Wish we were here.......

OK- we've never been to the Galapagos Islands and probably never will, but thought we'd post pictures while we are waiting for our new camera. These were taken by a couple we know who visited recently. Even though the Galapagos Islands are part of Ecuador, these pictures are as close to the island as most Ecuadorians will ever get. The Galapagos islands are well known for their exotic and rare animal species. Hope you enjoy the pics.

You know you live in Quito when.....

1. The city buses race each other through the streets
2. Milk and eggs are not refrigerated
3. You can't breathe at an intersection due to air pollution
4. You carry your umbrella everywhere you go
5. You wonder how in the world vendors can get 151 songs on a CD and still sell it for $1
6. $3 for lunch is expensive
7. You have almost been killed several times crossing a round-about
8. Family dogs hang out on the roof
9. You realize that guinea pig does NOT taste like chicken
10. Visa is NOT everywhere you want it to be
11. The public are more scared of the president that the active volcanoes that surround the city
12. You can never get change for your $20 or even $10 bill
13. The electricity goes out for no apparent reason
14. Throwing toilet paper in the waste basket instead of the toilet has become a habit
15. You have never seen so many different types and sizes of bananas
16. Halls cough drops are considered candy
17. There are more KFC's in all of Quito than in the state of SC
18. If the doors on the bus still shut, than its not full enough
19. You can go from overheated to freezing in 30 minutes
20. The children are the worst pick-pocketers and the sneakiest (sadly enough)
21. Casual and even excessive drinking on the streets doesn't get a second thought
22. People beep at police officers for driving too slow
23. The mountain views never get old

Unfortunately, our blog is going to be a bit bare for a while. Our camera was stolen this weekend out of our pocket as we were walking around downtown with some friends. So......in lieu of photos, we thought we'd put down some funny observations/cultural differences we've noticed since living in Quito.

The kissing of the flag...

Greg and I were invited to attend an annual flag ceremony at one of the local elementary schools near the soup kitchen. Many of the children we have grown to love were in the cermonies. In one sense, the program is an award ceremony- kids with the highest grades from the graduating class are honored. But it is also very patriotic-all the kids swear an oath to Ecuador and take turns kissing the flag.

Goodbye March Madness!

Last week was probably the most challenging week we've had since we've been here. Steve, the leader of this ministry, was in a car accident and spent some time in the hospital for some minor injuries. His wife, Micki is in the U.S. right now caring for her sick mother for a couple months. This left Greg and I to manage things for the past week. Greg stayed in Quito with a medical team, while I left for Rio Bamba for the week with another dental team. Once again, we stayed at the military base at night and worked in the small community of Licto during the days. The town is one of the oldest provinces of Ecuador and is mostly comprised of indigenous people who have never had any dental care in their life. Everyday, adults and children lined up on the streets to wait their turn to see the dentists. I think I've seen enough teeth extracted to last me a lifetime. It wasn't uncommon for a young child to have 5 or 6 teeth pulled because of decay- thankfully they will grow back. I learned a lot about how to manage a team this week, about dental equipment and procedures, how to comfort those who are anxious about their first dental experience, and how Jesus is present in all of this. Here are some pictures of the stunning scenary and magnificant people we encountered. I didnt include any pics of the dental work itself- who wants to see bloody gauze and teeth? You'll notice the pic of the still smoking volcano that made the news a couple months ago. You won't see any pics of Greg and his team because I had the camera for the week! :)