Hi friends and readers of things I write!
Guess who's preparing to move overseas again?? In a new twist, however, I'm moving to a place I've been before. :)
In about 7 weeks, I will be flying back to Quito, Ecuador. If you're reading this, you are likely already aware of this plan, but I wanted to do a post for two primary reasons:
1. To reacquaint us all with this blog.
It's been a minute, but I'm hoping to use it again while I'm in Quito.
2. To address some FAQ's
So, let's start with 1. Reacquainting you with the blog
You're already here, so you know the website is fosterleslie.blogspot.com. Yay you! If you're tech-savvier than I (which would not take much), you can probably sort out
how to subscribe to the blog so you get alerts when I post something new. I am not savvy enough to advise you on how to do that.
However, I will shoot out a
quick email notification when I post to those who have requested it, and probably also on social media. If you'd like to get that email notification, please
follow this link
to add yourself to the list:
2. FAQ&A re: Returning to Quito
Q: What?! You're moving to Ecuador? Where is Ecuador anyway?
A:
The westernmost third is the coast. It's hot and humid there most of the year. The beaches are beautiful; the seafood is yummy; and the pace
of life there is pretty relaxed.
The easternmost third is the edge of the Amazon jungle. It's also hot and humid there, year-round. But they have giant snakes in
them thar parts, and we all know how much I do not enjoy snakes.
Which brings us to the central strip, where the Andes Mountains run through the country. Quito, where I will live, is in this mountain range, and because of the high altitude (9,350 ft) the weather is spring-like year round. There is a rainy season and a not-so-rainy season. Also because of the altitude there are virtually no bugs (no mosquitoes, hallelujah!) and almost no one has central AC or central heat- it's just not necessary.
Q: Why are you moving to Quito?
A: If you've been with me for many moons, you may know remember that I lived in Quito once before, from late summer 2008 through early summer 2011. I taught ESL (English as a Second Language) to middle schoolers at a private Christian school called Alliance Academy International. As it turns out, I'll be returning in July to take a very similar position at the same school. If you'd like to learn more about AAI, here's a link to their website. You can even take a virtual tour.
Q: But you already have a job teaching English here. Why pack up your whole life
and move again?
A: It's a fair question. The practical answer is that after
three years of teaching in the US public school system, I don't think it's a
healthy long-term situation for me. Mind you- saying goodbye to some of my students was HARD. Here is a picture of my Newcomer students (in their 1st or 2nd year of living in the US). These guys, and a few other students that are now in their 3rd or 4th years here, have a piece of my heart.
Going into the 2025/2026 school year, I was asking the Lord for direction, and in early November, I was invited to apply for this position at Alliance. I accepted the job offer in early January, and have been slowly chipping away at all the
things I need to do, ever since!
Q: What about your house? Your car? Your cats?
A: I'm renting my house out to a young couple from my church here in Fort Wayne.
They are getting married in August and are excited to set up housekeeping for
the first time as a family. The young man is a son of good friends of mine, and
I feel really comfortable in having them rent. I will be storing my stuff in the basement and the
shed while I'm gone.
I'm selling my beloved car, Lucy, to some good friends
who'll be moving to the US later this year.
My kitties are still a question mark. Taking them with me isn't
feasible, so I've been looking for a new home for them. So far I haven't had any
nibbles. So I'm praying that God will provide a good, safe home for them. Here
they are, in case you know of anyone who might be interested. :) Please let me
know!
[Note: Yes, they're on the toilet. We're classy like that.]
Q: Will they pay you? Will you be raising support? Can I help?
A: Yes; Sortof; Yes!!
Yes, they will pay me. Woo-hoo! I
will earn a salary, though it will be significantly less than what I'm
making now. The cost of living there is also less, but there is still plenty of
room for trusting God to fill in the gaps. The job also comes with full health insurance (in Ecuador, but it's high quality care), partial reimbursement for my ticket, and a stipend to help me set up house there in Quito. I'm really grateful for all these things!
I will SORTOF being raising support. I'm expecting my salary to be sufficient for my normal life. However, getting ready to go, going, and getting set up once I'm in Quito are all expensive things. The cost and availability of my medications while I'm there is also a question mark, so I'm planning to buy a supply before I leave. My insurance won't cover extended supplies like that, so this will be another one-time expense.
If you would like to give a one-time gift toward those transition costs, I will be providing info soon on how you can do that. *I'm grateful already!!*
YES, there are multiple ways you can partner with me, many that don't involve $$! I will have more to say about that in my next post, so stay tuned!
