10 Things

In honor of the two-year anniversary of our arrival in Ecuador earlier this month, we submit the following lists.  (#11 is the “yapa.”)

10 Things we no longer take for granted

1.  clean water;  paved roads;  a 911 emergency system

2.  paying with a credit card, paying with a $20 (often the seller doesn’t have change)

3.  a basic understanding of germs among the lay public

4.  grocery stores that also carry meat and produce

5.  restaurant playgrounds

6.  air conditioning

7.  boneless chicken breasts;  potatoes without dirt;  cilantro with leaves;  blueberries;  corn on the cob

8.  privacy when we are in our house

9.  seasons, especially changing leaves and snow

10.  writing medical notes in English

11.  Sunday school;  sermons in English,

However, there are many perks to our life now that we suspect we would miss if we were living elsewhere:

10 Things we are now tempted to take for granted

1.  fresh strawberries three time a week at $1.50 a pound

2.  subsidized gasoline

3.  sharing a yard and playground with neighbors and having instant play-mates

4.  windows open year-round

5.  produce delivered to the door weekly

6.  drinkable yogurt in gallon containers

7.  30-second commute to the hospital (walking)

8.  ziplines at the playground

9.  eating lunch as a family most days

10.  $2 three-course lunches

11.  the international church of Christ; the many crucial and often unseen roles in the body of Christ