Settling In!

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!

Bringing It Back

Three years ago I wrote what I thought would be the last post ever on this blog. When I left San Miguel de Allende in 2010, teachers and moms would ask, "So when are you coming back?" It pained me to have to be evasive and say, "I don't know," but I didn't want to make any promises that I couldn't keep.

Fast forward to today and I'm pinching myself because on Thursday, August 22, 2013, I'll be returning to Casa de los Angeles as staff. In late June I was offered the position of Volunteer Coordinator. Casa de los Angeles receives volunteers from throughout the world every year, and I will be the one to schedule, orient and host them. When I arrive, there will be nine volunteers present.

During my time as an intern in 2010, I met a lot of different kinds of volunteers: families with small children, youth groups on mission trips, couples looking for an ‘alternative’ vacation, retirees looking to give back, single adults who were ‘drifters’ on a path of self-discovery. They stayed for as little as a week and some up to nine months! Some were diligent and dedicated to being present at the daycare and of service. Others were a bit more interested in the local bar scene but nevertheless, you always encounter unique types—it’s not just anyone that will pay out of pocket to travel abroad and volunteer, rather than stay at an all-expenses paid resort in Cancún. To be honest, the volunteers are kind of quirky. And I like them.

I will be staying at and managing the volunteer house, which used to be one of the daycare sites. It’s conveniently located close to “downtown” (e.g. the main plaza: el jardín) and a bus ride away from the Costco-owned mega-market (think Kmart but on steroids). It’s more or less three houses away from where I stayed in 2010, and is the daycare in which I volunteered when I helped Maestra Marisol in the two year-olds’ classroom.

It’ll be interesting to see what has changed since I’ve left, and what remains the same. Marisol has since left the daycare to teach in the public school system, which can be somewhat challenging at times due to large class size and the lack of resources to properly serve students with disabilities. Vero, one of the mothers in Marisol’s classroom (Juan Pablo’s mom) is now a teacher at the daycare and has a little son that I’ve yet to meet (named Ricardo/“Richie”). The Martinez family (Cristi, David, Rebeca and their parents Tomás and Cristina) are still holding church Sundays at 11:00am at the hotel Misión. I need to see Despicable Me 2 with Laura because we saw the first in theaters together. I’m sure I’ll meet a bunch of other cool people, too, but I’m anxious to reconnect with my old pals!

Until then, it’s all about the details: wrapping up with my current job, getting finances in order, stocking up on medical supplies, making lists of things to pack. So psyched!

Welcome (back) to my blog.

Back in the PNW

"You are going to wake up and think to yourself, 'I'm in Mexico'--but you won't be anymore."

-Miguel, director of Hogar de los Angeles, on returning home after volunteering

I've been back in Federal Way since Sunday.. Wow. My last week in Mexico seriously whipped on by. I think somewhere in the back of my mind I have this delusional thought that tomorrow I will magically wake up in San Miguel, walk north two blocks down 28 de abril norte, duck through the entrance of the daycare in the early-morning cold and see the smiling faces of the teachers, moms and children. But there is a time for everything, and the time for me to be in Seattle is now.

I think I'm getting better at saying goodbyes. I mean, it's certainly sad because I wish I could have stayed longer. I wish I could have had more time with my favorite kids, playing and laughing at their antics, chatting and reading them stories. I wish I could have had more afternoons talking with Marisol while the kids slept, sprawled out with their shoes tossed hither tither around the perimeter of the mattresses. I wish I could have gone to worship service this Sunday instead of getting airsick in a jet. But the best thing is that God is going to continue doing marvelous things in San Miguel--the only bummer is that I won't be there to witness them. :) He's got Hogar de los Angeles, Gente con Proposito, all the people that I met down there--in his hands. So it wasn't that bad receiving my last hugs from Beto and Yoselin, and saying bye to Marisol.

My favorite goodbye was our last full day in San Miguel, which was Saturday. I asked my parents if we could go to the orphanage to see Fernando, Angel and Erik. It was so nice to see them! Fernando was still in isolation, but he came out to see me and we sung a few songs.. Got to push Erik around on a tricycle and he adorably pointed out and introduced to me all his older friends. Angel, as usual, went #2 in his pants and had to go get changed, but as soon as he was clean again was smiley as ever, spinning on the merry-go-round with the other boys.

As we were walking away down the dirt road I heard Ángel’s little voice cry out, “¡Abril!” I turned around and through the chain link fence I could see him on the playground, standing on the big toy, waving at me. “¡Adios!” he cried, waving to me. “Adios, Ángel,” I replied, smiling. “¡Abril!” he yelled again. “¡Adios!” It was such a happy goodbye and the image of him waving and smiling will stay in my memory forever.

What a special time, being in Mexico for 10 weeks. What more can I say? It was awesome.

Where to next?? :)