Each time I am here and strengthen relationships with adoring children, their grateful guardians, and network connections, I also strengthen my ties to this physical place. I am always breathless when we round a corner and the mountains and their beauty encircle us. It eases the constant rattling of metal and weary bones. I begin to distance my tender heart as the passage of time seems to quicken. I feel the sting of tears behind these thoughts and question them. Often they are not completely tears of personal sadness. Many times they are all too keen and sharp,feeling the quandry that I indeed get to step away from all that is daily life here; a lack of clean water, children normally put to work at age 5 to earn 50 centavos a day for back breaking work, many hardened and dirty feet without shoes, rounded bellies full of parasites. I catch my breath and remember that all is a gift. Because my spirit and body travel between these 2 polar extremes, I am allowed to share their voices, their dreams. And because more and more listen, often chosing to travel these same roads, the door to the future is open. This generation will be educated. It is almost unbelievable that because of all of you, 119 children eat food twice a day prepared with clean water. Their request for a drink of water is heard and the danger of parasites swimming in it ceases. They walk out the door of the guarderia in uniforms and shoes so that they may one day walk out the door of abject poverty and change the world as they know it. Cultural gifts are packed in preparation for upcoming events to raise not only dollars but awareness. There will be much to share and I look forward to the opportunities ahead. A small group of Americans land tomorrow.Some have been here before, others will feel the rawness of this place for the first time. All will take different things from this experience. What will you take?........
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