It is amazing to know a place so intimately that I feel like a local here in Bucerias, yet very much the foreigner. To come back to my third home after a year in California feels vaguely unsettling—am I coming or going? Has it been so long, or has time flown by?

Seeing the kids makes me think it is the latter; they are all much taller, still skinny, and Lauro’s face, in particular, has changed very much. The welcome I received from Elena, Anita, and Samuel was not just heartwarming but heart-melting. I was able to spend an afternoon with them and give them presents from Pilar: school shoes, framed pictures of themselves with either myself of her, art supplies, and a little notebook. They’ve been with their rehabilitated mother and are living a life without very much, but are clearly happy to be with her.

On day three I visited the Osorios, and the two prodigies Loli and Lauro. Both are on scholarship at the private grammar school in town, and despite racist treatment and taunts about their lack of wealth from classmates, they are thriving. Both Loli and Lauro received above a 9.0 average out of ten this year in school, and I am discussing with Lauro how to earn a scholarship to high school for the 2010-2011 school year.

The volunteer team this year consists of myself, a school teacher, four university students from California and Mexico, and two British young adults fresh off a six-month volunteer trip to Tanzania. Everyone is happy, enthused, and ready to work!

Monday was our first day of summer camp; we had nine scholarship recipients from Banderas de Esperanza show up bright and early at 8:30! The kids were SO happy—playing with toys we brought down, coloring, and already practicing English. Loli’s favorite phrase is: “My eyes are brown.” This is great—except that’s what she answers every time to convey just “brown”! We’ll work on it!

We’ll be taking the kids to swim lessons twice a week, doing lots of arts and crafts, working with computers, and creating a play for the last day of camp. The kids walk about three-quarters of a mile to get the BBCC in the cool mornings and I drive them home in the sweltering 1pm heat.

More pictures to come, stay tuned! Thank you for your support of these wonderful children!!!!