So Long Ordinary

This is a long, missionary rant with no pictures. So, if you are brave enough to read on, you might want to grab a big cup of coffee first! Yesterday our next door neighbor was so excited to give me a gift of maiz - corn kernels - for toasting. They have so little next door and yet she was so thrilled to have something to give. Sean regularly brings them gifts he has received from the jungle - yuca (manioc root) , platanos (plantains) , naranjilla (a kind of fruit they make juice out of) , and, once, even a live chicken. Most of what we've given them were things we had no use for, but they are always so grateful for the things we've brought them. That was why Francisca was so pleased to return the favor by giving us a gift. Only for her, that corn was useful, it was food that she and her family could have eaten. I was very touched....and very humbled. We give out of our excess but she gave sacrificially. That bag of corn kernels means so much to me because of that. T

One of my favorite things about Ecuador is the team we get to work with here. Here is a picture of all of us last week at the MAF Family Conference:

With such a busy week last week and no internet, I just haven't been able to keep up on my blogging like I like to. Here are some random bits of news I've been wanting to share: Thanksgiving is already gone. But I'll still tell you what I'm thankful for (in no particular order)...my husband and best friend, my beautiful girls, our exciting life, God's grace, Christ's sacrifice, good friends and coworkers, awesome support from back home, great extended family, a truly rewarding "job" as missionary and mother..... We had a great Thanksgiving weekend at family conference. I spent a lot of time in our room with Maddie who slept a good four hours each afternoon. I honestly didn't mind - I relaxed and had awesome times with the Lord while listening to the rushing river that ran through the ravine below our room. We had a great view outside our window and with the windows open allowing in the fresh mountain breezes...it was just heavenly. Sunshine is

I gave Madison a banana and then a carrot to chew on while I did some work in the kitchen. Did you know that banana mush is practically impossible to get out of baby-fine hair? But it makes for some pretty cute pictures anyway..

Wow, have I ever felt like a missionary lately. We've been without internet since Friday. The electricity was off all day Sunday and for a while tonight. Our water situation has been sporadic at best and our street...hasn't been much of a street for over two months. But we're moving up in the world! The electricity is on (for now), our internet is working (for now), our water is running (for now), and our street...well, they are working on it - which is enough to make me celebrate! So, if you were wondering - all is well for the Cannons in Shell, Ecuador....for now. More later!

I'm not the only blogger living in Shell, Ecuador. Some of you might be interested in the lives and ministries of other missionaries living here. I really enjoy reading their blogs and seeing Shell from their perspective - we all have very different experiences and backgrounds but we are all on the same team! Enjoy. And feel free to pray for each of them as you peruse their blogs - I know they'd appreciate it! Casa de Fe Orphanage - Pattie Sue The Welch Family (working with Casa de Fe) The Richardson Family (MAF teacher family)

Yesterday, as we were gathering up the girls to go eat dinner with some friends of ours, I heard some of the neighbor kids hollering for us at the gate. Usually, they are asking for lemons from our tree - which we almost always give them - but it was a hectic time and I was all set to tell them to come back later. As I opened the door they surprised me by saying "Quick, get that monkey!" Still trying to register their strange request, I let my eyes follow the pointing fingers to a spot only a few inches from my feet. There, sitting in Brooklyn's muddy pink sandal was a rat-sized ball of brown fur looking up at me with two tiny, human-like, beady eyes. Upon seeing the quivering little creature, I promptly let out a yelp-slash-scream and danced the heebie-jeebie dance. The baby monkey was surely more scared than I was, but I wasn't about to pick up a startled monkey with my bare hand. No way, no how. I've got past experience with this kind of monkey (a sub-spe

Maddie had her one-year check up at the doctor last week. She is doing very well and is totally healthy. We're due several shots. About half of those we can do with the Ministry of Health for free since Maddie is Ecuadorian. The other half we have to do at the mission hospital (the ones that we do in the States that Ecuador doesn't do) and they are very expensive. Brooklyn needs her four-year shots too. So next week we're going to take out a loan and put not one, but two, little girls through a sure-to-be traumatic vaccination session. Fun. Yesterday , Sean had the day off for "Dia de los Muertos" here in Ecuador. We spent the day cleaning and re-organizing our bodega . Bodega is a general term for a storage-type space. Our bodega is a building in our backyard that houses our washer and dryer, our gazillion totes and tubs that we used to bring our stuff to Ecuador in, lots of odds and ends that we are storing (such as baby stuff and Christmas decorati