Ch-ch-ch-Changes

It's officially September which means that our string of visitors have left, we're now only cooking for 10 (plus dessert for Bibi), and programs begin in t-minus two weeks from yesterday.  Up until now being here felt more or less like summer camp, perhaps because we were running a camp of our own.  However, as August began to slip away and the realization that we wouldn't be going home for another year of school settled in, so did the magnitude of the upcoming twelve months.  

One area that is undergoing considerable change is the physical and operational structure of our library.  Last year's PDs worked their tushes off to obtain, set up, and manage the library space, making it a place for community members to interact, play, and most importantly, enjoy reading.   Now that the foundation has been built, it is our job to transform it into a fundamental piece of the community where we work.  Come September 14, we will be running all of our programs out of the library space, from Art to Children's English to Women's Exercise which will be held above the library in a space we just recently began renting.  

Mike Gabrys and I are co-managing the library and part of our job is to envision what we want it to look like when we leave next summer.  Though it's tough to imagine life a year from now, it's an important consideration, keeping in mind of course that visions are often different than originally intended.   This type of mentality is necessary for every program that we run here at Manna and it's something we've all been thinking about as we begin to draw up lesson plans and map out other programatic ideas. 

Shawn and I explain the wonders of I Spy

In other news, today was an interesting day for a couple of reasons: 

Mike and I took a trip to the mailbox to retrieve a birthday box (thanks Ma!) and to our surprise, a postcard from our dear friend and past PD, Serena!  It appears that she didn't expect said postcard to arrive for several years because in it she introduced herself, explained the programs that she started, and asked us to e-mail her about progress since she left (which was about two weeks ago).  Needless to say, we love you Serena! 

There was also a post-dinner incident concerning a handful of girls and a contaminated bowl of pizza dough that contained twice the amount of yeast than the recipe called for.  For more information please see below...

Krysta, Haley, and Dana mid-battle 

Cheers, 

Jackie 

Birthdays, Bonfires and Buffets

So here we are, returning back to the so-called "Daily Life Blog" with our tails between our legs. Yes, we are quite aware that our last post was on Wednesday. Seeing as how that was five days ago... well. You get the point. Sorry about that. But in our defense, life has been crazy around the Manna House in the last week. Here is a brief recap:

1. Summer Camp ended on Friday! It was a great way to start off our year, as it allowed us to get to know the kids and parents of our communities. We're thrilled to have had such a successful first program and hope that success will carry over to the programs that will begin in two weeks. (We're equally thrilled to not be required to get 10 people out of the door by 8am...)

Mike, Erik, Sonia and Sarah try their hand at the teeter-totter.
The weight distribution was clearly very equal...

Gisela chases Santiago in a game of duck, duck, goose.
(Or, as Iori likes to call it, "duck, duck, duck".)

Krysta walks the little ones back to the library.

2. We co-hosted a very successful health clinic at Alinambi on both Friday and Saturday. Krysta's weeks of planning (along with a little help from the rest of the health girls and the house) finally paid off! And she's kind enough to be writing a guest blog about it later this week!

The entrance to the clinic

Haley shows off the impeccably organized pharmacy.

LOTS of toothpaste donations

Krysta and Haley lead a charla on brushing and flossing.

The whole health crew

3. And finally, today is Jackie's birthday (HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JACKIE!)! In order to celebrate both Jackie and Bibi's birthdays in style, we had our first rooftop bonfire of the year last night and made s'mores. We followed up the late night of s'mores and group bonding with an enormous buffet at the Marriott in Quito. Apparently all celebrations revolve around food in the Manna House.

The birthday brownies at the Marriott

Jackie's THREE... yes, three... birthday cakes
(Unfortunately we already ate the leftovers for breakfast/lunch. Typical.)

The whole group post-brunch and pre-food coma

All in all, it's been a fun (and hectic) last few days. This week will be more relaxed, as we're planning for our programs that begin in two weeks, catching up on work that was pushed aside last week, and making the blog a little more "daily"... :)

Thanks for checking in with us!
Sarah

Once in a Lifetime

(This week's guest blog comes from Mr. Seth Harlan. Seth left late last night for a Galapagos getaway before he heads back to the States after volunteering with MPIE for 2 years. The presence of the one and only Mr. Ecuador will be sorely missed in the Manna House... good thing he's coming back for a visit in October!)

"Wednesday, August 26, 2009 - Day 712, and I can´t believe how quickly the past two years have flown by. It seems like only yesterday I was dropped off with a host family, repeating the only phrase I could remember from high school spanish- "My name is Seth. Where is the bathroom?" It´s true that things started slowly, and there was a lot to learn between Spanish, the Ecuadorian transportation system, and how to initiate community development in Latin America. Looking back, they all seem like daunting tasks, impossible for any group of recent college graduates to achieve, and although it took nearly two years to feel like we had made progress, I can honestly say that we have accomplished much more than we ever could have imagined. In two years we have hosted over 150 international volunteers, launched more than a dozen successful programs, forged life changing relationships with local community member, and shared invaluable experiences. And although I could continue to reminisce and reflect back on my time here, I would much rather leave a message for the future.

To our past volunteers I encourage to keep an eye on this year's programs directors. I have a feeling that they are going to accomplish things here that we never dreamed of.

To the family members of this year's volunteers, I thank you for entrusting Manna with your loved ones, and I promise you that their time here will have a genuine impact on the people we work with as well as the volunteers themselves.

To our donors, I thank you for your commitment to MPI that supports us and the communities we work with.

Finally to this year's group of volunteers, you have eased all of my concerns, re-energized me, and revitalized my commitment to MPI. Part of me wishes that I could start all over again with you, and part of me is comforted by the knowledge that the groundwork has been laid and you are more than ready to continue what we have started. Enjoy every moment of your experience. It truly only comes once in a lifetime.

Seth"

25th Birthdays?

Greetings from the kitchen of the Manna house where I'm half writing this entry and half admiring my new blue bracelet, courtesy of Seth.  After this morning's camp session, we were all up to our ears with various tasks.  Seth and Sonia donated all of the items that have been piling up under our staircase, generously left behind by old PDs and picked through by us over the past month.  The healthcare girls crafted educational materials from food pyramids (or, what is now more of a column?) to dental hygiene posters.  And, the most important event of today: BIBI'S BIRTHDAY!  We joyously celebrated with a homemade cake, optimistic candles, and a poster from that Bibi promises she's going to frame and hang in her house. 

Bibi proudly showing off her present

Bibi's cake + incorrect candles

I apologize for the brevity of this post, but Seth is catching a bus to Guayaquil in twenty minutes and it's getting a little emotional on the couch in the kitchen...

Sporting our new digs

Cheers,

Jackie

PD Introductions and Interview Updates

Well hello there. Long time, no blog (for me, at least). I guess that's what happens when the wireless decides to go out for the majority of Friday afternoon/evening, and when half of the blogging staff (not to mention half of the house) is semi-incapacitated due to a mysterious stomach/digestive issue. Thankfully the shifty internet connection has been resolved... and we're working on the stomach/digestive issues.

On a happier (and less disgusting) note, here is the first installment of PD Introductions! We are quite the eclectic (and sometimes ridiculous) bunch... I hope this conglomeration of interviews gives you a better look into our lives in Ecuador, our motivations for joining Manna Project, and our oftentimes absurd personalities.

The second (and final) installment of PD Introductions should be posted sometime next week. And stay on the lookout for Lori Scharffenberg's interview as well... whew. That's a lot of interviews in the next weeks for you (and a lot of iMovie for me). We have quite the busy week ahead of us (especially the health folks), so forgive me in advance if I don't get it posted until next Friday. I'll do my best! Until then, enjoy part 1 of our PD Introductions!



Until Wednesday,
Sarah