"You'll have to excuse my friend, he's a little slow"

I'm sorry about the lack of updates, but I assure you I am alive, healthy, and well. I have continued to carefully stay away from police officials, and no harm has been done.

The reason I have not updated honestly, is because of a stagnant chain of events. Everything I have done or seen in the last week, for the most part, I have described to you all. A few interesting events though....

There has been a man at Bugambilla with heart problems and several others. He cannot move independantly and began speaking to me the other day. I couldn't understand a word. I was the only one around and he looked to be in a lot of pain, so I started getting upset with myself and my inability to hear his words. It was as if he didn't have the strength to pick up his upper lip and move his jaw. I got someone else and together we moved him into the kitchen to eat. I found out that no-one, could understand him. Over the last couple of days he would scream and I would help move him from his bed to a wheelchair and vice versa. There was a time I just sat with him and held his hand. His eyes looked terribly sad, as if he wanted to die but couldn't. That must be a horrible condition to live in.

This week we have had a group from Allen in; they have 55 people. It has been great interacting with a youth group, and helping them with their projects. They have been great with the kids, and have helped us institute a new education program for volunteers.

Even among volunteers and refreshing personalities who add new perspectives each day, the work down here can become monotonous. It is not hard to become absorbed in the consistancy of the work day after day, and discouraged by the consistant suffering around you. Although I have been having a good experience, at times it is hard to not think about the comforts of home. With this base of understanding some of my emotions add this next part which I tell not to shed light on myself but merely to portray the complex feelings of my experience. The last few days have been tough as Nancita asks me almost every 5 minutes when I'm leaving and when I'm coming back. Nancita and Gloria have both tried to convince me to stay permanently, and Jesse has even offered up his room. It plays with you, I promise. The fact that Nancita keeps hugging me because I am leaving "very soon" is an amazing compliment, yet is a reminder that I have a responsibility to continue these relationships. As I long for home sometimes, these kids somehow sense that, and make it harder to leave.

With much love and a commitment to write more frequently,

Matt