[Brothers: Domingo and Leobardo]
[Rach and me] 
[Rodriz and Mario] 
[Chuy] 
[Fernando José and Fernandito] 
[Fernando José, Fernandito, Abel, and Marcela] 
[Maria Inez and Mariela with dirty hands from the tortilla dough] 
[Uriel]
[MariChuy, MariCruz, Carla, and Tita] 
[Walking up to class on the hill] 
[Fernando José] 
[Mario with Tirzah] 
[Alejito] 
[Chuy and Jeffrey find cushy seats] 
[Gina, Rosalina, Essie, Maria, and Suzanne] 
[La Casa Hogar Luz de Esperanza] 
[Me and Dietrich] 
[Carol and Marcela "transplanting" a flower] Sunday, May 2, 2010.
Domingo's birthday. Speaking of Domingo, he "avoided" my eyes during breakfast; he was "shy" after I told him happy birthday. Rach started packing which brought me close to tears. I'm not ready for her to leave! I sat with Marcela and Cata during the Choix service and some of us walked back to the orphanage afterwards. We had lunch and birthday cake. Then I tried to nap, but my quiet was interrupted by Rodriz's chattering outside of the bodega. So I got up and entertained Chuy... or he entertained me. Cata realized that the other kids have been calling me "Salchicha" for the last four weeks and it hit her funny bone. Now she calls me "Chicha"! We had a long ride to San Pedro in which Rodriz talked 95% of the time. We had fun playing a Rodriz-ified game of hangman. After a short and sweet church service and some goodbyes, we had another long trip home. Mario and Rodriz stayed for the late supper. I had my last good talk with Rach; she leaves in the morning.
Monday, May 3, 2010.
I was sad as Rach got ready to leave. I was even sadder when I realized that those teary emotions would belong to me in exactly one week. After getting groceries, I did school with Mariela. We worked in the bodega to avoid distractions. Before lunch, Rosalina and I sat on the swings and had a good chat about nothing and everything. At lunch, Essie and Rosalina peppered me with "¿Por qué?" (Why?) questions that never ended. After school and naptime (hmm... this is getting to be a habit), I sat with Teo and Maria Inez during the soccer game. We had supper, then clean up, and then the kids went to bed. Donna came out to teach ladies' Bible study and gave us some interesting insights on "letter vs. spirit of the law". To top off the night, the Yoder truck was having normal Yoder truck issues and we girls had to push it out of the driveway and up the road before it started. Talk about "raw woman strength"! LOL.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010.
I survived my first night without Rach. I helped Rebecca with picking up the groceries and then she dropped me off at the Yoders' house. I started lunch. Kyle helped me lots so that I even had time to run uptown and finish my souvenir shopping. We ate lunch early, and Loren took me back to the orphanage. I was in a hurry because I was planning to take the girls to Mochiqui to make tortillas. But, alas, the orphanage crew was just sitting down for lunch. So we got a late start despite my efforts. MariCruz was waiting for us and the girls got to work grinding the corn. The day was the hottest one we've had since I've been here. My water bottle was soon gone and we all guzzled the water that Rumaldo offered us (I didn't care at that point how clean or unclean the village water was). The girls had lots of fun making tortillas. We made both flour and corn tortillas... delicious! We took the "short-cut" home which ended with an ungraceful flip under the barbed wire, the grand finale, I guess. Back at the orphanage, my head was pounding. I drank lots of water to cool myself down and felt good enough to help with supper. But partway through supper, my headache flared up again. I realized that this would last awhile and slipped into the bodega to turn on the AC and rest... but I was too late. I was sick... very sick for the next couple of hours.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010.
Contrary to popular belief, "El Cinco de Mayo" is not much of a holiday in Mexico. At least in this part of Mexico. Anyway, my stomach was rolling this morning when I woke up, but most of the dizziness was gone. I had tea for breakfast and tried to go to town with Rosalina for groceries. But the van wouldn't start. Christa offered to take us in the Schwartz van, but that van refused to start too. I started school with Mariela who only wanted to distract herself. I was completely exhausted by the end of our session. After lunch, I did laundry and supervised school. Fortunately, the girls didn't ask too many questions today. I laid down again when they were done with school. I hate being such a wimp, but the weather has gotten the best of me, for sure. Supper was uneventful... except that Cata asked if she could have another tortilla (the limit is two per child). "How many did you have, Cata?" I asked. She gave me a big, guiltless smile as she held up four fingers. Cata and Marcela sat with me during prayer meeting. Cata's mind was on the coke she was going to buy after the service and Marcela couldn't stay awake. When we got home, I hung out with the kids and swung with Veronica until I was sick to my stomach. Roxy lost her rooster somehow. I can't say that I mind. I went up on the bodega roof to pray for the kids.
Thursday, May 6, 2010.
Bad news: Roxy's rooster is found. I suggested putting it in the soup for lunch after it crowed all night. I spoiled Chuy during breakfast by dipping his cornflakes in yogurt. After breakfast, I started wiping tables with a scrubby and realized that as a perfectionist I should never wipe tables with a scrubby. I had to scrub them down until they were white again. But I only got three of them done before I had to move on to other responsibilities. Mariela was excited to learn subtraction today; she thought it was much better than addition. Chuy wasn't hungry for lunch and kept distracting himself and me: "Lookit, Kita! Lookit!" He was set on having a cookie: "Can I? Kita! Have one? Kita! Kita! KI-I-I-ITA!" After cleanup, he asked me for popcorn. I told him we didn't have any. Excited that he knew something that "Kita" didn't, he took off running while grinning back at me over his shoulder. "Look out Chuy!" But too late and he smacked his head on the kitchen table and fell back to smack it again on the tile floor. I held him and expressed my sympathy while wishing I could have caught the hilarious incident on video. During school, Essie and Roxy asked me to stay fifteen more years... or at least until they both are eighteen... which is nowhere close to fifteen years. I took a nap and then made supper. We had a small group tonight since some of the kids were gone for a party in Choix. Rebecca, Cata, and I enjoyed the evening on the swings. Then the Miller family arrived and the noise level became a 10 on a scale of 1 to 10. Everyone was so excited! Then, after a long while, the kids went to bed and we girls sat around in the kitchen and talked.
Friday, May 7, 2010.
Abel's birthday. I handed Abel his birthday card and he thanked me and just held it in his hand until someone showed him that the envelope opened and something was inside. Chuy came to visit me this morning because I had my door propped open. He came running across the bricks hollering "Kita!" before he even saw me. Now there's a boy that can melt my heart. I sprayed him with perfume and he tried out some of my chapstick. He played with my mirror and rolled around on my bed and jabbered. We had a large group of people for breakfast. Afterwards, kids were everywhere... the 15 children of the orphanage combined with the Miller children made quite a group. Rebecca was in charge of making the pizza for lunch and we all tried to help out. I attempted to get the girls to do their corrections too. But everything was just too busy that I finally gave up on corrections and just helped with lunch. After lunch, the kids had music class with Rod up on the hill and I went with them this time. The classroom was very HOT especially with so many children. I came back and crashed in the bodega with the AC (I know, I know! I'm so spoiled!). I went to Mochiqui to visit Ana. I had to holler for a long time before I got anyone's attention. Ana and I talked for awhile and then we both walked over to the orphanage for "power fun night" with all of the church people. We hung out together all night and it was so good... but my Spanish was tired after she left around 10:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 8, 2010.
I leave in two days. Yikes. I'm not sure that I'm ready. I woke up early, not wanting to miss anything of my next few days here. Lenn announced during Saturday school that I was leaving on Monday and Johan was leaving on Wednesday. So after class, Ricardo smothered me with a hug and various other children came up to give me comparatively timid goodbyes. Santos was frustrating me... but there's nothing new there. I almost got picked for volleyball just because I am tall. Although the weather was suffocating, I went uptown to buy a blanket for a souvenir. I felt ridiculous popping into stores asking to see blankets they'd already moved to storage, but fortunately, I found one that I liked before I looked too hard. I bought strawberries and cream to "beat the heat" and sat down in the plazuela to read. Lots of people were out despite the heat. Every time a certain truck circled the plaza, I heard, "Wutzer name?" and "Wutsup, baby?" until they discovered how good I am at ignoring. I visited Marlen and her grandma. Marlen made me eat lunch, claiming that strawberries and cream was not lunch enough. For dessert we ate chile suckers (not my first choice, believe me). Then I used the phone at Rod and Christa's while sipping a much-needed coke. I went to visit my landlady and ended up stopping at a former neighbor's house and Lupita and Vanessa's house as well. When I got back to Yoder's, I sat in front of a fan and read my book. I walked up to the taquería to meet the Millers for supper, but the taquería was closed. I stopped at the store and bought some delicious mangos. The Millers picked me up and we ate at Pollo Mayo. All of the little girls wanted to sit beside me. Finally I said, "I'm not that cool!" and Lenn turned to Carol and said, "She's not that cool!" (Later he reneged, but it was really funny). The food and the company were good.
Sunday, May 9, 2010.
I awoke with the realization that today was my last full day. I think I was in shock for part of the morning because I didn't get anything done before church. Ana sat beside me during the service. I talked with her after church until it was time for her to leave. At lunch back at the orphanage, Chuy made a fine mess of his shirt with his pozole. He kept asking me for another tortilla, "Tilla? Tilla? Kita! Tilla?" The weather was so muggy that I couldn't help but take a nap. I packed and Roxy came in to help me. Lenn helped me figure out my traveling plans. The afternoon schedule was relaxed, but I was so dreading my trip that I couldn't really relax. Maria Inez took lots of pictures for me after supper. I sat and talked with Rhonda for awhile. When the kids got ready to go to bed, so did I. Before they disappeared for the night, a group of girls flocked me in the doorway of the bodega saying that they would tie me in the bodega so I couldn't leave. They gave me giant hugs that almost made me lose my balance and took turns counting to three before shouting together phrases like "¡No te vayas, Salchicha!" (Don't go!).
Monday, May 10, 2010.
I didn't sleep well... of course, I wasn't really expecting to sleep well. I finished packing and some of the kids came in to "help" me. Then they gathered around me again, repeating the phrases from last night with groggy voices and morning breath: "Don't go, Salchicha." "You're to young to leave." etc. I dragged out my goodbyes; I know, I know... that only makes it worse. Everyone gathered around and they had special prayer for me at breakfast. I told the boys goodbye. Then I had to go. Roxy refused to even look at me until I was literally out the door... then she came racing out to give me a hug. Essie and Maria tried to block the gate until Lenn almost ran them over with the van. Then I left... At the Yoders' as I stood out waiting for a bus, a lady pulled up and asked if I was going to Mochis and that she could take me. Wow. So I rode with her all of the way to the bus station. On the way, I got to know her a little better and realized that she's not happy and she's searching for something... for Jesus whether she knows it or not. When I got on my bus to Tucson, someone was sleeping in my seat so I plopped down beside her and suffered the aisle seat all of the way to Hermosillo. I watched the movies, read, and slept. Sound relaxing? It wasn't; not on a bus. I had one scary moment and that was when we reached Hermosillo. The driver told everyone to get off. I was pretty sure that the driver said "fifteen minutes" but when the bus pulled away after about five, I had a moment of panic where I thought I must have misunderstood. But he was only refueling and cleaning the bus.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010.
I{m convinced that I caught the worst timed bus. We reached a checkpoint around midnight. We had to pull everything off of the bus and haul it over to a scanner. The guard opened my suitcase because he thought he saw meat in it (???). He must have been disappointed to not find any. After pawing through everything, he shoved my suitcase aside for me to put everything back together. The same protocol happened when we reached the border. All I wanted to do was sleep. And I was able to doze a little in between the border and Tucson. I was the only one who got off at Tucson. I tried to freshen up in the bathroom, decided I was too tired to care, and went on a search for a taxi. It was 3:00 a.m. The taxi driver took me right to the airport where I had to wait for the airline desks to open before I could check in my luggage. My bag was a few pounds to heavy, but I pulled out my "501 Spanish Verbs" book and everything was okay. I bought myself breakfast and waited for my delayed flight. We left at 7:00 instead of 6:00. I read Dickens and wished I was home instead of facing the second part of my journey. I enjoyed landing in rainy Chicago and passing through layers and layers of rain clouds. Finding the bus shuttle center took almost all of my leftover energy. I was close to tears by the time I finally bought my $1.50 banana to get quarters to call home. Then I waited and waited until the bus came at 3:00 p.m. Chicago was frigid and I was glad I had my blanket. As we drove toward home, I noticed the beautifully green lawns and thought "Wow. They must irrigate!" until I realized that all of the lawns and the countryside were green. Welcome back to IL! Mom picked me up at the bus stop and I totally woke up and talked the entire way home... Yah, so I didn't get much sleep that night.
