Guest blog entry from Pop

Maw-Maw and I have been in Shell a little more than a week and are finding our second trip much more fulfilling than our first. It’s lots of fun to be with four active little guys – some littler than others!

Sammy is a very serious first grader who learns his spelling words and Bible memory verse almost instantly. I’ve been teaching him about Roman numerals, and he’s caught on well.

Nathan is ever the explorer; he’s equally at ease tromping through the jungle in his boots, and navigating the boundaries set by his parents. Maw-Maw is intent on getting him reading-ready.

Josiah is sailing through the terrible-twos in great style; he’s unpredictable – alternating between now being sweet and cuddly and then impestuous and independent. We’ve built houses, trains, towers, planes and other Magna-Tile masterpieces. His potty training is in progress but sometimes it’s hard to tell whether he’s had an accident or been playing outside in a puddle.

Isaac is growing too fast for our semi-annual trips to keep track of. He’s sitting up, playing by himself or with his older brothers (he’s usually the toy!), and snuggles himself to sleep on our shoulders if given half a chance.

Maw-Maw has been working in the pre-school with Nathan and his classmates, including four from the orphanage Casa de Fe. She’s also been helping Joshua, one of the Kindergartners, improve his letter and word skills (I’m sure there’s a really impressive name for that but I don’t know what it is) to get him ready for school next year.

I’ve been helping straighten up the library, for which one needs to have a sound grasp of the alphabet. I’ve also helped in the 3-5th grade science class with Newton’s Laws of Motion, desperately trying to recall my two years of college physics. Fortunately we won’t get to electro-magnetism which I never quite grasped.

The missionary community is amazing; they’re very close and very commited to the Lord, depending on Him to guide them through the many peculiarities of life in Ecuador. They’re also very supportive of one another and resourceful when it comes to adapting to the “doing-without” part of life here. Life in the hospital compound is reminiscent of growing up in the 50’s when people didn’t lock doors and let their kids run and play outside without worrying. The Barton Boys are getting wonderful lessons about what’s important in their young lives – family, freedom, love and God.

We’ll report on Week 2 in a few days, but I can already predict that we’ll find fulfillment by trying to live in the community rather than just visit it. And I know we’ll miss Kim, Paul, Samuel, Nathan, Josiah and Isaac when it’s time to return home.

Pop