March 19--Day 2

As I write, we are on our way up the Cerra Negro volcano. We keep getting stuck in the sand. The driver and the worker with him first try to shovel, but twice the boys have had to get off the bus to push. As of right now, we are going on pretty well, so maybe we will make it all the way up this time.

I am now siting 1/2 way up a volcano--Cerro negro. Me and some of the kids decided to stop and turn around. It is unique and really beautiful.

So...our bus in air-conditioned. Can you believe that? I mean, that is awesome because it is so hot, but it seems like something we really don't need. I like that while we are here, we are not so privileged. I really wanted our kids to rough it more than having an air-conditioned bus. You would think that I would really be excited about the air-conditioning, and it does really make things more pleasant. I just don't want to feel spoiled at all while I am here.

We just came back down the mountain, and we are waiting on the bus. The kids are playing mafia, and I desperately with I knew enough Spanish to talk to our bus driver. He seems like a really nice guy.

After we left the volcano, we headed back to the Bracken's house. We hung out and ate lunch. I ate leftover veggie pizza from the night before. We came to the school after that and saw some of the little kids who had just finished watching Veggie Tales...in Spanish. Our kids played with the little kids who were still there. I didn't stay very long. I was really hot and tired from climbing 1/2 a mountain. :) I hung out for a little while at the house--put on some more sunscreen. I am bound and determined to not have hives this year. The other kids came about 3:00 to watch Veggie Tales. They were all so sweet. It's not that I forgot how sweet they are, but it is so amazing how beautiful these children are. After the show, we all played with the kids outside.

I found out today that all the neighborhoods surrounding Nicaragua Christian School are named after Nicaraguan poets. I like that. Do you think that it is ironic/weird that some of the poorest people in Leon live in neighborhoods named after poets?

We played the Wii before bed. I wasn't going to play, but it just looked so fun that I decided to anyway. They were playing Just Dance. After I played 2 or 3 times, Chris and I challenged Steve and Amy to a couple's dance off. They won the first one--it was some mashed potato song. We won the 2nd one--"Cotton-Eyed Joe." Somehow :) they won the 3rd one--"U Can't Touch This." It was hilarious and so much fun! I was completely pooped when we were through. I was very happy I finally beat Matthew--he's really good. We played a game of Banagrams in our room and turned out the lights to sleep. More photos to come...
BB.