What I will be doing in Ecuador!

It was going to be perfect. I would be married to a man that would make all of the decisions about when where and how we would be missionaries. We would live some where in Africa and do something that would be considered mission work. ---- These were my plans for my future at the age of seven. But, God had other plans...

The dream changed "slightly" when I went to Ecuador in 2009. God showed me that in His plan for me (at least for right now) I didn't need a man to make the decisions. I needed to trust Him and He would show me what to do.

Well, I was able to "see the dream" a little more clearly when I visited Ecuador in October. I made decisions about the city I will be living in and the school that I will teaching in. It was exciting to meet some of the missionaries that I will be working with when I get to Ecuador. It was also encouraging to talk to some missionaries that finished raising their support and have just arrived in Ecuador.


Where I will be living:

Shell, Ecuador -- At the bottom of the Andes Mountains and at the edge of the Amazon Jungle

Shell is a smallish city about 5 hours from the capital city of Quito. The temperature is always warm (going towards hot). It is safe for women to walk alone on the streets during the day, and at night to walk around with another woman or group. [ This was extremely comforting for my parents to hear]

What I will be doing:

Teaching at the Nate Saint Memorial School for children whose parents are missionaries in Shell.

 

     Nate Saint Memorial School is a small school that has around 30 students in grades K-8. The teachers at the school are all missionaries. This helps keep the cost down for the parents because the teachers do not get paid through the school. 

     If you look close enough in the picture, you can see the line of bicycles against the wall of the school. The children usually ride their bikes to school. At lunch, the children all ride their bikes back home for lunch.

     Because there are only 4 teachers for 9 different grades of children, the teachers all end up teaching subjects to all of the grades. For example, one teacher might teach Math to 1st-2nd grade students during the first part of the day. Later she might teach Science to 7th-8th grade students. 

There will be more to come in later posts about other things that I might be able to be involved in when I arrive in Shell. Until then, take time to view some of the other photos that I took while on my trip to Ecuador!