Rostro de Cristo in Ecuador

Saludos desde Duran!!

Things down in Antonio Jose de Sucre neighborhood are rolling right along....a few things changing but many remaining the same. As part of Marianita´s (mayor of Duran) long obra of improvements around the city, our streets are looking like they are getting closer to getting pavement! This means that there have been bulldozers building up and leveling the dirt on the road to make it suitable for paving. This is exciting news in part (less mud and mosquitos once the rainy season comes!) but also brings along some problems because it means that many houses in our neighborhood are now lower than street level, and so when the water comes it will run off the road and flood some of our neighbors´ houses. Thus those that have dirt floors in their houses have had to bring in dirt to raise the inside of their homes a couple of feet so that they will not be in standing water once the rainy season hits. Our driveway is also in the same situation, so we have had to build it up in order to not face the floods in a few months. Besides these changes, many things remain the same in the AJS community. For instance, our neighbor Freddy is still always out in his hammock, ready to chat when we walk by, Gabriel is still totally welcoming and ready to greet any visitors with Pepsi and Coco cookies, and Carmen (who owns a store we always buy from) is still saying ´ya niña´ after every transaction.

A couple of weeks ago, AJS also had its fourth retreat group since us new volunteers have been here, but its first that we newbies have actually had to lead....a group of 14 from Villanova University. I had the opportunity to lead this great group of students from Philadelphia and had a wonderful time spending the week with them. The most amazing thing was being able to see Duran again as if it were the first time. After being here for just a short time, all of the poverty and suffering that we see on a daily basis had begun to feel normal, and the inital shock that we all had when we arrived had been taken away from me, and I imagine from other volunteers as well. However, by leading around the retreat group and visiting all of the sites in Duran where we work, it was shocking to (re)confront all of the injustices, all of the suffering, and all of the need that is here with us every day. I was able to see it all again through the eyes of a retreatant and experience with them the joys and also the struggles of being here with the people. It was a very moving week and am grateful to have been reminded that we have to constantly fight against the feeling of complacency throughout this entire year.

This past weekend, we were all refreshened by a retreat that we took to Playas, the beach town nearest to Guayaquil. It was a great weekend to re-focus on our mission, both collective and personal, for coming to Ecuador, and also a chance to build community as an entire volunteer group. And between the sessions, we had time to hang out at the beach...which was amazing! The waves were huge, the water was warm, and the sun was hot...a perfect combination for sunburns and a near-drowning for Juanito! But we had all made it back safe and sound by Sunday night with renewed spirits for continuing with and improving our work here.

It is incredible to think that as I write this, we have already been in Duran for nearly three months. Time is passing so quickly, yet at the same time, it seems like ages ago when we first got off the plane in Guayaquil to begin our year long adventure. So many different people and different moments have touched our lives thus far, and I look forward to many more in the months to come. Take care and you will be in our prayers.

Con cariño,
Chelsea Nicholls