One month!!

  April 2. Can it really be that I have already spent 5 weeks here? Now that I'm finally settled down, I have found my place in both my work and at home, in the community and with the other volunteers, I feel as though I've been here for longer. On the other hand, I feel as though I just arrived last week, nervous and unsure of what this whole adventure would bring.

  Already, I have been able to accomplish so much in five weeks, and get excited about what that means I'll be able to get done in my next several months here. I have been tutoring 6 kids on a regular basis, all of whom started with simply learning the alphabet with me and their colors, telling time and their numbers. And this week, for the first time, two of my students are beginning to read!! It's amazing to see their progress and it's more rewarding and exciting than I ever thought. To see their smiles on their faces that they have actually accomplished something; for once, they are proud of themselves and, for many, it's the first time that anyone has believed in them, encouraged them and pushed them to achieve any sort of goal. It's amazing what a little time and attention, some structure and discipline can do for these young kids.... it's just a shame that there isn't more of that in the classroom, and I'm only able to help six.  

  On top of that, I have planned out and will set up an art program in my school for Friday's in each of the classes. Since I need and want to continue tutoring, and I'm the only volunteer who is interested in integrating art in to their curriculum, I'll only be able to devote Friday's to this project, a half hour with each class, but I guess it's a good start and can always expand if there is more interest among other volunteers!  All of this will start after semana santa (the week vacation that we have this next week, before Easter)... so I'll make sure to keep you all posted on how it goes.

  Then, there is this soccer project. I am completely on my own for coaching and trying to put together a team, for communication with the teachers at the school and trying to coordinate practices. I have met with some volunteers from Futbol Sin Fronteras (Soccer Without Borders), and am trying to get them to donate some equipment for me since all I have is one lousy soccer ball.  I expected all of this to be a slow process, but it has now been two and a half weeks and I've hardly made any progress. Though it's frustrating and I have no one assisting me, I can't give up...

  Whether has been getting progressively hotter here... it has been reaching 95-100 every day with little breeze, so you can imagine how nasty I feel at the end of a long day. Soon though, at the beginning of May, the rainy season will start and things will start cooling off around here while also becoming much more green. Yahoo!!

  More to come later, about my travels down to the southern part of the country, that I had last week...