It was very sad to leave Mexico but it wasn't necessarily a difficult decision. Multiple trials hitting at the same time made it such that continuing to live in San Miguel de Allende simply was not an option. All I could do was pack my bags and count down the minutes until I could make my way back to Seattle.
The few weeks leading to my departure I was weeping, sobbing, each day. I hadn't considered leaving Mexico even an option, but once I received permission from God to go, I cried out of relief and the rest happened very quickly.
I really thought that being in Mexico was my calling from God... but learned somewhat painfully that God had something else in mind for me. "It is time to live into your calling," He said, and with a broken but willing heart I've returned to Seattle to do just that.
Following God isn't necessarily glamorous. It includes failures and disappointments. I watched things I'd hoped for crumble to pieces and all I could do was cry. Sometimes the correction of God can be really painful.
I have good days and bad days. I still cry and wonder where God will take me, or if he's taking me anywhere at all. I get tears in my eyes when people ask me if I'm working or what I'm doing to get a job. I just don't have an answer for them.
One thing I know for sure: God is doing a complete work in me. "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything" (James 1:4-5). And for that I can be thankful.
I'll continue to share my reflections every once and awhile on my regular blog: http://aprilmidoriyee.blogspot.com. Thank you for following me on this journey.
I finally think it's safe to say that the worst of winter is over!!! Phew, what a huge relief. At the beginning of the month I wore five layers of clothes to bed with four blankets and a heater trained right on me. Nowadays it's one layer, one blanket and no heater. Gosh it makes me so grateful. I won't take warm weather for granted again!
Plant sales at the park to celebrate la candelaria. Spring is coming!
Warm weather means the mosquitoes are back, but no matter. The key is to cover all your extremities (pants and long sleeves all the way)...then you only get bites on your hands. Yah, I'm basically becoming a survival expert when it comes to slight life inconveniences.
It's been actually really helpful to try and cultivate my friendships outside of the volunteers. I've been spending more time with people from church and trying to attend more evening meetings on weeknights, and reaching out to friends and family back home in the United States and making a plans with Becca, who is wrapping up her time as Volunteer Coordinator with the girls' orphanage. A month or two may seem like a long time for volunteers to be here, but really, it goes by really quickly and then they're gone! So I feel much more stable choosing to spend more time with people that aren't going to up and leave before I know it. ;-)
It's also been interesting to witness the comings and goings of the kids at the daycare. The program is quite structured here, in that the mom's need to complete their hour of service to the daycare, pick-up and drop-off their children on time, label their kids' clothes with their names, make sure their nails are cut, etc. So in the time we've been here we've lost a couple of handfuls of children because their mothers couldn't/didn't want to keep up with all of the rules. Or others have been suspended for a month because they still haven't become potty training despite months of trying to teach them. Of course, it's sad when your favorites suddenly disappear, but that's life, I guess! I hope Aldo comes back soon... I miss him.
Anyway, I'm just so relieved that the cold snap is over. It's kind of a metaphorical reminder that whatever difficult times may come, they won't last forever. It's a season, and spring will come soon enough.
In terms of prayer requests, I've been struggling with a knee injury since November that keeps hanging on. I went to see the doctor yesterday and am using a knee brace and limiting my walking as much as possible. Please pray for full healing! It's kind of necessary to walk everywhere in this town and it would be super inconvenient to have chronic knee pain here of all places.
For the past five years, in the first week of December, I log into my email account and find an email from myself, written exactly one year earlier (thanks to the online application FutureMe.org). This year was no different. On December 3, 2013, I was delighted to find a several paragraphs-long email that I had written in 2012, detailing my day to day life (I was working full-time with the King County Department of Community and Human Services) and making speculations as to what the future may hold. At the time, I was toying with the idea of graduate school at the University of Washington, but get this, towards the end of the letter I wrote "I MISS MEXICO. Lord, when will you take me abroad again?" God must have been laughing to himself when I wrote this, knowing full well that a year later I'd be three and a half months into working as the Volunteer Coordinator with Casa de los Angeles.
I am starting to 'get a hang' of things and reaching an equilibrium work-wise. I realized when talking to Laura, one of the Danish volunteers, that the reason I had such a deep crisis with the run of less-than-savory volunteers is that, as with most things in my life, I came into this job with some naive notions of what things were going to be like. Mainly, I assumed that because volunteers were coming to give their time to a charity, spending their own money to travel abroad, that they'd all more or less be 'decent' people. I hadn't accounted for the fact that some of them could possibly be immature, passive aggressive, neurotic, self-important or entitled. Just because these are volunteers, doesn't mean that the Volunteer House is exempt from the shitty-ness inherent in humanity as a whole. This isn't a utopian haven of only generous-hearted saints.
So I'm learning to embrace the ambiguity and lack of resolution in the fact that the Volunteer House will at any one time contain exemplary volunteers (conscientious, kind, go above and beyond), odd volunteers (enigmatic, tough to figure out), rude volunteers (openly selfish, prickly, uncooperative, complaining)--it's basically going to be a macrocosm of the world, morally/character-wise. So for me now, my only hope and expectation is to at any one time have just one, at least one, decent volunteer that will remind me that yes, there are actually altruistic people there... that are sincerely and genuinely altruistic, not just faking it (and are actually kind of nasty deep down, ugh, just terrible).
Another thing I'm learning is that some of the volunteers just aren't going to like me. No matter how much I may try and start conversations, try and be inviting, check-in regarding their experience at the daycare, there will just be something about me that fundamentally turns them off. And I've learned to let that go. I'm done with self-doubt and bending over backwards to please people. If they want to talk poorly about me to other volunteers and be surly toward me, that's whatever, man. Not my problem. I have enough people around me that are 'in my corner,' telling me that I'm doing a good job, that I'm just not going to worry about not being 'everything to everyone.'
I think a really neat part about my work is that through it I gain friends. I was struck today how nice it is to be able to get to know long-term volunteers well enough to the point that it's apparent in our conversations that we genuinely care about each other. You know how in some relationships there's quite a bit of superficiality, in the sense that if you ask a person, 'How are you doing?' and neither the question-asker or the question-answerer care about the answer?--neither person's heart is in it and it's more of a formality, a charade, 'going through the motions.' There's such a stark difference between stilted acquaintances and when there is genuine friendship, as in both parties are actually truly interested in what the other person has to say...
At first it can be hard to meet new volunteers, go through the small talk, and try and intuit whether the volunteer could be a potential friend, or just another person that I'll live with for a few months, they'll leave, and I won't really think about them much again. However, to get to the depth of actual friendship, that's something quite special... to be able to have real conversations about personal observations, reflections, family, friends, growing up... it actually reminds me of when I'm with my cousins, and we can just talk about anything and everything, and it's just so easy! I'm so glad to have met and spent time with Andreas (Denmark), Alice (U.K.), Adi (Israel) and Laura (Denmark). A+ people, all of them.
Thankful to have the opportunity to 'connect' with such outstanding volunteers and human beings. Yes, this job is pretty great. :)
In the past few weeks, having a few somewhat difficult volunteers that were not here for the right reasons left me a bit disheartened and discouraged about my job. I just could not believe that people would come all the way here to Mexico, and make the whole experience about them, and serving their own needs and expectations, rather than genuinely trying to be of service at the daycare. Too self-absorbed by their own discontent and unhappiness, these volunteers were blind to what a blessing it is to be with the kids, teachers and moms. It was truly disappointing to me.
However, a few bad apples cannot and will not spoil the bunch. I was thoroughly reminded of this yesterday, and it actually almost made me cry... Yesterday was Alice's last day at the daycare, and she's been here almost three months. Long-term volunteers like Alice are able to make deeper and stronger connections with the teachers and kids, really get to know how each of the children act, and start helping intuitively, just jumping in wherever there is a need.
It makes such a difference when volunteers arrive with an open mind, willingness to learn and a generous spirit. Although Alice arrived without knowing any Spanish, she enrolled in hour-long lessons Monday through Friday... Rather than complain about the teachers 'not speaking slowly or clearly' enough for her to understand, or giving up completely in ever being able to communicate and thus be of help in the daycare, she said her lack of language skills just pushed her to 'work harder' to learn Spanish so that she could be more helpful! She even put Post-It notes labeling things in her room in Spanish to expand her vocabulary.
Teachers can really tell a good volunteer from a poor volunteer, especially since over the years nearly 1,500 volunteers have passed on through. And in my short time here, it's the good volunteers that, on their last day, receive cards full of kind words from the teacher they worked closely with. This happened when Andreas left and now with Alice. She had spent the most time in Maestra Diana's class of 2+ year-olds. When I stopped by in the afternoon to snap any last-minute photos of her with the children, she showed me a card from Diana with the kids' hand outlines and a very long, sweet note from Diana, thanking Alice for all her help--that she did a 'noble' work and was great with the kids.
The kicker was when each of the kids got picked up by their mothers and Diana said, 'Go hug Alice; she's going back home now!' The kids immediately responded, running straight towards Alice with their arms wide open and a smile on their face. I could tell how much affection they had for her and she for them.
This was a reminder of the worth and value of this work. When the volunteers have good will and a good heart, it is a true blessing to witness the love shared between them and the staff/children. "And that's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown."
I had just left the house and was walking to
the daycare with five of the other volunteers when all of a sudden I heard a
little voice shout out "¡ABRIL!" I looked to the left
and there was a small girl, wearing a uniform beneath a checkered apron, as all
kindergarteners do. Her hair was in pigtails and I couldn't for the life of me
figure out how in the world she knew my name. Then I saw her mom and it all clicked for me.
"No sé si te acuerdas de.." ("I'm not sure if you
remember..") she started to say to me as I broke out into a grin.
"¡Martita!"
I exclaimed, "¡Ya eres muy grande!" ("You're so big!")
Marta was in Male’s class when I was interning back in the day. Her mom would
tell me that when they were on the bus to go home together, she’d see me
walking in the street and tried to yell out to get my attention. In
this picture taken in 2010 she is the furthest to the right. It was so nice to
see a familiar face and to be greeted after all this time; it just warmed my
heart. "¡Adios!" she cried as she ran off with her mother and younger
sibling following behind. With small interactions like that I begin to
feel that even though I have been away for three years, not everything has
changed. Last Sunday I went visited the Vega family’s (Evangelina, Alberto and
Laura) church which is called “Amistad Cristiana.” It’s an evangelical
protestant church, and was packed out with at least 300 people. After church
they invited me to their home in Manlanquín and while Laura (~14 years old) and
I talked about our favorite books and movies and how we get annoyed by the
frivolity of youth group meetings, Evangelina made salad and enchiladas verdes.
As we ate we talked about the culture of Catholicism in San Miguel de Allende,
the adoration of saints, and the reason Evangelina and Alberto chose to change
churches.
Andreas, Melanie, Sheila, me, Rina and Zelina at La Posadita restaurant.
On the work front, it’s been a
pleasure spending time with and getting to know the volunteers. Some I really
get along well with, and it’s sad to say goodbye. But I appreciate whatever time
I have with them. It is energizing being around such big-hearted people.
Sometimes I get worried about my job
because I’m afraid that we won’t be able to raise enough money through
volunteers and donors to remain operationally viable. We rely completely on
both to stay afloat. I just need to trust.
Whew! First week of work and life is very, very good. So far it's been enjoyable and pretty effortless. As Volunteer Coordinator, I get to interact with lots of different kinds of people: the volunteers (duh), the teachers, the children--it's definitely not boring. It's a challenge to have to switch gears between English and Spanish constantly, but thankfully the staff are really forgiving when I stutter out simple phrases that may not even be grammatically correct.
On Monday, Vero (one of the mom's-turned-teachers) was so kind as to invite me to her house, which is actually quite close to the daycare, and we chatted about the past few years while her children Marta, Juan Pablo and Richie watched "Bob Esponja" (SpongeBob Squarepants). Marta and Pablo come to the daycare after school (around 1:30pm) and hang out. Richie is still very young and is in Maestra Diana's class.
It's so different being a part of the staff at the daycare versus being a volunteer. We had a staff meeting on Monday and most of it was talking shop about very detailed issues (such as installing curtains on all of the doors and feedback on the cooking). I've met all of the other teachers before except for one, and they've all been welcoming as I figure out my job. It was good to catch up with them and ask about their kids, who are now much bigger than when I saw them three years ago!
I've also been able to reconnect with families at the church that I knew back in the day. The Vega family has invited me over to their house tomorrow afternoon. If you recall, Laura is the young girl (she's probably, like 16 now!) I went to see Despicable Me with at the mall three years ago. I bought her a sticker book of minions as omiyage; I hope she likes it.
Living in the Volunteer House has been very good! We only have six in the house right now, with two leaving in the next few days and another four arriving next week. There is a sense of camaraderie among us. Many of the short-term (one-week) volunteers want to jump right in and explore the city every single night, while the more long-term volunteers come home and lie in their beds in silence, building up stamina for the weeks ahead. One thing is for sure: at the Volunteer House, there's always someone to do something with!
Me, Sheila, Melanie and Laura
It's kind of a miracle but I haven't had stomach spasms yet! Maybe the bacteria from three years ago is still alive? Anyway, it's definitely a relief.
Was washing my clothes by hand yesterday in the sink and got a bit nostalgic just by the smell of the detergent, and the act of squeezing shirts dry to hang them. It just feels good to be back!
I was planning on waiting until I'd completed a full week of work before blogging, but the past few days have been super full, and I want to tell you about them!
As many of you know, I arrived here in Mexico on Thursday, August 22. Everything went well: both flights were on time, all baggage arrived safe and sound, and the people I sat next to on the plane were polite and considerate. It was surreal to be picked up by Donna and Miguel. As we chatted in the car, I noted how the area in only three years has developed quite a bit. My Spanish was a bit rusty, but thankfully Miguel was understanding. As Volunteer Coordinator, I am now certificada as part of the Casa de los Angeles family. Awesome!!
Friday was spent doing errands and Donna did a "brain dump" with me to explain how everything works. I already have a list of things that I want to attack starting tomorrow. The neurotic organizer within me is jumping for joy. I hope to build upon the tracking systems for volunteers, because it is very dynamic with the frequent comings and goings.
On Friday I was struck with how special this job is. Donna took me and all the other nine volunteers out to dinner, and it was fascinating to note how kind of random and unique our group was. I mean, just imagine with me: you've got me, Donna, a Japanese woman who lives in Australia, a couple from Ireland, two college students from the West Coast, an older adult female who grew up in West Seattle (surprisingly enough), a Swedish woman that's married to a Mexican man, and a young man from Denmark. In what other context would such a diverse group gather?
After dinner we stayed up chatting together, comparing our differing cultural values, senses of humor, pop culture, and legal and educational systems. It was absolutely fascinating. Did you know that in Denmark the primary targets of racism are Iranians? And in Ireland to get into a specific university concentration, admission is based solely on a point system on five different standardized subject tests based on the student's choosing?
It's been a relief to have such good volunteers as I am trying to get a hang of things. The unique thing about receiving volunteers is that since they are paying out of pocket to be here, the people that are attracted to this kind of thing are already pretty aware at least on some level...and value helping others. Volunteers are self-selecting to participate, so I'm seeing that most of them are very motivated to be of service.
Today I went to church! The location has changed and would you believe it, it's only a seven minute walk away. No more having to climb flights and flights of stairs just to reach the hotel! This new location is in a basement, for which reason Cristina calls it the "catacombs," but I think it's pretty cool. What struck me is that I was only one of two Americans present, and that there are lots of new families and young people. Apart from the Martinez family (the pastor's family), the other people I met while I was here in 2010 have moved on to other churches. As always, the church is a place of great welcoming and it was inspiring to see all the chairs filled; the place was so full that the young men had to sit on the floor while Tomas preached.
It was great to catch up with Tomas, Cristina, David and Rebeca. I didn't know this, but Cristina is leading a homeschool group for a group of young people, on top of organizing several different church gatherings. Mondays: Youth. Wednesdays: Adult Bible study. Thursdays: Prayer. This Saturday: Women. It's remarkable that the family can manage to do so much! I visited their home after church with the youth from the school and a couple of their old friends from Queretaro. It was a special time of sharing, and again I was struck at how special it was to have a cultural exchange with them as I explained my own heritage and family history. The couple from Queretaro told me that they really respect Japanese culture because there's so much emphasis on honor, discipline and hard work. That was interesting to me!
I'm looking forward to my first "official" day at the daycare tomorrow. I dropped by on Friday briefly and was able to say hello to Ana (the cook) and Vero (who was a mom at the daycare in 2010 but has since been hired on as a teacher).
Sorry no pictures yet. Hopefully soon! Thanks for following me in my adventures.
To my friends and family: I miss you, and thank you for keeping in touch with me. Drop me an email whenever!
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!
Kay Miller (the lady w/ whom I live & coordinator of the fundraiser)
& Donna (founder of the daycare & pretty much awesome)
So this week has been a bit unconventional. Saturday we had our big fundraiser, which was a silent auction. They started out with bare, wooden boxes & asked local artists to decorate them as they desired! If you look closely in the picture, one was converted into a Chanel purse! Anyway, basically most of this week was dedicated to logistical planning, setting up, etc. for the big event! And thankfully, it was pretty successful!
Live music group, Tuna Tradicional, that performed at the fundraiser.
They play traditional Spanish music.
Making Connections
This week has been especially relational and God has been making so many connections for me as I feel more and more "plugged in" to the community here in San Miguel. A summary of sorts:
Christine & I manning the merch table @ the fundraiser
Met Christine this week, who's been a volunteer since August of last year. And yes, she is Taiwanese..and yes, she learned English in the U.K. (How odd it is to hear an English accent with a Chinese accent at the same time!) I've had the chance to talk to her quite a bit & hear her story. She's a very interesting person.. On the weekends she sometimes goes out to seven bars in one night, not returning until seven in the morning; she loves to meet people--just very different from me! Surprisingly, though, she accepted my invitation to go to youth group on Friday and asks me questions about being "religious." (Do they forbid you to drink? What about sex?) She's very warm, friendly and open. Looking forward to getting to know her better!
At conversation practice at the library I met a young man named Alejandro, who's practically fluent in English already! His dream is to go to film school at USC and is currently creating an epic romantic movie in order to get in. The coolest thing, though, is that randomly today I bumped into him walking in his neighborhood in Malanquin. That was a really cool feeling to be able to see someone I knew--made San Miguel feel smaller and more "home-y." :)
This past Wednesday I went to the Church's Adult Bible study. It was so neat to meet more of the leaders in the church: Alberto, Arturo, Fernando & their families, and to be surprised once again at how God is the same God in all parts of the world. I am inspired at their wisdom and desire to follow the Lord wholeheartedly. The Bible study is based out of Hebrews, the beginning of chapter six, which talks about the fundamentals of the Christian faith.
Friday at youth group I saw Jose, whom I met last week and Vanesa, whom I met on Wednesday. It's great getting to know these young people and their backgrounds. Jose was born in the U.S. but lived in Texas for seven years so it's completely fluent in English. He happened to meet the Martinez (the pastor's) family only a few weeks ago but has been coming to youth group ever since. Vanesa is a talkative and lively young girl who is hoping to go to the U.S. for college, but legally, which is a lot of work (she said they test you to see if you can sing "The Star Spangled Banner!")
This past Sunday I was able to spend a lot of time with Cristina & Tomas (the pastor & his wife), who now call me their hija japonesa (Japanese daughter) and consider themselves my padres mexicanos (Mexican parents). Cristina shared about how she became a Christian her first year of college through a pastor from Texas, how she grew up with a father who was violent with her mother, who was herself absent and distant. She shared about a near-death experience she had when recently married to Tomas, and how the Lord spoke to her about her rebellious heart, how she was not really following him--and how from that point onward she was never the same.
Ministry in All Places
Although this week I didn't have much time with the kids, I still felt like in a lot of ways I was ministering to people by listening to them, getting to know them! I still felt like I was doing God's work--that my time here and my service here is in all places, not just when I am at Hogar de los Ángeles. And that's something really incredible and beautiful to me. Every moment is an opportunity to love someone, whomever the person you're with at the moment. :)
Week four down! This week was especially exhausting because all three of the kids who were out with the chicken pox (Emilio, Yoselín and Roberto) came back, guns blazin'. Let me tell you, there is a big difference between having six kids, and having nine kids. Please see Exhibit A:
Sometimes the days start like this and just keep on going. So much craziness.. I think the most chaotic times are eating (they hit with their forks, throw plates, spit up food, you name it), toothbrushing time (I call them one by one to step up onto a wooden crate--sometimes they're cooperative, a lot of the times they're not) and nap time (the day this video was taken three refused to sleep and ended up running around the room for two hours instead). Seriously, I don't know how Maestra Marisol does it every day. Seriously. Here are some pictures from this week!
Dance Practice
L to R: Emilio, Dayron, Juan Pablo, Kevin, Beto (Roberto), Jair, Jose Maria, Jael
Every day this week the kids have been practicing a special performance for the graduation ceremony on August 18th. They'll be honoring the kids who will be entering kínder. All three boys from the orphanage--Ángel, Erik and Fernando--will be graduating!! They will be singing a sentimental song about spreading their wings and flying to new horizons. :) The remaining kids, though, as pictured above, will be doing a special dance to a song from the popular sitcom show "El Chavo de Ocho," dressing up as the different characters. They have to place their hands behind their backs and kick out their legs in rhythm to the music. It's really adorable. However, getting them to dance takes a lot of threatening of punishment from the teachers if they don't (being put up in one of the high chairs for the babies) and reminding them of the reward they get if they do (gummy bears).
A Child's Imagination
Dayron and Erik pretending to be babies
I've been struck by how imaginative the kids are! After dance practice Erik and Dayron asked to be put into the wooden high chairs in order to be babies, saying "Nyeh-nyeh!" to each other as their form of baby talk. When we went to the park this Friday Erik pretended to be a dad with Dayron as his son. "¡Hijo!" ("Son!") he called out in his high-pitched, scratchy voice. "¡Sí, Papá!" ("Yes, Father!") Dayron answered in return. And basically, the kids can make a casita (little house) out of anything--underneath tables, in corners, on the playground. Ask them what's in the house and they'll tell you everything: carros (cars), caballo (horse), on and on and on.
L to R: Erik, Emilio, Beto and Martitia enjoying their fruit snack before nap time
Things that keep me sane..
If you can't already tell by all the videos and all that I've been posting about, work can be pretty overwhelming sometimes. Here's a list of the things that have been keeping me sane:
1. Excursions!
Last Saturday I went with the director, Miguel, and a group of volunteers from Illinois to go horseback riding in the mountains! It was epic--in three hours we crossed rivers, dodged cacti, made it through rocky terrain and even galloped through a small lake! The mountains are beautiful and wonderfully untouched by civilization. Also, if you yell really loud, your voice echoes. All that bumping along and holding on for dear life really bonded us all together, and after all that riding we drank beer and ate cactus with gusto.
2. Conversation Practice
This Thursday I started going to "Conversaciones con Amigos" at the public library which give both English and Spanish speakers an opportunity to help each other out! Being able to practice Spanish was great, but even better was meeting people in the community. I met three girls (one of whom is from Portland!) who are down here taking Spanish classes. I met Magdalena, José and Alberto, who have all lived in San Miguel de Allende all of their lives. The meetings are twice weekly and I'm hoping to go as much as humanly possible!
3. Church
Hotel Misión El Molino, meeting place of Gente con Propósito--
continue down the path and enter the doors to the right
About a couple of weeks ago I started going to a small, bilingual church that meets up at the top of a big, big hill Sundays at 11am. The Martinez family that leads is wonderful. Tomás, the father, is the pastor of the church and his wife Cristina does a fair bit of shepherding as well. Their three kids Cristi, David and Rebeka comprise a majority of the worship team and all speak both English and Spanish. From the beginning they have welcomed me with open arms, going to lunch with me after church and inviting me to their youth group, which meets on Friday. This past Friday we visited one of the retirement homes to talk with the people, sing some songs and hand out a buttload of cookies. :) Then we played soccer and watched The Princess Bride. It seems like youth groups are identical around the world. Haha!! But I'm so thankful for this faith community. The Martinez family is such a strong family of God and are so united in their ministry. On Sundays I am really moved by just how THANKFUL they are to the Lord for everything and how they just PRAISE him with such sincerity. It really is like having a home church--what a blessing!
4. Family
It's been so nice to talk with my parents miles away from Skype! My dad's birthday was this past Monday and even though it was sad not being in Seattle, through technology I was able to talk with him and to see pictures from his birthday party! And it's been a pleasure receiving letters, hearing about what my aunts & uncles & cousins are up to. :) I'm so thankful for my family! My Auntie Sharon set up a prayer schedule so every day someone in my family is praying for me. Isn't that awesome??
Prayer Requests
1. To Remain in Christ (John 15)
With so much going on and exhaustion from work, it's been hard to really take the time to sit and listen to the Lord and enjoy his presence. And yet, this is so necessary. Without the Lord I can't do a thing: I burn out, I end up just trying to "get through" each day instead of living fully, gratefully with him.
2. To Learn to Wash Feet (John 13)
Sometimes I get these thoughts that I am "above" the work that I should be doing--that what I'm doing is inconsequential because heck, these kids aren't going to remember me. Or sometimes I wish I were doing "real" work, talking with the mothers, being a social worker and advocating for them, etc. Anyhow, my prayer is that I would be content with the spoon-feeding and urine-soaked clothes-changing and tooth brushing that is the day to day of what my volunteer position is, and to not underestimate small acts done with great love (--Mother Teresa, you are incredible).
Thanks to all who are reading this and accompanying me on this incredible journey!
"Joshua said to the people, 'Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do great things among you'" (Joshua 3:5).
The view of the Parroquia from Instituto Allende, a nearby art school
End of week three! Thanks again to everyone for your support and your prayers. It has been so wonderful to be able to stay in touch with everyone through amazing technologies like Gmail, Skype and Blogger--and also through mainstays such as telephone and snail mail. I feel as if you all are my "great cloud of witnesses" cheering me on in all that I do.
This week started out a bit bumpy--stomach problems adjusting to the food and the water here, and the kids acting up a lot, fighting, making messes, being disrespectful and creating an environment of chaos. And yet, by today, something changed! My stomach problems have resolved (Pepto Bismol tablets have seriously saved me) and by the grace of God the past two days have been much more manageable with the boys.
L to R: Fernando, Ángel, Dayron, Erik, Jair and Juan Pablo
Mondays the kids wear all white and gather in the patio area to salute the Mexican flag, singing the national anthem. This is done all through elementary school through high school. White, though? Perhaps not the best color for two year olds to be wearing. Needless to say, it's a good thing that every day before they're picked up we change the kids into a fresh pair of clean clothes, use a wet wipe on their faces and gel up their hair. :)
Get more of a flavor of the craziness
I am learning that each day is different, and you just have to roll with the punches. The kids each bring their own temperaments and you never know how it's going to go. On Tuesday, right off the bat I knew it was going to be challenging. Isaí, the man from the orphanage who drops off the boys, said that in the van Erik, Ángel and Fernando were fighting. They were like bulls waiting to enter the stadium. Needless to say, I came home that day and soundly fell asleep, absolutely exhausted and wondering how I was going to get through the next two months.
Ángel and Fernando looking out of the classroom window to the patio
And yet the past two days have been completely different! As I've been praying through feeling frustrated with the boys' behavior and being overwhelmed at how incredibly mischevious they can be, getting into nearly everything possible, I really think the Lord has provided me the love I need for each day when I ask him--enough love to be able to be more lighthearted, to laugh away the spilled drinks and thrown tortillas, and to take joy in the boys.
Juan Pablo and Fernando at Juarez Park
Today, like two weeks ago, we went to Juarez Park. Erik, pretending that piles of sand were cinnamon cakes, actually tried to ingest some. Luckily, Marisol caught him and had him spit it out. "¡Uácala!" (the equivalent of "ick," from what I've gathered) she exclaimed as grit mixed with spit dribbled down his chin. Juan Pablo and Fernando "rode" the turtle statue, headed towards Juan Pablo's house. Ángel commenced in peeing in broad daylight rather than holding it in until we made the trek back to the daycare.
The other day I came across Joshua 3:5, and I've decided that it's going to be one of my theme verses for my time here. I want to keep in mind that each day--whether it be a crazy one or a 'manageable' one--holds its own blessings from the Lord in the form of fleeting moments. I am trying my hardest to treasure up each of those fleeting moments, whether it be a big ol' grin from Fer when I tease him, kicking a ball back and forth with Juan Pablo, or a hug and a kiss from Dayron at the end of the day. I am doing holy work in a holy place--holy because the Lord is there, holy because the Lord is at work. God is working, doing great things among ALL of us, and in all places. We just need to pray for him to help us see!
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.
A week has already flown by! Above is a picture of the main patio area and classroom of Hogar de los Ángeles in Colonia San Antonio. It's only a block away from where I live! There are two daycare centers--(1) the original in San Antonio and (2) the new center in Santa Julia, which opened in 2008. My work this summer will be split between the two.
(1) Mondays and Tuesdays I will be at the old center in San Antonio. The class that I volunteer in houses the two year-olds (who, thankfully, are all potty trained, save one) with Marisol--a warm and welcoming woman who has been working at the center for three years. It's a fun, rambuncious little group of eight boys and one girl. It's been awhile since I've worked with such young kids, so I wasn't anticipating so much fighting and crying. ¡Él me pegó! (He hit me!) is a commonly used phrase by the kids. The victim, who often cries more for the attention than because of the pain, is often consoled with No llores, no pasa nada. (Don't cry, nothing's going on.)
(2) Wednesdays and Thursdays I will be at the new center in Santa Julia, also working with two year olds. The teacher I am assisting is named Lola, and she has been working at the daycare since it's beginning ten years ago. She is a seasoned veteran, very good at what she does. The kids there I haven't had the chance to get to know as well. This Wednesday a boy named Chema started showing signs of maricela (chicken pox) and by Thursday, all had contracted it as well and were sent home with their mothers.
(1/2) Fridays I alternate with the two centers, accompanying them for field trip day, which brings me to today! Today the San Antonio daycare made the trek out to Parque Juarez, where the kids seemed to have a grand old time kicking around plastic inflated balls and enjoying the play toys.
Although it's only been a week, the personalities of each child have all come out. Let me introduce you to one!
Juan Pablo
Juan Pablo made an impression on me since day one. Every Monday the children wear all white in honor of the bandera (flag). They conduct a ceremony, saluting and singing songs about it. Well, given that these are two year olds, mind you, all the kids in Marisol's class managed to get pretty dirty before lunch was even served. It was decided that the kids needed to be changed into new clothes, but the trick was that Marisol had to go around to the classrooms scrounging for spare clothes that were around. As I mentioned earlier, the boy-girl ratio highly favors boys, so it happened that some of the boys had to wear girls' clothing. Juan Pablo was one of those boys. For the rest of the day he wore a bright hot-pink t-shirt with white overalls with small flowers decorating it. Every time I saw him playing I just cracked up a little inside; since he's got such long eyelashes, those clothes really brought out his feminine side.
My favorite thing about Juan Pablo, though, is when it's changing time (Tuesday through Friday the mom's pack a spare change of clothes to put on before pick-up). To make sure the kids stay still, Marisol puts in a movie (all week long it has been the same one: Mulan dubbed in Spanish). The kids are sitting in a line in their little metal chairs, finishing up their agua (melon, mango or pineapple blended with water and sugar) after lunch. I just could not get over how captivated Juan Pablo was by the movie. That's him in the second picture, eyes wide and unblinking, mouth open. As I lifted his shirt over his head to put on his clean one he didn't take his eyes off the screen. Man, it's hilarious.
There's so much more to say, but I'll leave it to another day. I leave you with a clip of two of the boys, Erik and Emilio, playing around as they wait to get picked up. You can hear the voice of Marisol saying No, no peleen (No, don't fight)--another handy phrase.
