The UMVIM group from South Carolina has only been here for three days, but you wouldn´t guess it by the amount of wall they´ve bricked. The second floor is really starting to take shape. Two of the exterior wall spaces are almost done, and one interior wall is halfway up. All of the exterior wall is started with at least three layers of brick, though most has more. Their energy and eagerness to serve has been a blessing to all of us.Â
In addition to their construction exploits, the team has familiarized us with a powdered spice known as slap-yo-mama. Lets just say I put a little too much of the stuff in my soup bowl at yesterday´s lunch. Since then I´ve been a little more carefull….Â
Yesterday was the aniversario of the department of La Paz. The kids spent the better part of the afternoon cutting bamboo and filling a notch with fuel and a rag to use as a wick. They then joined the rest of Ixiamas below the age of 20 in a huge torch bearing parade. It was a pretty neat sight. The parade ended just off the town square with the singing of the national and departmental anthems.
And finally, I am proud to announce the latest addition to the Internado family. She stands a proud 1 foot tall and bosts a three inch tail, thick black fur, a cute little face, and the ability to sleep just about anywhere on just about anything. Her naming process is a story in and of itself. The original idea was to name her Snicker, which is pronounced down hear like the tennis shoe (sneaker). We then realized that the latter might be more appropriate because of her little white paws, so we changed the official name to Sneaker, and the kids never knew the difference.  She seemed a little wary of the place at first, but she´s starting to get the hang of things.  And Scott and Stronger have been more than accomodating. Â
Not much time left! While we are excited about coming home, we will all miss the kids, the place, the staff, and this beautiful country that has been our home for the last couple of months. Â
Hasta Luego,
BryanÂ
