Another Day at the KH Construction

Yesterday I had the privilege to work again in the bodega. I had the mind-numbingly boring job of taking threads that have been unraveled from old cloths and form them into balls. These things are called "Waypay" (wipes). They will be used to wipe up spilt paint and splatters. I spent 3 hours on the project and although it was boring, I enjoyed the conversation with the fellow sisters working with me. Since I´m unable to do physical labor, I do what I can and it is all for Jehovah, right? I´m just thankful I can participate even a little. My next big day will be Saturday. I´ll let you know what happens.

Kingdom Hall Renovation

Because of my work schedule and taking care of an ill Mark, I haven´t really had much of an opportunity to share in the remodel of our KH. However, Saturday was my first opportunity and I had the privilege to work in the "bodega." Loosely translated that is the store room where all the tools and equipment are housed and where everyone signs in and out. It was a blast. I was assigned to clean all the ladders. I must say, that when I was through with the task, those ladders shined as bright as the top of the Chrysler Building. Needless to say, I didn´t shine much by the end of the day, but it was great to be with the brothers, sisters and construction crew.

At lunch I met Juan Carlos of the construction crew and he is from Guayaquil and has quite a sense of humor. He is constantly laughing and smiling and is a very pleasant fellow. He assumed that I didn´t speak Spanish, me being a Gringa and such, and started to talk about the foreigners. I responded in Spanish and he started to laugh. Then he asked me what food I liked best in Ecuador. I started to name off all the weird stuff i.e. guinea pig, fish soup, I even said that I like guata (stomach). He said that I was truly an Ecuadorian because he had never met a gringo that would eat guata. I definitely had his approval. He noticed that I didn´t eat all the rice. They give you a mountain of it and sometimes you just can´t put it all away. He said "rice won´t make you fat......only if you eat it." For some reason everyone at the table thought that was funny.

It really was a nice time and I hope that I will be able to continue to help out on my days off and, of course, keep you guys updated on the progress.

What is Corpus Cristi?

What is Corpus Cristi? A city on the coast of Texas. In latin it means "the body of Christ" and in Cuenca it is a week long regligous holiday. They line the streets around the public square, near the Catedral, with booth after booth of delicious looking pastries. Candies, donuts, cakes, any kind of sweet you can imagine and it looks quite tempting. At night the fireworks fly and they send brown paper bags lit with candles into the night sky and they are quite lovely. I enjoy watching from my bedroom window. In the morning about 5:30 the rockets go off (this I don't enjoy). Even the bees come around and try to get a taste of the goodies. They swarm around the booths. But, does anyone really know what it means or how it got started? Apprently not. I have been going around town asking different locals what exactly is this holiday. No one seems to know. But, everyone loves the treats. Today I was told that the celebration corresponds with the harvest of the indigenious people that worshipped the seasons, sun god and nature. They showed their gratitude by sharing the bounty of their harvest. The Catholic church thought it would be easier to sway the locals to allow them to keep their traditions.

I also talked to a taxi driver that told me that this particular celebration is unique to Cuenca and it is not observed anywhere else in Ecuador. He told me it started out quite innocent to show kindness and mercy to neighbors , friends and family by gifting sweets to one another during this time. The church piped in and decided to go along with the tradition and labeld it "Corpus Cristi" to show its approval. But, greed came into the picture, and different ones decided that you can make money by selling the goods instead of giving them away. The taxi driver was quite disgusted with how the festival evolved into what it is today. Of course, this is just one man's opinion and is a second hand account. But, I thought it was an interesting observation.

Work Trip to Riobamba

A few weeks ago, Mark had to travel to Riobamba (about 5 hours from Cuenca) to give a speech about public speaking. We saw the scene on the way and thought how this would never happen in the States. These two guys were hitching a free ride up the mountain.

The trip was lovely, switching from beautiful scenery to lots of fog.

Saturday morning at 10:00 a.m. was the first lecture. At 10:00 a.m. (as usual) not too many showed up on time.

But, by 10:45 a.m. most arrived for the end of the lecture. SMILE.

Unforturnately, immediately after the lecture we had to head back home. We were hoping for a long weekend to just get away and relax, but that wasn't possible since I came down with strep thoat. It was a miserable 5 hour trip back to Cuenca.

Service Shoes Bites the Dust!

Before we moved to Ecuador 12 years ago, we bought really good service shoes. The criteria was they need to last, be comfortable for walking, and not too ugly. The shoes I chose have been my favorite, constant companions and I have been using them for these 12 years, mostly walking up and down the mountains in the ministry. With that much use, they do wear out. So, time and again I have taken them to the shoe repair and just like that they were good as new. Until this last week. I noticed my feet were getting wet walking in the rain and low and behold there was a new hole in the sole of my shoe. This time when I took them to the shoe repair, they received a death sentence. I was informed they cannot be fixed any more. How sad. Where will I find a pair to replace them? Farewelll old friends. SIGH.

Some Ecuadorian Etiquette

In my job I am learning quite a bit about social and business etiquette for Ecuador. I have been given a book to read and I found some things rather interesting. Some I already know, having lived here for 12 years. But, other stuff was new or at least explained some of the customs I didn´t quite understand. Perhaps some of the information might be of use to some of you newcomers. So, the following are some things I found interesting.

1. Tipping. A tip is not required in restaurants. A 10% service charge is added to the bill and this amount should be shared among the employees. However, many businesses fail to give this money. So, if the service is good, you can give a 10% tip directly to the waiter. Taxi drivers are not tipped. Airport porters and hotel employees should be tipped $1.00.

2. Titles. These are very important to Ecuadorians. Señor is reserved for those who do not have a title. So use the title if you know it such as Doctor Fulano, Abogado Fulano, etc.

3. Race based labels. Names such as Gringos, Negro and Chino are a legitimate way to describe people and is not considered an insult. Don´t be offended if you are called one of these names.

4. Greetings. Kissing on the cheek is a common way to greet or say goodbye. Handshakes all around on arrival and leaving are customary among men. The handshake should be soft and brief. (None of that Texas grab and squeeze tight stuff). It doesn´t matter if there are 2 or 100 people at a gathering. You should make the rounds and greet all and say goodbye to everyone when leaving.

5. Ecuadorians are very polite and usually greet even strangers in elevators. You should always say a greeting when you enter a taxi or store before getting down to business. In restaurants it is customary to say buen provecho to diners as you pass their tables if they are eating.

6. Seeing people off. When you leave someone´s home, the custom is for the host to stand at the door to see the guest off or accompany them to their car.

7. Entering a home. When entering someone´s home, you always wait to be invited to enter. You pass through the door with the host following. This applies even if you are looking at property to buy. Once in the house, you ask before climbing stairs, opening closets, etc.

8. Being invited to eat out. BEWARE. You never offer to pay if someone asked you to dine with them in a restaurant. The term le invitamos (we invite you)actually means we pay. If you offer to pay you are inferring that they are unable to pay or making the point that you are economically superior. It is considered an insult.

9. Ecuador, especially Cuenca, usually uses the formal Spanish and you should use Usted when addressing new acquaintances, unless it is a child.

9. Parties. You never arrive on time. It is customary to arrive 45 minutes to an hour after the appointed time.

10. Yawning. Yawning is considered particularly impolite here.

11. Where´s America? You should identify yourself (if from the States) as from Estados Unidos, Estadounidense, or Norte Americano. Ecuadorians also consider themselves as Americans so don´t just identify yourself as an American.

I thought some of this was interesting and maybe you guys can use the info to help make your transition to Ecuador a little smoother.

Update

You guys remember Esperanza. She's the wonderful bible study I inherited from Beth. She is still doing great in her studies. She never misses and is a delight because she actually understands what she is learning. You may think that strange, but much of our work here is spent trying to go over simple points over and over again. With Esperanza she needs little coaching and applies what she learns.

She told me something very interesting a few studies ago. We were talking about how Jesus treated his disciples and was always loving. She commented to me on how different that attitude was from what she knows of the priests in her church. When she was 13 she went to confession which was obligatory. When she got in to the confessional, the priest told her she was too pretty to confess at that time and that she should come for a private confession in his quarters on the following Wednesday. This frightened her. She was too young to undertand why, but she decided not to go. Her father later commended her on her decision. Now she looks back and feels that the priest's motives were impure. Of course, we can't say for sure, but it does make one wonder.

CO Visit

This has been a very special week. Our Co visit. We had a supstitute this time around. Javier and Lorena Venegas from Sigsig. Sigsig is about 1 1/2 away from Cuenca. They are a young couple with an 11 year old son and serve as Special Pioneers. We have known them ever since thier son was only a few months old. Wow, how time flies!

The entire visit was great, but I really appreciated the Pioneer Meeting that was based on the article "How to Maintaim Joy in the Full-Timee Service" from the 9/15/97 WT. Some of the proplems touched on are how to cope with disappointment, getting along with others, when in poor health, dealing with apathy, etc. The article talks about the different circumstances that can make one start to think about leaving the full-time service. For me, it was opportune, since I have been dealing with these health issues for some time now. But, as the article mentions, some problems are short term and others are a bit longer. However, Jehovah is our stronghold and knows our circumstances. I think this was written just for me. Don't we all feel like that?

It was encouraging and, as usual, the ministry was great. The only problem is right after the Pioneer Meeting my fever spiked again and put me in bed for the rest of the visit. That's why I haven't been able to blog much. Today I'm much better and hope to be back on both feet soon. That's about it for now. Miss you all.