AND then a scholar said, "Speak of Talking."

And he answered, saying:
You talk when you cease to be at peace with your thoughts;And when you can no longer dwell in the solitude of your heart you live in your lips, and sound is a diversion and a pastime.
And in much of your talking, thinking is half murdered. For thought is a bird of space, that in a cage of words many indeed unfold its wings but cannot fly.

I believe these lines are my favorite part of The Prophet. Every person who reads it, I think, has a unique two or three lines that really means a lot to them. I am curious to know what some of my friends favorites are. I know Teliczan, David, Cameron, Chase, Sienna, Michael Watson, and others (Laura?) have read it and I am curious to know what lines mean the most to them.

On another note I was speaking to two of my very best friends who are not involved in Icthus and they both used the word transparent to describe the people they met while visiting Icthus events and meeting everyone. I think that speaks a lot and I really want everyone from Icthus to be encouraged by this. I'm going to miss a lot of things while I'm away but I can honestly say FNP is in the T2 things I will miss the most. Again, be encouraged for what we have at Icthus is unique. We aren't the most organized believers, or the most diligent, we don't have much money and we could do a lot more with the money we have. We are selfish at times. Yet I cannot think of any other large group that in my life have been CONSISTENTLY loving, encouraging, seeking, curious, hilarious, mis-matched, and wonderfully transparent.

On another another note I had dinner with Laura Pearson and Suzanne Wiley tonight. It was wonderful. I get to talk to Cameron tomorrow, and I am looking forward to hearing how the 7 years old have treated him. I also get to spend some good quality time with my sister probably Monday for my belated birthday. I really love her and she is beautiful inside and out. She is seriously cooler than any other 17 year old I know: she's has brilliant taste in music, movies, and literature. [minus Twilight :) haha] Plus she is really compassionate and very bright.
Wow I just realized that it looks like I'm obsessed with her or something, maybe I am?

Amazon
Hiking down to a river somewhere North of Quito, we don't really know where we went.
Banos!
Cotopaxi Volcanoe
Vamos Ecuatorianos!

We found a swing in the Amazon...is it safe? Only one way to tell.
preshes

This fruit is so delicious, it feels like pumpkin but is very sweet.
These old ladies were representing Caddo down in Ecuador. I'm not sure why, but I loved it.
Good fruit, you peel it and chew on the inside.

Exploradventures

Mitch, Kristy and I couldn´t find out how to contact the bungie jumping company so we took a 2 hour bus ride to the bridge and found nothing. It´s over 300 feet and the tallest jump is sudamerica but we made a day out of it. We hiked down to a pretty river, through the snakes and freaking HUGE spiders everywhere. We climbed and bouldered on some rocks- small cliffs then headed home. On the bus ride we were almost mugged by a scary gang of 13 year old boys. No worrys mom, I´m safe at Papaya Net and getting ready to go hookahhhhhhhh

Ah my favorite eduadorian song just came on...i´m going to miss it!

¡CHAO!

Birds

Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat and what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on it. Is life not more than food and the body more than clothing. Look at the birds of the field, they don´t worry about their food nor store up grain for tomorrow yet your heavenly father feeds them. How much more valuable are you than the birds. Matthew 6 25

Anxiety is caused by a loss of faith.

I´m really going to miss Bunglow 6, chilly mornings, and fresh fruit. I´m slowing preparing myself to leave. Tomorrow we are exploring and a couple of us are going to try to rappel somewhere. Saturday I´m going to the middle of the world, the equator, and some Incan Ruins.

I found out yesterday Cameron is picking me up from the airport!!!

Life is beautiful,

¡CHAO!

Colombianos

Xiao and I just practiced salsa and a bunch of traditional Colombian dances because Paola and Davids parents are here from Colombia. It was so fun! I love the music here 1, 2, 3, 4 uno dos tres cuatro..muy rapido muy raidooooo..(a great song)

I have to get dressed to go see UP the new disney movie con mis amigas.

Tomorrow is the last ladies night and the whole family is going out so it might be a couple days...

¡CHAO mi amores!

Volcan de Chimborazo

Here are a couple awesome ladies making a rub in Riobamba. It will take 4 of them a week to finish a single rug. Props to the industrial revolution anyone? The first two days of this weekend weren't very interesting we were supposed to go mountain biking but that was a bust. Sunday, however, was wonderful. We hiked up Chimborazo Volcanoe. Only about half of the group made it up. On my way up I thought I was almost last but it turns out I was the third to make it up. We obviously didn't make it to the peak because you can only do that at night because of melting and avalanches. Any true fan of Bear Grylls knows what I'm talking about.

On the way up I got super hot and basically stripped down to my pants and a t-shirt at less than 30 degrees. I'm not sure how but I even lost a sock. (Yea, I know...wtf?) We drank some coca tea which helped with the altitude. (and yes it's illegal to bring to the States, I tried)

Chimborazo is unique because even though Everest and other mountains are higher, Chimborazo is the furthest point from the center of the earth and the closest point on earth to the sun. This is because the earth flexes and bows out about 2 kilometers at the equator. We hiked to about 5,500 meters which is over 16,000 feet, trumping Snowmass and Pikes peak easily. The top is around 19,000 feet I believe. It was quite wonderful and cloudy. Emma and I took a Chacos picture. We are going to try to send it in and be in an advertisment.

Today Emma Abby and I were going to explore the old city but NO we had some suprise Spanish classes pulled out of nowhere so that sucks. After climbing that far I decided that some day my husband and I are going to take awesome vacations and climb up volcanoes, raft down the amazon, and see the seven wonders. Life is so short and I don't really want possesions I just want to see and experience as much as I can. (I promise I'll be home for Christmas mom.)

p.s. Sara Monster: I forgot to say thanks for the 5 leaf clover to left in my notebook for me. I see it everyday and I think of you.

And did I ever mention that I eat potatoe soup with popcorn in it all the time. You have to get used to it but it's pretty good. I'm not sure if I already mentioned it. Mom, Dad, soup-popcorn night soon? haha

Not all children like me...

I´m spending some time volunteering at a school for needy children in Quito called Ñeque más Ñeque. My ássigned´ child´s name is Matias. He is pretty awesome first his name sounds like gladiator and he looks pretty samoan for being Ecuadorian.The problem is...I think he hates me.
There is obviously a language barrier but he seems to being pretty annoyed that I exist.


I´ve been pretty sad all day about it. We made a book today that was three pages long about the Argentina game yesterday. He wouldn´t let me help but I thought he was justbeing shy so when he went to the baño for awhile I thought I would suprise him by helping him color his illustrations. Wrong. Apparently I colored the Ecuador fúbol player stick figure with the Argentina jersey and the Argentina stick pigure with the Ecuador jersey. He just like of stared at me like...you...freaking...idiot.

I had to get on facebook to look at camp pictures so I could remember a better time when children loved me. haha Tonight we are hanging out with some amigos from Switzerland. I´m slowing learning some Swiss-German phrases but it´s really difficult to remember. This weekend we are hiking a part of Cotopaxi, the tallest volcanoe in the world. It´s a three day trip so I´ll try to tell you all about it Mondayish.


Here is a picture of mi madre y hermano. They are the two on the right.