Salty Coffee & Nutella Oatmeal

Hello from La Mitad del Mundo!

I have been in Ecuador for over 4 days now and felt it was time for an update!

On Saturday I was able to spend time in Wheaton with friends before heading out Sunday morning for a 30-hour travel day (Chicago to Miami to Quito).  All went fairly smoothly with only minor international travel glitches!  Biggest highlight from travel day was getting to meet and talk to Marcello (my plane buddy) who is a Christian Ecuadorian.  He loved sharing about his conversion from Catholicism, his faith, favorite bible verses, and even helped me practice my Spanish!  It was such a blessing to meet a man so passionate about his personal relationship with Christ.

Once landing in Quito and finally arriving at the school (about an hour drive from the airport), I met several people here before heading to bed and getting some much-needed sleep.  Monday was a free day for me while others had meetings so I thought I'd be all domestic and make breakfast which brings me to the title of this post: "Salty Coffee & Nutella Oatmeal."  Using the dorm parents' kitchen I made oatmeal and instant coffee (oh so fancy) and after adding some sugar I about spat all over the kitchen when that 'sugar' turned out to be salt!  Good thing Monica, our cook, is now preparing the meals!

The past three days have been full of teacher orientation and meetings.  While these can be long and cumbersome I am learning a lot about AAI, their philosophy, and all the changes for this upcoming year.  Being a Christian school there is much talk about integration of faith and learning which sounds like distant echoes from all I hear at Wheaton College.  So far, my favorite seminar has been on Biblical Worldview ~ too much to share in an already long blog!

Thankfully my Coloradan body did not have any altitude sickness here and I have even been able to go running.  The views from the soccer field where I run are breathtaking!  The people here are wonderful and very welcoming!  I am enjoying getting to know everyone more - roommate, dorm parents, faculty, staff, etc. - and begin building relationships with them all.  It is odd to know I will be here for a full 3 months so I have the desire to build relationships yet knowing that I will be leaving before everyone else and this time will go so quickly!

"Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain." ~ 1 Corinthians 15:58


Prayer Requests:
~ I am fighting a cold and bad allergies here - prayer for healing
~ My relationship with my cooperating teacher (Tricia)
~ All the students about to return to school in a week