1/23/12
Wow, how fast time flies. Before I left all sorts of things happened, but Ill try to remember them all and dedicate a blog just to that. But, for now...I have returned and it has been like Christmas! I came back with 5 FULL suitcases! The family that I live with wanted all sorts of stuff, so I came back with lots for them. I have two full suitcases of donations that I organized (with thanks to my mom!!!) and made up plastic bags for each kid. Clothes, toys, crayons, coloring books, and all sorts of other things! We are going down to have a little program with the kids and give them all of their gifts on Wednesday!! Then after that I get to help teach the parents about nutrition and hygiene! And then after that we are going to celebrate the turning on of the water!
I went tonight with the President and most of the important people of Paragachi to open the water to flow down into our amazing pueblo! We all piled into a truck and drove about 15 minutes up the mountain, stopped in a random spot on the road and all started the trek down a very steep portion of mountain. I slid most of the way down and all that I could think about was having to go back up! We got down there and Luis (the President of Paragachi) opened the pipes and let the water flow into them! A super amazing moment for these people! We already have 55 people signed up and waiting to start working on their gardens! This week we will start digging and getting ready to plant!
1/24/12
Today was Christmas!! Galen (she is doing a GAP year here) and I loaded up a suitcase weighing about 80 pounds full of clothes and toys and all sorts of things for the kids into the bus for the short 10 minute ride down to Paragachi! We arrived lugging this huge suitcase down the dusty roads into the daycare. These kids, as always were ecstatic to see you. When each of them got their bag of goodies, they were so super excited they didnt want to put them down...the whole bag...they didnt even want to take anything out of it. Haha! We took some pictures, never as much as I would have liked to but hopefully we captured the excitement on their faces!
1/26/12
Last night we had a meeting with Ken, Vibrate Villages, and talked about all of the projects that we are working on. There is so much going on! The people finally have water, the house is being worked on, we are partnering with Potters for Peace to build a factory to make pots to filtered water to make clean drinking water, everyone wants an organic garden, and and and. So much happening and developing.
The house is coming along, slowly but coming. My friend Paul that i worked with in Haiti is coming down the beginning of February to hopefully help us finish everything! He has been working in construction for many years and is just the guy to help us get done! Super exciting to know that having the house finished is within reach. Most of the big things are done, its just a matter of time before I will be living there and getting everything up and running!
February 11 we are having a huge party in the street in Paragachi, celebrating the water and the house! There will be food and performances and dancing and music and and and. Life here is amazing, people are so super happy and wanting to be a part of everything, a part of enriching their community. We are here to help facilitate this growth...and when the people want it so badly it is amazing how easily things come together!
Something to be thinking and praying about, please...there is a little girl here who needs surgery on her back, she has a 90 degree curvature of her spine. The doctors here say that it is too difficult and there is too much other tissue involvement. So, we are submitting a request to Shriners in Tampa to see if they will take on her case and perform the surgery. She really needs this surgery, the scoliosis is worsening. Hopefully the doctors at Shriners will get back to us very soon and we can take her to have this surgery.
I have been trying to update the website, though I am not so good at it, but there are some new pictures. Thank you all for being interested in where my heart is...
