When Damaris and I left the internet cafe on Tuesday afternoon it had just started to rain. I had convinced Damaris to walk there (here) instead of driving her parents´car, and we were going to get ice cream afterward. Instead we walked, and then ran, back home. It continued to drizzle the rest of the night which made it feel like home.

I woke up like normal and went to the classrooms at 7am, but nobody was there yet and I realized that the bus and the van were still in the courtyard. Brigida, Geno, and Avy (I´ve been spelling it wrong) soon came and said that when it rains the bus can´t go out because it can´t handle the mud where these kids live. So we didn´t have kids, but it was a good day. We did a lot of planning and made things for their classrooms. I made a sign for Geno that said "Animales de la Granja" (Animals of the Ranch, basically Farm Animals) which will be their next topic. I can do this type of thing, and actually really enjoy it. I did that, and then also cut out pictures of farm animals, put them on backgrounds and contact papered them. Except these poor girls don´t have contact paper, so they do it with packing tape instead.

Tuesday someone had given us a TON of strawberries (fresas) so we went to help Rosa unstem them. I must admit that after they were unstemmed and rinsed in unpurified water I ate a lot of them. I was a little worried about getting sick, but nothing´s happened so far, so I am good. Rosa made some delicious albondigas soup that was incredible, and we made strawberry smoothies and had strawberries and cream for dessert.

I tried to explain to them about strawberry shortcake, but they have not had it before, and how do you explain shortcake? The staff here is having a party on Valentine´s Day and I am going to make strawberry shortcake for it! Rosa said it was fine, that Americans are good at dessert. I don´t know about how well I do them, but now I feel I have to live up to Julia Child or something. I also tried to explain strawberry lemonade to the girls and they couldn´t believe me!! I explained how Red Robin does it (sugared strawberries just dropped into lemonade). They have lemon for their soup, so i put a bunch of lemon juice in my strawberry smoothie and Avy looked at me like I was crazy. I told them I could make some strawberry lemonade for the Valentine´s Day party as well. We´ll see. We also exchanged names and will be getting one other person a gift.

In the kitchen yesterday we had an interesting conversation my mother (and probably Steve Arndt as well) will just LOVE. Avy wanted to know what the word ¨like¨was, because I say it all the time. Aye! That stupid slang word and I couldn´t explain it. Geno and Brigida understand, but Avy has no idea. I have to try and cut down on that, I don´t even realize that I do it anymore.

Last night I went to church again with Brigida and Geno. Their family (their niece, Maribel, who is 22!) is so nice in welcoming me and picking me and taking me home and all of that. Last week in church a lady asked me if Jess was my pastor, and i said that yes, at my school he was. Jess and his wife Candy have stayed with her family in the past-- so you were asked about Jess! The lady said that every time her son sees an American he says "Jess!". Also, Pastor Pedro said you all will be working on a kitchen for the church while you are here.

That´s all.