...because you are youung.

I had such a full weekend I have no idea where to start. There were so many people leaving and birthdays and just a ton of good stuff happened.

To start out Thurday night was my birthday party with my friends from school. We had dinner for those who wanted it at 7:00 and the gathering at 8:00. For the dinner I think about 6 people came and for the gathering I think there were probably 20 people total but lots of people could only make it for parts of it. Kafka, the restaurant where we at has this really cool area over the bar that you have to go over this little bridge thing to get to. They have a big long table that you eat Roman style around. It was really great for talking. My friends bought me a card and a really delicious birthday brownie, complete with ice cream and a candle.

Friday night was 80s night at Hotel Antigua. We were invited back last time we went by the hotel manager so we got in free and we had to pay for almost nothing and they kept sending us free food. It is so fun because everywhere I go with my group of friends people love having us. We love dancing and karaoke and we are always as polite and friendly as we can be. 80s night this week was really fun becaus Carlos, my big brother, came along. I was surprised about how mamy songs he knew.

Saturday I stayed at home most of the day. It was a much needed rest and I got a lot of studying done.

Sunday we ate breakfast at the cafe down the street and went to mass. It was really cool because the service was all about the Lord´s Prayer which I am really familiar with from going to Spanish service in Watertown back home. In the afternoon we had a party for Kelley, who has been such an amazing friends during the time I have been here. She left yesterday morning and it was tough to say goodbye. We ate cake in the park and we celebrated in the McDonald´s courtyard with a piñata. At first the McDonald´s employees did not look so excited about having us there so Doug went in and bought like 15 cheeseburgers, or quesoburguesas, as they are called here. We invited all of the kids in the courtyard to come and play as well. It didn´t take much for the McDonald´s people to get excited about what we were doing. They brought us out an actually piñata stick instead of the tennis racket we had been using. Unfortunately, Jenny accidentally broke the stick by wacking it into a tree. I was delegated to go and apologize to the staff. They pretty much thought that this was the funniest thing that had ever happened. I mean really, some of them laughed so hard they cried. We must have looked pretty funny, 4 adults coming up to the counter with this sad broken piñata stick, asking if we can pay for it. It was a very fun afternoon and I definately got some beautiful pictures.

After Jenny, Sarah, Kelley, and I spent some time in the sun on Jenny´s roof. Mostly I studied, but I did tan up a little bit. The sun did a lot to boost my mood. Sunday night we went out to eat. It was also Kelley´s birthday, so in the Guatemalan tradition, we set off a lot of Black Cats in the street. The staff at the restaurant loved us so they set off even more Black Cats. It was really, really loud, but equally fun.

Yesterday I took my exam and passed it. Thus I am now in Grado D. I feel pretty good about the score I got and I am excited for the new material.

In spite of all of these fun events, the highlight of my weekend was definately visiting the organization that I am going to be working for. They have a gorgeous campus and it was so amazing to start meeting the kids that I am going to be helping. The staff is young, but passionate. The director of the new infant malnutrition center is 19, my age. At first I was really shocked by this and even a little skeptical, but I had the opportunity to talk to him and it is obvious that his passion for what he is doing has led him to build up an amazing center that is going to save the lives of hundreds of children. He also told me that the most important part of everything he does is God. He credited God with all of his abilities. He used the example of Timothy and quoted some of the things Paul says to encourages him.

"Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity."