More changes up ahead...

So friends, I have some news to report. I wanted to wait and tell many of you in person but as it looks like I may not have the opportunity to do so as my schedule is getting very busy and I don't have much time left. I give you permission to describe your reactions in detail and let's please talk as soon as we can. This may not be as exciting for you as it is for me, so thanks for bearing with this rather lengthy preamble. Suffice it to say that I love you all and had I the time I that I would like, I would have shared this over a nice cup of coffee and a view of your lovely faces.

My quest for more stable employment led me to apply for a lot of things but one of the first I applied for was an international volunteer program called VIDES, run by the Sisters of Mary Help of Christians,  aka the Salesians. I found out on Easter that I have been accepted to their site in Chalchuapa, El Salvador. There is a service/formation camp in June that I will be attending in Texas, which I am planning on driving down to so I will literally be gone for the entire month (a BIG thanks to all the people who are putting me up). I just found out today that I will be leaving for El Salvador shortly after I return to Olympia from this camp. Like maybe a week. I thought I would have at least until August but as mentioned before on this blog, sometimes God moves fast. They asked if I could even leave from San Antonio after the camp but I am kind of living in two places right now I am going to need a little bit of time to get all of my stuff together and finish things up.

I will be living there for a year at first and then we will re-evaluate if I should stay for a second year also. I kind of want to stay for two since I have been moving around so much lately and it would be kind of nice to go somewhere and really be able to settle in-seeing things change over time and being able to follow up on the things that I do...moving around is exciting but sometimes I feel like I am running away from the consequences of my actions, be they good or ill. I don't think I'm as good as I could be at helping others with the transition when I leave either...I tend to take on a lot of stuff and then not adequately re-distribute and equip everyone to carry on in my absence. Hopefully that will not happen this time as there is a lot of stuff at the Catholic store that will need new point-people. It's hard to balance the stuff that needs attention now though and training other people.

While there, I will be living with the sisters and teaching preschool, some English, acting as a sort of guardian for at-risk girls who are living there and doing some gardening. It sounds lovely. I am very excited to be working with so many young people and I am just so relieved and excited to be in a position to instruct, mold and love God's little ones again. Hopefully my Spanish will miraculously improve also because even with the reading I've been doing it's sort of slow going.

Chalchuapa is home to the most famous mayan ruins in the country and it looks like a really nice town. You are all totally welcome to visit me :) 

Here's a picture of the church: