Ecuador Update: Arrival!

Greetings everyone,

First off, I need to thank the Lord for a generally uneventful trip. Planes were delayed so I ended up over an hour and a half late at Guayaquil, but my luggage arrived with me, and Justo and German (the guy Justo has been staying with in Ecuador) were there to pick me up. We got immediately onto a bus headed for Cuenca, and enjoyed a foggy, dark, though uneventful ride to Cuenca, arriving at our destination, Cuenca at 6:30 AM. Thankfully, I was able to get some sleep both in the plane, and much of the way in the bus. Overall, I am very glad how the trip went. I´d rather have less excitement than more stress on a long trip like this.

I am already getting into the middle of things here. This afternoon we are going with the youth from the church, Paz de Dios, to help paint a needy congregants home.

So far the language has been only mildly overwhelming. I can understand the gist of most conversations, using context to explain the words I do not understand, but answering pointed questions is more difficult. Like others have said before, almost no one knows any English down here, and those that do aren´t hankering to try it out on you.

Some of my highlights so far have been, some nice turbulence as we appraoched Atlanta, safe and uneventful travel, easy customs, seeing old friends from Ecuador, and meeting new ones, and getting to put pictures to the places that I have heard so much about.

Right now my most pressing prayer requests are:

Language: Quick comprehension of the language
Culture: Limiting social faux pas´.
Attentiveness: to not only grasp the layout of the city and figure out how to get to the places I need to go, but also to see the ways I can best help those who I am called to serve.

So long for now

In Christ,
Peter
Ex. 18:8-11 (this was a verse that German shared with us this morning)