méxico: week two

[Cata] [Essie]

[Part of the group that ate after baptism]
[Dishing out the pozole]

[Ana and I]

[Roxy doing laundry]

[Mariana]

[Waiting in line for the bathroom]

[Rach with her mending] [Passing out tracts in Choix: Roxy and Essie]

[Carla]

Sunday, April 11, 2010.

Today was such a long day. Rod was already stirring the fire when I got up to shower. Some of the Yoders came over to help get things ready for the service after the baptism. Janessa and I tried thawing the deer meat for the pozole. The dogs hovered, hoping for drops. Then I helped Rach cut up the mounds and mounds of cilantro. When we finally left for the river, Cata and Essie were very excited. The service at the riverside was short and sweet. We had lots of visitors from all over to rejoice with Ernesto, Lupita, Catalina, and Esmerelda. I was delighted to see people from the church in San Pedro. We piled back into the vehicles to head to the orphanage where we ate lunch. I washed dishes and then sat with Ana after the church service. Once the visitors left, we had a mini-fun night. I went to bed with a headache. Too much ball tag.

Monday, April 12, 2010.

Teo's 17th birthday today. Brittany and I started working on his birthday cake before breakfast and finished it afterwards. I did most of the observing and not so much helping. I played with the kids and then took some time off. When I returned to the outside world, I helped Brittany prepare lunch and wash dishes. Afternoon school dragged on until the soccer game. I watched the soccer game and cooked up the soya for the cebiche. We VSers stayed up late to talk and talk. I had fun learning to know the other girls a little better.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010.

Rach and I got groceries in the morning. I didn't have anything to do while Rach was sewing so I started picking through the scraps and decided to sew a skirt for one of the little girls. While the school girls worked on schoolwork after lunch, I tried to work more on the skirt. Veronica got wind that the skirt might be for her and she hung around the sewing machine, "Are you almost done?" "When will you be done?" Essie had trouble with fractions and my Spanish was inadequate to explain them to her. Finally she ventured, "I think I understand!" (no thanks to me). Rach wasn't feeling good so I helped with supper. The children went to bed early so that we ladies could have Bible study.

Wednesday, April 14, 2010.

After getting groceries, I graded schoolwork, had time off, raced Veronica on the swings, and helped Marcela play "house". After lunch, we started on schoolwork right away. The girls were well-behaved today; they did their schoolwork without complaining... and even got done with enough time for me to take a short nap afterwards. During supper I sat across from Abel who stared at me the entire meal. After the evening prayer meeting, Chuy melted my heart by saying his version of my name: "¡Kita! ¡Ven!" (Come). I went home with the Mochiqui crew in the back of Loren's truck... just like old times. Rodriz, Aile, Mario, and Janessa came along too. Before bed, I graded papers and watched the kids play musical chairs and "Buenos días, maestra." Cata was absolutely hysterical with that game... and Marcela did a perfect imitation of Fernando José.

Thursday, April 15, 2010.

Today was full moon... Well not really, but the kids at the orphanage must have thought it was. I sat at Rhonda's table. Chayo sat beside me and vomited milk. I know that's gross, but that's the truth. I won't get into the even grosser details; let's just say that I couldn't finish my breakfast. Today was official "tattle day" because that's all the kids did today... only taking a break from tattling to run back outside and do something else to make another kid tattle on them. I made a skirt for Mariela before lunch. During lunch, I again sat beside Chayo who was bent on escaping his chair. *Grrr. Brittany and I were in charge after lunch. Chuy harassed the little girl's tea party so that they raced to tattle to me. The older girls were doing their schoolwork and I was trying to answer their questions when the three little boys got into a big fight and I had to march them all inside of the house. But at least school was rewarding once things settled down. Mariela, who learned to add yesterday, flew through her math book. She couldn't believe that 3+2 and 4+1 both equaled 5. Roxy learned how to "carry" in addition and got a 100% on her test. At dinnertime, I released Chayo from his chair too early and he snatched Marcela's tortilla. *Sigh. Then the evening was peaceful. Veronica and I had another race on the swings. I wish I could bottle her laugh and take it home with me!

Friday, April 16, 2010.

Leo's 14th birthday. I gave Chuy his breakfast. He ate very slowly, holding each bite of cornflakes in his mouth as he watched the world around him. I told him "Chew it!" And he responded with a muffled, "Chew it! Chew it!" Rach and I went for groceries and to pay our visas at the bank. Back home, I did laundry and the school corrections from yesterday. After lunch cleanup, we left to pass out tracts in Choix. The afternoon sun beat down on my group (Essie, Roxy, and I) as we made our rounds. At one of our first stops, I handed the magazine to two men outside of a building. One asked for a third magazine, "There is a man inside. He is a drunk; he needs to read this." Hmm... We arrived home all hot and sweaty. I got ready to walk over to Mochiqui with Rebecca, MariChuy, Veronica, and Marcela. The others went on to MariCruz's house while I visited Ana. Ana really opened up to me and we had a good heart-to-heart chat like old times. Eventually we walked back to the orphanage, literally too late for supper. After fun night, Rach and I enjoyed a good talk in the bodega.

Saturday, April 17, 2010.

Rach brought me breakfast in bed so I wouldn't have to get up early on my day off. How sweet! Saturday school was a little more eventful than I would have liked. Afterwards, I took Roxy, Essie, and Chuy to the store. Chuy walked around, pointing to things and calling them all "agua" (water). I went to Rod and Christa's house to use the phone and Internet. Brittany and I tried to hide from visitors on the front porch. I visited Marlen and her grandma and then walked uptown for a K-Freeze. A drunk stopped me on my way home. "WHERE ARE YOU FROM?" he bellowed in English. The conversation was short, but we managed to attract a crowd of unabashed and humored onlookers. I made a short visit to Vanessa's house and then raced back in time to catch a ride home with Rach... on the moto. My afternoon included: stuffing my souvenirs in my quickly-filling suitcase, hanging out with the kids, and journaling. After supper, Diego told me that he would rather that I be in the grave than his grandma. I chased him down and gave him a stiff head-rubbing for that comment. Then he and Domingo locked me outside. While the kids went to bed, Rach and I climbed up on the roof to enjoy the stars and sip Fresca.