Me llamo Carlos

Internet is scarce over here. My apologies.

I spent the last few days in the town of San Pablo. It´s a small fishing village close to Salinas, Ecuador. Daniel and I called up Leonardo (one of Roberto´s friends) and he took us to the bus station and put us on a bus to San Pablo. When we arrived, we started asking around for any medical people and heard a couple rumors about where they were, but nothing solid. As we were wondering around the beach area looking for a place to camp, we happened by an evening church service.

Like flies on... flypaper, we stuck to the church service and had a good time hanging out with other followers after it was over. They invited us into their homes for sweet coffee and biscuits and promised they would find out where the clinic would be the next day and let us know if we met them at the church.

We camped out on the beach our second night in Ecuador and loved it. We had a relaxing morning and then ambled into town where we were met by Moses, a brother, who directed us where to find the doctors. As we were walking to the clinic, some white people pulled up and offered us a ride... it was the Rotary group that had come to offer the clinic and do some work on their project village.

We plugged into the group and met some great people. Gonzala (Rotary president in Guayaquil) and his wife allowed us to sleep at the patio of their beach house. They fed us 3 *excellent* meals a day in exchange for our work. I did a little manual labor then went to work at the clinic with Dr. Glen and Barbara. Great folks. Dr. Glen is really laid-back and funny but a good doctor with a great rapport with patients. I had a blast working with them. The highlight of my time in San Pablo was a lady with chest pain that I figured out was actually a displaced rib. After hurting her a couple times, I wanted to give up, but was persuaded to try to adjust her rib once more. I got it on the third try and she immediately started crying and thanking me because the pain was gone. She´d lived with it for two years. I was humbled and incredibly thankful for the instruction of Dr. Perkins.

We got to be in a parade in San Pablo because we were there for a holiday and had all kinds of great interactions with people that I can´t possibly cram in here. We left this morning after breakfast and good-byes and headed north. We´re now in Montañita and I just finished surfing for the first time. This is a total tourist trap and Daniel and I will probably not stay long. Good waves though. Your prayers are much appreciated as we seek out direction from God in everything we do here. We are sowing seeds of the Truth wherever we go and trusting in God to prosper our meager efforts. Blessings!

Vienvenidos a Ecuador

I´m in Roberto´s house. In case you didn´t hear, Roberto is on his way to work at Alyeska Resort in Girdwood, Alaska while Daniel and I are staying at his house in Ecuador. So if you´re in the Girdwood/Anchorage area, please give a warm welcome to Roberto!! He was yet another sign that we´re supposed to be here. He & his friends & Daniel picked me up from the airport last night, a seemless transition.

My plane trip out of Houston was great too. I was jabbering with some guys while in the jetway and mentioned my love for the church and they promptly said they would be avoiding me on the plane and asked my seat number. I was right next to them, which kind of freaked them out =). Then we all got moved to the exit row and I told them they were lucky to have a holy man in their row. They laughed. The next fun discovery was that everyone in that row was going to Ecuador for medically-related reasons. They were on a medical trip with Rotary, there was a premed student going to volunteer and the last lady in the row was an Ecuadorian doctor. Beautiful. So I may be heading out to San Pablo to join their medical team for a few days. We´ll see what happens. God is so cool.

Yesterday I got to have lunch with a friend from undergrad who just finished his first year of medicine in Houston. It was AWESOME to see him. We both majored in Physics and thus had many of the same classes all through college. He is an exceptional guy and I´ve missed seeing him around, so it was wonderful to reconnect and hear about his experiences. He´s currently doing cancer research on the type of cancer that the little boy had in Cambodia (I think) and if his research pans out, alternative treatment will be available that possibly could have saved his life. Another weird ¨coincidence.¨

While in Texas I accomplished my major goals which included:

1. not being sick anymore (I got checked out by a doctor from church for free and he cleared me - THANK YOU DR. SANDERS!!)
2. eating Bluebell ice cream, Mexican food, barbeque and Shipley´s donuts
3. getting charged up for Ecuador

So now I´m here ready for the next move. Pray that I have eyes to see and ears to hear.

Airborne

Taking off for Ecuador. Yeah baby.

A Much-Needed Relaxation

Today was my Sabbath. I hung out with Christians all day and watched movies and ate good food. My fever is basically gone I think. Tomorrow I'm going to see a doctor for free that I met at church today. I've been very happy to see the generosity and openness of the body of Christ played out in many ways down here. I'm just about charged-up for hitting South America tomorrow. Give me one more night in a real bed, and I'm there.

I woke up thinking about next year in Seattle. I want to have a barbeque for my neighborhood. I didn't get to know my neighbors in Anchorage last year and I'm disappointed in myself about that. But it's time to repent and change things next year. Our house did really good about inviting friends over to do things, but Jesus told us to invite the people who cannot pay us back. It would be good to haul a grill into the middle of a poor area and start cookin' burgers. So I'm resolving not to wuss out on that again. May it be so through the strength of God.

A Brief Stint in the States

I'm in Houston, Texas for the next couple days. I'm staying at my cousin Erin's house where she lives with her husband, baby and their friend. Except that her family is on their way to Alaska right now, so I'm just crashing at their place. Their friend, Brie, picked me up at the airport, stopped by Taco Cabana for me, and showed me the essentials: where I'm sleeping and where their computer is. It's pretty nice having all the comforts of Western civilization again, and I don't even feel guilty. Maybe I'll get to work on that tomorrow.

The flight went fine, just a lot of time sitting. I finally finished the book about the girl growing up under the Khmer Rouge... I have some thoughts, but am not so coherent right now. Good night!

...and I'm out

Sitting in the Pochentang airport waiting for my plane to board... I should probably be introspective right now, but I'm slipping into the traveling mindset in which I merely pass time until my next destination. Last night was interesting.

I finally got a fever yesterday after being tired all week. It was not exactly a pleasant last day. However, a bunch of people from CSC went to lunch at Friends cafe where I went all out and spent almost 9 bucks on lunch. Really good pasta. Afterwards I went to get a massage (finally) at Seeing Hands, a massage parlor staffed by the blind. It was a pretty good massage. Really good for 5 bucks.

I really just wanted to sleep at about 5 yesterday, but Samnang had made arrangements for a going-away party outside the city at his friend's house. I told him I wasn't going, because that's what the sensible thing would be. Then I started thinking about how I frequently disappoint people by doing the sensible thing. Then I thought about Christ saying that a man with great love lays down his life for his friend. I was pretty sure I wouldn't die, and that I'm actually trying to live by the principles of Christ, so I went. Samnang was really happy.

My fever got bad on the way out and I bought some ibuprofen that didn't seem to be working. So when we arrived after riding in a minibus for 45 minutes, I asked for blankets and cuddled up. Eventually the ibuprofen kicked in and I had dinner at a typical Cambodian house. We slept on the floor with no fan on mattress really in a wood house on stilts. What a way to end my trip.

I'm actually feeling better today, so maybe there's something to this living by the teachings of Christ. I guess it was worth a shot. My plane is boarding soon, next stop: Houston (by way of Taipei and L.A.).

Twilight of a Trip

Usually I get tense and uncomfortable when I'm done in one place and ready to move to the next. However I'm finding myself relaxing and enjoying my last few moments in Cambodia. Yesterday I learned a ton about putting in IV's and breathing tubes and got to do a couple IVs and scrubbed in to a pretty brutal hip surgery. AND I got to do some mean work with the electric cautery... cutting out extra tissue and blocking bloodflow left and right. Good stuff. The students took off after lunch and got some great Thai food, then went to the Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda. It wasn't all it was cracked up to be.

I took a nap afterwards (I've been really tired lately) at the apartment of the Canadian students and then went to teach English with Samnang. We picked up some VCDs for the karaoke party that we're going to tonight out in the country. Their idea of fun can be really strange over here.

Teaching went well, I showed pictures of my home and described different things about Alaska, then quizzed the kids about what I was talking about. Basically practicing comprehension. After teaching Samnang and I went to hang out at his uncle's food stand, and then we met the French Canadian girls at for dinner at Amok. It's a really cool restaurant where you sit on mats and cushions at a low table and the food is really good.

I really love hanging out with those girls and wish that I could have spent more time with them. They're really easy to be around and fun and nice and all those good things. Conversation was great and I got to share the Good News about life in Christ, which always makes me happy. I was sad to go, but was really ready for bed.

Driving at night after the rain here is a beautiful thing. (I've been borrowing Samnang's moto and I'm getting to be a decent Cambodian-style driver). I had a really awesome talk with God last night... both intimate and friendly and feel like my purpose in Cambodia has been accomplished. Despite my physical condition, I feel refreshed and ready for the next season.