Day 3!

With our early-morning wake up call because of the combination of airplanes and the announcements from the schools across the street, most of us woke up this morning a little tired. After a delicious breakfast of eggs, toast and fruit, talk to me, Marissa V., Emma, Julianna, Andrea and Meredith and told us all about Ecuadorian schooling. She gave us a quote that a mother said to her child when he asked her for a school book – "would you rather have books or your tummy?"

We then waited for Manuel to pick us up in the van while I taught Alex and Ryan how to play Egyptian rat screw. At the Damien house when we first arrived, Marissa V. and I ventured into the women's room and begin a conversation in Spanish with a woman named Gladys. When we were called in to begin renovating the wall in the men's patio, Leon and another resident told us that they would love light blue walls, so we immediately began scraping and sand papering the walls.

While sweating tremendously, a man named Ernesto sang to us. Shortly after he finished, all of us began to sing together some old songs.

Soon after, Sister Annie called us in for lunch of rice, fried fish, fried plantains, beans and purée (potato). At lunch we got the chance to meet a volunteer from the Rostro de Cristro volunteer program named Meg. She told us all about what she does here in Ecuador. We also met another Ecuadorian volunteer at the Damien House who shared with us some of her stories.

We finished scraping and sanding after lunch and Marissa V. and I went grocery shopping for dinner – spending seven dollars less then we spent the day before, $28. Emma and I began to speak with a very funny, kind man named Ricardo and, although it was hard to understand because he spoke so fast, we could tell that he enjoyed our presence. Returning home from a long day at the Damien House, we are all resting and preparing for nighttime activities and reflection.

Marissa F., aka Maria 

**Marissa V. sends a shoutout to her little sister Marla, wishing her a happy 14th birthday!

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