Putting down Roots

Two weeks ago, I took a step of independence and moved to an apartment that I'm sharing with a friend in the area of Cumbaya where I previously lived with an Ecuadorian family.  I am very grateful for the 8 months I spent with my host family, but I felt it was time to have my "own" place and a space to which I can invite friends on my own schedule.  This step comes after a bigger one that I am in the process of formalizing--the decision to stay an additional year in Ecuador.

Needless to say, I've come to love this country, with its unpredictable climate, neighbors who blast cumbia music at 1am, buses that race each other up and down mountains, and all the other endearing factors that make Ecuador what it is.  At the same time, staying another year is exciting because it means putting down roots and investing in this place that I have come to call home.  Living in the college atmosphere for 4 years, I lived a somewhat transient lifestyle.  Each year (and sometimes each semester), I lived in a different location, and my activities and involvement changed every 3-4 months.  With such a lifestyle, it is easy to disconnect from where one lives--not getting to know neighbors, not taking the time to enjoy the scenery, and not investing in relationships that might end in 3 months.  Living in Ecuador for an additional 12 months means learning more about the other endearing aspects of this country.  It means building on relationships and investing in the lives of others.  And it means that I can dig deeper into my work with Partners Worldwide and our local affiliate, Partners for Christian Development-Ecuador.

With a new apartment, I have goals and plans.  I look forward to getting to know our neighbors (and possibly teaching them some English...which they have already requested =).  I look forward to hosting friends for dinner or to watch a movie to reciprocate the hospitality with which they have blessed me.  And I look forward to planting a garden--we have the perfect space for it.

And with an extra year in Ecuador, I also have goals and plans.  I hope that each additional business training we give will have a stronger underlying base of biblical principles.  I look forward to visiting businesses more often and helping businesspeople follow through with their plans to create businesses that truly glorify God.  And I look forward to helping our Ecuadorian and North American business leaders build stronger connections to continue this work long after I am gone.

So there are some of my plans to put down roots and grow here.  It's not an immediate process, and like moving to an apartment, it takes some time.  On that topic, here are some pictures from the moving process.  I promise the apartment is more organized now, but I like to show the disorder--it reminds me that our work is still ongoing....

My bedroom

The dining/living room

More boxes in the living room

The kitchen