There were several blog posts I wrote in my head and yet never seemed to find the free time to sit down and write out.  I knew that when we got back from the states we would hit the ground running with a full schedule but it has been a bit more intense than I had imagined.  Here's a little summary of some of the things that have filled my days/weeks

Yener being introduced to "Volqueteros" typical dish in Puyo

-hosted YL director, Yener Lopez, from Guatemala for a week

-National leader retreat in Quito with YL supervisor, Scott Miedema

-Trip to YL Cuenca

-Learning how to make dill pickles with my aunt

-Mother's Day celebration with Ivan's family

-Translating for interviews at another local mission

-End of the year school board meetings at NSMS

-Helping my aunt with a garage sale in Ambato

-Meetings, meetings, and more meetings in Quito

Congrats to the graduate!

-Birthday celebration for a friend

-Dinner with friends

-Skype calls

-applying, studying, and passing my driver's test!

-High school graduation party

....plus the ordinary tasks of cooking, cleaning, administration/secretary role in YL.  Let's just say the struggle has been real to keep up with the laundry. 

When I was a teacher, how I longed for the long, summer days.  No school.  Relax time.  May was that final push to the end of the school year before you could take that much needed break and soak in the sun.  However, with YL, we are just entering into one of the busier seasons for ministry because outreach camp happens on these long, summer days.  I know it's hard to distinguish between our "busy" and "non-busy" season because it seems that EVERY season is a busy season.  It's much like the seasons of Shell.  While some would say we have a "winter" and "summer", I prefer to call it the "rainy season" and the "more rainy season".  In every season, there is rain.  It all kind of just blurs together for me.  Something that I've really been learning about lately is the importance to find time amidst all the busyness and rest.  Actually, on a two-hour long taxi ride (which is a whole other story) the driver talked to me the entire time about the importance to find time to step back from ministry and relax.  It's a reoccurring theme that has come up in my reading, conversations, and thoughts.  And what does that look like exactly, anyhow?  It seems to me that it's not so much which physical season I am in (rainy vs. more rainy or busy vs non-busy) but more on my spiritual season.  The good news is that unlike the weather which I have no control over, there are things I can do that affect my season spiritually.  I think it comes back to making sure we are connected to the vine.  In John 15:5 it says, "I am the vine; you are the branches.  If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."  I am always more fatigued and overwhelmed when I'm in a dry season spiritually.  Not surprisingly, there seems to be a lack of fruit as well (especially when we're talking fruits of the spirit:  patience, kindness, joy...).  As I look at our upcoming "busy" season, I know that I need to stay connected to the vine.  Maybe you've got that whole connected-to-the-vine-thing all down pat but I still need a helping hand every so often.  This comes in the form of mentors and friends who speak into my life, encouraging me to remain in Him.  Sometimes it even comes in the form of a friendly taxi driver who share's their life experience with you.  It's learning to take advantage of those moments of rest as they come, often unexpectedly or without warning.  Like today, relishing in the sunshine, sitting by a pool with a friend.  It brings to mind the verse in Psalm 118, "This is the day the LORD has made.  I will rejoice and be glad in it."

Mother's Day lunch

Cuenca