Last week was particularly busy for Dan, as he has taken on a lot of new responsibilities. In addition to his Spanish classes in the morning, he is now working at the project in the afternoon, fixing a donation of 22 bikes for the kids. One afternoon a week he is covering some English classes, which are usually run by our American friend, who is on home leave in the US. On Friday mornings he is also coaching a floorball team at a nearby school. He’s really enjoying the new sense of purpose, being able to put his Spanish to good use and the variety of things to get involved in.
I’ve been continuing with the usual Quichua studies and work at the project. Unfortunately we have had to address some bullying issues recently, but I am so glad the children feel comfortable enough to tell me when something bad is happening. On a more positive note, the lovely boy I’m teaching to read is coming on in leaps and bounds. He can now read words and is trying to form sentences. He’s so encouraged by his own improvement and he is very motivated to learn. On Friday, we all took part in a gardening project and the kids loved planting and sowing.
I enjoyed church house group on Thursday evening with about 14 other people in their 20s. We finished off the evening by eating tasty humitas (cornmeal dumplings, steamed in corn husks).
On Saturday, I headed into Quito’s historic centre with a Latin Link friend for a walking tour (see post below for photos). It was great to see more of this beautiful city. On Sunday, we tried out an English-speaking church for a change, which Dan particularly enjoyed after so many Spanish sermons. While in Quito city centre, we made the most of visiting the artisan market.