On our way home

Sitting here in the airport waiting to board. We had some issues connecting to the internet the last few days so i never got around to posting pictures of the tree houses. I guess I'll post them when I get back to the states. Better late than never. See all of you soon!!

Tonight was a very special night

Tonight we dined on a truly Ecuadorian delicacy....Cuy. Also known as baked Guinea Pig. Yep, we were chewing on that same furry little animal you had as a pet once upon a time








Blake really lucked out cuz he got the head!
Our next batch of pictures will show you the building process for the tree houses!!

Drum roll please......

Pictures are here! Here's a little bit of what our week has looked like. Now that I've figured out how to post pictures more will come for sure!


Our Casa for the week


Front gate to El Refugio


Just hanging out....at the middle of the earth!!


The team with missionaries Paul & Beth Reichart and their son Jack at the Equator


Look closely at the menu to see what's being served in Ecuador. Yep you read it right!


Blake enjoying the local cuisine - but not what's on the menu above!


The decks before we add the tree houses


The "Indiana Jones" bridge connecting the two decks


Hauling supplies up the hill. Just ignore the local guy carrying twice as much as me. Show off!!


Setting up and looking at where two of the three tree houses will be built


Andon doing what he does so well - formulating a plan of attack!


Safety first! Mitch making sure all our lines are secure


Taggart hanging out in the trees with his dad.
And a preview of more photos coming soon to show you all the progress we've made!


So to all our loyal readers (I think we're up to 6or 7 now) thanks for checking in and continuing to pray for us! Speaking of prayer, lift up Blake because he has had some minor stomach issues since yesterday. And don't forget to keep praying for our safety - those trees are awfully high. Thanks

so about those pictures....

....still working on that. the internet connection here is pretty slow, so it takes forever to upload pictures. plus the power went out twice today at camp. so all that to say...no pictures today. No angry comments please!
But if you want to, you can use your imagination and with your mind's eye picture Blake, Andon, Mitch, Taggart, and I in really unflattering harnesses hanging from eucalyptus trees creating really cool looking tree houses where once there was nothing, all the while grasping at our throbbing chests due to the lack of oxygen intake at 10,000 feet. Pretty, huh?
So, I'm gonna work on a couples "plan b's" and try to get at least a few pictures up here before we see you again face to face

Our First Post while at camp!!!

Well it’s taken a little bit of work but we’re finally online at El Refugio (The Refuge). Things so far have been great! Here’s a bit of a rundown of what we’ve been up to so far:

- We arrived at Quito around 1:30pm (we’re 2 hours ahead of you guys in California) after some stops in El Salvador and Costa Rica

- Got settled into our casa – which for those of you unfamiliar with the Spanish language, that means house - for the week. It’s got a kitchen, two bathrooms (with HOT WATER!!), and a living room with a wood burning stove. Blake and Andon are sharing a room and I’m with Mitch and Taggart. It’s really comfortable – except for the mouse we’ve seen several times, which has created a small amount of discomfort for me. Let’s just say I’m never the first into the house just in case he’s out

- We visited the Equator and had dinner out and had some de-lish local cuisine

- Saturday we started on the tree house project. We hauled, by hand, about 100 pieces of lumber, a generator, tools, and tons of hardware 300 yards up a narrow mountain path to the worksite. Before you call me a wimp keep in mind we’re at an elevation of about 10,000 feet (!) which means that 300 yards feels like a mile……at least

- The first day we got a few of the braces for the tree houses up – check the pics – which was more than we expected

- Sunday we went to a local Spanish speaking church and endured, I mean, enjoyed a service that last almost 2 hours in a language none of us understood

- After church we went to an old cathedral in town that I’m not even gonna attempt to spell. We climbed all the way up to the bell tower which challenged my fear of heights. But it was well worth the experience. After that we went to a local market to do some souvenir shopping.

So that brings us up to Sunday night. We’re all sitting around the fire relaxing after a long day of soaking up some sights and sounds of Ecuador.

We’re all healthy and doing well…..except for the occasional gasping for air when we get working too hard (which is code for simply walking around camp). It’s a blessing to all of us to be here serving at El Refugio. We’re pretty confident we’ll accomplish what we came here to do with the construction project, which is encouraging.

Everyone here says hi to family and friends!

We love you guys and really appreciate your prayers! And if you have a minute after reading this, leave us a comment. We’d love to hear from you.

Oh and one more thing…..GO ANGELS!!!!! Whoot Whoot!!!! Swept the Red Sox!!! One step closer to the World Series!!!!

Pictures coming later today......

First part of the trip.....

....is accomplished! We survived soggy waffles and tiny latin women. We're sitting in the airport in El Salvador. Next stop Costa Rica. Then onto Ecuador. WooHoo!

The mind is a funny thing....

Every time I think about building tree houses my mind wanders to these little fellas.....