People are people

I think people are people wherever you go. They may speak a different language, have different colour skin, or have a different culture and traditions, but they still carry the same burdens and worries. They may do things differently like:

-      Serve Rice and lentils with chicken in KFC!

-      Carry babies on their front or back rather than using a pushchair,

-      Kiss everyone on the right cheek

-      Have bananas in many forms for breakfast, lunch and tea

-      Be so relaxed about time management that watches are for fashion rather than being functional

-      People trying to sell you things on the bus

-      Giving way to the left at a roundabout is a suggestion rather than a rule

I (foolishly) thought that some of my worries or burdens wouldn’t come with me to Ecuador. I thought that there wouldn’t be space on the plane (there wasn’t much space for all the people, let alone my worries, so I am surprised they managed to fit on). I still have the same concerns and aspirations in life (possibly even more).

I am appreciating this preparation time to really focus on learning Spanish and spending time with God, searching more and more after his heart.

I am still the same. Still struggling with numbers (I never have understood them and now I am using a different currency and have to convert everything in my head to pounds, it gets a bit confusing!)

I regularly smile and laugh; at myself most of the time, when I am in a bizarre situation like being on the bus and an English song comes on or at Spanish dubbed films and TV programmes e.g.“ Ben Dias” for “Ben Ten” (doesn’t quite have the same ring to it!) and can you imagine a Spanish voice over for Homer Simpson!?  This week was the first time I properly laughed with the boy of the family that I am staying with. I laughed because I understood what he said. Children are children too. I love working with children and still have that heart, especially for those with special needs.