#3

~ two-week countdown ~

The next two days will be nuts! We'll be (some of us) all day at McAuley: 9 a.m. - 11 for conversation practice (en español, por supuesto), then working on our PowerPoint presentations for Santiago (those that haven't been working on them!), probably a pizza dinner and the 7 p.m. meeting with the Notary Public to get the parental permission forms done. That is so I, as chaperone, can take the girls in and out of the countries.

I also have meetings with Sister Edward Mary and Sister Francis Clare to interview two candidates for the other Spanish teaching position at McAuley! I'm praying that it will be someone who is a perfect fit for us! (That's a hint that you, too, can help pray!)

Early Thursday I will be out of here with all the passports, permission slips, and other required items, to drive to Augusta by 8:30 a.m. There the Secretary of State's office will research and verify the various Notaries we have used. As soon as that is completed, I am off to Boston for an appointment with the Consulate of Chile, so HE can also verify and approve each set of official documentation for each student! Whew! I wish we had had all the lpassports a few weeks ago so that this wouldn't be a rush now. If anything hits a snag ... (again ... prayer will help avoid this!) Anyone who misses any aspect of this will have to complete it all on their own before we leave on July 26th. I'm so trying to help and make it easiest and clearest for all concerned.

Once I am sure that that whole aspect is under control and completed, I'm heading to the house of my Ecuadorian "sister" Monse in Medford (Boston suburb) to visit with her family and "our Mamita" Elena, who is up visiting from Guayaquil for the summer. This was the family I lived with 25 and 32 years ago. Their second daughter, my "sister" Patty, lived the year before that with my family as an AFS student in Gorham, Maine. (1972) [AFS = American Field Service] This is the relationship that started my whole intercambio experience. It is a life-chaning opportunity that I KNOW these McAuley girls will begin to experience now in Santiago, Chile.

Here's photos of me; and my Ecuadorian Papi (Ricardo) and me BAILANDO. Yeah, this is a while ago ... 1979. My second time living in Guayaquil.

It was from there that my friend Anny and I went to Perú and traveled that beautiful country. Ah, the tales and stores, the sites and sounds, that we could tell you from there ...

~ Dubita