Full speed ahead

The hardest part of being in Quito is being away from family. Summer gave fun opportunities to make Little House on the Prairie costumes for the granddaughters and to prepare for Hannah's arrival in August. God has blessed me with 6 delightful little girls to enjoy. Facebook, emails and Skype help keep in touch but there is nothing like a warm hug and princess kisses to keep a grandma's heart a pumping!

Cataract surgery left me with odd as well as peculiar vision all summer. With some last minute adjustments, the new glasses were ready the night before I returned to Ecuador. Unfortunately, I am still having some problems with the eye and may have to cut short my time in Ecuador if further surgery is necessary.

I am back teaching home ec and scrapbooking. We continue to torment the other classes with the smell of baking goodies.  :)  New groups of students fill the classrooms with questions, comments, joys and sorrows. It has been good to spend time with individual students and parents. The Mom's Bible study has resumed. I am part of the teaching team. Next week my home ec students will make 120 Christmas cookies for the Mom's Party. I try to teach that cooking is a beautiful way to minister to others.

Although at times I had my doubts, you can teach 13 year old boys to sew! We've finished our stitches and embroidery, have sewed and stuffed our neck pillows and are now doing individual projects from a hand puppet to a flowing cape. I love to see them grow in confidence and skill.

Camera crazies have made it hard to download pictures for my blog. Pardon the long pause.
I continue to enjoy the beauty of this Andean country. One Saturday a friend and I took a scenic train ride along the mountain range. Another long weekend my pastor and his family took me to the beach.
As always, it is great fun to have Ecuadorians friends over for a meal or to visit a beautiful historic building with one them and learn more about this country's long, illustrious story. I pray that my short stay will have added some blessing to these wonderful people as they journey in their walk with God. They have surely enriched my life with their love and kindness.