A Busy, Beautiful Week...

Well, now here's an interesting title. To be honest, I'm not sure where to begin. Again it's been some time since my last post, but I found myself asking if it's worth writing a new blog post if it all sounds the same. Reporting on my work, reporting on various outside activities, my health, etc.

However, after talking with a fellow YASCer the other night, he put it into perspective for me. He (Andy Burns by the way), told me how great it was for him to write about even the insignificant things because not only does it help you vent (if it's necessary) or you're expressing a completely exciting piece of good news, you don't know who will be interested to hear what you have to say. It also helps to get the ideas flowing for a new post. (Written Monday, September 27, 2010)

(Friday, October 01, 2010)
Well now,I no longer have the problem of not having anything to write at the moment. I put this blog on hold for four days when I got busy with work this week. I've been running around all over the city with the diocesan attorney attempting to get my visa application complete. For those of you who don't know, I had trouble obtaining my visa before departing the U.S. because I did not receive the needed paperwork from the diocese here in time in the U.S. After submitting my visa three times, and being denied three times, I have finally submitted it for the last time and on Monday, I will have apporoval! It will finally be a relief to have that in my hands as that has been haunting me for the past two months. My visit here as a tourist expires in two weeks and I would have had to leave if I didn't have my visa by then. It's a huge relief to finally have that done. I was not ready to return to the U.S. but most importantly, I was afraid if I had to return and obtain my visa in the U.S. and then come back, I would not want to leave the U.S. due to homesickness feelings growing. But that won't be the case now.

With finally having a visa, I can now also get my Ecuadorian identification card. This will allow me to finally retrieve mailed items to me that have been sitting in Customs here. (If there's a charge for late pick up, I'm not going to be happy.)For some reason, the customs office would not accept my passport. They're reasoning was that because it was only a tourist visa stamp in my booklet, I was only temporary, should not be receiving mail, and also I wouldn't have to recheck everything through customs when I supposedly leave in three weeks...which obviously isn't the case. Anyways, it will finally be a relief to get the books, school supplies, and my contact lenses! I know the school library will be happy to finally get the supplies I've been promising them.

Work continues to progress. Each day is getting easier, I'm able to get through to the students much more quickly about being ready for class, and therefore can spend more time teaching and not disciplining. I had to break up two fights this week between students. One broke out in my classroom, the other out in the yard during my watch of recess. While breaking up one of the fights, one of the students fighting accidentally clocked me in my mouth. I got a small bruise, but it's all good now. No one said this job was going to be easy. I'm also finding lesson plans to be easier to organize and plan. It will be even easier when I finally get the teacher's edition of the text books the children are using, but for some reason, they're being delayed.

I began this week going hiking on Sunday afternoon on one of the mountains surrounding Quito. I was at the base of GuaGua Pichincha volcano, which was 5,000 feet above the city of Quito. I was at the elevation of 15,000 feet up there...I wanted to hike the peak, but that would be a two day and I need to make plans for that. But rest assured, I will climb it this year. If I thought it was hard to breathe when I first arrived in Quito, breathing at 15,000 feet was even more difficult. The air was really thin, I was light headed, and out of breath every twenty feet. The beauty though was absolutely incredible.


My brother, sister and I in a group picture...They joined me on my adventure! Only ones brave enough!



Me at the Edge of a Cliff...It's a long way down!



Part of the city of Quito from 15,000 feet!


My Sister and I hiking the mountain...


Base of Guagua Pichincha Volcano

I know many of you are anxious to read about the incidents of Ecuador's brief instability. I am not avoiding writing on the issue of Thursday's events and the day of political instability. I will be writing another (special post) tomorrow or Sunday, October 2nd or 3rd with all the news about Thursday and my experience with the day. You will understand why I'm waiting when you read the post.

Until then my friends, May God's Peace and Blessings be with you.

And the Work Begins...

Well here I am again. It's been a little over two weeks since my last post and I do apologize for that. Work is beginning to mount up and I am seeing just how very busy I will be throughout the year.

To begin, I celebrated my 23rd birthday on Friday, September 10th. This was my first birthday outside the United States and my first where it was not celebrated with my family and friends. Birthdays in my family have always been spent with family or with friends. However, I had a great birthday. My new friends here took me out for a wonderful birthday. After work, we went to Centro Quito and had fresh fish and chips for lunch at an open air market. Afterwards, we toured the city, grabbed some beverages at various locations, had dinner at a fairly upscale restaurant, and finished the night with dancing early into the morning. I returned home around two in the morning eager for bed. I had three parties that day. My fellow teachers at the school threw me a party during lunch break, my family awoke me Friday morning in song with a cake (which we ate for breakfast), and at dinner, where my fellow teachers, friends, and I had dinner with cake to follow. What a great day!

School has begun here in Ecuador which means work has begun. School has only been in session for a week (school here begins on our Labor Day). My job is incredible and the students are amazing. I have to admit though, I don't know exactly what I'm doing! It makes me a little nervous but oh well. With time I'm positive I will find my groove and become very comfortable with what I am doing.

Day one was my first challenge. Here all public and private schools begin with a presentation of the students and teachers for the parents. It is a time when the staff are introduced to the parents and the students are presented to their teachers. In attendance was the board of directors of the school which included the Bishop of the Diocese of Central Ecuador. So began my first task. The Bishop, without warning from the Director of the School, the Rev. Eduardo, or my fellow professors, asked me to come forward and present myself as to who I am and what I will be doing this year. Mind you I have only been here five weeks and to make a presentation without warning completely in Spanish, was nerve wracking to say the least. However I made it through. I was rather impressed with myself as was the Bishop and my fellow professors. With the exception of a few mistakes like the wrong use of person in verb translation, I was actually understood. They confided in me that this was my hazing into my new job. Glad to know I am now official. It was a lot of fun.

Anyways, the students are a handful. They were able to smell my fear and those that have been with the school for more than a year knew that I was the new missionary English teacher. They played the usual fresh meat games and it took me a little while to catch on. (By the way, to my old teachers and parents reading this, I'm so sorry for the games we played with you and ran up your patience. I now know how you feel.) Part of the games the students played was not even giving me their real names. I finally caught on when one student made the mistake of introducing himself as Michael Jackson, the next wasn't even more original introducing herself as Angelina Jolie. I had to get a list of all the names of the students for each class. Was I ever this immature? Finding proper discipline is proving harder than I anticipated.

So designing lesson plans is also a new hurdle for me. Thinking up new activities each day to go with the new material is exhausting. Especially when supplies are so limited. Primarily, my responsibility to these students is to speak only English with them in class. This too is proving to be a challenge. They're comprehension with English is little to none especially the younger students. When they give me the blank looks asking me what I'm talking about, I'm so tempted to speak in Spanish with them. And to be truthful, I sometimes want to so I can practice with them. I know I need more of it.

My fellow teachers are some of the greatest people I will ever know. They are friendly and full of smiles. They offer help whenever needed. The director of the school, also the Rector of the Cathedral, is an incredible man. He's a little hard to understand but a great man none the less. Just looking at him you can tell how much he cares about the students and the work of the school.

Things with my host family are continuing to go well. I have really become integrated into the family and we are getting along great. I travel with the family when my schedule permits, visiting their family and some of their work they do in other communities. My diet continues to be filled with carbs and I don't remember what meat tastes like. I need to get a burger here soon and pronto!! My brothers and I hang out and through them I am making more friends. Soon I'll be able to make some of my own. On Friday's I usually travel with my two brothers to hear the eldest play with his band at a local scene here. That's one place where I meet a lot of people.

My language is still coming along. With every passing day I'm becoming less gringo although I'm still highly looking forward to that day when it all becomes clear and I will be more fluid and understanding in my communication with the people, my family, and friends. I'm a little impatient in this department as sometimes I get so frustrated with myself for not being able to better understand and communicate but this is the time when I turn to prayer and I reflect asking for God's help with patience.

Well, this is everything that has happened since my last blog post and now you're all caught up. I'm finishing the last details of my first detailed newsletter to go out to all my friends, family, home diocese and supporting congregations of my work. Below are some more pictures. God bless everyone and thanks for your support and prayers. Keep in touch. Until next time, God's peace and Blessings be with you.



Grounds of the Centro Educativo Episcopal School



A View of one of the Classrooms



Me with my fellow Teachers




Some Students at Play




Students in Class

Work or Mini Vacation?

So here I am again. This time, four weeks in Ecuador. The time is going by so fast for me. At this rate, I'll be home in a blink of an eye. But I do not wish for it to move so fast. With time moving fast, work and much of what needs to be finished soon will soon be upon me.

What do I mean by the title of this blog? Well for starters, I really haven't done much work. School orientation for the teachers has begun and we are working hard to clean the school, arrange classes, write out lesson plans, revise rules for the students, etc. but I have not begun teaching. Schools everywhere in Ecuador begin September 6th in two weeks; including the universities.

A few weeks ago, you read that I had been doing work at a church in a neighborhood in Quito but was only for a weekend with a visiting missionary group from the United States. Well that following weekend, I traveled with that missionary group to a community by the name of Otovalo where we spent some time seeing the native people of Qichwa origin. Here at this community, is one of the largest Artisan craft fairs in all of Latin America. The native Qichwa people come from all over Ecudor and sell their hand made crafts of silver jewelry, llama and alpaca clothing and blankets, etc. It was beautiful. It's history goes back centuries and it was incredible to see. We were welcomed and did some work at a church there in the community however, it felt more like a small vacation. The missionary group and I, I felt, did more sightseeing and shopping at the market than we did work. We even stayed in a hotel with beautiful accomodations. It probably would have been considered four stars in the United States.

Upon my return, I met with the bishop. He asked how my 'short vacation' was. I expressed my concerns with how I am here to work. He assured me that it was necessary for me to have a little respite because when work begins, I will be incredibly busy I will wish I have a vacation coming. The bishop handed me a tentative schedule of the year and all the traveling to various parts of the country I will be doing. I can't wait! My first trip is next month to Pullo (Puyo), a community in the Amazons or near the amazons of native Ecuadorians. Much more to follow. The meeting with the bishop made me feel better.

I have also been continuing my classes of Spanish everyday M-F four hours a day. I have had two oral exams thus far and have scored a 95% on each exam. So apparently I'm learning the language, but it sure doesn't feel like it. When I talk with my fellow professors, I feel like I don't know what they are saying they are talking so fast. I pick up every second or third word despite my asking them to speak more slowly. My trouble with the language thus far is hearing where one word ends and the next begins. The way the Ecuadorian people speak here sounds like one long word; to me it seems like they don't enunciate. My tutor assures me I'm doing incredibly well and that with time it will come more easily and naturally. I guess I'm just a little impatient and worried I won't ever get it. But in reality, I really have seen an improvement in my language skills. I can now give directions to a taxi driver without looking like a gringo. Now I have a greater chance of not being taken advantage of with the price of a taxi.

My fellow professors are amazing. For the most part, we're all young. I'm not even the youngest teacher. Of the nine of us, six of us are under thirty and I'm the third youngest youngest professor. The three younger than me are 22 years old, a year younger than me. But they are well learned and love working at the school. Together, with the Rector/Director of the Cathedral School, we are preparing for classes to begin on the sixth of September. I working hard to design lesson plans and exercises for the students. I'm a little worried that my lack of experience teaching will affect my work. However, I do have textbooks to teach out of as well, but I need to add my own style as well.

Well, like I said, until school starts, there isn't much to report. Hence the briefness and lack of new information in this blog. I look forward to writing more when there is more to report on. Until then, God's peace my friends.

A View of a Portion of the City of Quito

Some Wild Llamas


More Quito

The volcano of Cuyambe where at the base sits the community of Otavalo.

Some Countryside of Ecuador

My First Week

So here I am. One week in Ecuador! It went by fast. Life in Ecuador is very different from life in California. The sun is unpredictable; the weather can be freezing one minute and hot the next. (Mind you my idea of freezing is less than sixty degrees) In Ecuador, the temperatures are rarely seen below 55. But I’m unhappy below 70. Thank goodness I brought layers and warm clothing. I was hesitant at first thinking how close to the Equator I was going to be but then realized how high up in the Andes I really am. Quto sits 10,000 feet above sea level. The air is really thin here. I get winded over the simplest things like walking up stairs or making my bed. I’m still acclimating.

The people of Ecuador are very friendly. You can pass by and give a greeting and they will smile and greet you back. They are also, for the most part, short. I feel like a giant walking among them. I am by far the tallest person I’ve seen in a while. And that’s saying a lot.

I’ve moved in with my host family. The Sarango’s; Carlos, the father, Cati, the mother, and their three children, Jimmy who is 22; Erick, who is 18; and Genesis, who is 10. They don’t speak English at all which is both good and bad for me. It’s good because it will help me learn Spanish that much more quickly; it’s bad because we communicate by hand signals. They are amazing people though. They’ve welcomed me into their home graciously offering me whatever I need. I hope to be a part of the family one day. They expressed it is their greatest wish that I feel like a member of the family. I share a room with Erick. He’s great for a roommate. We are becoming fast friends. So are Jimmy and I, and Genesis, well she’s trouble. But she already sees me as a brother. She’ll come in and sit and talk with me for hours. She’s very curious and a ball of fun. She’s always smiling and cheerful. She’s trouble because she corrects my homework over my shoulder and makes my tutor for Spanish assign me more homework if she feels what’s been assigned for the day isn’t enough. I say good for her, bad for me. She’ll break a lot of hearts one day.

We eat all of our meals together. The family and I eat traditional Ecuadorian food. Food in Ecuador consists of lots of rice, potatoes, and meat. The staple of the Ecuadorian diet. Breakfast is always light; usually just bread and a boiled egg. Lunch is the biggest and most important meal. It’s big. It starts with soup, (usually potato or corn), then the main course which is rice (very important, served with every lunch and dinner), and meat, and maybe side vegetables, and bread. Lunch is most important because the Ecuadorian people believe it’s unhealthy to eat so much before bed, which is true. U.S. Americans can learn a thing or two by this. Juice is the common drink in Ecuador. The people here make juice out of everything. All kinds of fruits are used for making juice; Banana juice, watermelon juice, papaya juice, cantaloupe juice, etc. Juice is served with every meal. At dinner, the meal is light, just rice and meat.

I’m waiting for orientation to begin next week. That’s when my work will really begin. Remember, my job down here is threefold. I will be teaching full time as an English teacher at the Episcopal School, twice a week I will teach English to the diocesan staff, and lastly I will be working as lay support at a local church. I had my first taste of mission work this past weekend. A mission group from Massachusetts is here for the week and they, along with Chris, my regional boss, invited me along to work with them. We worked at Chris’ church in a very poor and rough part of town called Comitero Pueblo. The women helped prepare all the food for the following day’s bbq as a fundraiser for the church. The men built tables for the bbq, then afterwards, we cut out wall to lay electricity in the building. While cutting wall, I accidentally smashed my finger with the hammer and cut a knuckle with the chisel. I had to use electrical tape for a band-aid until I got home to properly clean and dress the wound. The church is very small and meets on the first floor of a two story building. The offices are upstairs. The building is tiny and falling apart. With work, it will be good as new. The mission group from Massachusetts will be working at the church all week. This upcoming weekend, we will be traveling to Otrovalo for some work to be done. Otrovalo is two hours north of here and is a small indigenous community. I’m not really sure of the work we’ll be doing but Chris has relations with this community. I’m only with the group on the two weekends they are here. I’m in school during the week and cannot be with the group. It’s good, because I have my own work to do and even more to prepare for, and I especially need to continue with learning Spanish. At the moment, it’s my number one priority. The group will be leaving to go back to the U.S. on Monday.

Well my friends, I think that’s it for now. This was my first week. I will have more to come. Count on it. My next post will probably come next week sometime when I return from Otrovalo. Until then mis amigos, may the grace and peace of God be with you. Blessings.

Arrival and Beginning Work

You know, I remember when I was a kid, I was excited to go on my first plane ride to anywhere. I remember thinking how cool it would be to fly among the clouds and see the world from an aerial advantage. Let's just say this; I did not feel the same way about traveling to Ecuador. After having now flown many, many times, I forgot how exhausting it is to fly. The most exciting thing about flying now is takeoff when the jet engines take off and your thrust against your seat at takeoff. I guess unexpected turbulence can be somewhat entertaining if you imagine you're on a roller coaster. Also, people don't talk to each other anymore. I have found we are a very keep to ourselves society. My flight from Sacramento to Houston consisted of no conversation. People just read or ate or did whatever occupied their attention. Anything to avoid having a conversation with your neighbor...heaven forbid. I was a little more understanding with the flight from Houston to Ecuador as that had less people who spoke english and I just figured it was more of a cultural thing. Whatever happened to courtesy food on flights and an in flight movie to help pass the time? I accumulated in one day close to sixty dollars in service fees. To watch a movie on the plane, it cost me seven dollars. For each plane trip! Also, good thing I ate before each flight because they don't serve complimentary snacks anymore. Just beverages. Ridiculous! Anyways, on to more great news.

I arrived in Quito! Coming in at night was absolutely beautiful and I can't believe how big it was! It was lights as far as the eye can see. Because Quito sits in a basin ten thousand feet above sea level in the Andes, the city is three miles wide and twenty seven miles long. From what I've seen thus far (which is the airport and the view from my room) the city looks very enticing. I can't wait to adjust to the thin air and go out exploring. Chris Morck, a local permanent Episcopal appointed missionary, said we'll do some hiking and exploring throughout the year.

I'm currently living with Chris, his wife Trish, and their two lovely daughters Isabel and Clare. They were very kind to put me up for the week until my host family returns this weekend and I move in with them. Trish works with a program assisting refugees from Colombia. Chris, who will be ordained as a priest in October, works with various programs throughout the diocese as well as being assigned to a local church here in Quito. The Morcks are from the diocese of Massachusetts and Chris has just transfered his canonical residence to the Diocese of Central Ecuador. He will be ordained in the Episcopal Cathedral here in Quito!

I got in last night at eleven o'clock but with the time it took to get through immigration and customs, we didn't end up getting back to Chris and Trish's until one thirty this morning. Now for the interesting news. Chris had arranged for me to begin my language training immediately so my tutor was here first thing this morning at eight thirty. I can tell you right now that I am exhausted. I have a terrible time sleeping on planes and with my traveling to places these past few days, I am going on very little sleep. I'm looking to going to bed early tonight.

My tutor seems incredible though. Her name is Rosa and she's from the Galapagos Language School. It seems her way of teaching is in three hour blocks, five days a week. We spend the first hour doing grammar and vocab and in the last two hours we conversed and she made me use Spanish! I just got here so you can imagine how ridiculous I sounded. Being immersed in the culture and language though, and with her training all in Spanish, I have no doubts that I will be speaking Spanish in no time.

I don't begin teaching for another couple weeks. School here in Ecuador starts in September. However, this does not mean that I am on vacation. I still have my work with the diocese to begin and this Sunday I will learn of the work I will be doing at the Cathedral. Orientation for new teachers at the school also begins in a couple weeks so I will be very busy very soon.

Well that's about it for this blog. I just arrived so I don't have much to say yet. But very soon I will have another post up and also as soon as I go out and see some of the city, I will have pictures posted as well. Until then, take care my friends. God bless.

Chicago Orientation...New Friends, Great Stories

Hey Everyone. Chicago was fantastic. Turns out I wasn't just working with Young Adults only but also not just with Lutherans either. The Chicago Ecumenical Missionary Training brought young and older missionaries from the P.C.U.S.A.(Presbyterian Church of the USA), the R.C.A(Reformed Church of America), the E.L.C.A.(Evangelical Lutheran Church of America) and lonely old me from the Episcopal Church. During this training I met both young and old missionaries serving from one year up to three year committments. There are a couple of families among these missionaries who will be starting a new life with their children. I think that is amazing but I can't help but think about how the children feel about spending three years or more of their life in another country. Some of the kids I talked to have already spent some time with their parents as a missionary family in other parts of the world. God truly indeed does call all people in whatever walks of faith to serve his people among the earth.

The orientation in Chicago consisted of training on a variety of topics. Topics included were interfaith experiences, living in and understanding new culture, bible study, and of course security training over all the scary things we hear about on the news (this was my favorite topic of discussion). Security training included being trained by a retired lead secret service agent to President Reagan and to President Carter. (I think we had more fun listening to the stories he had to tell about them than the scary parts of the training.)

My boss David Copley also came for a day and we discussed the specifics of my upcoming departure and work in Ecuador. We also talked about what my fellow YASCers did at training in Toronto and he brought me a daily prayer book for us to read while abroad. The book, entitled Praying Our Days is written by former Presiding Bishop Frank Griswald. I though it was a great gift cosidering that apart from the work I will be doing while on mission, I will also use the year in reflection and prayer contemplating God's will for me in this life. Whether it be graduate school, law school, or seminary, after my work in Ecuador, I know the time in prayer with God will help lead my decisions through life.

It wasn't all classtime though in Chicago. When we weren't in class, we were out and about the city of Chicago. We had the weekends off so we took advantage of them. Whilst in Chicago, I took advantage of swimming in the Great Lake Michigan; watched the world cup from a pub downtown, went to the Lincoln Park Zoo, Oh! and accidentally wandered onto the set of Michael Bay's Transformers 3 and was politely escorted out. We even watched Michael Bay blow up a bridge downtown Chicago. The time in Chicago was incredible and I met some great new people. I reflected on what is to come and spent some time talking to people about where we stand in our lives and our journeys in our faith. The time spent was informative and fun. I met great people and had a great time in Chicago. We closed the two weeks with worship, and had a blessing and send off ceremony followed with a celebration party of karaoke and talent show. All in all, it was a great time. My next post will come to you from Ecuador as I arrive on the 2nd of August. It's only a short time away and then I will be writing to you from my new home and the new work I will be doing. Until then, may God's blessings be with you always and I ask you continue to keep me in your prayers. May the peace of Christ be with you.

Finally... At Long Last

At one o'clock in the afternoon on Sunday June 13, 2010, nearly 1,000 undergaduates from the college of letters and science representing numerous disciplines, friends gathered in the UCSB thunderdome, home of the Gauchos!! The scene was intense and loud and stuffy as we all gathered to process to commencement field. What a surreal day. That afternoon, I turned my tassel and joined the many alumni of the University of California at Santa Barbara. I celebrated the day with all my family and great friends! I could not have asked for more! After much hard work, (and a little messing around on my part), I parted ways with the university and graduated with a degree in Classical history and an emphasis in Greek and Roman Culture.

My past four years of college life has trained me to become an academic, a critical thinker, and has supposedly prepared me for a career. What does one do with a degree in the humanities? Especially a degree that says I am qualified to read and translate two dead languages. Go figure. I joke that I will become a Catholic priest for after all Catholic mass is still done in Latin in some places. But alas, that will never be for my faith has never been stronger nor better placed than with the Episcopal Church. Now, upon finishing a college degree, I will be taking that next step of my life. I will be going on mission to the Diocese of Central Ecuador for a minimum of one year as all you readers already know because that is the intent afterall of this blog: to follow my adventure along on mission.

How's fundraising going you ask? Still a weighty task and a long ways to go but its looking more encouraging. I have reached forty percent of my goal and its growing each day! My own diocese cannot be more encouraging. Being from a very small diocese financially, we are mighty in our faith and can not be more proud to send a representative to the global Anglican Communion.

Next week, Thursday July 8th, to be more precise, I begin my two week missionary orientation in Chicago before leaving for Ecuador. Although I will not be with my fellow Episcopal missionaries (they were trained earlier in May while I was still in school), I know they will have prayers for me and they will be there in spirit. In fact, one missionary, Travis, is leaving for his placement in South Africa the day after I arrive in Chicago! He's the first of us to leave! How exciting! Good luck Travis! Keep in touch and my prayers are with you!

My training will be conducted with missionaries from the Lutheran Church. Our churches have shared a friendship spiritually for quite some time now. I will however have a day or two of training with my boss from the National Church's office, the Reverend David Copley. I am looking forward to the next great adventure and it begins in Chicago. Keep reading and I will have more to come and a new post whilst I am in Chicago. Until then, take care and God's peace and blessings be with you!