4 weeks!

So that´s the official countdown, and now that I´m at the 4 weeks mark I´m not as anxious as I was to get home, weird how that is. This week was AWESOME. This story starts with a very very kind man about my Dad´s age who comes into the pub often when I bartend, not in the creepy way but in the kind person, pleasant to chat with sort of way. So he was there as I was counting down until the day I would come to Nicaragua, and there for the millions of times people scoffed and asked me why the hell I wanted to come here and do this, and there for the millions of times I said I was so excitedexcitedexcited. Anyway, my last day of work he came in and handed me a rolled up bundle of bills, a few hundred dollars, and told me that he wanted me to be able to help the kids I´m working with as much as I possibly can, and if the money can help one person, or all of them, then to use it at my discretion. He wouldn´t accept thanks, or an offer to send him a letter telling him what I used it for, he said he wanted to be anonomous, and just wanted me to be able to help as much as I was anxious to help. So...along with the gringos and official man that helped me out at the border, he receives an awesome person award. I was really moved by his actions and the fact that he was quite timid about being praised, and also that he trusted me not to run away with the money. With that being said, finally yesterday I got to put the money to good use. I wanted to wait for awhile to see what my kids really needed, and I went out with the director of the SOS yesterday shopping and WOW, it was AWESOME! Money goes really far here and we got dozens of cloth diapers and new bottles that were desperately needed, as well as a bunch of new toys...rattles and big plastic balls and huge pillows and little tambourines...for the kids to play with. It was so much fun seeing them all play today, the balls were definitely the favorite...they´re light so the fan moves them around and the kids were like a dog with a flashlight, chasing around in circles and circles endlessly. I´m pretty sure if they had tails, they would be wagging. We also got to buy stuff for the other classes, dozens more plates and bowls and little cups for the kids in the next level up that are just learning to eat. Plus I had a good amount of money left, which I´m going to use to buy a bunch of string to make bracelets for the kids at Las Tias. They are fascinaaaated with the bracelts, it´s really funny to see but nice, because when they´re all making bracelets they´re sitting in a circle, chatting and calm, instead of running around beating on each other or going nuts. So needless to say I´m really grateful that this man gave me such an awesome opportunity to buy these things for the kids. Let´s see...FINALLY this weekend I´m going to hike up a VOLCANOOOOOO! Unbelievable excited. Volcano Telica, active volcano...sweetness. If it erupts I´ll try to collect some lava as souvenirs! Chao!