BEAUTIFUL SUMMER DAY

There is some sort of game of soccer going on outside the room right now - and I expect that some are watching Chiquititas - 6 are playing soccer and that means that 8 are probably watching TV. I am glad that all of the girls don't feel they have to watch TV all of the time they are allowed ( which is not a lot).

When I took our two newest girls to Childrens Hospital (for a EKG and chest X-Ray prior to seeing the cardiologist and to make an apointment for the younger one with a dental specialist - she has something - maybe not so great - growing inside her lower lip) when they saw the Bay of Panama one said excitedly - Look Tia Sue . a river! This also was the first time they had used an elevator. Although they are 7 and 10 they have not been to school (they will atart 1st grade in March. School starts on March 12th.) and their view of the world is very limited. The hospital was full of many things they had not seen before. There are wheelchair stalls in the toilets - and they wanted to know why it was so big. They actually saw a child in a wheelchair and a handicapped boy in a special stroller with special supports.

Tomorrow morning we are going to Frank Grahams (Billy Graham's son) who is here giving a 3 day crusade. Tomorrow morning is for children - aimed at 6 to 12 (but we are taking all of ours (the oldest is 14). I'll write about it this weekend. A lot of kids from the Episcopal Church of Panama are going - all of the Episcopalians are wearing blue T-shirts. We bought our own and they are a lovely blue. I believe that each girl will also have a tag pinned to their shirt with their name and phone number. There may be 30,000 or 40,000 kids and adults there (and the stadium only holds 30,000!) Festiniños, as it is called will start at 8AM and we are leaving here at 6AM. We are not very fart away but it would be nice to get a good seat.

We also are getting greener and greener. We have a team of three young men from Colegio Don Bosco (a technical school) who are doing their required 80 hours each of social service finishing the painting of the inside and outside of the home. These you men are very serious and professional about their work.

We also have a lovely opportunity. We have three students (one entering 11th grade and two entering 12th) who are competing with others for scholarships to finish high school in Canada, the US and some Spanish speaking countries. The competition requires them to do a social service project, where they plan and design what they do - within what we need and want. They are all good students so we have one working with the primary kids 3rd grade and up on multiplication and division, tables, making change. Another is working with Leonela (who needs a lot of help with 8th grade math. Her make up test is on Tuesday! The third is working with the secondary school students on Spanish (writing, spelling, reading etc.). I try to speak English with them but usually we fall back into Spanish. One can communicate fairly well. She wants to become a doctor.

Monday we are going to the home of one of the board members in Coranado - a resort community. She has a pool. It will be a great day. Since peanut butter sandwiches are not in vogue here we will have a simple picnic of hotdogs, fruit and junkfood - called burundanga.

More later. We have a busy weekend.

Tia Sue