March Madness

There have been quite a few things going on as of late here in my world here in El Salvador. First things first, we have been continously working on this new program in El Salvador called the Regional Leader system. Its a new way to bring more organized and ground level support to the Peace Corps volunteers, both technical as well as peer support from those who have more experience in the region. The other advantages are those in which we can take the load of the program bosses in many cases since we are already in the region and on the ground. There are six of us working around the country and we are trying to start regional meetings, meet with the local NGOs around, visit personally the local volunteer sites, and create the Regional Handbook for those who are soon to swear in. This is the program that we will be trying to get set up this year, so that when the new group of Regional Leaders starts this coming year, they can hit the ground running.


Closer to home, my community has been busy :) They had a fundraising event a few weeks ago here in the Community House that we renovated. The youth organized the event pro-Health Committee and did clown stuff and dramas and stuff like that. We actually had a packed house. We sold all types of food outside, and my stand outside was hotdogs, hahahaha.

People outside buying food

Me and my chef had while stuff is going on inside, haha.

The leader of the group doing his act.

Clown 1

Clowns 2/3

The other projects here are the stoves that we are still ALMOST done with, because the people who are trained to build them say they are too busy to do so, so I have to keep bringing in the builder from across the country, and now he says he sick. So that has made it harder and harder. There are 2 left in my community and 6 in the community where the new volunteers are. Also check out the pictures of the new bathrooms that we are finishing here in the community, we just have a few things to finish with them.

Preparing the base

Playing cards on the new table before building the stove on it

No more cards, very sad, but there is the final product.

Another before

Another after.

Starting to dig the latrines... a 4.5 meter double hole

prepping the walls

halfway there!

both projects I've done at that spot in the same picture, the announcement system and the bathrooms

Almost done!

The murals in the Community House are coming along. The local artist has finished outside and one of the murals inside, and is starting the second one. We are STILL short a few sponsors for murals, so if anyone thinks they want to sponsor one, feel free to CONTACT me as usual (or donate on the sidebar). We also have a series of art classes going on at the moment with the local artist as well. He is giving classes in the morning and evening, twice a week, for 3 months in the Community House. This project is sponsored by a Kids to Kids grant. We shall see how that turns out as well.

Well since we have finished outside, we have started inside the community house.

A little closer.

Close up.... there are a few things left to paint. The rope line where the rings are hanging. Aaron's family on the right and the sales people on the left.

Lets see, also there was a birthday here last week and since we didn't have cake, I made a pound cake that actually didn't turn out too shabby. I was surprised, haha.

Improvised POUND CAKE, yummy. I didn't have sour cream, but oh well.

Also, these past few days, the new volunteers in the municipality, visited my community. We were going to go on the yearly trip to Esquipulas, Guatemala with my community, but we couldn't at the last minute, there was some trouble with new Peace Corps protocol, yadda yadda yadda. So we hung out and we cut some oranges and bananas and stuff with Don Raul. It was a good time.


We had to carry that about a mile and a half by the way.

This was me welcoming Matt to my orange community hahahaha.

Oh yeah, I also took the GRE last month. It wasn't that great of an experience here. It was paper based, and they setting was in San Salvador in an English school where the moderator cranked up the AC to 5 below and then kept leaving the room and leaving the door open so that a billion running screaming kids could come watch and chill etc etc. Not to mention the forgot some protocols that were normally obvious, like the short break between sections. ANYWAYS, still havent got the results back, but not expecting much.

Anyways, gotta run. Hope all are enjoying/not enjoying Lent.

A Lenten Reflection

Give up complaining——focus on gratitude.
Give up pessimism——become an optimist.
Give up harsh judgments——think kindly thoughts.
Give up worry——trust Divine Providence.
Give up discouragement——be full of hope.
Give up bitterness——turn to forgiveness.
Give up hatred——return good for evil.
Give up negativism——be positive.
Give up anger——be more patient.
Give up pettiness——become mature.
Give up gloom——enjoy the beauty that is all around you.
Give up jealousy——pray for trust.
Give up gossiping——control your tongue.
Give up sin——turn to virtue.
Give up giving up——hang in there!