I'm still alive!

Hello friends and family!
I'm sorry it's been so long since my last journal, but the internet here has been turning down my attempts to update. I have been a very busy person since my last journal entry! We have since hosted two mission teams from the United States who came to build septic tanks and foundations for four homes in the community. Each team hosted Vacation Bible Schools for the children of Carorita, for which I taught and translated. I have continued my work in the fields here, learning how to weed lettuce, parsley, and cilantro. Since my last bad experience working with celery, I have not gone near any celery fields!! Most recently, I have been living for almost two weeks with a family in the community, that consists of the mom, the dad, four daughters, and two sons. I share a bedroom with the four girls, and it is quite fun! In this house, I have learned how to wash my laundry by hand, and actually have it come out clean! We flush the toilet by bringing in a bucket of water from outside the house, and we shower in the middle of the afternoon, so that the sun makes the water a little less cold. Brrr!
This weekend, we have a big youth trip planned! We are taking 30 youth from the Andes Mountains to the island of San Carlos near Maracaibo, to have fun in the sun and interact with the youth group there. My role in this will be as a leader, attempting to keep this kids in line! Hehe! We have worship services planned, soccer, baseball, and kickball games ahead, and of course, as any good Venezuelan event would include, lots and lots of dancing! The most popular music here seems to be Merengue, which is very happy music and not too hard to dance (thank goodness!), but there's also lots of Reggaton, Changa, Salsa, Vayenato, among others.
One adjustment I have had to make since living more intimately in the community is not to drink as much water, which is a luxury I never realized I took so much advantage of. I only have my bottle of freshly boiled water available to brush my teeth when I want, and at meal times, it's one small glass of juice or as always... coffee! My cooking skills have also greatly improved, and I can now pretty much make three different kinds of arepas unsupervised. However, I never actually know how good they are when I serve them to other people, because even if they were horrible, they would tell me they were the best they'd ever tasted!
God has most recently given me an appreciation for the smaller, slower things in life... mostly in realization that my time here in Venezuela is coming to a close... walking to the store to buy soap, sweeping an older woman's home because she's now too old to do it herself, visiting. Just visiting and drinking a cafecito I have discovered to be one of the most enjoyable things on the planet, and one which I will surely miss back in the United States.
I should go now, but know that you Buncombe Streeters, family, and friends have all been in my thoughts and prayers, and I can't wait to get home to better share my experience here in Venezuela with you all!

Peace,
Mary Al

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