The days of my life!

    This is for those of you who want to pray for me at specific time of the day or week.
   Monday through Friday, I wake up no later than 6:45. I have to be school by 7:40, and the drive takes about 20 minutes. It depends on the day, but I have at least one free period sometime during the day. School gets out at 2:30 and I don't leave until 2:45 or later. Since Richard and I are the homeroom teachers we have to make sure that all our kids are getting home. Once I am home, I eat lunch, and afterwards either I will hang out with the kids or take a nap...it's amazing how much you get tired from teaching!!!! Around 6:30 we eat dinner, and afterwards the kids go to bed and that's when Mena, Richard, and I relax and hangout!!!
    On Saturday, I try to not sleep too late. I am usually up around  8:45 to 9. After that it's whatever the day brings me!! Sunday, I am up by 8 and leave around 9:30 for church. Church gets over at 12 and the rest of the day is mine. I sometimes hangout and watch a movie with the kids or just have some time to myself....for those of who know me.....you know how I like my alone time!!! Thank you so much for the prayers and thoughts!
   Emily P. Sayres

The exciting week!

    Last week on Monday, Richard took me to get my visa registered. It didn't take long at all....just 3 hours for the whole thing! On Tuesday, we started school! It was a little confusing because there are two classes per grade and the teachers move between the classes! And each teacher teaches two subjects. On Wednesday, Ximena's brother, Jonathan, came to visit and he took me to Teleferico. The Teleferico raises from 2,950 meters up to 4,050 meters. We had to climb a little bit to get to this spot...it's so gorgeous!! We were between the clouds!!

One-quarter of Quito! 

 

Those are clouds in the back.

 

 Jonathan and I had to walk up this...I was sore for 3 days!!

 

Love how you can't see the top of this. It got really cold!!

 

Looking from the spot we decided to stop!!

 

Sunset while Jonathan and I were going back down!

 

My top 5 favorite pictures!!!

Another one of my top 5 favorite pictures

 

 This is Jonathan!!!

 

 The top is where the Teleferico stopped! Talk about high altitude for a girl from Memphis!!

 

        On Friday, my "boss" got sick an hour before I had to leave!! So I had to teach English, Math, Bible, and have an activity for T.G.I.F!! It was so much fun and yet tiring!! I had to take a nap when I got home! The other teacher's aid for the grade was free all day so she helped me...it was fun working with her!! We had some laughs! Here is what happened in T.G.I.F!!!! We had a dance party!

 

 

 





    PTL:

     - I have found favor with the Ecuadorian teachers at Montebello because I talk and interact with them, unlike most of the other American teachers!!! That was a huge thing that I was worried about...the Ecuadorian teachers seeing me as a typical American teenager and not someone serious about what I am doing!

     - I already love all of my kids!! They are great, that doesn't mean that they don't push me to my limits though!!! hahaha

     - Spanish is getting better! Each day I work at it with Andrea (the other co-teacher) and its coming along pretty well!

   Prayer:

     - Even though I am learning Spanish, that I will have patience with it! Just take each day at time! (my goal is to have a conversation by my birthday!!!)

     - The ladies who clean and keep up the place at Montebello are looked down upon by the teachers. Mena asked me to give them a smile, a hand, or anything that shows them that are worth something! What I think she's doing is so great! Pray that I will have the courage and have an unwavering heart and will power to do this!!

 

    I love you all so much and miss you! Thank you so much for keeping me in your prayers and thoughts!!! It is much appreciated!! :)

                Emily P. Sayres

 

Pics are here!!!

 

All except for the first two are going to or in Quito. The first two are at the house!

 

This is out my window and way to the left....yes it is a volcanic mountain! I look for it every morning, sometimes the clouds are covering it and other times it is out to show how beautiful its peak is!

Santi and Lani counting the elephants on my journal

 

Our view of the mountains from the road!

 

At the bottom there is a city...probably cities!

 

 

The back end of Quito. The buildngs are literally on the edge of the cliff!

There are no road lanes and here is what a typical street looks like.

They had traditional dances performed at the Middle of the World!!

Me in the Middle of the world

Two places at once...and people said it couldnt be done!! :)

All of the South American flags surrounded the monument, and the mountain looks so majestic in the background!

There were llamas!! And the baby looked just in time!

More dancing...

and even more dancing

 All those are houses on a hill.

 

More houses...

 

Even more houses....

 

and more to come....

 

I don't know if you can tell, but the mountain is coming in togther!

ECUADOR!!!

     I landed here in Ecuador safely at around 11:30pm Thursday August 16 and got to my house around 1:30am Friday August 17 morning. Three days later Richard and I started our two weeks of teachers meeting and preparing for our up coming classes. And it was full of information for the teachers.
     Getting adjusted to life isn't as tough as I thought is was going to be. The least favorite thing I will have to get used is riding the bus, but slowly I will be, hopefully, over coming it! These last two weeks have given me time to meet and get to know the teachers at Montebello Academy. There were a lot of new teachers so I wasn't the only shy one! I also got the chance to go to the Middle of the WORLD museum!!! pics to come!!
     PTL:
- I have been able to make some friends that are only a year or two older than me and one will also be teachers aids in Richards"s room with me for two months!! :)
- I haven't had much of a culture-shock.....either that or it hasn't hit me yet!!
- I am getting to know the city and my surroundings
    Prayer Requests:
- that I won't be so distressed about not knowing the language (this is completely normal)
- For the first two months, I will be having the toughest class and 80% of them are boys. Please pray for patience, kindness, and love as well as understanding for this class.
- Monday I am registering my visa for Ecuador, pray it will take only one day! We are taking another teacher with us, she was rejected yesterday because she didn't have some papers to get her visa.
- Start school TUESDAY!!! Won't be nervous!
      Thank you for keeping up with me. Sorry its taken me so long to write, but not to worry I should have some sort of normal schedule once school starts! Talk to ya'll soon!!:)
Emily P. Sayres