Decisions in life...

Well here’s the worst blogger of the year! I have been trying to manage work, school, and life and it definitely hasn’t been easy. My doctorate studies have been intense and I have found it really hard to get motivated. If you know me, you know that actually this usually isn’t that much of a problem. In the past, schoolwork is always something that I’ve been on top of and made myself push through and do. I decided to take on an independent study because of my past motivation, but it’s been harder than I thought! In some ways I feel totally schooled out and wonder how I’m ever going to get through this. The good news is I’m plugging away, slowly and surely, and my hope is one day soon a second wind will kick in! I guess we’ll see….

A lot has happened in the past couple months. I turned 27 in March, Clinton and I celebrated our 4 year anniversary last week, and we decided this would be our last year in Ecuador.

Yes…I saved the biggie for last in that paragraph. This year has been so wonderful in many ways, and so very difficult in other ways. Let’s start with the wonderful (=

I think Clinton and I have really settled into a groove here. Last year I was so busy, I really felt that I was unable to enjoy life outside of the school walls. There was also the newness of living in another country and getting used to it. After the summer, however, I was ready to get back into school and tackle my new position as ESL coordinator. In the work arena of my life, it really has been a great year. I have loved this position and helping the school move forward in its ESL initiatives. I’ve also had some great women in leadership to look up to—my boss especially has taught me a lot and really has mentored me through what it means to be a female, Christian leader!

Clinton LOVED coaching again this year for the varsity volleyball and varsity basketball. I really enjoy watching him be a mentor and leader to this great group of guys. They really look up to him and he’s developed a lot of great relationships through the process. He is also well liked by his students and has enjoyed his teaching again this year.

On the personal side of things, I’ve had a little more time to invest in life outside of school. I’ve developed some really great friendships, been involved in a women’s Bible study, and have been trying to keep up exercise through Zumba and Pilates with friends. I think this made me realize how lonely and isolated I felt last year and God really placed a precious few in my life. It’s been such a blessing and really, a lot of fun!

And now for the hard part…

Well, without getting too much into detail, I think that with all the joy this year—I’ve really struggled emotionally. I can’t really pinpoint when it begun…but I know that I really struggled after my grandpa died. When a loved one dies, it’s not a quick fix a couple months later. Still, I felt like I was feeling worn down not just by that, but by things I couldn’t define. I also had blogged about health issues after Christmas. That kind of “scared” me into thinking I really need to stay on top of things. It’s harder to do that when I can’t follow medical terms in Spanish! Clinton remained a constant support for me this year, even at times when he felt worn down too. I think that’s when we seriously started thinking about leaving to return to the States. This is probably one of the hardest decisions we have made in our married life. We have loved being in Ecuador. We have been blessed beyond anything we could have imagined. We love our community—stronger than what we had for three years in New York. AND we love the kids we teach. I think at the end of the day, though, we realized that for the longevity of our ministry and our marriage—this was the best choice. I’m quoting Clinton. I think he said it best because it reminded me that no matter where we go, we’re a witness and a light for Christ.

The past two years I have been overwhelmed by the support and encouragement we’ve had from friends and family. I especially think of my Grandpa who expressed how elated he was to have lived to see me be a missionary in some far off country (=

Please, PLEASE, continue to pray for us. This is a bittersweet move and while I am excited about what God has in store for us—anxiety comes with not knowing! We have begun the process of looking for jobs and it definitely gets wearisome

For those who have supported us financially—our account will automatically be closed when we’re done here. You’ll be notified of the transition in the next month or two. Thanks for helping us serve here in Ecuador!