They're Here!

So, all of our precious cargo (and I am referring to our parents and Mark and Beth, not just the gifts they brought us...haha) arrived safely on Tuesday. (For those of you who knew how apprehensive Doug was to fly, you will be amused to find out that he absolutely LOVED flying! Go figure.....) What an exciting day to get to see everyone again! We sweated it out in Guayaquil...by the way, hats off to those serving in the Dominican Rep., I just don't see how you do it! Then Wednesday we took the bus ride home from Guayaquil...what an experience! The bus ride is normally a little curvy and bumpy and about 4 hours long. Well, for whatever reason, the bus went the longer way around, which made the trip even more curvy, even more bumpy and 5 hours long! But Doug and Judy were real troopers, they never once complained, even when the bus driver's helper started to pass out the barf bags to some in the back that were not doing so well! YUCK! At least we didn't smell anything!....But, we finally got here and settled into our little apartment!
Judy went with me this morning in service, she did a presentation for the memorial invitation and even read some paragraphs on my bible study. She did really well! The morning started out walking to the territory in the rain, and I mean POURING rain, but it did clear up. The only bummer was I had some calls to do way up in the rurals, so we both have shoes covered in MUD! I felt a little better about my habitual afternoon nap, when even Judy, with her never-ending energy, took a nap this afternoon after our crazy morning!
This evening Chad took Doug on some of his studies and they had a nice time. Chad had a really good experience this evening with a Doctor that Doug Willis had met in service one morning and who told him that she was extremely busy, but please come back in the afternoon another day. So, Chad decided to stop this afternoon and talk to her. She immediately invited them in, although she thought they were Mormons (evidently she has a brother who is a mormon, so she was going to talk to them). But, she still talked with Chad after she found out who we are... Chad gave her a memorial invitation (which was the original reason that Doug had stopped) Chad mentioned that it appeared that she has an interest in the Bible, and she said that she attends a "Catholic Bible Study Group". Chad showed her the Bible Teach book and she said that she really wouldn't be interested since she already studies the Bible. But, Chad decided to share the questions on pg. 6 and asked her if she had ever wondered about any of them. Right away she picked out the 2 questions on death and said that she always wondered about that. She mentioned that "the teaching" is that when we die our body dies and our spirit continues to live on. But, then she said, "But there is no proof for that teaching in the Bible". So, Chad asked her where she thought we could find that proof and she answered the Bible. Just then, a patient showed up and she actually went out and asked the patient if he could wait a minute while she continued to talk to Chad! WOW! So, she says to Chad, "Well, let's pick a specific date and time for you to come back so that I can make sure that I don't schedule any patients for that hour!" (I think that Chad could handle that! haha) So, that is what they did and Chad is looking forward to stopping back to start the study! Another great day in service!
Tomorrow we will do some sight-seeing here in Cuenca, so that will be really nice!
I can already tell that sadly the next 2 weeks are going to FLY by....but that is what they say when you are having fun!...
Miss you all!