Loading up for the beach in the Ackermanns' van! (Aug. 9)

At the beach

Mom and Dad

Whale-watching

At the science musuem

Science museum again

Kendra, Janna, and Mom at Pan de Vida

With the cousins

Hello everyone! Sorry we haven't done this in about three years! It's been quite a long time. My mom is giving me (Mikala) the responsibility of blogging, since she failed. :)  I'll just be telling different stories about life in Quito. 

Sebastian

When my cousin and her friend came to visit, we went to Pan de Vida to serve during a V.B.S.  There were many kids there. It was chaotic, but fun! There was one little boy named Sebastian. He was very shy, but he became my little friend. He was really cute. He didn't really talk much. He may have been about 4 or 5 years old. The other kids called him "Chinito" (which is what they call anyone who looks even remotely Asian. It means little Chinaman). He gradually warmed up to Janna, Kendra, and I. On the last day I saw him, he tugged on my arm and wanted me to bend down. Then he gave me a big hug and smiled at me. He didn't say anything. I almost cried! 

Good Times on the Quito Trolley

On Friday, we all went to a science museum. However, we had to ride the trolley. It's not really our favorite thing to do. The trolleys here in Quito are usually really full. You're squished right against random strangers. Good fun! Therefore, we were standing there squished, when an Ecuadorian lady started talking to my mom. She offered her a notebook and pen and asked her to write her phone number. Apparently, she wanted mom to visit her. She was very nice and smiley. We're not supposed to give out our phone numbers here, of course. Mom ended up changing a number. Then the lady asked mom to write her name as well. She wrote, "Marlita" because "Marlo" is rather difficult for Spanish-speakers to say. She gave the notebook back and the lady read her name. 

"Malita?" she asked.

"Si. Marlita," my mom thought she had said "Marlita."

Then, the lady wrote, under mom's name, "Malita". "Malita" basically means "bad little girl." 

A bit later, the same lady told me her name. I told her mine in return. When our short conversation had ended, she wrote "Mikaila" next to my mom's name. Then she wrote "gringuitas" under our names! I almost lost it laughing, then and there. "Gringuitas" basically means "little white girls!" 

From mechanics to doctors to cookies… Jesus is the king

by Matt Jensen

Over the past couple of months we have had some major brake problems on our 1997 Toyota. It has been a great car for us for the past 3-4 years…until now. Here’s a brief telling of what has been changed to this point: all shoes and pads (2 times), rotors (then had to be turned), drums, master cylinder (2 times), some other valve (I am not a mechanic).  Vehicles here in Quito cost 2-3 times more here than in California. Parts cost 5-6 times as much. We have spent about $3000 on the brakes. Why all of the complaining? I am reminded that fixing a car is not as simple as I think it should be. Sometimes mechanics just scratch their heads and say- “We don’t know exactly what the problem is.”

This past month, Marlo suddenly lost her hearing in one ear (100% gone in two or three days). I thought like a good husband: “We can figure this out, we can get it fixed.” We met with a doctor, had a test, and then scheduled an appointment with a specialist. I thought, “We will go to the best; we will get it fixed.” We even had family call to check with a specialist in California to get him to fix it. He prescribed some medicine. The specialist here in Quito saw us and prescribed the same medicine. A week later after another appointment; I am reminded that fixing an ear is harder than I thought it would be. Sometimes doctors just scratch their heads and say- “We don’t know exactly what the problem is.”

I have been learning I am not in charge. I cannot fix things. I do not control the future. Just this week I ate a cookie before dinner. Nick exclaimed: “You cannot do that!” I began to explain to him that I can, in fact, do this. While for him, it is forbidden to eat the pre-dinner cookie; for me it is not. I am the king; the high ruler of the house. Everything in my kingdom it at my disposal (to use as I wish). So I can eat a cookie whenever I want.  I continued to explain to Nick, when he gets a kingdom of his own, he could then eat a cookie before dinner if he chooses to do so.

I want my life to be easy and problem free. I want control. When I don’t get it, I tend to complain. God is teaching me that I don’t really know what is best for us. He does. I am realizing I am not really the high king- Jesus is. The doctor is not the king- Jesus is. The mechanic is not the king- Jesus is.