Buenos Dias from Quito!
We have officially begun the settling in process in our apartment in northern Quito. It’s been a busy time of nesting, with many trips to the grocery store (Supermaxi), the hardware store (Ferrisariato, or Ace Hardware), the appliance store, and several furniture stores. We have beds, a dining table and chairs, appliances, and coming next week, a living room set.
There are many missionaries here from several denominations working with the television network or leading teams around Ecuador. There is much work to be done. God has blessed the ministry and the Un Buen Consejo counseling service has recorded thousands of salvations this year. There are many challenges ahead, though. Technical facilities here in Quito need to be built up and the local staff needs more training. Our missionary, Bill McDonald, is also building up a church plant nearby. Right now it is meeting in a tent, but they hope to have a building soon. God is bringing many people to the church and today is their first anniversary. Joe will be there this morning to take pictures, including a group shot of the entire church family – about 150 people.
We feel very comfortable here and the kids are doing great. Shari and Katie are at Alliance Academy, and English Christian day school located across the street from the TV studios Joe works at. They have made friends and seem happy. Walking back from the furniture store yesterday Joe found a place that sells a pretty good Philly cheesesteak!
Life here is very different from New Jersey. While we are in the capitol city, it is a very hands-on, face-to-face economy. There are malls and stores, but many utilities are handled on the street. There are no gas lines for your stove. You buy large tanks from a guy driving a flatbed truck up and down your street and hook it up yourself to your stove. Utility bills are all paid at Servipago, a place with cashier windows (and long lines). There is no online bill paying here! Taxi rides are very cheap, usually under two dollars.
Our apartment is great. There are lots of picture windows and we have views looking south over Quito and west to the Pinchincha volcano.
Every neighborhood has paid private guards that keep watch over several buildings, something like a concierge. We are a ten-minute walk from the Unsion television studios and Alliance Academy, and about 15 minutes from the hardware store.
You can see photos of our neighborhood, and life in Quito, at our photo gallery: www.pbase.com/joehewes/quito. We will update this gallery regularly so save the link.
We have some prayer requests:
that we learn the language;
that technical challenges at Unsion Television be overcome;
- wisdom for Joe in his work at Unsion Television;
- same for Karen as she seeks God’s will for her in this mission.
We are grateful and give glory to God for the mission and call He has placed on our lives. We are grateful for your prayer support as we bring the Good News to the nations, and for your financial support that has helped make this possible. We cannot believe sometimes that we have actually moved to another country! But we are here for such a time as this to make a difference in people’s lives.
Hasta la vista!
Joe, Karen, Shari and Katie Hewes.
