if you would have talked to me today around 330 i would have said that i hated colombia. i do think i was the most depressed and upset i have been here in colombia - and although thoughts of theology, differing cultures, etc, might come to mind, i'll have you know it is because i have NEVER BEEN HOTTER IN MY LIFE. and i was miserable. so i was thinking about how many people say they love heat...so many of my friends - well, of you all - and this is my conclusion. heat is wonderful. it is. there are beautiful things about being hot. but like all things, in excess...not the greatest. furthermore, i was thinking perhaps heat is more enjoyable for those who have money. those who have resources to escape it when necessary, those who visit it because they have luxury of vacation, of travel, etc. a thought...
so anyway, i spent most of the afternoon miserable...dripping with sweat as i laid in a hammock in front of a fan. i almost felt sick from the heat. HOWEVER, other than my excessive complaints about the heat, the rest of zambrano is going well. :) it rained this evening, and there is a beautiful breeze blowing through my apt right now, which is a rare gift. i showered for the third time today, and my hair is actually DOWN. i can't remember the last time my hair was not in a ponytail. beautiful.
as i said, my days are quite a bit busier now, which i'm enjoying. every day i help take lunches to the schools in zambrano as part of a church project (applied for government funding to provide lunches for the schools in zambrano for the remainder of the school year. because of lack of resources, school only goes half days, so different kids study in the mornings and in the afternoons, and everyone is always home for lunch...in which case many kids don't get lunch due to lack of resources). it is terrible to be carting lunches around on foot/with carts in the middle of the day in zambrano, but its a great project (and HUGE...6 schools, 500 kids total) and i enjoy spending time with everyone, as well as seeing the kids.
the rest of my time is taken up with teaching piano lessons, preparing for and leading young adult and youth weekly gatherings, assisting with a radio station program the church is beginning, doing random mcc work, as well as random stuff with esther or for the church, cooking more of my own food which is good for my physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health, trying to keep my apt clean, and, of course, going to church.
this past weekend in four days i was in sincelejo, barranquilla, and cartagena. lots of travelling. but it was a good weekend. sincelejo hanging out with the walker wilsons, an mcc family that just arrived for a three-year term in sincelejo. they are phenomenal and have already become my family here in colombia. also had some great conversation with ricardo, which is a blessing because he's not around much. was able to share a lot of how i feel about things here in zambrano, though, and he's a resource that helps things that need to happen happen, so it was wonderful to be able to spend some time with him and the idea is that it will result in a meeting with esther, ricardo and i working out some of the details of work that need to be worked out. feeling really good.
in barranquilla i attended the second school for peace meeting, which was another good experience. it is especially valuable for the relationship building i do there. i am constantly amazed at the extensive love and hospitality these people offer me when i really know them so little.
after the school for peace ended, i took off to stay a day in cartagena before i headed back to zambrano. two of esther's kids are in cartagena studying...i actually miss them a lot as they are usually with me around here. so i hung out with them all day sunday, bought some groceries i can't access in zambrano (like black beans, sour cream, mushrooms, pasta, brown sugar, etc...yum), and headed back to zambrano EARLY monday morning. we left at 4am. people travel ridiculously early here. im not a fan of it. but norvy and esther were in cartagena, so i had to leave when them when they left. yikes.
this weekend the walker wilsons are coming to visit, which i'm stoked about. i will also be leading the first session on contientious objection with the young adults, which i'm excited about. so things are looking good. amidst that, however, i am also constantly reminded how distant i am from all of you - how differnet my life is, and in many ways how unconnected we are. i miss you all always, and truly appreciate hearing from you. much love...

i promise i will take more pictures in the next couple of weeks...these are random and hardly help get any visual...

kelly (esther's youngest daughter) and valentina (grand-daughter of close family friend, family with which kelly and william live in cartegena while studying)

valentina and i...

i had a visitor show up at my door hoping to play with me, so we spend the afternoon together painting and playing. :)

my tea! :) i'll take more pictures of my plants soon...they're looking great.