This Good Friday, I’ll have been in Bánica for nine months. (It’s also my Dad’s birthday!) It’s hard to believe how fast the time has gone by – my first year is almost up. Probably most of you reading this already know by now, but I’m going to be staying in Bánica for a second year, till summer 2008. And I’m really looking forward to the year to come – I know He has some exciting things planned!
My work is going to be changing a bit in the near future. Fr. Gee’s giving me the job of organizing the catechism program for the parish. I’m happy I’ll have the chance to get to know all the campos, and more of the people, and to be doing more catechesis work. So, because of this project, I’ll probably stop working in the Pedro Santana office in May.
Plans are also underway to turn one of the buildings on the parish block into a house for lay volunteers. And hopefully we’ll have at least one more volunteer down here come this fall. I love the family I’ve been living with, and it will be different living within the parish walls, but I think overall it will be better – a little more peace and privacy, and a schedule that includes things I’ve been missing, like daily prayer in common with the other volunteer(s). Of course, some of this depends on other volunteers arriving, so if any of you know anyone who fits the job description…
In other news, we have a new puppy at the parish – he’s Bernabé’s son, and his name is Savio, because he arrived on the feast of St. Dominic Savio.

For a more ferocious picture of Savio, see Fr. Gee’s blog.
Also, the cat had three kittens, but I don’t have a picture of them because dogs are so much better.