Week 3 in Ecuador!

This one is from Warren:

The camera project for kids is going well.  We had a public meeting and 22 kids came to use the 6 cameras that we are leaving with the community.  Uver lives in the community and he will be working with the kids twice each week to have them use the cameras and document their environment.  He is really good with the kids and has a great attitude. They are looking forward to having the resource in their village.  All of the kids really enjoyed it and they take great photos, even the 4 year old.  It seems like the project could help increase awareness of our connection to our environment and the benefits of the nature reserve to their lives (especially the benefits to the river that flows through the community.  We move to the next location this week and spend another 2 weeks setting up the program there. 

We've been living in a communal household where we all share duties from cooking, cleaning, and turning the poop in the composting toilet.  It works pretty well, but cooking seems to be a competition and there always seems to be too much food prepared.  Consequently, I try to skip one meal a day.  We have had time to interact with folks in the community and have enjoyed learning about their livelihood and helping out a little bit.  We met a woman from the states that has moved into the village and is helping to set up some industries to employ women and currently unemployed folks, all the while trying to maintain a sustainable and amicable environment.  She seems to really embody the Christian ideal of loving others through real actions.  It makes you ask "How can I do more?".