Friday, May 21
Woke up like 40 minutes early (turns out we actually didn’t have to leave until later so I just lay in bed for a while after getting ready). We went to the zoo today with CIPI—an orphanage of many abuse victims or kids/babies that were found on the streets. They have like 180 kids (5 babies from 14 year old moms, nine 14 year old girls—4 of which are pregnant and the others have babies or are helping to take care of other orphan babies). Then the rest are boys toddler age up until age 10. We took mostly the boys today and 3 girls! I had a girl with me the whole time, Jenny—she was 9. They were super excited to go and called everyone “Tia” or “Tio” (aunt, uncle). After everything Jenny said, she said “Va”—which is a word used excessively here to mean basically everything (like cool, whatever, fine, bye, ok, right, etc) haha. It was hard for me to figure out what she was saying because I wasn’t used to it being said after EVERYTHING! Kristen’s boy, Geraldo, was SO cute—we nicknamed him Chancho for the rest of the time because he seriously was like Chancho (the boys call him gordo). Kassandra’s boy was kind of ornery but had the cutest smile. A couple of them were super huggy, touchy, etc—we could tell they just wanted and needed love. However, we are just going to be leaving them and it’s not good for them to be that super comfortable and touchy, lovey with everyone that comes to volunteer or anyone they meet. It will be hard to find a fine line of what we can do but I’m glad we can hug them. It breaks my heart knowing these abuse victim or forsaken orphans are there with only 8 staff and they don’t get enough attention obviously with 8 babies there as well.
Two new members, Peter and McCall arrived today after having flown out at midnight—I can’t even imagine.
I’m so. Exhausted. Today. Many things were frustrating me and I was not in the mood and sick of always waiting for my group. I really missed home and my family today as well. I almost teared up a bit or called home when I was laying on my bed earlier but then I remembered how blessed I have been while being here and I have no reason to complain—I pulled through.
We went to Estela’s and then waited for a while for my friend, Daniel to arrive (we were going to head up to Los planes de renderos with him). It was way fun to hang out with him and go see a sight but it was weird as well because there were 13 of us and it was definitely not supposed to be that large of a group originally. Daniel handled it very well but I still felt badly because he was surprised there were tons of us and I apologized immensely but didn’t know how I could tell them they couldn’t come. It was just a frustrating situation and I felt bad he kind of ended up the tour guide at times.
There was a lookout over the whole city and it was way cool. It was hilarious because there were like 5 couples making out in a row and then 13 gringos come plowing through the lookout and they all eventually left. Haha whoops—sorry! It was awkward yet hilarious. There were some artisan souvenirs and pupuserias along the way and then there was a ferris wheel at the end of town!! It was very sketchy looking but super inviting so we went for $1 and in one seat was Daniel, me, and Kristen. It seriously went SO fast! It was like a mini rollercoaster! We were getting rained on, I was DYING to go to the bathroom and the ferris wheel was all rickety and going super fun and it was BLAST! When we got off, Daniel’s mom, dad, and sister had arrived and told us they were there just in case there were any emergencies—just for safety. I think when they heard how many people ended up coming they felt the need to make sure we were ok and Daniel was ok. I felt SO badly! They traveled like 30 minutes just because of us—but they were so gracious and nice, as Latins are.
It’s just hard doing things as a huge group but we can split up from now on if needed! We all get along SUPER great and I love my group! I think if we help people realize that we can split up and that it’s ok if some people are better friends than others it will be a lot easier to plan weekend trips, etc.
Saturday, May 22
I just kept sleeping today even after waking up several times. I could’ve slept FOREVER! I got ready and then went to the Ciber with the intentions of updating my blog but I was just too tired and lazy to do so and the thought of typing for an hour didn’t appeal to me! I just emailed my family and called it good. I was a bit nostalgic today as well but not as badly.
Juliann, me, Esther, and McCall went to a dance concert at the Teatro Nacional in the Center of town. It was a modern dance concert and was way cool, abstract, not professional but still good! We sat in our own theater box! The National Theater is seriously a WAY cool building. The bathroom was even awesome. We then got on a bus to Gran Via—the outdoor mall with the theaters, etc. I we were rockin out to Pitbull. We all met up at Benihana (it was my first time going there! And I was in El Sal—kind of weird haha). The cook was awesome and funny—he totally understood us as we found out when Esther said “I’m his biggest fan! It’d be cool if he actually knew what I was saying!” The cook then starting chuckling to himself and we were like ummm maybe he does know what you’re saying haha! I then had a very near death experience as I choked on water because it went down into my lungs as someone made me laugh (dang it Jess and Adrianne—I was doing so well). I seriously couldn’t breathe for a while—it was probably one of the very worst times this has happened! My face turned beet red and FINALLY I gasped for air. Geez! My country directors thought I was just laughing super hard and didn’t know I was dying—America kind of wondered if I was ok but Tyler just started dying laughing cuz they thought I was in hysteria. BUT—I haven’t done that since Provo so I’m kind of proud still
We then went to the movies and saw Date Night. Tyler and I waited in line FOREVER so I could get a Coke Zero and he could get some candy. I finally got my drink and entered the theater and began climbing the million stairs to the very top row where my group was. As I was climbing, I realized that my group was on the other side of the top row in the theater and I was going to have to climb over quite a few people to get there. As I was pondering this, I suddenly found myself TOTALLY biffing it up the stairs face first on the ground. The best part is the whole theater must have been watching because they made surprised noises and then started busting up laughing (except for the two old men on either side of me that were super concerned….about my salvation and stuff…and helped me right up. I was dying laughing so hard I could barely walk up the rest of the stairs. But get this—I didn’t even spill my drink! It was incredible haha. I was dying laughing for 5 minutes straight—I would do something like that, especially being so mentally and physically exhausted.
It’s been super nice lately actually—maybe it IS becoming “winter”! People said we came at the peak of summer and then it changes to their winter.
Sunday, May 23
I tried to sleep in today but people felt it was totally ok to talk very loudly and excitedly all morning in the room (we have a whole house to do that in! I was way annoyed.) Brian thinks I should keep a pile of rocks near my bed and just chuck them at whoever does that from now on---good idea. We got ready for church and left.
The bus was especially jam packed today and I was pressed up against my window with people’s standing bodies pressed up against me as I was sitting down the whole time. One guy came on the bus and came back to stand by where I was sitting. He was very weird and had his bad and himself pressed up against my legs the whole time as his arms were straddling the bars by my seat. There were other people there as well but even when people started leaving he didn’t move at all. I wanted him to move the entire time but just kept my arms around my bag on my lap and pulled through. So—the time came for us to get off the bus. He was the only one around me but still straddling the bars by my seat and pressed closer to me. The gringos all started leaving and I tried to stand up and get off but he wouldn’t let me. He was looking at me but still not budging or letting me move out of my seat to get off—it was SO strange. I finally, after a few attempts of trying to squeeze out, looked at him and said very firmly “CON PERMISO”. A few seconds later he let me pass and I was flustered and annoyed as I stepped off the bus. I had my bag around the front of me and my arm around my bag the whole time but as I stepped off and looked down, my front pocket zipper was half unzipped with my sunscreen sticking out. I thought that was strange as I had definitely zipped my pocket up and had my arm around it and everything. I unzipped it to check and sure enough, my money pouch was gone. UNBELIEVABLE! That guy must have been pro as my arm was around the front of my bag and Peter was behind me and everything. Luckily I only had like $9 in there, but a copy of my passport was in there, as well as our emergency contact card with our phone numbers and address. I half laughed, unbelievingly at first, but then just got TICKED. So, all through Sacrament Meeting I was just plain ticked off and my mood declining (as it had seemed to struggle this whole weekend). It was a lovely mood to be in for Sacrament Meeting. Sunday School was amazing, though which was definitely a blessing because that is the class I have the hardest time getting a lot out of or understanding the language in. I understood like all of it and it was a way good lesson—the teacher did a wonderful job of making the Old Testament relative and applicable to us. Relief Society was way good—Karina taught it and she talked about How to live the Gospel in the home and in our Personal lives. She said that to actually LIVE something, to actually LIVE the Gospel, we need to be described by the words: exact, punctual, faithful, just, always, constant and NOT: often, sometimes, frequently, occasionally, once in a while, almost always, more or less, or when there’s time. I need to ALWAYS read my scriptures and say my prayers—not almost always.
After, the mission president’s wife, Hermana Lopez, commented on how she really really likes the HELP team this year and is more impressed with our desire to know the members and try to speak the language and really be involved. She is an incredible lady—so strong and faithful and just has this light and love about her that I want to aspire to! I love her!!
I then was able to talk to my fam, play cards, have dinner and endure our 3 ½ hour team meeting. HOLY CRAP. Haha.
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