Backing up a bit, I finished my month long practicum at the YMCA with a field trip to a park with the kids. It was really high up and cold, but the sun was strong and I got sun burned. The children liked the walk, but I think the detailed explanation of the park's history was a little boring. They played a lot at the end and the mayority of the kids (including me) fell asleep on the ride home.
Lately, I've been thinking about what I'd like to do long term. My dream still is to go to the Dominican Republic, but I think instead of working directly with prostitutes right away I'd like to work in the area of prevention. I think it'd be cool to work with pre-teen girls and focus on sexual abuse prevention, which ties into the prevention of girls entering the sex trade as well. This age group really appeals to me and the issue of sexual abuse and prostitution really needs to be addressed in Sosua (the city I want to live in). However, I'm up to whatever God calls me to and has planned for me.
The evaluation time of the school and the graduation ceremony were anti-climatic I would say. Two of the students had to go back home to the States because of visa issues and leaving the excitement of our practicums made everyone downcast. However, life brightened when we had our graduation party. With pizza, "ponche" (a Venezuelan drink made with flan and condensed milk) and dancing you can't go wrong!
The next day a few of us students went to "hot country" (a few hour bus ride down the Andes) to enjoy a day at a water park. We only got to go on a inner tube ride and a fast waterslide because of the crowds, but the weather was amazing. The funny thing about the park was that everyone had to wear those swimming caps... a good idea, but strange. The park also had a mini zoo with monkeys jumping around, lots of toucans, lions, tigers and jaguars. After we went out to eat and then made the journey home.
The last few days, I have been visiting a lot. I haven't made any plans, but I'm living day by day. On Wednesday, after dropping a friend off at the airport I went to help out at Luz y Vida (one of the ministry's schools) and we went with the kids to a library. We played on the computers and read books. I was asked to help translate games that had English instructions and got kids that couldn't read to use their imaginations to invent stories by looking at the pictures.
I really want to go to Medellin (a warm city), but all my plans to go have fallen through... I might be stuck in Bogota until I head off to Ecuador.
Please pray for direction. As of now I don't have any plans for where I'm going to live or what I'm going to do in Ecuador. I would like to work with street kids, but am torn between living in Riobamba (in the mountains) or in Guayaquil (on the coast).
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