I am currently asking people to gather a few school supplies for the kids I volunteered with this last semester.Or even if you know of kids that have too many school supplies that they are not going to use and you would like to donate to help kids that do not have money to purchase these items.
My mom is coming to visit me the first week in March and will bring everything that has been gathered with her to help me deliver them to the kiddos.
If you live in the Tri-Cities and would like to help or know someone that would like to help, the list of supplies is below.Feel free to send me a message if this is feasible for you and your budget.
100 of each of the following:
Number 2 pencils
Blue, Red and Black BIC pens (the clear ones with colored lids)
pencil sharpeners (dollar store ones are fine)
erasers
8 pack of Crayola crayons
Pictures of the kids I volunteered with are below, just follow the link. ;D
Las Casas Altas - http://uidaho.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2051540&l=9fc32&id=40308828
Friday, January 25, 2008
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Ecuador Update 5
This month so far has had its ups and downs.It was fantastic celebrating the coming of the new year or should I say the farewell to the old year (año viejo) 2007.They celebrate by making año viejos. These are life-sized made with old clothes stuffed with newspaper, stuffing or other material . . . kindof like scarecrows.They put masks on them usually of political figures like presidents of the different countries or children characters like the Simpson family, Spiderman or like this year Shrek was popular.And in the main street in town they set up big stages with even bigger people figures.These likenesses ranged from different soccer teams, stages with ecological demonstrations, more political figures and also some well-known characters.Each stage has statements and political promises that weren´t kept in 2007 and new statements which they hope to fulfill in the new year.
Another tradition they have is for guys to dress up as widows.They put on dresses (usually black), wear wigs and do other things to look like women.The reason behind this is that the old year is the husband that has died.So there are groups of guys dressed as widows stopping cars on the eve of Dec 31st asking for money to support them (as widows who don´t have husbands) but in reality the money goes to purchase gasoline and matches to burn their año viejo at the strike of 12.
At the strike of midnight the figures on the stages and each stuffed figure representing the old year are burned.In every neighborhood people gather together in the streets to celebrate the burning of the old year and the new hopes of the coming year.
Later on in the month I took a 11-day trip around different parts of Ecuador.I travelled with a friend I met a few months ago who is from Finland.We travelled first to a beach town called Salinas.This is 10-11 hrs on a bus so we took a night bus.We stayed for 4 days and spent 2 of those at a beautiful beach nearby (an hour and a half) called Montañita.The second stop in our travels was a city bigger than Quito called Guayaquil.It is also near the coast and had humid climate.
It was enjoyable but the insects definitely came with it.And although I used insect repellent I´m still recovering from my more than 75 bug bites. ;D Ok, on to the next city which was Cuenca.This city is famous for it´s churches . . . and they were beautiful!We sat atop the upper half of a tour bus so we could take better pictures of the city.I couldn´t think of a better deal than $5 per person for a tour of a beautiful city.Our last stop on the trip was some magnificent Inca ruins that are now protected under law in a place called Ingapirca.Since this was just a day trip we headed back to Cuenca to buy bus tickets for the night bus to Quito.(Another 8-9 hrs)But before we headed back we made one last stop at a famous Panama hat place in Cuenca to take some souvenir photos.At every stop we took pictures so I hope you enjoy my trip as you browse through the photos.All the links are below.
Salinas, Ecuador - http://uidaho.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2055957&l=adcbd&id=40308828
Montañita, Ecuador - http://uidaho.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2055956&l=e0253&id=40308828
Cuenca, Ecuador Part 1 - http://uidaho.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2055570&l=ea32d&id=40308828
Cuenca, Ecuador Part 2 - http://uidaho.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2055618&l=30f9e&id=40308828
Ingapirca, Ecuador - http://uidaho.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2055694&l=ee9d8&id=40308828
Guayaquil, Ecuador Part 1 - http://uidaho.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2055693&l=336d1&id=40308828
Guayaquil, Ecuador Part 2 - http://uidaho.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2055697&l=67460&id=40308828
Lastly I am here in Quito waiting for the next couple weeks to pass until I join up with the other University of Idaho students.We are heading to the Pastaza Province in the Amazon rainforest for a week long trip.If you can´t tell by now, I´m not back in classes yet from my Christmas break.We had 2 months to do all the travelling we wanted.After we return back to Quito from the Amazon we´ll be back at the university.
Let me close with a few verses that have been alive in my life this month.May God bless all your friends and family this week, and may you reflect God´s light and love into the lives of the people around you.
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.
Proverbs 11:30
Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.
Proverbs 13:12
However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.
I Corinthians 2:9
Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a "fool" so that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight.
I Corinthians 3:18-19A
And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
Ephesians 1:22-23
Another tradition they have is for guys to dress up as widows.They put on dresses (usually black), wear wigs and do other things to look like women.The reason behind this is that the old year is the husband that has died.So there are groups of guys dressed as widows stopping cars on the eve of Dec 31st asking for money to support them (as widows who don´t have husbands) but in reality the money goes to purchase gasoline and matches to burn their año viejo at the strike of 12.
At the strike of midnight the figures on the stages and each stuffed figure representing the old year are burned.In every neighborhood people gather together in the streets to celebrate the burning of the old year and the new hopes of the coming year.
Later on in the month I took a 11-day trip around different parts of Ecuador.I travelled with a friend I met a few months ago who is from Finland.We travelled first to a beach town called Salinas.This is 10-11 hrs on a bus so we took a night bus.We stayed for 4 days and spent 2 of those at a beautiful beach nearby (an hour and a half) called Montañita.The second stop in our travels was a city bigger than Quito called Guayaquil.It is also near the coast and had humid climate.
It was enjoyable but the insects definitely came with it.And although I used insect repellent I´m still recovering from my more than 75 bug bites. ;D Ok, on to the next city which was Cuenca.This city is famous for it´s churches . . . and they were beautiful!We sat atop the upper half of a tour bus so we could take better pictures of the city.I couldn´t think of a better deal than $5 per person for a tour of a beautiful city.Our last stop on the trip was some magnificent Inca ruins that are now protected under law in a place called Ingapirca.Since this was just a day trip we headed back to Cuenca to buy bus tickets for the night bus to Quito.(Another 8-9 hrs)But before we headed back we made one last stop at a famous Panama hat place in Cuenca to take some souvenir photos.At every stop we took pictures so I hope you enjoy my trip as you browse through the photos.All the links are below.
Salinas, Ecuador - http://uidaho.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2055957&l=adcbd&id=40308828
Montañita, Ecuador - http://uidaho.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2055956&l=e0253&id=40308828
Cuenca, Ecuador Part 1 - http://uidaho.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2055570&l=ea32d&id=40308828
Cuenca, Ecuador Part 2 - http://uidaho.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2055618&l=30f9e&id=40308828
Ingapirca, Ecuador - http://uidaho.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2055694&l=ee9d8&id=40308828
Guayaquil, Ecuador Part 1 - http://uidaho.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2055693&l=336d1&id=40308828
Guayaquil, Ecuador Part 2 - http://uidaho.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2055697&l=67460&id=40308828
Lastly I am here in Quito waiting for the next couple weeks to pass until I join up with the other University of Idaho students.We are heading to the Pastaza Province in the Amazon rainforest for a week long trip.If you can´t tell by now, I´m not back in classes yet from my Christmas break.We had 2 months to do all the travelling we wanted.After we return back to Quito from the Amazon we´ll be back at the university.
Let me close with a few verses that have been alive in my life this month.May God bless all your friends and family this week, and may you reflect God´s light and love into the lives of the people around you.
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.
Proverbs 11:30
Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.
Proverbs 13:12
However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.
I Corinthians 2:9
Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a "fool" so that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight.
I Corinthians 3:18-19A
And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
Ephesians 1:22-23
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