Near future

May 17
The great departure is being mentioned more and more frequently. School break is coming closer when Rincon's court will become much more emptier and quieter for 2 weeks. All students, teachers and most of the missionaries will go away. I talked with a girl named Carol how she will go home. Her uncle will ride here on a horse and then they will ride back home for 10 hours! She says that the road is very nice. Many will go home in horses and donkeys, some will get a 'taxi' at the city, the rich will go by their own cars. They all will go home on June 18th.
Until then we have to celebrate some days, students are preparing songs, poems and dramas. May 27th is Mother's day, June 1 is principal Panfila's birthday that is a major event. Everyone is dreaming how they could pour water on our big leader. I secretly anticipate this honor too. They say she's very sharp-eyed and notices is a water cup is approaching. So you have to be very lucky and crafty to water Panfila. Moreover - she never stays indebt... usually the pourer also gets some water :D Then June 6th is Teacher's day and students are looking forward to this day with great anticipation because they get to parody the teachers. The children manage to find teacher's clothes and then they perform in front of the whole school. Yesterday I hang my t-shirts outside on a rope after washing them. It was a big mistake because my shirts are no longer there. I guess girls made sure they have my clothes for parodying me on June 6th :D
Ondina and I had planned to go to Nova Odessa on June 17th or 18th. But I had a good conversation with Panfila and my plans changed. I agreed to stay in Rincon for one more week until June 25th so Velta can rest from her many duties and go to Corumba, Brazil! There are still  some people and dogs that need to be fed so she would not get any rest if she stayed here. So she will go away for a week. Ondina and I will stay here. I will be Velta for a week :) WOW! Huge responsibility and huge honor and happiness at the same time to give Velta some rest! There will be some American youth here at the time who come here to help with practical things during the summer. I'll have to feed them. Two girls will sleep in my room so I will have an English speaking company! Probably some Brazilian helpers will also come and I will have to feed them... So I'll have to do an important job during my last week here! Two local Ayoreo girls will come to help me. Pray that this last week goes smoothly! That the food is tasty, enough and that Velta gets an excellent rest and gains a lot of strength for the next semester! Velta will come back on June 25th and Ondina and I will go away by the same transport (on ground or in the air)... to Corumba, Nova Odessa.... Sao Paolo... Houston... LATVIA!!!


P.S. Big, smiling thank you to Rasa Shtern for the special, Latvian parcel for Ondina, Velta and I! All of us were VERY surprised and happy! Also a big thank you to my big brother who must have read my thoughts in Belgium... I recently thought but never mentioned to him that I wish I would have one more memory card for my video camera so I can film more... WOW! And my brother sent me one! I was so happy! And thank you for exhaustive letter and pictures!!!