Well, I guess I'm overdue for an update, it's been almost a month!

I have made 2 trips to Quito since the last post as well. Once for my teeth--turns out I had to get a root canal--and once for reconnect conference with dentists appointments on both ends.

The reconnect conference was good--we had about 3 days of a workshop on design and management of projects--basically how to write grants, but also how to develop ideas with a group or a community, starting from a dream or vision for the future, and then narrowing down to specific goals and objectives. This part was with our counterparts, and it was good to have a chance to sit down and talk about this stuff with Maria Elena. She was awesome, too--I had a lot of people come up and tell me "I wish I had your counterpart." Then Thursday noon the counterparts left and we had some tech and administrative stuff Thursday and Friday.

The bonus of being in Quito is that there are places to watch American football. So when I got to town Monday, after my dentist appointment, I went out and watched Monday Night Football with friends, and then stayed an extra day to watch the Colts beat the Titans by way too narrow a margin on Sunday.

Other than the Quito trips things have been pretty normal in San Lorenzo. Working with the canal directive is a continuing struggle, so I'm trying to define what my role is (and it isn't being a secretary, for one thing.) But I'm continuing work on getting some hosing and some new piped secondary canals. And I talked to a guy from the Ministry of Environment who is interested in setting up a tree nursery in San Lorenzo, so hopefully he'll be able to also help me out with the reforestation and canal stabilization stuff I want to do. And I'm starting some workshops doing organic fertilizers, soil conservation, etc. in San Lorenzo so hopefully those will go well.

Keep writing letters and emails, I love hearing what everyone's up to at home.