So many fun and exciting things have happened in the past 6
weeks; both teams from San Pedro were the soccer champs, my host brother got
married, and I have been having fun with all of my work.
The wedding was a huge ordeal at our house and was a ton of
fun. I was a bridesmaid for Santiago and Jessica’s wedding, which was a very
nice double ceremony for their wedding and the baptism of their daughter
Rashel. The after party was held in my house in San Pedro, so everything was
moved out of the first floor rooms (mine included) to leave space for us to
dance the night away! There were 5 guinea pigs, 60 chickens and a full pig
cooked for dinner, four cakes served, and music until 8:30am the next morning.
It was my first wedding here in Ecuador and so fun to be a part of the family
and festivities!
Around the same time were the fiestas in Ambato and
Carnaval. Carlos and I went to Carnaval in Guaranda, which is the biggest
fiesta in the country, and met up with about 30 of my Peace Corps friends. We
spent two days there watching the parades, “playing” Carnaval with foam spray,
flour and water, and just enjoying the company of all my friends. Two days was
enough and we went back to Ambato in time for the last day of the fiesta of
fruits and flowers to watch the beautiful parade with elaborate, amazing
floats.
After a months of festivities (they seemed to last from
Christmas through mid-February), it was back to work. I spent a week working at
a hospital in Ambato with American doctors who came to give free pediatric orthopedic
surgeries, braces, splints, wheelchairs, prosthetics, rehab and care. The team
who came were wonderful and it was an amazing week working both with the
Americans and all of the kids they helped this year and continue to help from
years past.
Now I am back at work at KNH for my last few months, trying
to do as much as I can with the kids. I am doing a lot of different health
talks and workshops with them, mixed in with other fun activities. Just today I
began to teach them how to play lacrosse because I had a few lacrosse sticks
donated – we are all having a lot of fun with it! Next week I am taking two
girls with me to a workshop in Quito to learn different recycled crafts,
strategies for youth groups, etc. It should be interesting and the girls are
really excited to go to Tumbaco with me for 4 days!
Dalila is getting cuter by the day and she and Cora are now
BFFs. Dalila spends her time calling Cora a horse and trying to ride her around
the yard! Everyone else in the family is great too. 'Indor' soccer is a lot of
fun with my host sisters and Shannon, and my host mom is as sweet as ever. I am
spending a lot of time with them because the months seem to be flying by and
before I know it I will be leaving Chibuleo. It is still unclear what I will do
once I leave Chibuleo, but I am looking into my options and trying to enjoy the
present.
I hope all is well there and everyone in CO is enjoying the
snow!
Un abrazo,
Kerry
