Youth Groups, Icing Wars, and Extreme Energy

SUNDAY: Day of the Dead~getting to Loren and Donna's house early and nearly walking into a room full of guys~small San Pedro service~counting the verb "poder" for Ian's verb class and discovering that "poder" also means "power" (thus "tenemos poder" doesn't count)~lentil soup~setting up rows and rows of plastic chairs outside~counting verbs again during the afternoon service~hanging out with the visiting youth group~climbing the clocktower at night~singing "We've Got the Power" into the ceiling at the top of the tower~a lot of pictures~everyone riding to the orphanage in the back of Loren's truck~the truck groaning over the speedbumps~hanging out and playing games.

The big group of shopping gringos.

MONDAY: brunch~saving out "eggless" potatoes for me~shopping with the youth group (quite a gringo spectacle!)~saying goodbye to the youth group~setting up facebook for Brianne and watching her get hooked (LOL)~decorating a birthday cake for Carla~Brianne's beautiful decorating job~slapping icing in hair and clothes~getting very sticky~cancelled verb class~talking late into the night with my awesome roommate.

Janessa and I after round one of the icing fight.

TUESDAY: Stacey's 21st birthday~waking up way too early~singing happy birthday in my morning voice~lots of little presents and cards for Stacey~studying language~making Indian rice for lunch~talking on the phone with Mom for a long time~thinking about the butterscotch oatmeal cookies she was making in IL and getting a stabbing pang of homesickness~our landlady returning and trying to tell us things we didn't understand~her son sweeping our lawn unleashing Pepe (grrr!)~chocolate birthday cake with strawberries and creme~tortas with a lot of meat~verb class when we were way too tired.

Stacey's Rice Krispies.

WEDNESDAY: Loren's 40th birthday~finding out the results of the election~baking cookies~peanut butter dessert~cleaning~helping with Kid's Club at Rod and Christa's~delighting in the rapt attention the children paid to the story of Adam and Eve's first sin~helping Stacey with the candy bucket and verses~telling Rojelio the phrase he taught me: "No lo hago!" Don't do that!~prayer meeting~setting up for a surprise party with a bunch of noisy children~many many balloons~confetti~cake and ice cream~going home and talking about how we want to heal the hurts of the children at the orphanage~climbing up on the roof and staring at the stars~hot shower!!!

?, Rojelio, y Adryan

THURSDAY: waking up late~going shopping downtown~French toast~laundry~house-cleaning~Tarzan~walking to the river with Marlen~splashing~swimming~sand all over my clothes~showers~dinner~my first piece of mail...a birthday card!~chai tea~a serious conversation which got interrupted by loud circus music~laughing at circus songs and spilling our chai tea~side note: PTL that Marlen's grandmother, mother, and uncle gave her permission to be baptized..an answer to prayer!

Marlen and I in the river (before we soaked each other).

FRIDAY: cornflakes and hot chocolate~language study~wiping down plastic chairs~lunch...Mexican lasagna~catching up with e-mail and facebook~discussing visas~going to Mochiqui~inviting five Mochiqui girls over for Saturday afternoon~watching their faces light up~having Delia tell me a secret ten times before she finally accepted the fact that I didn't understand!~spending time at the orphanage~Taqueria with Lenn, Debbie, and family (many people)~waiting forever for our food~really good mixtas and tacos with too much meat for my poor stomach~walking by the ajonjoli festival on our way home.

Esteycy, Junior, y Tito-- a familiar site at Loren and Donna's window.

SATURDAY: Saturday school~muchos ninos~making lunch for Loren and Donna's family as well as five very excited and energetic little girls~watching the girls inhale the tortillas, rice, and beans and reject the butterscotch pudding (es como flan!)~marching them all down the street to our house~Bella (the adorable little deaf girl) stopping to buy Stacey and I some candy~getting some really strange looks from Mexicans~watching the little girls be fascinated by our house and our pictures~coloring~hopscotch through the house on the tile floor~feeling content despite the giant mess in our house.

Me with the five Mochiqui girls: Cinthia, Tita, Bella, Alma, y Carla.