We’ve been back for almost two weeks and things are more or less back to ‘normal’ (if your definition of normal is wrestling 6 pairs of hands to get watermelon out of an overflowing Tupperware container while waiting for dinner to be served and singing along to a 14-year-old US pop sensation).
There has been some fresh excitement in the Manna house and beyond since returning. Our proactive advertising strategy resulted in a serious influx of kids to the library – we’ve been averaging 18 kids per day, which I’d like to think had something to do with the interactive library tour Krysta and I gave this past Saturday. While we’re very excited about all of the new faces, especially in light of classes starting this week, 2/3 PDs in charge of that many kids can get overwhelming. Therefore we’ve adopted a new approach: take all of the kids out to the playground for 30 minutes after classed end at 5. We get some tranquility in the library and the kids get their energy out – kudos to Mike for instigating such a brilliant tactic!
We also have a very special guest in our house for the next 7 days! Dana Zichlin, Manna’s newest addition and one of my dearest jersey-raised friends, is training here with team Ecuador before she departs for her feasibility study in Guatemala next Wednesday. We’ll be showing her the ropes which includes sitting in on our elusive Monday morning meeting, going out for a monthly Manna meal in Quito, shadowing classes, sitting in on programmatic and organizational meetings, playing with kids in the library, and a bonfire-side tell all where she gets to ask us anything and everything she wants (gasp). We’re so excited to have her here!!
For more information about Dana’s project in Guatemala, please check out her blog!
-Jackie
No comments:
Post a Comment