TEACHING ENGLISH IN CUENCA - hungry to learn!

Ahhh, it's the weekend!  Sometimes I forget what day of the week it is since I don't have to get up to go to work anymore.  I used to wake up at 5 a.m. during the week so I could get my workout in and have a leisurely morning before my 8:30 a.m. work day began.  I miss my wonderful job and my sweet Dr. Caroline (the best boss in the WORLD!), but I'm loving my life of freedom here in Cuenca more and more as I get used to being a "jubilado" (retiree).  Even though we are adjusting to an entirely new way of living (especially living in an apartment in the center of a city) and to being in another country,  I'm enjoying looking forward to what each new day brings and feeling so free and unencumbered with things that are not important anymore. 

We now live in a furnished month-to-month rental, and everything in it stays when we decide to up and go!  Our monthly living expenses are averaging around $1,500 a month, and that seems high to us only because we haven't really settled yet into a place we call "home" nor are we living yet on a budget we're sticking to.  We're still just plodding along and finding our way here.  It takes time, and we certainly have lots of that!  Yet, our days are full!

Today we spent the entire afternoon breaking bread with like-minded new friends.  One of the things we all agreed on is how much richer our lives seem to be here and how many more people we are meeting and enjoying sharing our time with compared to back home in the states.  For me, personally, I have found my free time here mostly enriched because of the kind and loving Ecuadorian people I meet daily.

I'm excited about tomorrow.  Our friend Pedro's sister, husband, and their two adorable daughters are coming to our home to have their first ENGLISH lesson!  Pedro stopped by last Sunday to spend the day, and he asked us if we wanted to go visit his sister, Lola, and her family who live in Cuenca.  We had met Lola at the family "Anos Viejo" celebration in Yungilla.  So, we hopped a bus and went to their home.  Lola's husband, Manuel is a taxi driver, and he came home early just to spend some time with us.  They have two daughters, Nicole, 18,  and Kelly, 3.  What a wonderful time we had with them, and when we were getting ready to leave that evening, Lola humbly asked me if I would consider teaching her 3 year old English.  I was so touched and so willing.  So, they are coming over tomorrow afternoon to have their first lesson as a family.  Sweet!  Bo and I have fixed some delicious Puerto Rican food, and they will feast with us and learn their ABC's.

The Ecuadorians are hungry to learn.  Bo and I are already teaching English to Danny.  He works with his aunt and grandfather at their import store on Calle Larga.  We met them our first week here when we walked by their shop and had to have one of their colorful beautiful hand-woven wall tapestries.  After that, we began to stop in just to visit this loving gentle family, and we would sit and chat (in Spanish, of course) and laugh with them.  One day, Danny told me he would love to learn English.  Well, he's now had his 5th lesson with us, and he's serious about learning and faithful to study his weekly homework.  His 3 year old cousin, Sharon, is the delight of our hearts.  She sits on Bo's lap while I teach Danny, and she is also learning English words.  We so look forward to our lessons and time with this precious family.  Now, tomorrow we will have another family to give the hope of learning English to.

Yes, our lives are richer here because of all the wonderful people we're meeting and the opportunities we've been given to pour into their lives.  More so, we are doubly-enriched because of the blessing those we've met and continue to meet are to us. 

MEET A SWEET FAMILY

AND MY STUDENT OF ENGLISH

Danny is 17.  He loves to travel and has dreams of learning several languages.  I hope I can be a part of making his dream to learn English come true!

Danny's cousin, Sharon, is 3 years old.  She loves to come upstairs with us when we have English class, and she is learning lots of words already.  Bo is her teacher! 

Sharon truly is the joy of Bo's heart.  HE ADORES HER!!

This is Sharon's mother, Olga (Danny's aunt), and her grandfather, Sr. Antonio.  Whenever we get ready to leave, the family always hugs us goodbye and Sharon comes running to the street to tell us "Chao!"  We always look forward to our next visit together.  (Sharon is proudly showing off the Children's English Book we gifted her with.  She cherishes it!)