In Shell

So sorry that it´s been three days since our last posting.  We are still without computer and phone access in our new home.  Hopefully tomorrow.....

When you last read, we were about to head to Shell which is where our lives would be planted for the next several months.  We loaded up the bus with all of our things and headed out of Quito at about 10:20 am.  The roads were busy but not too bad and we were able to clear the city in less than an hour.  For the next hour we went from city to city on roads that could have easily been paved in the US.  They were very smooth and well traveled.  We stopped for lunch at a place that offered soup, rice, and some typical Ecuadorian dishes.  We all ate well (except for Darius who doesn´t even like his food to touch) and headed further down the road.  I put on my Seabands and passed out the Dramamine to two of the kids knowing that the next three hours were going to be rough.  Well, we drove for another two hours and the mountains continued to be high (we were above 10,000 feet) and the river then came in view.  As we drove, our car would wind along on the road on the side of one mountain on our left, while on our right down below we would see the raging river meander below us.  We saw several waterfalls, drove through about seven tunnels, and stopped to take pictures all along the way.  It was so beautiful, I gasped each time a picture would turn out well.  The last hour of our drive was the most amazing.  The air was filled with moisture and the green was so lush that you knew you were coming into the jungle.  And, this would be where we live! 

When we pulled up to our house, I almost became emotional.  The Allisons had left us a "Welcome Thompsons" sign, our new friends had placed gifts on the kitchen table, and three vases sat on the coffee table filled with fresh cut flowers from the front yard. It immediately felt like home.  Praise God.

So, though there is way more to tell, I will end here so that I can next time download photos to show you the drive, the school, the house, and the town of Shell.  Thanks so much for reading and taking the time to journey with us!  Blessings, kim