anddd I'm back! Getting to the cyber is tough because I work until 1:00 or so, and then school is out and so all the kids are here playing games, doing HW, or on facebook, so all the computers fill up pretty quick.
Here's what's been going on the past week or so:
-Work is really getting under way! I work with Gabriel, Alexis, and Olinda (2 hombres y 1 mujer), and they are AMAZING! The call Gabriel the comandante, because he's the point person for Proyecto Misión, Alexis is wonderful, and Olinda is the new addition to the team. Right now, the first year of the project just ended so we are writing the plan for the second year (they call it the POA, Plan Objetivos Anual). I've been in the office in the mornings working on it a lot with Alexis, and he is really looking for my input which I really appreciate. It's hard when people think that because you don't speak fluently, you're not any of use or just can't handle something. If I have a question about what something means, he will explain it in a different way, and then I usually understand. But it also feels really great when I can read something in spanish analytically, and question WHY something is said, instead of what it means.
-I've been able to spend more time in the neighborhood, which is really exciting. There are a couple neighbors that I've spent more significant time with--- Monica and Luisana. Monica lives a 3 minute walk away, and she has three kids: Maricio, Angie and Samuel, and is married to David. She is such an amazing woman, so welcoming and loving. The other day I stopped by to drop off a card (Amy, consider your note delivered!) and I ended up staying for over 2 hours. She invited me in to eat, then taught me how to cook a few dishes which was really cool. I stopped by Luisana the other day, and ended up staying for three hours! I met all of her kids, and then we headed over to her mom's house! Her mom has a younger daughter who just turned 5, and she invited all of the Rostro Volunteers to her birthday party this Saturday night!
- Belén, a community mate of mine, is singing in a concert this weekend!!! She also works at Hogar, and through a language barrier miscommunication, she committed to singing a song by the Cranberries, Zombie, at this big concert on Saturday to celebrate Hogar's 40th birthday! The concert is at the big touristy boardwalk, called the Malecón, in downtown Guayaquil, and this HUGE ecua reggaeton star Au-D. Mateo, another community mate, also got roped into playing the drums, and so he will be performing too! We are all making the trek out for the concert, I can't wait!
-The parish here, Bautismo de Jesus, is SUPER active in the community, which I am really excited for. There are three churches (San Felipe, Santa Teresa, and Corpus Cristi), and all are very connected to each other. The priest, Father John, is from Ireland and has been out of the country since may up until YESTERDAY!!! Patrick (another community mate) and I were waiting outside the house because we didn't have keys, and up drives a man in a grey truck. As soon as he said hello with a thick Irish accent, I knew it was him! It was really great to finally meet him, since we've heard so much from the community and the old volunteers about how great he is.
-On Sunday, I was able to talk to the fam.. It was really great to hear their voices! We spoke for the whole hour, and I was so happy to begin to share my experience with them :)
-Quick shoutout to Chris Darcy, congrats on finally tying the knot!!!! woooo!!! Wish I could have been there!
As Father Tony says (BC reference), that's the best I've got.
love, katty (my spanish name, pronounced CAT-E)
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