I'd like to start this blog by putting it right out in the open. I kind of think that blogging is a little bit silly. However, after the hundredth person said "you should really do a blog while you're in Ecuador!", I gave in. From what I hear, doing a blog while you're in a foreign country is acceptable. Doing one within the US is questionable.
I guess it would be a good idea to put this whole thing in a little bit of context. I'm leaving for Ecuador in approximately a week and a half and I'm going to be there for 7 months. I'm doing a short-term mission with Mennonite Mission Network.
The plan is to split my time between three different jobs:
1) Providing psychosocial support to children of Colombian refugee families through the Colombian Refugee Community Center
2) Teach English to Ecuadorian children at the Hazel McCallion School
3) Teach Sunday School every other month
The psychosocial support for refugee children is the part that I'm most excited about, but I think the part that will also be the most difficult. I think that there will be a lot of structuring to do to even figure out what my job will be. It's still very exciting though!
I'm flying out on January 1st, which I realize isn't ideal, but the tickets were cheap. For my first week I'm going to be studying Spanish one-on-one for 5 hours a day. Then it's time to get to work!
