We have just posted our Winter Prayer Letter on the BULHORN Group file page. You must have a Yahoo! ID in order to log in and download the prayer letter. We will also be sending it out via email to our mailing group (not getting our emails? Follow the link over there on the right side, or click here to head on over and sign up.) If all else fails, send us an email and we'll do the work for you.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Winter Prayer Letter available
We have just posted our Winter Prayer Letter on the BULHORN Group file page. You must have a Yahoo! ID in order to log in and download the prayer letter. We will also be sending it out via email to our mailing group (not getting our emails? Follow the link over there on the right side, or click here to head on over and sign up.) If all else fails, send us an email and we'll do the work for you.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Plane adventures
About a month ago, this plane skidded off the runway at Quito's airport. On Sunday we went out to see the progress as they try to remove it from the safety zone at the end of the runway. The plane is only a few dozen meters away from crashing into a residential area. We are so thankful that it stopped when it did. More photos and details are here.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Thanksgiving - friends, food and fire
We are back from our weekend at Calacali. It will appear from the pictures that all we did was eat. Close, but we did do some other things: Sharon hiked up the mountain, Hermann and I fixed the water pump after several hours without water (thus, without bathrooms!), napped, watched Christmas DVDs, napped.
It threatened rain, and did drizzle lightly on occasion, but overall we were dry and well fed, and had a great time enjoying friends!
It threatened rain, and did drizzle lightly on occasion, but overall we were dry and well fed, and had a great time enjoying friends!
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Paperwork and Processes - III
Another trip down to the immigration office this morning - Graham left the his office at 6:50 AM. When he arrived at the immigraiton office, he was told they weren't handing out numbers yet. But then, a few minutes later, an American couple left and said "Yeah, we have our numbers." So Graham tried again, and this time they gave him a number - 510. "Oh-oh" thought Graham. This is going to take a while. He had hoped to be one of the first.
While reading a book (The Speed of Trust by Covey - a good read!) a lady came up to Graham and asked if she could switch ticket numbers. She had 507, but her husband hadn't arrived yet and she didn't want to lose her turn. Graham happily gave a 510 for a 507! Settling back to continue reading, Graham realized that the numbers were rolling by quickly! They had opened three windows for service! AND started early! At about 8:07 they called 507, and 5 minutes later Graham had his new censo. On to the salida (permission to leave the country).
Amazingly, no one was in the line, or in the waiting room. Graham got ticket 209, and then they immediately called for 209. Two minutes later Graham was out the door. By 8:15 he was looking for a taxi and back to work at 8:25. WOW! That is the FASTEST we have ever gotten those documents.
The only down side is that Graham didn't get much reading done . . .
Monday, November 19, 2007
Paperwork and Processes - II
What a difference an office can make. Graham went down to the other immigration office this morning to clear up the problem of being duplicated in the computer system. The office opened at 7:45 (15 minutes early), and the officer at the computer was ready to receive people. Graham was the first, and inside of 3 minutes the correction was done. Graham was in a taxi and back at work by 8:00 AM!
So, sometimes things do work with great efficiency here!! Now Graham has to go back to the first immigration office tomorrow to get his censo now that his data has been corrected in the computer system.
So, sometimes things do work with great efficiency here!! Now Graham has to go back to the first immigration office tomorrow to get his censo now that his data has been corrected in the computer system.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Paperwork and processes
Yesterday we headed down to the office where foreigners have to renew their registration with the government. We had all our paperwork in order. Graham left the house at 6:45 in the morning to get a number in the line (the office opens at 8:00). He was able to get ticket numbers 502-505. Fortunately, the series started at 500. A few minutes before 8:00 Sharon and the girls arrived. We thought we were in good shape.
It turns out that the part of the office that handles this paperwork didn't start working (for whatever reason) until about 8:15 or so. They called "500." The first guy goes up. He doesn't have all his paperwork correct, so he leaves. "501." A young mother goes up. She waits. And waits. And an hour later, is still waiting. The natives are restless. The young man behind the counter is on the phone with his supervisor, unable to get the computer to accept the inputed information. Finally, it works. Now it won't print. More phone calls. A visit from a co-worker. Finally, the documents (called a censo) print.
Meanwhile, an hour and 25 minutes has gone by. Everyone is restless. This is supposed to be a 10 minute procedure. The young man behind the counter is flustered. And then a lady who does not have a ticket tries to jump into the line. You can imagine how that was accepted. (In case you can't - it wasn't!! Lots of raised voices and yelling between the others in line and this lady).
Our turn. Graham gives our documents to the young man, and he announces "You are in the system twice. You have to go to another office on Monday to fix that, then come back." Sigh.
Fortunately, Sharon and the girls are not duplicated in the system, so they proceed to get their new censos and a second document called a "salida" (a document confirms you have Police permission to leave the country). You can't get a salida without a censo.
But not everything is bad . . . in the mall across the street there is a Baskin & Robbins. We head over there and have ice cream to celebrate the partial victory. On Monday Graham goes to the other office to start the process of getting the duplicate entry erased from the computer system. Then you have to wait 24 hours for the system to be purged. On Tuesday he can go back and try to get his censo and salida again. We'll keep you posted!
It turns out that the part of the office that handles this paperwork didn't start working (for whatever reason) until about 8:15 or so. They called "500." The first guy goes up. He doesn't have all his paperwork correct, so he leaves. "501." A young mother goes up. She waits. And waits. And an hour later, is still waiting. The natives are restless. The young man behind the counter is on the phone with his supervisor, unable to get the computer to accept the inputed information. Finally, it works. Now it won't print. More phone calls. A visit from a co-worker. Finally, the documents (called a censo) print.
Meanwhile, an hour and 25 minutes has gone by. Everyone is restless. This is supposed to be a 10 minute procedure. The young man behind the counter is flustered. And then a lady who does not have a ticket tries to jump into the line. You can imagine how that was accepted. (In case you can't - it wasn't!! Lots of raised voices and yelling between the others in line and this lady).
Our turn. Graham gives our documents to the young man, and he announces "You are in the system twice. You have to go to another office on Monday to fix that, then come back." Sigh.
Fortunately, Sharon and the girls are not duplicated in the system, so they proceed to get their new censos and a second document called a "salida" (a document confirms you have Police permission to leave the country). You can't get a salida without a censo.
But not everything is bad . . . in the mall across the street there is a Baskin & Robbins. We head over there and have ice cream to celebrate the partial victory. On Monday Graham goes to the other office to start the process of getting the duplicate entry erased from the computer system. Then you have to wait 24 hours for the system to be purged. On Tuesday he can go back and try to get his censo and salida again. We'll keep you posted!
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Feria de la Salud
We ran a pilot project today, offering free or very affordable health services on the HCJB compound and at the Quito hospital. We want to make health services affordable for people of few economic resources. So today, (and hopefully once a month or so) you could get your blood pressure checked, eyes checked, teeth cleaned and body mass index checked for free. For $5 you could make an appointment with a specialist in the hospital.
We did this without advertising, except one brief interview during the morning on the radio. We rendered approximately 900 services, and had about 2000 people visit the radio compound or hospital. By all measures it was a success.
While people were getting checked - or waiting to get checked, or waiting on someone else who was getting checked - a musical team played Christian music, and for a short while, the Ecuadorian Police Band played patriotic music.
More photos are on our flickr website here.
We did this without advertising, except one brief interview during the morning on the radio. We rendered approximately 900 services, and had about 2000 people visit the radio compound or hospital. By all measures it was a success.
While people were getting checked - or waiting to get checked, or waiting on someone else who was getting checked - a musical team played Christian music, and for a short while, the Ecuadorian Police Band played patriotic music.
More photos are on our flickr website here.
Saturday, November 3, 2007
Rainy, Rainy day update
It poured all night. It is raining right now. So we all eagerly ran to the laundry room to see if it leaked. And, except for two little spots where there were drips (due to the building design, not the roof) it is as dry as a bone inside. WOW! It has NEVER been this dry since we moved in a little over six years ago. Way to go Marcos and German - good job guys!
On the downside, the soggy weather has forced us to cancel our get-a-way plans for today. We were going to head to a hosteria named "San Luis" and then up to the town where they have a huge outdoor market (Otavalo). But, alas, an outdoor market in rain is not very fun. Nor is a hosteria where all there is to do is walk through the woods. So we'll go grocery shopping in the mall instead. Kind of boring, but necessary.
On the downside, the soggy weather has forced us to cancel our get-a-way plans for today. We were going to head to a hosteria named "San Luis" and then up to the town where they have a huge outdoor market (Otavalo). But, alas, an outdoor market in rain is not very fun. Nor is a hosteria where all there is to do is walk through the woods. So we'll go grocery shopping in the mall instead. Kind of boring, but necessary.
Friday, November 2, 2007
Home Improvements IV
Yup, the job is done. Just as they finished up the rain started. So far no drips. They also improved the exhaust vent for the dryer so we hope that will solve a few problems too (i.e. lint and moisture in the laundry room).
Home Improvements - III
The new panels are being installed. One of the good things is they are (where possible) full length of the laundry room, eliminating a lot of seams (where it leaked terribly before). Between panels (width-wise) they are caulking (wow, there's a novel idea) before attaching to the steel beams.
Home Improvements - II
This is the state of our old roofing panels. Many of the hooks holding them down were completely rusted due to the water leaks. The guys have just left to our local Home Depot (Mega Kywi) to buy new panels. The new ones will be thicker and of better quality - should last a lot longer than these ones did.
Home Improvements
After a loooong period of tolerating wet floors and dirty "stuff" in our laundry/storage room, we finally decided to hire a couple of guys to put on a new roof, clean the eavestroughs, and generally give the room a make over. Why wait so long? Our landlord had made arrangements to have it done, but those fell through. What made us decide to do it ourselves? The leaks had changed from being small drips to something more akin to Niagara Falls. Our washer and dryer were in the line of fire and we didn't want to damage them. As the work progresses today we'll keep you up to date with photos.
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