Rumblings vs Eternity

  I have found that two months here in Quito have really flown by quite quickly and yet it seems like Kentucky was so long ago...I am sure you know what I mean.  It is interesting because although there is not a lot happening in this temporary home I find the days flying by.  I guess that is good.
  We have been attending the only english speaking church which has been nice but we also find that our Sunday evening "church" as a family, watching our beloved Southland online has blessed us as a family.  I am not sure if this will continue as we know it is important to connect with a local body of believers but for now its a nice cushion.
  Personally, I am reading Romans (again) and trying to slow down to appreciate the fullness of the book.  I am also reading a book by Francis Chan and his wife Lisa on the importance necessity of keeping an eternal perspective.  I find myself asking, "Does this matter to eternity"?  It helps with the circumstantial factors that can so easily blind and frustrate.  While this time in a hotel has been less than wonderful, I don't want to miss the possibility that God has us here for Growth, for Rest and for Perspective.  Its ok.
  As a quick update, Quito, and all of Ecuador for that matter, are rumbling.  Rumbles are coming from  the volcanoes as well as the people.  We wonder which will blow first.
  This country appears to be on the verge of a revolution or perhaps a colossal fizzle if El Presidente declares himself a dictator.  Either way, change is around the corner.  We watched a long protest parade last night march right below our windows.  My eyes welled up.  I think its pretty awesome watching a nation care enough to peacefully march for a change.  I am not going to say one way or another if I support their position, but I will say that too many people in the USA take this freedom for granted.  Many who marched right past my window last night may find themselves without a job in the near future.
  While all of this political simmering is happening, there are rumbles and bubbling happening further down under our feet.  Quito is nested among four large volcanoes with many "smaller" ones around.  There are at least two Gaua and Cotopaxi that have "significantly" increased their "seismic activity" and "steam emissions" in just the past few weeks.  Access to one of the volcanoes has been closed to the public.
  No one seems especially concerned.  I guess I won't be either, but I have suggested that we get some duct tape and face masks...apparently these supplies are the equivalent to needing blankets and flares in your car during a Buffalo winter.
  So how do these rumblings, both of the Natural and Political type, affect my Eternal Perspective?  They don't.  They are circumstantial and I am Trusting God in the details...even if the details include violent rioting or noxious gases and ash spewing from a mountain.  He is in Control.  T

 Cotopaxi steaming two days ago.

Where is my Trust?

  For someone who really doesn't have much of a Life yet here I certainly do have difficulty finding time to write...Perhaps its that I am not particularly motivated yet.  I would encourage you, if you haven't already, to take some time to visit a few other blogs written by the girls.  You may get a more interesting perspective.

http://faithfultravels.blogspot.com/

http://willistheway.blogspot.com/

http://ridingthehillsofchange.blogspot.com/

  It does appear, since the deadline has passed for contesting, that our housing is set for what they call The Valley.  We won't be in the actual valley of Cumbaya but just a bit north in Miravalle and still just as far from where the rest of our Life will be happening--Kids' school (45 min-hour drive), Steve's work (30 min-hour drive), Bible Study for me (25-45 min drive).  Basically, it appears I will have two choices: 1.  Be in the car A LOT or 2.  Stay home and blog.  For all of our sake I do hope I can make the most of driving.  I haven't had too much luck in finding a driver which is still my hope.

  All in all the lesson I have been learning is all wrapped up in the word Trust.  Since learning about this move just under one year ago (May 21) to today everything about this transition has required Trust but in whom am I placing that Trust?   I am not one who needs nor wants to be in control of my life.  Submitting to another's authority is never much of a struggle for me...maybe call it weakness or laziness, but its true none-the-less.  However, I am often misguided in where I place that Trust.

  At times I am disappointed because circumstances don't align with what I think is Good and I realize my trust is in other's making the Right decisions.  I am disappointed if a decision is made that seems to completely ignore my Needs or Desires.  I am not one to require much from others, even from my spouse and kids.  I am one who often just goes along with the whims, desires and certainly the needs of my family.  But, occasionally something arises in my Life where I am really panicked for a decision to bend towards my desired outcome.  I am panicked not because I need things to be my way but because if they aren't then perhaps the one making the decision doesn't really care about what I want or need.  You see its not so much about the Decision itself as it is the motivation or attention of the one making the Decision.

  It is at these moments of panic that I am often gently redirected to His face and I know He is saying," Really Tanya?  Do you not Trust Me?  Do you really not believe that I am in control of this decision and the outcome for you will be Good?"  Instead of worrying about any kind of ulterior motives or lack of concern for me or someone else's apparent selfishness...I need to continually rest in the authority that my Heavenly Father has over every aspect of my Life...including how in the world will I ever ...?


  

Home...unsettled Home

So I hope you are able to enjoy some Hannah's pics on Facebook.  Any you see here may have to be begged off of her.

Life has been quiet but I wouldn't say peaceful.  There have been the expected frustrations but also a few that have been more personal and more challenging.  However, we are continuing to put our trust in Him for He is the reason we are here.

We have been able to visit THE english speaking church in Quito and the kids have spent some time at the school they will be attending (God-willing) in the fall.  The older two are even off to an evening with an LDS youth group. I must say that sending my two kids off in a taxi in a foreign country, not knowing the language, by themselves....well this has by far been my biggest challenge.  As I type I am awaiting their arrival text.

It is very strange being in between "homes".  As EL said, with tears pooling, "I just can't settle in.  I am tired of the wait."  I believe there is a reason for this time of waiting before we are put into our new home.  One major blessing I see is that we are within walking distance of the school.  This has given us access to the campus that we may not have had if we had been immediately placed in our house.  Our house is quite a bit further south and east...actually outside of Quito proper.  So for now the Sheraton Quito IS "Home".

God's Work (and being thousands of feet above Sea Level) Takes Your Breath Away

   

  Wow!  An actual full family photo (credit Amy Altland) and we only needed to climb to 13000 feet above sea level for it to happen.  Maybe everyone was too short on oxygen to argue.  We spent an absolutely lovely day with a wonderful family we are getting to know already here in Quito.  We took a cable car (Teleferico) up Mt Pichincha one of the four volcanoes that border the city.  For this lady who has an inexplicable fear of heights it was quite a feat to go from around 9300 ft to 13000 ft in about 5 minutes.  I can't really describe the feeling except that I felt like my lung capacity had been cut in half and my need for air doubled.  I was secretly glad that our youngest had a cold which made her movement even slower.  However, by the time we reached the point where most of us stopped (5 others went a bit higher) the amazing views of Quito, and more awesomely the natural world around Quito took my breath away...well not that there was much more breath to be taken.  It was surprisingly cold but to be outside way above the noise, smells and insanity of the city far below, well it was just what our spirits needed.

Buenos dias, tarde, noche,...hola?

Well, it was almost a year of preparation, of emotional ups and downs, of unknowns...and yet I sit here still pinching myself that we are actually in Quito, Ecuador.  We have now hit every continent except the big chunk of ice further south which we have no intention of hitting.  I am still not sure about my first impressions as landing at a new post with the government requires a lot of briefings and a whole lot of waiting while your Life is set up for you in some ways.  However, there is also a whole lot of "just figure it out" moments.

We feel more than blessed with our "temporary" home for the next four months until our official house is ready for us.  I don't have much cleaning, only some laundry to do and as of right now almost every meal has been prepared in a restaurant.  I am feeling that this will grow old quickly as Quito is not quite the eating capital that Singapore was.

The kids are all experiencing things in their own way with moments of excitement and moments of tears as are expected with these types of transitions.  I keep reminding them that technology alone makes their situation far easier than was mine in the 80's moving to India.  But, non-the-less culture shock is still what it is.

We are heading to the school on Monday and I hope this will help give us all a bit of an anchor.  We have been greeted by some wonderful people who have reached out and been truly welcoming, something that was lacking from our last transition.

Language is a funny thing.  I am forever amazed by a group of people who can communicate the same thoughts, feelings, jokes, concepts, etc as I do and yet use words and sounds that mean absolutely nothing to me.  I do have hope that we will all progress in our Spanish to some useful level soon, but for now we try to keep a sense of humor as we say things like "Voy a llegar  la comida" instead of "llevar" saying that I will "arrive the food" instead of "take the food to go".  But most people seem to laugh and smile right along with us.  I must say that as one who loves to sit and discuss the "deeper" things of Life...I will most certainly not be sounding too profound in Spanish for a while.

Needing to round up people and get pumped for dinner.  (Yes, every event requires some sort of a pep rally)  Hasta luego!  T