3/23/11


                                                      Kel and two friends  in Cuenca

                                                    Toucan in Cuenca

                                                               Ruins in Curnca

Last night was our going away party for the volunteer girls who finished their time here and left today. It was so much fun. We all got all dressed up and had a fancy dinner at a hotel. It was awesome. The room was decorated beautifully with rose petals all over the table. There was a total of 23 people in attendance. I had no idea about this before last night, but if you put a little rose petal on your hand when your palm is cupped, the rose petal will make a loud pop. It was fun trying to get my petal to pop. I was using my friends hand and kept having to hit her hand hard in order to make the noise… it was really funny.

                Today was a blast! In the morning I had half a day off to do whatever I wanted. It was awesome because we just took off from the house and walked to down the streets to “Parque Central.” This is an a shopping Center with a huge Cathedral right in the middle of it. As we walked, we were able to just stop at any store on our path that looked interesting. So we were able to see quite a few different little Ecuadorian shops. I loved it. I bought a few T-shirts for myself and also got a few instruments for my nieces and nephews.

 I have less than two months left here actually… it so crazy how fast time is flying by here. I am making the most of everyday so even though the time passes quickly; I know my time here is being spent in the best ways possible. Like the quote says, “Carpe Diem.” As long as you know you are living each day to the fullest, you will know that you lived your life to the fullest once that month has passed. Benjamin Franklin once said, “Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time. For that’s the stuff life is made out of.” And I totally agree!

When I got to the orphanage, we took the kids on walks and did therapies. Then I had the most fun Ive probably ever had at shift doing an activity! Mackinzie and Erica, and one of the Tias Clara sang some songs together to the children in Spanish. They just loved the upbeat ones we sang and we just had a blast stumbling over the Spanish words! I started singing head shoulders knees and toes in Spanish to them, but instead of singing “Cabeza” or head, I sang “Caballos”… which means ‘horse’ in Spanish. The Spanish speaking workers were all laughing, and I joined in also! Then me and two other volunteers started singing a Girls Camp song in English called, “Boom Chicka Boom.” Clara, one of the Spanish speaking workers was repeating us and it was so funny. She would stop and say in Spanish, “No entienda!” ( I don’t know what it means.)

After that we all went to HML, where I am the new site leader. We made braclets out of yarn and thread. When we were leaving, I was helping some of the girls make their bracelets. I told them I had to go, and then a teenage girl came up to me. I was thinking she needed help, but then she took my wrist and tied this beautiful bracelet onto my wrist. I think I will keep it on for quite awhile. J