Today they fumigated the compound. It was a new experience for me so I took pictures ;) Unfortunately my computer hates me right now and they won't post. I have been using a sock as my camera cover and I was definitely breathing through the sock, the chemicals smelled so bad. I tried to cover everything in my room to minimize the amount poison that could enter my body through clothes and surfaces, but I was slow fastening my metal wardrobe and only just made it out down the stairs to outside as the fumigator was at the door. Very exciting (but not in the happy way). Apparently the do this 3 times a year here.

They sent all the girls (save one) home yesterday for the fumigation and they will return Monday, so I have some time to assess things now. The animator (like the superior for this community) is gone until Saturday at a conference in Guatemala and I want to go over some VIDES stuff with her when she gets back as Sydney (the lovely gal who was here last year) will be here to visit and can help me translate "compost." As I said before, my main job is to hang out with the girls and supervise their chores and quite frankly, I need more work. Being with them constantly obviously takes up most/all of the day but not my mind, and my body wants more labor.  Today I spent a good 4-5 hours in the garden and it was wonderful. The garden really need it too, not that you care about all of the details but we've got some serious soil issues goin' on. So hopefully I can do some more stuff with that outside of "workshop time" and also come up with some other things I can teach the girls or be involved in. We'll see what comes.  

I made a couple of the girls hate me already. I made one girl stop reading her teen magazine to do her homework and she was so angry, her face was just filled with loathing. I know she went back to reading it when I left the room but I didn't go back in because I didn't want her to know that I knew what she was doing and wasn't going to do something terrible about it. She avoided my me for a good day and a half, but she did her chores right away and did them well. Maybe she felt guilty for the way she talked to me. I prayed for her as I glanced at her back in the lunch line, that she wouldn't hate me forever and would be filled with the love of Christ and the desire to do His will and not be quite so contrary. I thanked her for her chores whenever I saw her doing them. Yesterday before she left, she brought me a notebook with all the prayers they say during the day here written out in Spanish for me. I thanked her very much and went to rip out the pages and she said "No, it's for you, I have another."  

This is just one of the many gifts I have received here from the girls, all before really even knowing me. They are so very generous-hearted and full of God's grace. I love them all dearly. 

God is so good, always and in every circumstance. Spending time with Him here has been my greatest joy. It has been quite difficult at times to keep going during the day, especially when I can't explain why I need someone to do something or why certain things are important for the girls. And of course I miss all of you lovely people very much. Sometimes I still stop myself during the day and think "Holy crap, I'm in El Salvador. How did that happen?"  I hope and pray that I can be of use here and not let myself get in the way of Christ, for He is the person that these girls need to encounter every day. He is the one who is going to continue to be present in their lives every day, long after I've departed. He is the reason for everything, but especially, for love.