On November 14th, a new intern came to Casa Hogar to stay for 5 months. Her name is Cristina and this is her first time to come to Acapulco. That whole weekend consisted of getting her settled in and kind of showing her the ropes. She does not speak much Spanish so it was all very overwhelming as expected. I was expecting that on Monday we would be able to go to the office and show her all the stuff we do there and show her a little of Acapulco but much to our dismay, the public school teachers of the whole state of Guerrero were holding a huge strike right in the middle of the main road in front of the convention center which cancelled out all opportunity of transportation getting through. The strike lasted all week so Cristina's first week here was incredibly random and unroutine which was hard as she was trying to adjust to a new place. I felt for her because I craved routine so much when I first got here.
We were able to take a group of the kids to a little fair on Monday night and 3 out of the 8 ended up throwing up. One of them twice! Unfortunately, it was more expensive than we thought so everybody only rode 2 rides. On Tuesday Sarah and I decided we would take Cristina out on the Costera as far as we could go before we hit the riot traffic. We went to Starbucks and the grocery store and just walked on the Costera. It was a really nice outting. On Wednesday, we made an atempt to go to work because we had some paperwork we needed to get done and since Thursday was the Mexican Revolution Day, we thought the riot would be worse, and it was. We took the bus and were literally one street away when we got a call from Myrtille telling us to go back home because the roads were closing and if we didn't leave right then, we wouldn't be able to get back! Huge disappointment. The next day we stayed at Casa Hogar again and helped decorate for Christmas. By Friday, Cristina and I were DYING to go to work.
Someone played a cruel joke on one of the little boys named Pedro...He woke up Friday morning with no eyebrows!!! Bless this poor child's heart, it was truly a challenge to look at him and keep from giggling but I tried my best. This is something that I had only heard of in movies. Never in my life had I actually seen it happen!
Mac left this week on Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving. His dad came down last week on Thursday to spend some time in Acapulco with Mac and help pack everything up. They also had a friend come in from Peubla to spend the weekend with them. We had some really awesome times of fellowship. Mac's dad was so obviously brought to us by the Lord. I had had a tough week just not getting out a lot and some junk happened with some of the kids and Cristina was struggling through her first week and he brought us amazing encouragement and prayer. We went out to eat and just hung out with them and enjoyed their company. Mac was sad to leave and we were sad to have him leave as he had become part of our little family.
Thanksgiving morning we woke up early to get to Myrtille's house at about 8:15 to see the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. This is a huge tradition for me and I was so thankful we got to see it. She was already cooking when we got there so Cristina, Sarah, and I piled in her bed and watched it all morning. As a treat, Myrtille had arranged for a woman to come to her house and give all three of us manicures AND pedicures. We were in charge of baking the pumpkin pies for dessert, actually I'll give Cristina the credit that they turned out really good thanks to Paula Dean! Please do not feel sorry for me that I was in Mexico for Thanksgiving. I was completely spoiled the whole day with the manicure and pedicure, watching movies and just relaxing, a DELICIOUS dinner, and great fellowship with the 3 other couples that came to Myrtille's house to celebrate with us. We spent the night at her house and the next day the four of us had a Bible study and prayer time together. We also set up and decorated her Christmas tree for her which turned out beautiful. Myrtille is French so for lunch she made homemade mayoniaise with garlic that she said is very common in France and we put it on our leftover turkey sandwiches which were delicious!
After our incredible time at Myrtille's house, we came to the Galeana's which is the family from the church that so graciously lets us come over every Friday night. There is a billboard up in front of the convention center that I see all the time advertising the Acapulco Philharmonic. I am obviously misinformed about what a philharmonic is because I was thinking it was an orchestra and I really wanted to go. Last night was the last night Sarah and I would be able to go so Mr. Galeana went with us. The program had a picture of a ballerina on it which really threw me off. It turns out that it was a ballet! It was still really good and we all enjoyed it but I was the only one who thought I had an idea of what was going on and I ended up being totally wrong. I am assuming that the Philharmonic Orchestra was the orchestra that played the music for the ballerinas...Anyway we felt very cultural going to a ballet in Acapulco:)
These next couple of weeks are going to be so full and busy as we try to cram as much as possible and make the most out of the last weeks here. Please pray that I will be intentional as my time winds down, that I won't get caught up in the busy-ness and let opportunities to love these children pass me by.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Monday, November 17, 2008
Earthquake!
This past Monday night an earthquake woke me up at about 4:45 in the morning. Shortly after about 5 more followed! These were my first experiences with earthquakes and never have I felt more out of control. Sarah and I were completely freaked out and shared my twin bed for about an hour while we waited for them to stop. The last one was at about 6:30 in the morning. They weren´t strong enough to knock my things off the shelves but they were definitely strong enough to be felt. Despite the fact that we were scared to death and were huddled together in my bed, Sarah made a wise comment that we would not have been able to save each other even though we were together if something had happened. It was very humbling knowing just how out of control we really are.
The next day I was working in the kitchen because Sarah and I did not go in to work at the office last week but just stayed and helped out around Casa Hogar. I was slicing vegetables with a smaller knife that I have been using since my last incident with a knife and I somehow managed to cut another finger. This time it was my thumb. Fortunately, there was no fainting involved this time and I got it cleaned up and taken care of right away. My mother advises that I stay out of the kitchen but I am determined to keep helping them out when I can:)
Our latest project has been working on gifts from the kids to the sponsors. As expected, there is a lot more work from our part going in to it than from kids!
Friday morning the kids in elementary school had a Mini-Olympics at their school that Sarah and I were able to go to. It was really a cool experience getting to see them interact with other kids outside of their regular environment at Casa Hogar and even more fun getting to congratulate them when they recieved their medals. That afternoon a new intern named Cristina from Texas came in. She is going to be living at Casa Hogar for 5 and a half months, similar to me. This is her first time here so this weekend consisted a lot of showing her around and telling her about how life works here.
Yesterday after church we took about 12 kids to the beach. We went to the same one last weekend too and it is absolutely beautiful. It is quite a hike to get to it and then you literally have to rock climb a good amount to get to the actual beach. We stayed there all afternoon and played and swam. The kids think nothing of it because they see those views everyday but looking into the Acapulco Bay really is gorgeous.
I officially have less than a month of my time here and it has been hitting me way harder than what I expected. I completely trust that God has plans for me when I get back but it´s the transition that absolutely breaks my heart thinking of having to leave these precious people and kids that I have grown to love so much. I plan to forever be a part of these kids´ lives but I am realizing that I may never have something like this experience with them again getting to see their everyday lives apart from when the groups come visit for a week in the summer. It is hard to take in but I am doing my best to look at the countless amazing times I have had here and not at the sadness of leaving.
The next day I was working in the kitchen because Sarah and I did not go in to work at the office last week but just stayed and helped out around Casa Hogar. I was slicing vegetables with a smaller knife that I have been using since my last incident with a knife and I somehow managed to cut another finger. This time it was my thumb. Fortunately, there was no fainting involved this time and I got it cleaned up and taken care of right away. My mother advises that I stay out of the kitchen but I am determined to keep helping them out when I can:)
Our latest project has been working on gifts from the kids to the sponsors. As expected, there is a lot more work from our part going in to it than from kids!
Friday morning the kids in elementary school had a Mini-Olympics at their school that Sarah and I were able to go to. It was really a cool experience getting to see them interact with other kids outside of their regular environment at Casa Hogar and even more fun getting to congratulate them when they recieved their medals. That afternoon a new intern named Cristina from Texas came in. She is going to be living at Casa Hogar for 5 and a half months, similar to me. This is her first time here so this weekend consisted a lot of showing her around and telling her about how life works here.
Yesterday after church we took about 12 kids to the beach. We went to the same one last weekend too and it is absolutely beautiful. It is quite a hike to get to it and then you literally have to rock climb a good amount to get to the actual beach. We stayed there all afternoon and played and swam. The kids think nothing of it because they see those views everyday but looking into the Acapulco Bay really is gorgeous.
I officially have less than a month of my time here and it has been hitting me way harder than what I expected. I completely trust that God has plans for me when I get back but it´s the transition that absolutely breaks my heart thinking of having to leave these precious people and kids that I have grown to love so much. I plan to forever be a part of these kids´ lives but I am realizing that I may never have something like this experience with them again getting to see their everyday lives apart from when the groups come visit for a week in the summer. It is hard to take in but I am doing my best to look at the countless amazing times I have had here and not at the sadness of leaving.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Airplane and Piggies
At the orphange there is a room called Cuarto 13. This is the room where all the little boys sleep; there are 9 little ones total. Sarah and I went to visit them one night this week and I think it was one of the most fun nights I have had here. Being in there with them reminded me of 2 very fond things from when I was little. The first is what we call the "airplane". You lay down on your back and put your feet on the little person's stomach, grab their hands, and lift them up in the air. They can hold your hands but if they get enough courage they can let go and pretend to be Superman. I'm not sure what made me do it but I started it off with one of the boys and then it became a never ending game! There is a specific little boy named Lalo who is...well, he's a little "thicker" than the others and let's just say it was as if I had worked out enough for a year once I had lifted him a couple times:) Another one named Lizandro was very giggly when I lifted him up. He was giggling with his mouth wide open and a nice amount of slobber dribbled on my face and chest! All of them thought that was REALLY funny, including myself. I asked if they had ever done that before and they said no but they absolutely loved it. It made me sad thinking of nobody ever doing that with them because Whitney and I used to do it all the time when we were little. The second thing it reminded me of was something my mom always did to my toes. Starting with the big toe there is a little rhyme that says, "This little piggy went to the market, (move to the next toe) this little piggy stayed home, (next) this little piggy had roast beef, (next) this little piggy had none, (baby toe) and this little piggy cried, "Wee wee wee!" all the way home." I translated it as best I could into Spanish and showed it to a little boy named Andres. He could not get enough of it and it was cracking me up. He had me do it seriously about 5 times on each of his feet and then a couple more on his hands. By the end he was saying it with me:) I guess when you surround yourself with 9 boys ages 5-7, you start acting like them! We really had a good time just being silly.
These past 2 weeks I have been getting in the Christmas spirit... I have already started listening to Christmas music and they have started putting up a HUGE Christmas tree in front of the Convention Center that we pass everyday on our way to work. Santa Claus is also up on the Coca-Cola billboard. I'm sure Christmas things are starting to go up in the states too but I forget that in Mexico Christmas is their next holiday because they don't celebrate Thanksgiving so they really can start getting ready early!
5 months was the original amount of time that I had said I wanted to be here for. After I said that, there were many times that I could have made it longer or shorter but I always just felt comfortable with 5 months. Even when my mom and grandma hinted at cutting it a little I still stuck to 5. This past week I have really been assured that it is the right amount for me...for now. I am content here and enjoying every second of it but I am also really excited to be back home too. I'm still not sure about what happens next but I feel confident that there is something in store for me when I return. I say "for now" because if it were up to me I would love to come back at some point in the future but I need to wait until that door is opened up again.
An incredible family from the church has opened up their home to us on Friday nights. They feed us a huge meal and we just rest in their beautiful home. It sounds like almost every intern that has lived at Casa Hogar has spent a lot of time here so we feel right at home. It is really refreshing to have a place to go and just be and I feel like even being gone for one day makes me appreciate the kids more when I get back.
Three prayer requests:
1-One of the women that lives here with her husband and works as the "mother" of the home, Laura, found out that her father has cancer in his stomach. It is a tumor that is too big to be operated on and he has to start chemo and radiation right away. The cancer is obvioulsy a huge concern for her but even more so is the fact that he is not a believer. She has asked that I help her pray for his salvation and she praying so fervently that God will answer her request.
2-There hasn't been water at the orphange for a couple of days. The whole city is without water except for the places that have reserve tanks (which includes the building that we live in, not the kids). This happens every once in a while and the kids have to haul buckets of water to their rooms to bathe. Please pray for the water to come back on soon!
3-The prices have gone up for food and although things are better this week, the past few weeks the kids were eating only bread and chocolate milk or coffee for dinner. Please pray that sufficient funds continue to come in to provide food each day for these kids. As the economy in the states is suffering, they are feeling it here. God has been faithful to provide in the past and we trust that He will continue to provide even now.
These past 2 weeks I have been getting in the Christmas spirit... I have already started listening to Christmas music and they have started putting up a HUGE Christmas tree in front of the Convention Center that we pass everyday on our way to work. Santa Claus is also up on the Coca-Cola billboard. I'm sure Christmas things are starting to go up in the states too but I forget that in Mexico Christmas is their next holiday because they don't celebrate Thanksgiving so they really can start getting ready early!
5 months was the original amount of time that I had said I wanted to be here for. After I said that, there were many times that I could have made it longer or shorter but I always just felt comfortable with 5 months. Even when my mom and grandma hinted at cutting it a little I still stuck to 5. This past week I have really been assured that it is the right amount for me...for now. I am content here and enjoying every second of it but I am also really excited to be back home too. I'm still not sure about what happens next but I feel confident that there is something in store for me when I return. I say "for now" because if it were up to me I would love to come back at some point in the future but I need to wait until that door is opened up again.
An incredible family from the church has opened up their home to us on Friday nights. They feed us a huge meal and we just rest in their beautiful home. It sounds like almost every intern that has lived at Casa Hogar has spent a lot of time here so we feel right at home. It is really refreshing to have a place to go and just be and I feel like even being gone for one day makes me appreciate the kids more when I get back.
Three prayer requests:
1-One of the women that lives here with her husband and works as the "mother" of the home, Laura, found out that her father has cancer in his stomach. It is a tumor that is too big to be operated on and he has to start chemo and radiation right away. The cancer is obvioulsy a huge concern for her but even more so is the fact that he is not a believer. She has asked that I help her pray for his salvation and she praying so fervently that God will answer her request.
2-There hasn't been water at the orphange for a couple of days. The whole city is without water except for the places that have reserve tanks (which includes the building that we live in, not the kids). This happens every once in a while and the kids have to haul buckets of water to their rooms to bathe. Please pray for the water to come back on soon!
3-The prices have gone up for food and although things are better this week, the past few weeks the kids were eating only bread and chocolate milk or coffee for dinner. Please pray that sufficient funds continue to come in to provide food each day for these kids. As the economy in the states is suffering, they are feeling it here. God has been faithful to provide in the past and we trust that He will continue to provide even now.
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