So I have been here for a week and I have done so much!! Apologies in advance if this becomes one of those crazy long blogs, I will try to keep it short, but wow what a week!

So last friday morning, me and Maria went off to see this elderly woman who has a brain tumour. She asked for us to pray for her, so we did, and then we spoke to her about Jesus and she became a christian which was so lovely! And then me and maria went into town on the trolley bus, which is so manic! But we went into the old town bit, and I saw all the amazing cathedrals and stuff....this place is amazing! I got my nails done for 2 dollars, which i have never ever done before, but here you have to do it apparently! So I got this super cheesy pattern with flowers and stuff, quite funny! Then we got lunch for 3 dollars!! That included soup, a main, dessert and a drink! Things are so cheap here its insane! Then in the evening I went to a karoake bar with Sara (my mentors daughter) and all her friends, which was very funny! Everyone here finds my accent amazing, so they just ask me to say stuff cause everyone here is either ecuadorian or american.

On saturday I got the bus to my project....for 12 cent! Yes 12 cent (I am still trying to get used to the prices here!!) We went to the pan de vida bbq for volunteers, which was cool cause I got to meet the people I´m working with. Then I spent the rest of the day getting the house ready for this dinner party we had for young people. It was like a mystery dinner so they had a menu saying like tarantulas for starter or tongue or something, and they had to choose. But the food was actually nice stuff, so it was fun. They also had suprise cutlery, so like some had to eat soup with a chopstick...it was fun :P Then I said my testimony and there was a bible study, it was a good night.

Then on Sunday morning....I went casually went into the local women´s prison with Maria to do a bible study. What an experience!! We queued up outside this dodgy looking prison, you then get let in by the guards. Get your ID sorted, bags checked and stuff. They give you stamps on your arm at each station...which makes you feel like a crimnal yourself! It is like a classic south american prison, painted chipped blue and yellow, dirty puddles everywhere with kids running around and scary looking guards! We went into the prison, where laundry was hanging, people walking around being aggressive to each other, smoke coming through the bars and just a generally sureal but fascinating sight! So we went into the little church and there the women started to come in. They had no instruments, just sat and sung together and then a bible talk. I had the privilege to speak to this woman who is from america. Her story is so awful I found it very hard not to cry!! Basically she is this 60 year old lady from Colorado, she came to Ecuador to hand in some documents and a local ´friend´ asked her to take back this pot for his friend, as she was flying back to meet this guy and start a church. What she didn´t know was that the pot was made of hard drugs and she was arrested. She has now been there for 3 months and they keep skipping the trial as they have no translator. But if she doens´t get let go at the trial she could be there for a minimum of 8 years!!! She doesn´t know the language, she is in this place which is very scary and dangerous and she´s innocent! So prayers for that would be awesome!!

On monday I started language school which was awesome, I have been doing lots of revision so I feel like I am getting somewhere slowly! I alos went to Remar which is this project that Maria teaches at. There they have a schoolf for kids who live on the streets and they also give them rooms and provide them food. Its like a little community, its so awesome!! Such an incredible project! I also met this 18 year old boy who used to go there but left. He has only got to primary level at school and amazingly Maria managed to find him a place at a secondary school. So hopefully he will make use of that! He also asked us a lot about Jesus, so we managed to pray with him and stuff which was awesome!!

This evening I went to help out at my project for the first time, which was really good. I helped with the young girls who are pregnant or have kids, the adult bible study and giving out the food to the people who live on the streets, so that was awesome!

Tomorrow I am going up the mountain to see the condors after school, which will be so awesome!! Very excited! Then moving to my new family on friday (didnt move on monday as the guy had an operation). Hopefully then I will get some better internet and I can put some pictures up and stuff!

If you are still reading this, you are the dedicated ones haha! Sorry its so long, but I couldn´t really make it much shorter!!

Lots of love from Quito!!! Izzy x