Ay caramba

So it's been awhile since my last post, but in my defense, life in the Manna house has been crazy over the past couple of weeks. Last week was emotionally and physically exhausting, and I still have my mom's voice ringing in my ear "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all". So that's what I did. But now that things have calmed down, I'll give you a quick recap so you get a glimpse into the joys and challenges of living in Ecuador.

Last Monday, 3 of us were walking home from our Women's Exercise program when we were mugged a block away from our house. We are all safe, but it was a scary reality that as Americans, we are targets. We are taking the proper precautions to stay as safe as possible, but please continue to pray for our safety, as the economic crisis has drastically increased the crime rate in our small town. Last week I also found out about the death of two Tech students. This saddened me so much because I wasn't able to be there to mourn with my bible study girls. It is tough to process such difficult situations without those who understand the pain the Virginia Tech community has had to coninually endure over the last few years. On top of that, we also saw one of our campers beaten by his father. It is a weird dichotomy to accept cultural differences that we can not change, yet to remain opposed to such injustice in the world. Later on in the week, half of the PDs had parasites, and the oven blew up in Dana's face. It was an eventful week to say the least. I'm happy that this week has been more boring.

On a happier note, programs are going really well, and I love working for Manna more and more every day. Last weekend we hosted a two day open clinic. I gave a lecture on dental hygiene for kids while they were waiting to see the doctor. It was quite popular amongst the kids, and they were so excited to learn how to floss! We saw a good amount of people at the clinic, and we were able to solidify some relationships with community members. Women's Excercise is also going swimmingly, and I really enjoy seeing familiar faces in classes. I have even seen improvement in some of the women already!

From here on out, I promise to update more frequently. Until next time!

Spanish lesson for the day: ¡Qué bestia! = What a beast!
Example: The oven blew up? ¡¡Qué bestia!!