Cascadas y Animales

 Bicycle Predi

 Don't mess with these guys...

Service...or..Predication

My second month thus far

 Rockin' out to some Peruvian beats

 Huambanimi

 The beautiful Vargas Girls

 I guess this is what I look like from a child's artistic rendition ;)

 Sucua Hall

 Guayaquill

River after service in our service clothes..I love the ministry here.


-  So I'm at my second month and I'm speaking Spanish at the equivalent  of a caveman mixed with an Indian Chieftain. "Where the bathroom is?  Wow, sky much beautiful."

I'm teaching this younger one here how to play guitar, and in reimbursement, I get a free meal every time, good deal to me :)

And uh..I have a confession..Well..here's the story...a brother here is moving and they're putting on a going away thing for him...And..they decided to do a dance for him...well...the GUYS did..  And ..it's Backstreet Boys..Backstreet's back, ALRIGHT!!!  Professionally choreographed.  No joke.  So...I'm really at a loss for words.  My reasoning for agreeing to this was.."When will I ever be in Ecuador again, and have the opportunity to display warm Christian love, by way of Dance?  To the B.S. Boys...that's right..B.S. Boys.

Service has been a challenge to me.  In the states...(Estados Unidos)  If I have something to say or express, or share, I do it.  But here..It's memorizing a presentation, handing them a tract/magazine, and smiling.  Pretty much back to square one, reminds me when I was a kid :)  But it's slow but sure.  I'm not getting discouraged just for the fact that I can't communicate.  The fact that I am here fortifies a feeling of completeness and a no doubt that my decision to come here, was the best one I could have made.  I mean..the people here give of themselves so much, it really has made me look through "New Eyes" so to speak.  Our recent book study of "Come be my follower" ch. 17 pg 177 par. 10 "No One Has Love Greater Than This" has this to say...
              "This is my commandment, that you love one another just as I have loved you.  No one has love greater than this, that someone should surrender his soul in behalf of his friends." (John 5:12, 13)

The NEW commandment, in effect says:  "Love others, not as yourself, but "More than yourself." ."

Reflecting on that reading and whatever issues I might have had or would in the future develop, nullifies anything that's not uplifting, loving, and encouraging.  It really puts into perspective a duty that Christians have to live by.  Work tirelessly toward all things that are good in Jehovah's eyes...to your neighbors, loved ones, friends, and especially to those related to you in the faith.  But it's not without focus.  The preaching work has precedence over "feel good" mantras of life customs and traditions by worldwide religion.  By "La Palabra de Dios", everything that is life, will come into fruition.

So this week has been mentally intenso.  I mean...geez louise peppa cheeze...as my good friend in Reno NV says...Life...is good :)

River Fun

Cooling off in field service

Now I know how Icarus felt when he flew into the sun...

 Wear a shirt when you hike a 15, 800 ft mountain in Ecuador...Officially my worst sunburn.

This Past Week

 Some sweet graffiti in Quito

 Joshua and I kicking it at the base of Rucu Pichincha (15,000)

 Up a river in the Amazon with the Carache bros and Joshua

 Panoramics of Quito

 I have the most intense sunburn of my entire life, so that's why my face looks so awesome.

 El Hermanos!!

Going to Quito

So I'm leaving tonight on a 6 hour bus ride BACK to the capital to register my visa, then Josh and I are going to hike the Iliniza Mountains, which are approximately 16,818 ft.  Yeah buddy...we're gettin' work DONE!!  So I won't able to talk to anyone for a few days until I get back to civilization. 

Here's the link to where Josh and I will be going..
http://www.summitpost.org/illiniza-norte-iliniza-norte/151055
Till then,

Happy Trails!!

 So we cam home from a Watchtower study to find this little guy.  We had a little fun ;)

 Yes...I "Manned" a steed.

 Harvesting Cocoa.  Chocolate for all ya Yankees ;)  They're muy rico.

 SUGAR CANE!!  Man..This stuff is no joke.  I can only eat so much before I feel like I'm gonna get some cavities. 

 This is the tongue of the pig we slayed.  Pay no attention to my Alpaca lips in this..it was the lighting.. 

 We lit that bessie up to kingdom come!!  That's how they roll in Sucua!!

 After we lit it up, scraped away all of the dead skin about 5-6 times, he was ready to eat.  Right there, Andrea is peeling on off the skin right off of the pig, which they call Coochie...and it was very tasty.  No joke.

 Part of our service group leaving the Shuar territory.  I found out that riding in the back of a truck is the main mode of transportation around here.

 I was out in service, and was attacked by a lone Leopard, wrestled it into submission, skinned it alive, then gave it to this restaurant which lies next to the forest edge.  I told the woman who owned the place to put it at the front door to make an example, so if any other Leopards decided to get wise..they'd think twice...

 The congregation in Sucua.  Here's Wilber cheesin' for the friends in the states :)