2
nd from the top ! 3rd & 4
th window from left
We moved into MultiCentro on Mar. 6 It has blue carpet and paint. Maybe that's why it feels good to me there. (It's like home) We live on the 17th floor of an 18 story building. Yes there is an elevator. we have cleaned it, had it fumigated, and maybe next month we might be able to get it painted.
WEATHER: It is always like spring here. the temperature - between 45 and 75 degrees. It rains most every day and the sun shines most everyday. One day we were at home and it rained down on the street but not up at the 17th floor. I think we were in the cloud maybe.
FLOWERS: There are all kinds here. Roses are $2.00 to maybe $8.00 a dozen. There is a poinsettia tree (yes tree) that we pass on the way to church. Everything grows big. There are no seasons so I guess the flowers just bloom according to when they are planted.
FOOD: They use a lot of cilantro and garlic here. We have not eaten very much traditional food yet. There are lots of American restaurants. Groceries cost about 1 1/2 to 2 times as much as at home. I am in the process of learning how to make adjustments in recipes. All baked goods need to have less sugar and butter and more flour.
BANO: Our toilet water goes down the drain clockwise. Check yours out. I finally learned how to tear the paper off. It's right in the between of the cabinet and the tank and it's hard to do.
BEDROOM: Yeah!!! We have a queen size bed. What a difference it makes over the double we had in the other place. We also bought new pillows. One end doubles as a utility room.
EXERCISE: We walk at least 1 1/2 miles a day, to or from or both ways to work. Tom is stretching with Kathy each night. Ow!
CHURCH: It's all in Spanish. Kathy feels like she lives in a bubble. Tom can answer questions in class. We walk to get there, about 6 blocks. There are about 150 people there each week.
FRIENDS: We love the other seniors. We have family home evening together each Monday. There is also a girl named Emily who is down here on an exchange and a young couple and baby who join us. He is a Doctor down here doing humanitarian work and will be going back to a residency in the States. We are also beginning to know the Ecuadorian people at church better.
CLOTHES: Tom now has some clothes to relax in thanks to the sewing machine. We still can't find T shirts big enough for him. No grande. He bought a black hat and when he walks the street in it and his black coat, he is pretty imposing. Everyone tells us he will not have to worry about being mugged because of his size. I stay pretty close to him.
WORK: We need to make lots of phone calls so the language slows us down. We have a volunteer who helps with that. Kathy now sends happy birthday texts to all the participants on their birthdays. Tom is studying everything he can get his hands on, making flow charts, and trying hard to figure out the process. One of the flow charts he sent to Bogota (our head quarters) is going to be used by them in training.
TIME: We are at the office at 8:00 am and home between 3:00 & 5:00. The sun comes up at 6:30 am and goes down at 6:30 pm every day. They say it's year round.
MISSIONARIES: They are the greatest young men and women. They are very capable, on the ball, willing, and real go getters. They got 100 baptisms last month and begged to set their goal for 120 for this month.
Next blog - Around Quito
This is Ped
ro, one of the boy scouts doing a tree planting project on the mountain at Pichincha. Cute huh?
Tom love to talk to everyone. These men are security guards. He thinks they are there because there is a lot of communication antennas and stuff there.
Senior missionaries and new friends
This is a member of the church in Otavolo. They sell jewelery. Kathy went to their house and saw where they make the jewelery.
