Reconnected

Well I'm back on-line (should be for good now). Between moving around and family visits my posts have been lacking, so here's how my February went: I started off the month by moving in with Zaak and Amber, I wasn't able to stay in my previous place because the other girls decided to move out and the consensus was that it wouldn’t be good for me to stay alone (for my moral and safety). So in with Zaak, Amber and Blaise, it was very kind of them to open their home (and share their truffles) with me. They have limited space so my living situation was only temporary. My options for moving were back into the Peters house (now housing 5 girls and 3 boys) which is quite crowded, or in to the now vacant room above Erick and Gloria's house. I chose the later, who could refuse Gloria’s cooking and having my own bathroom?

In the third week of February my sister Tureena came to visit (what a treat!). Unfortunately she was only here for a week, which is far too short for sister time. We had fun hiking, walking around Tactic, and shopping in Antigua (5 hours of bartering had me quite drained). It was very difficult to see her go, it was quite painful actually and I felt pretty low. It's really difficult to be away from my family and friends; please pray that I don't become too homesick which would take away from the time I have here.

So now I've become settled in my new place, it definitely needs some decoration, but I'm sure it won't take long to make it my own. My schedules picked up again, here's what it looks like:
Monday ~ Tutor 9:00-1:00
~ Children’s program 1:30 - 5:00
Tuesday ~ Tutor 9:00-1:00
~ Teach English 1:00-1:35 / 4:15-4:50 / 4:50-5:25
Wednesday ~ Tutor 9:00-1:00
~ Extra English help 6:00-7:00
Thursday ~ Tutor 9:00-1:00
~ Teach English 1:00-1:35 / 4:15-4:50 / 4:50-5:25
~ Prayer meeting 7:00-8:00
Friday ~ Tutor 9:00-1:00
Saturday ~ Extra English help 2:00-3:00
Sunday ~ Church 4:00-6:00
Plus finding the time to study Spanish and help out in other areas like translating children’s letters to their sponsors and bookkeeping.

Well this gives you a snapshot of my life at the moment. I'm beginning to feel more comfortable here and not quite as much like a gringa (it also helps that I've gained a bit of colour). The people here have beautiful hearts and have made me feel very welcome. I find that I am the happiest when I'm around the children. There's something so pure in their eyes, if only we could retain some of the eagerness to experience joy as they do. Being here has really made me realize how we take our lives for granted. The saying "live life to the fullest" is one we should pay more attention to. I was saying to Zaak the other day that I feel as though I don't have enough time to do all the things I want to in my life, but that it's so easy for me to waste my time. Imagine all we could achieve if lack of motivation were not a factor.

Well my friends it’s getting late, I love and miss you all. Till next time :)

Pictures!

Swinging on a Tarzan vine!

My dad came to visit me which was a real treat!
Here we are at the ruins in Tikal.

Me in my little room.

This is an image of Tactic. As you can see it's

surrounded by hills (not quite BC mountains);

It's quite beautiful.

The majority of the houses are made with concrete

which has proven to be more durable. Buildings made

with wood will not last as long due to the humid climate

(it causes the wood to rot and become infested with bugs).

Two very cute little girls who attend the Chicoy school.