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Hey,
I am sorry that this blog posting has taken so long to happen. The second week of the trip was a whirlwind and my last week here in Spokane has been very full of work, JVI applications, Andrew being in town, and having the internet break at our house. So, thanks to the bucks, I'm going to get this out before work in 17 minutes.

I think my last entry was the day before I was to leave San Salvador for Ilabasco to actually observe the elections. Friday morning we had a good lecture in SS about the economic status of the country. It was by one of the FMLN diputados. He apparently had basically written the agenda for Mauricio Funes (FMLN presidential candidate). It was a good lecture, but it did make me want to know more about the ARENA platform. I know that they have some ideas and that the party is completly evil (though that is how it seems to be more and more painted). I want to see how they are planning on moving the country forward. I know that my leaninings have been and will continue to be oriented toward the left of the country, but there has to be a reason for people to lean right. I know that no matter how much I disagree with something, people do actually believe that way for a reason.

That afternoon, we piled into busses and drove to Ilabasco. There we met an organization that was working to give artistic and technical training to local kids. The had an enourmous gang problem and they had helped to GREATLY reduce the violence by working with both sides. They were really well acclaimed and were doing great work. That night we continued our awkwardness when we had dinner at a lady's house. For an organization called Centro de Intercambio y Solidaridad, we have not had enough exchange or solidarity. That has been frusterating, but that is probably because many of the group do not have the sufficent spanish to make this work.

Saturday morning we headed to a town called Victoria and visited Radio Victoria. It was a small community radio that had existed since the war. They were really cool and were devoted to making good radio for the community to get news. Good opportunities for local kids too. I love small operations like this. In the afternoon, we had more meetings with various elections officials and in the evening we went back to Ilabasco and met with the local Municipal Elections Board (JEM). They showed us the voting center for the town, which was 8 blocks of the street. There were going to be 98 tables (with 450 potential voters at each table = about 44,000 voters). There was a company that had been contracted by the government to set up each voting center in the country, but here they decided that they didn't like what they company had decided and opted to set it up the classic way, which was to put the tables in a long line and allow them to move back and forth to stay out of the sun. So, we helped set up the first table and Wayne (one of the other observers of whom I've got a few funny stories, ask me some time) pretened to vote and check if they worked.

Voting day started at 5 am (an hour later than Miguelitro's group). We arrived at the center at 5:30 and each table was supposed to recieve their voting packet at 6 to be ready to start the voting process at 7. The table that was designated as "mine" (random picking) got there at 7:19 because the handing out process was taking so long. A info on how the system works. Each table has 3-5 members from the parties that have candidates and then 3-5 vigilantes (1 from each party) that was there to watch the system and make sure everyone was working well. So they set up, members of the table (JRV) voted and general voting started around 8. The day was a zoo. There were about 20,000 people who voted during the course of the day. At many points it felt more like a fair than a voting center. Quite an odd situation. There were long lines, no one knew which table they were to vote at. There were quibbles about whether or not to allow DUIs (ID cards) and all kinds of stuff. One woman didn't get to vote because someone had already voted as her. Another man found his dad that had died 5 years ago on the voting list. But for the most part things in Ilabasco went decently smoothly. It was very interesting seeing the salvadorian system because it is completly based upon mistrust. Everything is done in the presence of multiple parties and therefore everyone is making sure that their interests aren't getting screwed. It is also interesting seeing how you vote for the party not the individual because it puts so much more power in the hands of the party. It is also interesting because the parties do basically all the transportation on voting day. There is no public transport on that day and so it is hard to imagine that there sin't propaganda of some sort happening on these busses/trucks/etc. There is a lot of other stories, ask me some time. But in all, these elections went well but there is a long way to go. As far as I know, no one died which is good. So, thumbs up for the future.

After voting day, we went back to San Salvador for writing reports, listening to reports, a press conference and some dancing with the Whitworth El Salvador trip. On wednesday, Mike and I hopped on busses and went to Honduras. It took longer than we thought it would and so we didn't end up at our home stays until thrusday morning. It was fun to talk into the house and have my family be totally surprized. The time there was really good. I was only in Quebraditas for 48 hours, but it was the perfect amount of time. I got to play soccer, see my host sister's new baby (she was barely pregnant and we didn't even know last time), pick coffee, take lots of pictures, and just be present with them. This time was hard though. I would say that the family and the town are in a worse position than they were last year. The rains of this fall ruined the country's corn/beans/rice crops and the coffee crop was smaller and of a lower quality. The bridge to the town got washed out and so they can only come/go during nice weather. One of the hardest parts for me was knowing where I was there. I wasn't there to help, to do school, but just visit. How can you justify 2 trips to see people that have never left their country? Just some of the stuff that has been running through my mind.

After leaving Quebraditas, we had another long day of travel, then sunday went to the beach, sunday night I got really sick, monday flew home, tuesday started working again at the bucks. Yea that does mean I was picking coffee on friday and selling it on tuesday. Quite a turn around. Now I am trying to figure out what this trip meant to me. Where I am I going to go with it? I just finished a few applications to some organizations that could send me back for 1-2 years. So we will see. You have been reading for quite a while now, so I'm going to call it. I am going to try to write a little here and there, but I won't be sending out mass emails, so keep up if you want. Thank you all for your prayers. If you want to hear more, let me know. We can get coffee or I'll cook for you or something. Paz de cristo

Here are some pics
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2027393&l=f02b4&id=59400432
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2027089&l=2fc02&id=59400432