Thankful for Thankgiving

   I am so thankful this year!!! For this chance that God gave me to be able to come here, for my family, for great and wonderful friends both here and in the States, and for God's love and safety while I've been here! But most importantly because I had two Thanksgiving this year!!! :) It was really good...both times.

   The first time was actually on Thanksgiving with another missionary family from Nashville. They had a team from Alabama... 3 seniors and their youth pastor!!! It was nice to have an "American Thanksgiving"...and those country accents made it even better. Since all of us were from the South as you know guest go a first as well as ladies, so I was the first one. The guy who was behind me was really wanting to eat and I was taking my time...so he was getting pretty annoyed (but in a good natured way). When I sat down to eat the table, the dad of the house commented on my plate of food! He said something along the lines of, wow...look at that plate, she's my kinda girl for eating!!! My plate did look like a mound! Somehow I ate it all, my salad, and a piece of pumpkin pie. I really don't know how I ate it all!!

   Then for my second Thanksgiving was a little less relaxed, but just as good and fun! It was just the Roseland and the Caicedo families (Luigi, Carol, and Baby Lucas)! We had cooked everything that needed to go in the oven...when out of no where the electricity went out! It was really funny because Mena and I were joking earlier that day that it would be hilarious if the power went out....why not the water and internet hadn't worked that week as well.

   The only thing that we were waiting for was the turkey and the guys were frying it, so no electricity was needed...thankfully!! For me it felt like the real First Thanksgiving....minus the battery powered lanterns!! Right when we were about to sit down to eat, Luigi said that it was really cool to have the lights out....and then the lights turned on!!! Of course, those were the magic words!! We ended up turning all the lights of except for one!! The food was so good!! I was so full, but I did leave enough room for a piece of pumpkin pie! To me a Thanksgiving dinner isn't complete without the pumpkin pie dessert!!

 

I made the salads for the first Thanksgiving

(the ones on the end)!

 

Luigi, Santi, and Richard with the turkey

Our Turkey ambiance!!

Carol, Luigi, and Baby Lucas

The Roselands

Our Thanksgiving Table...without electricity

 

The little candle holder was hand painted

by Richard when he was little !

The delicious meal!!

This is making me want some more!! :)

Eating the leftovers of the turkey not touched...the best part to me!!

New Class...New Age!

   Like I said in my last post, Monday was my first day to start with a new class! I was the co-teacher for Elementary B, which is 2nd grade. I taught English 5 times a day for two classes ( 2 for one class and 3 for another). The teacher who I was with was Amy. She was in her late twenties. It was really funny because on Monday, I introduced myself to the kids and afterwards they asked my some questions...the majority of them thought that I was older because I was taller. Other questions that were asked were where was I from, did I have a boyfriend, was I married, and did I like the States or Ecuador more. It took some getting used to but I finally got the hang of talking and interacting with the younger kids!

   So this month was my birthday month and I feel like I somewhat celebrated every weekend!!! The first week, I was in Manta. The second weekend, I got my nails done! The day before my birthday, A friend of mine and I went shopping and I bought myself an early birthday present. Even the few weeks after people were still somehow celebrating my birthday..by cards, some realizing that they forgot it was my birthday, and having a party!!!

   My actual birthday day was soo great!! I was kinda nervous because last year wasn't my favorite birthday, I ended up gettting in trouble with my mom. After I had woken up and and washed my face, I went to my room and I found in my room a little surprise for me! Someone had made me breakfast, had my bible out and had a card there for me. I was so touched that I started tearing up!! I don't know if it was the fact that I was away from home, seeing my grandmothers b-day card, or the thoughtfulness of the Roselands!! Since my birthday was on Friday, I only had four classes instead of five, so that was sweet little cherry on top. Richards class had a surprise party for me with balloons, streamers, chips, drink, ice cream and of course cake!

  
   After school I had to go redo my nail because I literally shredded them while shredding some carrots...When I got home, I soon realized that I was locked out of my house! I called Mena and they were all in Quito and wouldn't be back for another three hours! So I decided to go to the San Luis, the valley's big mall, and hangout there for a little bit!! I ended up spending most of my time looking at clothes and making outfits out of them!! It was actually entertaining! I can get entertained really easily...don't know if that's good thing or bad thing. By the time I was done with my imagining, Mena called and said that they could get me on their way home!!

   By the time we got home it was around 6:30 and we had to be somewhere by 7. It was a party for the pastor and his wife. When we got there we ate dinner and just talked.... well I just sat there and tried to keep up with the conversation. Around 8 I left early from the party to go to a worship service! Michelle, one of my good friends here, is in a band for a church and they were playing in it. I meet up with Andrea, another sweet friend and we went together. The worship was really cool...even if it was in Spanish! I met some people who were in the band! When Michelle told them it was my birthday...they started singing. For those of you that have never heard a South American....your ears have been saved. They sing way off key! AND the funny thing is that some of them know it and they joke about it!!

   Anyway, the worship service was supposed to end at 4 and all three of us were not going to stay out that late, so we ended up getting a ride with one of Michelle's friend. ANOTHER thing about Ecuador. Cars here aren't as strict as they are in USA. So in the car...the front seat was three people instead of two!! And the second (or back) seat was in order of appearance....Andrea, Michelle, and another guy from the band....and I was sitting half on Michelle and half on Andrea!! It was kinda packed to say the least!! hahaha :) I got home around 1 or 1:30. I knew that the next day the sun would come up earlier than I would want it to.

   The next day I was still celebrating my birthday! Richard and Ximena took me to my birthday lunch! A family who is like family with the Roselands came with us!! We went to TGIF.....it was really good! The waitresses came and sang with me and I had to do a dance with them!!! Thankfully the others who were in the restaurant far enough so they couldn't see me! After eating lunch I went to meet one of the girls to see a movie, she is so cute and so adorable! We ended up seeing the new James Bond movie!! After that we talked and hung out. Later, I went home to relax!!

   The next weekend was Andrea's b-day so we ended up having a combined birthday party/get together! It was so awesome and hilarious. The place we went to was completely random, but perfect because there about 10 others there beside us. It's called the Train Station! It's a mix between Starbucks, and a bar with a karaoke! The bar and karaoke isn't like anything in the States...the place was more like a chill and hangout place. There was pool table and yes I did lose :( haha but it was OK, I can play those guys again! It as hilarious because of the guys. When they sang it was......interesting is the only word that I can think of. Although some were good the majority were kinda...majorly off key!! There was a drunk guy who wanted to sing with us....he was the highlight of the night! The drunkenness made his singing more off tune than it probably would've been! And his wife started dancing with Michelle and I. I think they wanted to be young again..for at least one night! I didn't get home til about 1:30....it was so much fun!!

* since there are a lot of pics for this, I'm going to post them in different post

Beach Therapy!!

   On Wednesday, October 31, I left to go to Manta for four days! Since we had a day off for in-service and for the holiday the Day of Dead, the Roselands and I thought that it would be a good time for me to go! So I left at 11:00 PM for an all night bus ride by myself to Manta! I was at the very front of the bus...I was actually glad so I could ask questions if I needed to! It was fine at first, but after 2 or 3 in the morning it started getting really cold! The AC was on! I was more cold on that bus than in Quito!

   I got to the Manta station at about 7:30 Thursday morning..I think, I was kinda in a dozy! Jonathan was there to pick me up and we went to the house. Mena's parents were already up...probably because Lani had woken them! I was so tired that I fell asleep for about an hour and 1/2! After remembering where I was, I had breakfast and Jonathan took me to the beach! I'm surprised he took me because he (and a lot of Ecuadorians) don't like the sun. The beach was really different from the beach that I usually go but it was really cool!! The sand was like a grey color and it was flat! It had this really cool part where you could walk on it, it looked kinda like sand and an old coral reef mixed together! We walked around a little bit on the beach, then we went home! About an hour later we (Jonathan. Mena's mom and dad, I) had lunch! Her cooking was really good! When Lani woke up from her nap two hours later! Lani Mena's mom and I went to a park that was 5 minutes away! It was kinda hot there, although there was shade! When we saw that Lani was getting tired of the playground we went back home! The rest of the day was just hanging around the house being lazy...I was being lazy with them not the other way around!! My diner that night was more like a potluck but out on ! First we went to this little cafe type restaurant we had pan de yuca... which is bread made out of the yuca plant! With that we had a drink that was yogurt with berries. It was soo good! We then went somewhere else to eat some colado morada and some wawas! Its the traditional food that they eat for the Day of Dead! Colada morada is a hot drink that has a variety of berries mushed in it! By the third time I had it in Manta, I was liking it even more! Wawa..Spanish for baby...is the bread that goes with the colada morada! It's made special for this holiday with some sort of fruity filling! Our last stop we went to eat at a patio place that served chuzos! Chuzos are literally shush kebabs! You could dip the meat into two different kinds of sauces...so good!! I would have eaten more, but I was already so full! Also served with the chuzos were fried plantains!
    PS. Sorry pictures 1, 3, and 4 are from the Internet! I didn't get a picture of the food!!! 


YUM YUM!!!! Pan de yuca

This is the first of three times that I had this! It gives you a good example of the wawa and the colada morada

 

You would dip the chicken (or beef) in the sauce!

Chuzos!

 

That's not the sauce but its the closest pic that I could get to how I had the plantains.

 

 



   Friday was a blast...literally!! Mena's mom, Lani and I went to the beach! More like we walked to the beach! It was really cool though because I got to see the coast at a slower pace than if I were in a taxi or car. When we got on the beach (we were there for two minuted) I ended up going on a tourist boat for the harbor!! I was surprisingly fun..even though no one seemed to want to sit by me! I have no idea what the guide was saying! I was just in my little world and thinking of who and what those boats had been through! When I got back from the tour boat Lani was playing in the sand, so I decided to join! After about 20 minutes we left to go home, but not before getting an ice cream cone! When we got home we ate and Lani went down for a nap! About an hour later everyone in the house was asleep. I woke up to Jonathan laughing to cartoons...it was strange to say the least! We had pizza of all things for dinner! But really good pizza! It was almost as good as Papa Murphy's. While eating our delicious pizza we were watching the  reina de Manta! It's like our Miss America or Miss Tennessee pageant show!! I was about a 5 minute drive from where it was being showed! I had even seen the setup just thought that it was for some concert!!! That night I went to bed early..for some reason I was really tired!

I'm pretty that those are herons. You can't see them but there

were blue and red crabs!

Love the lighthouse in background!

This is my only photography skills you'll see!

 

The steel reminds of the one in Sahara!

It's literally a boathouse!! hahaha

 



 

    On Saturday, we went to a beach that was about 45 minutes to an hour away. It was really pretty and majestic looking!! They brought along a girl who was around my age. She seemed to be really sweet, but since we didn't know each others languages it was kinda hard to tell...or communicate! The girl and I ended up walking to some sight seeing where you could walk around rocks and it was at the waters edge! The water was freezing, but it was worth it to see those jagged and tall rocks! By the time we walked there, around the rocks, and walked back; our food was ready for us to eat!! I ate fish, rice, plantains, and some sort of onion and tomato salad!! It was a big plate and I ate all of it, I don't know if it was because it was so good or I was hungry! When we got home we relaxed the rest of the afternoon! That night was the night that the new president of Ecuador was being announced and  presented in Manta. So the main strip was closed to cars and different food stands were up! They went for about 1/4 of a mile! I had another chuzo but this was with sausage that was wrapped around the stick in a weird way! It was good with some condiments though! Then we went to find a spot to see the President come by! We waited there for about 30 minutes or so after the announcer had introduced the President!! That's an Ecuadorian for you, hardly ever on time. but once he came it was so cool because I was 5 feet from him! After when we were leaving...trying to get out, that was the squashed I've EVER been. Everyone was literally hip-to-hip and walking in the somewhat same direction! If you were "connected" to someone you might have gone with them if you didn't "connect" to someone else that was going the same way you were! By the time I got home from that I was exhausted! I finally went to bed!

 

Lani and her Grandfather!! You can kinda see the

food stands behind them!

Where the President would come down!

This is how packed it was!! This is on the other side of the

street!



I'm pretty sure that the white haired dude is the Pres.

 

   The next day was Sunday and I went to church with them! It was really hot compared to the one in the mountain!! Lani, Mena's mom and I left after the first service so Mena's mom could get Lani fed and get her down for a nap. I honestly don't remember what all specifically we did. I think we just hung around the house. After a little bit I packed and then later we went out to eat. We got some pan de yuca and went to eat some gato encerrado:. They are like beignets, but instead of bread its made from plantains, and have sugar on them! We went back to the house and watched TV before it was time to leave! On the way back it was Mena's mom, Lani and I! At first it was fine, but about 15 minutes on the bus....I started literally sweating. I made myself because on Monday I was starting with a new class and wanted to not fall asleep in class!

 

This is part of the street that was full of concessions

the night before!

The harbor...it's the biggest one in Ecuador

Where the video was taken is about half way up the ramp!