Chinese Memorial

Fausto did a great job of Chairman and our hall looked beautiful

We had four Chinese people - and one of them brought an Ecuadorian friend. 

Zhang and Sophie came to a Spanish Memorial with me in Banos because they couldn't make it to the Chinese.

Memorial in the Jungle

Here in Tena at the first session - there were 240 attending - it also looked like there were the same number going in again for the second sitting. Would love to hear how many in each of your congregations if you would please make a comment.

I was very pleased to make it to the Kingdom Hall - as from about 5pm things went crazy here. First of all a man turned up wanting to look at the place as he writes for Lonely Planet, so I had to show him around and try and answer his many questions. Then just as my ride to the hall arrived - so did a car load of people - also wanting to look around because - get this... The President is coming to Tena to dedicate a hospital and they wanted to see if the rooms here would be suitable for him to stay in! Oh I really hope they don't recommend he stays here - I will be beside myself with stress. Of course their arrival meant I missed my ride - so I called up the only Taxi number I had  and he said "No sorry - I'm Busy!" Well the only thing for it was to walk and hopefully find a cab on the way.  I had walked quite a way when I decided that none was going to come by and was getting worried about whether I could actually even find the KH by myself. Before breaking down in tears, I said a quick prayer and low and behold - 3 taxi's in that exact moment came down the street - phew!

I plonked myself down in a seat under a fan because by the  time I got there, I was so hot and bothered but very happy to be where I should have been on this special night. I ended up sitting between two women who were studying. One had a bible but didn't know where the books were and the other didn't have anything. So I was very busy during the talk - showing one where the scriptures were and sharing my bible with the other. They were both super sweet though and thanked me afterwards.

So my first ever Memorial where I attended alone, without one single member of my family. Love you guys and miss you terribly (that goes for you all in NZ too). Of course in Jehovah's organization we are all one big family anyway so it wasn't too bad and I really was just happy to be there.

I survived the first night of "I'm a Needgreater-get me out of here!"

Yep I am all alone - Mark and Amanda left yesterday so it was just me and the dogs left - well that is not strictly true, there are many visitors. No not the two legged paying variety - I am talking about all the bugs, frogs and spiders!(I think frogs are cool by the way so when one jumped out from under the dishrack, I was fasinated rather than scared). Last night - the biggest spider I have ever seen ambled across the floor in front of me, it wasn't a tarantula but some other kind - and he didn't actually freak me out that much, he was quite beautiful really. I just opened up the screen door and he mosy on-ed out. Of course I would have liked to take a picture of him to show you but running to get my camera would have meant taking my eyes off him and I really wanted to know where he was going - I am sure you will understand.
So that was Challenge #1 and I think I passed. I also passed challenge #2 - cleaning up dog poo in the billiard room - little brats used under the table TWICE as their bathroom.
However I think I failed challenge #3 - the dogs chased into the kitchen area a chicken that happened to wander into the property and I couldn't pick the bird up with the dogs all excited - so I grabbed them both and took them off to their pen. No easy feat in their frenzy to get the chicken. My arms are covered in scratches from their sharp little claws (adding to the red welts of mosquito bites). Anyway I finally captured Miss Chicky and with the dogs howling their protests -took her over to the neighbors and asked them if she belonged to them. According to the lady she was - but I have my doubts because there weren't any other chickens running in the yard. That's really not important now though, because after letting the dogs back out and going to have a 5 minute sit down to calm myself - I went back outside to find a DEAD CHICKEN at the door! The dogs looked at me very smuggly I thought! Poor little bird - and she didn't even get a good burial - I scooped her up into a dustpan (with my eyes shut) and threw her over the fence into some bush. 
So am I kicked off the show?

1st guests - 37 and counting

No that is not 37 guests but 37 mosquito bites - 0h wait just found 2 more so 39 and counting! They are driving me mad! Apparently according to Linda Pratt - some of you may know her, she is married to NZer Tony, it takes 6 months and then you are no longer good food for the mozzies here. But if you go to another district they think - fresh blood, yay! So I can expect for the next month to be fast food  for the lovely little fellows!

So we had our first guests - a young couple serving in another part of the country and taking a little trip to look around. We served them dinner and breakfast this morning - I was so nervous as I had never charged any body for food before. On the menu last night was Amanda's awfully good Thai curry, rice, roasted potatoes and salad followed by Lime and Rum cake and yoghurt. Breakfast was a slice of watermelon, fresh juice, bread rolls and jam, coffee and vegetable omelette. Does that sound alright to you? 


 I have new respect for restaurants now - that is some stressful stuff making sure the food is presentable,delicious and on the table hot. Well they seemed to like it so lets hope they give the place a good review. I have decided I wouldn't be able to do this as a business though - I couldn't let them leave this morning without taking food for the bus so I would never make money, that's for sure. Heck, I didn't even like charging them for the room let alone the meals!

Jungle Report

Hola de Tena!

Well we are all set up here in the "Jungle Lodge" - here is my first customer enjoying her breakfast! Actually we are going to have guests come in today - I am a little nervous, and so glad Amanda and Mark are here - not sure how I will be when we have more visitors next week and I am alone! While I am living my dream, running a bed and breakfast in South America, I sure hope it doesn't become my nightmare!

We went out in Service yesterday evening and I am so sad I didn't have my camera with me - I will have to try and describe how great it was. First of all we had to get out of the car we were in to walk across a rickety swing bridge - would not have been a good look for a overloaded car to fall into the river. The territory was a little in the campo (country) so we walked up a dusty road with lush greenery all around us to little shack houses usually filled with hundreds of kids and chickens running in the yard. Every so often there would be a break in the banana palms and you could see the blue of the Andes Ranges in the background. With the sounds of birds and insects and the obligatory occasional blearing of South American music from a house or two - the scene was magical. Maybe I am over city living - very tempting to think about moving somewhere like this. The only problem is we would really need a car if we moved out of Cuenca so that is a bit of drawback - that and the mosquito bites which you still get even if you have sprayed yourself liberally with insect deterrent.


Have to tell you about one house we walked up to - the kids playing in front yelled out to their Mama - "viene la abuelita Gringa!" - " Here comes the Gringa (foreigner) Grandma!" - HOW RUDE! I laughed so hard, not quite true yet but won't be long!

Just a few more things we did...

It's a dirty job but someone has to do it!

Tomorrow we are taking off again to the Jungle (El Oriente). This time to Tena which you will recognise as one of the places we took the boys to visit.

While we were there, staying in a Lodge, owned by witnesses, I made the remark that if they were ever wanting to go away and needed someone to watch over the place - to yell out. Well they did and while the timing is not great, because of the Memorial etc - we are looking forward to the experience.

Tena is about 10 hours away by bus so we will leave early tomorrow morning. Mark and Amanda will have to return of course, to attend the Memorial here in Cuenca but I will be up there the whole time (about a month).

If you are interested in looking the place up, just to see how much we will be slumming it, or to make a booking - click here : www.yurapamba.com