Adjusting

It's been 10 days since I've been gone.  One word to describe my last 10 days: Adjustment.

I have been to Ecuador the last 4 years doing short-term mission work, but this will be my longest stay, 5 months.  I have to say, I love Ecuador; I love this country and the people here.  However, I am definitely out of my comfort zone.  I think when we are out of our comfort zone, it can be harder to love or feel loved by people.  For me, I want to express my love through language, but when my Spanish is limited, I have to find news ways to show it.  As for receiving love, Ecuadorians love to offer food, but it gets challenging sometimes when it either doesn't look appetizing or you shouldn't eat it because the food is unsafe.  These are just a few examples of my adjustments.

This is off the rooftop of where
I live (I live on the top floor).

These last 10 days, I have taken so much information in that it has gotten overwhelming sometimes.  From the language, to living independently in a different country, the different types of food, to the time Ecuadorians eat dinner, etc.  The other day, it felt so great to eat spaghetti and meatballs!

I have slowly been getting into working with hcjb as the communications intern.  I have been blessed with a great coworker, she knows about as much English as I do Spanish, so we have been learning a lot from each other.  I have started writing articles for the social media site and filmed for Control Z (controlz.fm).  Writing articles/filming in Spanish is a new adjustment for me, along with writing/filming to the Ecuadorian audience.

On Sunday, I had the opportunity to work alongside the organization, Education=Hope (educationequalshope.org) in filming a music video.  The day was filled with joy, especially being able to reconnect with good friends at the ministry site I was at.

Adjustment has been my word these past 10 days.  I don't expect that to change for a while. But I know that it's okay to be uncomfortable.  I think in the midst of that, God grows us.  I'm learning that we shouldn't shy away from cultural differences but rather work to embrace them.  Because being uncomfortable has not and will not take away the joy God has placed in my heart for these people.