Contemplating life over an ice cube and straw

When a plane touches down there's always a sense of relief that you've made it- I've never felt that so wonderfully than when the plane touched down in Rio, Brazil! 

Having waited 4hrs in miami I had convinced myself that the would be some problem preventing me from reaching the final destination for the beginning of tour. So when the 9hr journey was over and those wheels hit tarmack I was ecstatic. I'd made it to rio- maybe this wasn't too good to be true after all!

I had met a girl on the forum for the tour before we got there so after I got ripped off with a Rio taxi I walked to her hotel to meet. We knew we only had one day in Rio so had to do the obvious- Christ the redeemer! 

Gill and I went and spent 30minutes trying to get selfies and take in the giant and the views of Rio surrounding.

That evening we met the group and I judged books by their covers. Half the group are around 40+ which I hadn't expected. Oh how great they all are- there is a group of 15 of us, and its the greatest laugh ever. Within 24hrs I had been asked to have a vodka night and their all just hilarious! 

Thursday was a day of travelling to Ilha Grande- an island off the coast of Brazil just down from Rio. It was an island of pure beauty and just want to return! It all reminds you a little of Pirates of The carribean with sanded roads and idillic shops on the beach front, with rolling rainforest everywhere on the mountains you can see. We spent a day and a half there, and on one hiked through the rainforest at 9am to visit 3 beaches on the other side of the island. 

A tough hike but so worth the work as the views and beaches were incredible! Rolling white sand that squeeked when you walk on it because its so fine and blue seas with rolling waves. Due to the hike its not massively busy so was a great place to just relax and swim for the whole day- though now a little red! 

Today was a day of travelling to Paraty a colonial town further down the coast! We have walked through the town and now Im sitting in a hammock listening to thunder and rain as there's a tropical storm.

Brazil. Is. Bliss.

Last Of Honduras

So on Friday I had my last day at AFE after 1 month of volunteering there! 
Goodbyes are never nice and this wasn't especially because it holds a place in my heart. Having visited before and balled my eyes out I expected to cry lots- though at school I managed to just about hold it in!

The day was a crazy day as they had a team doing activities for them in the morning and then after, a government team was handing out crocs and had set up bouncy castles and popcorn on the campo! Therefore when the presentation had finished the kids had lots on and so I didn't have much time to say goodbye! 

Luckily the presentation provided a little of that opportunity! Every time a team volunteers at AFE on the Friday they all have a 'thankyou' ceremony. Each year group performs a play, dance or song which they perform. After they then create a circle and pray for the team in the middle, and after the count of 3 when finished- a hundred or so run at the team for a group hug! 

All good when there's a group..!
 After they finished the teams celebration they reformed the circle (I thought that was unusual) and then Ruth led me in to the centre!! (Uh-oh) They were saying thankyou to me for my work (I thought I'd be able to slip away!!) and then Ruth prayed for me (that really jerked some tears!). Then, all the kids on the count of 3, RAN at me! 100kids v. 1Emily. I think it's safe to say I squished 10 feet and almost toppled 20 times! 
None the less, after a hug from pretty much every kid, it was a lovely way to say bye to many of the students I had gotten to know over a month! 

Everytime I come here I fall in love with AFE more and more, so I'm already wanting to return asap- probably next year on a student budget!! 

Till next time AFE XX

Clinic

Hi Guys,

So as I wrote in my last blog I am helping one of the doctors re-paint the clinic at AFE as they were rather bright colours! 

The clinic provides daily care for around 30 people a day with a team of around 4 people working tirelessly from 8am-12.30. They provide a range of health care for trash dump workers and the local community at AFE. 

It also provides a clinic for the students at AFE daily if they injure themselves at school or come to school with a problem.

The clinic has 3 doctors rooms, a pharmacy, a toilet and a waiting area.

When we arrived a month ago and saw the colours I didn't feel they were very clinical and were very bright. 

I don't know how we got on to the subject of repainting (holly and I), but I'm guessing the mention of maybe wanting to spend my afternoons doing a decorating project of some sorts if needed- jogged it! 

3 weeks later in the massively busy schedule at AFE we have started to repaint! 

We are painting most walls a medium grey, and are going to paint feature walls in each room a burnt (I think) orange! There were hopes of me painting a mural but I don't know if I'll have time! We have also had to cleanse some walls and paint mould prevention on them. 

The paints and equiptment initially cost around £80. We began work today once school finished at 12 and have already gone through half a tin of paint for two walls!! It looks as though we may have to buy some more paint! 

I would love to raise the money for the paints for the clinic as its an expense the clinic could really do without spending and use it for medicines and equipment instead! 

So, I guess this blog post is a gentle plea for donations! I would ideally like to raise £150 for the clinic as the original cost of £80 will rise due to the need of more paints! Any extra will go towards the clinics running and equipment expenses! 

If you would to donate, here's a guide of how:

1.On the AFE donate page you will fill out a form about donations. 

2.It will ask you to select an option- please select AFE CLINIC.

3.Select the amount you would like to donate.

4. In the NOTES box please write:

Paints for clinic- h&a. 

5. Submit your gratefully appreciated donation! 

All that's left to say is THANKYOU! It may only be paint but will make a big difference! 

(My blog wont let me upload pics- sorry ): If you have me on Fb I'll put them up there, and will make it public others who dont)


Lots of Love and THANKYOU from me and everyone at AFE X

http://www.afehonduras.org/donate

AFE's clinic

So in my final week at AFE we are going to start painting the clinic at AFE! I've been wanting to do it since I got here but the school have been so busy with other teams here I had to hang fire!

The walls are currently half yellow and green, and half dark blue and light. It doesn't go together and the separating lines for the colours are all messy and an artists nightmare! 

(This is when I can tell I'm my mums daughter!)

So now we are going to repaint it all a light grey, and then I've designed some murals and hopefully one of which will go up on the wall in the waiting area. 

The aim is to make it a sterile but light area, with a bit of fun to give children something to concentrate on whilst waiting! 

Hopefully that will begin on monday- though we may not finish in time for my departure but I know there are people to carry it on! 

I would like to raise the money for the paints that were bought- all in all I think it came to around £80.So if you lovely blog readers would like to donate towards the cost then please do! I don't know how I will work the donations with being here but I will update tomorrow/ Sunday on how that would work! 

Lots of Love, and thankyou for support :)

E

AFE update

Life at AFE has very much become a pleasant routine! School starts at 8 so we get the rapidito bus from the community to school.

Lessons are 45 minutes long and I either have 4 or 5 lessons a day. I'm teaching all grades in Primary school and every class is different. It keeps my day lively as one class I'll have 11 crazy second graders and the next I'll have 5 calm third graders! 

The main thing is that the kids are so loving here- I probably won't have even walked through the gates of school and will have received 5 hugs of 'Goodmorning!' Seeing smiles on the kids faces throughout the day is something so amazing. Amazing to think that they can have fun and learn at AFE, relax and help others, though sad also as when they leave at the end of school they will either go to the trash dump for work or back to bad living conditions.

That doesn't deter the amazing team at AFE though- the kids wouldn't have half a chance if it wasn't for the caring teachers! 

It's sad to think that next week is my last week- a month here has gone very quickly! 

Though now I'm collecting air miles hopefully I'll be able to get back here sooner than I thought! 

E! 

Valetines at AFE

Valentines day was a day I thought would suck being travelling and my other half back in england- though I have to admit I rather felt OK! 

At AFE on the Friday we unexpectedly had celebrations for valentines day instead of lessons! A whole range of activities were played out on the football pitch infront of AFE- all done in a rotation with every year group! 

Teaching can sometimes restrict the level of friendships you build with children as they will always see part of you as a teacher. Not having much time with the kids apart from In lessons- I wanted to get stuck in with activities to try and cross that bridge. I ended up finishing the activities covered in water and flour (a bad mix in hair)! 

I guess it was the 'Emily's new let's get her!' Idea, but it was great fun none the less! At the end we had a presentation for valentines cards they could give to their best friends! It was a lovely little moment and even better at the end when I had been given a total of 5 cards by some of my students! 

If there was going to be something that didn't make you miss your loved ones (as much) on valentines day- that was sure it and it was lovely!! (I obviously still missed loved ones....!) 

Lots of belated valentines love,
E!

Different life from home!

I always took for granted hot water, I never thought about running water and a flushing toilet. Well here I am In Honduras, showering out of a bucket and using a toilet that doesnt flush. At first it was really difficult to adjust too, but its getting easier to shower with a bucket! I do, however, look forward to that first hot shower in the future and flush of a toilet! Oh the simple things in life! 

Teaching is great fun though difficult also. Some kids seem to take advantage of my little Spanish (I don't blame them) and so I had children climbing on tables and fighting whilst I turned my back to write on the board! It may have all been in good spirits- just frustrating for me when I don't know how to ask them to sit down! 

Currently in the school there is also an American team of around 12 people doing some construction work. They are regular visitors and so know the importance of speed to make it better for the kids. I've started to help in the afternoons, doing labour such as digging up a concrete floor and shovelling it in to buckets! Its hard work but good upper body strength building so I don't gain lots of food babies from the amount of tortillas I am eating a day! 

An american team means more american English, and apparently I'm picking up a twang! Every time I Skype or call home I get asked why I'm talking like an american (though many Americans here would disagree)- its because I've encountered aprox 3 Englishmen in the whole of my trip so far, the rest have been american! The teams here still take enjoyment out of my calling my 'pants' trousers, and uderwear, pants! 

Off to now do zumba with a group of students and people from the community! 

Adios, E

AFE and the Miller

For those who know me well, and maybe those who don't, would laugh if I said I was going to be teaching at AFE. Well go ahead and laugh- as I am! Primary school! 

It was incredibly daunting when we arrived at AFE on Monday morning, and during our induction got told I would be teaching! Its something I have not done before, and was an area I was unsure on! However, it seems to be going OK (touch wood)! 

I teach Calligraphy, Biblioteca all week, as well as an Art and Agropecuaria lesson a week! I have 4/5 lessons a morning each day, until school ends at noon. I'm teaching 2,3,4,5th grade and the classes sizes range from 5 kids to 15! 

Its great fun but also testing, especially because I don't speak much Spanish. The kids seem to understand that and so I'm rather fortunate. 

When I was last at AFE in summer 2012, I became good friends with a particular student called Ruth. We barely spoke then because I knew no Spanish, so I was excited yet apprehensive to return and see if she remembered/recognised me despite the odd letter between us! It was amazing, that during my induction, she recognised me and we had a big hug to say hello and 'I can't believe you came back!' I now teach her 6th grade class. Some students did recognise me so it made me happy and amazed- this school will always have a place in my heart! 

I'm living in a community called Linda Miller, with a family of 2 and another volunteer I got paired with in Guatemala. Its lovely and peaceful, until the dogs start barking! 'There are around 600 people in the Miller, but around 800 dogs!' And it does feel like that, when one barks, they all bark! It can be disturbing at night but I'm sure after a month it will enable me to sleep through almost anything! 

I'll update more later tomorrow! 

E 

Saying goodbye to the streets

So it's 1.39am here in Guatemala and I'm trying to stay awake so I can sleep away the 14hr bus journey tomorrow to Honduras! A great opportunity to reflect on my week in Guatemala City volunteering with Mi Arca. 

Its something you can't quite comprehend until you are there experiencing it, and when you do its a shock to the system. Good or bad? Both.

True Gratitude is something that seems to be becoming rarer these days- how much meaning is there behind 'Thanks' to the person serving you a coffee, or the person placing food in front of you at home? We all have gratitude for those things, but here the gratidue is different.The thanks of the people I've met on the streets this week is something inspiring. They have little or nothing, nothing physically at least. Gratitude and love though, they have in abundance. They have families, street families, not by blood but love. They look out for each other, cry for each other and work for each other. Even us, the street team, they look out for us. 

Today on the streets, a man didn't recognise the team, he started to get boisterous towards Duncan telling us to leave. What happened? The group of people who live on the centre parting of 5th Avenue, that Mi Arca work with, threatened to hurt him if he hurt us. US! They are grateful for the love Mi Arca show them and so protect us. That's an amazing feeling. 

Unfortunately, most of those on the streets have found a love for solvents also. They inhale the vapour of pure liquid alcohol to take away the pain of street living. They become intoxicated, unable to recognise cards of the same colour, compilate words and make sense of what's happening around them. 

On 5th avenue today, I watched one boy become intoxicated within 30minutes, not able to look straight or make sense of anything. All I could see was pain in his eyes until he fell in to a disturbed sleep from the solvent. He's around 12-14. His prospects of making it to 16-18 are rare- solvents and streets are all he knows, and all he will probably ever know. That's a bad shock- a sad, heart breaking shock. I cant put in to words on a blog what I felt, its something I'll never forget. 

The Terminal. A bustling mini-city in the city, a huge market selling pants to potatoes, Califlowers to chairs. Everything you need is probably there- being sold from brick buildings, tin shacks, wooden shacks. Walk through the main market area and there is something interesting on every corner. A huge proportion of trade in Guatemala city goes through 'La Terminal.' Lots of trade means lots of people, lots of people means people need somewhere to sleep...

...'The Grandmother'is the head lady of a HUGE family. She has something like 20 grandchildren, and her grandchildren have children. Some are as young as 16 with toddlers. They sell tomatoes and egg shells with confetti to make a living. They have a wooden stall probably the size 3×3m, where they probably sleep 10-15 people above. These kids are high risk, teenage pregnancy, low incomes and unstable living conditions. Mi Arca and the street team try to work with these families to give the kids an education or mentoring. To help expand their horizons beyond tomatoes. 

Its hard to imagine where exactly money goes to when you donate. Here I can see where. A local event near amersham for SKD raised around £150. That money is now being used to buy much needed textbooks for a school that is in La Terminal. Children attended school in the morning, learning to read, write and do basic maths. Its run by volunteers, so money raised by charities to buy resources is as valuable as silver for a silversmith. Actually, more valuable. So valuable, you can't put a price on it. To name one area. Mentoring programmes, familial support, schooling support are just a few other areas where money makes a difference. 

I could write so much about the project Mi Arca here, but I have an idea. Follow Mi Arca on Fb, look at their website, go to the Street Kids Direct website. All the information you need is there- even a page to donate to help make a difference :) I promise you it will. I've seen first hand what it can do!! 

Thanks for reading- enjoy that cup of coffee, and remember as you drink it, what others may be grateful for today in La Terminal, in the City, in GoGuatemala, in 5th Avenue, and all over the world!

Love. E 


http://www.miarca.org

http://www.streetkidsdirect.org.uk/index.php/how-we-help/project-partnerships#miarca

https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=186782281375356

John 10:10

'Yo He Venido Para Que Tengan Vida! Y Para Que La Tengan En Abundancia' John 10:10

The motto of Mi Arca and the words I have on my street team T-shirt! The charity works with street children in the city of Guatemala and their families if they have them.

This week I am volunteering with them, going out on the streets and seeing projects they are partnered with.

On Monday, Duncan and I went to 'La Terminal' to meet many people that live and work there, and then to the local rubbish dump where we met mothers and grandmothers, of the children who work there and go to school, and who spend the day working there themselves. 

Yesterday I then returned with the designated street team Walter, Sandy and Frank to spend time with the same piople. We then also sent to see a group who have chosen to live in the centre divide of a street and don't want to leave. There the charity just work on building friendships with them and provide them with basic health care if needed. 

Our last visit yesterday was to a street where 12-15 young people sleep and live. However when we arrived there were only 4 guys, as it turned out that the police had visited that morning or night before and arrested a few of the boys for selling drugs and solvents. This was hard to see as they have formed a street family, and those still there were clearly distressed by the happenings. 

Tomorrow I return to the streets with the same team :)

End of Antigua and the Start of the City!

So Friday I said goodbye to Don Pedro Spanish school and my teacher Ceci after 2 1\2 weeks in Antigua and 3 weeks worth of Spanish! 
Having spent 4+ hours a day with the same people its hard to say bye, especially when you get on with them so well!  Though, it just adds another reason to my already long list of reasons to return! 

Then Saturday I said goodbye to the most hospitable and loving family that I was blessed to have been able to stay with! Now I have a family in Antigua which is a lovely thought! They had a cheeky 3yr old- who is on the road to become a mini superstar drummer- who was good fun to play games with and release my inner child! They also had a 13yr old daughter who was lovely and incredible at singing! I will surely be returning to see them again! 

I'm now staying in the volunteer house just outside of Guatemala city with Frank, a MiArca worker, and Serghio, who successfully left the streets in December and is making himself a better life here! 

I'll update about my time here in my next blog! 

E

 Ceci and I outside the church next school ft. Christy her sissy

 Frank (blue shirt), serghio and I after dinner at the house! 

Coffee Beans and Passion

Hola Chicos!

Sorry for my silence- I may have bitten my tongue when I said this place is laid back- I don't feel like I've sat down for days! That being said- the last week has been good fun! 

We visited a coffee plantation on Thursday and had the opportunity to walk through some of the plantation rows and walk on drying coffee 'beans.' That was kinda weird to think that in a few months someone would be drinking a cup of coffee with my footprint on!! Though don't panic Starbucks drinkers- you won't literally have my footprint on your coffee its all sanitary ;). Having been a barrista in a cafe for 3years it was interesting to finally learn what arrabica coffee was- when the coffee is grown in the shade. In this plantation they were shadowed by trees such as Banana trees! 

'Coffee should be black as night, strong as passion, sweet as love and hot as hell' -Jose Ricardo (Coffee Plantation Owner)

Talking of passion, on Saturday I travelled to GoGuatemala! Along with Duncan D (WOO!), to see the project street kids direct support there. Its a Saturday school for disadvantaged children living in the dangerous part of town. They provide activities such as sports and crafts, support in education helping with homework and providing extra classes, as well as worship and teachings. 
Pastor Alex, along with Duncan, have great passion for the project, and teaching the children that there is a wider world out there than just the 4 brick walls and tin roof they have for houses and crime as a friend. 
They, in turn, pass the passion on to the older students. And those students teach the younger ones.One such student was a young girl called Ninfa who was teaching a class of younger students. Students like herself provide the others with relatable role models, that they can aspire to be. Mi Arca are hoping to support Ninfa this year by putting her in a college in the City to continue her studies safely! 

I'll try update tomorrow of the last few days activities! 

E 

Volcano Mad

This place is amazing, for the tranquility and people. Nothing is rushed here, everyone meanders down the cobbled streets saying 'Hola' to everyone they pass! The gratitude the people have for the little they have is inspirational to say the least.

I'm in a homestay, with 3 other people who are all American- I've only met 3 people so far from England! Despite that, this is a home away from home! The family are friendly and amazing cooks- eggs, avococado, salsa, frijoles aka beans, bread, tortillas- I could go on but I won't or you'll be hungry! 

If lovely people and good food weren't enough, the view is like the icing on the cake! The house has a roof terrace, overlooking the whole of antigua and the most active volcano in the Americas (I hear) called 'Volcan de Fuego.' It billows smoke at least once everyday, potentially at least every hour or two. Today as I write this I have ash falling on my tablet as its super active! 

Yesterday we climbed another volcano called Pocaya- an active yet sleepy volcano, having last erupted in march of 2014. We didnt quite make it to the crater at the top as it was a day hike, but we did make it to the base of the lava field where flow stopped last year! There we TOASTED MARSHMALLOWS in the lava rock! 

This is a geographers heaven.If I didn't have a love for volcano's before- I do now!!

E 

 Volcan de Fuego billowing smoke! 

 Pocaya Volcano: where the lava flows stopped

 Toasting marshmallows in the Lava rock to make 'smores'!

Check in hell but feasting like a king!

You always hope that when you go to the airport,everything go smoothly..you check in, drop your bags go through security and then treat yourself to a bit of duty free, right?

That didn't seem to be the case yesterday though. First at check-in- it said I needed to find a virgin rep about my booking, ok- maybe I'm being upgraded! I could not have been further from the truth. I didn't have an esta, so couldn't fly to america- when I renewed my passport in Nov my last esta was cancelled along with the old passport- something I didn't realise. As someone said to me- the gods were on my side as we panick applied for an esta on a phone and got it by 10.45. 

Back to check in- it worked great! Then we tackled the never ending que of virgin/delta ques as its that time of year. Half way along the que, I look at my boarding pass and it says boarding at 11.10, i had ten minutes to get from bag drop,through security and get to the gate- oh good!! 

If I didn't have cholesterol or heart problems then- I probably do now because of the stress! 

Anyway- made It through after a lot of crying from the goodbyes to very loved ones, and ran to the gate.

Meeting a lovely south African/ american lady from Miami was great- she gave me a tip to get a taxi as its cheaper- at least i think that's what she said! I did anywayanyway as I didn't want to hang around after a 9hr flight!

Getting a cab to the hotel was great fun- I had a driver who liked Spanish guitar music (very fitting!) Who drove like a bit of a maniac but it got me there! There was a lovely little diner across the parking lot so I got some dinner there- and even got 10% off because I have a holiday inn card- result! 

After a great nights sleep in a king I'm now sitting at breakfast stuffing my face before transferring to the airport- gotta make the most of 'free' breakfast!

I'll update when I get to Guatemala! 

E