Capital Improvements

I had my first day back in Itipini today, stepping off the plane and heading straight to work. (In retrospect, not a terrific idea as I yawned my way through most conversations.) Aside from the very warm welcome I received, the first thing I noticed was all the changes. I knew about them in advance but it was still a surprise to come back to.

Our old kitchen and store rooms - that were in major disrepair; at one point in July, I leaned against one of the walls and fell through - have been torn down…
...and will soon be replaced with a much better (and bigger) building.
In the meantime, it has turned our playground into a construction zone.

Our small after-school garden…
...has now more than doubled in size.

And this guy…
...finished his new shack.

I’ll have more to say about the welcome I received from the people in Itipini (and the struggle to find the right vocabulary to tell them about my trip) but let me just show this picture.
This child followed me around all day (literally!), even climbing up the playground with me when I took some pictures. It’s nice to be missed.