drsbarto on January 21st, 2010

1-27-10 9pm Paul is home! It was 2 weeks and an hour ago that Sammy and Nathan were sobbing telling him good-bye. Tonight at dinner there was much hub-bub of Daddy this and Daddy that! We are all grateful to have him home and grateful to have had the opportunity to [...]

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drsbarto on January 16th, 2010

1-19-10 10pm The Haiti earthquake was a week ago today. Paul has been there for about 4 days, but gone from Shell for 6. He called tonight and said that things are somewhat less crazy and they feel like they can stop for lunch and dinner and end the day at [...]

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drsbarto on January 10th, 2010

We don’t have any birthdays for a few months and our boys seem to be growing up before our eyes, so it seems to be about time to write about them. Sammy is getting very tall – already up to my shoulder. He thrives in second grade this year and is eager to [...]

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drsbarto on November 13th, 2009

Some times our kids make comments or ask question that remind us that they are growing up a little differently than we did.  Here are some examples:
Josiah (who needed the rabies shot series about a year ago) – Mom, if I kiss the hamster, will I have to get shots?
Nathan, after rinsing his mouth several [...]

Continue reading about Life in Shell is different…

drsbarto on October 25th, 2009

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 [...]

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drsbarto on October 19th, 2009

Saturday I was asked by one of our friends here who is a pilot and evangelist to accompany him in to the jungle.  We were taking some passengers and equipment back home to their village, a 2o min. flight due east of Shell.   A seat had opened up and I accepted the invitation.  After [...]

Continue reading about Jungle Flyin’ 4 Jesus…watch out for that anaconda!

drsbarto on October 14th, 2009

I recently read that there is an organization dedicated to “slow food.”  Although I can appreciate the goals of this organization, I am surrounded by slow food and must confess to missing fast food.  Not necessarily the burger chain kind, although that’s often our first stop in Quito, but any kinds of ready-to-go food, whether [...]

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drsbarto on September 18th, 2009

Gracias a Dios, we’ve had water this week after three days without it last week.  We have also had more rain, although the weather is still warmer and dryer than usual.  Our Internet connection seems to be better and thus we feel more “in touch.”  There are still many people in Shell without water for [...]

Continue reading about Settling into a routine

drsbarto on September 8th, 2009

Today, we have been without internet most of the day, around noon the power went off for about 30 minutes and our water has been shut off indefinitely due to problems with the towns equipment.  While most of the time we feel like things aren’t that different from living in the States, today was not [...]

Continue reading about A Developing World Kind of Day

drsbarto on August 31st, 2009

My first and last babies have birthdays 6 years and 2 weeks apart!  Hard to believe they are 7 and 1 now.  The days do sometimes drag by, but the years sure do fly.  Sammy (who goes by Samuel with his friends) had a sports theme party this year.  We went to the school “cancha” [...]

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