Exhaustion

The overnight staff for the littlest boys was not able to come last night and so I stayed with them. I’m EXHAUSTED today…only got 3 hours of sleep so I’m headed to bed now.

Pancakes and Creativity

Brick houses are really catching on around here. More boys are building them in more places and some of them are getting pretty elaborate. I love seeing their creativity and team work!

We’ve also seen some creativity in the kitchen. Last weekend 3 of the older boys came up to the apartment to make pancakes. Jose had apparently learned the recipe at school, memorized it, and wanted to practice. So pancakes they made! I would actually equate them to crepes, as they were very thin and the boys put fruit preserves on them and then rolled them up to eat them. They also wanted to make “experiments” with the last few, such as adding powdered flan to the mix.

Last night the same boys appeared at my apartment door and asked to borrow the skillet that we had used, explaining that they were teaching Alejita (the head cook) how to make pancakes. I gave them the skillet and followed them to the kitchen expecting a small demonstration. Instead I found two other large skillets currently in use beside two huge bowls of batter. They were not only teaching, but also making enough pancakes for all of the boys to have for breakfast in the morning! I stayed to help and there was a lot of interest in who could make the roundest pancake, the biggest, etc. Towards the end, the boys began experimenting again. One bowl of batter was chocolate and the other vanilla, so they began mixing the two to make elaborate designs in their pancakes. It was a lot of fun, but also a lot of work! I’m glad I don’t have to cook for 75 hungry boys 3 times every day!!

Bonus Days

The kids are having some kind of bonus days at school. I haven’t figured it out exactly, but apparently once a year each child in school receives a bonus amount of money from the government. Some kind of celebration is going on and the kids keep talking about what they are going to buy with their money. Because of this, the boys have had a little more free time the last two days. And when they have time, their creativity really takes off! Today, three boys went out to the brick pile and started building a house. They made it big enough that one at a time they could actually enter it. They also found broken tiles and laid a complete mosaic floor in the house and used cardboard to put up a nice roof. They also found a very thin, flat rock and put that on top of a brick in the center of the house for a table. It was a masterpiece really!

The boys are constantly asking about the teams and for team members by name. They don’t want to wait until December for the next group to come! For all of you who have been here before: the boys miss you very much!

Prayer Run

PRAYER RUN!! What a wonderful morning! The boys were raring to go long before the group from the church arrived to help us with supervision. We made a change in our route after talking a little. We chose a way that would put the kids on the main road a lot less. Safety is a good thing. So we walked to the plaza in Sipe Sipe, circled around, and then went the long way home. It was quite a walk!! The older boys had been saying all morning (loudly and frequently) that it was a bad idea to take the little boys with us because they wouldn’t be able to go that far. When the little ones arrived back at the Center, they were beaming with pride, every single one of them having walked the entire way! I stayed back with the older boys at the Center until the younger boys had a loooong head start, and then we ran all of the way to the plaza. Or they did anyway. I was totally left in the dust! Throughout the walk, the older boys would find shady spots and wait while the group went far ahead, and then they would run to catch up. If we had given them the okay (and had a supervisor who could keep up) I am certain they would have run the entire route at full speed! Two of my highlights were watching Ervin and Simon, brothers, walk the entire way with their arms around each other’s shoulders, and watching Luis give a piggy back ride to a tired friend. I am so thankful I was here to take part in this.

There was a semi-dark spot in the afternoon. We were all in the dorm to watch a movie, when one boy started fighting with another. When I took him out of the room, all vengeance was turned upon me. Rather than try to dodge him, which could be perceived by him as a type of game, I decided only to give physical redirections, and take a good deal of his anger. I’m a little bruised for it, but I am glad I made this decision. After his energy was spent, he began to cry and clearly felt terrible about what had happened. I don’t think he has the tiniest bit of control over his anger at this point. After a good cry, we went for a walk together. He listened attentively as I explained that I loved him even when he is angry and how much I hated what had just happened. He had a huge smile as I told him how proud I was of him for the changes I have seen in him in the past 3 years, and nodded as I explained that, because I love him, I want to help him change some more things in his life so that he can have a great life as he grows up. A little later, he saw me writing in my journal and was insistent that I include in my day that he and I had gone for a walk. I’ve been plotting all evening different activities that I can do with him to help him get control of his anger and am excited to get started on these!

Nothing Like a Good Blockade

I’m exhausted! Yesterday there was a blockade in Quillacollo (a city between the BLC and Cochabamba) so the staff could not get here. The ladies that cook and clean thankfully live within walking distance of the BLC, so they were here, but otherwise, it was just me! It was a good day, but tiring. At dinner time, I realized there was another problem. The overnight staff for the middle boys lives near as well, so he arrived on time, but the Tia for the little kids lives in town and the blockade was still going strong. I was in charge of the little ones for the night! After dinner I got them all showered, teeth brushed, lotion on, clothes put away, prayed together, watched a little TV, final bathroom break, and tucked into bed. I won’t pretend it wasn’t a fierce struggle. The Tia arrived very late. She described the blockade and how she had left her house early but had to walk from the beginning of the blockade to the next town before she could get a taxi. We talked a little and then woke the boys that still wet the bed for a midnight trip to the bathroom. Then we got to work preparing for the next day. All of the socks and underwear arrive in a pillowcase, so it has to be sorted. She has to go through it all and decide who gets the bigger pairs of underwear, the smaller, the boxers, the briefs… And then the socks! Matching and distributing. I didn’t get back to my room until 1:30am!

Today the blockade was gone, so there was a lot more help. Once the boys were all in class, I got the chance to rest a little. Then my suitcase arrived! After 4 days, I am so glad to see a clean pair of socks :) I am now officially unpacked and completely settled into the apartment. I also spent some time in each of the dorms in the evening to talk about tomorrow’s Prayer Run. The boys are excited and loved seeing the shirt with Israel’s photo.

Home Sweet Home!

I’ve made it to Bolivia! Unfortunately, only I have made it. We aren’t sure where my suitcase is.
Mau picked me up at the airport and we talked a little about our families and about the other people visiting the BLC on the way home. When I arrived at the BLC, the boys were all in class and I didn’t want to interrupt everything for just me to say hi, so I went on up to the apartment. I got to meet Luke, who has been here for nearly 2 weeks and talk with him a while. Seems like a great guy. We talked about him bringing a team or coming back to host. Once you have been here, it is very hard to stay away!!

I headed downstairs a little before lunch time so that I could see all the kids as they switched tutoring and school. It was so good to see them! I told them all that I was going to stay for a long time without having a team, so I would have plenty of time to bug them! They tried not to let it show, but I think they are nearly as pleased as I am that I will have so much time to spend on them now.

Once all of the boys were back in class, I retreated to the apartment for a little rest. I figured I would just hang out, as I have never taken a nap my first day (I’ve never had the time!) and I have the blessed ability to sleep the entire time I am on a plane. But apparently that wasn’t enough. I woke up three hours later as the boys were finishing their dinner! I hurried downstairs to chat with them as they washed their clothes. We talked until 9:30, when I finally told them good night and returned to the apartment to make dinner.

Now they are all getting ready for bed and the apartment is so quiet. Teams, I miss you! If I am lucky enough to have my suitcase arrive tomorrow, I will head into town for that and probably do a little grocery shopping along the way. Otherwise, work starts in the morning!

My end of the beach for 2009

Since I'm still here in Florida, my friend Kirsten and I decided we should have some quality time before I leave the country for the rest of the year. So we decided to do an activity that can only be done in Florida: we got up to watch the sunrise over the ocean, then drove to the west coast of Florida to watch the sun set over the ocean. I really enjoy doing this. We explored Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel Island, and looked for shells in Captiva while we waited for the sun to go down. Unfortunately, a cold front was coming through so it was cloudy, windy, and cold all day!!

Trip Canceled

I was supposed to be on my way to Oklahoma today, but unfortunately had to cancel last night because of health issues in the family. I am really sad, as I leave for Bolivia next week and now will not be able to see my family until some time next year. God still knows what He is doing, I'm just not enjoying it at the moment!!

The end of Nicaragua and just a little Costa Rica

On Friday, we decided we should probably start heading to Costa Rica. Eduardo and I were going to take the overnight bus, but I had a little stomach issue and we decided that we shouldn't risk the 6 hours in a bus. Saturday morning we got up early and headed to the bus station. It was about a two hour ride to the border. I was sad to be leaving the dirty city that I enjoyed so much and the family that made me feel so welcome. At the border, we went through immigration and got on another bus, the bus took us to the other side of the terminal (which was apparently in Costa Rica) and we had to get off and go through immigrations again. We had a quick meal and were off again.

Have you ever seen a windmill (the kind used to produce electricity) in real life? I've always assumed from pictures that they were big, but we passed a field of them going through Costa Rica and they are ENORMOUS!! I literally stared out the window with my mouth open in awe of their sheer size. Wow.

This morning Eduardo got called to check out a potential job site. So we met Mario and went to meet a wealthy old gringo who has bought an old hotel and wants to turn it into his house. After that, I had to head to the airport. It is very sad for me to leave and not have an exact plan of return. But God will do what He wants and make a way if this is truly what He desires. That is what I remain confident in.

Nicaragua: the Lake

On Wednesday evening, Eduardo's uncle came back to the house. He drives a taxi and he wanted to take us out. He brought his daughter and another girl (I couldn't figure out if she was a friend or a cousin or what) and we all piled into the car. He took us out to see Lake Managua, which is huge. You would have thought we were at the ocean. There was a pier and a little park. I got to play with Diana a lot and enjoyed that.

Tonight we were sitting out front of the house. Eduardo has decided that he wants to pave a sidewalk in front of the house in addition to building up the wall. So we were all out there to admire how far he had gotten that day. His mom was carrying drinks out, when the dog went tearing around the corning and completely wiped her out. It terrified me! But both Eduardo and his sister were laughing hysterically as she swore a fit and got back up. The dog has been hiding ever since!

Turtle eggs, by the way, are gross.

Nicaragua: Birthday, Eggs, and Work

I am in Nicaragua to visit Eduardo, who is in Nicaragua to do a construction project on his mom's house. She has a wall that surrounds the house, as is typical, but it was very low and did not really offer any security. So Eduardo has been hard at work, with another guy or two, mixing cement and building the wall nice and high. He is up around 5:30am each day and works until it is just too dark to see.

Monday was his mom's birthday. Two sisters and thier three kids came over to the house along with his uncle and aunt. I swung the kids in the hammock and spent a while talking to his uncle. I actually met him in Costa Rica, too. I really like the uncle and aunt. They have been married 30 years and still seem smitten with each other. At one point, everyone was in the house doing things except for the uncle and I, and he took the opportunity to explain to me that he could do anything in the world...except live without his wife. The two of them stayed so late however, that I had to excuse myself and go to bed. There is a certain time of night when my brain just stops registering spanish.

Nicaragua: feeling at home

I'm down in Nicaragua for the first time! It was planned at the very last minute, but I am here to visit Eduardo and his family. I arrived on Saturday. My first impression of Managua, the capital city, was from the air: the city is HUGE! But I love cities and was ready to explore. Eduardo picked me up at the airport and it took about 15 minutes by taxi to get to his mom's house. I met his mom before I met him in Costa Rica, so it was nice to see her again and she welcomed me warmly. I got to meet one of his sisters that I had not met before and her son as well as his grandfather. They all share the small 3 bedroom 1 bathroom house. His mom has lived here for 40 years, so it is where Eduardo grew up. There was lots of meeting, and some eating, and a trip to the little market too. The market reminds me of the one in Bolivia, but much smaller. And it is just a few blocks walking distance.

There are lots of churches very close to the house and we heard the praise music much of the day. In the evening, Eduardo and I took Leo and Diana to a service. I recognized several of the songs and it was fun to have the kids with us. Eduardo and I were back in the market in the afternoon with his mom and they wanted me to try all kinds of foods. So I had a burrito and a hot dog and they bought a bag of turtle eggs that they will cook tomorrow.

Nicaragua is definitely the dirtiest place that I have visited, there is a lot of trash in the streets, but I still really like what I have seen of the city. I feel welcome, not like I stick out like a gringa, and am happy to be here!