jan 20

another email, written on jan 20:

Hello Friends!

I haven´t had time to sort out my list of recipients so if any of you do not want to recieve weekly emails, or if you are a church that would rather have monthly updates, please let me know. Also, does anyone have Marjorie Ramp´s email address?

I have been busy every day this week with my 2 hour commute via bus and bike from my house to my work. we thought about getting an apartment nearby, but part of my reason for being here is to see how the lifestyle is, and that means living with a family. For example, today I learned how to hand wash my laundry. I used a cement scrubbing board tub thing and hung everything on the line. In the apartment we would have paid for someone else to wash our clothes.

Classes start on Jan 29. I have a meeting on Monday at 9 or 10 with Chacocente´s director and Chacocente´s school´s principal to I assume talk about what my role will be this year. Right now I think they want to use me to give one on one attention to students who need help, and to help with music and art. These kids have a lot of issues, some have been abused, some have survived malnutrition, most of them have lived in the dump. They are nevertheless not complainers, many are making leaps and bounds in their educations, they love to play, and they warm quickly to strangers like me! I taught some of the girls cat´s cradle. they had never played before.

I´m doing better with Spanish, every day i learn more. I can basically communicate whatever, and I´m getting used to the accent here where they drop s at the end of words. My host sister says I speak very well. I feel like I´ve known my friends here for much longer than a week and a half!!! My host family is wonderful and worth the commute. They took me to buy a guitar today for 50 dollars and peanut butter, not in the same store. i also went with them to get traditional food, including a cold chocolate drink.

In conclusion, I would like to say that on my bus commute I can stop and get an entire fresh pineapple for 30 cents.

Also, I keep being surprised I´m here. I´m totally living the adventure I would want for myself but might be too afraid to go through with. But when I have that thought, I then realize, whoa, I already did the scariest part. I´m here!

Thank you for your continued prayers.

Love,
Rachael