Privileges

It's true. It has to be! The cutest kids in all of Latin America have been shipped to the pueblo of Baños and are attending the after school care program at La BIB. And we are a very fortunate pair to get to enjoy them for 3 hours a day, 5 days a week.

Most of them are latch-key kids, who would otherwise be wandering the streets after school while their parents continue to work. Thankfully the doors of La BIB are wide open, providing them with opportunities that previously (and remarkably!) were not available in town. For instance, up until La BIB opened it's doors 2 years ago, most of these kids would never have even held a book before in their lives. Unimaginable to most of us privileged gringos, but sadly true.

It hasn't taken long for a few of them to already have wedged themselves into our hearts. There's Indira, one of the older girls, who is always eager to practice her English and is also most helpful (ahem!) at correcting my Spanish. There's Enrique, who wrote the sweetest poem to his Mamita in the mother's day card we constructed together. There's Karla, whose shy little smile gets me every single time. And then there's chubby little Jocelyn, who gives the best and longest good-bye hugs at the end of the day.

There are many, many more. And while we bounce between reading books to them, playing memory and helping with crafts, we get to know them a little more each day. After only one week here, our departure date, as far down the road as it is, is a sad thought already.

After a very busy week, we are enjoying the quiet of the weekend - relaxing some but also eagerly working on other projects that we have taken on for La BIB. The looming beauty of this town will have to wait to be adored, but it doesn't hurt to see the gorgeous mountains and a waterfall out of our window while we work. We are, indeed, the privileged gringos.

We will add pictures soon! We've been too busy this week to take any!