Life as a Second Year Volunteer

Life as a second year volunteer has been an exciting whirlwind of activities and progress since we stepped foot in the Guayaquil airport that emotional September evening.  We hit the ground running with our new partner organization, Hogar de Cristo, as the first several weeks were spent learning the complex infrastructure of the corporation before starting at our perspective work-sites.
 
I have had the blessing to start working at La Casa de Acogida, a shelter for battered women and children of extreme domestic violence. As the shelter is less than a year old, I have had the exciting privilege and freedom to develop the placement by supporting the many needs of the house.  From the beginning I have formed a very supportive role with the children by implementing systems of structure and discipline in the shelter, preparing educational activities, enrolling them in school and helping them with their studies.  As this role develops, I look forward to fostering stronger relationships with the women by helping the psychologists with various workshops on self-esteem, health, the cycle of violence, etc...  Since the shelter is still growing and expanding, I also have the opportunity to help with more administrative aspects and learn how to organize and run a shelter efficiently.  The has been a great variety of work at the shelter and it has been keeping me on my toes as a settle into a comfortable place with the women. 
 
Our progress in Monte Sinai has been slowly progressing as work and travel to and from the neighborhood take up much of our time, but fortunately I feel that our presence has steadily increased in the past few weeks.  I have started teaching catechism classes before mass on Sunday mornings with Tracy, and have had the good fortune to spend time with many of the families through the church and the children of our classes.  Also, we have started to get to know some of the families closer to where our house will be as we have been spending time with a group of Colombian nuns that run a elementary school a few blocks from our house.  So far I have felt welcomed with open arms and cannot wait to spend more time with some of the wonderful families that we have met.  As construction of the house has recently started, the anticipation is bursting for when the day comes to move to Monte Sinai.
 
All in all, the experience to start being in a new community and work sites with Rostro de Cristo has been such a blessing.  There have been bumps in the road, and moments of smooth sailing as well as tears and laughter.  I greatly appreciate all of the support and prayers that I have felt from the greater Rostro de Cristo community stateside as I have been fortunate enough to take part in the expansion of the Rostro de Cristo community in Ecuador.  God bless and Feliz Navidad!!