Home Sweet Home

Oh my goodness i am so sorry i haven`t written in a while! these last few weeks have been NUTS!

I finally finished my two projects that i needed to complete while here in Jinotega! last week i pulled my hair out and whipped them out all at once! I didn`t want to be stressed this last week!

But let`s see....school and Los Pipitos has been the same old same old! I`ve done a lot of random things since the last time i wrote...so sorry i can`t really recall what i`ve done.

I`ve been hanging out with these 2 girls from New York who are doing service here with the family that teaches my host sisters english...wow that was confusing. Yeah but it`s been fun getting to know them and have some English in my life! haha... we`ve played a lot of games...gotten our nails done...and learned some NIcaraguan folklore.....good times.

The deaf community here has also been crazy. The school and daycare that cares for the deaf students brought down their coordinator from Oklahoma where an organization funds and helps run this certain house. Her name is Karen and she is the most interesting and wild person ever! I just love her. She is originally from Sweden but has been in Oklahoma for 5 years and is fluent in spanish and now knows sign language after 2 weeks! I`ve only seen her a couple times but she can sure talk your ear off but i love it! I also have learned so muchg more about the deaf community and their home from her which has been awesome! i can explain it better later! But a big group of about 20 other people came down to paint, do construction, and perform tests and medical assistants for the kids which is really awesome! so many white people here...it`s weird...which is weird that it`s weird....haha

let`s see...My family and i have been exchanging gifts and my money is flying out the window...so if you feel like making a donation to the ashley fund...i will be eternly grateful...haha

I`ve also loved how close i have gotten with the people and my family since being here...I laugh so much and it makes me sad to think i am leaving them all so soon! But it makes me realize how bad i want to come back...and SOON please!

But don`t worry...i am a little more happy than sad because i get to come home so soon! These 3 months flew by didn`t they? I can hardly believe it!

but the rest of the week looks like this....

Today is club day at los pipitos in the afternoon and i`m pretty sure they are throwing us a going away party...actually i am positive they are...so bring on the pinata!

then later tonight i am going to english class with my sisters for the last time :( pretty sad...but i`ll takes lots of pictures to remember my new friends

then tomorrow is a normal day of class in the morning and sports in the afternoon. then i am getting my nails done....haha

then friday is the last day! eek...i have class in the morning then i am going by the deaf house for the last time to see all the progress that happened this week and to say good bye...how sad

then i am making some delicious tacos at my house for my going away party with my family. Funny how i am making my own food for my own party...haha...but they know i like to cook so it`s fine by me! then somehow i have to pack all my stuff...nearly impossible....then the next morning jesse and i leave bright and early at 6 for our first homes! we`ll meet up with the rest of our group, stop by my family`s house and then we all head to Laguna de apoyo for a little weekend getaway before we travel home!

There we will hang out...present our final projects and get all antsy because 2 days later we will be on a plane back home! AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH....can you tell that i am excited! Tuesday morning i leave nicaragua at about 6:45....get into miami at i don`t know when...wait for 2 hours then fly to chicago...then wait another 2 hours for the arrival of peru (if their flight is on time ofcourse....let`s hope so....then drive the 3 hours back to goshen where everyone awaits our arrival...i am nervous just writing about it now!

but as excited as i may seem...i am indeed sad to leave this place that has become a second home to me. The people have been absolutely awesome and i couldn`t have asked for a better experience! i can`t wait to show you all my pictures and reflect on all the things i did! but wish me safe travels and pray as well....

I will see you all so soon and thank you so much for all the support! It helped me so much!

Well...i guess this is it! wow.....

Love you all
Ashley

A little Note

Just thought i would send out a little note to you all to let you now i am still trecking on!

This week hasn`t been very eventful so it will be a short one!

There are no classes in the morning this week because it is their vacation time! so that means a lot of sleeping in for me and it`s a lot harder to motivate myself to workout in the morning!

Delena and Gwen visited us on tuesday and it was really great to see them. We sat down and talked to the leaders at Los Pipitos and they got a feel for what we do everyday. Gwen was snapping pictures the whole time so look out for those on the Goshen blog. Then we went out for a nice lunch and chatted it up! Then they visited Jesse and I`s families..that was a really fun time. My down syndrome brother JOse did a little show for them and they were laughing so hard. He also taught a little class lesson and yelled at Delena for getting up to leave. It was a fun time.
THen they headed to another city to visit more students! fun day

Yesterday was also a little party for some Germans who are leaving at Los Pipitos. There was a lot of food and dancing and a Pinata! they made jesse and i do it! it`s also a tradition here to dance more than you swing at the thing...so i was a little embarassed! probably the first time i was ever embarassed to dance in front of people. haha! but it was interesting to talk to the germans because our only common way of communicating was through spanish. they would be blabbing in german and jesse and i would be blabbing in english, then we would turn to each other and talk in spanish. Neither one of our native languages! Weird!

And this morning was one of my favorite mornings so far. I woke up at 9 after going to bed at 9 the night before, and cooked for like 3 hours with my mom! Let`s just say i have some great receipes to take back and jordan is going to be one happy man :) Granted everything was fried thuroughly in oil but WHO CARES! it was delicious if i do say so myself. Some tacos, these corn balls in a sweet syrup and salad! MMMMM!!!!

But the rest of the week will go about the same...more sleeping and reading. Oh yeah! i read an entire book this week! that felt good. and i need to get cracking on my projects and wash my clothes....which is a workout in itself! We are blessed to have washing machines in the states!

I might be taking a trip with my fam on sunday but don`t ask me where! they are confusing sometimes and joke a lot so i`m not sure what`s going on!

But i love and miss you all so much! can`t wait to see you all which will be in about 2 and a half weeks! unbelievable!

Adios amigos and que le vaya bien en todos de sus viajes!

lOVE ASH!

Oh hey!

Sorry all for not writing in a long time! It has been hard since i don`t have any trip or exciting things to write about. I do the same things everyday!

Want to hear what I do? of course you do!

Well i head to class at the special school....stand around until i am told what to do. Then I help with the deaf classes or with the little terrors (i like to call them). There is dance class a lot so that is kind of fun. Then I head out to lunch at my house, maybe take a nap. Hang out with my fam in the store we run out of house....eat a lot of bread. oh do i eat bread. My mom makes it fresh to sell and I am always getting what i want. It`s probably not good for my health and my host dad says i am going to get fat. It`s funny. But who cares! only 4 more weeks! then i sadly will have no delicious breads....except for the homemade bread Jordan`s mom makes...that is delicious! (thanks barb and john).

Then I go to Los pipitos at 2...sit around a lot and then do crafts, or dance, or any random thing. Jesse and I are working on a brochure for them now so that helps to fill in the days when there is nothing for us to do. Then I head home and either work on homework, watch soap operas, hang out in the store, play dutch blitz with Sonia and Karen, or go to Englsih class. English class has been fun lately because there are 2 girls from the states doing service with the family that teaches the class. It`s nice to get to know them and talk in english ofcourse. I`ve also been getting some special treatment with pedicures and manicures from a friend of sonia and karen. I love it!

This week was also a celebration for kids and we had a big parade in the streets! it was fun and there were TONS of kids but it was probably the hottest day since i`ve been here and i was wearing jeans and the sun scolded my skin! oh well. I got some frescas and shade after we walked the streets for 2 hours! but those canons...i will never get used to them

Let`s see....the rest of the week and next week there is no class in the mornings! it`s there vacation which is perfect timing for jesse and I but will probably make for a long week with not much to do. oh well....i can work out, work on my project, and just relax!

Also, Gwen and Delena are visiting next week so it will be good to see them again! And this saturday jesse and I are headed to Matagalpa to meet up with five other Goshen students! It will be SO GREAT to see them again! So i`ll let you know how that went later!

um...not a whole lot more...and i don`t think i will have a lot more stories from service...just little things. and yes alli and lindsey...I have gotten the preaching from Jose about every 5 minutes! And he doesn`t like to go to Los pipitos anymore! i don`t blame him...they do nothing!

As far as everyone else...Jamie- i`m glad you are having fun! can`t wait to hear about your summer!

My kulp south lovelys and more- I miss you all and can`t wait to dance it up in the Apt!

Mom and dad...hold down the fort for me and send whit my loving this weekend!

John and barb- good luck on your bike trip and can`t wait to hear about it! but be safe!

Jordan- rock out hard this week and become famous! I`m sure some huge label will want you guys in a flash :) and can`t wait to talk to you monday!

and Happy fourth of july this saturday!

love you all!

Ash