On ATCK's Who Choose the Overseas Life

I am so excited to be guest-posting today over at Djibouti Jones (my very first guest post!) as a part of Painting Pictures, a series on Third Culture Kids. I've been reading Rachel's blog for some time now, and I love the way she talks about the expat experience with so much openness and honesty. Her series on TCK's has been wonderful, and there have been so many great submissions by some really talented writers and bloggers (so stick around when you're over there and read some of the other entries!). I am honored to be a part of it. I chose to focus my post on what happens when an ATCK (adult Third Culture Kid) chooses to live overseas. I hope you'll read it and join in the conversation via the comment section on Rachel's blog.

I have one more "Catching Up" post to do -- I am combining the months of June and July because (would you believe it?) we took almost no pictures the month of June! I'll get that up within the next few days.

Catching Up: May

Just when I think I'm about to get back on track with blogging or any of my other responsibilities, something happens to throw everything all out of whack again. This time, it was finding out that we are pregnant with No. 4! I am 13 weeks now, and still trying to get over the shock of it all. I am finally starting to feel a little better and have more energy, but it was rough in the beginning when I was just so tired all the time. I also struggled a lot more with nausea this time around, and sitting in front of the computer only made me feel worse, so, needless to say, I had to let some things go for awhile.

I am still trying to catch you up on what's been going on in our family the last several months, so without further ado, I give you... May.

May was the month of visitors for us. We had several house guests, as well as many people over to just share a meal. At the beginning of May, we hosted Trent, who we met through a mutual friend in Oklahoma and who was in Ecuador on a medical campaign (not connected with Operation Ecuador). Overlapping with Trent's visit by a couple of days was Shanaal, a Fulbright scholar who has been living in Guayaquil and teaching in a university there for the past year. We were able to take both of them to Mindo for the day, and also did a couple of things in and around Quito.

On the teleferico in Mindo

We are having fun! (Ben, however, screamed the whole way across.)

Neill and Julie Bird, the OverlandBirds, were our guests for nearly a week. They are on a round-the-world journey in their Land Rover Defender (read more about it on their website), and it was lovely to have them in our home and hear all their stories. Of course Rusty and Neill also enjoyed talking shop about Land Rovers, and Neill even helped Rusty do some work on our Land Rover.

With Neill and Julie in front of their Land Rover.

Rusty had his 40th birthday, and we celebrated with a curry buffet and cheesecake at our monthly Operation Ecuador Praise and Potluck. Julie Bird, who happens to share a birthday with Rusty, and Josh, whose birthday is only a couple of days later, were also honored.

Happy Birthday!

At the end of May, we were able to get away for 2 nights to celebrate our anniversary, thanks to the Marcum family who watched the boys. We went to a lovely eco-tourist lodge, the Black Sheep Inn, in a picturesque part of Ecuador called the Quilotoa Loop. The food was so delicious, and there was great hiking, as well as the world's highest disc golf course (or so they claim)! On our way home, we stopped to see Quilotoa Lake, a beautiful lake in the bottom of a volcanic crater.

A gorgeous view from one of our hikes

The real draw for Rusty was the disc golf course.

He played it 3 times! (I only played once.)

Celebrating 14 years!

Overlooking Quilotoa Crater Lake

Also in May, we began discussions with a group of Christians from the church where we have been worshiping, who want to start a new church in a neighborhood not far from where we live. They invited us to work with them and we agreed. As of August, we are meeting each Sunday in different members' homes.

Catching Up: April

We kicked off April by celebrating my birthday and then Stephen's 4th birthday a few days later. We decided to throw a joint birthday party for Stephen and Alex this year with a Mario Kart theme. I will write a separate post about this later, as it really did turn out to be such a fun party, but here is a picture of all the kids who came:

With the lull between short-term groups, we decided to devote the months of April and May to some extended, focused language study. Our teacher came 4 days a week for 3 hours a day. By the end of the two months, she said she felt like we had made some definite improvements and were now between mid- and high-intermediate in our ability. So that was encouraging. Rusty also preached his first sermon in Spanish during this time.

Our teacher, "Chela"

 At the end of April, we went on a field trip with some of the families in our homeschool group. We visited the Cuicocha crater lake and had lunch in a restaurant on the crater rim. Afterwards, we had planned on visiting and touring the Cochasqui pyramids, but we ran out of time, so we went to see the Cascadas de Peguche instead. Here are a few pictures. (I also wrote extensively about -- and posted several pictures of -- this day on my other blog, so if you are interested in reading more, you can click here.)

Some of the boys in the homeschool group posing with our very first Flat Stanley, received from some friends in Oregon!

Benjamin really loved this little dog at the restaurant

The Cascadas de Peguche

Catching Up: March

We began March with a few much-needed days of family vacation. Some missionary friends here in Quito own a condo on the beach and offered it to us for an unbeatable low-season price. (One of the perks to homeschooling is being able to take advantage of deals like this... as we are not tied to a school calendar, we can take our vacation days whenever we want and not just in August.) We spent several days just relaxing and enjoying being together. It was exactly what we needed after the frenetic pace of January and February. The resort was practically empty and so quiet and peaceful. There were several times we went to the pool and were the only people there.

One thing I noticed during our time there was how much of a difference nine months can make in the stress level of taking 3 children to the beach or the pool. The last time we went to the beach was a year ago this month (June). Ben wasn't walking yet and both he and Stephen needed nearly constant supervision in the water. Nine months later, Stephen is much more confident and can pretty much swim anywhere with his floaties. I took the two older boys down to the pool myself a couple of times while Rusty stayed in the apartment with a napping Benjamin, and I was able to just sit on the side and read my book, while they splashed and swam in the water. Of course, on the beach, we have to be a lot more vigilant since there are things like big waves and undertows to worry about. And Ben still needs somebody to be right there with him all the time, even in the pool. But it is getting easier.

Here are a few pictures of our time at the beach.

Boys and their toys

In the hot tub

On the beach

A beautiful view from the balcony

After we got back from the beach, Rusty headed out to Kumanii again for a few days. The entire student body of the Bible college participates in a mission trip each year, and when their first choice of locale fell through at the last minute, Kumanii was Plan B. They spent several days out in the jungle, participating in both "spiritual labor" and "physical labor." Here are a few pictures:

Bible class with some of the local kids

Bible studies

Making progress on the new kitchen

A typical village on the Cayapas River

Also in March, we finally bought a second car! You can read all about it (and see a photo) here on my other blog. We had been looking to purchase a second car for awhile, but were having trouble finding one that we both liked and that fit our budget. Buying a used car in a foreign country can be a tricky business, as several of our missionary friends can attest to! We found this car through the sale board at Alliance Academy (thanks to my sister, who works there and who had been scoping them out for us). It was being sold by a former missionary who was the original owner, so we felt sure we were getting a solid vehicle that had been well cared for. The price tag was right, AND it had an automatic transmission (pretty high on my "wish list" for a car). So we bought it -- and then Rusty spent the better part of the next three weeks trying to get the proper papers for it. I told him he needs to write a post about that whole experience for the blog!

Then, of course, Easter came at the end of March. We hosted a Passover Seder in our home again this year (for an explanation of why we do this, you can read this post on my other blog) and invited the Marcums to participate. Of course, with seven small children, it wasn't exactly a quiet, formal affair. Still, I hope everyone was able to glean something from the evening. We kept the Haggadah short and I provided the kids with some Passover activity placemats to color during the service. Here are a few pictures:

The Passover table. The Seder plate is on the bottom right corner, and in the middle on the left, you can see a copy of the Haggadah (the order of service). Here is a link to the one we used.

Homemade matzah!

We also did the traditional Easter activities of coloring eggs and going on an egg hunt in the back yard. And we participated in the Ecuadorian tradition of eating a soup called fanesca, which is made with vegetables, beans, and dried, salted cod (or, as we affectionately know it from our time in Portugal, bacalhãu). This soup is traditionally eaten on Viernes Santo, or Holy Friday -- which is, interestingly, a bigger deal in Latin culture than Easter Sunday. The kids weren't crazy about fanesca (okay, I'll be honest, I wasn't either!), but at least we can say we've tried it!

Look what I found!

Egg hunters extraodinaire

Catching Up: February

In February, we finally saw some slowing down as far as the short-term campaigns at Kumanii. There was a medical campaign the first week, so Rusty was gone for that, but then we were finally done with all the big groups for awhile.

Whenever both Rusty and Josh are gone at the same time, Julie and I try to get the kids together for a sleepover at either her house or mine. Our sleepover at the beginning of February happened to fall over Carnaval, so we let the kids have some fun out in the backyard with water balloons and shaving cream. They had a blast!

In mid-February, we watched the Marcum kids for a couple of nights while Josh and Julie played tour guides and translators with some Operation Ecuador supporters on a tour of the Galapagos Islands. We happened to be at their house on Valentine's Day, so I made Valentine's cupcakes for the kids to frost and decorate (and eat, of course!) after dinner that night.

We used sprinkles and conversation hearts to decorate our cupcakes

I'll be your Valentine!

Alex started attending a Spanish-speaking school 3 days a week. For details on how this came about, you can read the post I wrote here on my Writing Project 365 blog. It has been somewhat of a rough transition, but we are pleased with the school overall, especially thankful for how it is helping Alex learn Spanish so quickly. Already, in just over 3 months, we have seen such improvement in his ability to communicate in Spanish. He even told me several weeks ago that he is pretty sure that he speaks Spanish better than me now. (And I'm pretty sure that he's right!)

A couple who spent 12 years among the Chachi Indians on the Cayapas River (where Kumanii is) as Wycliffe Bible Translators came to Ecuador for a short visit, and we were able to have them into our home for a meal while they were here. We enjoyed getting to know them and hearing their insights into ministry in that area of the jungle. Read more of my thoughts about our visit with the Wiebes here.

Alex finished out his T-ball season. His last game was followed by a closing ceremony and then a pizza party at a local park. We are thankful not only for this opportunity for Alex to participate in an organized sport, but also for the connections we have made with other expat families through the Quito Youth Baseball League.

Alex and Michaela

The "Kansas City Royals" and their coaches

Finally, Benjamin got his first haircut (it was past time):

Before

After

And Alex turned 7! We celebrated with pizza from Pizza Planet and homemade butterscotch pudding. (He and Stephen had a joint birthday party with all their friends in April.)

7 years old!

And that was our February!

Catching Up: January

January was a busy month as far as the Kumanii ministry. There were 3 different construction groups that came for a week each, back-to-back, plus a church group that spent a few days out on the river handing out school and hygiene supplies in the villages. What this meant for our family was that Rusty was away from home a lot (like about 3/4 of the month), and I mostly held down the fort here in Quito. The kids and I did make one trip to Kumanii with Rusty, but that was about all I felt like I could manage.

People often ask me how I am involved with what goes on at Kumanii. In short, right now, I'm not. It's just too difficult with three small children. The lodge, while not as rustic as what I first envisioned, is just not very kid-friendly. I find that, although the times of separation are difficult for our family, it is easier and less stressful for me to just care for my kids in the comfort of our own home rather than hauling them out to the jungle.

For the most part, I'm okay with my lack of involvement, although I do struggle with feeling disconnected to what Rusty is doing. I remind myself that my kids will only be little for a few short years. Right now, they are my primary ministry and focus. I have the rest of my life to get involved in ministry outside the home, and as the kids grow, I hope that we can also begin to serve and minister more as a family. But for the next few years, I need to invest most of my energy to teaching, training, discipling them. So at the moment, my involvement in the Kumanii ministry is limited to more of a support role -- writing newsletters, updating our blog, correspondence, keeping track of finances, hospitality -- all things I can do from home.

Here are a few pictures from January:

When Rusty is gone, one of the things the boys love to do is have a sleepover in my bed.

Cutie patootie!

Loaded up for a trip to the jungle

During our family trip to Kumanii, we visited one of the villages on the river, and Alex got to play "Duck Duck Goose" with the kids.

The boys think that taking baths in the river is so much fun!

Thanks to all the construction teams, much progress was made on the new Kumanii meeting hall. Flooring and stairs were completed, a water filtration system was installed, and work was begun on the new kitchen.

Blog Reboot

Well, after several months of radio silence (although I am still blogging semi-regularly over at my Writing Project 365), I have been inspired to start writing again here. This came about because a random reader (whom I have never met in person) sent me a very nice email asking for some advice on getting to the field (aka fundraising), and mentioned how helpful she had found this blog and our newsletters as she and her family make their preparations.

My first thought when I read her email was, Huh, I didn't know anyone was still reading.

And then I felt guilty for not updating in so long, you know for those 4 people out there who still check in on this blog from time to time (you know who you are).

But her email did give me the incentive I needed to take action with what I am calling a "blog reboot." At first, it will look a lot like catching up -- I'm thinking a post for each of the past 5 months, just so you have an idea of some of what's been going on around here. And after that... I don't know, I'm still mulling over it, honestly. But I've been gathering some ideas and thinking of how I can take things in a bit of a different direction with The Campbell Chronicles. One thing I know for sure -- I want to be a lot more regular with my posting. I don't want to get overly ambitious at the outset of my blog reboot and set myself up for failure, so I'm thinking that going back to the goal of once-a-week posts is a good place to start.

So if you're still here, still reading, still following -- thank you. I'll try to be a better blogger going forward!

Top Ten: Nyanya and Babu Visit Ecuador

As I mentioned in my last post, we were blessed to have my parents here in Ecuador over the Christmas holidays. They were here for nearly 3 weeks, so we were able to balance time spent in Christmas activities with showing them some of Ecuador.

When they first arrived, Mom and Dad took a couple of nights just for themselves at the Tandayapa Bird Lodge near Mindo. We were their taxi service to and from the lodge (about an hour and a half from Quito), so when we took them out, we got to see the lodge and lots of lovely hummingbirds and have lunch there. On the way home a couple of days later, Rusty stopped at a trout farm and the boys were able to catch several fish. They thought that was fun!

We also took Mom and Dad out to the Mitad del Mundo one day. While staying with the Marcums, they visited the Panecillo We also spent an evening all together in downtown Quito. We wanted to do a horse-drawn carriage ride around the Old Town, but the company that offers the rides had already closed down for the holidays.

A few pictures from our time together before Christmas:

Nyanya and the boys decorating the gingerbread house

Benjamin loved playing with Nyanya's hand therapy balls

And Talking Tom on the iPhone is one of the boys' favorite things to do with Babu!

At the Equator with Nyanya and Babu

An evening in downtown Quito

The day after Christmas, we packed up two cars with people and luggage and set off a little further afield. Our first stop was the lovely Paraiso Escondido near the mountain city of Ibarra. We spent 3 nights there and thoroughly enjoyed it! The highlight was ziplining across the river and then hiking through some old train tunnels. More details here in a post I wrote for my Writing Project 365. And a few pictures:

To get to Paraiso Escondido, we had to drive over this suspension bridge!

Nyanya and Babu are ready to zip-line!

Our family, ready to zip-line (Benjamin stayed back with his Aunt Julie)

Then, we headed out to Kumanii. Mom and Dad wanted to see the facility and get an idea of the work that is going on there, so we spent one night at the lodge, went to church in Loma Linda (a little village about a 5-minute canoe ride from Kumanii) the next morning, and then had brunch with the evangelists afterwards. It was a quick, but enjoyable visit:

Loaded up and ready to go to church!

Family pic at Kumanii

 After leaving Kumanii, we headed back to Quito, stopping for the night in Chachimbiro, which has some wonderful termas (hot springs). It was a good and relaxing way to end the trip. The next day (New Year's Eve), we drove the rest of the way back to Quito, stopping in Otavalo so Mom and Dad could do some souvenir shopping at the market there.

Mom and Dad flew home a couple of days later. We enjoyed having them here and introducing them to our life in Ecuador. And of course, the boys enjoyed all the grandparent time! We look forward to their next visit, whenever that may be!

For many more pictures, see my Facebook album, Christmas and My Parents' Visit.