Wrapping Up and Gaining Speed

It's about seven thirty in the morning, my second day of work. I'm wrapped up tightly in a blanket, who knew Ecuador was this cold? The birds are singing and I think I'm the only one awake in this house. The Tias have a meeting at nine in the team house, so I’ll be heading over to help watch the kids in the Casa Sol.
I’m cold, nothing's rocking and I haven't seen the ocean in days.
This isn’t Africa!

After an amazing eighteen months on a ship in Africa, Mercy Ships and I have officially parted ways. (For good? Eh, we'll see!) May 19th I finished packing, said many goodbyes and walked down the gangway for the last time (at least, for this time.) It was hard to leave and more than once the thought "What am I? Crazy? Why on Earth am I leaving???" ran through my head, but with no time to change my flight I continued on my way.

As amazingly sad as I was to leave my floating home, I was just as excited to get to my landlocked one. Seeing my parents, brother, friends after a year and a half of absences was amazing! Everyone's grown up, gotten older, gotten taller! I was only gone for eighteen months, how much has changed!

After an wonderful (abite short) six days at home, Lauren, the young lady who is living at my house, and I set off on another plane, this time to Florida for the NEXT Conference.

NEXT is a Christian conference geared towards college age people, set up by Sovereign Grace Church. What an amazing time! There we were submerged in the word, listening to lectures by theologians such as D.A. Carson, K. Scott Oliphint and R.C. Sproul. Needless to say, I came back with a pile of books and some new additions to my iPod!

After the conference, I arrived home the first of June, unpacked, re-packed and was off again Friday morning at 4:45, this time on my way to Ecuador.

I'll be here in Ecuador for a month, working at "For His Children" an orphanage here in Quito. Emily, one of my closest friends since I was twelve, discovered this place back in 2008, going on her first mission's trip here, while I went on my first one to Africa. She's been wanting to go back ever since and finally got the chance now.
She invited me to come along and of course I jumped at the chance!

There are three houses here; Casa Vaughn, the baby house, Casa Sol, the toddler house and Casa Harlow, the house for disabled children.

We've been doing some office work, but most of our time is spent in any of the three houses. Feeding the children, playing with them, interacting and loving on them. I had three different babies fall asleep in my arms, just in my first day of work!

I've been here in Ecuador for almost five days, today's my second day of work and already I know that, while it will be hard, I'm really going to love it here.