I was out to see Colin today – for the second time this week. I was there on Monday with Bob Thomas and Paddy (down from Quito to see him). He is in a priests’ recovery home on the other side of the city after getting an operation to correct a bad hip operation last year. He seems in good form but it will take him several months I think before he is back to normal. Slowly but surely. While out in that direction I stopped off to see another of our priests, Liam Reilly, who stayed a couple of weeks in my house as he was starting out his missionary journey. He took over a Parish last year and has really taken to it - at the moment he is building the chapel house and it looks as if it will be very good. Although his parish is on the other side of the city, it is still very poor. Indeed one of the striking things about his area is that, even outwith the rainy season, it seems to be under water. So now that we are fully into it (we had more torrential rains this week), Liam is positively swimming. I was down at the school build today and, amazingly for only having been at it for three weeks, they are going to lay the second floor tomorrow. Manuela and his team just seem to get on with the work. There never seem to be any fights or disagreements (maybe they stop when I am there) and they certainly get on with the jobs. I think this particular job will not last very long – they can build classrooms with their eyes shut – although I hope they keep them open. Rotary Club business took up a bit of time for me this week. Firstly they are still finishing details for the water getting pumped up to the house – I think it might take a few more days. Then, and perhaps more importantly we are preparing for the visit of Rachael Blair the week after next. We met her up in Manta last October at the Projects Fair, with her Scottish husband, Loudon Blair. I am looking forward to seeing them and introducing them, to life in Nueva Prosperina not least because we hope she might make a contribution to the Medical Centre. This week as well as pouring rain was also Carnival week which meant that people were either throwing water at one another or chucking people in it. Well you know how I disapprove of all that tomfoolery. But I made an exception this time and got involved. Funnily enough it was last Sunday morning after the Masses at La Paz and San Ignacio where all the tricks were. As ever the people presume I will not take part but then do. So it was dirty and wet clothes all last weekend. Lovely. This of course leads into Ash Wednesday and the five celebrations I had throughout the Parish. I am always amazed how people know it is Ash Wednesday if they never go to Church for they come out in their droves. I was late for every celebration because the crowds were so big and they services took longer and longer. And, when I eventually got to the main chapel for 8pm service (started at 8.30pm), it was jammed packed. So happy Lent everyone. And finally, I have recovered fully. Yip I was not well last week – upset stomach etc etc. And when we had our welcome party at Frank Jones’ place last Monday for Dominic, I was so ill I did not know which way to turn. However, after a few tablets and medicated drinks, I am on the mend.

The big news of the week is that Dominic Quinn has arrived in Ecuador to star his missionary journey here. After having spend a couple of weeks in Peru at the Centre House there (getting paperwork sorted) he arrived this afternoon. The welcoming committee was there with its Celtic strip on and, after the initial banners & hugs etc, we went off to have a wee lunch together. Dominic has been appointed to work with Frank Jones in his Parish in a nearby part of the city so we all wish him all the best as he sets out on this journey. From one Scots missionary to another. Colin MacInnes, my friend and neighbouring parish priest is in hospital. Basically the hip operation in Scotland last year did not set as it should have and, for some time, he was in considerable pain. After a few tests he went in this week to get the procedure corrected. And, when I went in to see him the other day, he was in good form chatting away. And tomorrow he is going off to a rest home in Duran on the other side of the river. It is a place run by nuns and will give Colin a good chance of a recovery away from the hassle of the Parish door bell going every few seconds. A speedy recovery, Colin. Having been away in Peru last week, it was good to get back and see how the school building programme was going. Two weeks into the project you can now see the three classrooms taking shape – 2 up and one down. I am always amazed at how quickly the initial weeks go – very quickly it all takes shape. And, of course, with our trusted foreman, Manuel, at the helm, it will always be a happy team. Having said that there are a few new faces this time – and a couple of top year students who are doing it as their summer job… it looks like they are good workers too. I have just had the electrician in for the water pump. Basically the water from the school well is being pumped up to the Nursery and Church, bringing water to two schools on the way. It will be a tremendous bonus to us here as the water that comes in in water tanks is so costly. In any case, it should be flowing within two weeks. Aye right! I have been out and about this week all over the place on foot, visiting folk in their houses and just generally getting out. As a result, my shoes have been caked in mud. When I was going to get Dominic today I thought maybe I should clean my shoes up and then I thought ‘no, this is how we live here’. It’s like a muddy badge of honour. I also try to get into the Nursery at least once a week and I was there yesterday. Basically I go from class to class and talk to the weans and get them high. At the moment there are not so many kids as they are on their long holiday. Having said that, it is always great to get in and, as a book on school chaplaincy used to say ’waste time with the kids’.

Last Saturday I went to Jose’s Graduation party. I don’t much like Saturday night parties because Saturday’s are the nights that I really want to get to sleep early. But hey, Jose is a music group member and youth group leader, so I was happy to be with them. Unfortunately it was on the other side of the city and my going meant that I became a taxi for about twenty young folk in the truck. The party itself was good with dance, cake and chatting. The downside was that I was shattered for the Masses on Sunday morning, not least the First Communion Mass I had at Resucitado!!!

Well, the St. James Society AGM came and went and, as ever it was marked with meetings and talks of one kind or another. The talks were very good: child protection and what it means for our Parishes; preventative medicine; as well as our business meetings for St. James’ internal matters. And I can tell you that I have made St. James history: I have held the post of Ecuador country co-ordinator for the shortest period of time – 80 days. Basically I was elected at our November meeting but there was a call for a re-election and, at the new election, Frank Jones was elected as country co-ordinator. As someone then said: “there is not a post in St. James that Martin has not held …. Well for at least ten minutes!” In any case, there was a lot of time to sit around chatting, catching up with all the guys who had come also from Peru and Bolivia. And there was even a sing-song. So I come back to Guayaquil refreshed and, indeed, relieved of the pressures of office

I loved getting out and about this week through the mud which, as a result of the growing rainfalls, has appeared all over the Parish. Basically what happens is that, during the day, it gets hotter and hotter so that it is unbearable and then it starts to pour around about 6pm (just when I am thinking about going out for Mass somewhere). This week was marked by Graduation ceremonies and fiestas. Jose Luis is one of our catechists, guitarists and youth group leaders at La Paz chapel (he is also applying for entry to seminary in April). So, when he invited me to his Graduation (not Uni just Secondary school), I was happy to take up the offer. He goes to a school nearby our Parish that, like many poor schools, gets subsidized by a rich school. So the Graduation ceremony was in the hallowed halls of San Jose L Salle, secondary school to future Presidents. The ceremony was very fine and was marked by Jose Luis getting a special one-ff prize for Service to the Community. He was smiling from ear to ear. After that it was back to Andresito’s house (he came to Scotland last year) where he was having a fiesta for his Graduation: it is fairly traditional here that the fiesta meal is rice with chicken so I wasn’t let down! And then tonight, Tonio, our drummer at the Parish Church and also youth group leader, is having a Graduation ceremony but, since it is on the other side of the city, I might not be able to manage it. In any case two days and three Graduations!!! This week was slightly unusual in that I had to go on three separate occasions into the city centre on various bits of business. Since I didn’t need to carry things back and forward and was only going for meetings and stuff, I decided to take the new Metrovia bus back and forward. Basically it operates like a mix between a tram and the subway: there are only two or three main lines in the city and only set stops. However, two weeks ago they out in a feeder line that runs right past my house. So I decided to hop on and, fifty minutes later, was in the city centre. The only drawback is that for most of the journey you are squashed together like sardines. But who can complain for 25 cents each way? After a pause of a few months we started construction again. One of the local Rotary clubs had been offering for some time to lay water pipes from the school water supply up to the Nursery and Church. On Monday they started for real and, after moving incredibly fast, they got all the way from Nursery to School. Next week they will do the electrical work at the school and also the pipe work through the Nursery. But I would imagine that, within ten days, I will have a better and cheaper water supply …. Since, at the moment, water is costing me $50 per week!! The other project is the school where we are building the last three classrooms that are needed to make it a fully brick-built school. Since we have been adding a year group each year, this April (when we start a new school year) we will need two new classrooms. So the plan is to build three classrooms and a playground. All in time hopefully for an April start. We shall see.