Fun times...

As I am writing this entry I am sitting here waiting for our pizza bread to rise. Nancy, my host sister, is doing a puzzle and Rigo and I are playing “trompo” which is pretty much a spinning top that you wrap with a rope and throw (see picture, if that helps)!

This week has been a lot better than last week. Last week I was really sad to be back because I had such a wonderful visit to the States and I didn’t have a lot of work to do. I forgot how much time I had on my hands and what I did to fill it! But thank goodness this week got better. I had a great meeting with one of my women’s groups, it reminded me why I am here! We made apple pie which the women loved. It was really cute because one of the little girls asked her mom if she would make it for her birthday in two weeks! In addition to this adorable thing, the leader of the group told me that she had gone out to her sisters aldea, or smaller village and taught them how to make zucchini bread. The big surprise was that not only did she make zucchini bread, she did a cost of production with them too. (We do a cost of production for everything we make so that they get use to and know how to make one for their coffee.) I almost fell out of my chair when she told me this, wow they are actually learning something!

Not only am I the pastry chef, I am the fashion icon for the little girls. One of the little girls was arguing her mom about wearing tennis shoes with a skirt when I showed her that I had tennis shoes on with a skirt (no laughing, I have to in order to make it through the mud.) It is funny because most of the outfits I put together here I would almost never wear it in the States but here I am the fashionable one (yes, all my friends are laughing because I don’t think fashion and Mackenzie are ever used in the same sentence.)!

I have also been spending a lot of time with my host brother and sister. Rigo and Nancy taught me how to use the “tromop” and Rigo has been trying to run with me too. We have also been playing a lot of soccer and kickball in the street. It reminds me of playing basketball in the street and having to move every time a car came by. It has been amazing how much work has picked up in the last month or so, I have hardly any day with nothing to do which is anomaly for me. Lets hope it lasts!