No rest for the weary...

Well, as you can tell, it hasn't been easy keeping you updated. We arrived, unpacked most of our stuff and Steve had to go back to work. Since then things have been pretty busy.

Our Internet connection still isn't up. Hopefully this week Steve will have some time to look into that, but until then he needs to stay late at work to write or try to connect to some weak wireless signals from some neighbors.

The first week back, Steve attended a class on the principles of Community Development. It was really interesting looking at things from a Christian point of view and seeing how things might have changed over the last several years. The book used was "Walking with the Poor" by Bryant L. Myers. Pauli has the book to read, but wasn't able to attend the class. At the same time, the current IT manager wanted Steve to be involved in an upgrade to the mail server.

On Saturday we had the instructor and his wife who live in Bolivia over along with another missionary couple from Great Britain. It was a great evening of fun for us to get to know them and for our kids to play with the kids of the English couple. (Though Pauli commented afterward that she had a hard time understanding the English spoken by them. )

On Sunday we visited Iglesia de la Republica (the church where Steve and Pauli met) for the special services celebrating the completion of their new building. It was a nice time to see old friends and celebrate with them.

Pauli is doing well at home with the kids for now and the regional communications department is glad that she's back and willing to continue helping with translations for them.

Please keep us in your prayers as we settle in. Please also keep Roger and Pati Lakes in your prayers. They are a couple we met in Dayton, Ohio and Pati's health is rapidly declining and she is in Hospice Care.

We've arrived!

We've arrived in Ecuador, but haven't had a good connection to the Internet yet I'm sitting on the balcony right now connected to another person's wireless connection as I write this. It's also raining here. If you want to see where I'm sitting click here (a satellite image on Google Maps).

The transition has been going pretty well, but Kendra seems to have been affected the worst. Keilah remembers some of her cousins here and is adjusting and playing with them. Kendra, though, doesn't really remember much from before and with all the new changes sometimes seems overwhelmed and goes to hide. Her appetite doesn't seem back to normal either.

We unpacked most of the suitcases over the weekend in between visiting friends and family here. We borrowed a car to bring most of the boxes from the storage room we had used of another apartment. Both Steve and Pauli have some backaches now, though things are mostly in their place now. Steve goes in to HCJB tomorrow morning.

We'll try to get some photos of the trip up on the photo site soon.

Before I get wet, I'll sign off for now.

Suitcase Army...

Well, we're packed up (mostly) and getting ready to leave this afternoon.

Please keep us in prayer for our travels with the kids, carry-on suitcases, car seats, etc. as we board the different planes, for the connections between flights to go smoothly, for help as we take all our mountain of luggage through customs in Ecuador, and for the kids to not get too tired or contrary during the 17-18 hours of travel.

We'll try to do another quick update after we arrive in Quito, but it will depend on our getting access to the Internet.

Quick update

Just a quick update to keep people up-to-date. We received all the papers we needed for Kyle on Wednesday and are now in packing mode (frantic?). We leave for Quito on Wednesday afternoon and arrive there Thursday afternoon.

Please pray for our trip with the 8+ suitcases and four carry-ons will go smoothly.

Well, back to packing...