L O

Hello - or as they say in Guyana "L O",

This has been an interesting week since I have last written, however, I feel as if every week is still very interesting and new.

Last weekend I went out with Sarah and a friend on Friday night. We just wanted to have a very relaxed night so we went to a place that you can sit and people sing karaoke. We basically just sat around and talked for a few hours and then went home. It was actually a lot of fun doing nothing. On Saturday we decided to take a big shopping adventure. Sarah and Audrey both needed new shoes. I knew the area of town where they had a lot of shops better than the two of them because a teacher once took me there after school so I lead us to a few different shoe shops. Sarah found shoes right away - but it took a few hours for Audrey to be able to find shoes - and she actually found them at a store right before the market once we had almost given up and decided just to go to the market. I always enjoy going to the market. There are many interesting things at the market. I really hate the smell sometimes - but that's really only if you go into the inside and you can smell all of the fish. There is one stand in which a younger man stops us every weeks. We did start to buy stuff from him and every time we've bought something from him he tells us how many days before we should eat it - or if we should eat it today - etc and its always very good! We went to a different stand the next week bought the same things for same price but they all went bad on us! So every week since this man has sold us a lot of good Papayas and mangos without them going bad! One lady tried to sell Sarah and I crab oil for our skin - I wasn't too keen on trying to crab oil.
On Sunday we went back up to the Orphanage - hung out with the boys - and then went out to the Sea wall again. I always enjoy sitting out on the sea wall - it may be one of my favorite things here.
During the week we didn't do anything extraordinary. Just getting into the swing of things is always enough. I had to take a few random buses for my job at the hospital this week and I am finally starting to feel really confident in knowing where I am. I've always been one who needs to know where I am in relation to some land marker at all times and I am finally starting to feel confident in knowing where I am. I also have learned a few new bus routes which is really helpful because it makes me feel more independent.

This week there was accusation of a young girl being hit by her boyfriend. I was not surprised by this as there is violence everywhere but rather I was very surprised to the reaction of others to the situation. I had found that there were other young girls that were convinced that it was okay for a boy to hit a girl. And others were saying how if a young man hits a girl it can be something to brag about. There are very little resources for young women who find themselves in abusive relationships which is a very difficult struggle I have come across. Many young women all over the world find themselves in a difficult position because they are convinced that love comes along with violence. I found it ironic that some of my friends in the states were selling shirts at this time that say: "Spread love like violence". I feel like shirts like that should be worn all over. I also feel like people should be interested in trying to improve the lives of others around them. I hate the phrase "Well as long as it makes them happy". I've been thinking about that a lot since I have been here. Some of the young people that I work with each day think violence can be linked with happiness. I am never one to think that we should impose our ideas on others - unless their basic rights as humans are being violated. Many times rather than helping someone we find ourselves as bystanders who hopes that someone else will do something. And let me tell you something - the person behind you is thinking the same things - and the same person behind them is thinking the same thing. The only persons actions you can control and be in charge of is yourself. And you are the only one whose actions you will be accountable for in the end. I had someone once said: When God calls do you answer? Because eventually you can't run away from the question "where were you?".

Anyway. Off my soap box now.

I've also found a love for living in a big city. I never thought I would say that but there is so much joy found in my life by looking out the window of the mini bus and "people watching". I love all of the activity. My whole life I've lived in the quiet serenity of life - and i'm seeing the good on the other end of the spectrum.

One of my friends sent me a letter and a line from his letter really summarizes how I feel here - so without his permission (sorry) I am going to share it with you:
"I have been given the opportunity to love deeply and that love is life to me. I think we may be united in that reality."
He was so right - It doesn't matter that we are on different continents - but what really matters is that each day we wake up with the goal of loving deeply. Often we fail, but we always have the opportunity to try again tomorrow.

I am going to close with a new favorite quote that I have known for a while but that another friend recently sent to me:
"Nothing is more practical thank finding God, i.e., than falling in love in a quite absolute, final way... Fall in love, Stay in love, and it will decide everything." (Fr. Pedro Arrupe S.J.)

Love and prayers,

Ashley Ann