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!

The preciousness of an awkward moment…

Clinton and I officially met in January of our junior year of college. I had an Ecuadorian boyfriend and he had a huge head of curls….

There's something awkward about posting pictures of an old boyfriend...haha...so here's me and my sister in Ecuador...

I started out that winter session (J-term) feeling liberated by having a boyfriend. It sounds weird I guess, but for once I felt like I didn’t have to read into any of my guy friend relationships or feel dragged down by usual drama of who-likes-who and such. I was content and ready to enjoy the second half of the year after spending the Fall semester in Ecuador.

During the month of January, Clinton and I discovered we had a class together when the Spring semester started. Good. I don’t remember the rest of January.

The first day of class, Clinton sat next to me. We decided to be tutoring partners since we sat together and “knew” each other. Two months went by, he found out I had a boyfriend—awkward pause—we went on being friends, everyone knew he liked me, I denied it, and that was the semester in a nutshell.

Junior year~

um yeah...and then he had no hair

you know, he liked me, I made fun of him...you get the picture

Despite the distracting part of Andrew and the Darth Vader mask, I think Clinton's expression is funny......

The night before my last final of junior year, Clinton and I got together to study. I had been seriously thinking of breaking up with my boyfriend. The distance was too hard, I really cared about this guy—but deep down, I just knew he wasn’t the one. I was really contemplating what to do. Clinton was my friend, a guy, who better to ask for advice?

We were sitting on the floor of the lounge of the science building—I was asking Clinton what should I do? Should I break up with him? Isn’t he going to be hurt, and so on. Clinton was silent the whole time—just looking at me like I was crazy. He finally said “I don’t think I’m the best person to give advice about this”

“Why” I asked innocently (seriously—I REALLY denied the fact that he obviously liked me)

“well….eh hem hem (if you knew Clinton in college…you know his clearing the throat routine, he really doesn’t do it that much any more) I think you like me”

yes, oh yes….you read that correct. He said “I think YOU like me”

I was really, taken aback—umm what? I’m pretty sure I laughed and said “isn’t that a bit presumptuous”

His response “ok, well….I like you”

…..we didn’t start a relationship right away, that’s a story for another time…but I love to remember these awkward moments—they are really precious moments….

My recent thoughts of our marriage have stemmed from witnessing newlywed interactions over the past couple months. The newlywed stage is exciting—there’s newness, excitement, usually the couple can’t take their hands off each other, even when other people are around (=

The funny thing is not for one moment do I wish that I was in the stage again. Clinton and I have gone through many rough spots already in our marriage. We have fought a lot, we have hurt each other, we have come to each other broken, at times it was not pretty—we are stronger and closer for it. We fight better and we love better too.

One of the things I love about my husband is that he always laughs at me….yes AT me. It’s annoying but I love it at the same time. So...this was just a little walk down memory lane and a wonderful reminder of who my husband is and why I love him so much!

Dating life.....

In the midst of it all...

The past month and a half has been an emotional journey—and continues to be so. It’s obvious to say that it started with my Grandpa’s death.

I can be honest and say that after I got through his memorial service and returned to Ecuador, my day-to-day life here didn’t consist of thinking too much about it or even outwardly grieving. I’m realizing though that grief is a process and it doesn’t necessarily manifest itself on the outside as the days go by, but rather it’s a deeper, inner feeling.

I have Grandpa’s obituary on my fridge—it sounds morbid when I write that, but it has a picture of him as well. He’s smiling. It hurts to realize he is no longer here. Even though I didn’t talk with him much when I was here in Ecuador, it was always comforting to know that he was praying for me every morning.

So it’s moments when I feel caught off guard that I start to tear up and feel as raw as when I first found out.

Christmas break was an extreme whirlwind; probably more overwhelming than I would have imagined. We had two weeks to spend with family and friends. It’s precious time, especially when we won’t be home again until the summer.

We spent our first week in PA, during which Clinton’s brother got married. We were both honored to be apart of the wedding. After that, we headed to New York and Connecticut where we spent time with my family. My niece, Mikayla, is growing up so fast. Her vocabulary continues to grow each day and she preciously calls me “Na” (she caught the last part of Tante TiNA) and Clinton “Uncle” (I think we all gave up on her trying to say his name, Uncle seemed to stick!)

Over break, I visited my endocrinologist in New York. I’ve been seeing her since we moved to New York and it made sense to continue seeing her for my thyroid check up. I found out that I needed to get another thyroid biopsy. I was frustrated by this news that interrupted my limited time home—but it had to be done, and my family felt it would be best if I could have it done before we returned to Ecuador. My mother-in-law amazingly got me into a place in PA through friend connections and I’m happy to say that after much anxiety through the whole process, we found that the nodule continues to be benign.

I do see how God works in our lives, but that doesn’t mean that my life feels easier and hard times are lighter. I was just talking with my Bible study group of how during rough times we often forget that we have God to depend on—and really, that dependence should trump the independence that we think we can handle. I don’t feel day-to-day comfort, but I feel comfort when I look back and see how He has guided me and timed things in my life and I am thankful.

Remembering an Amazing Grandpa

The summer before I came to Ecuador, I went to visit my grandparents in Ohio. As I said goodbye to them, I broke down crying. It was the first real time that I noticed their frailness and vulnerability—probably because I was aware of how long it would be until I saw them again. The horrible thought went through my mind of “if I see them again.”

What an amazing God I have when I think about the time I was able to spend with them during this past summer when we were able to visit from Ecuador. The most painful process has been watching my Grandma continue to decline as she goes deeper into dementia. My Grandpa, on the other, despite his almost blindness and his struggle to walk, has a huge smile on his face when we saw him, making jokes with people passing by and sometimes taking a cheerful jab at my Grandma. I don’t think I thought of losing him first.

On Monday, November 7^th, my Grandpa went to be the the Lord. As my sister reminded me, he has a new body now in heaven. He can walk with no pain, see for miles, and most likely is playing beautiful hymns and praises to God. What a comforting thought. Yesterday morning when I shared with my 7^th grade students that I was sad about my Grandpa dying, one of my students pointed out that a praise for our morning prayer-time should be that he’s in heaven. It’s hard to rejoice during this time, but I’m thankful to know he’s free of pain and joyful despite the loss that we feel.

My most vivid memories of my Grandpa are as followed:

-Playing board games with him and my grandma

-The car rides with him every Wednesday when he came to pick me up

-His friendly and joyful singing voice

-His laughter

-His sometimes awkward and inappropriate jokes (more of this in his older age, I think he was losing his filter…haha)

-His music –this, of course, is what I will always remember.

-His all-caps emails

-His reminder to me that him and my grandma prayed for us every morning

When I visited him after being in Ecuador, he told me how proud he was to see me go and serve the Lord. He told me it was honor for him to have lived to see such a special thing.

It is our intent to go home for my Grandpa’s memorial service, but we need your help. Please prayerfully consider assisting us with this added and unexpected cost of airline tickets. We are looking into our options of traveling home for this time to support my family and to help with closure.

Please also pray for my family and I during this time. I’m finding it even harder to be here in Ecuador and away from the familiar while I’m grieving. Clinton has been wonderfully caring and supportive through my uncontrolled emotions these past two days. I am thankful, however, more than ever to know that I have a community of faith both here and at home supporting and praying for us.

Thank you to numerous friends who have encouraged me with verses. This one especially stood out to me from Isaiah 43, reminding me of God’s faithfulness and care:

But now, this is what the LORD says—

he who created you, Jacob,

he who formed you, Israel:

“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;

I have summoned you by name; you are mine.

² When you pass through the waters,

I will be with you;

and when you pass through the rivers,

they will not sweep over you.

When you walk through the fire,

you will not be burned;

the flames will not set you ablaze.

³ For I am the LORD your God,

the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;

I give Egypt for your ransom,

Cush and Seba in your stead.

⁴ Since you are precious and honored in my sight,

and because I love you,

I will give people in exchange for you,

nations in exchange for your life.

⁵ Do not be afraid, for I am with you;

I will bring your children from the east

and gather you from the west.

This is one of my favorites: Dad and Grandpa playing music together.

Keeping up with life...

I was sure that I would do better this Fall with keeping up my blog. I have found a true blessing in having a little extra time on my hands. The funny thing is, despite that extra time, I still feel like I’m bustling around and keeping busy.

Last year I took on a huge responsibility of teaching high school English with a total of 6 different classes over the whole year. I am thoroughly enjoying the lack of papers to grade and not having to plan for hours after school each day! My new position as ESL coordinator has been challenging but enjoyable. I am working on creating a stronger department and requirements for the ESL students at our school. I am also loving my 7th grade ESL kids that I teach. They are energetic and fun to teach!

Last year Clinton and I chaperoned the 7th grade trip to the cloud forest, Mindo. This year I went again. Clinton had to stay back because of coaching. My biggest triumph during the trip was zip-lining upside-down! It was called “el murciélago” or “the bat.” Unfortunately I didn’t have my picture taken but here’s a picture online I found of a similar position (again—this is not me! Haha).

At the butterfly garden in Mindo....

Me and one of my students....



I have been doing a lot of cooking because Clinton comes home around 7 each night after coaching. That’s been keeping me busy with trying to find new things to cook with ingredients that I can find here. My favorite find recently has been butternut squash soup. It’s been a great Fall reminder even when there are no changing leaves or cooler temperatures here. I use something called “zapallo” which is what we use here in place of pumpkin for recipes—but essentially it’s a squash shaped like a pumpkin!

Here's the recipe:
http://www.ourbestbites.com/2009/10/butternut-squash-soup/

Clinton continues to stay busy with work and coaching. The volleyball season is almost over, but soon basketball will start. Clinton has his moments of feeling overwhelmed and stressed, however he continues to go strong and especially enjoys coaching and teaching a business consumer math (anything that involves spreadsheets—if you know Clinton—he loves!).

I have been taking Salsa lessons with three other friends once a week. It’s been an enjoyable form of exercise and a little bit of culture thrown in! We’ve shared many, many laughs during our lessons and even try to practice once in a while on a Saturday.

Today is the last day of our first vacation break of the year. It was the day of the dead and also independence day for one of the cities in Ecuador. Our first day off was Wednesday, so it was a sizable vacation. We traveled to a nearby beach with three other couples and had a relaxing time out there! I love November because of Thanksgiving and how close it is to December break! Clinton and I will be coming home for Christmas, most importantly to attend and be apart of his brother, Ted’s, wedding. We’re flying in on December 15th and will spending the first half of vacation in PA with Clinton’s family and then on to the NY area to be with my family. I am literally crossing off each day on my calendar in anticipation for this trip!

At the beach..

The Boys....

The Girls....

...and we're back!

This summer can be summed up in one word: whirlwind. Clinton and I traveled all over and spent precious time with family and friends. In order to see everyone, we spent time in Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and Indiana. We also made a trip to New York City to catch up with friends, Minnesota, so I could attend my first doctorate residency, and New Jersey to spend a week at the beach with both our families.

It was a huge blessing to have the summer, especially after feeling really homesick at the end of the school year. I attempted to relax and rejuvenate despite the fact that I was taking two courses, one of which was my first doctoral research course.

Our trip back to Ecuador was fairly smooth and the transition into our new apartment was wonderful. The apartment we’re in is owned by a missionary who is not here this year, therefore it is all furnished helping us from starting up completely after leaving the furnished dorm apartment. It’s is a 2 minute walk from school, which is perfect. I am already experiencing getting out of my comfort zone as I interact with our grounds man (Jose). The first time I spoke with him, he just gave me a funny look as I struggled to communicate. I thought, ah geez, he’s not going to work with me as I stretch my brain to think of vocabulary. However, after numerous times of having trouble using my key and asking him to help me with the stove, he’s started to smile. He probably thinks I’m just a crazy gringa…but I’m excited for the challenge to continue our communication. In addition to communication with Jose, we are also learning how to attach our stove, washer, and water heater to gas tanks.

School started Thursday and it already feels like a new and different year. My new position is part time administration, so I have more meetings to attend and I’m now the point person for problem solving in my department. I have my office now instead of a classroom, which is a strange adjustment. I will be teaching, but only two classes, thus I will be going into other teachers’ classrooms for those two periods.

As usual, my goal will be to update this at least once a month. Thanks for your thoughts, prayers, and support in everyway!

Blessings,

Christina

Both our families spent a joint vacation together in NJ before we came back to Ecuador. It was a special and blessed time!
Together with college friends at a shower I threw (with help!) for my roommate

With my niece, Mikayla (=

Clinton and I

Finishing year one....

Well that's one school year behind us! (well, at least here in Ecuador—it's crazy to think we just finished my fourth year of teaching!!)

It's always hard to end a year because that means goodbyes, usually for the summer. Here that's even more emotional because there are people who are not coming back. Many of them have been great friends over the past year and it's sad to see them go!

Today Clinton and I spent the afternoon and evening sorting out our things to “pack” for “moving.” I put both words in quotations because while we are moving to another apartment, the main thing we're moving is clothes. We have a couple kitchen items we bought over the year as well as a television, but other than that...not much. Since the apartment we've been in at the dorm is furnished, we did not need to buy any furniture. The biggest blessing is that we're moving into another furnished apartment! While we did need to buy a couch and some additional kitchen supplies (from the people who are living there currently), we did not need to buy anything else to outfit the place.

Tomorrow we'll move our stuff over to the apartment and then we'll have two days of living out of our suitcases that have been packed for our trip home for the summer! We'll be leaving on Tuesday morning...actually...Clinton's birthday (= He's not overly thrilled to be flying on his birthday, but a huge gift is getting home that evening!!

Summer will be quite busy for us. We'll be in Pennsylvania (Clinton's family), Indiana (My family), Connecticut (my sister), New York, Minneapolis (for my first doctorate residency!), and then Ocean City, NJ for a joint family vacation right before we're back in Ecuador! When I think about it this way, it feels like my summer has already gone by.

THANK YOU for your prayers and support over this year. We could not have done this without your encouragement, financial support, and constant prayers. This wasn't an easy year, but we are thankful that God as been constant in our lives. He has truly provided opportunities to understand our role here in South America!