Work in Villaruita

Hannah,
Hey everyone,
Today the skies were clear and we finally made it into the community of Villaruitia to get some good work done. For the first time this week Katherine Raymond drove our van; we made it to the community in record time and nearly took out two police cars on the way. (I’m really excited because Tony says that I can drive tomorrow!) [Editor’s note: Students will never drive. Hannah is an English major utilizing sarcasm here. Our 3 drivers have been very safe. Driving each day in a city of 2-3 million is by no means relaxing.] By the way, I don’t think anyone has mentioned this yet, but our van is actually possessed. The interior light flicks on and off when we go over big bumps, the AC can only be controlled by twisting the knobs with pliers, and the CD player refuses to work. As Kathryn Compton says, “We are VERY offended by Budget Car Rental.”

Anyway, we spent the day in Villaruitia building a retaining wall by the community center and playing soccer with the kids. Everyone worked incredibly hard; I am really proud of our team. We also had the pleasure of working alongside several of the community residents, including Oscar, our buddy from last year. It is really cool to see the improvement of the community center compared to last year. Last year it was only made of plywood that would shake when you pushed on it. Now it’s covered with plaster and looks like a real house. There is even electricty! I was totally amazed by the change.

As I wrap this up, Tony is yelling “I drew my cards like a chicharron!” during a game of skipbo. Tony uses this word about once a minute in every imaginable context. He says that it is his new favorite word. Unfortunately, it means “pig rind” in Spanish, so when he yells it out in public we get weird looks. Ok, I will turn it over to Alexis to fill you in more on our day. Thank you all for your support and prayers!