Where did you buy shoes that big? Surely they don’t sell anything like that in Ecuador. A.k.a.: my what big feet you have.

I’m on cloud nine. Today was the first 13-hour day I’ve worked in well over a year. It feels amazing. It was the first full day of service in the restaurant that the women’s group has now officially started.

We have been plugging along for weeks now, dare I say months and this last week has just proved to me but more importantly them, how it was all worth it. There is still tons and tons to be done, and we still lack some crucial equipment but we are well on our way, and it feels incredible.

Due to the incredible difficulty of getting funds we have opted, so far, to eek it out with all the equipment we could get our hands on in town. We grow as we go, spending most of what we make. It is unbelievably challenging but, that is life here, and I think we are all learning valuable lessons. It is so fulfilling to watch as these women that I have been working with now for nearly 9 months learn and grow. To see their faces light up as they understand new concepts or realize the potential to change their own situation in life. Or to use a calculator for the first time, or fill out their first ever job application. I can’t even begin to describe it--it’s unreal. I have so much respect for them. They all work so hard for their families, and so often go under appreciated, I hope now to help them generate more confidence and self-esteem.