All Moved into the Orphanage

On Sunday night, after spending the day with Raissa, I moved into the orphanage. I live in a tiny little apartment and I have a really sweet roommate named Amber who is from Alabama. We get along really well and I can tell that she is a really great person. She is also a volunteer here who will be helping out in the English classes.

 School started yesterday at the orphanage and we had an opening ceremony with an orientation type thing and lots of teacher meetings. Kids from outside of the orphanage also come to this school (they pay to go to this school so it is a good way for the orphanage to receive funding). So there were a lot of parents at the opening ceremony/orientation. Amber and I were introduced with the teachers and had to stand up in front of everybody at the ceremony. After the ceremony, we had a lot of meetings with the teachers to go over the academic plans. Thankfully, Amber and I will just be helping out in the English classes, so we don’t have to make lesson plans or anything like that. I would have no idea how to do that since I have not studied education or how to teach English as a second language. So I am thankful that I will only be helping in the classes! 

The kids here are so precious and adorable. They are all so friendly and loving. There are about 15 orphanage houses here that have about 12 kids living in each house with a “mom” who cares for them. I have been assigned to one house that I will eat meals with. 

I have been visiting my friend Raissa in the hospital every day and she gets better every time that I see her. She is still not fully herself, but I am just so glad that she is getting better. It is an hour long bus ride to go to the hospital to see her, but it is well worth it. She may be heading back to the US either today or tomorrow. They are just trying to get some stuff figured out with insurance and then she can head back to the US. 

Here are a few photos of my room at the orphange.

The entrance to our apartment

Inside

My bed on the left and my roommate´s bed on the right!

The view from out apartment

More photos will be soon to come thanks to my aunt Wendy who sent me a camera!! I am so happy to be able to take photos of my memories and experiences in Ecuador! Thanks aunt Wendy!! Soon I will put up more photos of the orphange and the adorable kids here :)