Angela!

The first few days of living in the volunteer house have been quite an adventure! But, I have survived and it has kept things interesting. First it was the shower, which now seems to be fixed! Thank goodness! And tonight, the power went out right after I made my dinner. So, I had to eat in the dark by candlelight. Thankfully, the power was not off for too long, and Evan and Sue called to make sure I was okay. Again, I am so lucky to be part of the wonderful, caring Maryknoll community.

Commuting to work has not been bad. Because of the parades celebrating Bolivian independence, getting to work on Thursday and Friday was difficult and time consuming. I do enjoy the bus rides. I have met quite a few very nice people while waiting for buses and riding the buses.

Elaina, a nurse doing her practical at the baby home, has been helping me with my Spanish. In exchange, I am helping her with English. She is extremely nice, and even invited me to eat Pique, a traditional Bolivian dish, with her.

So, things are going well. Just getting used to living outside the city, but enjoying it. I have been cooking everyday, and have made some very good meals. If anyone has easy recipes that require few ingredients and little time, please feel free to send them along!

Recently, I have grown very close to a few of the older girls at the girls' home. Angela is one of these girls. She is so talented artistically, and asks me to save boxes and magazines, newspapers and plastic bottles for her to transform into art. During her vacation, Angela took a class that focused on making art out of materials that are usually thrown away and disregarded. It was a perfect fit for her, considering she gets in trouble for going through the garbage and recycling. Angela really thrived in this class. She was the youngest in the class, but progressed rapidly. After showing her projects she completed, many of the girls expressed interest in learning how to make the vases and boxes she constructed from magazines and newspapers. I have encouraged her to hold an art class for the girls and I!

Angela is a quieter girl. She enjoys doing her art and reading. I love spending time and talking with her. She is very interesting and loves to ask questions about life in the United States. When I told the girls I was moving to another house, she was one of the first to come up and ask why and tell me she was going to miss me.

Although I am really enjoying living in the volunteer house, I miss the girls! I miss having them come into my room at night. We would talk and eat chocolate! But, I still get to see them almost everyday. And, maybe the space between us will bring a new appreciation and love for each other!