A Blog Entry In The Making

April 25, 2010

There are what I would call "blog moments" when I encounter something during my day that I know would make a good blog entry, if I could just remember it later on. Today my moment came as I sat with some friends in a little Swiss-El Salvadorean restaurant in the hills outside of San Salvador. We quickly discovered that half of the drinks and dishes on the menu were not available at this time. There was only one flavor of fruit drink, no ice tea, and no pudding. The owner had just given us a speech about how welcome were to be there and that we would enjoy the food and everything. When the waitress walked back to the kitchen just as soon as one of the girls ordered an iced tea, we had a feeling that there would be some "shortages" of options. Sure enough, the waitress had left to confirm that there was no tea. I know that I had a look of "here we go again" on my face because so often this happens in restaurants.

Because there was only whole milk for the hot drinks, I had decided not to order anything so I was not too disappointed with so little being available on the menu but another day I would have been. So much is run differently than in the United States which makes sense because it is a different place with its own culture. I am the one that needs to adapt. Though the food was lacking, the view was not, nor the fresh breeze that flowed through the open air seating areas. It was a welcome change from the humidity and heat of the city. We also got to hear some live music which included mostly songs in English from long ago, "The Piano Man" and "Hotel California" to name a few.

Bubbling with Thankfulness

April 25, 2010

Yesterday the title of this blog most definitely described my sentiments. Today I feel mostly the same except that I am too tired to really know how I feel. It is hard to explain exactly why I am bubbling with thankfulness but I think that it stems from seeing God answer prayers. During my first few months in El Salvador I struggled to meet young people and find people to hang out with. This past week has been quite the opposite and it is such a blessing.

I was first introduced to the young adult group at the Spanish church last Sunday when we went to visit a nearby volcano and now this weekend there have been various get-togethers and excursions. I still have a long way to go in developing strong friendships within the group, but I am thankful that I am moving in the right direction.

Last week I also visited with lots of friends over birthday meals which was fun. In Latin America birthdays are a big deal and you can almost get the day off of work because it is your birthday. I did not quite get that far, but I did go out for lunch. All in all, it has been a good week and I am just very thankful at the moment.

With Gratitude In My Heart

April 18, 2010

I suppose that maybe some day I might catch up on writing down the many things running through my head, but then again maybe not. Life has been pretty busy this past week and then this weekend I needed the time to relax and hang out with people.

As I look back on the past week, I am very thankful for God answering my prayers in two ways. First, my health has been much better, though I still need to figure out what has been wrong. And second, I have met a lot of new people and several of the relationships have potential for deeper friendships. On Friday I had lunch with a girl I know from my church and she mentioned that this Sunday (today) the young adults were going up to a one volcano to walk around. I, naturally, was excited about the opportunity. I went to church last night so when I showed up to meet with everyone, I was ready to be outside. I should have known though that in general in the Latin culture one dresses nicely, even to go on an outing which involves “hiking”. (I put hiking in parenthesis because it is more a of a walk at this particular park and not what I would consider a hike.) I was prepared though in case it rained the whole time because just before we left, the heavens did let loose the rain.

The weather turned out to be fine and I had a good time getting to know some new people. I will probably be switching small groups to join up with the young adult group since I can relate better there than in the small group I am currently in.

One of my projects this weekend (not exactly restful but necessary) was making yogurt yet again. My track record is not turning out to be so good because I think I only am at 50% for having the batch finish without separating. I also let this batch get too hot so I may have killed all of the good bacteria, but hopefully not. I should really try to find a yogurt maker because trying to regulate the temperature of the yogurt using the oven or the stovetop is difficult.

As I look ahead to this coming week, I think it might be the first week with a “normal” schedule once again. Over the last two weeks the Fridays have included activities out of the ordinary such as collecting grades or participating in a school rally (the latter of which was a cultural experience). There has been some culture shock the past few weeks as I have moved into the stage of questioning why some things are done in a way that makes absolutely no sense to me. The good news is that it is a part of the cultural adjustment cycle and I will probably move out of it soon. It will be good to work on getting back into a routine at La Casa de Mi Padre though I know that the unexpected always happens, and that is just how it is.

Since I cannot sleep in no matter how late I go to bed, I sign off now because I need to catch up on sleep and tomorrow is one of my mornings to be in at work early (8:00AM – which really is a normal work hour but for me I more often go in at 10:00AM).

Lesson from the Birds

April 16, 2010

This morning I went with several of the other staff from La Casa de Mi Padre to the school where 26 of the children attend to help go to the classes and collect the grades for each student. I was assigned the four children from Kinder and Pre-Kinder and hence had the quickest assignment of all. After I finished talking to the teachers I walked up to the other part of the school and sat on a bench near the snack shop to wait. While waiting I noticed several large wrens flying from tree to tree in front of me. At one point the three wrens gathered together and sang for a short while.

Shortly thereafter two of the wrens moved to a branch almost directly overhead of where I was sitting. The one wren found a black string that was hanging from the branch and began to pull on it, trying to free it from its entanglement with the branch. Indeed in this particular spot there were several colorful strings twisted around the branch and so it appeared that some little bird had begun to make its nest there but then abandoned the site. I found it amusing watching the wren as it yanked on the string and even hung from it in it's efforts to free it. But the problem was that it was pulling on the end that was already free and was not doing anything about the knot at the other end. Eventually the wren gave up and flew off. As I watched the scene before my eyes I had to think of how many times I probably approach a problem or issue in vain because I try to deal with the easy part or the surface issues. It makes me think of the various readings I have done regarding children and discipline. All too often we try to just deal with the behaviors of the children and do not get to the root of the issue -- the attitudes or the state of the heart. I was reminded this morning that I want to be constantly evaluating my heart to make sure that I am free from entanglement with bad attitudes, sin, or baggage that I do not need to carry. I think of Psalm 139:23-24 and David's prayer: "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."

Tomorrow one of the tias and I will have a group session with the youngest girls and need to somewhat touch on this theme as we look at the enemies within ourselves. We get to use one of my favorite stories from the book, "Tales of the Kingdom" which I am excited about. I pray that we can clearly communicate the applications to them and that they can start to deal with some of the character issues. And of course I never know what God might say to me during the time too and what work He might want to do in me.

Smiles

April 4, 2010

Over the past week of traveling, I have seen a few sights that made me smile. First, there is the beauty of God’s creation which of course I always love to see. But then last week when I was driving from Campamento Manantial de Vida to San Pedro Sula, I noticed alongside the road a sign for a funeral home. It’s name was “Funerales Milagrosos”. Translated to English this means “Miraculous Funerals.” As I read the sign I had to smile and wonder just how the funerals were miraculous. Did the funeral home offer the hope that the person would rise from the dead? To me it seemed a rather ironic name for a funeral home.

My time out at the camp was very short but I had a few hours to reconnect with the staff and see all of the babies and little children who are growing so quickly. Little Lisbeth has become fond of the camera and modeling for it though she needs to work on her style. At one point it looked as if she was poking her eye out instead of posing.

In Honduras I had to smile at the timing of the road reparations. Semana Santa happens to be one of the biggest weeks of the year for travel. Many people go to the beaches or mountains to celebrate vacation time. (Unfortunately the vacation has become more important than the reason for the time off). But last Sunday as I was driving out to camp I discovered that the road crews had chosen these days to work on repairing the roads, closing down one lane. For me there was not much of a backlog but I would imagine that depending on the time of day, people’s travels were delayed.

In Pennsylvania my smiles came from the beauty of spring and from seeing friends and family. My nephew had grown considerably and was adorable, freely giving smiles and kisses. Surprising my parents and sister with my return visit was fun too.

As I return to El Salvador I smile and give thanks because I received another 90 days to be in the country. I smile because I know that God has unexpected things planned for the days and months to come. I smile at the thought of seeing the children again and being a part of their lives. I also rejoice because in my conversation with Evelin this morning while I was still here in Honduras, I learned that she heard God speak to her this week through one of the sermons during the Semana Santa retreat at camp. And with having listened to God again, has come a new desire to pursue Him. Our conversation last Sunday was tough because of the struggles she has been going through but the Lord has given her hope. I smile at what that means for her and for Lisbeth (and really for the others around her because if she is living for Christ, her life is going to be a powerful testimony to those around her).

Yeah for smiles and all praise to our Father who created the smile and the reasons to smile. 

On the Road Again... and This Time on Easter Day

April 4, 2010

Easter Day. I am passing Easter Day in a different way this year as I travel by bus from Honduras to El Salvador. I am hoping that it will be a six hour journey and not seven and a half hours as was the trip to Honduras. In the past week there has been some rain in Honduras and so the mountains seem a little bit greener. Still as I look out over the terrain, it is not one that really speaks of new life as would be most fitting for Easter Day. In PA I saw the new life of spring in the budding trees and emerging flowers. I enjoyed being serenaded by chickadees yesterday morning as I sat for a few moments on the bank behind my parents’ house.

Easter speaks to me of new life because Christ rose from the dead and fulfilled all of the prophecies spoken in the Old Testament of His death and resurrection. He defeated death and brought me new life – as long as I am willing to accept the life He offers. I chose to receive His gift of salvation many years ago as a child, but I am reminded that my journey with Christ does not stop at that moment but rather begins. I just read a friend’s update which spoke of the little “deaths” that we have to experience all through our life – the death of our own hopes and expectations, our plans, and our habits. If any of these things do not line up with God’s own plans and desires, I need to sacrifice them and put first His plans. I am reminded of that even more this weekend as I reflect upon Christ’s sacrifice on the cross for me – taking upon Himself my sins, that I might live in Him. It is with joy and thankfulness that I can proclaim today, “Christ the Lord is risen indeed!”

On My Way Again

April 3, 2010

Here I sit an airport again. Sadly I am no less tired than when I began my travels last week. I do not think that I have ever passed a week so exhausted as this one that just past. I was behind in sleep before traveling and I have yet to catch up. Maybe I can catch up on the next flight – from BWI to Miami. After all I almost fell asleep on a puddle jumper flight from Lancaster. I do not think I ever flew on such a small plane. There were 2 other passengers besides me and then the pilot and co-pilot. I could have taken “first-class” seats which are really the seats just behind the pilot. It was a Cessna 402 plane and so it reminded me of all the missionary stories I have read of flying in and out of the jungle. I would imagine that they used a similar plane.

I was incredibly close to missing my flight in Lancaster because of underestimating the amount of time it would take to get there. Thankfully it is such a small airplane and flight that I probably could have arrived 5 minutes before take off and still made it. (Well, maybe not quite that last minute).

My time in Lancaster was good though short. I went in search of snow yesterday with one of my friends but the rocks at Shenk’s Ferry which had held snow late April probably 7 years ago hid only leaves this year. Nonetheless it was a good walk because of the fellowship and because of the beautiful trillium, Dutchman’s-breeches, Virginia blue-bells, and violets that were blooming. Even in the few days I was present in PA, I noticed more buds, leaves, and flowers appearing on the trees. I was glad to see spring again even though it was not yet in all its glory.

I found myself in at least one moment of culture shock. I had gone to the lab for some tests and I expected to walk in, leave the tests and paperwork, and walk out in five minutes. I also thought the results would be in the next day since that is what I have experienced in Honduras and El Salvador over the last 3 years. But no, the process was much more detailed and complicated and the trip that I thought would last 5 minutes took more like half an hour. When I asked if the results would be ready the next day the nurse said, no in 7-10 days. And so I wait.

The other thoughts that I have floating around somewhere will have to be recorded at a later hour when perhaps I am more awake and not in need of checking my ticket at the counter.

A Catch-Up

March 27, 2010

So I begin to write my long overdue blog entry. I am writing from a bus as I pass through the southern mountains of Honduras. Even now I find myself distracted from completely focusing on writing because of movie that is playing having to do with a coach reforming a basketball team – their record and character.

Much has happened in the last week and a half. We have had many people passing through La casa de Mi Padre in the last few weeks helping in so many different ways. Last week I was a part of translating for the medical team. For me the neatest experience was when we offered a clinic for the community around the farm where La Casa de Mi Padre will eventually be built. The last woman of the day who we helped had many different ailments but what caught our attention most was her sadness. The storm that I had so enjoyed hearing just two nights before ended up soaking she and her son and all of their belongings because they are living in a temporary home covered by plastic laminates. That on top of a robbery and having to move from her previous home had taken its toll on her. We talked and prayed with her afterwards and shared the message of Christ and the cross. In past medical brigades we had worked with a local church so that there could be follow-up but in this case we were not connected to a church and so it follow up is more difficult. I have her number to call and check in but I hope to be able to connect her with someone in her community. A random event from one of the clinics was that a man sat down for treatment in front of me and he was wearing a black t-shirt with gold lettering that said, “SCS.” Those are the colors and initials of my elementary school in Florida. I had to wonder if it was a Sarasota Christian t-shirt that had found its way into his hands – probably through a donation at some point. If so, the world continues to be a small place.

This week a family from Texas brought probably a dozen instruments to share with the children. Many of the teens were especially excited about the guitars and for the rest of the week they could be heard practicing at various moments throughout the afternoon and evening. There was also couple of young ladies from Pittsburgh who shared on the topic of alcohol and drug addiction with the children and did some training with the staff.

I spent two nights at La Casa with the pre-teen girls and because of the early morning wake-up to get ready for school, I find myself very short on sleep. It has been fun getting to know them more. I cannot say that the discipline is fun, but it is important. One of the girls, Gaby, and I made Play-dough for the babies and they had fun touching it. Well, the one did. The other has some sensory issues and so he did not exactly like the texture.

Friday, the day before leaving for Honduras, I found myself both packing for my trip and unpacking from my move to a new apartment. Four medical students will arrive while I am gone to share the apartment with me for a month. It is in an area of the city that is a little safer for walking around and I am looking forward to running at the park just up the road. And because the apartment is on the fifth floor, it has a pretty awesome view of the city. I recognize that it might not be the best place to be during an earthquake, but I will not worry about that till it happens.
(I will have to add photos later because I still have not downloaded them to the computer)

The Quick Review

March 19, 2010

For lack of time, I am going to only make a few comments on this week and save the stories and more in depth thoughts for later. It has been a very different week for me because of my involvement with translating for a medical missions team that is here in El Salvador working in the communities that the children from La Casa de Mi Padre come from. I was a tia for four of the girls on Monday and will be again tonight. Thank goodness that tomorrow is the weekend and they do not have to get up at 3:30AM because I do not think I could handle it. Tomorrow is another Family Visit day so there will be activities until mid-day with the children and families. In a little bit we head to a park to have pizza with the children and the missions team.

This week has been a battle for me as far as sickness but it seems like I might be finally getting better which is exciting. Many of the details for the medical team were a struggle this week because of things getting hung up in the government bureaucracy but in the end we were able to do all that was planned. I am glad to have met a bunch of new people this week from Virginia and PA and to see how God is working here in El Salvador through many hands and hearts. And that is is for the moment as I go get ready for the park.

The Culmination

March 12, 2010

As Friday comes to a close here in El Salvador, it is a week of culmination. We ended the week by taking the children out to the farm (the future site of the Children's Home)and letting them climb on a treehouse that a work team built. The children loved it and seeing them scampering around in the tree, scaling the wall, and running around in the open air was invigorating for me. I love to see children out in God's creation.

On Wednesday I had the opportunity to help the team in construction of the tree house. Basically I used a drill to put in screws for holding down the floorboard and a few other small jobs. I have never seen a treehouse with such a gorgeous view. The farm itself is beautify and I am glad to know about it because I can forsee it being a place for me to retreat and spend time with God. I need moments out in His creation which I cannot find in the city.

The drive to the farm was interesting to say the least. We were one a major six lane highway when all of a sudden our driver pulled to the far right lane, stopped, and began backing up. I was reminded of a car chase I was a part of in Honduras when the drive also went in reverse on a major highway and I was pretty sure we would get hit. This time I was not so concerned because I had already served a trip in reverse back in Honduras. The driver told me that the sigsnthat had just been put on the van had fallen off and he wanted to go back and get it, for fear that he would be reprimanded for losing it. I was the only one who understood Spanish and knew what was going on. I tried to tell him that it would be better to just stop and someone could run back and pick up the sign but he did not seem to understand or think that was the best option. So we kept going in reverse and the guys in the back of the van began to get very concerned, especially as we began to go back around a blind curve and they had visions of us getting bashed from behind. One of the guys, a professional photographer, was quick enough to pull out his camera and begin video taping everything. Finally, out of panic, the guys in the back started yelling to "Go, Go!!" and the driver got the message and we went forward again. I explained that we were more concerned about our lives than the sign and someone saw the sign already in pieces since at least one car had run over it. But the driver, who is knew to the job, was understandably concerned by the sign because where he had previously worked he would have had to pay for the sign, which he probably could not have afforded. We made it safely to the farm but it was an adventure.

Yesterday I had a glimpse into an interesting cultural difference here in El Salvador. I was in a group session with the pre-adolescent girls and the one girl was asking why they needed to shower in the morning because several of her classmates showered at night and not in the morning. The house dad said that it is not good for you and that you will smell all day. I have wondered why some of the girls do not take showers at night so that they do not have to get up at 4:00AM before school. I now know why. I knew that culturally it is looked down upon to leave your house in the morning without first dressing up. To me sleep would be a valid reason to have half of the girls showering at night and half in the morning, but not here. And that is okay, it is just a cultural difference that I need to get use to, especially as I will be staying with those girls for a few nights over the next two weeks. I am not looking forward to 4:00AM mornings though.

The culmination of the week actually means the arrival of a medical missions team and more busyness in the coming week. I was going to move this weekend but I am not sure that the other apartment will be quite ready. Hopefully I can find time in the next week to pack up and move across town. I look forward to having more options in where I can run. This week there have been two teams here at the mission house where I currently am and though it has been fun to be able to play some basketball with people again, I will enjoy a little quiet again. My mind is blank as far as what else I wanted to write about so this is all for now.

March as it Flies By

March 9, 2010

This month seems to be flying by. And it will continue to fly by as a whirlwind of work teams and extra activities outside of the normal daily schedule. This past weekend I stayed overnight at La Casa de Mi Padre once again, this time with the youngest of the girls. I brought the ingredients for making chocolate chip cookies and we had fun in that activity. It was a little crazy at moments trying to give 8 girls the opportunity to all play an active role in the cookie making process. The end product looked good though I sadly could not eat them since I am still trying to go without eating gluten to see if my health improves.

When I returned to my house on Sunday morning after being at La Casa, there were 18 people there -- two different teams. One is from Pittsburgh and the other from State College so I am surrounded by fellow Pennsylvanians. It makes cooking and such a little crazy but it has been okay. I have loved the fact that I had opportunity to play basketball with some of them the last two evenings. Sunday evening we played against a group of El Salvadorians that must play in the park frequently. We lost but it was fun.

Tomorrow I will get to go up to the farm where the children's home will eventually move and help with the construction project of building a tree house. That will be a fun change of pace too. Today there are lots of group therapy sessions and helping with homework. I am planning to make play dough soon as a tool for the two youngest boys to help with their stimulation. One thing that I have discovered is that they seem to lack toys that encourage stimulation and the use of skills or senses.

Sometime I will need to think about packing and moving to a different apartment this coming weekend, but that will probably not happen until Saturday. If I leave work early enough this evening I hope to get to the small group again with the one church and see about building more relationships with the people here.

Like a Child

February 24, 2010

For a few moments today I felt like a little girl again as I skipped down the sidewalk with one of the seven year-old girls to move my car closer to La Casa. We “raced” to the car and she won. I enjoy such moments. Currently I am sitting in the living room of the girl’s home multi-tasking as I watch the El Salvador vs. USA soccer game. It is more fun to watch it amidst the screams of teenagers than alone in a house. I am trying to cheer for El Salvador (who is winning) but I find myself excited when the USA almost scores goals as well. I guess that I am in a good place – no matter who wins I will be happy.

This week I have had the opportunity to go with the staff to pick up the children at their schools and so I have gotten to see more of San Salvador. The children are spread out among at least four schools since some of the students need special attention. Going to the one school which is right near where I live helped me to solve the church mystery. On Sunday morning I ventured out of the confines of my street to run in the direction of a church I had heard and seen the night before. The worship had sounded good and I wanted to see if there was a church within walking distance from where I live. My run did not prove fruitful as far as finding the entrance to the church, but I did enjoy the freedom of running outside of the gates of the fence of the neighborhood park. What I discovered today is that the music I heard came from the church connected with the school and though geographically the church sits just above my street, you actually have to wind around to a street that I would not feel comfortable walking on to get to the entrance. At least I solved my mystery and I may just have to drive there to visit the church services.

I have also had time this week to dedicate more energy to the youngest boys who are both about 15 months old. I want to work with the tías to help them with the goals that they have for stimulating the boys’ development and see what resources I can find to help them out. As I continue reading the book Boundaries by Dr. Henry Cloud and John Townsend (in Spanish), I am both learning about the different ages and what the boundaries should look like. I think that I may try to put together a presentation of some of the ideas for a childcare training (every Friday morning we have one with all of the childcare staff). I had been sharing some of the information with the tías of the youngest boys and girls this morning and they were very interested. The book is also challenging me personally and I wonder why I never got around to reading it before.

Finding a Routine

February 22, 2010

I suppose it could be said that I am finding my routine here in El Salvador though in reality spendng a couple of nights at the home with the girls has kept me from getting to accustomed to a set schedule. Last week went well overall though I have been battling not feeling the greatest and the return of headaches. I am not sure it comes from dehydration, a change in diet, or migraines. At any rate that part of the week was not so fun. Because I am experimenting with a gluten free diet for a little while, I am back to preparing lots of food and finding new ways to make the foods I love. Pizza is still on the to-do list.

Monday I was able to go on another family visit to a huge coffee plantation where the mother of one of the girls works and lives. We took my car and it made it there though it was eating coolant since the radiator was leaking. The road to get to the plantation was a bit unnerving as one of the staff told the driver to go quickly because it was a street controlled by gangs. We got in and out without problem, but it does put one a bit on the edge.

When I spent the night with the four younger girls on Thursday night, I got to see first hand the getting ready for school routine. I cannot remember what time I had to get up to catch the bus back in elementary school but here they have to be at school at 7:00AM and since there are about 15 girls for 3 bathrooms, the first girls get up at 4:00AM. My girls, who range from 8-10 in age, got up beginning at 5:00AM which still seemed way too early. Unfortunately I made the mistake of getting the slowest girl up last and so she missed breakfast since the van was leaving early and she was just getting out the door. It was a good learning experience for me.

On Saturday we had another family visit day at La Casa de Mi Padre but this time I was not as involved with the program. I took three of the boys who did not have family coming to help me get copies for a house key for one of the families. The original plan was that they were to come along to "protect" me but really just give them a chance to get out. In keeping with the way errands often go, our first two stops at hardware stores were unsuccessful because their machine was broken or no longer there. Thankfully one of the boys remembered where he had gone with one of the house dads for a key in the past and in his few words and with the help of one of the other boys, we ended up at a place where they did indeed copy keys -- all of the time. The rest of the morning I spent sorting through clothes that had been donated to La Casa but did not fit the children. The plan was for the families to take some home.

I have decided that I will be checking out some other churches over the next few weeks, because although the preaching is really good where I have been going, actually meeting people has been difficult. Yesterday I planned to introduce myself to the people beside me but as soon as the service was over, they were out the door. I will try the small group again this week and see how that goes but I do want to look around. Otherwise the week seems as if it will be pretty normal and I am looking forward to having my first full weekend off.

Dia de Amistad

February 14, 2010

Here in Latin America Valentine's Day is often called "Day of Friendship" (if literally translated). Sometimes they will tack on "And of love." My day began with getting the 4 young girls ready for church but then I left them in the care of other staff while I headed to the English-speaking church in San Salvador.

After church one of the guests at the mission house, Kim, and I drove up to Volcano Bouquern which is about 30 minutes outside of the city. It was a beautiful drive but in keeping with tradition, I did not really know where I was going and so I drove past the turn off for the volcano. It was not far though and we got to see the other side of the mountain range. The hike at the volcano was very short but we wound about through the gardens and made it as long as possible. I was ecstatic to find Forget-Me-Not flowers -- one of my favorites.

Just below the little park there were lots of vendors with drinks, souvenirs, flowers and produce. I bought some berries (similar to raspberries) and also a cluster of Calla lilies. In the US Calla lilies are very expensive, but here for a dollar you would leave with a whole cluster.

From the park we drove back the way that we had come (when we first missed the park) and visited a cafe that boasted coffee which had been shade-grown near there. It was a neat spot, though a little too crowded. As we were leaving there was live music beginning.

On the drive back to the mission house, I was determined to find a new way home and since it was still daylight, it seemed safe enough to do. Much to my dismay though I ended up in the town of Santa Tecla which has haunted me since my first day here. The traffic was about as bad as it had been that day (that was the day when my friends and I got lost there as we tried to find a place to eat dinner). Since that day I have discovered nearly all roads lead to Santa Tecla. Amazingly I did come out where I had hoped to and would have probably made it to the house by a completely different route had I not decided to follow the instructions of a security guard at the grocery store who directed me by a road that I was not sure was right, but I followed anyway. We could have gotten completely lost but thankfully the road did come out near where I work. At any rate I am excited to have some new options now for travel around San Salvador.

On a side note, I have been enjoying seeing once again what a small world it is. Kim is from Catonsville, just outside of Baltimore, and the first day that she arrived we discovered that she had been to Black Rock Retreat for Outdoor Education with her Christian school, many years ago (before my time there). But then it also turns out that she goes to a church which has a school who still goes to Black Rock and I know several of the teachers. I love making random connections halfway around the world.

The Live-In Aunt Experience

February 14, 2010

Yesterday I saw a whole new side of the work at La Casa de Mi Padre as I had the experience of staying at the girls overnight to watch four of the younger girls. When I arrived Saturday morning the girls were excited to have me there -- their new "Tia." I quickly pulled out my Dutch Blitz cards and taught them a modified version since I felt like at their age all of the rules might be too much. After about an hour and a half (a long time for 7-10 year olds) they had had enough and moved to watching television -- something that they are only allowed to do on weekends.

I was amused by one of slightly older girls who had taken it upon herself to kill a cockroach that was hiding amongst some t-shirts that had been donated to the home. She would lift each one up with the small, plastic baseball bat and say (in Spanish of course), "No cockroach, no cockroach" until she would find it, at which point she would begin to attack it (or the box) with the bat. Several other girls tried to help with smaller weapons but they were not nearly so dramatic.

After lunch I went with two of my girls and quite a few other children to a nearby recreational complex where a couple of people from the community had volunteered to give them some training in soccer. It was fun to watch the young girls learning the ball handling skills and laughing in the process.

The rest of the afternoon was spent watching television, which of course I hate. I worked on somethings that I have been doing and did a little reading. I decided that the next time I am at the home for a weekend, I need to go prepared with more alternative activities available rather than just watching television. Pretzel-making or something in the kitchen would be fun, except that I had the joy of seeing my first El Salvadorean rat there, scurrying under the stove. I was not so excited about the kitchen after that.

Overall the girls behaved pretty well but I did have opportunity to practice the behavior consequence model that is used for discipline because the one little girl was being disobedient and stirring up dissention. I will be with the girls again this coming Thursday so I will get to be part of the weekly school routine. I know that it will be a very early morning since the one bathroom is for 7 girls who all have to shower before school. (And I think that they leave for school around 7:00AM) I am glad that my experience here at La Casa de Mi Padre will be well-rounded when it is all said and done and that I can meet some of the needs that they have, especially during this time when so many of the aunts are doing their vacation in rotation.

Earlier in the week I had the opportunity to do a team building activity with the girls that involved one girl being blind folded and having to listen to the instructions of the "lighthouse" instead of those of the talking rocks who tried to get the "boat" to hit the obstacles. In the debrief after the activity is was so exciting to see the light bulb come on for a couple of them as they saw played out before them the input that they had received in counseling sessions regarding obstacles in their path and how to avoid them. They were quick to recognize that Jesus needs to be the "lighthouse" in our lives. The connections that they made seemed to go much deeper than those of the older boys, just 2 days beforehand.

Immersion

February 11, 2010

I feel like this week is definitely immersing me in the life and work at La Casa de Mi Padre. Two mornings this week I went out to communities where several of the children's families live to help with the pre-planning for a medical missions team in March. This week I also got to be more involved in one of the group sessions by leading a team building activity. Yesterday I was in charge of a homework group and had the one boy very much testing the limits as I tried to figure out how the groups are run. Once again I found myself helping someone sound words out but it went much better for the 6 year old than it had for the grandmother on Saturday. I found that I had a lot more patience with the little girl too. This Saturday evening I will be taking on the role of a "tia" or aunt and spending the night at the home with four of the younger girls. A lot of the "tios" are on vacation right now and so they are short staffed. I think I will learn a lot by spending the night at the home because I will see how things go round the clock.

The heat and long hours have tired me out by this point in the week and so having a short weekend could be challenging. On Tuesday evening I made it to a small group from the Spanish church that I have gone to twice. It was okay but the guest speaker talked too much and getting home at 10:00PM after being in Spanish all day was too much. I will probably try the group another week after this particular speaker is not there anymore.

And so ends my brief (for me) update on the week.

The First Week

February 8, 2010

I am now in my second Monday here in El Salvador and though things have been going well, it is hard to hear that in PA yet another snowstorm is on the way and I am missing it. I know that is what I have chosen by living in Central America, but I still miss the joy of the snowfalls and trying to make everyone else smile about the snow even though they "hate" it.

In looking back at last week, my first full week in El Salvador and first week in the Children's home, I would summarize it by saying "A Slow Unfolding." Due to the craziness of life in the home at times (after all 35 children living in one spot will create some surprises), the planned schedule often does not happen as expected. I got to meet the staff and hear about their roles and for some, what brought them to the children's home. There are 2 sets of house parents -- one for the girl's house and the other for the boy's house. Then within each home there are also "tios" or "aunts and uncles" who are in charge of different age groups. It was with two of the tias that I shared coffee one afternoon and heard a bit of their story and how God had led them to La Casa de Mi Padre.

There were various moments when Patty, the psychologist who I am working most closely with, had meetings and so I took the opportunity to spend with the children as they played in the hour or so after finishing their homework. They range in age from 15 months to 20 years old. Tuesday through Friday of each week each tio and the house parents meet with their respective group of children to discuss behavior and other pertinant issues. I was a part of these group sessions and will continue to be with them in the months to come. At some point I will have opportunity to share activities with them that can compliment what is being taught. It will be good to put my camp ministry skills to work. (Actually today I was called upon to figure out the new dog harness since I am into camping. No matter that I am not into dogs all that much. I do not equate camping and dogs as one and the same love, especially big dogs). At this point I am still in the observation process, trying to understand the program, the treatment, and the philosophy. Much training and time is invested in equipping the childcare staff which I see as a very positive thing and I am looking forward to being involved in those events.

It only took the first week to realize that there will be hard days when I will feel the burden of the pain and the wounds that the children are dealing with. As the ministry discovered back when they first began working with the children, just loving them was not enough. They needed to address the hurts and provide a program that would help to bring healing and introduce them to the Healer Himself, Christ Jesus. I, like the children, must leave the pain that I encounter as I get know the children at the feet of Jesus and look to Him for the strength and the words to touch their lives. On my own I am incapable of making any lasting changes in their lives. Only Christ can bring change, but hopefully He can work through me to be His hands and feet.

When You Cannot Turn Left...

February 7, 2010

Who ever knew that turning left was so important? Being left-handed, I do know the importance of "left" but today I realized anew just how complicated life (particularly driving) is when no left turns are allowed. I was planning to visit an English-speaking church this morning in an effort to meet new people and so I set out with over 30 minutes to find my there. I figured that really it should only take me about 10-15 minutes to get there but I also knew that I would not end up taking the most direct route. How very true!

One of the challenges with driving in San Salvador is that on many of the roads there are no left turns. And when you try to take the next right and go around the block, one often discovers that it was not really a block and you do not end up where planned. Such was my experience this morning. It also does not help when you are driving and need to read the map at the same time. I knew more or less where the church was but I could not turn left to get there and I found myself farther and farther away. I discovered too that not all of the road names match up with the map and so I passed the road I wanted because it had a different name. I planned the time well though because I arrived at the church with a few minutes to spare. But when I asked the guard where I should park he said that everyone was headed to the beach for a baptism. I was in black dress pants and sandals -- not at all beach attire, and so I decided to save the visit for another day and drove to the church I had visited last week. Sadly, as I left the English church I realized that even with knowing its exact location, I may not be able to return there on a direct route because I do not yet know the secrets of where I can turn left.

And with that I conclude this post and the day. I am putting off a more informative post of this past week until another day because it has gotten too late (and not because I was watching the Superbowl).