Another week in Ecuador

Hola todos-

Another week in Ecuador has ended. Last Saturday night we went to Banos for a swim. Banos is about 20 minutes out of Cuenca, and is a hot springs, part of the Andes vocanic system. It was a lot of fun. The water was nice and warm, and we had a good downpour while there, so cold rain falling on us while we were in the warm pool.

The "regular" volunteers here usually stay 10 weeks. We are not "regular" volunteers, as we are not 18-23, female, and are staying "only" 6 weeks. A new group, usually of 7, comes every 5 weeks. This week the "old" group left, and 7 "new" volunteers came. It is fun to get to know them, and be a "veteran" in knowing what to do at the orphanages. It helps us to feel more a part of things.

There is more talk of kids possibly being adopted. We have heard four possibly are, and hopefully it will come about. That would be awesome. Every day we are at the orphanages we fall more in love with the kids. It will be very hard to let them go, and so much easier if we know there is someone who will love them as part of their family.

Today I got a lecture from one of the orphanage workers. We got Sam up to go at 7am, because the rest of us were going for the morning (7am-12pm) shift, and I did not want him to stay home alone (not really alone, because there is always someone here, but without one of us). About an hour or two into the shift I realized he was sick, with a cough and a cold. Now, he very possibly could have gotten this from the kids, because five of them saw the doctor for colds just yesterday, but if I had realized it, I would have had him stay home. Midway through the shift I had him lay down on a little couch. I could have taken him home, but that would involve a taxi, and we were already short with the change in volunteers. The worker came in to the nursery and told me Sam was sick with a fever and cough. She wrapped him in a blanket, and lectured me for not having him in a sweater (his sweatshirt was in the closet, but not on him). She then fed him a cup of something (which I did not know about until after), but I figured he would probably survive because the water in Cuenca is supposedly drinkable, and the best in Ecuador. He had to have a piece of bread I brought after, to get the taste out of his mouth. Then, when it was time to go, she told me to take him to the doctor because he was sick. I told her I thought he had a virus, like all the kids there who were sick. (She also has no idea my kids usually have to convince me they are pretty sick before we go to the doctor--ask Neil, who had whooping cough for nine days before I would take him in).

Sam was doing better this afternoon. I think he has a cold.

It just illustrates some of the cultural differences. First, they dress those babies in their diapers, with a media (thick tights), a Onesie, pants, then one or two shirts, and then a sweater or thick shirt over the top. The weather here is like Spring everyday, probably 50's at night, and 70's in the day. However, they do not heat the buildings here, so dressing the kids warmly is a good thing. They think kids get sick from the cold.

Breakfast every morning is warm milk (sometimes chocolate or strawberry flavored) with pieces of bread in it (Yeah--like "milk toast", Mom!). Midmorning is "papilla", a snack consisting usually of fruit, and for the youner kids, liquefied fruit. Lunch ALWAYS consists of soup for the younger kids, with "colada" after. Colada is sweet, flavored and boiled milk. Dinner is soup again, with colada after. The littlest kids are put in their cribs with bottles propped, or if they are big enough, they hold the bottles themselves. The workers do not do this because they are neglectful, but just because there are not enough people to hold a bottle for each baby. We, therefore, make sure those kids get their teeth brushed twice a day. Other than the colada, they never have anything sweet. This week there were several exceptions, because the "old" volunteers made cupcakes, had parties, at just about every place we go. The kids surely did not eat their healthy food as well as they usually do.

This afternoon I got to go to the orphanage out in the country that we go to just once a week. After a month of being here, their mismatched clothes, runny noses, and sometimes rotten teeth didn't bother me. It is so much easier to love them, because that is what they need, and the other doesn't matter. They are just kids, and need love.

I also got to go to the old ladies home this week. We did an activity with them, then went and fed some of them dinner. My old lady ate her soup and juice right up, and was so much easier to feed than the kids at the orphanages. The lady a couple of bed away was the best, though--she sang some awesome hymns, none of which I had heard before. She did this instead of eating her food like she should. We leave Cuenca in just 10 days. We have learned a lot while here, some Spanish, a lot about love, and espcially about what is important in life. I had an great experience which illustrates this. In Casa Esperanza, the younger "special kids" orphanage, there is a boy named Eddy. He is probably 9 or so, with cerebral palsy. He can't talk or do anything for himself. But, he communicates in other ways, like in cooperation, or with a smile. I was in Esperanza a lot the first few weeks. After we finish up at the other orphanage, we come over to the special kids orphanage to help feed kids before going home. Shawn tried to feed Eddy, but Eddy would not cooperate. I traded, and sure enough Eddy ate for me, and with a smile. He did the same for me again today. I teased him about being my special friend, and ticked him a little, and got his great smile, with some eye contact to go with it.

It is the same with Jorge, one of the older special kids, and Mike, or Shawn--the younger "normal" kids are so easy to love, but these special kids love us back, and unconditionally. We are so lucky. If we hadn't come, we wouldn't have had this opportunity.

This afternoon Mike, Shawn, and I finally had some time off together, so we went to the chompa (sweater) market, and bought some Alpaca sweaters, and then walked home because we had spent all of our money (it is only about a 15 minute walk). Cuenca is beautiful, with the cathedrals, old buildings, and the stone paved streets. Again, we are so lucky to be here, and for so many reasons.

Hasta luego,

Familia Reed