Hola!
Espero que todos tuvieran un buen fin de semana! Hope you all had a great three day weekend!
Como estan? Estoy muy feliz, pero les extrano mucho!

Lo siento...I haven't written for about a week. Last week we really dove into our lives here. We have finally made a connection with the orphanage, JonPaul has found an animal shelter where he walks the dogs 2 days a week, Ammann started taking an art class and Matt has started a playing soccer with the kids at the orphanage and in our neighborhood. Since we have to walk or take a bus everywhere, just going to school in the morning and working a little in the afternoon along with all the walking, takes up most of our day. We are all very exhausted by the end of the day since our brains are taking in a second language and culture.

Here are some of the highlights of the week! We tried shrimp, avocado and papaya ice cream. (not all three mixed together!) The shrimp was actually the best one. Its sweet and tart at the same time. Not sure I would make it at home, but it was fun to try here.

We also made a trek to the local botantical gardens. It is the home of some 250 cactus species and has a huge resevoir for birds. They told us that most of the birds here are ones that come from the Pacific Northwest. So, basically we were seeing the same birds we see in Montana in the summer time. Unlike the U.S. where we are super worried about danger, the botanical garden had built a 30 foot and then a 40 foot ladder into a rock wall so that if you were crazy enough you could climb down into a beautiful gorge below. (Note: they did post signs above the ladders that said "peligro/danger", but it didn't mean that you couldn't go, it just meant climb at your own risk!) This would be completely forbidden at home because we'd be too worried about lawsuits from someone falling. Now, you all know that I love to hike and climb in Glacier - but I wasn't too excited to climb down a ladder cemented into the rocks! But, the three boys in my family were already half way down by the time I felt brave enough to go for it! It was spectacular, but my heart was beating like a drum by the time I reached the bottom! (photos on the right!)

OK - on to the orphanage!!! I took 1/2 of the money that you all donated to an orphange called Casa Ayuda. (the other half I am taking to a school in a small island town called Yelapa in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Puerto Vallarta - this town just got electricity 2 years ago and has only one phone for the whole town! When we go there in March, I'll give you more details)
Anyway, the orphanage here was thrilled!!! They said that they were going to use it to buy some new shirts, pants and shoes for the young boys who were growing like weeds! The orphanage only has 9 kids who live there full time. Their philosophy is that they want to help keep families together, so they try and support families financially and educationally without removing the kids from the home and then if there is no other option, they invite the kids to live at the orphanage. They have it set up just like a home with a nice living room, kitchen and 2 big bedrooms. One for the boys and one for the girls.
Aside from the actual orphanage, Casa Ayuda also provides nutritional foods and programs to the neighborhood children and a preschool-Kindergarten program for 90 kids! This orphanage is a 10 minute walk from our home and in a poorer area of San Miguel. (check photos) My job has been to teach them English. They are very excited about this opportunity so I've been teaching them the reverse of what I teach you.

Last weekend the orphanage had a fund-raiser/community open house. It was set up as a Valentine fiesta. Part of the the fiesta was the performance of the musical "Vaselina". Can you guess what it is in English? (**See below for answer). It was quite fun to hear songs that we knew by heart in English sung and acted out in Spanish. The other part of the fundraiser was purchasing foods such as licuados (milk & fruit shakes), malteados (chocolate malt drinks) and naranjadas (fresh squeezed orange juice with mineral water). - Todos son muy deliciosos!!

Yesterday, I took some of the books that the 8th graders had made to the orphanage. I wanted desperately to take a picture, but felt awkward doing so at that moment, so I'll try and explain how happy the kids were. The older girls thought the art work was awesome and the younger boys giggled and giggled and giggled! (Zelda - imparticularly they laughed at the orange cat!)
When I told them that they could keep the books, you would have thought that I had given them each a piece of gold! They were so proud to own something and couldn't believe that people who didn't even know them would make something for them and allow them to keep it. These nine kids have VERY little if anything of their own. So MUCHAS GRACIAS 8th graders for your last minute hard work and for pushing yourselves to finish those books! The older girls at the orphanage really want our email and want us to write to them when I return home. Sounds like a great way for you all to connect, no?

One more custom I keep meaning to tell you about is the dress code. Have I mentioned it yet? I knew before we left what the customs were, but not sure if I shared them with you. Imagine that the temperature here ranges from 30 degrees to 85 degrees. A sweater is often needed in the mornings and evenings. However, in the middle of the day I want to put on shorts and a tank top, but women here don't wear shorts, short skirts, capri pants or tank tops. I don't know how they do it without dying of heat! Kids and men don't wear shorts either. So, Matt and I walk around in our pants, but we have been letting the boys wear shorts after school. (We still make them wear pants to school).

I've found some unusual candies for you all, some interesting type milk jello and I continue to search out more items that will be fun for you.
I think about you when I see a bowl full of chicken feet for sale, a Tortilleria, all the garbage in the rivers and streets, the amazing colors of all the buildings and wish you all could see it too and experience the sights, sounds and smells first hand! (That sounded funny - I think of you when I see all the garbage, because it's so sad and so different from how we protect our water resources - I'd like you all to see what it looks like when water's not taken care of!)

Tengan un buen semana... Hasta luego....

(** Vaselina = the movie Grease!)