Before Bed I will update--

Well, there's not too much to update besides the fact that my lost Luggage has arrived! YAY!

I am sitting in my room right now with a fan sending the most glorious breeze my way while my two compañera roommates are asleep... yes that means that all lights are off and I'm that creepy girl in the corner typing away at her computer (this reference would probably remind Liz of the days I would wait for her to go to bed before doing work, when we were roomies because if any body was awake and around I would want to talk to them).

Anyhoo-- Life in NICA-

Great! I'm finding that spanish is coming easily- and I am absolutely love love loving speaking with the Nicas and helping in all the English classes.  Well I take that back, I am loving all the classes I have attended and helped in.  I feel that this place is exactly where I need to be this summer and I am so excited to continue to get plugged in more and help.

Ok and let me just say--helping teach someone a concept is so amazing.  What a joy it is to see someone thinking through a problem or translation and then scaffolding them (ed school lingo haha) in the right direction.  

Just keep Reading... Just Keep Reading... Just keep READING...READING...READING

Back to logistics of my day and the happenings:

Today we continued our shadowing of the Program directors in their elements(but you know, its not totally shadowing because your shadow doesn't interact with you and we have actually been given responsibilities and put to work in every class we have been to so far).  I went to La Chureca (for those of you who don't know--it's Managua's Trash dump where about 1500 people live) in the morning and made it to the tail end of the women's health talk.   There is a class every week pertaining  different health issues. Mothers from La Chureca who wish for their children who have been diagnosed as malnourished to be fed (this is "Child Sponsorship") with monthly allotments of oatmeal, soy products, and vitamins, are required to attend.

Ok quick Stretch Break and 10 second breather...GO!

After La Chureca there was a lot of down time.  I read and received my luggage so I unpacked it.

After that, there was more down time and I went and got in the pool with two of the summer volunteers (yes we have a pool--ok I am slightly spoiled here).

We had Math class where I aided this Student named Luisa.  Luisa is 12 but she is severely behind in all areas of school.  Today we worked on simple math--Addition.  We worked hard together.  A lot of visual aid was needed to help show her that 4+1=5 and 1+4=5 and that 2+3=5 and 3+2=5.  I think I would like to continue to work with Luisa but we will see what my permanent placement will be on Friday.

We had another English class today that we helped out with--it was Beginners English.  I helped an adult women named Esperanza. (she was a doll to work with)

Ok I would like for the reader to now Stand up.  Reach for the sky... STRETCH... Bend over... Touch your toes... Shake it out... and sit back down again!

Then tonight Very special:

We had Dinner in the community!

I will spare complete details, although it was probably the best part of my day... Ok I will detail it a little.  We went to la casa de Lorena.  A women in the community.  We had a traditional Nicaraguan dish she made and sat and talked with her and four of her six children present for hours.  They were so warm, so welcoming, so loving that I felt like I could have stayed there all night.

Anyway, Nicaragua opens her arms out to new friends with LOVE.  I am ready to continue serving and seeing what the rest of the month will hold.

tomorrow:

we will be going back to La Chureca for an official tour of most of the dump.  I have already been to all the locations on the tour, but some of the volunteers have not.