Día de la Revolución

 This week we celebrated the Día de la Revolucion! Parade always included. Wednesday two teachers, four volunteers, 25 of our oldest kids and I piled into the back of Miguel's pick-up truck to get front row seats to all of the excitement. Surprisingly enough, the kids found the parade captivating, and paid attention the entire hour! I'm not quite certain why, but this parade had a lot of gymnastics! Kind of puzzling because I'm pretty sure they have little to do the Mexican Revolution.

Transit Police. This was honestly the most strange and hilarious display of human acrobatics I have ever seen...

Traditional dress and dance! Very cute.

An American football team? No gymnastics...just walking.

Thought this woman looked quite bad-ass.

More human pyramids...

Más adelante yo voy a recordar

The weeks seem to be getting fuller and fuller with different experiences and memories. Today there were nine new volunteers and I found myself surprised telling them, "This is my eighth week here."

Visit to Mexiquito

This past Wednesday Donna drove me out to visit Casa Hogar Don Bosco "Mexiquito," which is the orphanage where Ángel, Erik and Fernando live. It's a peaceful place with lots of room to roam. Although it make be technically labeled an "orphanage," Donna pointed out that it's more like foster care. All of the boys who live there have parents who are living, yet cannot care for them--either because of lack of resources or substance abuse problems. "You know, any of our kids at the daycare could be here," Donna explained to me, "The mother's could easily have given up their kids like the mothers of the children in Mexiquito have, but they are choosing to fight." I love that Hogar de los Ángeles makes it possible for families to stay together.

Cute Pictures of the Kids

After being here awhile the weeks become clumps of memories balled into an indistinct mass. Until now I've been very diligent, making lists at the end of the day of "moments" where I saw God in the kids--trying to be hyper-present all the time. It was a great relief when this Friday a pastor from Texas prophesized over me saying, "And don't worry so much about remembering everything--God will bring them to mind and will remind you of how he loved you, how he loved through you, when you need it." So now I just enjoy and let the moments pass by, absorbing them--not desperately grabbing at them.

Jose Maria and Beto in matching cachucas

Juan Pablo and Yoselín doing rompecabezas

The Late Pick-Up Bunch: Brisa, Beto & Yoselín sitting on the bookshelf

Believe it or not, I have only a week and a half left with these kids! August is the time for graduations and the beginning of a new school year--many kids will move on to kínder (Erik, Fernando, Ángel, Brisa), teachers will change classrooms and perhaps even daycare centers (I have a hunch that Marisol will be transferred to the Santa Julia daycare, where I will dutifully and cheerfully follow her). Time is precious with these precious little ones!

Fine Arts

Cuyos Quartet from Morelia, who played a mix of Mozart and Mexican tunes

Earlier last week I went to a couple of free concerts as a part of the Festival Internacional de Música de Cámara which feature young hotshot musicians from around Mexico playing chamber music. The musicians were all incredibly talented, and it was such a relief to think in neither Spanish nor English--to think musically! Teatro Ángela Peralta is a small, but quite classy performing arts center and the audience was filled with many gringos jubilados--retired Caucasian Americans. It was pretty awesome.

Adventuresome Eating

Sope de Panzita y Quesadilla de Raja

Was so psyched to eat me some more street food yesterday after church! Right nearby is a tarp-covered area by the side of the road with tables, chairs and a handful of women in aprons gathered around a portable grill of sorts. By the time I got there after service was over, all the chicken was gone, which was no matter for me. With gusto I chomped down a sope of stomach lining (I think it was pork?) and a quesadilla filled with delectable spicy green chiles. Accompanying me was Laura, the 12-year old daughter of a couple of leaders in the church, Angelina and Alberto (nicknamed Beto). She's soft-spoken and quite timid, but she has a big heart for little kids. Last Thursday she even came in to volunteer at the daycare! :)

As we were waiting for the food to arrive, I saw in the cemented stone siding, hidden under some ivy a teensy mouse. ¡Un ratón!--"A rat!" I cried out to her, laughing. It scampered along the wall, plummeted into the brush and was never seen again.

At the Movies--Mexican Style

Later on Laura and I walked up to the "mall" named La Luciérnaga to watch for the first time Toy Story 3. Sadly enough, it was already gone from the theater--we've got a bootlegged copy of it at the daycare already, so I guess it's old news. We ended up watching Despicable Me in Spanish, which was retitled Mi Villano Favorito. Watching it, I was struck at how, if I hadn't known otherwise, I would have thought this movie was made originally in Spanish the dubbing was so well done! Afterwards I asked Laura what part she liked best and she said, "Everything!" I thought it was pretty good, but nothing can beat Pixar.

Luckily, I didn't end the night disappointed! After some delicious enchiladas and horchata, Amanda (another volunteer) and I watched her pirated copy of Toy Story 3 together while tossing a spit-covered tennis ball for Noela (the dog she's sitting) to go fetch. I must say, the bootleg quality was pretty splended--the audio track was in Spanish but all the writing, quite puzzlingly, was in Ukranian. Despite how far the copy was from its original form, though, by the end both of us were tearing up at the sight of Woody being given to a new owner.

Thanks!

At Parque Juarez with Emilio and Ángel

Thanks so much for reading my blog, leaving comments, sending packages & letters, supporting me in your prayers. If you can't tell, I'm having a great time here, and can't wait to blog more about my adventures in the coming weeks!

Sightseeing Photos and Prayer Requests

End of week two! Whew!

Sightseeing

Sunday I took a bus ride out to el Santuario Atotonilco with one of the other American volunteers, Jennifer, who is going to be down here for another couple of weeks. Since there is so much tourism in these parts, many of these holy places have been turned into corrals of people with cameras in hand, talking amongst each other. I was hoping to find a place nearby to pray, but looks like that might not be the case! Oh well.

Today, after venturing to the Jardín in the center of town to pick up a copy of Atención, the local newspaper, I happened upon el Centro Cultural Ignacio Ramirez (a.k.a. Bellas Artes). It was empty and tranquil, and some students were practicing classical guitar and piano upstairs. It's located next to the church called "Las Monjas" and used to be a convent, but now offers art classes and opens its galleries to the public for viewing. It was definitely a "find"--it just transports you to another place, away from the barking dogs and the noise of trucks barrelling through.

Hogar de los Ángeles

With nearly all the kids at the Santa Julia location out with varicela still, I've decided to just stay at the original center with Marisol's two-year old class. This week has been a lot less glorious and a lot more 'real'--poop on the floor, two puking episodes, peeing of the pants, food fights.. It's actually been pretty exhausting, and sometimes I feel at the point of losing patience. How do parents do it? :)

L to R: Ángel, Fernando, Erik

Although most of the children come from single-mother, working families, the above three boys are an exception. All three live in Casa Hogar Don Bosco, which is an orphanage run by Dominican nuns.

Ángel: Ángel, as a baby, was found abandoned by the highway, and to this day has an acute fear of cars. Early on I noticed signs of delayed development and symptoms of what might be mild Tourette's syndrome: muscle twitches, arm flapping, always having something in his mouth, screaming for no reason and limited verbal expression and affect. Later on I found out that he is really five years old, but in the two-year old class. Marisol described him as torpe (clumsy), and many times he has spilled things, hit or harmed others on accident. However, he is a very happy child, laughing. His favorite thing to do is make clear which things are his and which things belong to others, "Mío. ¿Es tuyo? ¿Tuyo?"

Fernando: Fernando is also old to be in the class, four instead of two. He comes from a family of five children, all in the orphanage system because their mother is an alcoholic and cannot care for them. He is still being potty trained, and has had three accidents since I've first met him. At times he can be very disobedient and grosero (rude), throwing his socks at me during changing time, lifting his hand up to hit peers or teachers when he doesn't like what is being said to him. Yet, it seems to me that what he needs most is some TLC, some uplifting words and a gentle touch. "Todos necesitan cariño. Todos," (They all need affection, all of them) Marisol said to me today, when telling me more about the three.

Erik: Erik, I have to say, has been one of my favorites from the get-go. For awhile his grandparents were caring for him, but they got too old so they had to put him up for adoption. His younger sister lives in the girls' orphanage, Casa Hogar Santa Julia, and goes to the other daycare, but it seems like he does not get to see her very much. I would say that Erik is the most well-adjusted of the three, interacting well with his peers and on-track developmentally. He is just too cute! I can recognize his voice from far away now or if I'm in another room.

Prayer Requests

Please pray for Ángel, Fernando and Erik--for their adoptive situations, that they would be cared for well, that they would grow up to be strong, healthy, happy boys.

Please pray that I would be able to love and treasure these children in a way that would please the Lord. There are definitely trying moments, though, so this is no small task! I want to see my time with these kids as a gift, and to appreciate every little thing, every little blessing.

Please also pray that I would be able to connect more with the mothers of the other children and earn their trust. One of the biggest things I wanted to do was to be able to get to know the mothers--not just the kids. Please pray for opportunities to talk with them!

Thanks again for all of your support! I love hearing from all of you.

First Impressions, Etc.

"I love you O Lord, my strength" (Psalm 18:1).

So I'm here! My flight got in around 11:30pm GMT followed by an hour an a half car ride. Woke up this morning and realized I was in another country, on my own. Some first sounds: Elvis' music being blasted by a truck passing by, footsteps on the cobblestone road, Spanish spoken rapidly. The roof of where I am staying looks out upon the city

 

as well as the porches of neighbors. Mistaking the man next door as an American my "good morning" was met with a "buenos días" instead.

It's been nice to not have an agenda and to be able to settle in and explore. The woman who owns the "casita" lives downstairs so she gave me directions to the local mercado so I could get some groceries. Had to come back to get clarified directions after wandering a bit. :) The women at the market were really nice to me--I mean, they totally could have ripped me off and I would never have known..but they picked out the produce for me and one lady even threw in two limes to go with my "pepino" (cucumber)! Here are the spoils, all for under $10 (plus I got toilet paper!)

not pictured: grapefruit!

Also walked to the central plaza in the "downtown" area of San Miguel. I stopped in at a couple of the churches and just GAWKED. They have huge oil paintings, enormous vaulted ceilings, gold filigree. My favorite so far has been the Templo de la Inmaculada Concepción, which was quiet with only a few people praying. The most famous one, La Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel was full of tourists who were totally interrupting the wedding that was going on! The most interesting thing about all the churches was that they had life size figures of Jesus, Mary and many other saints.

Thank you so much, again, for all of your prayers, emails and blog comments! Sometimes I catch myself getting afraid because everything is so new and challenging, but then I remember that the Lord is my strength! Plus, he has given me a fun blessing--an unexpected companion:

I think Kay said his name is "Tito" or something? Anyway, he really likes to be petted. Meows and meows and meows for some T.L.C. I tried to get him to calm down so I read the Bible out loud in Spanish and it actually seemed to work!

Anyway, it's time to eat dinner! Good ol' rice & beans (they're "peruano").