Arrival in Quito

I'm in Quito! I made it here last night without any trouble....except that we had to deplane wearing face masks as a precaution against the swine flu. We arrived fairly late at night, so I only saw the city in the dark. But what I did see reminded me of sights from Peru. (I went there with my dad when I was in 3rd grade.) The houses are gated - a lot of people have a fence and/or a line of shrubs surrounding their property. Just like in Peru, shops are also gated at night - like in a mall after closing time. There's also a different smell - not bad by any means, but different.

The family (the McFarlands) that I am living with is great! They are incredibly welcoming; I think I am going to enjoy living with them. They have one daughter at home, who is about to finish 8th grade - I look forward to getting to know her too. I have my own living area, "The Cave" as the McFarlands call it. It is in the backyard, unattached from the rest of the house. I have my own bedroom and bathroom. The sun streams in all day and when it is clear, I have a view of one of the mountain ranges that enclose the city. This is going to be a great adventure!

mi casita - my little house

my room

Clean Water Projects

This summer I am working as an engineering intern with the Clean Water Projects division of HCJB Global. HCJB is an organization whose mission is to share the knowledge and love of Christ to the world through health care and media. The Clean Water Team is "committed to improving the health of rural communities through clean water and preventive health. [They] are also committed to Biblical values and community development principles." I am very excited to join them this summer!
This past semester, two of my classes were Environmental Engineering and Hydraulics Engineering. I found both classes very interesting and I hope that I will be able to apply some of what I learned to the work that I do this summer. It's hard to believe that in 12 days I will be on my way to Quito, Ecuador! I have two exams left before I head home to spend some time with my family. Then I will be on my way to South America!