We have two weeks left before we’re back in the States. It seems impossible that two and a half months are gone; I’m so accustomed to life here now. I feel as though I could stay much longer. We have our daily routines, our nicknames for each other and the people here, all the banter, and birthday parties for each other and the kids. We know the restaurant owners, the taxi drivers, and the people in our neighborhood. It’s home now.
The past few weeks have been filled with strengthening relationships with the children, staff, and each other. We get along with the cooks, the manager, the tias and tios, and children like we’re all family. We’ve made a lot of good memories together.
Yesterday, we made paper snowflakes with the kids and hung them on our Christmas tree. Earlier, I got in trouble for using the kitchen mop outside (I claim ignorance) and the cook said I deserved a spanking (Joking, I think…). One of the tias put on music outside and we danced together with the kids and with her. On a walk through the town where CICRIN is, we talk with the many friends we’ve made the past two months. Juana Maria, the old lady we’ve befriended, invited us over this Sunday to learn how to make bread in her new oven. A few weeks ago, she told us how making bread used to be her job and how much she enjoyed it but she can’t anymore because her oven had broken so all gave her money to build a new one and we got to see it yesterday! Four of our teammates are in the Quince dance for two of the girls here and are truly experiencing the culture. Last week, we took some of the boys swimming in the lake but to get to deeper parts, we had to cross the muddy sludge. Although Noel (10 yrs) grabbed my hand to support himself, it was me who really needed help and we bonded over falling in the mud. When we got out into the water, Josuea (5 yrs) tirelessly practiced swimming from my arms to my teammate’s and vice versa. Even though the water was above his head and he couldn’t swim, he still wanted to be out there with the big kids.
As we approach the end of our time here, the teachers at the school, the manager and director at CICRIN and others have commented on how greatly they have appreciated our presence and said we’ve been a huge blessing. Helen the director said that she’s had problems with past teams but she never has to worry about us and the manager Aimee has said she can tell what hard workers we are. I’m so grateful that we have been a help to everyone here and CICRIN too has been a blessing to our team. We’ve all grown so much and learned from the culture and people here. Helen said we are always welcome back and I know many of us have already accepted her offer 🙂
