Hello all! Hope you've had a good week. Exciting news from Chile! I've had a great week. I might be starting to get used to the heat. I still sweat lots but I've had more energy and that has been very helpful in my job working with children! Aaron is the boy I feed three times a day. I have been playing with him more at feeding time and in daycare. We get on well but getting him to eat all his food is a bit tricky! I'm getting more lively and playful in my attempts to get him to eat all. We're not often eating all, but we're getting further. And his mother is sometimes stepping in to get him going. He is 11 years old and a lively boy trapped in a difficult body. He loves when you take him by the arms and walk with him, or let him jump. Having more energy myself makes a big difference! And this week I discovered that he loves to look at books while we are in daycare. That's great because he is a heavy boy and I cannot walk with him all the time.

I am still not sure if Inno enjoys the time I spend with her singing. She is very quiet and does not join in. But she rocks backand forth sometimes and this is how I judge the songs she likes. Last night I heard her singing while she was getting a bath. She can really do it! She's capable of much more than she lets on with me! But she is quiet all day long and apparently not too happy right now. Maybe in time...

Afia really seems to like our time together. I have discovered that she likes just finding a quiet spot to sit together and she puts her head in my lap while I sing. So we go to the outdoor rock church where it is nice and cool. She smiles as we walk and it is nice to see. She is deeply autistic and doesn't do any of the activities the others are doing in the autistic workshop. She just sits on her stool. So it is nice to see her enjoy something.

I enjoy my time in the autistic workshop. But if anyone has any tips for interacting with autistic children and activities they might like, I'd be glad to get some ideas. Actually they are not children, they are teenagers. Many of them seem to be 19 years old. It is interesting to watch them. Boadu does not speak, but he loves to hold someone's hand. It is heartwarming to see Cynthia hold his hand for a while. She does not speak either. Cynthia loves to have her head rubbed. All else stops and she revels in the feel, with a funny expression on her face. Balloon is the most active and loves to shake your hand, or hug you, or stand forehead to forehead. Yaw Yaw is deaf and a little mischief maker. She will come along and gently hit someone to see what will happen. I played tag with her this week, but she is a stocky, strong woman and I wouldn't want to get too rough with her! For half of the hour I am in this workshop they are stringing beads that are made into nice bead curtains. And I've seen beaded jewelry credited to them in our shop.

In the afternoon I go for a walk with some of the autistic children. I really enjoy this time. We walk from PCC up to the hospital gate. Round trip, it takes about 25 minutes. Koo Ema comes running when he sees me and I hold out my hand. Ntiamoah even seems to be looking for it to happen. Pako is already waiting by the closet with the flip flops. And I have recently discovered that Koo Ema can somewhat sing. That made my day! I was singing a Ghanaian echo song that I learnt at home - Kye Kye Koole. Koo Ema did the echo! Koo Ema doesn't talk, but he is a beautiful boy with a beautiful smile. I could watch him smile all day.

After our walk, I play ball with Koo Ema and Boadu. We roll a tennis ball back and forth to each other across the grass with a paddle. Koo Ema sometimes picks up the ball and gives it a kiss before he hits it. It is cute to see. Boadu is a very slow, quiet, passive guy. I love the days when he is a smiley boy. That too is wonderful to see.

The pool has been open again for the last two weeks, now that the scabies episode is subsiding. The pool is full of children and there is a lot of jumping and splashing. They really do love this part of the day when they get to play in the water. Lots of joy!

I am amazed at the rhythm inherent in these children. There are quite a few who love to play the drums and they are really very good at it. And they are always clapping when there is singing. But they don't just clap the beat. They clap syncopated rhythms. Tricky stuff! One day in the pool, Kwaku took an upturned watering can and treated it as a drum. It was awesome and he is only about 7 years old. Ayuba, who is 19 started dancing and it was highly amusing. I love Ayuba. He is friendly, playful and fun. He also speaks some English. We love to pick on each other. A nice boy!

Wow - there's more to tell, but I've been here forever. Lost power twice and had to start again. Gotta run for now. Love, Debbie