Just as I was lying down to go to sleep I heard that horrible sound again. Crackling. I have come to dread it. The mountain across the street is on fire again.
This has been a super great week, but the past few hours have not gone as planned. I got all of my errands done this afternoon - grocery shopping, oil change, dropped off money I owed for my hair cut yesterday. Came home looking forward to a grilled cheese sandwich. Hurried to get a load of laundry in the wash while there was still time for it to dry in the sun. But then the power went out. The laundry was part way through the wash cycle and my stove is electric so I had a change of plans.
Actually all of this day has been about changing plans. Belinda sent me a text at 7 a.m. asking me to pick her up an hour later. Then I got to her house and was told she was not there, that I should go to her son's school. We planned to get to the church at 9, but it was 10:15 by the time we got there.
I gave Wendi a present. She is a 17 year old girl who has been coming to the Breakfast Program with her daughter every day since about January. Today is her daughter's first birthday. Originally I thought of doing something for the baby, but really it is Wendi who goes without. Her daughter is always dressed nicely and well cared for. I decided to give Wendi a present. I told her that since Breydi is only one year old, Breydi doesn't know it's her birthday, but I wanted to celebrate Wendi and what a great mother she is. She is a good Mom. She gets Breydi's food and feeds Breydi before she even gets a plate for herself. She is patient and attentive. I gave her a necklace and earrings that I won as a door prize at a conference. She seemed to understand that I wanted to honor her for being such a great mother.
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| Breydi |
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| Wendi and Breydi |
After that I was kind of an errand person. I guess that what happens when you have a car. I had to go to the drug store, then back to get gas for the stove. It felt like I didn't spend much time with the kids. I had to yell at them for the first time today. Belinda laughed at me for feeling bad about raising my voice. She said with all they face, you yelling at them is not hard for them. But my thought is that with all they face they shouldn't have to hear anyone yell at them.
I did have to yell though. I did it purposefully, and not in anger. As I pulled into the church about five of the little ones ran right in front of my car! Jairo made a rule that everyone goes into the church when a car pulls in. The kids always follow that rule. I was shocked they ran in front of my car. I laid on the horn, then pulled the car over and purposefully raised my voice and told them this is not acceptable behavior and is dangerous. They know better and they should never, never, run in front of any car. They stood perfectly still and listened. When I got out of the car they came over and hugged me, so they knew where I was coming from. It was hard to yell at them.
After everyone was fed and gone, Belinda, some of the jovenes and I made gift boxes for the jovenes to take to cancer patients in the hospital tomorrow. One of the jovenes is going to school but he sometimes doesn't have enough money for the bus. After much discussion with Don Juan and Eunice, we decided that I would ask him if I could pay him to wash my car. It was covered in ash from the fire yesterday. Don Juan thought someone should wash my car for free. I said I wanted to help the boy and it was a good way for him to get money in his pocket without it seeming like a handout. Eunice agreed with me.
Eunice's daughter was assaulted this afternoon in a collectivo (shared taxi cab), like Chema a few weeks ago. The weapon was very creative - a blood pressure cuff and stethoscope. He wrapped the stethoscope around her neck and took everything she had - her phone, some money, and even her lunch. The taxi driver was kind enough to offer her the money to take a bus home. Eunice handled it well. She said her daughter was very calm too. I think I was more freaked out than they were.
Finally I headed out to do my errands. At the grocery store I let the man behind me go ahead of me at the cash register because I had a full cart and he only had a couple things. We chatted a little bit, which paid off later because the guy who had been trying to sell me windshield wipers in the parking lot when I went into the store had found two more buddies. All of them were surrounding my car, pestering me as I put the groceries inside. I didn't realize it, but the man I had spoken to in the store was parked next to me. He waited until I was safe in my car. Then he beeped and waved good bye. He must have seen the guys bothering me and waited to be sure I was okay. Once again, I had to speak more firmly than I like to. Those guys would not leave me alone until I was almost rude. That is part of life in a big city though. It could have been Chicago. Only I would have been speaking firmly in English instead of Spanish.
Eunice and I had a good laugh today. She was talking to Don Juan, saying how much my Spanish has improved. She said (in Spanish), "She talks a lot!" I laughed and told her she is right, I do talk a lot in English and in Spanish. She said No! No! She meant that I am speaking really well in Spanish. I knew what she was saying, but it was fun to tease her.
My landlord is still outside taking care of the property at 11 p.m. The fire across the street is still burning. I'm glad my house is cement.
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| Lupe and Milagro |
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| Jose |
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| This is how you play "Police" in Honduras |
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| Jarvin |
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| Memo praying |
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| Legos |
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| Memo |
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| Violet |
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| Mainor tried out a new hairstyle |
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| Samuel |
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| Bible Study |
