Day 12, January 14, 2010

Message of the Day from Barbara: WILL YOU EVER BRING A BETTER GIFT FOR THE WORLD THAN THE BREATHING RESPECT THAT YOU CARRY WHEREVER YOU GO RIGHT NOW?

This has been quite a full week already. We have all worked really hard and some of us are needing a rest from the daily activities. But it is not time to slow down just yet. There are still things to be done.

This morning it was our delightful breakfast as usual with our thought for the day and journal reading from yesterday read by Cora. Then it was everyone off to the work centers.

About mid morning Sue and I finished the grouting for the upstairs room that Barbara and I had worked so hard on. It was the remaining room that had not been grouted. I have to say it looks really good for a trio of first-time grouters. I’m not sure but I think Maestro was impressed. I know I was.

Jackie and Joanna worked with Kathy and Alexandra in construccion with the 3 – 4 year olds. Their project today was making footprints. They painted each child’s foot, one foot yellow and one foot blue and made their footprints on white paper. From upstairs I could hear the kids laughing about getting their feet tickled. Joanna and Jackie were happy to finally get the kids outside in the sunshine. The ninos loved it.

Cora was with Paty and the babies. Cora tells a story about one of the babies, Anahyi, who has had a fever. She was given a liquid Aleve and then rubbed down all over with a lemon. The tias are convinced it was the lemon and not the Aleve that broke her fever. It is felt all around that these little ones are going to miss Cora as much as she will miss them. Not to mention how much Paty will miss Cora. I really don’t know how Paty manages on her own.

Barbara spent the morning with a new child. The little girl cried all morning. Barbara finally got her to stop crying, but the group sang a song about mothers and children, which started her crying again.

Glenda was with Sandra today, and they also had a new child. They were singing and dancing every time I looked at them. They also recruited one of the workers from outside to lead in the dancing to the always beautiful Ecuadorean music.

Joanna and Meredith had a nice break, getting a manicure by Paolina’s mother, Janet, who is also an artist like Marguerita. Joanna got a really nice French manicure, while I got some fancy stripes with sparkles.

Judy and Shannon were at Center #1 today. They both thought it was a very pleasant experience and not at all like the first impression we may have had.

I was still feeling under the weather so I took some time off to sit in the swing. As I soaked up the warm sunshine and marveled at the beautiful surrounding Andes mountains, I couldn’t help but be a little awe-inspired by this seemingly less complicated culture. The people, the children, the music, the colors, the language all make up this beautiful collage called Ecuador. I am very glad I came.

Later that evening we went to a wonderful restaurant in Old Town called Hasta la vuelta, Senor. We had a great dinner along with sangria. Everyone had a fun time.

By Meredith