The Journey Home...

OK I know it's not Thursday, but I never updated my blog last week so I'll try to do two updates this week!  So first of all I'm here safe and sound in my parents house in PA, boy did it feel good to sleep in my bed last night!!! 


So I need to go back and tell you how the Visa story ended!  It was a total God thing!  Kim and I went back downtown on Monday morning to see if our Visas were approved, they were so the man behind the counter told us go down stairs and pay the $150 for the Visa, we did that came back upstairs and he gave us a receipt and said come back on Wednesday.  At that point I though ok so after we get our Visas back we still have to take them somewhere and register them which they said could take 2 days which is Friday and I have to get my CENSO which doesn't usually take very long, but you never know and I'm leaving on Sunday night so If I don't have everything on Friday I'm in trouble.  So I explained my situation to the man and he said ok come back tomorrow Tuesday between 12:30-4:30pm and hopefully everything will be ready. So Tuesday we had a lunch with the other missionary ladies at the mall el Jardin pretty close to where we needed to get our Visas and so we headed to the visa place and got there around 12 noon and we headed up and just asked the guard if we can get our Visas, we weren't expecting them to be ready, but we thought it can't hurt to ask!  So we asked and our good friend behind the counter handed them to us, we signed for them and then asked ok what is the next step he said you just need to go across the street from the Mall El Jardin and get your CENSO.  I was thinking seriously, that seems to easy, and I asked what about registering the Visa, He said no just get your CENSO.  So ask we left the Visa place where we had visited 3 times, I did a little dance and joy with my passport in hand!  Then Kim and I headed to the CENSO place, which yes was right across the street from where we were having lunch.  It was closed until 2:30pm for lunch so we too went and had a wonderful lunch with the missionary ladies.  Then we headed back over around 2:30pm and I had my CENSO my 3:30pm and I was totally legal with a Visa and Censo for the next two years!  God is so good, THat was a HUGE lesson again for me!  It is so hard for me to let go of things when I can't be in control.  But all along God was in control, he knew what I needed and when, no it didn't happen on my time schedule.  That would have meant that I had my visa and censo on Thursday the first day we went downtown.  But I had everything I needed on Tuesday a whole 5 days before I left!  So I just want to Thank the Lord for ALWAYS watching out for me, and for always being in control.  I'm so thankful that when things are OUT of my control, they are always IN God's control!

So Sunday night I headed to the airport, crying of course, I know it's only a month home, but I'm gonna miss everyone in Ecuador, Especially Harrison!  So I headed through getting my boarding passes, paying the exit tax, all the shops that were closed, immigration, security to go look for a bottle water, and I knew that last time there was only one place open downstairs, and so I headed there to buy water (which they were out of) and gum.  Then I headed up to the gate next to mine to drink the strawberry soda I bought and spend some time online until it was time to board, because in Quito if you are flying to the states you can't take ANY drinks on the plane.  So I waited and chatted online until they made the final call which was at like 10:30pm the flight didn't leave until 11:30pm  So I headed over to the gate I went through another check of my carry on bags, to make sure I didn't have a bottle of water :)  then I sat and waited.  Of course on my flight was a group of high school kids from some exchange group.  There were alot of them.  As I waited they were getting louder and louder, then one of their leaders came back in to the gate with a bottle of water and walked right past the people checking for of course bottles of water.  And very nicely in English the guard lady said mame, I'm sorry you can't take that bottle of water in there.  Well the leader lady starts yelling and being very rude, WELL HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO TAKE MY MALARIA MEDICINE AND THIS AND THAT, and being well yes the rude american.  I was ready to get up and say look This is for YOUR safety, get a grip, get your pills go take them out there and be done with it. Oh it made me very frustrated.  Then as we were heading down to the plane the kids from this group were running and screaming and swearing and being once again the rude americans.  I just about lost it, we work so hard with our NILI students and as missionaries to try to NOT be the rude americans, it really gets on my nerves when I am out and about in ecuador and I see people from my country talking about the people of Ecuador in a negative manner and using obscene words because they think " no one understands what I'm saying"  Well  let me tell you YES there are people who understand you, sometimes they are other gringos other times they are ecuadorians who do speak english.  So please if you ever travel outside the country and don't speak the language be careful what you say and how you act.  Everyone can tell where you are from, and remember there are people how live in that place from your country and they are trying to change the way people see our country, learn how and put in action how to be a Global citizen, PLEASE!!!!

So anyway we finally get to atlanta, I didn't sleep hardly at all on the place because they changed my seat to a middle seat, those are the worst.  I was in between two guys who were all stretched out with both of their arms on the arm rest, so I had none.  Apparently I'm still a little upset about that.  Something I must work through :)  It is always a little rough for me my first few hours back in the states, I don't know what language to speak in, looking at all the new stuff, being hurried to order my coffee :)  Anyway as soon as I got through the last security check in Atlanta I smelled the sweet aroma of Starbucks so of course I headed up the escalator for my first Grande, non-fat caramel Macchiato in 7 months and WOW did it taste good.  Sorry Kim, I'm gonna try to bring you one back!!!!!  I spend the next 3 hours people watching.  Then I boarded my flight to Philly and finally was with my parents around lunch time yesterday!  It is so good to be home, where everything is familiar and different all at the same time.  I can't imagine what it would be like for someone to come into the states for the first time, the hustle and bustle, the stores and all the little "gadgets" we have the variety of food and even types of coffee, its overwhelming for me after 7 months.  I hope the next time I'm coming home in December I will have  Harrison with me, and I'm so excited to see through his eyes what it's like to come to the states for the first time.  I can imagine it to be intimidating and exciting all at the same time! 
Well it's about time I get out of bed, I'm off to wal-mart today!  first time back which means a leisurely trip through every aisle to check out whats new and different :)  It's so good to be HOME!


P.S.  please be in prayer for Harrison, when I get back to Ecuador we are going to start working on the Visa process for him!  It is so good to be an american where we have the freedom to travel pretty much anywhere we want to with just a passport!  There are other who aren't so blessed and need to go through hours and lots of money to try to get a visa to travel!  Thank you Lord for the freedoms we have in the US. 

God Bless everyone!  Talk to you Later :)  Chau