Continuing with the June 15, 2013 post.
It amazes me how greatful people are, whether young or old, when they are shown compassion. The people in both villages were happy to have us in their midst and were delighted when we gave them, not only medicine or shoes, socks, or blankets, but a smile or a hug. I think it showed them just how much people do care and that they are not alone in the world.
There was one elderly lady who couldn't talk; had no teeth; and appeared to be a little visually impaired. We washed her feet and gave her new shoes of which she was very greatful. Later in the afternoon, she came back and with a little prodding by Anita, one of the soldiers, she told Anita that she would rather have one of the baby blankets than a new pair or shoes, so we switched the blanket for shoes which made her extremely happy. She lit up and was shaking everyone of our hands, including the soldiers. Later I took a picture of her from a distance, then after we packed up, I went down to the road where she was standing and said, "Une foto?" She said, "Si." She straightened herself up; fixed her black hat and posed for me. When I showed her the photo she smiled and grabbed my shoulder in appreciation. I also, when she was in shoes and socks earlier, gave he a piece of chocolate, which she gladly accepted. One boy, who I will call my lounger, due to the fact that when I was washing his feet he put his hands behind his head and leaned back, smiled brightly when I busted him on the shoe size. He said they were too big, so I got a smaller size, but they were too tight. I said, "Nice try. I think you just like lounging out." Jessi, my translater, told him what I said and his brilliant white smile broadened. Another little girl, I absolutely loved. She was very ticklish and very talkative. I held her in my lap while I washed herr feet. Jose, another translator, told me that she said she really liked me. Getting an abrazo (hug) from her was one of the best parts of my day.
The day was pretty much like that all day. The little smiles or the "thank you for coming's," made the day that much better and rewarding.
When we returned home that evening, the staff had decorated the dining area for Natasha's birthday. We all sang happy birthday to her and then the soldiers and translators sang it to her in Spanish. She turned bright red, but loved every minute of it. Louis, a soldier staying with us, gave her a bracelet which she absolutely loves.
Today, June 16, we went to church, which was a little different than it is in the U.S. or at least the churches I've been to. The music was lively and there was a lot of clapping. The end was a spiritual healing line where Pastor Ramone prayed for them and then those he prayed for fell back. It was interesting, but good.
After church we went for pizza, where I had fruit pizza. It was actually way better than one would expect. I also told Jason, that if he ate fruit pizza I would try guinea pig, so now I'm praying that there won't be any place along our travels where we will have the opportunity to eat the animal on a stick. The resort we went to after pizza was nice. We saw a few different animals and Natasha and Tim went into the pool, but said it was freezing, so Tim went to play futbol Americana (soccer) while Natasha and I took pictures of flowers and buildings, etc. After we were done, we watched the soldiers, who were dressed in their civilian clothes, and team members, including Tim, play soccer. It's amazing how competitive they got, but it was a friendly competition. Poor Pastor Ramone got nailed below the waist when Tim kicked the ball. He fell on the ground in pain. Tim, being a gentleman, helped him up and apologized for hurting him. Pastor Ramone pretty much just laughed it off. The weather got a little cooler than any of us were expecting, so we left early. It turns out that this was a good decision since we need to be at the school at around 7:30 or 8:00 in the morning. We need to fit 158 kids for shoes before school lets out at 1:30. Coming back early also allowed us to visit and play with Alex, Anita, and Lily. Tim and Alex were definitely having fun running around chasing each other or wrapping their arms around each other. Plus they made a boat out of potatoes and Alex and Tim put the salt shaker in the middle of the pile, of which I gently tapped the back of their hands, telling them no. I also got to meet Anita's daughter Viviana. She is just as beautiful and sweet as her mom. It was really nice seeing the soldiers out of their uniforms and with their families. I think it shows just how much people are alike...it's our perceptions or the pictures the media paints of people that make us all seem different. An example would be when Rene was relaying a story of a case she had seen earlier. A little boy had been born with a defect, which made it so his heart could be seen beating outside of his chest. When the little boy would run he would be in pain, so he really couldn't play the way he wanted to. Rene spoke with the Pastor with the hope of trying to find help for the little boy, since he needed surgery in order to survive. At the end of the day, she was informed that the boy would receive the necessary surgery and the family, who could not afford to pay for the surgery, would not suffer any hardship. After she relayed the story, I looked over at Lily, Alex, Oscar, and Victor and say tears either streaming from their eyes or their eyes were glossy from tears that perched along the lower lid threatening to fall. Their hearts were truly touched by her story and it shows that ethnicity, sex and other prejudices or preconceived notions are manmade which means that they do not truly exist, for one can see beyond the man made barriers if they really want to.
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