Greetings from Turuco!

Typically, constructing a house starts with building a wooden frame and carefully laying brick. This summer, we have the unique opportunity to build a new playhouse for the children in our community.  However, the group has decided that the children of Turuco deserve more than a typical house; they need somewhere unique to play and unleash their imagination.  So, why not a castle?!  We are using sustainable building supplies to create the structure.  So far, our work has involved filling recycled bottles with trash and sand, which we will later use to build the walls of the castle. Nearby, we are restoring the playground into an inviting area for local children to gather and play; we’re busy sanding the existing equipment, applying a new coat of paint, and repairing the swings.

We are often visited by local children who are eager to help build the castle, one bottle at a time! There is never a dull moment as we work on multiple projects in a central area near the local church, just a few steps from the playground. We are also constructing a small park next to the playground, which will provide the people of Turuco with the opportunity to gather together under the shade of newly planted trees. We are working hard to wash and paint donated tires to bury halfway in the ground, which will form a fence around the new community park.  We have all tried our hands at carefully digging the holes for the tires, and using the patches of land to create three couches entirely out of grass!!

The people of Turuco are the center of our work, and we recently had the opportunity to visit local children in their homes and invite them to join us in the mornings to play, learn English, and help us with our work.  Just when we grow tired, one of the kids jumps on our backs or steals our hats, reminding us of the purpose of our work.

With all of this work,  we are still finding plenty of time for fun… visiting a coffee farm, relaxing in hot springs between the Andes Mountains, exploring nearby towns, playing soccer, and of course eating lots of cake (Happy Birthday Hannah and Talia! We can’t wait to celebrate Aidan’s day soon!). Stay tuned for another update soon.