This PCV Loves to Get Down and Dirty

This morning at 3:30 the school committee killed a cow in order to raise money for construction. I even helped take off the skin! It was a very tiring job and I still can't get the smell of blood off of my hands, but I love how my community members were gathered around watching the morena get down and dirty. It made me feel a lot closer to them. Isn't this what it's all about? I still can't get the smell of blood off of my hands, but I really love my job!

Take good care and I love you all,

Mya

Peaceful Heart

My God has given me the strength to overcome some spiritual strongholds that I have been battling with for years. When you trust completely in the Lord and you stop trying to justify your failures, good things will happen! I continue to learn from the past while looking forward to a brighter, more Christ-focused future. I wish that I could explain just how peaceful I feel right now knowing that He is with me, but I can't seem to find the words :)

God is good all the time and all the time God is good.

Btw...work is awesome! I have a workout class up and running at the school and it's a lot of fun. Sometimes the kids make me feel old because they have way more energy than I do. Next Monday we're FINALLY starting the school garden! Tomatoes, anyone? Also, we got the land to start building the clinic!!! The Ministry of Health told us to cut down all the trees so that construction can begin, so we've been busy chopping away. The first day I went chapodaring my machete wasn't sharp so it took me an about an hour to chop down one tree. While taking pictures of all of our hard work, a tree fell on me and everyone started cracking up. Eventually I was sent home because, according to my neighbors, I am not cut out for that type of work. Take a look at my neighbor hard at work.

I have fallen truly, madly, deeply in love with my community. The bolos and even the super dirty children have taken up a big space in my heart! I love when the kids walk pass my house and scream out, "SALÚ NIÑA MYA", or when they run up to me at school screaming my name. On my morning runs, the old men that are heading to the fields always tell me that they will start running with me. I like to think that one day there'll be a group of senior citizens running beside me down the hill(haha). As my time here winds down the reality that one day I must leave this place hits me like a brick. My host sisters know that I have only nine months left and it kinda stings when they ask if the next volunteer will be a man or a woman. WHY ARE YOU GUYS ALREADY THINKING ABOUT THE NEXT ONE!? The old ladies always tell me that I should stay, get married and have a couple of kids with someone from my village...and then they offer me their sons or grandsons, lol.

All in all things coulnd't be better for me right now. Life is good, it's calling and I'm glad that I answered.

Have a blessed day everyone,

Mya

Prayers Answered

My oldest sister, Kelli, has just accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Saviour! I've been praying for this day for a while and it's finally here. God is great and I am so happy that He has answered my prayers. I see good things in store for my family. He's a GREAT God!!

Carrera de Cinta

Hello All,

This post is a little late, but it's really important for me to write about it because it was one of the happiest moments that I've experienced as a PCV.

So back in early March, my community and I began to plan a carrera de cinta to raise money for the health clinic. A carrera de cinta is almost like a horse race. Ok so picture a limbo pole with small rings hanging from loosely tied strings. As the rider pass under the pole they reach up and try to grab one of the rings with a small pencil. The riders that get the most rings gets the most gifts from the "madrinas"(godmothers) at the end of the race.

At our event, the health committee and I got 50 madrinas (including two really great PCVs, Jordan Fox and Megan Butler) to participate and I was the "reina" (queen) of the entire event so I got to start the parade on top of one of the prettiest horses in town. Once the race was over each rider recieved at least one gift and some received two. Now, I dont find Salvo men to be particularly attractive, but there is something very sexy about a man on top of a horse...lol.

All in all, it was a great day. We raised more than $257 for the clinic and I felt like just another member of the community instead of the freakishly tall gringa. Life in El Pastor just might suit me :)

HIV Workshop El Tamarindo

Greetings!

This past weekend I took five community leaders to an HIV workshop and it was probably the best workshop that I've ever participated in. The chemistry amongst all of the participants was amazing. We invited a person living with HIV to give his testimony to the 25 others participants and it must have been the most impacting moment of the workshop. I was afraid that the participants might treat him differently after they found out the person that they had thought, up to that moment,to be just another community leader there to learn about the prevention of HIV/AIDS. Once the news was revealed the question started coming, but everyone took the news really well. I was really surprised by these Salvos...who can at times be very judgemental. Their interactions with the invited speaker changed FOR THE BETTER. It was probably one of the most emotional moments that I've experienced as a volunteer.


Life's good!

Life's Good

I'm happier than I've been in a very long time. Thank God! Learning to be patient with the things that I have absolutely no control over. Life's good and it's still calling.


Salu,
Mya

p.s. I will not be meeting Mr. Obama....such is life

The Rundown

Here's what's been going on lately:

1. Some guy threatened me in my site (the pic is the view from my bedroom window...i really hate to leave this place)
2. I now have to change sites
3. Went to visit my possible new site, it seems like there's a lot to be done!!
4. For some reason I'm still in my old site and now my running water isn't running
5. Seriously thought about going home for good
6.

Celebrated my birthday!
7. Realized that some people that I thought were genuine actually aren't
8. Realized that God is the only one that can help me
9. Renewed my faith. THANK YOU, JESUS!

Love you all,
Mya