HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Sad that I am not with my family, but happy to be here in Ecuador! I hope that everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving. I ate normally and had a normal day here...sad I know but I look forward to having pumpkin pie and all of the Thanksgiving foods when I get home! Ill be sure to eat more than I should to make up for lost time! I am super thankful for my family and friends and for all of the opportunities that I have been given in this life! I look forward to many more years with my family and many more years to give thanks for this amazing life that I have been given! Well...Im headed to the beach for the weekend! Need to relax a little, Ive been exhausted lately...a few more weeks here and then I will be back to see everyone in the states for a few weeks!! HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

THANK YOU! Written 11/8

First and foremost I want to thank all of you who have sent or are sending stuff for the kids for Christmas! These kids appreciate everything...and will love anything that you send to them! In a place where Christmas is just another day, where you might get some candy and cookies...toys and clothes are things extra special. 

Today I had the awesome opportunity to go to one of the communities, Mariano Acosta, where I worked with one of the dentists. Mariano Acosta is more than 3,000 meters (I have no idea what that means) in the mountains, if my calculations are right thats about 10,000 feet. I mean I live at about 8,000 feet but going up to that community makes me feel as though I am in the sky. The sun is strong, though it is chilly (today at least)...feels like a nice warm winter day in the states (when its sunny-if its overcast its just freezing). My reason for going was to work...that I did. I got to extract teeth, suture up the holes left behind, drill out cavities and fill them, and to learn what its like to be a dentist! Definitely not my favorite orifice to work with but another awesome experience to add to my book. Thanks a ton Dr. Rivera!

A little about my life here...some days are full and busy and some days are lonely. I know that that is to be expected, but on my “lonely” days I find myself wondering what else I could be doing. Where else could I go? What else could I be doing? Normal, Im sure but it really frustrates me! I really do love being here, and I love the people and I love what I am doing...but sometimes it is lonely. I know it is to be expected because essentially I am here alone...in the end I know that it is all worth it! I am here for a reason and I will fulfill that reason!