Songs of Deliverance

This is my "O my gosh, I'm so happy, I

can't believe I got a resident visa!" face.

This would be my "Heck, yes! I got a 

resident visa even though a bunch of 

people said I couldn't! yeaaaahhh"face.

  
Ahem, sorry about that outburst of emotion...it was either that or recording myself screaming or taking a picture of myself passed-out on the floor...which might have been difficult...not really, but it's just so hard to express how amazing this is!

I guess you would have to have been there through all the many days of waiting for hours in crowded government offices, hounding less-than-honest lawyers, making my way through crazy traffic looking for the public notary's offices and fingerprinting place, getting documents translated, sending documents back and forth to the US to get an apostille...with all of the time and money and stress that went into this process, it often felt like a part-time job. And then there was the uncertainty of not knowing whether I would be able to stay in Ecuador or where I would be able to get a visa that works with my unique ministry and work.  It has also been one of the biggest areas of culture shock I have experienced, from being made to feel that I am totally helpless and have to humbly depend on the mercy of various officials, to sitting right next to guards holding assault rifles, waiting to transport money in an armored car safely to the bank.  My new visa means that I can stay in Ecuador for as long as I want and I can work legally...it's an incredible relief and a confirmation that I'm where I'm supposed to be.  Now I have to get my Ecuadorian ID card so that I can vote...and in order to that, I have to go swear that I'm single...not too hard in my case. =)

 Meet Doña Maria's house!  I wish I could introduce you to her wrinkled, radiant face, but out of respect for the indigenous people here, I try not to take pictures if it doesn't come up naturally.  Last Monday morning at 7am, I started the week off by walking through the park to Maria's mountain-side home to buy some milk.  She didn't have any milk that day, but her reception was more than worth the walk.  She held her arms open wide when she saw me and pulled my head in for a firm hug and kiss, her eyes sparkling...it reminded me a lot of what my grandpa's kisses used to be like.  Everyone calls her "Doña Maria" because she has a sort of elegance about her, even though her job is to go through other people's trash to find things she can recycle.  Her 90-year-old self is always decked out in sparkly sweaters and dangly earrings; her vibrant grin is full of gaps where she has lost teeth; her eyes are full of joy, even though she can cry at a moment's notice if she is reminded of something that makes her sad.  The park where she lives is now a government archeological site and they have kicked all of the other indigenous people off the land, except for stubborn Maria.  I think she is one of the mostly lovely people I have ever met and her home is situated in one of the sweetest spots in all of Quito.  By the way, it was ok that I didn't get to buy her milk that day...later, I was walking to the grocery store through the high-rise area of Quito and a man walked by trailing four goats...he stopped in the middle of traffic, stuck one of their udders in a cup and sold me the milk...it was such a day of contrasts!  Like this morning's blistering sun in contrast with the afternoon's cloudburst and thunder storm...what a place to live!

I'm trying to write brief posts more often to keep you updated!  We finally started choir again this week and even though I had a bad stomach bug and couldn't eat all day, we got kicked out of our normal practice space, and about a hundred other things that went "wrong", we had a great time!  I came away so excited that it was hard to sleep--I missed choir!!!  And more than anything, I missed these precious friends that God has brought into my life to encourage as young singers.  The young man I told you about from the ministry for street kids came, too!  Please pray with me for all of the people who are supposed to be part of this choir to come and for everything to be completely ordered according to God's will for us, especially in all of our hearts and minds!  I was also able to finish the guitar and bass arrangements for my song recording...here's hoping the finished product will turn out well!  Tomorrow, the Pan de Vida kids are going to be buying my old stuffed animals with "money" they have earned from memorizing Bible verses, they are soooo excited!  Also, the girls' Bible study at Pan de Vida is going well, although the girls' prayer requests are sometimes hard to hear...just knowing the reality of what their daily lives are like...some simply ask for prayers for "all of the problems at home".  Please pray with us!  Also, as an answer to prayer, one of my supporters decided to pay for me to get the bars put on my windows, I am so thankful!!  They will be done next Saturday!  I also wanted to include this adorable video of Martin, a little down syndrome boy who has been with us since he was a newborn, playing peek-a-boo in music class at FHC.