Week 1

Well, I've been here almost a week. It's been pretty crazy so far, but today I decided to sit down and write. Here at Casa de Amor House 1 where I'm staying, all the kids and tias have been going through a scabies epidemic. It spreads easily and takes a ton of work to get rid of, so they hadn't been able to properly eliminate it...until this last weekend.

On Friday morning the fun started. After breakfast, all the kids were bathed and had a cream put all over their bodies to kill the parasites. 2 of the 4 tias working that day also bathed and put cream on themselves. Everyone dressed in clothes that had been soaked in boiling water, washed, and dried in the dryer (this was to kill any parasites on the clothes), and those 2 tias plus a volunteer took the kids out for the day. Meanwhile, the 2 other tias and another volunteer washed all the clothes and sheets in the house, and took everything else from the house outside to sit in the sun. Friday night all the kids stayed at a school where one of the volunteers lives. Saturday morning the house was fumigated. The kids stayed another night at the school, and came back on Sunday. Now that all the kids, volunteers, tias and their families have been treated, hopefully the scabies will be gone.

On Friday I went with Jennifer for the first time while she took care of business with her group of street kids. While all the scabies stuff was going on, I was out with her all afternoon and that night. That afternoon we visited one kid in a burn unit of a hospital and took a bunch of kids to several parts of the La Cancha (the huge market in town). I saw the place where they live for the first time. They live in a part called the Coronilla, which is a little way up a mountain, among brush, plants, and cactus. They have 2 little tarp shelters with mattresses and old couches inside, and an outside area where they cook. We were there in the afternoon then went back at night. That night was an interesting experience for me. Several fights went on that night among different people. At one time we were in Jen's car, and I was in the backseat with about 6 other people. The 2 guys next to me started fighting and elbowed each other in the face, and I thought I was going to get hit just because I was so close to them. They got in trouble for that by Jen and the other kids, and after that we took everyone back up to where they live.

On Saturday I spent most of the day at House 2 and stayed the night there. I went to church Sunday morning with all the House 2 kids, Kati, and volunteer Kaylee who lives at House 2.

Sunday there was a group here from a Bible college in Pennsylvania, and that afternoon I went with them, Jennifer, and some of the street kids to play soccer. Some of us watched while they played, then the group gave them drinks and snacks and gave a short sermon. After that some people played more soccer, and some just hung out and played on the playground there. Jen had brought one of the babies from CDA because his parents are part of the Coronilla group. It was cool to see the parents with him and their other daughter who is 2 and lives with them in the Coronilla. They seem like good kids who love their children, but it's sad that they are living like they are. After soccer, the Pennsylvania group gave all the kids packets of soap, laundry detergent, toothbrushes, and other hygiene items.

Yesterday was the birthday of Maite, the lady I lived with when I was here last year. I ended up spending pretty much the whole day at her house. In the morning I went and learned how to make the meat Teresa (Maite's mom) was making for the birthday party that night. I helped her with that, then went to town and bought Maite a birthday present (handmade necklace, bracelet, and earrings that all together cost about $4!) and ice cream from Maite's favorite ice cream place. I went back to Maite's house, and Teresa and I waited for Maite to get home from the language school where she works. We had lunch with Connor, the guy living with them right now. After lunch Maite and I made an ice cream cake, then we cleaned and got ready for that night. Around 6 a bunch of friends from the language school came over for dinner. It was by far the best meal I've had so far- I miss Teresa's cooking so much! It was a fun day and I was so happy to spend time with Maite and Teresa again!

Sorry it's so long, but from now on I'll try to update more often so I don't have to write about everything at once!