I´m having the time of my life!

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Hi everyone. First of all, thanks for all your kind notes. They mean alot to me. I´m totally having a blast here. My biggest complaint is that I´m finding it difficult to get time alone. The people here are fantastic, so warm and friendly. The children are adorable. I´ve got one for sure that I´d like to take home. You´ll know who she is when I finally post some picures.

My time is limited tonight, and there is so much I want to say. I´ve had such incredible experiences in just one week. My exercise you ask? I have a 3 mile bike ride to and from the project on a road that is so bad that the trucks can only go about 15 MPH. You get the picture. This bike ride comes after taking 3 buses. It usually takes us about 2 hours to get to work, mas o menos—you know, I´m on Central American time now😊 My other activity is washing my clothes. That is tough work. I can´t believe the woman I live with does it every day.

First of all, I am in such awe with what Chery Avery has done here, and how busy she is. The love she has with the people here is so obvious--the adults, the children and the animals. She is totally amazing.

I´m actually not the lone American. I´m hanging out with Rachael, age 23 and Topher (short for Christopher), age 19. Both are very mature and are so much fun to be with. They both live with the family of a pastor of a small evagelical church in this barrio called Sabana Grande. I live behind them with a young couple Jacqueline and Geovani, and their 11 month old baby Moises. So you all know me well enough to know I´m in my element!

I´ve got 7 min left for this session, so here are a few "sights and sounds" of my experience thus far. I promise to get with some actual stories soon. Hopefully we will be going to work earlier next week and getting home before dark so that I can get here more frequently. Tomorrow we´ve been invited to a birthday party for one of Chacocente´s employee´s Mom (Brenda). She turns 60 and it will be a surprise party. My friend Kat (Hi Katia!) lived with this family and I´m anxious to meet her Nica Mama.

-- everyone here has shirts and hats from the states. They all have our popular logos.

--some times we get picked up by neighbors on our way to Chacocente and they get us closer to the next bus stop. I get to ride in the BACK of the truck. What a blast!

--Words and signs of praising God is every where. I´ve not seen anything like it.

--Spanish is a bit difficult to understand, but I´m getting better. The problem is they don´t pronounce the S´s.

--I´ve made a stab on three of my goals so far.

More to come soon! Love, Nancy

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