Ultimamente...

Ñukaka gringomi kani (I'm a gringo). Kanka lluchami kan (You are naked). Ñukaka mana kichachu charini (I don't have diarrhea). Ñukaka ñukallami armani (I bath alone). Ñukaka allkukunami mikani (I eat dogs). Piwan muchanki? (Who do you kiss?). Ñukaka achkawarmikunawanmi muchani. (I kiss lots of women.)
(by the way, achkawarmikunawanmi is actually ONE word...and I can make longer ones when I try.)

These and many other things are the wonders of Kichwa (also spelled Quichua or Quechua) that I have been learning for the past 3 days. Only 3 days and I can already ask people to bathe with me or kiss me. The wonders of the human mind. Anyways, here's the lowdown for those of you who don't have inter-continental ESP:

I got my 2-year site assignment on Tuesday. I'm going to be in a small rural town of about 8,000 people called Licto. It's about 40 minutes outside Riobamba, which is an awesome city of about 150,000 people that you may have already read about in my other posts. I'm going to be working with the organization INNFA, who works in the area of children's right and with families. I'll be working in the area of youth groups, community banking, and child labor. Other types of projects may come up as I find need or opportunity for them. The majority of the people of Licto are indigenous, so that's why I've been learning Kichwa this week. Almost all indigenous people speak Spanish as well, but it's not their main language and some of the oldest and the youngest people (anyone without schooling) don't speak much Spanish, so they're letting me take some Kichwa classes just in case I ever need it. Plus, I just think it'll be cool to be able to speak an indigenous South American language. I'm going to see if I can get moderately fluent in it by the time I leave Ecuador...we'll see how much oportunity I have to use it in Licto.
So, this might be my last major post for about a week or so becuase I leave on Sunday morning for a visit to a current volunteer and a visit to Licto for a week. Pray that I'd make a good impression on the people I'm going to be working with and have Christ's eyes for the people of Licto and all of Riobamba.