Familiar Faces *Week 8*
Because of the storm on Sunday, the power was out most of Monday which was so awful because we’ve been dealing with consistent 95° weather. Since the power was out, working in the wood shop would’ve been really annoying, so instead I helped Eric take off roofs that were all crumpled up and then we put the straight ones back on. The power stayed out until 6:30pm-ish. On Tuesday, I went to town again for some groceries but on my way out of the orphanage, Felipe stopped me and asked me if I could pick him up 100 hot dogs and some ketchup😅. I will say, as dangerous as the town is, I really really enjoy every moment I get to spend out there. Walking the streets and seeing how different my upbringing was compared to the people down here is just an incredible thought.
On Wednesday, Maestro, Ever, and I installed the doors we’ve been working on all week into the new hotel. While working, we took a break and Maestro ordered some food for us from a fast food place in town. I didn’t know what I was getting until it got to me 15 minutes later. I opened my box and was surprised to enjoy a sesame pork over dried plantains and coleslaw meal. It was so good and I might just have to pay the place a visit when I go into town next. Later in the afternoon Felipe invited me to have dinner with the Grandecitos instead of eating in the Comedor(the big mess hall where all the kids eat). Of course I said yes and followed him to the boys house. The boys were waiting at the house ready to eat. Leigh, Patrick, Deanna, and Eric were there waiting as well. While we were waiting for the final boys to fill in, I finally got to talk to Leigh who told me that she had in fact lived here at Emmanuel for 3 years from 2010 to 2012. Knowing my mom’s been coming since 2008, I asked Leigh if she knew my mom and she told me that not only did she know my mom but she knew my older brother Andres as well(this dude is 29 years old now!) Leigh continued to tell me that all the same boys that I grew up with, she got to watch grow up here as well. Leigh specifically pointed at Olvin, who was standing right in front of her, and made a small joke to him. Since she clearly got along with Olvin I instinctively asked her if she watched Maycol grow up here too. And she said “No, he hadn’t arrived here by then.” Which I actually knew and was and was able to tell her “Oh yeah that’s right. I met a girl about 2 weeks ago named Leah who told me that she was here the day Maycol and his sister arrived.” And right when I said that, this sudden realization of how unimaginably marvelous this experience is just slapped me in the face. I realized how remarkable it is to be able to meet so many incredible people and not only hear their stories, but also have the ability to pass their stories along to other incredible people. I really wanted to share that because I think it’s been one of the coolest realizations I’ve had, not just down here, but in my entire life. Because in America you meet new people all the time but you don’t really realize how amazing it is because we’re too “busy” to catch up with one another and when we do, it creates solid friendships. So while down here, I can confidently say that I’ve made many friends with many kids, staff, and many volunteers that come and go. So incredible!
On Thursday was the start of Maestro’s Easter break. So since he wasn’t here, I helped with roofs again. We worked on the pig barn which was tough because we needed a big truck to pull the roof back over after we pulled as many sheets of metal as possible. While up there I met Gabe who told me he was part of a small group of 6 people from El Salvador that came specifically to help with the roofs. They are only here until Saturday though. After getting the roof flipped we decided to leave the rest to the small group. So Eric and I went to the warehouse with some of the big boys to grab a few manhole covers. We only replaced the one in front of the clinic though so I have no idea where the others are. After dinner that night Felipe invited me to the hot dog cookout that he planned to have with the Grandecitos house. We put the dough on sticks and held them over the fire. Once they were cooked we shoved a hot dog inside and then had the choice of either ketchup or syrup. For the first half of my hot dog I obviously chose ketchup as my condiment but then Eric told me that I had to try it with syrup. So of course I did and it was actually so good!(Literally just pancakes, sausage, and syrup in a different form.)
Since I left, my mom had been looking for flights to come down here to see the kids and I over her spring break. She was able to get tickets for Friday which was really exciting! Friday was a pretty casual day up until she arrived at the gate. When she got here I was playing soccer in the Cancha with the Grandecitos. I got a call from Danielle telling me that my mom was at the gate and that I should meet her at the house since I have the only key. So naturally… I decided not to do that. Instead, I got a group of boys that were just sitting around to walk up to the street I thought she’d be driving up on so we could all wave to her as she passed. However, instead of driving up on the street in front of my house, she drove up on the street behind my house so we didn’t see her drive up at all. Eventually I just decided to go up to the house because I assumed she’d gotten there by then. I assumed right. We greeted each other then went inside and she unpacked all of the stuff she brought down for me. She brought me many necessary things like: a water filter, a pair of shoes and a pair of sandals, a battery pack, two big bags of skittles, some ramen from my mom’s best friend Cheryl(bless your heart Cheryl😊), girl scout cookies!, a portable neck fan, lil bro Jaden’s speaker(bless your heart Jaden), three bags of suckers(so I can hand out individuals to the kids in the orphanage and in town) and almost most importantly… a little hot wheels truck with a tiny fan inside!(joke for… you know who you are)
Saturday, my mom and I looked for flights and hotels for Costa Rica since I have to leave the country in May to renew my 3 month VISA. After a while of searching, we decided it would be better for me to spend three to four days in Cancún instead. We found a nice hotel in between downtown and the beach for a good price and I will probably finalize everything next week. Eric and Deanna left today and I got to say goodbye to them as I was leaving the Comedor in the morning. I was hoping my mom could meet them quick too but we didn’t get the chance.
Easter Sunday was a fantastic day packed with many familiar faces. At church Raleigh spoke about the Easter story and dived really far into detail to ensure that the kids understood the sacrifice that the Lord made for us on this day so long ago. After church, I treated Olvin, Alejandro, and Maycol to the tienda(the store) and I also paid for Dilmer(a little boy that Alina loves) and Brithany(a toddler my mom attached herself to this past summer). When Ethan left, he left behind three pairs of shoes for me to distribute. So I brought those along with me and gave them to the boys, thank you Ethan! While at the store, I decided to give Leah a call so that her and Maycol could chat for a bit! We stayed in the tienda all morning, chatting, laughing, and creating valuable memories that'll last a lifetime.
After lunch, my mom and I got ready to go to town to visit Moncho and his family. Moncho picked us up at the gate and brought us to his house to catch up with one another. While conversing, Jonathón, Moncho’s older son, brought me outside to play soccer with his neighbors Lester and Jefferson. It was such an amazing experience to get to play with the two boys from town alongside Jonathón. After a while, Moncho called us over and we left to pay a visit to a former nanny of one of the houses that remembered my mom and wanted to see her. Then after that, we went and paid a visit to Glenda and as we were leaving my mom gifted Glenda her earrings and Glenda told me that the next time I see her I have to take a picture of her wearing the earrings and send it to my mom. We said our goodbyes to Glenda, then to Moncho and his family, and walked back to our house inside the walls of the orphanage. To be continued…
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