Just thought we´d fill you in a little more about what we´re doing down here.
We work about 40 hours a week on various projects around the park. Jason has mostly been doing masonry or odd jobs. Kaela has been gardening and working in the tree nursery. We work from around 8 to 4 or 5 and then have dinner. We play cards and shoot the sh*t. Sometimes (like last night) we get lucky and watch a movie. We watched Zohan- it wasn´t our favorite. Today we were supposed to start a new project inthe community. We are going to go to different villages with a GPS and map their water systems to try and help map the surrounding area´s water. We were supposed to do this huge hike to another village today but it is raining really hard and everything is all muddy, so we´ll stay in today. Hopefully we´ll start tomorrow.
Everyone here is super cool. There are 5 ex Peace Corps volunteers who still live here in Guatemala. There is also a girl from Portland interning here until December. Today another volunteer arrives.
Every week, usually Sundays, we go into Comalapa to the market to buy our food. The center of the town is completely covered with people selling all their random stuff. This is where we get all our veggies and food for the week. Most people are just selling the same stuff so you have to look around to get the best price and quality. It is so much fun. Our spanish is not that good, but it´s okay because most of these people speak Quechical (?) as their first language. They are learning spanish as well. So we all laugh and have a good time. Jason and I are usually the tallest people in the entire market. They make these little roofs over their stands with tarps and we usually have to crouch down just to fit under them. It is totally zany and fun. I wish they had markets like that in the states. We always buy our beans from the same old lady who is crouched next to the empanada stand who has only a few teeth left. I feel a strange connection to her. 5 Q for a pound of black beans, 7.7 Q to the dollar. Pretty good price.
We will stay here until the 3rd or 4th of November. Then we´re planning to head to Ecuador to stay at a hostel with Jordan and Randi. We will most likely be there for some months. We may end up running the hostel for a few months, the owners are not there right now. Once we know the address, we will let you all know so we can send postcards! Christmas in Ecuador. Weird.
Lovelovelove you all and thanks again for all your comments. They mean a lot.
1 comment:
My dear loves.
It makes my heart glad every time I hear more about your adventures. I am thrilled that you are having the market experience as most markets actually operate around the world. It is such a delightful and precious thing to get our goods from the good people who raise them -- such pride, and individual labors of love. These are the connections we need to have with everyone we serve and everyone who serves us.
I can't tell you how pleased I am that you are living lives of service right now. Thank you for your courage in following the Lord's lead in every aspect of your lives. I hope and pray that when you come home again, you will always remain connected to the hands and hearts of everyone who gives life to life.
We need to be aware of each other in this loving family that reaches around the world. Every sip of coffee, every bite of bread, every time we take a step, the shoes that carry us across the street, the street itself, all these things have been created by working hands, families and friends that we have not yet met.
Thank you for reminding us of these things by your example.
Have fun, fun and more fun!
I love you both with my whole heart!
Love, Moma Alison
Post a Comment