We hope this letter finds everyone in good health and in God’s graces. We count ourselves as truly blessed for knowing everyone of you. We pray for you all, and we covet your prayers in return.
Lisa and I are in good spirits and good health. Lisa has just about recovered from her “Ecuadorian quick weight loss program” (also known as bacteria in the intestines) and is feeling much better. They say that when Gringo’s move here, it takes about 6 months to adjust to the different bacteria. We are getting close! We both have had two bouts with it, and I can tell you that it is no fun at all.
Before moving to Ecuador, we had read in many places and heard on several videos that Ecuador was a step back in time to what it was like 50 years ago in the U.S. After living here for 5 months, we would agree in some ways but not completely. Everyone here has a cell phone (mostly I-phones) and there is lots of technology. Their governmental software systems are at least 25+ years behind the U.S. This makes even the smallest task (like collecting packages from the post office) more difficult. Unfortunately, farming is keeping up with the U.S. in pesticides and herbicides. It seems that Glyhospate (the main ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup) is prevalent in the larger farming areas. While there are many organic farmers, many others have been convinced by Monsatan’s (spelling intended) marketing that poisoning the earth is a better way to go. It makes me want to just scream! There has been much push back from the Gringo’s here to stop this practice. Some are telling their landlord’s that they will not rent if they use herbicides near the rental property. I think small advances are being made.
The best thing that we can do is try to grow most of our own food. We are currently growing at least 15 vegetables and fruits that we frequently eat. My hope is to get to a point where we buy very little produce. I had a friend ask me yesterday “how self-sufficient did we plan to be?” My answer was at least 70%. I don’t see us going off-grid completely, because of the expense of Solar energy. It is a bit more expensive to install it here than the U.S. I may not live long enough to recover the costs since electricity is so cheap here and we use so little of it. We raise our own eggs, and Rosa is raising meat chickens. We have a good organic source for meat, and we just found a reliable source for Goat’s milk less than a mile from us. They also make great cheese and other products. Cheese is the one thing that we are disappointed in. Most of the cheese produced here is very bland, and most Gringo’s complain about it. Some have asked me to smuggle cheese in my suitcase back from the states.
There is a young couple that run a restaurant in Vilcabamba that we like to frequent. The man is probably 30 and is from Mexico City. I asked him if he likes it better here or in Mexico city. His answer was interesting. He explained that Mexico City has everything you can imagine such as: Theater, Orchestra, Films, Culture, Art and much more. He explained that living there you never really live in the moment but are always filling each moment of each day with things to do. The young man said there is very little time to sit and contemplate the wonders of nature, self or our Creator. Friends ask him if he gets bored here and he said “no, if I do I just go outside and look at the mountains or take a hike.” Overall, he seems to be much happier here even without the convinces of the big city. I would add, that a 45-minute drive to Loja can deliver to you a wonderful Symphony, Culture, Art, and many activities that younger people enjoy.
I mention this because both Lisa and I have contemplated our existence here in our new home. Does the inconvenience of living 50 years in the past outweigh the quality of life? I speak for us both, when I respond with an emphatic “NO.” We have everything we need in the way of modern convenience: Washer, Dryer, Dishwasher, Electricity, Hot Water and an Automobile. We also have better Internet service than we ever had in the States for a fraction of the cost. We are not bored by any means. Sometimes we do nothing but sit on the patio and stare at the mountains without saying much. Other times we fill the void with conversation about the beauty of the mountains. We listen to stories about life from Ecuadorian friends. We both work around the compound, weeding, painting, repairing, planting, pruning and all the things we would have done at home. We go to the city once a week (this week it was twice) and we are grateful to come back home. Satisfied does not describe our lives here, it would be more applicable to say fulfilling. We aren’t just existing, we are flourishing.
We are getting healthier in many ways even though we are aging. The clean air up in these mountains is amazingly refreshing and good for the body and soul. Not having everyday completely planned out is so healthy for the human spirit I just can’t recommend it enough. I am in no way chastising people who must work for a living and live busy lives. I understand everyone on this planet has diverse needs and I respect that. But I would suggest that the society in the U.S. and other countries has ingrained in many of us that “quality of life” means obtaining more stuff, making more money and filling our lives with things that we will not take with us to the grave. Perhaps our journey might encourage one person to seek what is missing in their lives or possibly what is existing but not as important as one originally thought.
It nets out to this: Happiness is different for everyone. We have thought long and hard about our happiness and for this point in time we are right where we need to be. We don’t know if things here will change, and we don’t know how long we will live. We are enjoying each moment for what it is, not for how much we can pack into it. We are happy just being together in this beautiful country and admiring all that nature reveals to us.
I have attached a few photos for your viewing pleasure.
Until nest time,
Dios te Bendiga!
July 2018
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