What a great summer! I had good visits with my kids, and fun times with grandkids as well as siblings, and friends. Sorry the US was so hot. I glowed quite copiously among my compatriots. Life in the Us may be a lot more orderly than Quito but the weather here has you beat hands down. It was wonderful to have Judy and John and the girls with me in Kansas spending time with Mom. We crowded into her room at Kidron Village and livened up the place immensely. Great grandmothers are fascinating to little folks. Brooke told me after her visit to Kansas that she was going to get old and walk with a stick too!
The trip back was long and luggage scrambling but finally all of us reached our destination with a sigh of relief. It's so good to be back. Places look familiar and inviting. I don't shake at the thought of getting lost or forgetting how to tell the taxi driver where I live. Friendly smiles and warm hugs welcomed me home. The little church plant where I attend received me with open arms. Pastor's detached retina is much improved. It was good to have him in the service.
This year I'll be back in the class room. I'll teach Home Ec and scrapbooking part time and the rest of the time work on opening an office for ACSI Latinamerica in Quito. They have also asked me to serve as interim department head for the Fine and Manual Arts Department.
Soon after returning I had the fun of doing the flowers for a young missionary couple's wedding. With roses cheap in Ecuador, we had flowers and petals everywhere. We even showered the couple with armloads of rose petals as they left for their honeymoon.
Tammy and Bryan had Chip, Beth, Brooke and I over for the 4th of July. We were working on their wedding plans for November 5th in Greenville, NC. All. five nieces look forward to being in Aunt Tammy's wedding. I will be doing flowers again, but not with so many roses to throw around with abandon. Some how the price of roses rises sharply when it leaves Ecuador.
Hope your summer was as refreshing and that your battery is as recharged as is mine for a new year of ministry.
