March goes by...

The infrequency of my blogs is now caused by the fact that my computer's graphics card has decided to crash and I am therefore forced to use the family one, which is obviously available much less often and doesn't contain any of my photos.
It is now the end of March and I am in a reluctant countdown to my departure. It feels like I have found my place here and now I must leave.
In recent news, I now have a new junior youth group, studying the book "Walking the Straight Path". It started as a group of 5 and is now a group of 9. It's a lot more enjoyable than my other groups because the kids are older and therefore can work more independently and we have much more interesting discussions. We'll be working fast to finish the book before I leave which they were all willing to do. The feeling of completing a book is very satisfying.
My Sunday nights are now the highlight of my week as they are filled by a study circle of the book "Reflections on the life of the spirit" - a fantastic study of spirituality, prayer, and life after death. It is a group of 5 - the mother of the house where we hold it, and 4 youth. Last night, two of the women surpised me by volonteering to end our circle with the prayers they had memorized over the week. I think it was a real testimony to the power of prayer and the effect it has in our lives. Some call it just a "false comfort" or an "illusion" but I pride myself on being a logical and scientific person and I can testify to the difference that starting and ending your day with a prayer can make in attitude and in actions during the day.
In far more exciting (and disgusting) news, I was bitten by a spider (I think) a few weeks ago and after getting rid of the infection it has turned into a frightening sight which I felt I should share with all of you!


My personal feeling is that a year in South America would not be complete without some kind of disease and a strange bite of some sort...and as I have now had both I am content.