Terry and I visited La mitad del mundo near Quito. I never really understood all the stuff in science about the equator but it sure was interesting to actually stand on it. Another interesting sight was the 130 year old home that was made of bamboo,mud and pumice.

The guinea pigs that were housed in the home had a special purpose. They are raised to eat. In the mountains there is a tribe that uses them as medicine. When a person is ill a shaman will take the little piggy and rub it all over the body of the person. He than will take the little piggy and while alive cut it open and by reading the organs tell why the person is ill.

Shut Down

I guess you could say last week was a shut down week for me. I have been so overwhelmed. Where do you start when you have two weeks before you leave the country and you haven't done diddly squat. Things that needed done

• Decide what goes, stays, gets given away, or thrown away

• Store furniture - Do I give it away and when we return start over
  

• Get financial stuff in order. Taxes, banking ect. Wow getting Taxes done before the next year

• Mail where does the mail go? Wait where is the mail I got today

• Pack four bags for a year! Wait I only have two bags

• Visit McDonald's two times a day for a week to get boxes. Gain extra pounds because I can't go to MD's and not buy something
  

• Keep the house looking nice as your packing in case someone wants to view house at the last minute
  

• Spend two days giving my food stash away. Dumb idea to have enough food stored for Armageddon

• Find a home for twenty two bottles of shampoo, deodorant, mouth wash ect.
• Find books to use with curriculum that will be used for the school year
  

Sometimes when diddly squat gets done I shut down

P.S. That was last week, this week seven of the things have been done. I think it was all the energy I got from my frequent trips to McDonald's.

I really did not need this break

As some you are aware, and hopefully by now my family is, I recently had a stay in our neighborhood hospital. I found out that family is not always the first to be contacted during a time like this and that communication can get scrambled. I also learned that I should never tell someone while passing by a certain hospital that I wouldn't let my dog go there. I might get sent there myself.

Here's what happened:

Last Monday night I went to bed with a slight stomach ache. Half an hour later Terry came in to find me rolling around and yelling in pain. He told me I could either get in the car to go to ER or he was calling an ambulance. Some choice. I felt like this was something that would go away if I held out long enough. I was rushed into the er room which was a remarkable feat and checked on in a timely manner.

The Doctor came in checked my vitals and then told me I had a three in four chance of having a stroke. He then started asking me some confusing questions. He asked if I was aware that I had heart arethmea. I said "What?" and than he asked me other questions. He then looked at a piece of paper and said "your're not this patient" and left. So when he returned later to tell me that my serumamylca whatever is 9000 and should be 150, I thought, "now which patient's paperwork do you have?" He than told me I would get to stay for the night. Well maybe a few nights.

This was not in my plans. "I got stuff to do" I said. He told me my room is available and off I went. I found out I had Pancreaitis and some stones in the gall bladder. I tell the doctor it was probably all the cornbread and buttermilk I eat, and that I won't eat it again. He tells me I won't be eating or drinking again for a few days. Fun starts.

I am now minus a gall bladder, a hernia that he took out for free and my pancreas is no longer inflamed. I met some nice people and God even sent one of our church members to be in the room across from me so I would have someone to fellowship with.

This wasn't in my plans but God knew this would not have been a good thing to have while in Ecuador. I am thankful that it happened when it did. No heavy lifting for six weeks. Somehow the packing has got to get done. Maybe this is God's way of saying don't pack it up just give it away.

Views of my new Home

This will be our living room and dining room. The patio doors go out into a small balcony. I hope to be able to put a lot of plants in containers out there.
Looking out from the patio to the neighbors yards. Looks like someone has helped me on the container gardening already.
My little itty bitty tiny kitchen.



View from the patio of our apartment in Loja.


I am getting excited and a little scared. With a little color and some love this little apartment will make us a wonderful home. Some of the lambs will be packed into suitcases. They are getting excited about going to new pastures too.

Fourteen years of my life were spent in a one room schoolhouse. I will be adding another year to the total. Terry and I will be leaving for Ecuador in July to teach MKs (Missionary kids) for the next school year. This has all happened so quickly. SIM Loja has been praying for several years that someone would come and teach. As Terry and I walked thru the class building in December we both sensed that we should be there.

This has not been an easy decision to make. Terry has a wonderful job that he loves and it has benefits. We will be leaving mom and dad and new friends we have made here. Last but not least is Hiedi the missionary dog, the dog I despised and only agreed to keep because she belonged to my grandchildren. I have become very attached to her.

Pray for us as we begin this new journey. Pray that we can get all the visa stuff done in a timely manner and that we will be able to get the support we need. So much needs to be done before we leave. The house needs to be rented, Heidi needs a new home, and I have to figure out what we will need for a year and how to get it all into four suitcases.

Three years ago this week God moved us to a new pasture. I had so many questions and doubts. So many things have happened since that time. You can catch up with them on the blog. Renee and family moving to Ohio soon after we came. Becca and family moving to Ecuador. Seth and Carrie giving us a new addition to the family. Terry getting the perfect job and God gave us a wonderful church family here in Hillsboro. We made grandma's house into our new home. God has so blessed us during this time. Well folks today we will be starting on another journey with God. This one is also scary but God has kept His promise to us that he has only good for us. I will be sharing with you as we start this new journey. Please be in prayer as we start on the next part of His journey for us.

The following is a post from three years ago

March 17, 2008

I think I may have some insight into Sarah’s reaction to Abraham when he gave her the news of the move. You see Sarah had her life altogether after all she was over 50. She had a good job with benefits. A beautiful tent and her husband had a good ministry. She had made good friends over the years and had already decided on the retirement home and picked out her burial plot.

She cried out to God this isn’t fair, I just planted new tulips in the flowerbed and I won’t be able to see them come up. We will never be able to sell the tent is this market. What about Abraham, God do you know what the job market is like?

Maybe God spoke to Sarah’s heart with scripture as he did mine. ” ‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not hurt you, plans to give you hope and a future.’ ” Jer. 29:11

March 21,2008

This is Carrie. Patty asked me to make a post for her. I thought she had one saved and ready to go, but I can’t find it (sorry Marme!)

She called last night and they were almost there, but decided to stop at a hotel and get some rest. They will finish their journey today!

Keep them in your prayers

The post above were posted three years ago today. Carrie I am sorry but the journey wasn't finished it's just starting.

Finally a posting

I can't believe I haven't posted since May of last year. I will try to do better this year. I will try to do several posts on our trip to Loja. We had a wonderful visit with the grandchildren. The first thing Esther said to me was Grandmas were supposed to cuddle and we went upstairs and cuddled. She read to me and I just looked at her remembering the day she was born. She has turned into a beautiful little girl. I was able to have several weeks of cuddle days with her.


I was able to attend their school for a day. Climbing into the van was an experience. There must have been 20 kids in the seats and there were no seat belts. The children have small classes and move around for each subject. I was surprised to hear Esther and Marcus using spanish so well. Weston is working on it. It was a wonderful ride up the mountain to the school. The views were
spectacular.


The children plant a huge garden every year. They til it with their hand tools and plant and care for it. When the garden has grown they pick and cook the garden veggies for lunch. They also tend to the goats and milk them. Some days they go down to the river for science and climb the hills. Most schools in town only go until 12:00 or 1 than let out for Siesta. This school goes for six hours. It is considered one of the more elite schools in Loja.

One thing I noticed that was different about their school was that the boys played like boys. There was a large sandbox in which they used toy trucks and moved the sand around. They also used their hands to throw it at each other. A real no no in the states. Many of the boys ran around using their fingers as guns. Some were rough housing on the hills while others were dangling from trees. A good game of soccer was always going on.

The girls played in their girl groups and watched the guys. The younger ones played tag and played on the slides.

Art and music were an important part of the school. Almost all the children played an instrument or sang. Red and blue pens were used for math and for writing. I was told that presentation is important in the schools so the printing and writing must look good. Most of the work was copied from the boards as there are no textbooks. So the children get a lot of opportunity to practice.

The trip home was interesting. I was sitting in the front seat when one of the boys who was sitting next to me started using his finger as a machine gun while making machine gun noises. He than says what I thought sounded like Terrorist but it could have been tourista as he pointed at me.

We saw a monkey in a fenced yard trying to escape. Several cows eating along the road and a horse that didn't seem to mind that a van load of kids were about to run it over.

Does God speak thru dogs

Sounds like a weird question but today I was wondering about it. The last three or so weeks I have been asking why why why. Today as I was trying to get all the dog hairs off the couch I started thinking about how much I had detested heidi dog. When Becca had her I didn't like her. It wasn't just Heidi I have never been a dog person. They take up time, eat, poop and cost money. Kind of like kids huh!

I am not going there today, but as I got to thinking I remembered the day Becca and family dropped her off before leaving for Ecuador. I had been praying God would find Heidi another home. She licked everything. She is a huge tank and sheds, eats stuffed lambs, men's shoes, kitchen utensils and takes time to take care off. Having a dog was not on my agenda.

Picking up the dog hair it dawned on me. God brings dogs into our lives that we don't want, things that aren't on our agenda' Moving, responsibilities, job loss, sickness ect.

I had asked God to help me learn to love Heidi when she came. The day the kids packed into their car to leave back to Illinois I saw tears on Marcus face, a boy who normally didn't show much emotion for things, he had tears in his eyes because he was leaving his dog. How could I not love a dog that my grandson loved. At that moment God gave me a different feeling for her.

Heidi has helped me see God's creation every morning on our walks. Walks were something that weren't on my agenda. She greets me at the door when I come home. When I am sad she looks at me as if she knows how I am feeling and lays down at me feet as if to give comfort. She guards the bathroom door when I take a bath. Heidi has helped me lose the 2o pounds I didn't need.

Today Heidi showed me that God brings things into our lives that we don't want and that don't fit our agenda but they are good for us. God gives us what's best. Dear God help me to remember that what you bring into my life is going to be good even if I don't see the benefit of it in my life at the time. Change my heart. Help me to see and understand that you only want the best for me.

Waking up to another crime scene

I woke up to a crime scene this morning.



I thought it odd that there would be this stuff in the floor. Investigating I found a lowly sad brown shoefurther investigation showed that said shoes insole may have been chewed on a little. Further investigation of the victim showed that it's tongue had been taken out.

It didn't take long for me to find the mastermind of this deed. Terry is going to be sooooo mad.

Eyes Wide Open

This was a post I made in March of 2008, it came to my mind today as I was walking with Heidi in the freshly falling snow. As I passed the trees that applauded me in the rain several weeks ago another sound was coming from them. It sounded like water rushing over small pebbles in a stream. I stopped and listened. I looked around and saw God's handiwork in the fields and trees, even in the goats eating their breakfast in the early morning snow. It was quiet, worshipful, I just stood in awe and remembered my brother Jimmy and how I needed to see the world for him.Sometimes I get busy and forget.

Eyes wide open

Not long ago, I was looking out of a plane window to the land below. Tears came to my eyes as I was thinking of my brother Jimmy who was fighting bone cancer. I had just left him in what would be my last visit with him. My thoughts were that he would never see the ground from this high, silly thoughts. When I got home life changed for me. I looked at the sky for longer periods of time. Noticed the stars in the darkness. I noticed the worms in the soil while working in the garden. I noticed the different greens of the trees. Before, the sky held no wonder, dirt was dirt, and there was only one color of trees. One day it it hit me, I was seeing the world for Jimmy.

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