"Plan A" Travel Preparations: Back to Cuenca Soon!

We received word via email Monday September 7th from our Visa Facilitator, Joseph Guznay of Quito, that my Permanent Visa is now approved.  Carolyn Anne's was already approved late July.

What remains is the process of getting them placed in our US Passports.  Joseph also informed us that he will present the US Passports to the EC Ministario de Relaciones Exteriores in Quito on Wednesday September 16th.  On this date the new Visas will finally be affixed into the Passports.  On this same day Joseph assures us he will courier our Passports/Visas to our abogados in Cuenca - per prior agreement - and Merci, our bilingual receptionist will immediately send them out to us via (prepaid) DHL international air courier to the USA at our specified address.

Looking at the calendar, I can see this is - once again similar to how we reobtained our US Passports to fly out of Quito - a "tightrope" of a schedule to get our US Passports with newly installed Visas back to us here in California.  On Wednesday 9/16 the items are to be in country couriered using Coloaustro abogados' in house courier service.  I'm hoping they use air service for that.  Conceivably they arrive to Merci at Coloaustro in Cuenca Thursday 9/17, and she sends them out the same day or possibly Friday 9/18 at the latest.  We already know that DHL is capable of delivering documents from Cuenca, Ecuador to the USA in 72 hours or less and vice versa.  So that would mean a delivery date of Monday 9/21.  Our airline tickets are set for a redeye hour of Tuesday 9/22, end of day before midnight.  So not a lot of room for error on anyone's part - Joseph, Merci, or DHL.  Just in case, I will have to be ready to "pull the plug" and call United Airlines and reschedule our flight back to Quito. . . but I pray that won't ever be necessary.  Lord knows we need for this whole situation to be resolved, on time rather than with yet another delay. 

All that said, we have been operating as if and preparing as if we are to leave the USA on schedule beginning Tuesday 9/22 from LAX.  So visiting friends has been going on, making certain strategic purchases of items sold here in the USA and California has been done (yep - goods from China are still plentiful here as they are back in Ecuador) and our last activity will be to see how it all fits as planned in our suitcases.  We bought one more large size suitcase from Costco in Oxnard for a very reasonable price, so our additional costs to ship some additional desired goods will be the $200 extra baggage fee United will charge us, plus the cost of the suitcase ($89.99 plus tax).  Not too bad in terms of additional costs for what we will bring back. 

Our health is better too from my cold and Carolyn Anne's pneumonia.  One fly in the ointment for her is that she seems to have misplaced one prescription drug she started taking over a week ago.  She probably left it at my cousin's in Cambria.  Carolyn Anne is taking another over the counter (USA style) drug to replace that one.  It alleviates cough symptoms she is still suffering from.  I asked her if she wanted to go back to the LA County health clinic in Lancaster where they prescribed her misplaced prescription drug.  She says she doesn't want to wait the three hours - again - for getting the doctor to write another prescription.  In Ecuador, she'd have it in a jiffy by visiting any number of farmacias, with little to no wait time.  Something she fumes about in the USA, and something she is grateful for back in Ecuador.

Getting Home to Cuenca

Now that we are Stateside, we need to be mindful that we are here on a visit only.  We have a new home that we appreciate even more than our former one, and our Earthly home is there in Cuenca, Ecuador. 

Of course our Citizenship is in Heaven (according to the Apostle Paul in Philippians 3:20) and we are therefore representatives of the place we are citizens of, even Ambassadors for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20).  Imagine that: we are ambassadors of Heaven visiting the United States!  How does such an ambassador act in a country not one's own, where "they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one." ( Hebrews 11:16)  Important considerations to reflect upon in the midst of changing one's temporary earthly home, indeed!

But back to practical earthly considerations.  We were able to board our flights to the USA only because we held US Passports, which we reobtained from our Visa Facilitator in Quito 24 hours before boarding our flights.  That was cutting it close to the wire so to speak, but we were able to board with Passports in hand.  Quite a relief that was!  Upon arriving in California, we immediately sent these US Passports back to our Visa Facilitator in Quito via DHL, and he received them timely and in good order.  While he works with the Ministario de Relaciones Exteriores again on finishing the processing of our Pensionado retirement Visas, we are without the ability to travel internationally until such time we receive our Passports back, which is the plan, anyways. 

The above is *NOT* the usual way one travels from Ecuador to the USA as a US expat, by the way.  The glaring omission of the finished granted Visas is what's missing here.  They will get finished, but your guess is as good as mine on when that will be. 

As a result, we have to live our life with an expectation - however slight - that Ministario will complete their work in time for us to return to Ecuador as originally planned (late September).  We have our doubts, as they were supposed to have our Visas finished in May (not true), June (not true), July (not true) and definitely August (assuredly not true).  Ministario's word and credibility is not given a lot of credence by us as a result.  But there still is that slight chance of them getting out of their "Man~ana Syndrome" and actually delivering the finished Visas to us in time for us to leave in late September.  We have to live in between the Now and the Not Yet, as Amy Grant once so famously sung.

And so we do.  A more likely scenario at least in my mind is that Ministario fails to deliver in all respects, and we return home to Cuenca with our US Passports stamped with yet another 90 day T-3 Tourist Visa at EC Customs.  Ecuadorian law currently provides for this scenario.  You are required to be outside of Ecuador for 90 consecutive days, and afterwards you are allowed reentry.  We, not having received any permanent Visa, would be eligible to return just as any garden variety tourist would. 

Yet another scenario is where Ministario finishes delivery of the completed permanent retirement Visas in the "in between" time of the two extremes above.  We've already checked with our abogados, and they confirm that we are allowed reentry with Visas and without Cedula ID cards, but that *exiting* Ecuador without a valid Cedula ID card is not allowed.  Important detail to know.  OK. 

You can only imagine the contingencies and flexibility demanded to make this particular trip.  On one hand, pack as though you will return in about a month.  On the other hand, pack as though you will return after three months.  Our approach is to travel light, buy items here Stateside we have to use and consume, and - the goal, anyways - bring back items we deem important in our suitcases for when we are ready to travel back. . . whenever *that* will end up to be. 

Some other things we did to allow for all possibilities of return dates above: paid landlady rent months in advance, as well as utilities.  Purchased prescription drugs in advance and visited our doctors for a written prescription for them (should the authorities want to know why we were traveling with so many drugs, as well as a way to verify our prescription drug current Rx list with any Stateside doctor we needed to obtain any refills for).  I did a good job of this save my Xarelto supply, which was only for a sixty day amount.  Xarelto can be expensive on a cash basis in Ecuador.  I have no idea what the cash (no Medicare Part D coverage) price for Xarelto might be Stateside, but I'd say it would be a high price.  Ouch!  One small mistake in planning. 

We also conferred with our dogsitter friend from Iglesia Verbo on the contingencies of our return dates.  She understood completely (and my Spanish is now good enough to have that kind of conversation in a confident way).  She will likewise take a vacation in October.  Should we not be home to Cuenca then, she knows that our dog goes with her dogs with her dogsitter until such time she returns.  So all the bases are covered. 

In the meantime, there's family and friends to visit, stores to (strategically) shop at, and - oh, yeah - curriculum for my future English as a Foreign Language students to locate and purchase.  Thankfully Pastor Felipe at Grace Chapel in Lancaster has good contacts on how to get the appropriate materials, according to him.  I've got a couple of other angles to pursue should it become necessary.  Neat to be complimented on my Spanish on my visit to him, as English is his Second Language.  Thankful to God that the language aspect is coming together for my wife and I so much better than it was.  This will, of course, allow for better communication and ministry opportunities down the road while in Cuenca.

Return to. . . Palmdale and the Antelope Valley

We returned to the Antelope Valley after 32 hours of waiting for flights, and taking 'em.  Delta Air Lines can certainly get you where you wanna go, but the flexibility required for the late flight scenario, combined with the extra lost sleep upfront, made for two very tired puppies when we finally crashed on our long awaited pillows.  If we had to do it over again, we would have gotten a room in ATL before continuing on with our Stateside travels.

Waking up at the very motel we had last used here locally, we could see that the resident guest yahoos were as boorish as ever.  They even tried to bully me as a group in a staredown of sorts in the (free) breakfast room there.  I am not afraid to call wrong behavior what it truly is, and stood my ground to these thugs.  Ugh.  What a way to start the day. 

I immediately traveled to the local Social Security office in Lancaster our first full day back in the area, as I received earlier a Request for Information letter that needed to be sent ASAP.  Social Security can send one of these letters at any time, and at least I didn't have to pay extra for courier service back to the States this go round.  I was early in the outside line, too, which helped me get in and out of the office and deal with the desert heat better than if I had waited later in the day.  I was glad I had stopped off and got a diet iced soda to drink - I drank the whole thing standing outside in the head of the line while waiting around 90 minutes.

My Spanish was up to snuff, too.  A few parties at the head of the line were speaking it, and I joined in as appropriate to provide information on office hours, etc.  One veteran I was speaking with seemed to take offense that his English speaking buddy was suddenly bilingual en Espan~ol, but he reconciled himself later to the fact I wasn't the bad guy in line here. 

After attending my high school reunion, we returned again to the Antelope Valley and were warmly welcomed by our fellow Grace Chapel fellow believers in Christ David and Jodie Fuller.  They now live in a 2 bedroom apartment in a very nice complex in Lancaster, not far from Grace Chapel and weekly shopping and such.  We are grateful for their opening up their home to us as a place to live while we are here visiting.  I know Carolyn Anne appreciates visiting with the diminutive pooch Molly, who is adorable and so well behaved.  Cupid is doing well back in Cuenca, advises our friend Chio via email.

Everyone I see who remembers me remarks on how much weight I have lost.  Forty pounds, for the record since arriving in Cuenca.  They see that "The Cuenca Diet" of higher altitude, less food intake, healthier and organic food, and more walking daily has a cumulative good effect. 

That brings me to a comment or two on food.  At first I was looking forward to eating my first (fill in the blank) since returning Stateside, but the more experiences I have with restaurant and fast food, the less I am enthralled with the cuisine in general.  We've been to Arby's (good but darn expensive @$9 a combo meal), Panda Express (wife), and Subway (higher Stateside pricing than before) and have generally enjoyed these offerings.  I went to (Der) Weinerschnitzel for a chili dog and I was disappointed in the now obvious to my Cuencan taste bud sensitivities sugar content of their otherwise one of a kind chili con carne (light on the carne, sad to say).  It simply tastes too sweet to me now.  I went to Costco's Food Court for my old standby of a hot dog with soda and found Costco, at least, doesn't go the cheap sugar thrill way.  An honest, original bun length dog spiced nicely and topped just the way you like it (they need to get their second condiment stand to fully function, however. . . only one working spigot for ketchup).

You can now swipe your ATM/Debit card at Costco at the Food Court!  No more having to have a supply of cash for a bite to eat.  Good decision on their part.  Sam's Club has been like that for years. 

We have been so used to the "free air conditioning" of the Andes Sierra mountain climate found in places like Quito and Cuenca that we probably developed congestive head colds on our first full days back here in the Antelope Valley post high school reunion.  In my wife's case, it developed into pneumonia - not good.  We have seen our respective doctors, and have gotten the necessary antibiotics (and in Carolyn Anne's case, shot) to get us back to health.  The temperature extremes of going outside in the heat in the day after being inside in the air conditioning probably added to us getting sick. 

A good thing: Carolyn Anne was still in the LA County Health System records.  We're still US Citizens, and though we no longer live in the USA, we need to take advantage and access the medical care system here when necessary on a visit.  My Medicare works just fine as before.  Soon enough, Carolyn Anne will also have her Medicare card and not have to go through the County system anymore.  We could go to the same Urgent Care locally and even see the same doctor!  That would be good progress for the future.  We sure didn't plan on being sick for days while here.  Still have more visiting and shopping to do before we return home for Cuenca.  More on getting home in the next post. 

Return to . . . Oceanside

I'll be true to the title of my weblog and give a Palmdale/Antelope Valley update shortly. 

Oceanside, if you didn't already know, was where I attended and graduated from high school at Oceanside High School, which back in those pre - El Camino HS (I *still* think Rancho del Oro HS would have been a better name) days had two campuses: East and West.  That's how bad the overcrowding of OHS was at that time over 40 years ago.  The school for my Freshman year was on double sessions to accommodate the numbers present at the time.  After that, the East and West Campus operating plan went into effect.  You simply couldn't get us all into one location since we were a large graduating class, as were the classes  surrounding ours.

One of us on our 40th year Reunion Committee contacted the OHS student registrar, and they confirmed the number of students graduating as 587.  My UCCS university graduating class, small compared to other campuses in the system, had around 850 by comparison.  Anyways, for a high school, our graduating class was quite large.

Definitely over 200 people showed up to the "main event" Reunion dinner on Saturday night - I believe Bill Saylor, cochairman for the Reunion, said it was maybe 235.  Fire code allowed 250 into the Elks Lodge in Oceanside, and there were plenty of off duty area police officers ready to enforce the fire code if needed.  None had to, thankfully.  That number includes both alums and spouses, etc. so imagine if we had a turnout larger than this!  Arvli Ward and Bill Saylor, co-chairs, were anticipating 200 or a bit more.  So we had a nicely packed out room/venue that at times got a bit crowded. . . and noisy!  I couldn't believe how much noise we generated both at the Icebreaker Friday evening, and at the Saturday evening reunion.  When you add the DJ and the music being played, it was louder than I perhaps anticipated.  Really had to get in someone's ear to communicate at times.

On to the people I got to see: like everyone else, I saw far more than I got to communicate with.  I had the fortuitous opportunity to express my sadness - at the time over 40 years ago - to a (then) 14 year old girl who was (ahem) violated by a US Marine just outside of campus.  She kept the baby, btw, and would darn socks for the child while taking classes on the East Campus.  I told her I was glad to see that the site of the violation done to her was torn down, and remains an empty lot to this day.  The boy, now a man, is doing well, she says.  Good to hear.  Kinda a "Forrest Gump" story quality to this situation, too.  I'll leave it at that.

Dan D'Andrea, AFS cultural exchange student to Guatamala in our high school days, endearingly graced my wife and I's table.  Dan is an effortless easygoing communicator, and relates well to this day to all kinds of people.  He came complete with his green OHS Letterman's sweater.  I don't remember what sport he ever played in, fwiw.  Great smile, great hugger, and a great friend.  Remember to get your Facebook account and "friend" me and so many other classmates, Dan!  I know you were in China when the whole Social Media thing grew the way it did, and China's government has worked to limit that kind of conversation.  You're in Denmark now. . . no worries!  Come join your Pirate Mateys in Facebookland!  Tons of memories and photos past and present at the Facebook page entitled "OHS Class of 1975."  Yours Truly included.

My wife was seated next to (alum spouse) Elizabeth Creencia, who came with my friend Jessie Creencia.  Those two ladies hit it off wonderfully.  Jessie and I barely got to converse - the room was that loud and our seating positions were not close to one another.  They both profess Jesus Christ, however, and are interested in our work in Ecuador.  Jessie looks well all these years later.

I was seated next to Judy Ross Mildon, who has spent years teaching music to her students.  I've done the same, though not to high school students (elementary was pretty much my music class gig) and not for as long a time.  Judy was - in high school - one of the well put together ladies on campus, and today she still looks quite well.  And yes, encouraging students through music is a wonderful thing!  I can't tell you how many times I have sung a song in a *non* music class I have taught just to relieve the monotony and to refocus my students.

It may have been Michael "Andy" Alonzo who did it - not sure - but I was nudged at one point towards the table in back of me to visit with Dennis Kelly.  Dennis, after all these intervening years, remembered a detail about me I have suffered with my whole life: Pigeon toedness when walking.  This is but one indication of Nonverbal Learning Disorder, or NLD, by the way.  I was finally properly diagnosed by UCLA trained psychologists/neurologists at age 40, who gave a very well worded description of my condition, but never gave it a name other than "PDD/NOS" (Pervasive Developmental Disorder/Not Otherwise Specified).  There's a whole bevy of things different about me due to my NLD, which came about due to oxygen deprivation to the brain as I was being (prematurely) born and underweight.  Dennis was very circumspect, and honoring towards me in remembering and bringing up that detail of my life.  Now that I am out of the workforce and retired to Ecuador, I think I don't have anything else to lose anymore.  But yes, *I* get to make the public announcement - here for the first time in a non NLD webpage.  Thanks to Dennis and his high school friends for being genuinely caring about me - even then so long ago. You are valued and loved, friend.          

We're Back! (to Palmdale and SoCal, that is)

We have safely arrived in the United States and California again after a seven month absence. 

People - including US Customs and Border Patrol/Homeland Security folks - spoke English to us as if that were normal - one sign we had arrived.  Another was that the directional signs at the ATL airport were in English first, then Espan~ol.  We had been to this same airport in January, and we kinda recognized it.  ATL is so big I forgot you have to take their circular tram system to get to your next gate!  Thankfully, my wife knew what to do.  I may not be a smart man, but I know a smart woman!  (smile)  Actually, I knew, but her brain cells work faster than mine in that kind of situation where there are new things to deal with and so she got to the right answer sooner than me.  I help her too when she goes and begins something that is less than desirable, so hey - it's a working marriage!

People looked happier at ATL than LAX for some reason.  Just an observation. 

Enterprise Rent a Car in Culver City (hundreds of dollars cheaper than renting from them at LAX, btw) was very helpful.  They got us a Nissan Sentra from another nearby location versus giving us a six cylinder Chevrolet Impala.  Drove us there, too.  Better gas mileage with the Sentra, of course.  A newer model than what the taxistas drive in Cuenca and Quito, with more overall room.  We began our journey at our Cuenca condo by being picked up by a chofer driving a Nissan Sentra, so we can make a valid comparison.

I was a bit concerned that after seven months of not driving, I might not be used to the LA traffic - at rush hour, to add to the challenge - and that I could make a driving mistake that would lead to an accident.  I didn't cause an accident, thank God, but I was involved in a very minor one.

I was driving on Sepulveda Blvd. in the Sepulveda Pass area uphill northbound, and a young lady ever so lightly touched my rear bumper.  I parked the car in the lane, and fumbled to find the four way flashers before getting out and see what had been done to the car(s). 

"I didn't see you - I wasn't looking, and then we hit!  So sorry!" she exclaimed, with obvious shock to what she had done.  I, having endured delays via Delta Airlines all the previous evening, the morning, afternoon. . . all the way to a 45 minute delay debarking at Terminal 6 at LAX after arriving four hours and twenty minutes late, was already in great need of rest and sleep.  I examined the lower rear fender areas. . . no obvious damage.  No damage to the Sentra's rear bumper, either except for paint missing from where her front license plate touched my bumper.  A line now existed from the middle of the bumper to a point below the tail light on the bumper - probably caused by the bumper mismatch.  But thankfully, no body damage except missing paint. 

"I really didn't see you.  I'm so very sorry!" she reiterated, with more feeling.  "Please, I didn't mean it!  I didn't see you.  It was my fault!" she remorsefully exclaimed, fearing for something worse for her. 

At this point, my wife came out and saw the verbal exchange that was being played out right in the middle of Sepulveda Blvd., while frustrated drivers were bypassing the scene of the minor bumpa de bump bump.

"OK, you didn't see me.  You didn't mean it," I repeated her words back to her. "I didn't mean it, really, sir!" she wailed back to me.  "I really didn't see it!  Could you. . . "

"Tell you what," I replied ever so calmly after sizing up the situation and offering a breath prayer to the Lord.  "You can go.  Just please drive very carefully, alright?"

The now very nervous, frightened, and terrified young woman let that reply register in her brain.  Then she left to get in her car, waiting for me to start mine and begin driving again.

So much forgiveness needed to be given one to another in this world, especially in sue-happy California.  I was glad to have done my share that Wednesday.  Hopefully Enterprise won't ding me too hard financially on the minor scrape up that occurred.  It's in God's - and Enterprise's - hands.         

Did I Say Visas Obtained? And now. . . "Plan C"

"A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush," my former high school Spanish I teacher John Rossbach used to say quite a bit in class.  Well, after all the anticipation leading up to last Friday's office visit at Coloaustro abogados to finally receive the long awaited pensionado Visas . . . nothing.

Merci had a long telephone conversation with Joseph Guznay, our Visa Facilitator in Quito, and she glumly but matter of factly announced "your Visas aren't ready.  Carolyn's is done, but yours still has to be processed."  

I was ready for that kind of statement based on the low key demeanor Merci showed me when I arrived at the sixth floor office.  No direct smile on greeting me was a bad sign.  Oh, well!  What do we do now that travel plans are set and we would be financially inconvenienced by making a change at this point? 

Go ahead as planned, with a twist, it turns out.  "It's really all about trust at this point," Merci confided to me.  "Well, Coloaustro and you personally aren't at fault for Ministario's not delivering the Visas on time as previously agreed to," I countered.  "Tell you what: I'm ready to pay Coloaustro as we had agreed.  We don't know how much Joseph had to pay the Notary in Quito for the Social Security letter I had.  Why don't I pay what I know is owed now and at least be fair to you about it?"

Merci readily agreed, though she told me I didn't have to pay then if that was my choice.  I reiterated to her it was only fair to pay the abogados now.  I received a receipt - not a factura as this was a record of what was entrusted to Coloaustro, not a final payment - for what I paid, and we then discussed what we needed to do in order to allow for us to travel as planned, both leaving Ecuador and returning back to Ecuador and our home in Cuenca.  

First off, the US Passports, presently in Ministario's hands in Quito, need to be sent to Coloaustro in Cuenca ASAP.  That request is already in motion as I type this.  Then we need to come to Coloaustro to receive them once again - we cannot board an international flight without them.  Once safely in the United States, we need to promptly send them by air courier (Merci recommends DHL as they have had no problems losing important documents such as passports and Visas using their service) to Joseph in Quito.  I now have his office address.  Once Ministario actually finally really does have both Visas processed and placed in our US Passports, it's time for yet another courier service - Coloaustro's regular provider - to send them to Merci at Coloaustro abogados in Cuenca.  Merci will then ensure they are sent to our US address we have specified (where we get any important physical mail).  Hopefully - hopefully - all of this will get done before our scheduled flight home to Ecuador via LAX and IAH in Houston.  If not. . . "Houston, we have a problem!" 

It really is a time of confidence in the Ministario de Relaciones Exteriores y Movilidad Humana.  These folks . . . actually one woman official in particular have the ability to either get the job done in a reliable, timely way, or simply *really* muck up the travel plans, causing us to have to delay our return flight to Ecuador (never mind the change of airline ticket fees involved).     

Lessee. . . if we *don't* trust them, we're back to "Plan B."  If we do, we execute "Plan A."  Call this chicken or the egg routine - because that's what it is, actually - "Plan C."  We trust them because. . . we don't have any choice in the matter *and* we insist on taking our long scheduled and planned for trip.  I am not gonna miss seeing my High School classmates.  Haven't had the opportunity to attend a class reunion since the 10th, and as this is the 40th, no telling who will still be alive and able to come to any succeeding class reunion.  Including me.  I'm a mere mortal, too.  We've lost some classmates of late, some very recently, including one who had already purchased his ticket and planned to attend the reunion!  The opportunity is now.  I will go even if I have to stay there 'til December due to Ministario's gross ineptitude.  

It's "Plan C" folks.  Only life in Ecuador would hatch such a thing. . . but hey, there it is.  "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans," was a line sung by Richard Dreyfus in Mr. Holland's Opus.  A good definition for this particular moment, and apparently as good as it gets. 

Selah.

Visas Obtained! (and Yes, we're back to executing "Plan A")

I checked the incoming emails last evening, and, lo and behold, one was received: an email from our abogados, (law firm) entitled "VISAS."

Merci, our receptionist there at Coloaustro, let us know we were able to obtain our long awaited permanent pensionado Visas.  We were informed as to the payment to be made to our Facilitator Joseph Guznay's bank account in Quito, and by what date (this coming Friday).  Once that payment is made, the Visas will be sent to Coloaustro in Cuenca for presentation to us.  That should occur on the following Friday.  

So. . . we will be able to travel to the USA this August with our permanent Visas in hand placed in our USA Passports after all!  We praised God above for this news and sang the Doxology.  

The Cedula cards, a kind of national identification card here in Ecuador, will be issued two days after we obtain our Visas in our hands, according to everything we've read here on the subject from fellow expats.  We will be wise to laminate them after making photocopies of them according to our usual expat sources on the 'Net.  Losing your original Cedula card can be a pain to replace.  Worth it as well to make copies of your permanent Visa and carry it with you for everyday activities - easier and less hassle to lose it than your original US passport/Visa.  Traveling internationally, of course, one needs - and must have - their original Visa and passport.  The airlines check them before you board your flight.  Very important to keep your original documents in a secure place where you know where they are located, and to use the photocopies for everyday business. . . for example, when you purchase items.  Now I will be able to finally show my Cedula card to the store clerks and not look like a green "just off the boat" extranjero. Progress at last!    

Thanks to everyone who has faithfully prayed for us concerning us obtaining our Visas.  We walk by faith, not by feelings, or sight, or trust in mere mortal men.  Obedience to what God has called us to do here in Cuenca and in Ecuador is what matters.  We have much work to do teaching and volunteering among the poblacion - population - here, and we need to be about that work.  First, however, we have plans for that trip back to the US.  We wisely did not change our return airline tickets to Quito and hotel reservation in Houston, and have those details set.

We immediately realized that we can - and should - go back to our original plans, arriving in mid August and leaving in late September, as originally envisioned.  Sorry to everyone we won't have time to see. . . but we have our life to live here in Ecuador.  We'll be back sooner rather than later with a trip centered around Michigan folks with California possibly visited as well.  We'll undoubtably place plenty of cell phone calls outside of California while we are back Stateside in our visit.

So if you live in California, it means we are still likely to see you in person, if at all possible, schedules permitting on both parties' sides.  If you live in Michigan or outside of California, we hope to at least place a phone call to you.  We don't have the extended time envisioned by "Plan B" to visit in person this trip.  Next visit is much more likely, however. . . don't lose hope!

The big lesson in living in Ecuador we have learned is to, above all, be patient, flexible. . . and don't lose hope!  Things do get done in Ecuador, though not on your time schedule.  If you cannot adapt to these facts, you are frankly better off living somewhere else.  But hey. . . we're adapters here in Ecuador!