¡Feliz Navidad!

Well, I’m back from my week in the jungle, as I tagged along with the CONAPAC team. There were about 15 people doing year-end school and community evaluations for those villages in the Adopt-A-School program (AAS). I had an opportunity to visit several communities which have had special projects completed or service project groups working in their village sometime this past year. Many communities appear to be thriving and pushing forward to improve their lives, while others are clearly struggling. But I think the opportunity to meet with educators from Iquitos and members of CONAPAC to discuss their concerns and hopes for the future is always a good thing. People like it when someone listens! I took several photos while I was visiting and have a number of donors to contact this next week, telling them about the projects they've funded this year and bringing them up-to-date on the villagers' lives. Some of the regular donors have actually visited these communities in the past, so the connection is even stronger and more meaningful when fresh news and photographs are sent their way. Check below on the blog as I posted a new picture of myself with students from the community of Nuevo San Juan de Amazona. This school is sponsored each year by the Brighton Rotary Club and I've visited there in the past. Recently my step-father, Harry Wheaton, supported them with enough money to build two new "baños", of which I took advantage while I was there. :) There’s nothing in the world like a clean toilet in the middle of the jungle...thanks, Harry!!

Besides returning from the jungle with photos and news of the villages, I also brought back another souvenir....chiggers!! Now I've heard the stories about how bad chiggers can be both here and in the States. But I have to believe, like everything else here, they grow 'em bigger and badder in "la selva"!! Locally they're called "izangos" and when I told anyone what I had, they gave me very grave and sympathetic smiles. One of the team members on the trip, Judy, offered to do the job of digging out the little buggers from their cozy beds under my skin. She came to my room one night and, by gas light, went over my body from head to toe prying them out. And for any of you who have had chiggers, you know they don't just settle in and around your ankles...NO! They crawl up into that warm, moist cozy place that is your underwear area, front and back. Soooooooooo, Judy was a Godsend as she went over my body and found all the little critters, digging them out one at a time. It's been a little over a week now. I still have scabs and they still itch but it’s manageable. One of my friends here, Nancy, tells me "the first time is the worse"...Does there have to be a second time? But I suppose I know the answer.

I've been learning a bit more jungle slang in the past week. In fact, I feel that I have to learn two new languages, not just Spanish. When I speak in my more formal Spanish, people here can understand me. But when they speak, it's full of all kinds of local words that I have no idea their meanings. But one way or the other, I will learn these things although it's going to take some time. Actually, the sounds of these words are fun and not too difficult to say. In fact, I think easier than many Spanish words that turn my tongue in knots. A sampling: "chamba" is your job; "chacra" is a small farm or piece of land; "choche" is a close friend, as is "pata"; "chibolo" or "chibola" are small children; "cocha" is a small lake; "leba" is sugar cane rum (but I think more like moonshine than Bacardi) and, of course, "baracho" means drunk. I learned a few other words, too, but nothing I would care to post on line :)

Next weekend I head back to the jungle to participate in my first service project. I'm not too sure where or what we'll be doing. It's with a large family group of 14 people who are visiting the jungle over the holidays and wanted to do something a little different. We will probably paint schools or replant some trees, maybe build a fence or two. Hopefully, no more chiggers but I have no DEET with me so it might just happen again...Yikes! I continue to enjoy each and every day here, no matter what it brings. I'm neither bored nor lonely and find each day to be pure joy. I pray your lives can be as satisfactory and fulfilling. I do notice however, that every person who writes me from the States, whether family, friends, or my donor network from around the country, they seem to want to send me a weather report! But when I think back, I know whenever I wrote to Pam or any other friend here in Peru when I was back in Michigan, I did the same. Weather is a big part of our lives in the States, I suppose as it's constantly changing. No one here ever comments about it as every day some part of the day will be hot, sunny, cloudy and rainy. Now and then there's a breeze. I know some of you would be bored with this constancy but as I've said before, thus far it hasn't happened to me. So don't hurt yourself shoveling snow...it's not worth it!!

As I close, a quick "shout out" to all my family and friends to have a very Merry Christmas and, hopefully, a more positive and prosperous New Year. I won't name you all individually for fear of missing someone but I can't leave without especially sending greetings to Erin and Samantha, the two most wonderful, beautiful, kind and loving daughters any mother could want or have!

Peace be with you all!