Location, location

What a blessing to finally have my own place! Even better it is a first floor apartment right across the street from the school. It has two bedrooms as well as a study. There are closets everywhere. I am one happy lady. Now if I ever find out how to keep a fire going in the fireplace at this altitude, I'll be even happier.

Moving day my coworker Patty Uscategui borrowed a pick up from her father-in-law. We talked her son Chris and a single man teacher from school into help us, and weaving through Quito traffic with odds and ends of furniture and with two guys hanging on for dear life in the back, we made my move. Patty had quite a few things she didn't need at her house she loaned me and with the things I had bought while at Sol's, I set up housekeeping. It took about ten days to get internet and now this weekend I'm buying a washer dryer unit. The next project will be to get some sturdy chairs. The ones I have are sort of double jointed and some times bend one way and other times the other.

Wednesday before Thanksgiving my kitchen was full of people making all kinds of pies. As I looked around I realized I had a cross section of the people we are ministering to at the academy. A Japanese girl was peeling apples, Patty, a fervent Christian was making crust, A young American was learning how to make pumpkin pie, a little Ecuadorian whose parents have a wonderful school for the very poor of Quito sat at the table coloring. One of the pies went to a third generation Ecuadorian Christian who is struggling with his faith. It is so good to have a special place where I can invite in those who need a Mom, a listening ear, a homemade meal or just someplace to hang out. Once I get a bed in the guest room, I'd love to have you come over too! I'm not far from the airport.

Let me tell you about Ecuadorian bags like the one in the picture. They come in several sizes and many colors. Businesses stamp their ads on them, and boy, are they great. The fibrous plastic will hold anything. They were great to move with. The handles don't break, the sides don't rip out. You can move with them, shop with them, lug rocks in them if you wish. Sorry WalMart bags, you'll never be the same for me anymore. I have a new love. They are so much easier than carrying boxes. They squeeze between pieces of furniture on the back of a pick up just great. When you come see me we'll get you some.

Getting around Quito

Getting around Quito is really quite easy. These little yellow cabs are my favorite. Rumor has it there are 9,000 of them in the city and most are driven by the great-great offspring of the Lost Tribe of Jehu that intermarried with the Incas.... :) They will pick you up at the store and drive you most anywhere for a dollar or two. I think this cab is delivering a major appliance. The more of these drivers I see with gray hair, the better I feel that my chances are of surviving the ride. If there is no exchange of paint, you aren't too close. If there aren't enough lanes, make a third out of two. When you are bright yellow, surely everybody can see you. If not, honk, swerve, and honk. There are also big buses like you see in the picture and even trolleys, but I love the little yellow guys. Only once has one started to drive off before I got both feet in the door. They don't mind at all stopping traffic to let you off, or turning on a dime to go in the direction you want. I usually carry the gold colored dollar coins that you get as change in a US post office stamp machine, and they do the magic of getting me to where I need to go. You just haven't lived until you take a yellow taxi in Quito.

Back to normal

September 30th this beautiful little country came to a screeching halt. There was trouble. At first we thought it was just a labor strike among the local police. The scene quickly escalated and the police and the president were in a head to head conflict. Confusion abound. The Ministry of Education closed all school so we had to scramble to get all 530 kids home safe. We found a few gliches in our evacuation plan but for the most part everyone pitched in and we called parents, arranged rides home, made lists and tried our best to keep track of everyone until they were picked up by an authorized adult. Once home, we sat glued to the TV trying figure out what was going on. As the evening wore on we could hear the bullets flying at the police hospital where the police supposedly had the president. We were able to watch on TV as the special forces rescued the president.

Was it all staged? We don't know. Was it an attempted coup? I personally think it was labor unrest that the politicians took advantage of. Whatever it was, life is back to normal. The malls like the one above on the right are full of shoppers. The little neighborhood stores are busy again. The Indian women in their felt hats and long braids hanging down their backs are on the street corners selling fruit and vegetables. School is going strong. How long will this peace last? We hope for a very long time. Pray for stability in Latin America. God is doing some wonderful things in this place. Opportunity always stands under the shadow of risk.

Doing laundry

Since we don't have a washer or dryer in the apartment, we have two ways to wash clothes. On Saturday morning I gather up my sheets and towels, and any other items that are too bulky to wash by hand and head down stairs to the local laundromat. For seven dollars they will wash, dry and fold two loads in just a few hours, unless the electricity is off... The rest of my clothes I take to what is called the washing rock. Next to the kitchen there is usually a a deep sink and a waist high cement wash board. It is slanted and has ridges to scrub against. The water can be turned on at the top to rinse the liquid soap the locals call Wu lee tei (Woolite) out of the clothes you have been soaking. The local stores carry several kinds of bar soap that will get almost any kind of stain out. There is something therapeutic about scrubbing, squeezing and slapping dirty clothes about. Now if it rains for days and nothing gets dry, your clothes can smell a little sour...That's when you take a third load to the laundromat. I'm still debating if I want to give up all this good therapy and break down and buy a washer and dryer.

Alliance Academy

Kinder playground and preschool classrooms

The front office complex.

The elementary atrium.

The Stomach Bug

For the most part Quito is a healthy place to live. The hospitals and medical care is good. The food is varied and plentiful. You don't have to deal with disease ridden mosquitoes or amoebas lurking in every corner. The only mosquitoes I've seen here were sickly and disoriented and seemed to have a touch of altitude sickness. :) BUT everywhere there are people, there will be viruses that they freely and generously share. The first day kids started showing up at school, the stomach bug began it's feeding frenzy among us. I fell victim this week for a couple of days then had an even harder relapse. I've survived but really hope I don't run into that virus again for a while. The cure for nausea down here is called Tea of Oregano. You smell like a pizza for a while but it does settle your stomach. I hope to get more pictures soon. Now that school has started and the construction is mostly done at school, I'll do a tour for you this week...barring any viral attacks.

Dad's Eternal Celebration

My father, Carl Moses, was born in 1917 in rural Michigan. God called him into ministry as a young man and for seventy years Dad served in any way he could. He pastored churches in the USA, taught at an inter-tribal Bible school in Guatemala, planted churches in Panama, ministered to Mexican Braseros in California, ministered to sailors in Puerto Rico, wrote books, translated for a Christian publishing house, and promoted missions well into his eighties. Dad loved life. He was once asked if he had dying grace and he replied, "Nope, I'm not dying yet." It took a lot to drain life from him, and when the time came, he did have dying grace. Numerous stokes and diabetes little by little took his vitality and finally his life. He leaves behind a wife, seven children, fourteen grandchildren and twenty great grandchildren, but is being greeted in Heaven by scores of relatives, friends, and spiritual children. I imagine him hearing many greetings in both Spanish and English. When I return to the US in December, our family will gather in Kansas to celebrate his life and enjoy the memories.

Well done, Daddy. I miss you.

What to wear in Quito

I love to observe people. Waiting for Sol to finish her shopping one Saturday, I sat on a bench to watch what people wear in Quito. It is cold in this city. Most women wear pants. Among the well heeled, the women wore tailored slacks with beautiful long sleeved sweaters. The colors were often muted. I saw a variety of long knitted scarves. I also saw lots of nice leather shoes. The younger kids wore jeans, boots, tennis shoes, a variety of tops plus the scarf. Some wore jackets, some didn't I didn't see much skin because if I had it would have had goose bumps!

My first clothing purchase in Quito was a white knit shawl. My short sleeved tops have mostly stayed in the closet. People tell me this isn't the cold season!! I'm going to need to find a sale on long johns.

Learning my way around my new office.

A.A.I. has a wonderful facility and the latest in equipment. That computer on my desk is brand new! Up to now I've learned how to used File Pro to put grades on transcripts and School Minder to put in new students, take out withdrawn students and put in the classrooms, teaching assignments and schedules for this year. After three days of tediously combing through all the classes, I told the principal that any changes would be handled by Atilla the Hun! :) I still have to learn how to handle all the files, email, group mailings, etc. etc. My coworkers are very helpful and kind. I'm making some fantastic friends. I feel like someone who has put on a new shoe that was made just for them. The fit is so comfortable. I'll also get to work on the committee for the A.C.S.I. conference in the spring. Since I used to work with them in Venezuela and later in Guatemala, I am very excited!

Eating in Ecuador.

So far I haven't eaten any guinea pig or or wild animals, but the piece of beef I bought this week came from bovine who had lived a looooong and athletic life. Next on my list to buy is a pressure cooker. :) The food here is based a lot on corn and potatoes. I was served soup last week with popcorn instead of crackers. It wasn't bad, just different. The main meal is at noon. It starts with some kind of soup, followed by a main plate with meat, rice, and or potatoes, and a salad. Usually there is a fresh fruit drink with it and if you wish a small dessert. Breakfast and supper are much lighter, bread, cheese, fruit, and coffee. I made fresh corn pancakes Saturday which were real good.

Baking at 10,000 feet is all together a challenge for the hardy. The butter scotch brownies I made yesterday were the strangest looking, tooth wrenching, tasty catastrophe. Back to recipes.com/high altitude. I missed something.

Sol's parents took us all out to a delightful restaurant that features Ecuadorian cuisine. The food was delicious and the atmosphere fascinating. I loved the colorful decorations. It was called "The Hut" but was in a modern building in the heart of town.

Around the neighborhood

We live on the third floor of this apartment building. There are eighty apartments in all in our gated community
I enjoy the flowers every day as I go in and out of the complex. The neighbors are polite and will speak to you as you go by. It's a good place to live.

Ecuadorian tourist spot

Ecuador is so beautiful. This place is called Puertolago. The grounds are well kept. The hotel charming and the food exquisite.

From RDU to Ecuador!

Learning to Wait

When you live overseas, you have to learn to wait. Patiently helps. :) The repaired bed frame was finally brought by today after three nights sleeping on the sofa. The computer guys came but whatever they needed to hook up wireless didn't work. Let's hope for tomorrow. The repairman that is supposed to have come first thing today to fix a water filtration says he'll come tomorrow. I got a lot of reading today waiting and even got in a nap.

Learning to get around

Sol, my apartment mate, has been taking me shopping around town. Little by little I'm getting the things I need to set up my room and my part of the kitchen. The streets are beginning to look a little more familiar. It was quite a victory to be able to catch a taxi on my own to come home from school this afternoon. Tomorrow I hope to venture out again and buy a few more things.

It is great to have a laundry mat, a grocery store and bakery in front of the building complex. The taxi stand is right around the corner. It takes about a dollar to get to work. With the uneven sidewalks, I'm not going to try to walk to school for now.

I met with my two bosses today. My time will be divided between the elementary and high school offices. A big part of my job will be to act as an interpreter for the principals since neither is fluent in Spanish. A large number of the parents do not speak much English.

In a few minutes the repairman is supposed to fix the new bed frame that fell apart the first morning I sat on the edge. Two nights sleeping on the sofa is enough, :)

First visit to the school

I went by the school today. It is a lovely facility. They are doing some upgrading this summer. I will be meeting with the two principals I'll be working with tomorrow. The schedule will be light at first so I can get settled in.

Sol and I did some shopping today. It will take a while to learn my way around. There are some nice stores but also some high prices.

In Quito

My trip to Quito went without a gliche. Thanks to all who prayed for me. Two couples from the academy met me at the airport and I am now in the apartment getting settled in. All the luggage came through fine. A cart appeared just when I needed one. God is good. The altitude is interesting but I'll get used to it. I'll try to send pictures tomorrow.

Packing up and heading out

Spending a few moments together ignoring the groaning suitcase complaining on the floor.

Final Prep

Dear Praying Friends,

It is good to have time with friends and family the last few days before departure. As always there is a minor detail or two that pops up to keep our minds hopping...does anyone know where I filed the title to my car?? :) At the time it seemed like a good place to put it. Off to DMV.

Thanks to my dear friends the Pattons, I have a great place to store my things while I'm in Quito. The last load went up the stairs today. Thanks Tammy.

Until Saturday,
Ruth

July Prayer Letter

Dear Friends and Family,

My visa is in hand, the ticket is bought for the 31st, all the legal papers are notarized, and two very stuffed suitcases sit on the floor of my room waiting to leave for Quito. God is good. Isaiah 45:2,3 promises, “I will go before you and will level the mountains; I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron. I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name.” I stand humbled before the Lord at how he has done just what he promised. In the process of getting all that was required for a visa, it seemed at times that I needed some celestial help in cutting through the obstacles. A little amused that the Lord had promised to give me the treasures of darkness, I asked him one day how he planned to do that! The next day I got a check in the mail from the the clinic where I had my knee surgery. It seems they had over charged. :) The Lord has such delightful ways.

Pray for the transition. Good-byes are not easy. There is much to learn in this new assignment. I'll have a new home, new apartment mates, new job, new city to learn my way around, new Spanish expressions to learn, new culture, new computer programs to learn, new co workers, new church family...that's quite a bit for a woman my age, but he is sufficient. I look forward to a new appreciation of his love and purpose for me. Thank you for praying.

In His Love,

Ruth Scherer

Email:

ruth_scherer@yahoo.com

Sending agency:

RCE International P.O. Box 4528 Wheaton, IL 60189