Home again.

Hey all!

Now that my computer has finally found an internet signal in my house that it deems worthy of a response, it is time to write my final summer blog.

I'm back in Chicago! Writing to you from the kitchen table, as I sip coffee (at 1 in the afternoon :O) and look out on the lovely green park to the north of our home. It's been a pretty chill first few days back, especially in comparison to the busy-ness of our last week in Ecuador....

Guayaquil was a good way to end my summer "merging." I met LOADS of beautiful children from Guasmo Sur who were a part of the school we were working with and an associated Compassion program. I pretended to be a pirate. I walked into a chifa (Chinese restaurant) with mergers Chris and Liz, that was looking for "2 señoritas y un joven," and tried to get them to sell us straws. I ate lots of delicious coconut ice cream. I went alone to the home of a family from the Covenant church in Guasmo Sur and ate a lovely meal. I swam in the Pacific Ocean. It was fantastic.

Although I was somewhat uncomfortable with the way we were treated like celebrities, with kids asking for our autographs and adults snapping pictures (one woman even asked me to hold her newborn twin girls while she took my photo), I loved how open and friendly everyone was. They don't get visitors too often - Guasmo Sur isn't the best place to grow up. As I got to know the teachers from the school, however, I was blown away by their dedication and heart for this neighborhood. They are investing their lives and talents into the children of this community, and there is much we could learn from them.

From a linguistic vantage point, this week was pretty challenging. I'm glad that it was my last week and not my first with Merge! ...I've become WAY more laid back throughout the summer, which equipped me well to deal with this week.

The first day we arrived in Guayaquil, Merge had a meeting with the leaders of the church, Compassion, and the school, and I started questioning whether or not I even spoke Spanish! I had been spoiled by the crystal clear, slow Spanish of Quito, and was not at ALL used to the s-dropping, slurred, rapid-fire speech of the costeños. I still have no idea what went down at that meeting. But they were patient with me and all of my asking for them to repeat themselves and talk more slowly, for which I am very grateful.

I also learned many a scientific and musical term in Spanish, translating science lessons and experiments and music lessons that the team had prepared. Hidrógeno, moléculas y protones, oh my!

This team was a bunch of troopers from Pasadena, surviving an entire 2 days without their suitcases, which stayed in Bogota for far too long. For some of the kids (and adults), this was their first mission trip; it was neat to see them learn and grow as the week progressed.

SO now I'm back home, after saying goodbye to the Hoskins and after 3 long days of travel (including crossing the U.S./Mexican border on a bus at midnight). The 3 months of hanging

out and going on adventures with my buddy Liz

have come to a close, but thankfully she is only a few hours away by Megabus. It's been difficult adjusting to the laid-back pace of this week at home, but I know that in a few days my life will be quite busy and I'll be wishing for some time off again.

Thanks for supporting me in my journey this summer! It has been a challenging, encouraging, and unforgettable experience. :)

My escapades for the next while will be Chicago-based. I miss and will continue to miss the people and places I met this summer, but I trust that I will enjoy and learn from the people here as well.

Blessings.