I didn´t really want to write here because I didn´t think I´d ever say this, but...yes, I´m homesick. Sometimes it´s the little things that do it. Yesterday, I stopped at a store on my way home for just some apple juice and cookies. And I told the lady what I wanted but she said What? and so I told her again, and another girl started laughing at me. Then she kept giggling as she took my money. It was just frustrating because people always understand me. I´m already intimidated to go in by myself and order things in Spanish, and then to be laughed at is just not fun. Then, everyday when I come home, I can never get the gate open to come inside because you have to turn the key and kick it this certain way...I was just getting very frustrated and thinking, I want to go home! And I haven´t really made any good girl friends yet.
On a good note, today we carved pumpkins with the kids, and it went really well. And most of the kids had never done that before, so it was neat to see them doing it. They all wanted to taste the seeds, so I brought home a ton of seeds and cooked them, so they can try them tomorrow.
While we were carving the pumpkins, I could smell something delicious and it smelled like apple cider. Well, later as I was about to leave, the Spanish teacher stopped me and told me to go down to the home ec room because there was colada morada and guaguas de pan (if thats spelled right?) which are for day of the dead...just some little breads in the shape of people ,with clothes on them in icing. And colada morada is supposed to look like blood...it´s red and full of ground up red corn and tons of fruits, and it was served hot today. It was DELICIOUS though. And it was neat because I sat around talking in Spanish with ladies and listening to the cook talk about Day of the Dead, the history and traditions. This weekend we will go to Santo Domingo, where the family I´m staying with has a farm. and it´s right by a cemetery, so I think we will see people bringing their goodies to the graves, and there will be lots of colada morada and guaguas de pan and things being sold in the streets. So, hopefully I will write again Monday or Tuesday to say how that all went!

Seeing God

This Saturday I went to a place called Calacali on a retreat with teachers from the school. I didn´t know hardly anyone, but I decided to go so I could get to know people. We went to a cabin on a beautiful farm. A few of us climbed a mountain and there was such a beautiful view. While we were there, we ate a great lunch and just talked and ate S´mores on a fire. Then, we went to Mitad del Mundo, the middle of the world. There, we just walked around, took pictures by the equator line, and ate dinner at a nice restaurant. I got to know a lot of teachers and how God brought them to the academy. At dinner, I sat with the director of the academy and he was telling me how one girl who student taught there last year is now a teacher there. So he said, That happens sometimes, you know! I can see they are already trying to recruit me. Apparently, they lose teachers all the time because many just stay for a couple of years.

Today, I went to church and there was a time for testimonies. Everyone who spoke told about something that happened Thursday night. At the church, they were having the Bible study, about 20 people, and 4 men with guns came into the church. Immediately, the Pastor told the people to pray and speak in tongues. So the people all started doing this, and the men looked like they were fighting with someone, but no one was there. They could not hold their guns up. But one man took a knife to the Pastor and tried to cut his throat, but could only make a red mark, not even any blood. Then, all four men were trying to push the Pastor onto the floor to beat him up, but they physically could not push him down. As they were trying, one man got up to try to help the Pastor, and one of the men shot him. He was only 3 meters away, but the bullet did not touch him. It was on the floor. The man giving this testimony said that when he took a shower later, he was searching his body and stomach, but he had no mark at all. After the men saw that the bullet did not go into the man, they got scared and left the church. It sounds hard for me even to believe, but I heard the testimonies of so many people who were there on Thursday, and I know God has the power to do these things! It´s just that I´ve never personally witnessed something like this before, and I´ve never even heard a story firsthand like this. But wow! God really was protecting his people, and showing Himself to those men also. This is not uncommon here, because another young teacher at the school was telling me that she was at a Bible study and men came in and held her and some girls up with guns, but they were not hurt either. So, this is something to pray about here, for safety. When I first heard the girl´s story about being held up by guns at Bible study, I was scared to even be in a church almost, but God can clearly protect his people. I just still am in awe of that whole situation.

Getting Adjusted

Well, I had my first weekend here. Friday night I attended a Bible study here at the house. It was a little bit intimidating because they kept calling on me to answer in Spanish. Then Friday night I went to a McCafe..which we don´t have at home. It´s just a McDonald´s Cafe. They dont serve food, just hot drinks and have couches and wifi. Then, Saturday I went to a big sports thing, much like the X Games. We watched biking, skateboarding, paintballing, breakdancing, climbed a rock wall, and ate food. Sunday, I went to church for a little while and then went to watch a soccer game of one of the boys I´m living with. It was fun, and then we went to the mall, which made me feel like I was at home. Plus, I got ice cream for the first time since I´ve been here. And you all know me...I was DYING for ice cream! haha.
Today I had another great day at the school, getting to know the kids and teacher a little better. I worked a lot with one girl from Korea, who hardly knows any English at all. I feel really bad for her, because I was working on synonyms with her. But almost every word, she didn´t even know what the original word meant that she needed to come up with a synonym for. The class I´m with has a lot of struggling students, and my co op seems so glad to have me help her out. Today I got chicken nuggets and fries for lunch, which I was very happy about. Friday I got something that I didn´t really like. And then we don´t eat dinner. Lunch is their main meal here, and then they eat a light snack like toast and coffee before bed. So you all know me...I LOVE to eat! so this is a big adjustment. Well, I´m still missing you all, but I´m surviving!

My First Day at the Alliance Academy

Well, I went to the airport last night, and my bag came! Wahooo!!! So since I had my clothes, I went to the school today. When I first got there, we had chapel. This week was spiritual emphasis week, which means they had chapel everyday. It reminded me a lot of VBS. They did a theme of Power Lab and had a couple from California leading it. The kids seemed to really love it.
My class consists of 7 Ecuadorian students, 5 from the states, 3 from Korea, and 1 from Taiwan. They all seem to speak English pretty well. They were SO excited for me to be there, giving me hugs and they all had made me a cute card. My cooperating teacher has lived here for 18 years and is a missionary. She told me that her main goal in being there is to see her students accept Christ. In the past week, 6 accepted Christ during chapel. She said she had 2 Muslim students accept Christ before too. I can tell she truly loves her students so much.
The school´s atmosphere is totally different than any I have been to back home. It´s not all indoors. To get anywhere, you walk outside. It is beautiful, right by mountains. We drove there this morning and walked home. From now on, I will walk there each day, or at least walk home because Patty, the lady I live with, has to stay there later than me.
I met so many teachers today and they were all so nice. Everyone made me feel very welcomed. One young teacher asked me to be on their teacher volleyball team, so I agreed to. I told her I´m not very good, but she said it was fine.
All in all, I had a wonderful first day! I loved everything about the school, and I am so excited to be student teaching here. It is like 100% opposite of the last school I taught at, which I needed.

I loved the school because it just looks so different from what I'm used to in the states. Since it's warm all year round, you walk outside to get to most classes, which I loved!



Just the view is AMAZING! I love the mountains in the background behind the playground.

¡Estoy aquí! (I´m here!)

Well, I arrived in Quito safely! The only problem is I don´t have my luggage. Last night, the airline said it should come today, but it hasn´t yet. I can´t start teaching until I have it. I am really hoping and pryaing it comes soon!
My family here is very nice. They are Ecuadorian...mom, dad, and two sons, who are 21 and 23. They also have a maid, who is very nice and brought me a whole pot of hot tea this morning for my throat. She also made a different (Dominican Republic trip people, remember....different is good! haha) , but delicious lunch today.
I have my own room and bathroom and it´s all very nice. Though I have to say I was kind of surprised when I took my shower and it was freezing! Guess I should have been expecting that one. Today I just sat around, talked with the family and watched some TV in Spanish...kind of funny, I watched She´s So Raven, which I watch at home a lot. Here it´s Es Tan Raven.
I´ve been told that Mrs. Weber, the teacher who I´ll be student teaching with, is very nice and excited to meet me. Also, her class has been asking about me for weeks and can´t wait for me to come. So if you want to pray for me, Pray that my bag comes quickly!!! Thanks...missing you all! Fam, I hear the family picture turned out great, can´t wait to see it!

Hey everybody! This is the blog I'll be using while I'm in Quito. I'm not sure how often I'll have the chance to write- but I'll try to keep up to let everybody know how I'm doing.