Update!

Feel I am due for a babbling entry that tries to describe some of my life in Chile. I really can't think of a better way to do it.

So, there are lots of spiders in this country, it’s cold and no one has a heater, Chileans are crazy about lunch, I am still addicted to coffee, I finally bought a new camera, we are building a swing set for the club and fixing a few things on a repair day in May, I went to an event the other day for a girl at club and when I arrived she was crying because her mom never showed up, everyday something that I eat involves bread, oil, salt and/or lemon, there are too many street dogs in this country, I miss being able to go to cafes less than 5 minutes from where I live to read, I feel you could buy empanadas and sopaipillas on every corner of Santiago, it's cold, some kids at club don’t have enough money for shampoo, I think the sheets I sleep on are 20 years old, I like when I can see the mountains because that means there is less smog that day, and within 2 weeks I think there were 6 VE volunteers that had to go to the hospital or urgent care.

Also, I teach English class at club, I want to go back to Brazil, the staff and kids at club make me laugh, I pay rent now but don't have to clean all the time like before, it's cold, sometimes a mom and her two girls sleep at club with us because of health and family problems, the mom snores, cat calls are still frequent, public transportation is not my friend because “transantiago” changed it all and now there are less buses, I baked cookies with a 12 year old from club at 11:30pm and she thought it was completely crazy we made cookies so late, the kids at club always fight over the two swings we have, I have new roommate from the states and the other three are gone, it's cold and I need to go get ready to go out dancing...

So what now? I am going to Cordoba, Argentina to visit a friend end of May, I leave Chile on June 14th and then have two weeks in Mexico. After this: will live at home and get a job just to save money and once I have enough will move out – to get a job in the states or in another country teaching… we will see. Got connections? Let me know!

Hope you all are well and take care!

Some help needed for one of our families

Please take a minute and read below.

Hello, my name is Valentina del Carmen Rojas, I a 42 years old and I am the mother of 2 daughters, 15 and 12 years old that are in school. I live in a rented room for a little more than $100 ($55,000 pesos) a month with my daughters and my husband who is an alcoholic, a predicament I can not solve and on repeated occasions have tried to leave but have not; maybe because I don’t want to be lonely or because of my daughters.

On February 19 I went to the doctors and they detected a tumor in my uterus, 2.33 x 4.6 inches (6 x 11,5 centimeters), which needs to be taken out by an operation. At this moment I still do not know if it is malignant or not; I have one more exam to detect this.
During this time I have had exams that Fonasa – like the United States Medicare – will not cover because they are labeled “special.” I have had to pay for these exams personally and still have more that I have not been able to do because I don’t have the money. I recently went the hospital and I have an exam scheduled for April 23, and then in a few months I will have an operation. They told me June but for me that is too much time because everyday the pain gets worse.

At this time I don’t know what to do, I do not have much support from my husband, my daughters don’t know that I have a tumor because I don’t want to worry them, I am depressed and cry and think about what my daughters will do if I am not here. I am not working right now because I am sick and I need to save money.

Thanks to the Domingo Savio I keep busy by coming everyday to help prepare once and sometimes I stay there with my girls when my husband arrives drunk and is aggressive; he also does not know I am sick.

I could go on with more details but I really just need help. I have to pay for my exams, one is about $70 US dollars ($37.800 pesos) and the other about $30 US dollars ($15.400) and I am still not sure how much the other operation will cost, but I am sure it will be much more.

Maybe one person can help me with this money, maybe 10, all I know is that I will be thankful for all.

If you could help out Valentina I would greatly appreciate it. I talk to her often about her condition since she comes to stay at the club sometimes, where I live, and I know she and her daughters are in great need. If she had the money all her exams and operation could happen sooner. It is because she has no money she has to wait and she does not have time for waiting.

If you are in the United States you can mail a check to my parents made out to me: Michelle Schackmann. I am then able to access the money here in Chile. If you are in Chile, please let me know by email you would like to help and we can meet up. Please note that I can not give receipts or anything to prove you donated, this is all voluntary and I appreciate your help.

Thanks for all your support.



Espero que estén bien y que me den un minuto de tu tiempo.

Hola
mi nombre es Valentina del Carmen Rojas, tengo 42 años y madre de 2 niñas de 15 y 12 años, que estudian. Vivo en una pieza arrendada en $ 55.000 pesos con mis hijas y un conviviente que es alcohólico, problema que no puede solucionar y en reiteradas ocasiones he querido abandonar, porque no lo he dejado, quizás por no sentirme sola o por las niñas...

El 19 de febrero me detectaron una masa sobre el útero de 6 x 11,5, que es un cancer el cual me deben operar, ya que todavía no se si es maligno o no.
Durante todo este tiempo me han mandado hacer examenes especifico que fonasa no cubre así he tenido que pagar mis examenes en forma particular todavía me quedan algunos que no he podido hacer ya que no tengo el dinero y lo que mas me aflije es que me atiendo por el hospital y recién me dieron hora para el 23 de abril de este año para que me vean los examenes, examen que no tengo todavía y después de unos meses me operaran.....es decir creo que en junio, para mi es mucho tiempo ya que mis dolores son cada día mas grande..

Es por eso no se que hacer, no tengo mucho el apoyo de mi pareja, mis hijas no saben lo que tengo ya que no quiero preocuparlas y me he refugiado en aun soledad tremenda, solo lloro y pienso que va hacer de mis hijas si no estoy, no estoy trabajando por mi enfermedad y debo cuidar le dinero...

Gracias al club vengo todos los días ayudar en la once para sentirme útil y algunas veces me quedo a dormir aquí ya que mi pareja llega borracho y llega haciendo escandalo, siendo agresivo conmigo, el tampoco sabe lo que tengo......

Bueno si les contara yo mas detalle seria largo, solo necesito que me ayuden, con que..........tengo que cubrír dos examenes, uno de 37.800 peso otro de 15.400 y la operación todavía no se cuanto va a salir eso......mas locomoción ya que la comida me la he arreglado en mi trabajo....

Quizás uno me pueda ayudar, quizás 10 me puedan ayudar, lo que sea se los agradeceré, solo dime con cuanto me ayudas y yo lo voy a buscar, si existe otra forma también...
solo dime si puedes o no....

Si puedes ayudarle, lo apreciaría. Le hablo con frecuencia desde ella viene al club para quedarse, donde yo vivo, y yo se que necesitan mucha ayuda. Si ella tenga el dinero, los exámenes y operación ocurriría mas temprano. Es porque ella no tiene dinero ella tiene que esperar y no tiene tiempo para esperar.

Si tu puedes ayudar, o su familia en otro país, nos avisan y podemos juntarnos contigo para pasar el dinero. Ayuda de todas maneras es apreciada.

Muchas gracias

LECC fundraises for Domingo Savio!

Lastest news: My moms school, Lakota Early Childhood Center, did a coin drive for Domingo Savio and raised about $750 dollars to build a swing set and sand box for the kids here. We should have a VE Global repair day in May where we build it and hopefully do some gardening too. Will keep you updated!

Also, for a while I will not have any new pictures posted because my camera is broken! The zoom is stuck and we can't get it open. Sorry! Hopefully I can get it fixed soon.