Things That Are Happening

 One of these days I will have the time and brainpower to write an actual blog post.  One that is a story.  This is not that day.  So instead, you're getting another photo update.  Here's what's happening!

Remember how these chips are my favorite and they always come with a packet of ketchup?  Well this one randomly came with mayo.  ?!?!  This face is my reaction to the idea of putting mayo on chips.

On Friday we had an really important ceremony for seniors in Ecuador- Jura de la Bandera (pledge to the flag).  It's lots of pageantry and has a military feel.  Meanwhile, for me it was an hour of horror- trying to get the 8th grade students to be quite and respectful so we can impress the parents who are there to watch their kids.  This type of crowd-control is always my least favorite part of teaching.  Yuck.  Glad it's done for the year.

CHECK OUT THIS COOL TREE!!  It looked like someone had painted its bark like camo!  On Saturday the social committee sponsored an AAI family picnic at the school's property about and hour into the country, called Calicali.  It's a beautiful place.  So peaceful and quiet- a blessed respite after a few months in the bustle of Quito.  

If you just hike up a practically-vertical hill at Calicali, you can visit an adorable "chapel" that also has a bedroom on the top level.  I hiked up with some others and stayed for some alone/Jesus time after the others left.  It was a wonderful time of stillness and silence.  Much needed.  This is a video of the view from where I was sitting on the balcony.

I just learned that I can get rice paper here!  This is an exciting discovery, since I can make gluten-free stuff with them in my new-to-me air fryer.  Exciting days, friends!  Exciting days.

I think I said that I'm moving to a new apartment this week?  Nothing like moving twice in two months!  Thought I'm not excited about multiple aspects of this move, it is happening.  I'm trying to have a good attitude, in spite of the extra time and stress burden.  Anyway, I found a used washer/dryer ("unfurnished" apartments here are legit unfinished.  You have to bring your own appliance) and they were delivered today.  I'm still trying to figure out the dryer venting stuff.  Hopefully tomorrow, the guy who sold them to us will come fix it (or tell me how to fix it).

There are two things I'm SUPER excited about in this new place: having my own bathroom, and the roof access.  Last night I was hanging out at the new place, waiting for our fridge to be delivered (spoiler alert: I waited for more than an hour and a half, and they never came *sigh*)  Anyway, I was feeling grumpy and impatient, and I decided to go do my waiting on the beautiful rooftop.  I walked out and saw this beautiful sight.  Of course, the photo doesn't do it justice.  It was breathtaking.  It was a "kiss on the head from God" moment.  I love the moon, and it was such a gift to get to watch it rise.

Wednesday will be my final day in my old place (at least, that's the plan) and I'm looking forward to being settled in.  

That's it for the moment!  Thanks for coming along for the update!

House Teams and Hot Springs

 Hi Friends!

It's time for another photo/story dump about recent days in my Quito-life.

House Teams

If you've read the Harry Potter books (or if you're British or probably any number of other nationalities) you may be familiar with the idea of School Houses.  When I returned to Alliance Academy, I was DELIGHTED to learn that they have adopted this fun tradition.  Beginning in 7th grade, each student and teacher is assigned to one of four school houses, which they remain connected to for the duration of their time at the school.  Each house is named for a local volcano and a local animal, and is assigned a color.  And intentional or not, I associate each one mentally with a Hogwarts House

The Antisana Alpacas (blue) [Ravenclaw]

The Cayambe Quilicos (red) [Griffindor]

The Pichincha Pumas (green) [Slytherin]

The Chimborazo Culpeos (yellow) [Hufflepuff]

Guess which house I was assigned to...

That's right!  I'm a Chimborazo Culpeo! [I look really intense in that second photo because taking a picture of your back in a mirror with your phone is hard.  At least for a 46-year-old]

The students have informed me that "Culpeos" is the Kichwa word for zorro, which is fox.  [Kichwa is one of the native people groups here, and some of their words are mixed into the local version of Spanish.  My favorite is the Kichwa word for baby, which is "gua-gua" (sounds like "wah-wah") because that's the sound a baby makes.  Hilarious and genius, right?!]

Anyway, even though the Hufflepuffs usually lose most things (and so far, that is matching the Culpeo's record), I'm happy to be part of a team!  We apparently do various things together throughout the school year.  Last week was a soccer tournament (which we lost soundly).  I'm not sure what else is coming, but we can only hope it's not exclusively sports-focused.  When this is the case, I am of most use in the stands, cheering on the other culpeos.  

Day Trip to Papallacta

Yesterday, I traveled with five lovely friends to a town known for their hot springs, called Papallacta (double-L in Spanish sounds like a Y sound, so "papa-YAK-tah").  We had a fantastic time!  The resort has a bunch of pools of varying sized and temperatures.  You can wander around from one to another.  There are some cold-plunge pools to be found, too.  We spent a couple hours exploring those.  I surprised my friends by not only going into a cold-plunge pool, but jumping in and going all the way under.  Beth (more experienced than I in the way of cold-plunges) tried to warn me, but I've always been a "rip the bandaid off" sort of person, and I figured faster was better.

I DIDN'T figure on my lungs seizing up from the drastic temp change, and not being able to breathe properly for a few moments.  Oops.  Well, live and learn.  It was still fun, even if I might have taken a few months off my life.  :)  Here are some pictures of the hot springs experience.

Judah.  He's 8, and he's hands-down my favorite little boy in Ecuador.  He never runs out of hypothetical situations to run past me, generally followed by some karate-chopping, martial-arts type action, complete with sound effects.  "Hey Leslie, what if a giant came at you with a huge spear and you couldn't get away??"  "Hey, what if the sky started raining fire and burned up everyone's umbrellas and houses!?!"  "What if..."  Always at Enthusiasm Level 10.

Anna.  She is adorably four. I overheard her telling her mom yesterday that she was fine to go into the bathroom stall on her own.  "I'm already a big girl almost now, Mom, 'cause I walked that whole hike, without Daddy carrying me."  Silly mom.  How did she miss that significant milestone?  A few minutes later, she asked if I was ok on TP in my stall.  [I was.] 

LOOK!!!  It's Beth and me, together again!  

After the swimming, we got lunch at the restaurant at the resort (quite tasty) and then went for a "short" hike.  Probably by this point in my life, I should know better than to trust someone who loves hiking when they use words like "short", and even when they give time estimations (about 45 minutes).  Short this hike was not- at least when you factor in the inclines- but it lived up to the hype as far as the scenery goes, for sure.  Is it possible that it took longer because I am slow?  I mean...maybe....?  But probably not.

Ok, fine.  That is almost certainly a big part of the reason.

The hike went up one side of this glorious river, crossed over it on a bridge, then back down the other side.  I LOVE the sound of moving water, and I could have just sat down in places like this and listened to the rushing water for hours.

Cool Ecuadorian Tree Alert!!  The flowering tree game down here is top notch.  Those flowers were around eight inches long and so beautiful!

I'm not sure if it's Ecuador or my middle-aged-ness, but I find myself taking an embarrassingly high number of flower pictures these days.  But just look how pretty!!

Here we are, getting to the trail.  We crossed the continental divide on the trip to Papallacta, and as Beth predicted, we left behind the mild sunny weather on the Quito side of the mountains in exchange for cool, cloudy, and drizzly weather at the hot springs.  That's actually cozier when you're neck-deep in a hot spring, but less ideal for a hike.  Thankfully, the drizzle held off while we were hiking.  But Anna was REAlly excited about her umbrella, so she held it at the ready as long as she could.

Did I mention it was beautiful?  It reminded me a lot of hikes I've taken with my Uncle David and Aunt Janie in the Pacific Northwest (but with smaller trees).  And also sometimes it reminded us of scenes from Lord of the Rings.  :)

This is Lysette- new friend, worship pastor, mom of Judah and Anna, and wife to Charly (pictured below).  I have enjoyed getting to know her over the past couple months.

If the Pedersens look familiar, it's because we went together to the Teleferico (gondola ride up the mountain) back in our first week here.  They've adopted me a bit, which I am enjoying immensely. 

[editor's note: spell check insists that "immensely" begins with an 'i', but I really think it should be an 'e'.]

There was a chapel at the base of the hike.  We couldn't go in because it was locked, but check out this door!!  It's stained glass, in case you can't tell,  and ginormous, which is a little ironic because Ecuadorians aren't really known for their height.  Anyway, muy bonita.

This is my favorite picture of the day.  I'm thankful for the good things about returning to Ecuador.  The natural beauty is such a gift, as are friendships, both new and old.

Grateful.

Too Much Love

It's been a tough week.  At school, we had three days of standardized testing and we're in the middle of an Influenza B outbreak and I'm feeling overwhelmed by my job and some of my students.  At home, there are personal challenges in several areas.  

You know.  

Sometimes life is hard.

In her weekly email, my principal shared this poem by Kate Bowler that felt so spot on that I immediately decided to share it. Maybe it will be an encouragement to you, too.  There is never, ever too much love.

a blessing for when things don’t add up

Blessed are you who say:
This did not add up.
I had hoped these choices I made,
the life I tried so hard to pick,
would add up to something
Meaningful.

But now I’m left without many choices at all. 

Left wondering… did I pick right?
Did I waste my days?
What should I have done differently? 

This limited life is what it means to be human. 

In our failures and bad, bad math.
In our best intentions and hardest work,
In our waylaid hopes and far off dreams. 

In the love that is never ever too late to give or receive.

Maybe ‘success’ and ‘happiness’ can mean something different now.
On the other side of a life changed. 

Where minutes become moments.
And there will never be enough
sunsets or handholds or jokes shared.

But there is never ever too much love. 

Speaking of things that don't add up, check out this tree-pruning...technique?... Beth and I pass on our morning walks.  It's all just one tree.  I have no further commentary.

Who Says You Can't Go Back?

    The title is an allusion to a country song with the same title.  I don't think I've heard anyone say that...?  But then again, I forget many, many things.

Anywho, I HAVE come back, and in fact have been here more than a month now!  Here are some photos I've collected during that time, to give you a little taste of life here.

This morning I participated in the annual newby Amazing Race event that the school puts on for the new faculty and staff.  We had a great time scavenger-hunting around the Old Town area and wrapped up with lunch at an AH-freaking-DORABLE pizza place/local ministry house to street kiddos.  The person sitting across the table from me took this picture with the famous (in Quito) Panecillo (big, random, rounded volcanic hill in the middle of the city, with the angel statue (the Virgin of the Panecillo) sticking up into the beautiful blue sky.

This little pod thingy with a cross in the middle is shed by the plentiful eucalyptus trees around town.  I thought the cross shape was intriguing and unique.  Incidentally, I found this while on my first long walk with my friend, Beth.  Together again!  <3

I decided to make my own granola.  This is how much was stuck to the pan after I had chisled as much as possible out with a spatula and then a spoon (in spite of spraying said pan, as directed).  In the end, I shamelessly threw the pan away and am on the lookout for something similar to replace it with.  

In general, I'm finding preparing food here to be as challenging as I remember.  Between ingredients I can't find; those that are available but expensive; those that have a local alternative but are...um...not the same; and finding the energy to get home from a full day of school and start cooking, it's been a slow learning curve.

LOOK at this stinkin' adorable stuffed mushroom that I found at the produce section of my grocery store last week!!!!  He was so cute that I had to buy him.  I have named him Champ, because the Spanish word for mushroom is "champiñon".

This is a picture of my current favorite snack.  The default pop option here is sugar-free.  In fact, you pay MORE for regular pop.  To accompany the pop is a bag of the local potato chips that are ubiquitous here, and always sells for $1.  Together, this snack, which I bought from the kiosk stand across the street from the school entrance, was $1.50.  This is extra-tempting because lunch here is at 12:15- a full hour after my lunch started last year, so I'm good and hungry by the end of 4th period (and still a period away from lunch).  A bit dangerous?  Indeed.

[editor's note: the chips always come with a packet of ketchup.  I always throw it away.]

I am making a class playlist for each period, and one of the request papers came back as you see below.  I love that the kid is an MJ fan, even if they're struggling with the titles of the songs.  <3

This was my team for The Amazing Race this morning.  I insisted that we pose in the entrance to the metro station, where there was this GIANT box of KFC onion rings.  I mean, who can pass up an onion ring?  Not Miss Foster!  

Kate, who made up 100% of our team's competitive spirit (I'll let you guess which one she is), had just shouted, "Look tough!!" before the shot was taken.  Clara and I were laughing about how we're not going to look tough.  In the background, you can see just a part of a beautiful panoramic photo of the city.  Have I mentioned that Quito is beautiful?  Cause it is.

If there's a beautiful or unusual door, I am going to take a picture of it.  Isn't this one lovely?  Solid wood and (I'm confident) hand-carved back in the long-long ago.  I can't help but think of all the people who've passed through there.

While visiting the Basilica (my favorite church in Old Town), I had to take a selfie of this- it's the actual Pope-mobile from when Pope John Paul II visited Quito in 1985.  (it's not the actual Pope John Paul II in the back, though)

As we were walking to lunch after the race finished, we saw this woman with A CAT IN A BACKPACK!!  It seemed worthy of a photo.  The cat seemed to be living its best life.

Back in Quito -or- Leslie and Her Bags Get to Ecuador

 In what feels like no time at all AND at least a decade, I am back in Quito after six full months of preparation!  Today is my third full day here*, and it's high time to share the new, true, short story, "Leslie's Luggage".

*this was true when I started writing; I'm happy to report I've been here two weeks now!  Anyway, back to the story...

November 2025: Leslie is invited to apply for a position at Alliance Academy International.  She immediately begins to question how she could possibly move there with only two checked bags.

7 Days Ago: While helping Leslie decide what to pack in her 2 checked bags, Leslie's gracious friend and life-long traveler back and forth to West Africa, gently encourages Leslie to consider checking three bags instead of two.  Leslie feels this would somehow be an indication of weak moral fiber.  It is also more luggage than she can manage on her own- going against her own law of travel.  Nonetheless, Leslie researches how many bags she can bring, but it seems there is no limit.

6 Days Ago: Leslie gets out a third suitcase.

5 Days Ago: While checking in online, Leslie discovers that the airline website will only let her check 2 bags.  Cue anxiety.  Awesome sister Brittony tries to calm Leslie as Leslie calls Delta.  Nice Delta lady assures Leslie that she can pay for the third bag at the airport.  Leslie double-checks: are you sure there will be no problem with checking three bags?  She is sure.  Side note: the third bag will cost $200. -_- Cue additional anxiety.  Cue additional sisterly efforts and the reminder that thanks to SO MANY generous friends and family, she can afford the extra bag.

 4 Days Ago: Leslie arrives at the Fort Wayne International Airport with her three checked bags (each one weighing in at under 49 lbs (50 is the limit).  She is invited to be checked in by a Young and Eager Gate Agent (YEGA).  Said agent pulls up Leslie's itinerary and says, "You'll have to pick up your luggage in Atlanta and check it back in there, since your layover is so long."  Cue anxiety.  Is there any possible way to check it all the way through?  It's all one ticket and that's a lot of luggage to haul around on a layover.  YEGA clickity-clacks on her computer.  Ok; they will be checked all the way to Quito.  Leslie, unsure whether to be annoyed that they don't just do that in the first place, or grateful that she won't need to lug 150 pounds of checked bags around Atlanta, nods and thanks YEGA.

Next, YEGA directs the first bag to be put on the scale.  It registers 51 pounds.  "I know exactly what to pull out of there to make it 50 lbs," Leslie says.  "Oh, it's ok," replies YEGA, "I can waive the extra pound."

[editor's note: I have been traveling internationally since I was 18, and never once in my life has any gate agent, from any airline, in any country ever offered to WAIVE AN OVERWEIGHT BAG.]

Leslie nods slowly in amazement.  "Thank you!"  YEGA checks in bag #2.  49.5 pounds.  On to bag three.  More clickity-clacking.  YEGA says, my system isn't allowing you to check 3 bags.  Leslie calmly explains the very confident Delta lady's info.  YEGA tries again.  Sorry, my system will not allow you to check three bags.  Could we speak with a manager?  Of course.  Leslie listens to the manager explain to YEGA on her walkie-talkie that Quito must have an embargo on checked luggage right now.  Leslie politely asks if she could speak directly with the manager.

Ten minutes later, YEGA's manager is now clickity-clacking and after about 5 minutes, he announces that he has worked some sort of magic to allow me to take three bags.  Again- Leslie is relieved but also...what the heck?!  He continues to say that since Leslie has such a long layover in Atlanta, she will need to collect and re-check her bags there.  Leslie (semi-patiently) rehashes why that's not going to work and point out that YEGA was able to check them all the way to Quito.  Clickity-clack.  Ok, done.  Checked all the way through.

Delta, what is going on???

Leslie allows relief to trump annoyance and listens as YEGA's manager explains to her how to put a bag tag on my third piece of luggage, which is a plastic trunk.  They finish up, hand her a boarding pass, and wish her a good flight.  "Thank you both so much for your help!  Who do I pay?"  YEGA looks at her manager.  He looks at her.  "Well... the system didn't charge you."  What?  "Yeah, I could have waived the fee for the third bag, but I didn't.  If I had, you would see "waived fee" right here on the baggage claim slip.  I didn't waive it; the system just didn't charge you.  I have never seen that happen."

Leslie says, "I don't know what you believe about God, but there are an awful lot of people praying for me right now.  In any case, thank you so much!"  As Leslie walks away, she hears the manager say to YEGA, "Never have I ever seen that happen!"

2 Days Ago: Leslie arrives safely at the airport in Quito.  After spending some quality time with the passport check lady (who was suspicious that she was coming to live here but didn't yet have a visa) Leslie made her way to the baggage claim carousel, where she found all three of her bags waiting patiently for her.  What should have cost $400 ended up only costing $100.  Leslie is so thankful!

The End

As a reward for reading through the whole story, here are a couple of pictures from my first day.  I took them on my first trip to the grocery store.

Such beautiful flowers!  And I forgot how blue the sky is here!

My new building.  Our apartment is on the first floor, so you can't see it because of the gate.

My first day of work will be Monday- day one of three of orientation for new teachers.  Between now and then I have a lot of time to get a bunch of things sorted out- phone plans; learning to use Uber for taxis; buying odds and ends for the apartment; and doubtless other things I'm not thinking of yet.  Life here is off to a great start, and I am thankful.

T: Minus 17 Days

 Here we are, sweatin' through July!  It's hard to believe we're almost seven weeks into summer break, and even harder to know that my ticket says I'm flying to Quito two weeks from Saturday!

By the first week of June it had become clear that my normal system of making and then checking off a To  Do List wasn't going to work for this season.  Too many things on the list, and each item kept doubling and tripling as I tried to do it.  SO!  I created the Have Done List, and it is serving me so much better!  I'm keeping one page in a notebook for each week, and it's very encouraging to flip back and see all of the things I have accomplished in the light of all that is still left to do.

Speaking of which, if you've been considering joining us for one of the work days at my house but haven't yet signed up, I would be so appreciative of your help!  THIS Saturday (7/11) we're starting at 8am; lunch (and snacks and drinks) provided, and we'll be done no later than 3pm (you don't have to be here the whole time).  If you can help, CLICK HERE FOR THE LINK to sign up for this Saturday! 

The second work day is Saturday, July 18.  The same deal as the previous week, but different tasks.  CLICK HERE to sign up to help next Saturday.

I am really grateful for these work days, and the folks who are coming to help!  And this seems like a great time for a shout out to Brittony, Jessica, Trisha, Jamie, Emily, and Josie- who have already come to help me sort, purge, pack, and a plethora of other pre-departure tasks. 💖 I have such wonderful friends! 

In other news, I'm in my final week with my sweet kitties, Mary and Daisy. 😔I'm very grateful that neighbors of a friend have agreed to take them in.  I spoke with them to discuss the situation, and felt very comfortable that they will be a good new home for my girls.  I'm scheduled to drop them off on Tuesday.  I'm not a "Pets are People" person (wow.  alliteration!), but these girls have been with me for almost 14 years, and I will miss them.

In GREAT news, I have a place to live!!  I will be sharing an apartment with a young woman who is coming to Quito to serve in a ministry for study abroad students.  I am old enough to be her mom *blink blink* but we spoke on the phone and I feel comfortable that she is mature enough that I won't FEEL like the mom in the situation.  I'm very excited about this arrangement.  It's a huge help on the financial front (both because I'm sharing rent and because the place is furnished) and  I'm excited to not be living alone.  In addition, I think it will be nice that we are working in different places.  Sometimes too much togetherness is...too much.  

That is pretty much all to report for now!  I am excited to wrap up this crazy transition time and step into the next chapter.  It's plenty bittersweet, but I believe it is a good step, and I'm hopeful about what God wants to do.  Glad you're along for the ride!

Wanna Help? Here's How!

 I have amazing people.  From the first days that I began sharing about going back to Quito, my people have been asking how they can help.  Thank you so much to all of you!  Here are some suggestions.

-A New Home for My Kitties

I still need a home for my two sweet kitties.  It needs to be indoors; probably a home without other pets; and if there are children, they would need to know how to be gentle with animals.  My girls are 14 and 13 years old, so I'm trying to make the transition as un-traumatic as possible.  If you have any leads in this are, please let me know!

-Two Work Days to Help Get My House Rent-Ready (July 11th or July 18th)

There will be two Saturday work days at my house (July 11 and July 18) and we will need volunteers!  The 11th will focus on household repairs and yardwork.  The 18th will involve a lot of moving my packed belongings into the basement or shed, and some moving-out cleaning.  On both days there will be jobs for people with all levels of skills and abilities.  If you're interested in helping, or need more info, please let me know and I'll fill you in!

-Filling A Void in the Nursery Volunteer Team (Life Community people only)

 Last week I served in the church nursery for the final time before I go.  The nursery can almost always use more volunteers (like basically every church on the planet), and one way you could help with my preparations to serve in Quito would be to volunteer to fill in my nursery spot.  Each service requires two volunteers (either two adults, or one adult and one teen helper), and generally you would serve once a month.  I can talk for a long time about how I consider nursery duty to be one of the simplest ways to bless the local church.  If you are interested in learning more, please reach out to Carol Harbor (Nursery Coordinator) or Abbey Guntle (KidsLife Director) at church.

**PS-Nursery is MUCH more fun with a great partner!  Consider recruiting your spouse, a teenaged child, or a friend to serve with you.  It can be a great time of fellowship, as well as a blessing to the young families in your congregation! 

-Yes, We Are Taking Donations!

While I will receive a salary which I am hopeful will cover my normal living costs, the process of wrapping things up here [making some improvements/repairs in my house before the renters move in; buying a year's worth of things I can't get there; and buying tickets and gathering visa documents] are all spendy and they are adding up.  I am not asking more monthly donors, but if you would like to make a one-time donation toward these expenses, thank you!!  You're welcome to use Venmo, PayPal, Zelle (if you're a Chase Bank user), mail a check, or hand me cash.  Just let me know the funds are for my trip preparations.

Because I'm not going with a sending organization this time, I have decided to set up some accountability for myself and my donors.  I want to provide transparency for donors so that they feel confident that the money they give is being used responsibly.  And I want the accountability for myself.  

Stan Miller, an elder and the head of the missions committee at my church, has agreed to meet with me monthly to go over the specifics of what has come in and how I have spent it.  Stan is Good People and a Godly man.  If you would like any additional information about this arrangement, please don't hesitate to ask.  I am happy to share!

-Prayer is Always Very Welcome!

 I left prayer for the end, because people who pray tend to be people who both persevere [say, to the end of the blog post] and care enough about me to read to the end.  If that's you, bless you.  I don't pretend to understand all the inner workings of how prayer works, but I know that Jesus said we should do it, and that's good enough for me!  Here are some general prayer requests, which I will update as things progress and different challenges present themselves.

 -Pray for energy to think clearly and complete the daunting list of things to accomplish over the next 3-4 months of transition

-Pray for peace, courage, and confidence in our God as I step back into the world of expat living

-Pray for financial provision, and faith as I wait.

-Pray for favor and discernment as I wade through all the many details of moving abroad; renting out my house; gathering visa documents; handling my car situation; re-homing my kitties; and several other Big Ticket Items. 

-Pray for my arrival- for my housing situation; my relationships with the faculty/staff team at AAI; for my students and their parents.

-Pray that this season would draw me closer to the Lord; into deeper commitment and fellowship and into greater understanding of His character. 

-Final word is a repeat from my last update.  If you would like to get a brief email from me with the blog post link each time I write something new on this blog, please click here to complete a short, 4-question response and I will add you to the notification list!

Thank you, friends, for all your support! 

Once More Unto the Breach!

*tap, tap, tap* :Is this thing on? 

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:

Ecuador, aptly named, is on the equator in South America (see the pretty red blob on the map?) The country can be divided into three main areas, in strips that run north to south. 

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!