R&R Abroad Comic, Edition 1

Introducing... Casa de Fe Orphanage in Shell, Ecuador

Amazing video about the amazing place we're going to work!

Find out more about the orphanage we're working for here:  www.lacasadefe.org

Hey everybody, If you'd like to sign up for Rick's and my orphanage newsletter,

just click here! Don't worry. We're brief and entertaining.

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Unicorn Dream

My cousin had a dream about me last night.  It went something like this:

I had a dream last night that Becky was a unicorn, but she was disguised as a human. And to find out who the unicorn was, we had to fashion a divining rod out of three different pieces from Crayola markers.

I was with someone who was using the divining rod while trying to remain undetected, although Becky and Richard James Estes were becoming suspicious (Obviously Rick knew and was trying to protect her). Then I collected a large mound of candy including gummy worms and peach rings and sour patch kids. Then we all sat down to eat in a hut of sorts.  Everyone very suspicious of one another. Then I woke up. But in another part of the dream Zach went to prom.  And for some reason Hitler was in there at some point too.

Accepted!!!

Rick and I were just officially accepted to Cornerstone International, the sending organization for the orphanage we're working at this school year! Now we can start raising funds for our year there and get health insurance! Yay!

Faith Assembly

Went to a church today that was just... exploding with joy!! I walked in and they were singing, and the bass-player was dancing because he was having so much fun and just didn't care how he looked, and... I don't know how to explain it... but there just wasn't room inside me for anything but JOY! The whole place was moving and singing and ALIVE!

Chesapeake Bay

Ponies on Assateaque Island

Rick and I went to a truck camper rally on the Chesapeake Bay to spend some quality time with my parents.  Wild ponies, stunning sunsets, delicious seafood, and COUNTRY LINE DANCING.  What more could a gal want?

School Pic

Here's Rick and I and the Casa de Fe School, March 2012

Photo by Christen Webster

Good Fit

We've been back in Quito from the orphanage for a week.

I crashed. Unexpectedly though...

... because that month at the orphanage just fit like a glove. They needed EFL training; Rick and I just spent the last nine years of our lives in a very competitive teaching environment learning how to teach EFL for maximum results.

It felt *so good* to be working with kids again. It felt *so good* to see that light in their eyes when you connect with them on something. And it felt *so good* to hear the teachers tell us that what we'd shown them had been really helpful.

Thanks Casa de Fe. You gave us much more than we gave you. We got the best end of the deal.

(Photo by Christen Webster)

Decompressing...

Twilight laughs

We hung out with the other volunteers Friday night before we left. It's been sooo long since I've been with a group of people who were so like-minded, fun and effortless to be with. We sat on a back porch with a stunning view of the nearby jungle and volcanoes, and told stories and just laughed and laughed. Good. Catharsis. The Aussie and I kept everyone entertained between the two of us.

I'm taking the Aussie back with us to Quito for a week.

Just do it

I know some of you have been hearing the orphanage stories and thinking, "I wish I could do that for a bit." You should just dooo it. Don't worry. You'll be in good hands, heh heh. >:o)

Time to Say Goodbye

Kelcy and friends at Casa de Fe

Getting ready for my last day at the orphanage. (For now. We're coming back in August).

I'll be sad to say goodbye to the group I've been working with. It's been a while since I've been with a whole group of people who were so fun and effortless to be with. Thank you all!! It's been like... play therapy!

My walk home from work every day

Photo by Christen Webster

You know it's the jungle when...

Photo by Christen Webster

Asked some kids today if they'd eaten frog before:

Thalya: Yes! I've eaten it.
Me: Really? Me too. Did you like it?
Thalya: No! My mom tricked me. She told me it was armadillo!

dabbling in speech

I got to help a little girl today a bit with her speech problem, and I really loved it. And, weirdly, I think she liked it too.

I'd like to send a shout-out to my last boss Brian - I thought about you today as I was using a lot of your exaggerated pronunciation techniques. :o)

Mystery solved: Violence* is* the answer... when it comes to the attention span of preschoolers

So during opening excercises at the orphanage school, we always sing church songs. The preschoolers often spend this time staring into space, perhaps sucking a thumb. One might cuddle up to a teacher and try to get held. Twirling seems to be a pastime of many of the girls. A lot of the songs are slower and have words that don't always make sense to them. And even though there are videos projected with lyrics, they don't read yet, so there's not much to see.

But there's one song that the preschoolers always request, and to which they give rapt attention. It's the group Rojo's "Te Amo Mas Que A Mi Misma Vida."

Principal: What song do you want to sing today?

Preschoolers: The Jesus song!!

They call it this, because the video has scenes from the Jesus movie spliced into it.

Principal: Wow! I think you all really like that song! You always request it.

It's true. They do. But I never could figure this out. It's one of the slow ones, a quiet song. Not the kind of song that usually holds appeal for kids who would name eating play-doh off the floor as one of their favorite activities.

Well, today, the truth came out. Rick had it figured out all along.

Rick: (leaning over and whispering to me) Hey, I know why the preschoolers like this song.

Me: What? I've been wondering that! Why?

Rick: Watch them during the scenes from the Jesus movie. They like the part where Peter cuts off the soldier's ear.

Me: What? (laughing) Really?

Rick: Yeah. Watch them today.

Me: Why?

Rick: Wait for it.

So I waited. And watched.

It started about halfway through the song. A visible ripple went through the line of preschoolers. Then one of the girls, a twirler, ratcheted up the twirling a few notches and put her hands up to her ears. A boy, Angel, broke off from the rest of the group and got a little closer to the projector.

Jesus was in the garden and people and soldiers were entering with torches.

Angel: It's coming!

The ripple grew into little wavelets, as the preschoolers started a light jump on the balls of their feet. Rosita can't walk, so she did it on her knees.

Jesus stood up from the rock where he was praying as he was surrounded.

Angel: It's in a MINUTE!

Peter jumped up, sword in hand.

Preschoolers: (in hushed whispers) It's coming! Don't miss it! It's in a minute...

*SLASH* Off goes the ear.

The song ended.

Principal: Wow! What good singing! And such a pretty song. I can tell you all really like to sing it.

Rick says that after the song every day, one or more of three things happen.

1) The preschoolers all hold their ears.

2) They share in hushed whispers how much it would hurt.

3) They start jumping around and cutting off each other's ears with imaginary swords.

Today it was the third.

And now there's a fourth: I try not to wet my pants.

(3/22/2012)

underpants

In your opinion, how many pairs of underwear should a two-year-old own that is potty training?

(3/22/2012)

anniversary

Happy Four Years to my Rickybabe!

Four years of... Love, kisses, three weddings(!), silly inside jokes, This American Life, teaching and loving kids in a very strange and wonderful country, doing puppet shows, researching weird stuff, coping with hard stuff, kung fu, dates to the middle of nowhere with a bottle of wine, Sunday drives, fun times, hard times, learning times, changing times... good times. I love you, babe.

(3/21/2012)

error

一失足成千古恨
"The error of one moment becomes the sorrow of a whole life." - Chinese proverb

Nothing bad happened. I just liked the quote.

(3/19/2012)

little things

Sometimes it's the little things... the *real* shower curtain that my mother-in-law brought me is making me so happy.

(3/18/2012)