Sat. in Shell

I just realized that I haven't written on the blog since about Tues. Our week got very busy and I was hitting the hay pretty tired at night. It's been a really relaxing day today tho. After making breakfast, I sat down and did about 4-5 hours of work for the school. Carly got invited with a girl named Jenna to go swimming in the next town over. The boys have had friends over. Man can those teen boys eat. I see I'm going to have to have the kitchen well stocked. They are out playing basketball right now. It's so hot and they come in dripping wet....and THIRSTY!
The birthday party last night was a huge success. They sure had fun. Guess we will do it all over again next weekend for Carly's birthday.
We had some young kids over this morning for awhile coloring and playing games. I am including a picture of some goodies that Florence gave us the other day. It was like a cake that was steamed in leaves. Delicious! I just can't remember the name of it. It was something like Quimbolitas or something. Adam, Brett and Gary had gone out for a walk to the river this morning and to take some pictures around town. Gary has had a a couple of short cases today. It's so handy just to walk two minutes over to the hospital and go back and forth when needed.
Thank you everyone for your emails and comments on the blog. It is really fun to hear from you all. Will try to post some pictures of the things you are wondering about. It's kind of hard to explain things....pictures would be more helpful. I will include a picture of the outside of our house and maybe one or two of the inside. This is by far the most comfortable mission that Gary and I have been on. Not difficult to adjust to this lifestyle at all. I would highly recommend it to anyone considering a first mission posting. Ideal for families. Safe.
I noticed the kids have been blogging about the orphanage we have been going to. The director, Patty Sue, is doing a tremendous job of running that place. They are really crowded there right now, with about double the normal occupancy at 37 kids!!
But they keep it clean and well stocked. If anyone is interested in visiting the website and learning more about the kids we are seeing, the address is: lacasadefe.org
"The house of faith" it is called. The stories of each child there are interesting.
This has been a different focus for the kids and I here at Shell compared to last year in Kenya. It seems like it has been more about supporting, helping, relieving and encouraging the missionaries rather than working with the local people. I asked Carly about which she liked better and she said she likes both - they are just different.
It's hard to believe we have only been here a week. And that we only have two weeks left!! We've enjoyed getting to know the MAF (Missionary Aviation Fellowship)
families. Although we have flown with MAF before, read alot about them and have supported them, this is the first time that we have personally gotten to know any of their staff. What a great ministry it is. Of course our interest in aviation makes it appealing to us too. I often think of how much it has changed since Nate Saint was flying his little yellow Piper around here.
We've been lent two books, "Mission to the Headhunters" by Frank and Marie Drown and "Bridge to the Rain Forest" by Eleanor Boyes. I can't wait to read them. I have read some about the Drown's work here with the Jivaro Indians (near Shell). They are the ones that shrink heads!! I mean not the Drowns but the Jivaros!!!
It is very refreshing to be here. Time to sit down and talk with our family about important issues, time to read and have regular devotions, time to visit with neighbors and new friends, time to share a laugh and smiles with kids, time to give to others so that they can have a well deserved rest..... We really are blessed to have come here. Even tho Gary and I often have questioned why we feel called to come on short term missions over the past 22 plus years, our lives certainly have been transformed through doing it.
Lori