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I received another e-mail

I received another e-mail asking me to answer some questions. Thought you might like to read them.

What exactly do you do?
I am the Information Technology (IT) technician. That means I run the computer network and the e-mail system. It's my job to keep the e-mail coming and going, and the computers working. We have two offices in Ecuador, one here in Shell and one in Quito, and I maintain the computers in both places. We also have an e-mail server in a jungle mission station, and we use HF radio to get the e-mail out there.

Do you get to interact with the people of Equador?
Most of the interaction I get with Ecuadorians is during my work day. There are at least as many Ecuadorians as there are gringos who work in the hangar. I don't know much Spanish, so my interaction is limited. I take a half hour lesson each week day, but it's hard to find the time it takes to really learn a new language.

I want to know if you have a specific prayer list, so I can pray for you.

• I'd like to be an encouragement to other missionaries. Sometimes, because we live almost right on top of each other, and can never seem to get away, that becomes hard to do.
  
• My two boys go to a school for missionary kids. Each year we need enough teachers. Right now we're praying for a kindergarten teacher. We have found someone to teach 7/8, and they need to raise their support by the end of July.
  
• We will be putting a new e-mail system in our office in Quito. You can pray that this will go smoothly.
  

Is there anything happening in Shell right now that makes your job more difficult?
Right now I'd have to say there isn't anything in Shell that makes my job more difficult.

Is it hard to raise your children where you live?
I'm not sure it's any harder to raise kids here than in the US. In some ways it's probably easier. It is hard to be so far from their grandparents though. Because the missionary community is so small here, it can make the choice of friends rather small. That can be frustrating to watch our kids work through, and we pray a lot for them.

What exactly are the major religions of Equador and South America?
The major religions of South America? Off the top of my head, I'd have to say that both the Protestant and Roman Catholic churches are big in South America. Among the indians in the jungles, animism is widely practiced.

It is amazing that you are out there changing the world.
You're right. I think it's amazing I'm out here changing the world. I don't exactly think of it in those terms, but that is true. The great thing is that we all have the potential to change the world around us. For some reason, God has asked me to do that here in Shell.