My Girl Pica

I'm writing this entry in honor of Pica, a little girl I have watched grow up so much in these last eight months. Pica turned four last week, right around the time I found out that her adoptive parents will be arriving to take her home May 1st. This news was unexpected - we know a lot of the little girls have adoptive parents, but the international adoption process takes so long, usually more than a year. So I've always known Pica has parents somewhere in Holland, but it didn't hit home till I knew their arrival date. I honestly didn't think I'd be still be here to see her leave. Anyway, it's going to be pretty dang hard to say goodbye. Not sure how I will do it! Why does she have to be so super precious?!

Pica has some developmental disorders, and has only just begun to speak better than some of the two year olds. Some recent achievements include referring to herself in 1st person rather than 3rd, and learning to say "I love you" in English when I taught all the kids. Because she isn't as developed as the highly-precocious kids her age, she is especially childlike, innocent, vulnerable, and lovable. Pica was not always so special in my heart. When I first arrived, I really struggled with her. She seemed unresponsive, and I just didn't understand her mental/emotional capabilities in relation to her physical size (which is pretty grande). When something didn't go her way, she would go limp and spend forever pouting and fuming. I usually ended up feeling the same way after trying to deal with her. As the months passed, she began opening up more, and so did I. We have both grown immensely this year, and in the process have really grown quite attached to each other. 

And now, I'm preparing myself for goodbye. All I know is that I will cherish these last few days with her! I can't well express how special she is to me, but her presence has greatly impacted my time here. I guess the best thought I can have is that she will grow up in a loving home and have a bright future, and receive the special attention and education that she needs. What a blessing, to be able to say goodbye knowing that she is headed off to a better life. That will surely make her parting easier.

EASTER, already?!

A very joyous Easter to all! In the words of Grandpa Murphy, "The dreaded days of Lent are o'er!" What a Lent it was, and what an incredible Holy Week. The Bolivian capacity to gather for the Stations, Mass, and countless processions was really impacting these last seven weeks. I hope everyone is now enjoying this Easter Octave as much as I am. I'm running low on chocolate already!! 

Backtracking a bit, here is a tiny glimpse of the procession on Palm Sunday. The palm branches were for sale outside the church and had been woven into the most extravagant shapes. The procession was bigger than I'd ever seen. Everyone's passion and energy were contagious, making for an unforgettable cultural and spiritual experience. 

Here one of the nuns works on the bonfire outside of the church before the Easter Vigil. The mass was the second vigil I'd been to (my first was in St. Peter's in Rome - when I finally make it to one in the States, they'll have a lot to live up to!). The mass here was huge and a true celebration. The people were practically dancing out of the church afterwards because of their joy. It was so beautiful to see! On Easter Monday at breakfast, Maria Ester (remember her?) sat next to me and couldn't sit still for a second she was so excited about something. When I asked her why she was so happy, she practically shouted "JESUS ROSE!". I was amused and undeniably touched...I absolutely love Bolivia's liturgical and spiritual zeal. 

After going to mass again on Easter Sunday, we came back to a huge delicious feast and then Carmen, Jenna, and I prepared four different Easter Egg Hunts for the girls. It was somewhat chaotic (like all events here) but the girls had a blast. Above, Carmen lays down the law for a hunt as Jenna and I scrambled to hide the last of the eggs. Overall, Easter was a wonderful though exhausting experience. 

I hope you can appreciate this, my favorite part of the Hogar. In the stonework at the entrance, one of the girls drew a face to complete the little man. The first time I saw this I laughed so hard...it's just the kind of thing I would have done as kid - if not now too! 

Finally, let me introduce Zulmita. She is a tiny little 3 year old and yet another Jugue charge (I wonder if all these girls look the same to yall). I want you to meet her now because I just found out yesterday that her adoptive parents from Spain will arrive in two weeks! I'm so ecstatic I'm just beside myself. I'm spending as much time as possible holding and spoiling her because she is one of my absolute favorites and I will seriously miss her. Jenna and I call her Yoga Queen...I'm not sure why, but I think it's the combination of her spandex pants and her adorable little strut. She is so tiny that it's always surprising to hear her speak perfectly. She doesn't open her mouth much, but the most intelligent, mature voice comes out of that little girl. Normally she's pretty moody and despondent, but the days when she is happy, she's a little grinning ball of energy. I'm SO happy that she has a family now!