So I woke up this morning forgetting it was Sunday. I got ready for the day and around 10:50 I realized I had church this morning. I walked over to Phil and Alison’s only to find out that they were not there. I didn’t know what to do because Alison has been so busy with the two men’s groups from California she forgot to tell me. I walked over to the orphanage hoping to find Dori and of course she was not there either. I asked one of the workers where everyone was and she told me they were all at church. I remembered Alison had told me church started sometime around 11 so I realized everyone had already left for church without me. With all my luck the one lady still at the orphanage did not know a single word in English so I was struggling really bad trying to figure out what time it started and how to get there. I decided I was just going to wing it because el Porvenir isn’t too big so it shouldn’t be too hard. I made it there without getting lost and for those of you who know me really well that is a big deal. Church was good even though I only knew half the things that he was saying. I feel like everyone who speaks Spanish talks twice as fast as those who speak English and it absolutely amazes me. Even though service is longer than it is in America it goes by so fast because it is so interesting to me trying to figure out what the pastor is saying. After church instead of crowding in the van full of kids I volunteered to just walk back so I got my 2 miles in for the day.
The orphanage was great today. The last group from California came to say bye to the kids so I got to meet some more people. It turns out one of the men graduated from Johnson so that was really cool. Another guy talked to me for awhile he seemed very interested in why I was here haha. He kept asking me questions like why I wanted to work here for the summer and what am I wanting to get out of it. After that conversation he told me that he would love to have a daughter like me and that my parents must be so proud. I just kind of stared at him not really knowing how to respond. He said that he was coming back at the end of the summer to do some more work and would love to talk to me about my time here. I guess it never really occurred to me that for some people leaving their home for the summer to do God’s work is a big deal. To me it’s an amazing opportunity and I only wish I could do more. I guess that’s where our different passions come into play. After the men left we went outside to play. I played futbol with one of the boys for like an hour and a half then I taught gymnastics for the first time today. The little kids were in awe and said they have never seen anything like it. They kept asking me to do another flip so by the time it was time to go inside I was dead tired. The lady I usually help bathe the kids with wasn’t here today (it was her day off) so I was helping another lady. She did things differently so we both kind of got confused. We finally got in routine together and by the time we were giving the last baby a bath one of the babies crawled in screaming with a bleeding head. One of the kids hit him with a rattle and busted his head open so that caused a big panic. After we got that all figured out we cleaned up the rest of the kids then fed them all dinner. Today went by really fast so I am exhausted and ready for tomorrow. And oh yeah I came in tonight and got my new camera out only to find that the lens got cracked on the plane. I am supposed to start my photography projects tomorrow but it looks like that is going to have to be put on hold till I send it in to get fixed. I was so mad and frustrated because that is my baby and now it’s broken ughhh.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Sunday, May 30, 2010
5-29-10
Today started just as yesterday did with my shift starting at noon. When I got to the orphanage I could tell just by walking in that it was going to be a crazy day but I was ready and excited to learn more. The workers from California were working at the orphanage so we had to stay in the rooms until they were done painting. I now know why they let the kids run around all day because when you keep 14 little kids under the age of 5 in a room it is not the funnest thing. It was so loud and I constantly had to pull kids back into the room and make sure they didn’t escape out the back door. We were finally allowed outside and it was such a relief. They workers decided to take a break and play with the kids so we got a game of futbol going. All the workers at Niño’s are Mexican and know very little English so having all the Americanos trying to talk to the kids must be so funny to watch. I met some of the workers and talked to them for awhile after the futbol game. I found out that they come to el Porvenir quite a bit to work on building projects. Their church is very missions oriented and I love that. A couple of the guys kept asking me to translate what the kids were saying to them but not only can I not fully understand Spanish lets add in the little mumbled words that come out of their mouths and then try to translate it ha ha. Sometimes I would just make up something because it was easier than anything else.
Later on a group of men from the nearby college showed up to play with the kids. These men are engineers and have to do community service so they come to Niño’s. They brought goals for the kids and the older boys were so happy. Ten minutes later a group from a nearby church showed up to play with the kids. I had no clue what was going on and luckily Alison was there so I asked her why all the people were coming. She said that a group from a nearby church just showed up wanting to love on the kids. It was such an amazing thing to watch. There were so many adults that all the children had one on one time. Alison said that this is something new. Most of the time it is the Americans that come and show love to them and bring them gifts but now the Mexican community is starting to take charge and show love to THEIR kids. They brought them cookies and fruit and hung out with them all day. It was a little intimidating for me so I just took care of the babies and stayed out of their way. Having the groups play with the kids all day kind of put us behind schedule so I went and helped give baths. It was pretty much an assembly line me and Sabrina had the babies in the bathroom and I would undress them hand them to her she would wash them then hand me the baby back then I would dress the poor screaming babies. It you ever want to feel like the worst person in the world try giving 8 babies a bath and having half of them scream and cry at you. After we finally got them all dressed and ready for bed we fed them dinner and I was off after a long hot day.
On a more personal note being in this house by myself has really been beneficial for me. Having no internet or phone has really challenged me to read and dig more through some passages. I started reading through Philippians a couple days ago and I read back over Philippians 2 which talks about Imitating Christ’s Humility and it is just so amazing to me on how the workers here at Niño’s really live by Philippians 2. It talks about shining as stars for it is God who works in us for his will and for us to act according to his good purpose. As Christians we are called to do what satisfies Him and this summer I really just want to focus on what I can do to satisfy Him and fulfill His plan and purpose for me.
Later on a group of men from the nearby college showed up to play with the kids. These men are engineers and have to do community service so they come to Niño’s. They brought goals for the kids and the older boys were so happy. Ten minutes later a group from a nearby church showed up to play with the kids. I had no clue what was going on and luckily Alison was there so I asked her why all the people were coming. She said that a group from a nearby church just showed up wanting to love on the kids. It was such an amazing thing to watch. There were so many adults that all the children had one on one time. Alison said that this is something new. Most of the time it is the Americans that come and show love to them and bring them gifts but now the Mexican community is starting to take charge and show love to THEIR kids. They brought them cookies and fruit and hung out with them all day. It was a little intimidating for me so I just took care of the babies and stayed out of their way. Having the groups play with the kids all day kind of put us behind schedule so I went and helped give baths. It was pretty much an assembly line me and Sabrina had the babies in the bathroom and I would undress them hand them to her she would wash them then hand me the baby back then I would dress the poor screaming babies. It you ever want to feel like the worst person in the world try giving 8 babies a bath and having half of them scream and cry at you. After we finally got them all dressed and ready for bed we fed them dinner and I was off after a long hot day.
On a more personal note being in this house by myself has really been beneficial for me. Having no internet or phone has really challenged me to read and dig more through some passages. I started reading through Philippians a couple days ago and I read back over Philippians 2 which talks about Imitating Christ’s Humility and it is just so amazing to me on how the workers here at Niño’s really live by Philippians 2. It talks about shining as stars for it is God who works in us for his will and for us to act according to his good purpose. As Christians we are called to do what satisfies Him and this summer I really just want to focus on what I can do to satisfy Him and fulfill His plan and purpose for me.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
5-28-10
I finally slept in this morning and it was amazing. My day started at noon when my shift started at the orphanage. The kids all greeted me when I walked in and I love it because they don’t pronounce my name like in America, here is D Aña. While we ate lunch I sat with the older boys (ages 6-8) and we tried talking and it was so funny. They are so patient though and correct me often. After lunch we couldn’t go outside because they had the sprinklers running so we watched a movie. The kids picked Cinderella and it was really weird because it was English so really the kids had no clue what they were listening to at all. After the movie the College students from the Ventana ministry came and brought cupcakes for all the kids and stayed and played with them. This is their last week here in el Porvenir before going back home so it was their time to say goodbye to the kids.
A group of men came today for the weekend from California to help fix things in the orphanage and the community. Today they were working on the screened in porch at the orphanage and of course all the kids wanted to know what these men were doing so they kept getting in their way so it was my job to make sure they stayed away. I sure got my workout for the day but it was really funny because I was talking to one of the boys in Spanish telling him to stay away from the tools and not to bug the men and then I apologized to the men for something a little boy did and he looked at me and said “wow I am really impressed, you speak English very well.” I looked at him and I was very confused so I said “what did you say?” He said “where did you learn such good English?” and I just laughed not believing what I was hearing and I said “well considering I have only been in Mexico 3 days I am pretty sure I learned my English in the United States.” Everyone just laughed. The funny thing is that he thought I was fluent in Spanish which makes me feel better but I know I am the farthest thing from it. So yeah that was my day nothing to special but I feel like I am learning so much as each day goes by.
A group of men came today for the weekend from California to help fix things in the orphanage and the community. Today they were working on the screened in porch at the orphanage and of course all the kids wanted to know what these men were doing so they kept getting in their way so it was my job to make sure they stayed away. I sure got my workout for the day but it was really funny because I was talking to one of the boys in Spanish telling him to stay away from the tools and not to bug the men and then I apologized to the men for something a little boy did and he looked at me and said “wow I am really impressed, you speak English very well.” I looked at him and I was very confused so I said “what did you say?” He said “where did you learn such good English?” and I just laughed not believing what I was hearing and I said “well considering I have only been in Mexico 3 days I am pretty sure I learned my English in the United States.” Everyone just laughed. The funny thing is that he thought I was fluent in Spanish which makes me feel better but I know I am the farthest thing from it. So yeah that was my day nothing to special but I feel like I am learning so much as each day goes by.
Friday, May 28, 2010
5-27-10
So for some reason I can’t sleep in past 8am which is totally unlike me but I guess with the time change my body is still getting use to it all. Well anyway I got up and lucky for me Phil was going into Ensenada (which is the big city near el Porvenir) to do some shopping. Since my shift doesn’t start until noon he asked me to come along to see the city. The first place we went was the bank so he could take care of the pay roll for the orphanage and the daycare. We then ran a couple of more errands and then he took me on a tour of the city. Ensenada is so beautiful and I can’t wait till the other interns come down so we can go explore more in Ensenada.
I learned a lot about ninos de baja and Phil and Allison. The drive was about 45 minutes so I asked him what made them start the orphanage. The Drains (Phil and Allison) lived north of Los Angeles before coming to el Porvenir. Phil was a contractor and Allison was a kindergarten teacher then a principle. Phil took some trips down to Mexico to build houses for people involved with a ministry. The Drains then became involved with the previous orphanage in el porvenir. To make a long story short they decided after their last son graduates from college they were going to sell their house and go into the mission field. Allison graduated with a degree in Spanish so they decided to go somewhere where she could use that. They ended up in el Porvenir and have been serving at Ninos for five years now. They started this ministry with only one house and it has grown so much. Their property consists of a daycare, an orphanage, 2 guests house, an intern house and other houses that people in the community live in. They are currently working on other projects and are hoping to expand this summer when all the churches come down to help.
After I got back from Ensenada I went to work my shift in the orphanage. My shift is 12-7 and during this time I help feed them lunch, play with them outside, bathe them, and then feed them dinner. My shift is what Allison calls the crazy shift ha ha. The kids are anywhere from 1 to 8 years old and they don’t take naps so by the time 4 o clock rolls around the kids are very whiny and crazy and there is nothing you can do to stop them. The kids are very patient with me since my Spanish isn’t very good and so that is a big help. Today I drew pictures with one of the kids his name is Brandon. It was so funny the way we were communicating together if I didn’t understand something he would make noises or try to describe it using other words and it was so cool to me how language was not an obstacle.
After my shift at Ninos I went to my first official Mexican soccer practice. I went with Kari (the director of the Ventana ministry) to the practice. It was so great getting to know her and she is an amazing woman with such a big heart. Practice was very interesting; we play on a concrete indoor/outdoor court. They call it the indoor court but it has no roof so to me it is an outdoor court. Those girls were kicking my butt haha because I have never really played on an indoor court and they know exactly where to kick it on the wall to get it perfectly where they want it. To me soccer is all about controlling the ball and passing but here it is all about speed and kicking it off the walls. So it is definitely going to take a little getting used to on my part. So yeah that was my wonderful busy day 3 in el Porvenir and now I’m sitting in my big house all by myself so I creeped over to the Drains house to get a movie so it wouldn’t feel like I was all alone here haha I am such a baby but really I can’t wait till the other interns get here so I won’t have to sleep out here all alone.
I learned a lot about ninos de baja and Phil and Allison. The drive was about 45 minutes so I asked him what made them start the orphanage. The Drains (Phil and Allison) lived north of Los Angeles before coming to el Porvenir. Phil was a contractor and Allison was a kindergarten teacher then a principle. Phil took some trips down to Mexico to build houses for people involved with a ministry. The Drains then became involved with the previous orphanage in el porvenir. To make a long story short they decided after their last son graduates from college they were going to sell their house and go into the mission field. Allison graduated with a degree in Spanish so they decided to go somewhere where she could use that. They ended up in el Porvenir and have been serving at Ninos for five years now. They started this ministry with only one house and it has grown so much. Their property consists of a daycare, an orphanage, 2 guests house, an intern house and other houses that people in the community live in. They are currently working on other projects and are hoping to expand this summer when all the churches come down to help.
After I got back from Ensenada I went to work my shift in the orphanage. My shift is 12-7 and during this time I help feed them lunch, play with them outside, bathe them, and then feed them dinner. My shift is what Allison calls the crazy shift ha ha. The kids are anywhere from 1 to 8 years old and they don’t take naps so by the time 4 o clock rolls around the kids are very whiny and crazy and there is nothing you can do to stop them. The kids are very patient with me since my Spanish isn’t very good and so that is a big help. Today I drew pictures with one of the kids his name is Brandon. It was so funny the way we were communicating together if I didn’t understand something he would make noises or try to describe it using other words and it was so cool to me how language was not an obstacle.
After my shift at Ninos I went to my first official Mexican soccer practice. I went with Kari (the director of the Ventana ministry) to the practice. It was so great getting to know her and she is an amazing woman with such a big heart. Practice was very interesting; we play on a concrete indoor/outdoor court. They call it the indoor court but it has no roof so to me it is an outdoor court. Those girls were kicking my butt haha because I have never really played on an indoor court and they know exactly where to kick it on the wall to get it perfectly where they want it. To me soccer is all about controlling the ball and passing but here it is all about speed and kicking it off the walls. So it is definitely going to take a little getting used to on my part. So yeah that was my wonderful busy day 3 in el Porvenir and now I’m sitting in my big house all by myself so I creeped over to the Drains house to get a movie so it wouldn’t feel like I was all alone here haha I am such a baby but really I can’t wait till the other interns get here so I won’t have to sleep out here all alone.
5-26-10
So today was my first full day in El Pervenir. After breakfast Alison took me on a tour of the town (which didn’t take too long considering it was only 10 blocks). El Porvenir is a pretty low income town, the roads are all dirt and a lot of the houses aren’t finished. Something that was really interesting was that vineyards are a very popular thing here so the whole town is surrounded by them. The town is surrounded by mountains so the view is just absolutely amazing and to me really shows how creative and amazing God is. After the tour I went and ate lunch with all the kids at the orphanage then played with them till about 6. I made a lot of little buddies at the orphanage and there was one little boy in particular that would cling to me and not want to be put down, the cool thing about him was that he has been here for a year but yet Alison (the director) has never been able to hold him. I played soccer with one of the little boys and then did gymnastics with them. When it was time for all the kids to go in for their baths I took advantage of that time to come back to my house and take a nap because I have had a huge headache for the past couple days and I was hoping I could sleep it off but right when I was about to sleep Dori (one of the full time Intern/staff) came to my door asking me if I wanted to go to church with her so I took advantage of that opportunity so I could get out and meet more of the people in the community.
Dori doesn’t have a car so we walked to church so I really got to know her and she is an amazing girl. Dori came to el Porvenir when she was 14 on a church mission trip and felt like God was calling her to come back and serve in el Porvenir. She went to a Christian college and graduated with her missions degree and came here as an intern and well she just never left so she is slowly growing out of the name intern since she has been here for 3 years. Dori does all her work here for free, she has no one supporting her and she is not a paid staff member. Her meals are provided at the orphanage and her trailer she lives in is provided for her too but other than that she is on her own. I asked her where she gets her money and she said God provides whenever I am in need of money. Dori is 25 but she seems like she is 40. She has truly opened my eyes on being a servant of God and fully depending on Him for everything.
We finally made it to church and it was really cool. Of course everything was in Spanish but it was like a game for me on trying to figure out the message. Church services here are much longer than the ones back home. Tonights service was about 2 ½ hours but it went by really fast. After service we were invited to go hang out at with a bunch of the kids from a nearby ministry call Ventana. This ministry is ran by a couple and their kids from California. They house kids from all over the U.S. for 9 months out of the year that just graduated from high school and it is kind of like a 9 month long missions class. They take little trips to different parts of Mexico and help out the community and while they stay here they work in the community and take classes on missions and the basics of life. This is a really cool ministry and the kids that I met tonight were awesome. We made fudge (which Mexicans don’t know what fudge is) and played cards so that was really cool.
For me personally this whole trip has been testing me in so many ways already I can’t even think about how much different things will be at the end of my journey. I came here hoping to get my life figured out on what God wants me to do with the rest of my life. So I am ready with a clear heart and mind for God to show me where He wants me to be and what He wants me to do.
Dori doesn’t have a car so we walked to church so I really got to know her and she is an amazing girl. Dori came to el Porvenir when she was 14 on a church mission trip and felt like God was calling her to come back and serve in el Porvenir. She went to a Christian college and graduated with her missions degree and came here as an intern and well she just never left so she is slowly growing out of the name intern since she has been here for 3 years. Dori does all her work here for free, she has no one supporting her and she is not a paid staff member. Her meals are provided at the orphanage and her trailer she lives in is provided for her too but other than that she is on her own. I asked her where she gets her money and she said God provides whenever I am in need of money. Dori is 25 but she seems like she is 40. She has truly opened my eyes on being a servant of God and fully depending on Him for everything.
We finally made it to church and it was really cool. Of course everything was in Spanish but it was like a game for me on trying to figure out the message. Church services here are much longer than the ones back home. Tonights service was about 2 ½ hours but it went by really fast. After service we were invited to go hang out at with a bunch of the kids from a nearby ministry call Ventana. This ministry is ran by a couple and their kids from California. They house kids from all over the U.S. for 9 months out of the year that just graduated from high school and it is kind of like a 9 month long missions class. They take little trips to different parts of Mexico and help out the community and while they stay here they work in the community and take classes on missions and the basics of life. This is a really cool ministry and the kids that I met tonight were awesome. We made fudge (which Mexicans don’t know what fudge is) and played cards so that was really cool.
For me personally this whole trip has been testing me in so many ways already I can’t even think about how much different things will be at the end of my journey. I came here hoping to get my life figured out on what God wants me to do with the rest of my life. So I am ready with a clear heart and mind for God to show me where He wants me to be and what He wants me to do.
5-25-10
So my journey started at 4am this morning riding to the airport with my dad. The first flight was great I sat next to this younger guy who was on a business trip and he asked me where I was going you know just the typical “plane” talk. I told him I was going to Mexico for the summer and working in an orphanage. We ended up talking about mission work and how God works in the coolest ways. He asked me where I was going to school and when I said Johnson he was so excited because his best friend went there and he had visited him many times. It is so cool to me how you can meet a complete stranger but yet have so much in common.
Well after all the time changes I finally arrived in San Diego at 12pm. Allison Drain (the director of the orphanage) was there to pick me up. It was really cool finally being able to meet her after so many emails. We ran a few errands and then we were on our way to the border. It was really interesting crossing the border; it was a lot easier than I thought it would have been. It was about a 2 hour drive I really go to know Allison and that was my time to ask as many questions as I wanted. Mexico has so many huge beautiful mountains I was in complete awe the whole ride to el Porvenir. We finally arrived and we went straight to the orphanage to meet the kids. They were all so precious and clung to me and I didn’t want to leave. It finally hit me that I am in Mexico by myself haha. I have a whole house to myself so I kind of cant wait till the other interns come so I won’t have to be alone in such a big house. I am really curious on how fast I am going to pick up on Spanish because I want to be able to talk to the little kids and understand them. Well I have dinner tonight with Allison and Phil and then after that I am going straight to bed I am so tired!
Well after all the time changes I finally arrived in San Diego at 12pm. Allison Drain (the director of the orphanage) was there to pick me up. It was really cool finally being able to meet her after so many emails. We ran a few errands and then we were on our way to the border. It was really interesting crossing the border; it was a lot easier than I thought it would have been. It was about a 2 hour drive I really go to know Allison and that was my time to ask as many questions as I wanted. Mexico has so many huge beautiful mountains I was in complete awe the whole ride to el Porvenir. We finally arrived and we went straight to the orphanage to meet the kids. They were all so precious and clung to me and I didn’t want to leave. It finally hit me that I am in Mexico by myself haha. I have a whole house to myself so I kind of cant wait till the other interns come so I won’t have to be alone in such a big house. I am really curious on how fast I am going to pick up on Spanish because I want to be able to talk to the little kids and understand them. Well I have dinner tonight with Allison and Phil and then after that I am going straight to bed I am so tired!
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