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¡Buenas noches!

It's time for an update! Things here in Quito are going well. Classes are in full swing and homework is becoming more frequent, but not more difficult fortunately. The first trip with my volcanology class is coming up this weekend and it should be fun because there aren't many people signed up for this one! We're going to Cuicocha and Papallacta to check out two volcanoes and some hot springs! Along with my friends Dan and Cody, I joined a fútbol team on campus in a league that includes the professors. Apparently we'll get a jersey with our name and number on it for like five or six bucks each, qué chévere!

Last time I updated I was about to go on a trip to a small pueblo called Otavalo with my friends Hannah, Ashley, and Colleen (from this point on they will be referred to as "the girls" for simplicity's sake). After a frustrating morning waiting at the censo office only to find out that they ran out of cards to print off and would have to come back, we took off on the bus from terminal norte in Quito. It only cost two bucks for the bus ride and on the way we were lucky enough to catch a Jean Claude Van Damme flick called "Sudden Death" (terrible movie, but it seems they love him in South America). We got to Otavalo around four that afternoon and made our way to a hostel we had discovered in our trusty LP's (Lonely Planet guidebooks) call Rincon del Viajero. They had plenty of rooms so we rented two for the night, one for me and one for the girls, and then went out in search of a good dinner. A good dinner is exactly what we found, of course with the help of LP, at a little local restaurant called Mi Otavalito. I had grilled chicked with french fries and salad...delicioso.

After dinner we made a stop at a little ice cream shop for dessert and then headed back to the hostel to get some layers on before going to explore the nightlife. While walking around we had noticed a concert stage being set up in a plaza nearby, so we headed back there to check out the scene. On our way there we stopped at a pizzeria/bar that was probably one of the strangest restaurants I've ever been in, but they offered Cuba Libres (this is what they call rum and coke) for $1.50 so we couldn't pass it up. We finally made our way back to the plaza to find a ton of people watching as a number of different performers sang and danced to celebrate the culture and town of Otavalo. We hung out in the plaza and had some extra-strong but super-cheap canelazo (a warm fruity beverage made with sugar-cane alcohol) and enjoyed the music. We headed back to the hostel and I actually fell asleep in one of the hammocks on the roof before finally making it to my surprisingly comfortable bed. Breakfast the next morning was gratis (free) and it included coffee, bread, and eggs. We then made our way to the market, which I'm told is the largest indigenous hand-craft market in South America, and I have no problem believing that because it was huge! So much stuff to look at and so many people meandering through the different tables and tents. After we finished up shopping we hopped back on the bus to Quito for another two bucks and were home in two hours.

Yesterday I went to a really cool park in Quito with the girls and all of Ashley's ecuadorian cousins to celebrate her host brother Daniel's birthday. It was a heck of a long walk uphill, but when we arrived the views looking down into the valley and Cumbayá were incredible. We hung out for a while waiting for the food to be served and partook in some grilled steak appetizers with ají (a kind of salsa with garlic). Our plates were stacked with different kinds of grilled pork and sausages along with corn and potatoes...definitely a guy's meal and I loved it. The primos all continued celebrating with endless amounts of Pilsener and by the time we made our way back to the city they were all singing loudly their favorite spanish tunes. Shortly after I got home I met up with my friend Nelson to go check out some college football in the Mariscal. We observed some very interesting people and met some funny older guys at a bar who work for the U.S. embassy. I also noticed that without the girls around, no one was bugging me to come in their obnoxious club so that was kind of nice.

Today was the first service of Libertad, the church being pastored by our new Chilean friends Aldo and his wife Pame. Right now it's being held in a conference type room on the roof of the apartment building that they live in. The service today was mainly about casting the vision of this new church and stressing the importance of the people who need to be reached in Quito and around the world. I've never been a part of a church that is just starting and I'm excited to see how this church will grow and develop over the next eight months that I'm here. Starting next week we'll begin our first ministry project as a church with an organization in the city the works with orphaned children and single-parent families...I can't wait to love on these people and share the hope of Christ with them!

That's about it for this post. I'm about to turn twenty-two this coming Wednesday and I'm not sure anyone quite understands that I've been waiting for this my whole life because twenty-two is in fact my favorite number and will be my age for a whole year! Please pray for my new church and it's ability to effectively minister to the people we are called to. I miss you all and GO HOKIES!

¡Chao!