The big visit of the week was of Natalie & Fiona from Ambato up north. They are doing a year-out from Strathclyde Uni and are teaching there. I have been in touch with them by net over the year and was glad that they were able to manage down fro the weekend. We went to various Church events while here and also had a chance to have a walk around the Parish with yours truly pointing out the high spots. Thanks girls. Disaster zone! Out at Maestro chapel, which was only inaugurated in October, we have had a disaster. Basically there is a fault line running through the ground on that hillside which skirts the edge of the plot of land. Although there is no damage to the actual chapel, the outer wall has been buckled beyond recognition. There is no blame with the architect or the way he built it, but it is just amazing how nothing of this appeared in the past four years. There is a whole line of houses down the hillside that have been damaged and a crater, like in an earthquake, has opened up in most gardens/houses all along that line. So we are doing basic repair on it at the moment – further cost – and then we will see if it can be properly replaced. Last Sunday was Election Day – the fourth general election there has been in five years. Rafael Correa, our President, set up a new Constitution last year and it called for fresh elections. It is the first time in Ecuador’s history that a President can be re-elected and, with two years already under his belt, it is possible that Correa could be in for a further eight years until 2017. I am glad of the result – Correa as President if for no other reason that changing President every two years is not good for stability. Apart from that the nearest candidate was Lucio Gutierrez was ousted only four years ago as President and had to leave the country in a helicopter and under armed guard???? Our school year is well underway now and I go down every other day for classroom visits and Masses. Actually last week was my first Mass because they were using the chapel as a store for all jotters and books etc. So it was good to get back to it being a chapel. Of course it was secondary school kids whoa re the same unresponsive kids the world over. I wasn’t upset about it, just chuckling inside, but the teachers thought it was a disgrace. Not me, just the usual. We can’t be jumping up and down singing alleluia all the time. I had the head Rotary President out last week to make a visit to our water project (which is working so well that no-one is talking about it). She came with a big entourage and we walked down to the school and back. I think they were impressed. Basically they sunk a well in the school two years ago and now they have brought water 300 metres away up to my house – which provides water also to the Nursery and the Church. On the way we give water to the state primary and to the state secondary (which our blessed President is building). So loads of water all over the place and, now that it is in place, two other schools are asking for water too! Progress, progress!

Well Duncan has now left – in fact by now he should be back in Scotland resting. He had a terrific time while here – he gave his all in the building site at the school sweating through the heat and gave his all at the various services. His farewell speech on Sunday night was heartfelt to a community that he will carry inside him for many years to come. Naturally enough last week had a lot of Duncan in it. The school build is almost finished – only a few tidying up jobs left. Duncan spent his days I think sifting sand and, as the days went by, communication got better. So that, when we came to a meal on Friday to say thanks to all the workers that had taken part in the 3 classroom build, he was very much part of their friendship. The classrooms are being used but we will have a formal opening ceremony I think when the next visitors are out. On Thursday night I took Duncan along to the Hilton hotel where the Rotary Club was meeting. I am not a member but went along last week to say thanks for the Club laying the water pipes up from the school. Getting free water from our well at the school means that in the Nursery and Church we are saving $250 a month!!! This money can now be used for other things. The Rotary members are a bit posh and certainly very very wealthy but they have been generous to us. So I took along a bottle of whisky to say thanks! We had a big day on Saturday for Catechists. The housing charity, Hogar de Cristo, ran it as they do a whole course for catechists and had invited around 150 catechists from five of the neighbouring Parishes. I was involved in the initial animation of the day and it was amazing to see how “up for it” they were from the beginning, literally it was jumping! After a few sessions of catechist work, we retired to the swimming where I was able to practice my dives. Good fun spending time with catechists who work so hard. This week I have also been quite heavily involved in the Parish youth work – it seems that myself and Tito, our Parish youth leader, were at all of the groups talking and encouraging. The young people are so enthusiastic for the work and keen to get all sorts of activities going. I am up for it too. So, once Duncan was safely dispatched to the airport, it was off to Ayangue with the priests from the St. James’ Society for our monthly meeting, catching up on all the chat and resting for a day after the rigours of Easter.

Paul came and went since I last wrote. Duncan Smith arrived before I came back from Scotland but Paul arrived last Monday and stayed for over a week. The two of them went down the school to work so that was good and worked out well: Duncan helping in labouring at the classroom build; and Paul in the English classes. I would say though that Duncan seemed the most tired when they came back to the house. In any case, the school were very happy to have them working and appreciated their work!!!! They gave them a welcome/farewell meal on Wednesday with the usual handicraft gifts. Of course, they were both here during the busiest week of the year – Holy Week. All the ceremonies went well. The Mass of Chrism on Thursday morning I attended myself while they were working at the school. It was good enough although the ‘rammy’ at the end to get the Holy Oils was terrible. Then at night time the Mass of the Lord’s Supper was very well attended and I washed 16 feet – Paul reckoned that there would have been more then just the apostles in the Upper Room so maybe there were more than 12 feet to be washed. On Friday we had the three-and-a-half hour epic Stations of the Cross up past the Rubbish tip. It was so well done (in particular Victor’s acting as Jesus was superb) I was moved to tears as it was going on. The actual crucifixion scene was incredible. At night we had a full Church for the Good Friday celebration. Saturday morning saw our youth convention – well attended in Carmen chapel by around 120 young people. Twas very good with great enthusiasm. Then the Easter Vigil turned into the Piece de Resistance of all celebrations with 0ver 500 people filling the Church. As the night went on and people’s participation in the readings passed the numbers dwindled but, as light came into the Church around 6.30am on Sunday morning, we were still very busy. Highlights were the Good and Evil drama from the chapel here, the fireworks at the Ceremony of Light and Tania receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation. Once again it was very worthwhile in having an all-night vigil. Of course, Duncan, Paul and myself were absolutely shattered at the end of it all. But, after five or six hours sleep, we got into the car and headed up the coast so that they could see a little bit of a different Ecuador than the shanty towns of Guayaquil. We went to Puerto Lopez and it was great just to have a night of chatting and eating beside a beautiful Pacific sunset. In the morning we walked into the ocean and then headed down the road. A very worthwhile relax after the hectic Holy Week.