Burros, Benches, and Bikes

SUNDAY: Just before the San Pedro service began, a pollito (chick) pooped behind the pulpit. The kids giggled about it through the opening "Esta Aqui" ("He is Here") song. When Julian stood up for his devotional, he first walked over and grabbed the mop. He made excuses for his deviant bird and then mopped up the poop. Presto! And everything was smooth sailing after that. Sometimes I just love the incidents that happen here that would never happen in the States. Loren had three friends visiting from North Carolina to do some work for the church...so we had company for lunch (and most of the week, actually). In between services, I worked on some writing and e-mails. I sat with Rosalina and Tita and they were surprisingly well-behaved. We went out to Mochiqui. Loren's friends came along and caused quite a spectacle since two of them have curly head of hair, red and blond. When we got back, I helped Donna make dinner. Afterwards, we all walked uptown to the plaza. A concert was just starting and the place was packed. I have never seen so many people in that place in my life. When we got home, I retreated to the solitude of my room.

MONDAY: Loren's friends, Duane, Ryan, and Linden started working on making church benches for San Pedro. I wandered off to Don Josecito's to buy groceries and then headed up to Vanessa's house. We talked, played Phase 10, and then I read some children's books to Gabi. I eventually excused myself to help Donna with lunch. We had brownies and ice cream for dessert. I had to include that; it was very important. San Pedro Kid's Club was small again, but fun nonetheless. After class, I was talking with Fransisca and Dona Artelmia. In the conversation about different types of delicious food, Dona Artelmia mentioned burros (donkeys). I got a horrified look on my face and they started to laugh at me. Of course they had meant the food burrito and not the animal burro. They laughed at me for a long time. When we returned to Choix, we all invaded the backyard to test out the benches the guys had constructed...very comfortable! Donna and I made chili-chicken salad for dinner and then everyone disappeared to Loren's basketball game and I had the entire house to myself.

TUESDAY: Rachel was gone in Los Mochis and Lenn was gone somewhere between the border and Choix. So I went out to the orphanage for the day. Loren kindly drove me out. My morning consisted of making lunch (and frying fish for the first time in my life) and overseeing that everyone else got their work done. I got to watch Scott make cookies with Teo for Teo to sell out on the road. I made signs that said... "Se vende galletas. No dinero gratis, por favor" (Selling cookies. No handouts please). Teo had the time of his life sitting in the middle of the road with his little table. The other children lined up along the fence to watch who the first victims would be, intermittently rushing inside to keep us updated. Rachel eventually arrived with her parents and her sister and we ate lunch. After lunch, I helped with clean-up and laundry. When I couldn't get ahold of Loren to pick me back up, I decided to bike into town. That's very gracious of me, considering how much I hate to bike. Fortunately, the ride is mostly downhill. Unfortunately, I always forget which spots of the road to avoid. I think I hit every pothole along the way, causing me to fly off of my bike. Also unfortunate, was the fact that rows of people always seemed to be watching. Maybe someone heard I was coming into town and sold tickets. I'm sure he made a smashing, whoever he is! I came back and crashed during my time off. I was home for the rest of the day. I made molasses crinkles which all turned out either burnt or underdone. Alain visited the window and asked for the bicycle pump and the the needle to fill his soccer ball with air. I handed him the pump and told him I didn't know where the needle was. He told me it was the in the jar under the calendar and he was right. It's a little unnerving when children know more about the house than I do. I helped to make tostadas for dinner and we ate and had Ryan's leftover birthday cake for dessert.

WEDNESDAY: Wednesday's are my new day off...So I spent the entire morning drinking tea and reading my book at the plaza. It was fun. I came back and ate tamales and frijoles puercos for lunch with the others. And then I called home and talked with some of my family. The water had some unresolved issues all day, so I didn't get my laundry done. Prayer meeting that evening was small thanks to illnesses circling around the orphanage. Loren ran everyone out to the orphanage and Mochiqui while the rest of us waited on the front porch for his return. When he did return, we headed up for the taqueria. We had fun...especially when Duane mistakenly ordered a meatless meal.

THURSDAY: I was waiting for Lenn to pick me up when Debbie called to say that they didn't need me at the orphanage until 4:00 that afternoon. That was fine; I helped Donna with the things we were assuming we would have to put on hold. I even got my laundry done. Reina and David came and [very fortunately] traded a hen for the stupid gallo (rooster) who had delighted in waking me up every morning. After my time off, Lenn came and picked me up on the moto. I took one glance down at my long skirt and decided to ride side-saddle. When we got to the orphanage, I helped Roxina with her math. It was just very simple subtraction, but she was having trouble concentrating. I helped her count with colored pencils and her fingers (I know that's not good, but I'd rather have her visualize the problem in order to understand it than never understand it at all!). Afterwards, I helped with dinner prep...basically heating up leftovers. During prayer, Chuyito threw up banana on Suzanne and Roxina and Jeffrey pooped his diaper and his pants. So while the other women scattered, I was in charge of portion control and raised hands for half of the table. Not good for a first-timer. After dinner I helped clean up and played with the children. Lenn brought me back home on the moto, but first I slammed my finger in the gate; it throbbed for most of the evening and turned blue and purple...very cool. I went to bed, satisfied that the schedule at the orphanage was looking less and less intimidating.

FRIDAY: I started out on bike for the orphanage in the morning. I started early so I could walk my bike out. (It's like this: walking out alone is not a good idea. Biking is fine. Walking a bike is a compromise because if necessary, you can still hop on the bike and speed away.) So I looked like a dork walking a bike through town, but the other option (riding it) was less favorable than looking like a dork. As I walked by a mechanic shop, a worker was out by the road, scouting prospective customers. "Sierve?" (Does it work?) he called to me while I tried to avoid eye-contact. "Heh heh. Si, sierve pero a mi, no me gusta andar!" (Yes, it works, but I don't like to ride!) I hollered back sheepishly. He just grinned at my answer. Once safely tucked away at the orphanage, I helped with lunch. The electricity was off. I helped Roxina study her math and then she took a test. I was incredibly encouraged and proud of her when she only got one problem wrong! I enjoyed making lunch, but the girls were fighting and had some bad attitudes and not everything got done in time. After lunch I had to stay and help with clean-up. Diego was very slooooowwwww with mopping the floor, but I was enjoying the fact that he was talking with me instead of ignoring me like usual. Finally I was ready to head back into town for my time off. Miguel sweetly walked my bike out to the road for me. I rode most of the way back into town...and rode smugly right past the mechanic shop. I almost got attacked by an angry dog who was foaming at the mouth (I'm pretty sure). I pedaled furiously and was very grateful for my bike! After my time off, Donna and I went to Mochiqui to study with Alma, Carla, Tita, and Delia. We played volleyball and catch by the volleyball courts until Carla and Tita started fighting. By the time that Donna and I got to the orphanage, everyone was already eating. Rachel's family had made the food for Rach's birthday...grilled chicken, potato salad, and Amish noodles, with cake and ice cream for dessert. The evening was chilly and we huddled inside and drank coffee and tea...until Rod, Jesse, and Diego began playing guitar on the front porch and we migrated there.

SATURDAY: I got up late...but got ready in time to do up some of the dishes while Ricardo watched my every move through the kitchen window. "What are you doing?" "Are those cookies over there?" "Did your family leave?" "How soon until I can come in?" "Forty-five minutes!?!!?" Then the class started and I sat beside Domingo, who is rapidly climbing my "favorites" list. Come to think of it, I think all of the kids are climbing that list; now that I'm getting to know them better, I love them even more! He shaded the sun from my eyes with his paper for the last part of class--so cute! Four-square was forgotten in light of the tops everyone was playing with. Some of the kids are amazing with the way that they can throw the tops into the dirt and pick them up with the string and then hold them, still spinning in their hands! Eventually, we all piled into the very hot van and headed for the orphanage. I worked on lunch...not everything went according to plan. Life at the orphanage is very different than in town. In town, no one wipes beans on my shirt or makes me clean up after accidents in the bathroom or clean poop off of baby clothes. The ministry is very different, but I enjoy both worlds. The afternoon was relaxing, most of the kids sat around and read books. Rosalina amused herself by carving holes in her pencil box and sticking wheels into it. Please don't ask why she wants a rolling pencil box, just be grateful that we have creative children living at the orphanage. Just as I was ready to go for my time off, someone noticed a fire in the field next to the soccer field. We thought it was the guys clearing the land for this year's crops, but it was just a fire that had blown away from some trash. Suddenly the flames were huge and all of the boys were out, beating at it furiously and raking the ground so it wouldn't get to the trees, the house, or the chickens. We closed up the windows in the house to keep out the billowing smoke and prayed that God would keep us safe. Finally the fire died down and was under control once again. PTL. I took my time off and came back in time for dinner. Afterwards, the adults enjoyed cake and pie while the jealous children hovered over our shoulders trying their best to make us feel guilty. It didn't work; it only succeeded in making the dessert more delicious. Loren picked me up. We didn't have electricity in town until I had mentally prepared myself for a freezing cold shower. The lights came on a little after Loren's three friends, Duane, Ryan, and Linden returned home from there trip to the Copper Canyon.