Camilla and Xavier

 

I would like you to meet Camilla and Xavier (seen here with their little boy David -note he is wearing Kiwi Booties). Camilla is our Doctor and friend, she is as cute as a button, and thankfully speaks very good English. She has been baptized now for a couple of years and her husband, who is an orthopedic surgeon is now studying. Interesting story with Camilla - she was searching for the truth for many years and even got baptized into a evangelist church when she was 16. Her mother was furious and grounded her when she found out. Not too long after that - witnesses came to her door and the Mum asked if the witnesses would allow a girl to just get baptized like that. Well of course they explained that baptism is not a spur of the moment thing and  it takes  time and study to come to that decision. The mum was impressed with that so allowed Camilla to study the bible with them. Xavier started studying when their little boy (Gabriel, not the new baby) said one day as his mother was getting him ready for preaching - "why doesn't Papa come with us?" That comment made Xavier realize that he should do something. Such a lovely couple and whenever we need anything medically, they bend over backwards to help us out. Just hope we don't need their services too many more times!

They have arrived

And the fun has aready started!

It's so good to have them back at our table!

Welcome to the new house

 

Lounge and formal dining area (posh eh?)

Breakfast Room

Our roomPlenty of Wardrobe space!

Lovely blue bathroom (I'm kidding)

Amanda relaxes in her spacious room

Hospitality Room (fresh new towels and everything)

Laundry area

The courtyard out back - no that is not an outdoors bathroom

Mark doing the job he love best - toilet stuff

Our brand new-nobody-sat-on-it-before Toilet!

Still get a glimpse of the mountains  -just!

So here we are - back online and everything. Chad called from the states and arranged for the internet company to change the connection and the amazing thing was - we didn't spend 2 or 3 days waiting for them to turn up! (I'm telling you - that really is incredible because usually they tell you a day they THINK they may arrive).

Anyway hope the pictures give you some idea of our mansion - we haven't lived like this for years and we feel a bit naughty -   we are supposed to be suffering in some little wooden shack somewhere - right? 

It's been an awfully busy time trying to move and still get our service time in. One thing I have noticed with this shift is that yes we are needgreaters but we must think we have a great need  for stuff - how we collected so much I will never know!

We have also had people staying in our guest room Mikka and Erja for one night and Pedro and Isabel Johnston a couple of times (- you may remember I interviewed them last year - our last C.O and his wife). We have decided to have a room set up specially for visitors because there are always people coming to Cuenca either to check out the place to come and serve in or just on vacation. We will operate on a donation basis as on our missionary visa - we can't earn money while here, so as long as our guests help pay for power/food etc, we are happy to open our home to them. Also looking forward to meeting lots of new people! 

Chad and Michele return this week on Thursday and we are so looking forward to having them back. It's been a busy but fairly quiet 6 weeks without them around.

Oh by the way - the toilet story. We were dismayed (you have an imagination - use it) to find that 2 of the 4 toilets did not work properly so after the deluge that occurred one night I rang the landlady. She came right over and we explained that Mark had the ability to fit new ones if they brought them. They arrived Saturday afternoon - and new basins because they couldn't match the colours (imagine that). So now Mark has been working to get them all fitted before C & M come home - good times!

We are alive - just not connected to the internet yet in the new house. Update coming soon!

Telephone Witnessing

Today our Chinese group had our first telephone witnessing group. I personally haven't had much practice at telephone witnessing in English, so I was pretty nervous as was everyone else. Last month when we went to the jungle one of our goals was to get as many phone numbers as possible. Of course the goal is to start studying with them by phone because they live so far away.
We called 7 numbers this morning, most very successful. We shared scriptures and all were happy to hear that we would call back soon. I've put a video on, and just to let you know - I did do it, but of course I couldn't (and didn't want to) video myself.

Ugh - moving day!! Does anyone want to come and help?

Actually this is pretty much how Mark looks when we move - seeing as we are carless!

Hehe

Just have to tell you about the funny thing that happened this morning. I was doing a doorstep study with a very nice lady and as they never have their books handy, I pulled out a spare one from my bag for her to read. Explained about needing to pray first, which she was happy with so Mark did the honors and then we got into the book. I asked her what the 3 questions were that we were going to learn about in the chapter and she took a little time to answer so I pointed them out to her only to realize that I had given her my english book!! Poor lady must have thought - how am I going to get through the next 15 minutes with this crazy gringa expecting me to read english! We had a good laugh at my mistake but it just goes to show though how very patient these people are!

More new friends

This is Erji and Miika from Finland - but they are serving here on the coast. We were asked if we had a spare bed to put them up and so said - "sure come on over".

It's been absolutely lovely getting to know them and it never ceases to amaze me that we get to meet people from all over the world! We took them to the meeting last night and everyone there was so excited to meet them because they thought Miika was our son! Another child added to our international family (lots of people think either Michele or Chad is our kid too).

Busy week, this week as we have the CO and his wife visiting - I didn't go to meet the afternoon group with Mark today though as I had a huge morning this morning. I was supposed to have 3 studies and about 5 RV's lined up but after walking all over the territory - ended up with only finding one of my studies home! (She was worth it though). That's the way it goes here sometimes - same as in other countries - the finding of interested ones home again is the hardest part! Anyway onward and upward - so the saying goes!

After a day of games, movies and pretty much doing nothing - we are getting back into our life again today. Seems any danger that there was has passed and people are going about their lives as normal. We were all terrinbly sad to have missed out on the last day of the month's witnessing on Thursday as it is always a long day in service but what can you do?