As our time here winds down and we’re out and about I find myself saying either ‘I’m going to miss that’ or ‘I’m sure not going to miss that’. So, I decided to share some of each with you.

Things I’ll Miss about Ecuador

1. Being surrounded by the scenic green hills & mountains
2. Adorable Quichua babies peeking out with wide, dark, innocent eyes.
3. Ancient stucco Spanish architecture
4. Making my way through the vegetable market on the way to a Bible study
5. The ‘old’ Otavalo town square ‘Parque Bolivar’ before they ‘improved it’
6. Renting a large awesome house with a fireplace for only $180/month
7. Being greeted with ‘Buenos Dias’ or ‘Buenos Tardes’ on the streets by everyone who makes eye contact
8. Seeing all the colourful handcrafts displayed everywhere
9. Seeing oxen and/or pigs, etc. being led (or not) down the middle of the roads
10. Walking cobblestone streets through picturesque ancient villages

Things I Won’t Miss about Ecuador

1. Being cold every time a cloud passes over and every evening from 4pm on
2. Being gagged by clouds of black exhaust from the zillions of buses that don’t have pollution control devices
3. Trying to appreciate how gorgeous it could be if it weren’t for all the trash spoiling every view
4. Dodging excrement from dogs and… well, I won’t go there
5. Trying to hold my breath while walking by certain long walls on the way to town (see 1Kings 14:10) 😉
6. Terrifying rides on overcrowded, questionable buses with loco drivers through treacherous winding mountain passages
7. Endlessly jumping through government hoops only to find there are brick walls on the other side
8. The ‘too-tight’ and ‘too bare’ popular fashion.
9. The mindset of most where there seems to be no concept of keeping an appointment or planning ahead for anything
10. Constantly trying to evade the ubiquitous amoeba (and sometimes failing) 🙁

Of course, while we’re in this system of things, there will be ugly things about any place on Earth. Won’t it be wonderful when there won’t any longer be lists of ‘Things I won’t miss’ about any place!

>So, with only 3 weeks left before we leave… oops, probably haven’t mentioned yet that we booked our flight to Belize for March 31st, arriving in Caye Caulker, April 1st. So, as I was saying, only 3 weeks before we leave and we just found out that it is not a simple ‘sign some papers and go’ when it comes to dissolving a corporation. It takes months, lawyers and ‘muchos dineros’ (much money). Sigh… all we need on top of everything else right now!
On the up side, just after we knew we had to leave I got an email from a young brother who was to be moving here soon, along with his mom and dad (have all since arrived), asking if we knew if a certain sister still had an apartment for rent… well, she didn’t, but I didn’t hesitate to suggest a house for rent 😉
Yep, there is a pioneer sister moving here from Florida and she is going to take over renting our house, buy all our appliances and furniture *and* take over all my Bible Studies!
Still lots to do though and that clock just tics relentlessly on, but, soon all of this craziness will all be behind us and that turquoise Caribbean and ‘Go Slow’ motto of Caye Caulker will be welcoming us! Ahhhh

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• they, like us had been planning to move to Caye Caulker then, only 2 days before their move date, they found out about the English congregation being dissolved and merged into the Spanish cong. They went anyway,  hoping to still be of help, but found it too difficult to learn Spanish and after 4 months decided to move to the neighbouring island of San Pedro where there is and English congregation.
• In November of 2011 they were requested by the C.O.  to move back to Caye Caulker because the few English speaking publishers there (mostly sisters – only one brother, newly baptized) were now an ‘unofficial group’ and needed an elder.
• the 2nd week of January the C.O. sent a request to the branch for them to be made an ‘Official Group’.
• C.O. told them that if another elder came he would recommend that they be made a congregation!
• there are 10 publishers and many studies, some attending meetings (attendance for public talk/WT is usually between 25-35)
• 2010 Memorial attendance (English only) was 74 despite no congregation for several months!

• as of April 20th a furnished apartment is for rent in the 4-plex where they live…right next to the Kingdom Hall.
• only $325/month including electric and water and wireless internet!
• The email finishes with this encouragment: “Jehovah works in miraculous ways for sure.  Here we have been praying for assistance so as to advance the Kings belongings, and why….an email shows up from Carol regarding your situation!  We do hope Caulker turns out to be the answer for you.”
• ’nuff said 🙂