Beautiful sunrise as we approached Cochabamba by bus.
Eliana excitedly awaiting our departure for ORomomo!
Equipo de solteros. We took advantage of a day in Cochabamba and arrived very early and tired to the Mano a Mano hangar.
Safe and uneventful flight to Oromomo.
Kids playing soccer in their recreo time from school. The community also has a sports "hour" every evening. Loved playing with them and trying to remember names and personalities. I liked it because rules were minimal, and playing in the mud is great!
"Welcome to Oromomo of the Secure [river].
Where we stayed. This is a sunday school room + guest room + bathroom for the pilot and his wife.
Doing homework with the kids-hoping to help them catch up. They know little Spanish (fluent in Chiman).
Hermana Judith. This is Payuje (I think that's how it's spelled). Ripe plantains, cinnamon and water. It must boil for 2 hours, then let cool overnight and eat with milk for breakfast. Yum.
One of the projects was to put signs on the church.
Siblings -1. Jose was so fun to play frisbee with-even though he wasn't very attentive and his partner had good aim and hit him in the side of the head. Classic! It's all good though, he shook his head, laughed and kept playing all afternoon!
More of the family. Th man on the right side in back is the "mayor" (I think that's the equivalent) of the community and recently converted to Christianity. He eagerly attends church and discipleship group. He is Chiman and his wife in the middle with the sleeping baby is Yuracare. They both speak Spanish as well.
Virginia slept through most meals, and fell asleep halfway through some.
Making empanadas for dinner. Que lujo!
Juan and his little date for the "Miss Primavera" pageant put on by the teachers from the city. It was definitely not typical to this culture!
This guy cut his foot open and Hermana Judith treated it and had him wear a sock to protect it. I'm pretty sure it didn't stay on very long!
One of the many work projects we helped out with-I don't think I took pictures of most of the other projects....but they'll show up somewhere!
Tito is the pastor of this church. He is tri-lingual and has an amazing story. I'll write about it on the other
blog.
Dalinda weaving fans. She also made mats (see other pictures).
Naty with baby Alinda (yes her name is VERY similar to her sister's name, which makes it even more unbelievable that I could never remember Dalinda's name!)
Mati cutting up fish. I learned a lot this day!
Sunday school! Naty and I taught the kids the story of the Tower of Babel.
Serafin, super cool kid. I kept thinking of that song from Sister Act-I told him there was a song with his name in it, but I refrained from singing it!
More kids. I so enjoyed every second with them, in Sunday school, playing, swimming, singing, etc.
Where we slept. Mosquito nets are so helpful. Except when the mosquitos get trapped inside! :/
Ecological bathroom. Quite impressive actually. Sanitary and relatively clean.
Kitchen.
Note that Emanuel (=God with us) is shorter than the same idea in English, Yuracare or Chiman.
Apparently the government gifted solar panels, a battery, and bathroom to every (or every 2) households. There is also internet and cell phone reception for the community-which makes it seem a little less isolated.
Another bug. This gave these guys plenty of exercise (running away!)
Breakfast! This Chiman family lives here while both parents recover from surgery and the baby twins recuperate. There are 7 kids, and they were an absolute delight! Here is (front to back) Alfredo, Dalinda, Virginia, and Juan.
Little Raul was tuckered out from the walk/piggyback ride and slept on my lap for the whole church service on the other side of the community. I noticed everyone else slapping bugs off their legs and arms, and realized even if you live their all the time you never completely are without bug bites-although they feasted on us newbies for sure-especially us gringoes!
This little girl hung around a lot and she looked so much like a little girl from Oromomo who lived at the orphanage I used to work at, who apparently is of no relation.
The parents with the babies.
Mati made friends with everyone. And she really did like him even though she's not smiling in this second!
Judith and her mother Nasmi who came last month and plans to stay and help Judith with her work there. Sweet ladies that took such good care of us!
Return to Cochabamba.
There you have it folks: the mosquitos loved me!
