Latest weekly La Esperanza newsletter

Dear All,

Hope that everyone has had an interesting week during Semana Santa. It has certainly been different than a regular week here in town, large crowds of people everywhere - of course I missed seeing all of the volunteers (though some did pass by from time to time).

We had another problem with school locks - this time it doesn't look like there was any robbery. Raul Planas was up at La Prusia and noticed that there was no padlock on the school gate; he informed Nigel who went and put a padlock of his own on the gate that same day - the key for which is now in the office.

New volunteers starting this week are: May Chappel from Spain, Juliane and Karsten Kreutzieger from Germany, Rebekah Ramsay from Australia, and Lucy Fratantoni from Italy. You will also meet Mali Kedward, from Wales, UK, as Mali is already staying with us, but this week will be studying more Spanish and starting with us the following Monday.

We received some donations this week - a regular friend Jason Moody came to the office with $100 cash donation, and Jenny Herring while in the office buying some of the women's goods gave us a $20 donation. Future volunteer Wayne Sprouse sent us $40 through PayPal.

I'm not aware whether the bi-weekly tutoring session is planned for this Tuesday, or not until next Tuesday - so suggest team leaders check in the office on Monday.

For the next few months we have yet another house for volunteers. Arnold Jensen who has been volunteering on the project of Casas de la Esperanza has returned to Holland for a few months and has asked that we look after his house while he is away, and had made it available to volunteers at the same rates as the other houses, which is really good of him as he has a mortgage to pay.

Now that the housing situation is growing to almost hotel booking proportions - to avoid confusion - I will put a small notebook in my shelf in the office (on the bookshelves) and can anyone who has any date changes please mark them in that book for me. Messages can get lost, and it is easy to forget with so many details - so please, if you are staying longer, leaving earlier, or want to put your name down to change room etc. If it has anything that relates to the houses please write it in that notebook for me and I will check it each time I am in the office. If you can't find the book make a note on the whiteboard please. Also can everyone in the houses please pay their rent this week either on Monday or Tuesday.

Based on memories of the first day after Semana Santa last year be prepared for anything in the schools tomorrow - from teachers meetings to total confusion - it will quickly settle down again.

Look forward to seeing all of you, if not in the office tomorrow, then at the meeting on Tuesday night.
Regards, Pauline.