BLING

The kids here are very creative ... they are always creating something out of found items ... Odalis says that he's an inventor ... here are Marcos, Arjenis, Odalis and Andres showing off their home-made rings, carved from a metal pipe and smoothed out with nail files ... Andres carved an "A" for Andres on his 2nd ring

Jenny from the Block

More pics of the lil one everybody loves ... Yennifer

Jenny (Yenny or Yennifer in Spanish) with Marianny

Photo Booth

Yennifer
here with Marcos

Carolina

Carolina (14) and I ...she is one of the older girls at the orphanage

More Moncho

Moncho and Marcos outside on Sunday ... Moncho had just gotten a fresh hair cut

Yessia y Moncho

Yessica (age 9) & I
Yessica and her brother, Moncho

American VS Dominican Basketball

Team Pic :) ... from the left- Luis (the orphanage pastor's son), Odalis, Bryan, Marcos, Geoff
Game On

Luis in mid air

Odalis and Marcos (back) are not orphans, they live in the neighborhood nearby

7am EL MORO HIKE

One reason why you aren't supposed to climb big El Moro ... but most of the route is better.

This is a nice view of little El Moro (the hike people are aloud to do) and the island off of Monte Cristi

The sign says "this route is prohibited" ... the stairs are old and this is the steepest side of El Moro ... too bad Bryan and Jeff can't read Spanish

Bryan drinking from the water bckpack at the top

Me, Nina, Monica

Bryan at the top of the mountian

Me at the top

Dominican Travel

What better way to get around town than to cram 5 on a moped ...this is not an uncommon sight.

Kite Flying

Rafael flying a hand made kite aka"Chichigua"

La Iglesia

Pics: Saqueo and I riding back to the orphanage after the kids church service, Mariany and Yessica at church.

The littlest one here at the orphanage- Yennifer, age 1 and a half, eating a sucker.

Nina, Geoff, Bryan, Amy

La Casa de Ingles

"Learning English is the Best" ...students outside of the English house ...we have 3 classes, Mon-Thurs.

In the center of the city of Monte Cristi there is a small park with a clock tower ... you can climb it and that is what we did this past Sunday ... pics- the tower, Bryan helping Nina onto the ladder, and me on the stairs.

Carmelo, age 6, and Marianny, age 7, playing in the trees outside at the orphanage

On Mondays we usually have a movie night with the kids and on Wednesday and Thursday we usually do an activity such as games or arts and crafts ... here is Winston, age 6, playing with a toy airplane during a games night

Last week I (Amy) lead some college volunteer groups to teach English in 2 local schools. Here is one little boy on recess with a flower behind his ear.

Jochi learned a few new bracelet making styles this past week. Here he is working on one outside.

Sorry for no updates recently ....we arrived late at night on the 6th and will be updating more often, once we get better access to the internet! Check back soon!