Another lovely day.

This morning began with a huge thunderstorm, and my first thought was of the Jugue…all those kids cooped up inside. All day. I remembered vividly how the rain can turn them into little monsters. Well, when Jenna and I made our grand entrance, I immediately knew I had nothing to worry about. Usually the kids are quite excited to see us, but today was insane…they sprinted to me, grabbed on, and would not let me go. Unable to move an inch, I stood there looking down into their faces, and they gazed up at me, beaming, repeating my name over and over. I would have stayed like that forever! Oh how I love these kids. While Jenna was brushing teeth, I decided to read a few books to them. I figured this was a bad plan since they’re really hyper after breakfast, but I was delighted to see them all gather around and listen intently through three long stories (they even made me read one twice!). I really enjoy reading to kids. It’s so fun to do voices and act out the stories, and they just eat it up. I also love Spanish translations of books I grew up with. Today we read “Caps for Sale.” Remember that one? When I was little I loved getting it from the library! The kids and I had fun being those thieving monkeys. Reading to the kids also helps me practice my Spanish…today was encouraging because I could tell my speed and pronunciation has vastly improved. So once again, I underestimated the blessings that come from my time in the Jugeuteria. The kids were so well behaved all morning that we accomplished two whole activities without a single tantrum. I was actually more energized having spent the morning with them.

And then, my day continued to get better! One of my duties is walking the four girls in Kindergarten to school at 2:00, and then picking them up at 5:00. This sounds like a pretty easy task, but sometimes it’s the most frustrating part of my day. The girls only have a small window of time after lunch to get ready for school, and they all move SO slowly! I need to make sure they’re in their uniforms, have their notebooks, and are gathered at the front gate so we can leave at 1:50. This is easy if the girls have eaten quickly and are cooperating, but some days they decide to be difficult. They will hide from me somewhere in the Hogar, throw fits, and just dilly dally all over the place. As soon as I’ve found one girl, another will have wandered off. You get the idea. So, when they behave well, it’s always a pleasant surprise. The first time they were good for me, I was so pleased that I praised them all the way to school. Eva simply responded, “But yesterday you were really angry, right?” All I could do was laugh at the truth of her statement. Anyway, today was another good day, and I was so happy that I brought them candy when I picked them up.

After I returned home from Kinder, Carmen asked me if I wanted to accompany her to walk some of the older girls home from school. She told me that when she was a kid, she loved knowing her mom was waiting for her each day after school, and she feels bad for the girls here who have never known that joy. So, Carmen has started showing up for them after school and they absolutely love it! Today I got to see their faces light up when they noticed us waiting for them. They ran over, hugged us, and then rapidly started telling us about their day at school. The girls were also very proud to introduce us to their classmates. I hope to continue going with Carmen to pick them up…it clearly means the world to the girls, and I love adding any bit of happiness to their lives that I can.

Today I got to witness my third adoption! Hugito, a 1 1/2-year- old cherub, happily left with his new parents and brother who came all the from Denmark. The couple adopted their first son, Michael, from Bolivia three years ago, and they’ve been waiting to come get Hugito since he was born. While everyone is overjoyed that he has a family, we’ll miss him terribly. He was the spunkiest, most loved little guy at the Hogar, and there was never a moment he lacked attention. I love seeing the adoption process and glimpsing a little bit of the great plans in store for these kids who go off with families to other parts of the world.

Before I go, you have to meet Maria Esther, another member of the Hogar. 

 

I truly wish everyone could get a chance to personally know her. She is by far one of the most lovable and strangest people I have ever met.  She’s been living at the Hogar for a few decades, she’s in her forties, and she has the mental capacity of a five-year-old. She is mostly blind, so she has a hard time telling the volunteers apart and gets confused with the yearly overturn. However, she has finally learned my name in these last few weeks, and calls me “Lizzy.” I love hearing her call my name when she knows I’m passing by! Maria Esther is very affectionate. She will appear out of nowhere and begin hugging me, and would probably never let go if I didn’t eventually pry myself free (she’s so strong). The best is when I have the energy and time to hang out with her. I love it when she comes up to the library while I’m on duty and has me read with her. She enjoys books about Jesus the most, but last time, to my amusement, she chose “Presencia Italiana en Santa Cruz.” Why is there a book about the Italian presence in Santa Cruz? I still don’t know, but we read a good bit about it in Spanish. Maria Esther wasn’t listening much, but she enjoyed turning the pages for me when she felt it was the right time. She also loves making cards for people. She’ll sit there scribbling and talking to herself, usually repeating how much she loves the person for whom she’s making the card. I frequently find myself staring at her, and just smiling. She’s so peaceful and happy! I also love seeing her interact with kids. One time I saw her outside cradling one of the babies in her arms, singing a song about the Child Jesus. That’s one of my favorite memories here. I’ve asked her several times to sing that same song for me. Once she obliged after enough coaxing, but the lyrics also involved a princess and some other random elements. I loved it all the same! One of the most beautiful things about Maria Esther is her faith. Soon after I arrived, someone heard her alone in the chapel singing and praying for the volunteers, which absolutely melted my heart. She gets super excited when she goes to mass, and is extremely reverent and prayerful. After receiving the Eucharist or during Adoration, she will sometimes have her arms outstretched, repeating “Te quiero, te quiero.” Hours after she returned from mass the other evening, all she could talk about was how happy she was to have gone. Like many girls at the Hogar, she absolutely radiates Christ. Maria Esther has already made a huge impact on me, and I can't wait to learn more from her in my many months left.  

 

 

A Change or Two..

I’m entering the second week of a pretty crazy period here at the Hogar! A week ago, Beth and Erica left. That week, three of our babies were in the hospital, which put stress on the entire Hogar since someone has to be with each of them at all times. Also, the day after Beth and Erica’s departure, Jenna got really sick and remained in bed for the rest of the week! Not only was Jenna sick, but the woman who watches all of the children under 2 fell very ill as well. On top of that, both the Jugueteria and the outside playground were off-limits the whole week, due to construction and other complications. I suddenly had a lot more on my plate then I was expecting! I woke up each day and tried to ignore the fact that I would soon be caring for fifteen kids under 4 and had no place to watch them. In the back of my mind, I knew that I would be given the graces and extra help to get me through the week. I’m happy to say that so many little miracles happened each day that the week turned into one of my best yet. Several times, Sarah’s  and Carmen’s usual duties were cancelled or put on hold due to unforeseen circumstances, and they were able to pitch in. One of the new girls at the Hogar, Angelica (12), started helping me out with the little kids, too. That was a huge blessing! Another boost - one of the little boys, Moises, was actually adopted! That was beautiful to see. On Wednesday I was energized by Madre Rosario’s birthday party. (Yes, we had yet another party!) Sarah and I only had a few hours before the party began to come up with a dance. We chose to do “You’re the One That I Want” one from Grease. I love dressing up, so it was pretty fun trying to turn myself into Sandy. I loved how shocked the girls were that I could actually look nice when I tried! Grease is another American movie that is well known in Bolivia, so Madre Rosario loved our act. The party ended up being such a blessing…while sitting through the other dances and songs, and seeing how the girls and the Madres truly function as a family, I felt an incredible peace and belonging at the Hogar. For the first time, I felt very attached to this home and wanted to put the thought of ever leaving out of my mind. Surprising feelings given the chaotic week I was having!

 

This week is going to be equally chaotic, and I barely have Monday under my belt! I spent yesterday evening moving into Jenna’s second-floor bedroom. I’m very excited to be out of the “dungeon” that I shared with Carmen, but I’ll miss having her as my roommate! My new room may be closer to the crazy parrots and the crying babies in the Jugueteria, but its much more spacious and I love looking out the windows and seeing only sky and trees. My last window looked out into the gym, and there was zero airflow. I hope I’ll start getting more sleep now, since it is going to become increasingly necessary. For one, we found out yesterday that Sarah is moving to a different Hogar for her last two months. This was shocking news for us all, but especially for Carmen. Suddenly she is facing the medical needs of the Hogar all alone, two months earlier than she had planned. I want to be able to help her out in any way I can. Hence, sleep is crucial! Also, we had a meeting with Madre Rosario tonight. Among many new rules, she jovially told us that we may not speak English during the day. I know we already made this decision a month ago amongst ourselves, but I must admit we have slipped terribly in the craziness of the last few weeks. I’m highly pleased that she, our superior, has made this command! It’s exactly what we need. With all of the changes happening, I am bracing myself for an intense period and praying for extra energy!

I decided to implement a new element to my blog entries. With each one, I will choose someone from the Hogar to “introduce.” I will include a picture and tell a little about our relationship and some things I find interesting, unique, funny, etc. about them. I hope this way you will become familiar with some names and faces of people I live with. 

Today…Meet Lulu!

 She’s one of my charges in the Jugueteria, so we spend a lot of time together. She is 4 years old and the naughtiest of all the children. Nonetheless, I am very fond of her! Her eyes are huge and they sparkle with the mischief that is constantly brewing in her mind. She is the brightest and boldest of all the kids, and she has a very distinct, commanding voice which comes in handy when we sing songs and play games. She transmits a certain energy within the Jugueteria which is helpful in coaxing the other to join in activities. However, she also has a knack for encouraging others to join in her mischief-making. Whenever I catch her sneaking food or playing with water in the bathroom sink, she looks up at me with a really wicked grin that is always disarming. But, Lulu's good qualities outweigh the bad by far. She always shares her treats with her 6 year-old sister, and she's the first to look out for another kid who is picked on or handicapped. Also, Lulu can really surprise 

me...when I caught her coloring all over the tile floors with an orange crayon and I told her to scrub every bit of it up, she complied pronto and worked vigorously until every spot was gone. I was so proud of her! Lulu makes me laugh a lot, which is one reason I love her so much. Yesterday, she didn't approve of the way I was eating (I was avoiding using my hands because there was no soap available to wash them) and she yelled "AYYY Liz!! Chaaaancho!!" (a pig, and other derogatory meanings). All of the other kids thought this was hilarious began chanting "Chan - cho!" at me. It was the funniest part of my day. And that's why I love Lulu!

 

Please pray for Jenna, Carmen, and me these days as we begin taking the volunteer role at the Hogar into our own hands. It’s a little daunting, but we're all thrilled to begin. Hope all is well back home!