feeling better but left soon after the morning services because his allergies started acting up. They did invite us to their home for this coming Thursday, the 27th, along with Pastor Ken and Lisa. I asked Lisa about it this afternoon; Pastor said there's no way both can get away but Lisa said she would go but it would be a quick evening.
A decent turn-out for the evening services. It poured rain, harder than I'd ever seen, even during our previous visits! As a result, we discovered the roof over the "new" sanctuary had a few leaks. Karina nor her boys were at either service.
After some fellowship, everyone went home, we visited a little with Ken and Lisa, then to our apartment.
Buenos Noches!
Saturday, October 22, 2016
FRIDAY, 21 October 2016
Had lunch with William Patricio, his wife (Elizabeth), and children (Emily & Esteban) in their beautiful home. Because of her school schedule, their other daughter, Belen, came home after we had eaten. We took Emily to her swim class, went to a Nice Cream/Tutto Freddo ice cream place for ice cream; picked Emily up, then they brought us back to the apartment. This is their anniversary weekend so William and Elizabeth are going to Ambato for a brief weekend getaway.
It is getting difficult to maintain internet connectivity; not sure where the problem is. I have to regularly reset my stuff but it doesn't last long. I asked Pastor Ken to reset his router to determine if the problem could be there but not sure right now if he did. If the problem isn't there, it must be with the provider, which is fairly common here because their "multi-user" and high speed technology is not nearly as good as that in the U.S. We watched a couple of episodes of Supernatural but signal kept dropping and had to download packets of data several times. Oh well, that's just Ecuador! :-)
Had lunch with William Patricio, his wife (Elizabeth), and children (Emily & Esteban) in their beautiful home. Because of her school schedule, their other daughter, Belen, came home after we had eaten. We took Emily to her swim class, went to a Nice Cream/Tutto Freddo ice cream place for ice cream; picked Emily up, then they brought us back to the apartment. This is their anniversary weekend so William and Elizabeth are going to Ambato for a brief weekend getaway.
It is getting difficult to maintain internet connectivity; not sure where the problem is. I have to regularly reset my stuff but it doesn't last long. I asked Pastor Ken to reset his router to determine if the problem could be there but not sure right now if he did. If the problem isn't there, it must be with the provider, which is fairly common here because their "multi-user" and high speed technology is not nearly as good as that in the U.S. We watched a couple of episodes of Supernatural but signal kept dropping and had to download packets of data several times. Oh well, that's just Ecuador! :-)
Friday, October 21, 2016
THURSDAY, 20 October 2016
In true government fashion, the problem discussed yesterday has possibly reached a conclusion; one not acceptable for the group home but one the government has decided will work. They psychotic boy will join the home next week; to resolve the space problem, they will remove one of the other boys and place him in another home! Consider all of the implications: a boy who has "settled in" with 13 other boys in a home with caring leaders will now be displaced, which cannot have a positive affect on his psyche; a 16 year old with anger issues and tendencies toward psychotic behavior will be placed with 13 other boys who, aside from minor theft and one with minor anger issues, have been together in a caring environment. I also heard today that this kid has molested other children, possibly some in this group! This kid is known by all of the boys (they spent time together in a Catholic orphanage/home before coming here) and none of them like him, including his brother! So, the tensions will increase tremendously for Ken, Lisa, Desiree, and the staff, not to mention the negative impact on an otherwise cohesive group of boys. Oh, to keep the boys' psychotic tendencies in check, he is heavily medicated and the meds will have to be administered to him here. Obviously, a very bad situation with possible catastrophic affects if he becomes violent. Nothing, as far as I know, can be done about his molestation of other boys.
At 12:30 met up with a couple from the church, Cathy and Jeff; we went over to Denise's house to play cards - a game called Hand and Foot. It was fun but too complicated for me!
Gayle. a lady in our church and a volunteer to help in the group home, cooked dinner of scalloped potatoes with ham and bacon mixed in. It was very good; Lisa it was the best meal she had had in a long time!
In true government fashion, the problem discussed yesterday has possibly reached a conclusion; one not acceptable for the group home but one the government has decided will work. They psychotic boy will join the home next week; to resolve the space problem, they will remove one of the other boys and place him in another home! Consider all of the implications: a boy who has "settled in" with 13 other boys in a home with caring leaders will now be displaced, which cannot have a positive affect on his psyche; a 16 year old with anger issues and tendencies toward psychotic behavior will be placed with 13 other boys who, aside from minor theft and one with minor anger issues, have been together in a caring environment. I also heard today that this kid has molested other children, possibly some in this group! This kid is known by all of the boys (they spent time together in a Catholic orphanage/home before coming here) and none of them like him, including his brother! So, the tensions will increase tremendously for Ken, Lisa, Desiree, and the staff, not to mention the negative impact on an otherwise cohesive group of boys. Oh, to keep the boys' psychotic tendencies in check, he is heavily medicated and the meds will have to be administered to him here. Obviously, a very bad situation with possible catastrophic affects if he becomes violent. Nothing, as far as I know, can be done about his molestation of other boys.
At 12:30 met up with a couple from the church, Cathy and Jeff; we went over to Denise's house to play cards - a game called Hand and Foot. It was fun but too complicated for me!
Gayle. a lady in our church and a volunteer to help in the group home, cooked dinner of scalloped potatoes with ham and bacon mixed in. It was very good; Lisa it was the best meal she had had in a long time!
Thursday, October 20, 2016
WEDNESDAY, 20 October 2016
Discovered, in a little detail, how the Ecuadorian authorities in a socialist government operates. When Pastor Ken and Lisa expanded their ministry into a group home for boys, he deliberately did not take any funds from the government, expecting that they could operate autonomously within the rules and regulations of the government. To set the stage, the government had determined that the capacity for this facility is 12 boys, although the boys group home had 14. This was okay with the childrens' services though because Ken had 14 beds. Yesterday, a local judge ordered that the home would accept one more boy, who is the older brother of one already here. However, this 16 year old is in the hospital psych ward, diagnosed with psychotic tendencies and violent outbreaks as a result of a violent temper. Pastor has been "fighting" this for a few weeks; one judge had already determined the home was not equipped to properly care for or accommodate this child. After that ruling, the child services department contacted another judge who ruled that he would be sent to this home. Understand things are much different here than in the U.S.; it was not an appeal because the judges are both local and "at the same level". I suspect some collusion and exchange of money to the second judge! The boy was scheduled to arrive today but Pastor Ken, through his government social worker, whose salary he is required to pay, told the court he had no extra bed for this boy because they only had 14 bed and was already operating at over capacity. Well,, the boy did not show up so things are still up in the air.
With that on our mind and the Church back home praying for a successful resolution, the day is over.
Discovered, in a little detail, how the Ecuadorian authorities in a socialist government operates. When Pastor Ken and Lisa expanded their ministry into a group home for boys, he deliberately did not take any funds from the government, expecting that they could operate autonomously within the rules and regulations of the government. To set the stage, the government had determined that the capacity for this facility is 12 boys, although the boys group home had 14. This was okay with the childrens' services though because Ken had 14 beds. Yesterday, a local judge ordered that the home would accept one more boy, who is the older brother of one already here. However, this 16 year old is in the hospital psych ward, diagnosed with psychotic tendencies and violent outbreaks as a result of a violent temper. Pastor has been "fighting" this for a few weeks; one judge had already determined the home was not equipped to properly care for or accommodate this child. After that ruling, the child services department contacted another judge who ruled that he would be sent to this home. Understand things are much different here than in the U.S.; it was not an appeal because the judges are both local and "at the same level". I suspect some collusion and exchange of money to the second judge! The boy was scheduled to arrive today but Pastor Ken, through his government social worker, whose salary he is required to pay, told the court he had no extra bed for this boy because they only had 14 bed and was already operating at over capacity. Well,, the boy did not show up so things are still up in the air.
With that on our mind and the Church back home praying for a successful resolution, the day is over.
Tuesday, October 18, 2016
MONDAY, 18 October 2016
Met up with Gerard Tretton for a late breakfast at the Sunrise Cafe then visited his property in Loma Linda. No house construction has begun but the property line stone fence is up, the land has been somewhat cleared (much more than when we went up there last year). There is still a tremendous view of Cuenca from his place.
Went to Coral Central for a few things then hung out around the church with the boys. More of them seem to be interacting with me, which is a good thing.
Met up with Gerard Tretton for a late breakfast at the Sunrise Cafe then visited his property in Loma Linda. No house construction has begun but the property line stone fence is up, the land has been somewhat cleared (much more than when we went up there last year). There is still a tremendous view of Cuenca from his place.
Went to Coral Central for a few things then hung out around the church with the boys. More of them seem to be interacting with me, which is a good thing.
SUNDAY, 16 October 2016,
Although not as many as we had for the special day last Sunday, we had a good attendance today. Some "bugs" had been worked out since last Sunday; exhaust fans at the ceiling, fans on the floor, a screen to display the songs and a fake ceiling (partially, rest will be done later) for better acoustics and will reduce the heat. I am pleased at the mixture of Cuencanos and Gringos who attend the services, a few of the Gringos were here last year but most are new since then.
Had a great Skype chat with Monica and Angela; Hunter, Jay, Brianna, and Derrell appeared occasionally. Jenny and I took a short nap before evening services. Wondering how the Old Fashioned Day services went back home; special guest was Bruce Frye. We had a low attendance for the evening services, or so it seemed to me based on last year as best I can remember. Instead of speaking from the pulpit, Pastor Ken had us put our chairs in a circle and, although he presented a message on Saints (who and where "they" are), he opened it up for a little bit of responses and discussion.
Then, to our apartment, watched another episode of Supernatural then to bed.
Had a great Skype chat with Monica and Angela; Hunter, Jay, Brianna, and Derrell appeared occasionally. Jenny and I took a short nap before evening services. Wondering how the Old Fashioned Day services went back home; special guest was Bruce Frye. We had a low attendance for the evening services, or so it seemed to me based on last year as best I can remember. Instead of speaking from the pulpit, Pastor Ken had us put our chairs in a circle and, although he presented a message on Saints (who and where "they" are), he opened it up for a little bit of responses and discussion.
Then, to our apartment, watched another episode of Supernatural then to bed.
Sunday, October 16, 2016
SATURDAY, 15 October, 2016
Really nothing to write about the past couple of days. I do what I can to interact with some of the boys but most just don't seem too interested in getting out of their "comfort zone", whatever that may be. Because of the age differences, they seem to group together. Of course, because of my shortcomings in speaking Spanish, I can't really keep up with them, although Google Translate and I try.
Today, we caught a bus and went to El Centro; we wanted to see if Mercedes was still there; we wrote about her last year. She has her own little tienda (shop) on one of the side streets of the San Francisco Plaza. She was there and remembered us, although she had forgotten our names - that's okay because I probably would have forgotten hers had I not had it written in my little notebook. Hugs all around and she brought us up-to-date about what's going on with the merchants in the plaza - the city of Cuenca is, at some date, going to relocate them but no decision has been made as to when and where to. Jenny bought some souvenir make-up bags for each of her friends in the ladies group back home. At another merchant in the plaza, I bought an "Ecuador" futbol (soccer) shirt; I'll wear it this afternoon to impress the boys! We got some of the delicious ice cream then caught the bus back to the church.
I am eating more fruit here, especially strawberries - they are fresh and sweet.
Really nothing to write about the past couple of days. I do what I can to interact with some of the boys but most just don't seem too interested in getting out of their "comfort zone", whatever that may be. Because of the age differences, they seem to group together. Of course, because of my shortcomings in speaking Spanish, I can't really keep up with them, although Google Translate and I try.
Today, we caught a bus and went to El Centro; we wanted to see if Mercedes was still there; we wrote about her last year. She has her own little tienda (shop) on one of the side streets of the San Francisco Plaza. She was there and remembered us, although she had forgotten our names - that's okay because I probably would have forgotten hers had I not had it written in my little notebook. Hugs all around and she brought us up-to-date about what's going on with the merchants in the plaza - the city of Cuenca is, at some date, going to relocate them but no decision has been made as to when and where to. Jenny bought some souvenir make-up bags for each of her friends in the ladies group back home. At another merchant in the plaza, I bought an "Ecuador" futbol (soccer) shirt; I'll wear it this afternoon to impress the boys! We got some of the delicious ice cream then caught the bus back to the church.
I am eating more fruit here, especially strawberries - they are fresh and sweet.
Saturday, October 15, 2016
WEDNESDAY, 12 October 2016
Today is my daughter Angela's birthday!
We went for a late breakfast with Raul and Chelita to the Sunshine Café in El Centro. It is a popular gringo hangout; the place was practically full of them. Frank, a Cuban who worked at the Domesan restaurant, where we ate at several times last year, is working there now. Don't know if I mentioined it in previous posts but the Domesan is no more; it has been replaced by an Indian (India) restaurant. Raul's sinuses are still causing problems so after a little shopping at one of the Corals, they brought us back to the church then went home. Apparently the climate of Cuenca bothers him; they live in a small town a few miles outside of Cuenca where the air is better; not as much pollution from cars and buses.
A good evening at Bible Study; the women went to their own classes this week (they do that every other week). The speaker in the men's study was William; I understood very little but I'm sure it was good since he puts a lot of work into it. Afterwards, a time of fellowship then to our room, watched part of an episode of Supernatural then to bed.
Today is my daughter Angela's birthday!
We went for a late breakfast with Raul and Chelita to the Sunshine Café in El Centro. It is a popular gringo hangout; the place was practically full of them. Frank, a Cuban who worked at the Domesan restaurant, where we ate at several times last year, is working there now. Don't know if I mentioined it in previous posts but the Domesan is no more; it has been replaced by an Indian (India) restaurant. Raul's sinuses are still causing problems so after a little shopping at one of the Corals, they brought us back to the church then went home. Apparently the climate of Cuenca bothers him; they live in a small town a few miles outside of Cuenca where the air is better; not as much pollution from cars and buses.
A good evening at Bible Study; the women went to their own classes this week (they do that every other week). The speaker in the men's study was William; I understood very little but I'm sure it was good since he puts a lot of work into it. Afterwards, a time of fellowship then to our room, watched part of an episode of Supernatural then to bed.
Wednesday, October 12, 2016
TUESDAY, 11 October 2016
Pretty much uneventful around the church. However, we did have a wonderful lunch at Gourmand Café, owned and operated by a lady from our Church - Sylvia Paredes. Her primary specialty is baking so I would say that's why it is a café instead of a restaurant.
We spent the evening visiting with Ken, Lisa, and the boys. Kathy and Jeff ?? were here for awhile. Kathy volunteers to cook evening meals for the boys; I'm not sure if she does it every week. The group home for the boys would not make it if it were not for all of the volunteers who come on a regular basis to help watch the boys, cook, etc. Three or four girls who are studying psychology in college come to help as part of their psychology courses, but usually they are overseeing the boys during playtime.
Es un gran diá!
Pretty much uneventful around the church. However, we did have a wonderful lunch at Gourmand Café, owned and operated by a lady from our Church - Sylvia Paredes. Her primary specialty is baking so I would say that's why it is a café instead of a restaurant.
We spent the evening visiting with Ken, Lisa, and the boys. Kathy and Jeff ?? were here for awhile. Kathy volunteers to cook evening meals for the boys; I'm not sure if she does it every week. The group home for the boys would not make it if it were not for all of the volunteers who come on a regular basis to help watch the boys, cook, etc. Three or four girls who are studying psychology in college come to help as part of their psychology courses, but usually they are overseeing the boys during playtime.
Es un gran diá!
Monday, October 10, 2016
MONDAY, 10 OCTOBER, 2016
Not an especially different day; we did walk to the SuperMaxi on Don Bosco that had been built since we left last year, about 2.5km/31 minutes. Bought a few things then went back to our apartment, rested a little. I found a weed trimmer in Pastor Ken's storage room so I trimmed around all the walkways and flower beds.
Supper with the Weavers and boys, then to our apartment to wind down, watch Netflix, then to bed. By the way, one of the reasons I'm keeping this blog is so we will remember our activites! I just noticed the time stamp on each post, it's two hours slow because it's showing Pacific Daylight Time when it should actually be Eastern Standard time because Ecuador does not do daylight savings. So, I manually changed it to the correct time; we'll see how that works out. :-)
Not an especially different day; we did walk to the SuperMaxi on Don Bosco that had been built since we left last year, about 2.5km/31 minutes. Bought a few things then went back to our apartment, rested a little. I found a weed trimmer in Pastor Ken's storage room so I trimmed around all the walkways and flower beds.
Supper with the Weavers and boys, then to our apartment to wind down, watch Netflix, then to bed. By the way, one of the reasons I'm keeping this blog is so we will remember our activites! I just noticed the time stamp on each post, it's two hours slow because it's showing Pacific Daylight Time when it should actually be Eastern Standard time because Ecuador does not do daylight savings. So, I manually changed it to the correct time; we'll see how that works out. :-)
Today is Monday, 10 October so I'm behind, since we've been here since last Tuesday, the 4th. We were actually in Guayaquil on the 4th because we arrived at about 9:30. By the time we got through Emigration and Customs and to our room in the Continental Hotel, it was almost midnight. Getting through Customs wasn't as easy as when we came last year; we actually had to get in the line that was "checked" by them. The "check" involved sending our luggage through an x-ray machine.
We aren't quite as involved as we were last year, although I did trim the edges of the grassy areas today. We thought we would be able to help more than we are with the group home but it seems they have sufficient volunteers and paid full-time staff (psychiatrist, social worker, and housekeeper) to meet their needs. About all I've been able to figure out I can do is just interact with some of the boys during their free time in the afternoon and evening, but that isn't really much because, like boys their ages in the States, most are absorbed in being on the computers (two we brought with us), internet, and Sony PlayStation 4 (that we brought with us as well).
So, this will not be a day-by-day operation, unless there's something to share or just remember. Since this is a catch-up, I will break down days as reflected below.
TUESDAY, 4 October 2016
Mike and Judy Hall picked us up and took us to the airport to catch our flight to Guayaquil Ecuador; it's easier to fly into there and get alternate transportation than getting connecting flights through either Quito or Guayaquil - either would involve an all night stay, either in the airport or a hotel. Of course we did stop at Cracker Barrel in Madison before we went to the airport.
We checked our luggage in, went to the waiting area near the TSA checkpoint, visited with Mike and Judy for awhile then, with about less than an hour to board, we made our way through the checkpoint - our first inconvenience of the trip. I am carrying two new laptops and a Sony Playstation 4 for the group home in Cuenca in my carry-on bag; I also packed all of Jenny's vitamins in her carry-on bag. When I went through the first TSA check point to verify ID and Passport, the guy told me it was no longer necessary to remove the electronics so I didn't. As the two carry-ons went through the x-ray scanner, the operator told me they would need to be opened and checked by another agent because she could not identify the contents. So, after another agent got the bags and proceeded to remove items to visually determine contents, particularly the electronic devices and pill bottles. The scanner could not "see through" the electronics or the pill bottles to determine contents in the bottles or other contents in the carry-on's, thus the manual check. I had forgotten I had a D-ring attached to one of the strap rings with a knife attached so they confiscated that - it was just one of those things I left attached when traveling in the car so I would have it if needed. There was no problem, I just explained I had forgotten it was there.
The rest of the trip went well; American Airlines actually gave each passenger a small bag of mini-pretzels on legs between Huntsville & Charlotte as well as Charlotte to Miami. We had a small meal on the Miami-Guayaquil leg.
Raul Fernandez and Chelita Burbano (husband & wife) met us at the airport and took us to our hotel, the Continental. As previously mentioned, it was midnight so after we got checked in and into our rooms, it was bedtime!
WEDNESDAY, 5 October 2016
After a needed night's rest, we met Raul and Chelita in the dining area of the hotel for our full breakfast, which was included with our reservations. Raul was suffering from severe allergies but wanted to hang out in Guayaquil for awhile so we walked to the Iguana Park, the very large open market, then walked along the Malecon for a bit. Although I think he had planned to stay in Guayaquil longer, his allergies were so painful, we agreed that we should get to Cuenca where the air is not so bad and he could rest better. Although suffering, he drove a little while then Chelita took over so he could rest. However, when we got closer to the Cajas mountain range and park, he drove again. We stopped to get a bite to eat so I offered to drive so he could relax and rest, sleep if needed. To my surprise, Raul agreed so I drove the rest of the way across the mountains! It was no big deal. However, when we got into the Cuenca city limits, Raul began driving, at my previous request, because I felt I was not ready for that experience!
We arrived at Iglesia Bautista de la Gente a little after 5 pm; visited with Pastor Ken and Lisa; Raul and Chelita left for their home and we settled into our cozy, comfortable apartment on the Church grounds but separate from the main building. It has two overstuffed chairs, a queen sized bed, closets, a round table and two chairs, just right for two. There's also a kitchenette area, with a refrigerator, coffee pot, and microwave oven; a restroom with a sink and shower. We have no stove so to cook, we can use either the stove in the Church fellowship area or the one in the main kitchen. So, I think we will do just fine.
Since it is Wednesday, we attended the services; hooked up with friends we knew from last year and met some new ones who are coming since after we left. Afterwards, it was a nice time of fellowship; after all of that, we went to our room and crashed - we were both exhausted. Raul is still not well so he and Chelita were not there; Karina Padilla made it during the fellowship time; she thought she wouldn't be there at all to welcome us back but her daughter, Amy, got home earlier than expected so she came over.
SATURDAY, 8 October 2016
Not anything special to write about for Thursday and Friday; we got acclimated to the new area and shopped for a few groceries.
Today was a big day because we had lots of work to do to get the new "outside" sanctuary completed before the services tomorrow. God is so blessing this ministry with new people all the time; so many that they have outgrown the indoors facility on Sundays. So, Pastor Ken and others converted the driveway area between the church and exterior property wall into a covered sanctuary; it is very nice. However, there was a lot to clean, a tarp to hang on one end of the area and, did I mention cleaning! Several men and a couple of women came over to help and we actually got everything done, including chairs in place.
We are having dinner with the group home boys and interacting with them in the evenings after homework, dinner, and showers. These boys come from broken homes, some were living on the streets, some are orphans. Previously, they were in a Catholic orphanage where they weren't really taught much of anything, so things are not quite "calm" yet but Pastor Ken, Lisa, and Desire are doing great at changing their attitudes and disciplines.
Gary Rovetto came over; he and I prepared 152 hamburgers for tomorrow's celebration of the new sanctuary; we cooked 120 of them.
SUNDAY, 9 October 2016
A big day at Church! We had close to 100 people; I'm sure that's a record! Everyone seemed to like the new sanctuary, although there are still some minor things to work out, one being it was too bright for the projector to show the songs. That problem was foreseen though because we were given the songs on paper. Pastor Ken preached a great salvation message.
As soon as the last "Amen" was said, the mad rush to eat began. It's a good thing we cooked burgers last night! We also cooked about 160 hot dogs. There were other food items but I don't know what they were because by the time Gary and I had all of the burgers warmed, the other 32 cooked, and the hot dogs cooked, the other food was gone. There were a few hot dog buns left, only because some took their "dog" without buns. All in all, it was a great turn-out and fellowship.
There were no evening services so we hung out around the Church and visited with Pastor Ken and Lisa, and a few of the church members, as well as some of the boys.
Since there are no TV's on the premises, we are using our laptops to access the internet; so far we've watched a couple of episodes of "Supernatural" on Netflix. By then, Jenny is ready for bed so I check my FB and e-mails and try to find some news to read. I had a difficult time finding a source for the college football results from yesterday, but finally located them and found out Alabama won - Roll Tide!
We aren't quite as involved as we were last year, although I did trim the edges of the grassy areas today. We thought we would be able to help more than we are with the group home but it seems they have sufficient volunteers and paid full-time staff (psychiatrist, social worker, and housekeeper) to meet their needs. About all I've been able to figure out I can do is just interact with some of the boys during their free time in the afternoon and evening, but that isn't really much because, like boys their ages in the States, most are absorbed in being on the computers (two we brought with us), internet, and Sony PlayStation 4 (that we brought with us as well).
So, this will not be a day-by-day operation, unless there's something to share or just remember. Since this is a catch-up, I will break down days as reflected below.
TUESDAY, 4 October 2016
Mike and Judy Hall picked us up and took us to the airport to catch our flight to Guayaquil Ecuador; it's easier to fly into there and get alternate transportation than getting connecting flights through either Quito or Guayaquil - either would involve an all night stay, either in the airport or a hotel. Of course we did stop at Cracker Barrel in Madison before we went to the airport.
We checked our luggage in, went to the waiting area near the TSA checkpoint, visited with Mike and Judy for awhile then, with about less than an hour to board, we made our way through the checkpoint - our first inconvenience of the trip. I am carrying two new laptops and a Sony Playstation 4 for the group home in Cuenca in my carry-on bag; I also packed all of Jenny's vitamins in her carry-on bag. When I went through the first TSA check point to verify ID and Passport, the guy told me it was no longer necessary to remove the electronics so I didn't. As the two carry-ons went through the x-ray scanner, the operator told me they would need to be opened and checked by another agent because she could not identify the contents. So, after another agent got the bags and proceeded to remove items to visually determine contents, particularly the electronic devices and pill bottles. The scanner could not "see through" the electronics or the pill bottles to determine contents in the bottles or other contents in the carry-on's, thus the manual check. I had forgotten I had a D-ring attached to one of the strap rings with a knife attached so they confiscated that - it was just one of those things I left attached when traveling in the car so I would have it if needed. There was no problem, I just explained I had forgotten it was there.
The rest of the trip went well; American Airlines actually gave each passenger a small bag of mini-pretzels on legs between Huntsville & Charlotte as well as Charlotte to Miami. We had a small meal on the Miami-Guayaquil leg.
Raul Fernandez and Chelita Burbano (husband & wife) met us at the airport and took us to our hotel, the Continental. As previously mentioned, it was midnight so after we got checked in and into our rooms, it was bedtime!
WEDNESDAY, 5 October 2016
After a needed night's rest, we met Raul and Chelita in the dining area of the hotel for our full breakfast, which was included with our reservations. Raul was suffering from severe allergies but wanted to hang out in Guayaquil for awhile so we walked to the Iguana Park, the very large open market, then walked along the Malecon for a bit. Although I think he had planned to stay in Guayaquil longer, his allergies were so painful, we agreed that we should get to Cuenca where the air is not so bad and he could rest better. Although suffering, he drove a little while then Chelita took over so he could rest. However, when we got closer to the Cajas mountain range and park, he drove again. We stopped to get a bite to eat so I offered to drive so he could relax and rest, sleep if needed. To my surprise, Raul agreed so I drove the rest of the way across the mountains! It was no big deal. However, when we got into the Cuenca city limits, Raul began driving, at my previous request, because I felt I was not ready for that experience!
We arrived at Iglesia Bautista de la Gente a little after 5 pm; visited with Pastor Ken and Lisa; Raul and Chelita left for their home and we settled into our cozy, comfortable apartment on the Church grounds but separate from the main building. It has two overstuffed chairs, a queen sized bed, closets, a round table and two chairs, just right for two. There's also a kitchenette area, with a refrigerator, coffee pot, and microwave oven; a restroom with a sink and shower. We have no stove so to cook, we can use either the stove in the Church fellowship area or the one in the main kitchen. So, I think we will do just fine.
Since it is Wednesday, we attended the services; hooked up with friends we knew from last year and met some new ones who are coming since after we left. Afterwards, it was a nice time of fellowship; after all of that, we went to our room and crashed - we were both exhausted. Raul is still not well so he and Chelita were not there; Karina Padilla made it during the fellowship time; she thought she wouldn't be there at all to welcome us back but her daughter, Amy, got home earlier than expected so she came over.
SATURDAY, 8 October 2016
Not anything special to write about for Thursday and Friday; we got acclimated to the new area and shopped for a few groceries.
Today was a big day because we had lots of work to do to get the new "outside" sanctuary completed before the services tomorrow. God is so blessing this ministry with new people all the time; so many that they have outgrown the indoors facility on Sundays. So, Pastor Ken and others converted the driveway area between the church and exterior property wall into a covered sanctuary; it is very nice. However, there was a lot to clean, a tarp to hang on one end of the area and, did I mention cleaning! Several men and a couple of women came over to help and we actually got everything done, including chairs in place.
We are having dinner with the group home boys and interacting with them in the evenings after homework, dinner, and showers. These boys come from broken homes, some were living on the streets, some are orphans. Previously, they were in a Catholic orphanage where they weren't really taught much of anything, so things are not quite "calm" yet but Pastor Ken, Lisa, and Desire are doing great at changing their attitudes and disciplines.
Gary Rovetto came over; he and I prepared 152 hamburgers for tomorrow's celebration of the new sanctuary; we cooked 120 of them.
SUNDAY, 9 October 2016
A big day at Church! We had close to 100 people; I'm sure that's a record! Everyone seemed to like the new sanctuary, although there are still some minor things to work out, one being it was too bright for the projector to show the songs. That problem was foreseen though because we were given the songs on paper. Pastor Ken preached a great salvation message.
As soon as the last "Amen" was said, the mad rush to eat began. It's a good thing we cooked burgers last night! We also cooked about 160 hot dogs. There were other food items but I don't know what they were because by the time Gary and I had all of the burgers warmed, the other 32 cooked, and the hot dogs cooked, the other food was gone. There were a few hot dog buns left, only because some took their "dog" without buns. All in all, it was a great turn-out and fellowship.
There were no evening services so we hung out around the Church and visited with Pastor Ken and Lisa, and a few of the church members, as well as some of the boys.
Since there are no TV's on the premises, we are using our laptops to access the internet; so far we've watched a couple of episodes of "Supernatural" on Netflix. By then, Jenny is ready for bed so I check my FB and e-mails and try to find some news to read. I had a difficult time finding a source for the college football results from yesterday, but finally located them and found out Alabama won - Roll Tide!
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