Several días festivos: All Saint's Day, Halloween, and the Day of the Dead

El Día de los Santos

Just eight hours after I arrived back to Cuernavaca from my trip home, I woke up at the beautiful hour of 5 am to celebrate one of the most fun days of the year at NPH-Mexico: El día de los santos (All Saint's Day). It is a day in which they celebrate all the kids' birthdays. The kid mariachi band goes from dorm to dorm, playing "Las Mañanitas" to wake everyone up, from the youngest kids to the oldest. It is a shame we don't celebrate this one in the US.

Edith (my roommate and fellow volunteer), Veckry (one of the full-time caregivers), and I went down to the house at 5 am to first wake up the estudiantina (band) boys who were sleeping in the game room. They sleepily grabbed their instruments and we all quietly sneaked up the stairs to the large girls' dorm where the girls in 10th and 11th grade sleep. Once we were inside, the band arranged themselves in the middle of the room and after a "uno, dos, tres", began to play "Las Mañanitas" a traditional mariachi song for All Saint's Day. A rough translation of the song is: "These are the mañanitas (good morning songs) that King David sang. Today, since it's your saint's day (your birthday), we're singing them to you. Wake up, my dear, wake up! Look, it's already morning. The birds are already chirping, and the moon has gone away." It sounds way better in Spanish.

Lots of the kids groaned and pulled the sheets over their head, but some excitedly popped out of bed to join the group in singing to wake up the next section of kids. The girls especially had fun waking up the boys and mercilessly ripping their sheets away from them so they had to get up.

After "las mañanitas", everyone gathered on the patio and was served Tres Leches cake (delish!!) and hot chocolate. Some kids opted to go back to sleep but lots were up for good and were ready to start enjoying their day off from school. Several wanted to watch a movie so I ran upstairs and grabbed our dvd player to put on a movie down in the game room. Unfortunately, I had to go to work that day 8:30-1:30 like normal. It was so weird to have been up so long before going in!

Halloween

That night we celebrated Halloween with the kids since we hadn't done anything Sunday night. Several kids dressed up spooky-like...I was a "rockera de los 80" or 80's rocker girl. Upstairs in the big family room there was a dance contest of people in costumes and it was pretty hilarious. I was unwittingly roped into joining some girls in dancing to Lady Gaga in front of everyone, haha.

After that, there was a haunted house that several kids had put together in the little garden pathway down close to our house. I hate being chase, grabbed, and spooked, so I helped them with the smoke machine as people passed through. If disturbing people so much they puke is a sign of success, the haunted house was a great success. Lots of kids were hiding in the dark off the side of the path and threw food waste at the kids passing through....which is really disgusting. I was sitting off to the side and got hit several times, ugh! Fortunately, I didn't find out until later what they were throwing...it was dark and I just thought it was fruit or something.

El Día de los Muertos

I was really excited to see and experience the Day of the Dead in Mexico, because it is something we don't have in the US. I wanted to see what it was all about. I wasn't sure if it would be something like a Mexican Halloween. In the end, it was much more religious in nature than I was expecting.

The kids also had this day off from school. After getting up and having breakfast and they did their chores, we had mass at 11 am in the dining hall. There was a huge table set up on which was placed lots of flowers and tons of sweet goodies. There were calaveras, or sugar skulls, chocolate bars, and fruit, among other treats. This was the offering that was placed out the night before for the dead to come and feast on.

The mass that morning was very sad to me. It was to honor the deceased relatives of people connected NPH and to celebrate that they are now alive in heaven. The hardest part was when we all stood and Father Phil read a list of the deceased. It broke my heart to hear the last names of so many of the kids here that I love, as we honored their parents and other family members. I don't know how they do it, but these kids are tough cookies. I was trying not to cry but the kids stood there attently and strong. I really admire them for the strength they have, even if for some it may just be a front. Sometimes it's good and right to feel sad about sad things.

When the somber mass was over, the kids were called up according to section and were allowed to take treats from the offering to eat and we got pan de muertos, or dead bread, and hot chocolate. I grabbed a calavera and some flowers to take up to our house.

The rest of that day was super chill. We enjoyed a traditional meal of mole for lunch along with more pan de muertos. I just spent the day hanging out with the kids, watching movies, playing pool, getting sucked into telenovelas, you know, the usual.

The excitement of this week made leaving home again and coming back to the house a very easy transition, of that I'm thankful. I have to admit, though, on Wednesday, I was glad the kids were going back to school and that we picked back up with the normal routine...celebrating all the time can get exhausting!

I'll add pictures of the holidays soon!

Home, Sweet, Home

Can I just say I love my family, I love my friends, and I love North Carolina? But I do love my life here in Mexico a ton, too.

Last weekend I had the awesome opportunity to dash home for a few days. It was so wonderful to see my family and several friends. It was not too surprising that it was somewhat odd jetting back into my old NC life for a hot second. I had few moments of reverse culture shock that were kinda fun. Everything seemed easier in some way back home.

Some things that really stook out to me were: flushing toilet paper, drinking from water fountains, speaking English, seeing white/black/Asian/Indian (insert any other race besides Mexican) people, driving my car, eating American food, and shopping in US stores besides Wal Mart.

Some things that had changed in my absence were: the trees were the beautiful reds and oranges of fall, a Bojangles popped up down the street from my house, my mom got some pretty new flowers for our front porch, and now there's a Krispy Kreme on Franklin St., not to mention my brother currently has a low-functioning leg :( (is that nicer than calling you a gimp, Matt?).

Some of the things that haven't changed really caught my attention including my dog Grace, flipping out upon seeing me again and the fact that walking into my bedroom at home was like time-travelling. There was all my stuff just sitting there, lots of which I had forgotten about and realize I don't really need (but I like, but I forgot about, but I still like...it made me feel a little guilty, if you catch my drift).

My weekend was jam-packed and lots of fun!! Here's what I did:

I got in at 5 pm on Thursday night. My mom and Matt picked me up from the airport and we went directly to my favorite restaurant, La Shish, for delicious Greek food. After that, we went and did a little shopping for things to bring back to Mexico. We went home and I got to see my Dad and the dog. We talked for a while, I showed them some pictures, and we watched a goofey show before heading to bed. I was exhausted because I had woken up at 3:45 that morning (4:45 EST, but still) to take a taxi to take a bus to get to the airport.

Friday was my crazy day. I was slightly concerned when planning Friday because of how many different people I wanted to see, but it went really smoothly! I got to go see my grandma that morning, which was great. I grabbed lunch with Matt and my dad then went over to Brier Creek for some quick shopping for the kids. I got coffee with Jennifer and then booked it over to Chapel Hill to see Katie and grab dinner with Allison. Later, we met up with several friends at Yo-Po and ended up heading over to Allison, Priya, and Sue's apartment to talk and play a game. It was awesome to get to see everyone!!

Saturday I accidentally slept in and we just got ready for the wedding and headed to Greensboro. Laura and Stephen's wedding was beautiful and it was so great to see all the Winslows!! I'm excited for the next family wedding at New Years (Jenny & Dee's).

I will post pictures from my trip later on when I'm writing from my laptop (I'm on my work computer right now).

The best thing about going home was getting to spend time with my family.

I was so excited about coming home but was a bit worried that it would make me sad about leaving again and going back to Mexico after three days. It was sad and not fun to have to say goodbye to my family again. But coming back to Mexico was nothing like leaving the first time, and as soon as I got back, I got to hug the people I missed and jump right back into all the crazy activities that make up my life down here.

It was good to realize that when I got back to my apartment here in Mexico and saw my roommates and the kids, I felt the "home, sweet, home" feeling again...yep, I have a good life, regardless of what country I'm in.

a lesson in humility and love

Well, I have definitely failboated on the whole 'let's keep my blog updated' plan the past two months or so. I'm working on a update post but currently I'm at work and actually have some rare free moments, so I figured I should relieve some of my guilt and post a little update!

Things are going great. Sure I have days when I am exhausted or down, but don't we all? I am 100% thankful to be here and share the experiences I am having with the kids here. I have all but thrown homesickness out the window, not because I don't love and miss you all back home, but I think God's been teaching me a new level of humility. Every time I'm tempted to complain or to sigh about missing someone, I'm reminded about the lives of the people I interact with all day. There is no way whatsoever I can complain about missing someone to children who may not have seen their family in over ten years...and they are fifteen, or to someone who may not even have family.

That said, it is sometimes sad and always very humbling to be here. I feel so thankful for my loved ones but so thankful I can be here and love and be loved by these kids. They are incredible. Whenever I start to feel sad about the rotten things in this world that lead to the need for places like NPH, I am reminded of how much more beautiful it is to see these kids succeeding and turning into more hilarious, more talented, more intelligent, and more beautiful people every day. I wouldn't change this opportunity to be here and share their daily lives with them and maybe not be someone important for them, but be someone here for them, someone present with them for the highs and lows that come with being a teenager. 

Some days, when I'm sitting watching the kids play pool or dancing like a maniac with them during Zumba, or greeting them as they come through the food line at meals, and I'm particularly tickled by something they say....sometimes at those moments I'm tempted to think about all the awesome moments their parents are missing from their lives. But it's at those times I'm reminded and so humbled and thankful that I could have this almost sacred opportunity to be a witness to their lives and to be able to know without a doubt that they are caring, funny, quirky, amazing people. 

One phrase came to my mind the other week when I was in the shower (the place where all of the best ideas surface, no?) and was reflecting on my life here at NPH. Despite frustrations or tiredness some days may bring for me here, I can't say I'm not loving it because let's be honest, I'm living my dream. The simple thought that came to me is "living a life of love is loving the life you're living" and I think it's absolutely true. No one has to move to Mexico to see the truth in this, but I think being here has given me a new clarity on what's really important. If it's loving, check, do that thing. If it's not, ehh, maybe don't do it! 

(Side bar, an awesome 2 verses to check out---> Ephesians 5:1-2. We don't have to make up how we should love from scratch, God and Jesus paved the way for us and showed us how by loving us first...it's so much easier to know how to love someone else when you know that you yourself are loved!)

Well, that's my update for now, but I'm working on my "real update post" where I'll have some more details of what I've actually been up to all this time. LOVE YOU!!!

trips and fireworks and nail polish

I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while! Tonight I decided to record a little video update because that's easier than writing things out, but the file is too large and it won't let me upload it! Ah! 

I have had a great week and a half but am currently very worn out...hence the lack of updating. 

Last weekend we took a whirlwind trip to Puebla and Oaxaca. It was really fun to get out of Cuernavaca! Edith and I had dinner in Puebla at a lovely Italian restaurant and enjoyed the Zocalo (center) until Erika arrived later that night. We had to leave Puebla really early in the morning for our bus ride to Oaxaca, so I want to go back to explore! Puebla was so lovely- it had gorgeous architecture. Oaxaca was exciting as well! Highlights were meeting ex-NPH volunteer Tamara who was there as well has her friend and an Austrian guy and two girls from Denmark in our hostel, who we spent some time with. We went to Tule and saw the Tule tree, a 2,000 year old tree. There I got rose-petal nieve (ice cream, minus the cream, I guess like shaved ice) at the mercado...it was soo yum! On Sunday we went to the ruins at Monte Atlan and I was impressed! It was a beautiful day and the ruins were humongous...how had I never heard of this place? I'm low on my Mexico knowledge! We also went to visit a small town where, according to them, is the only place in the world where black pottery is made. We went to the store where the family who invented the shiny black pottery still works and I bought a couple of beautiful, cheap pieces! I got a medium-sized piece of pottery for 40 pesos! That's $3.15!! Such an insane steal. We also got to watch them demonstrate how they make the pottery, which was very neat. We tried the famous Oaxacan chocolates and Mexcal (creamy liquor) before leaving on the bus at 11 pm that night. That's right- we travelled through the night and got in around 6:30 Monday morning! We took a cab and got back around 7 am, just in time to hop in the shower and out the door to get to work at 8:30 am! I was pretty worn out this week, but I'm still glad we went on our trip!

This week has been super fun! I'm getting to know the kids even more and enjoy spending time and joking around with them. They like to ask me for favors, and I like to comply, when I can. I know some of them are pushing to see what my boundaries are, so I'm trying to bend over backwards for them (because that's part of why I'm here, right? ...to show them I care about them) without reallly bending over backwards too much, because boundaries are our friend. :) For instance, a couple of times I put on movies to watch with some of the kids but they started to ask me to watch movies every day. I explained to them that it's not as special if we watch movies every day..and we should do other activities! 

Speaking of making things not special anymore...Mexico really likes celebrating with fireworks and parades. Every freaking day. What began as an observance has become a pest, because there are loud booms and wayyy too perky parades at 7 in the morning and 12 at night (and at any random time in between) pretty much every day here! I have been told they are celebrating different saints' days, so I feel intolerant to complain, but that doesn't really stop me. It's not a party if it happens every day. Nor is it a party if it just sounds like gunshots suddenly and happens several times a day. I'm starting to tune it out.

Another random story from my week---I have made friends with the deaf/mute kid here at the house. He is not completely deaf because he always has his headphones blasting his rap in his ears, but he can't hear you if you talk to him. No, Mom, he's not deaf because of his rap. He is obsessed with Lil Wayne though, it's pretty funny. I shared some of my music with him so I had a good time trying to communicate through slow and repetitive Spanish (he can read lips) and lots of hand gestures...such a challenge, but definitely worth it! Also, he is not completely mute, he can say "Gracias", but that is pretty much the extent of his speaking ability. Can you imagine how hard that would be? Juan Manuel is a really funny and easy-going guy. He even let me be on his team for pool tonight....I tried to explain to him that probably wouldn't be good for him because I'm bad, but he was quite the caballero, haha. I love watching the kids play pool and waiting for my time to play...which is always short because I lose so fast! 

As for painting nails, I bought some new colors this week...emo colors because the kids requested them. The girls love painting their nails and hilariously enough, several of the boys ask us to paint their nails, too...black or blue, though, because they're manly like that. I get a kick out of it. 

Tomorrow we are planning to do karaoke and I can't wait! Some of the kids said they are too embarrassed to sing but I told them I'd sing a reggaeton song and will make a fool out of myself, hopefully they enjoy that. 

That's about all for now, I gotta get to bed! I really do feel like I'm living the dream, the more time I spend with the kids, the better things have gotten. Of course, it's not all rose nieve, but the good stuff is definitely out-weighing the bad and I'm enjoying my life here. I think having a schedule helps, although today I was thinking about how strange it is that our life (more like their life, but I'm going with the flow) is determined by the ringing of a bell...for meals, bedtime, events, etc. 

K, as always, I send my love! And come visit!!! I probably think about my brother's upcoming visit 100 times a day because I'm so excited! We are going to have so much fun! 

Love,

whit

La convivencia...and all that comes with it

Seeing as I spend up to 5 hours some days translating letters the kids write from Spanish to English, I have seen my fair share of words and I've started to establish a rhythm. One word I come across all the time in the letters, however, is a word that doesn't translate with ease, and it's become a word that I frequently think of when reflecting on life here at NPH. "Convivir," which means "living together" or "sharing life together," holds a connotation in Mexican Spanish with strong emotional ties. I like to think of it as "living life together with _______ "(insert someone's name here, because it's all about relationships). Now that I'm starting to get my bearings, I am really appreciating what it means when I see the kids (and really everyone connected to the NPH-Mexico family) conviviendo. 

Speaking of sharing life, this past weekend was NPH-Mexico's 56 year Anniversary party in Miacatlan. It was a fun and exciting time where everyone connected to the house was invited for a day-long celebration. Families of grown up ex-pequenos came back and it felt like a huge family reunion. I LOVE visiting Miacatlan...and being able to come back to Cuernavaca, haha. There are moments at the ex-hacienda when I like to just stop and try to take in everything that is going on: a million ball games, countless kids walking, talking, and playing together, sports competitions, face painting, a wedding booth for the kids (ha!), puppies and paletas, etc. It is barely-organized chaos and a really beautiful sight. When I was there, I couldn't help thinking about the future letters to godparents I will translate describing the fun events through the eyes of a little child.

Besides making several little friends and watching many very official and intense sporting events (there were soccer, basketball, and volleyball tournaments going on all day long), I enjoyed getting to see the Miacatlan volunteers, talk with some grown-up ex-pequenos, and 

even met some UNC dental students who came down for the week to work on kids' teeth! That was a fun surprise- you can bet I dashed over there when I saw people wearing Carolina t-shirts on the other side of the court! After mass and a special lunch, I had to complete a delightful task for my scholarship office work: briefly interviewing each of the kinder kids! The kinder group consists of eight little ones aged 2 to 6, and they sure are sweet. I asked them what their favorite food, favorite toy, and favorite color was, among other questions. They are pure muffincakes.

On a different note, while I have been really loving getting to spend more time with these kids (specifically the high schoolers), there are always moments where I'm saddened and humbled by the hurts that many of them carry. Something that comes with conviviendo and getting to know people more, is knowing about their pasts and their current struggles. This has been really tough for me at times. I am constantly blown away when I think about how each kid who is here is not in their biological family, for whatever reason, be it death, poverty, or abandonment. Sometimes I think about how pain is so sacred, you have to handle it gently because it is so personal and real. I have treasured the few times a couple of kids have opened up to me, but sometimes I am at a loss for words. The kids definitely fill my prayers at night.

That said, the tough stuff makes the fun times that much better because it's so great to see them thrive. Monday we (Casa Buen Senor, the hs house) went on our THIRD water park excursion. This week was to Ixtapan de la Sal and it was my favorite by far! I had an absolute blast, and I think a lot of the kids had fun, too. I built up the nerve to go on the scariest ride 

3 times, and I think I may have earned some of the guys' respect. When I went up to the top with several of the hs boys, they were waiting when I made it up and said "ladies, first!" I, of course, laughed at them for being scaredy cats, said "gracias, cabelleros," and proceeded to scream as loud as possible when I went down the drop. 

On a normal weekday, the kids have a lot of free time since it is summer and the other volunteers and I are brainstorming special games and activities to do with the kids. Painting nails has been a hit, along with Jane has started tennis lessons for a few kids who are interested, and that has been fun. I'm toying with the idea of starting some sort of glee club but I'm not sure it's the best idea, considering how little I know about singing, haha! Edith and I want to plan a water balloon fight and water games for our next work weekend.

This weekend I'm headed with two friends on a trip to Puebla and Oaxaca! I'm very excited to get out and see more of Mexico besides Cuernavaca, Miacatlan, and water parks! I'm hoping the long trip doesn't wear me out and is super fun and worth it. I'll be sure to take lots of pics. That's all from me for now, I hope everyone is doing well! I love and miss you all. I really hope to have some visitors this year (seeing Kat Bossi was a HUGE highlight and I can't wait until Matt comes to visit next month)! This place is worth checking out. :) 

paz afuera,

whit

Transitions and settling in!

Hi everyone! I hope you all are doing great. I'm doing quite well myself...it is my first descanso (rest/time off) since I started working so I'm having a weekend of lazy times, which seems appropriate considering the relentless rain here in Cuernavaca. We volunteers get every other weekend off. 

Two weekends ago was graduation in Miacatlan and in Cuernavaca and it was such an exciting and busy time for NPH. The Monday after graduation was moving day- the high school graduates moved out (most went to Miacatlan to complete their two years of family service being caregivers to the young kids) and the big, bad middle school graduates have moved into the house here in Cuernavaca where they're now the little guys all over again. 

Last weekend was the new kids' first weekend in the city so my fellow volunteers, encargados (caregivers), and I took them in two groups of 25 kids to tour the city. While some of the kids are very familiar with Cuernavaca, many haven't 

travelled much outside of the house at Miacatlan. This was great for me as well because although I've started to explore Cuernavaca some, I am still a little fuzzy on my directions. We went to the market, the centro (aka the zocalo), Cortes' palace (a museum), and la fayuca (the cheap market I definitely can find on my own).

Tucked inside one of the small streets of shopping is the chapel where NPH started. NPH began in 1954 when a Catholic priest from Arizona who was commissioned to that tiny chapel was brought to the jail to testify against a small boy who was arrested for stealing money from the offering place. Father Wasson spoke to the little boy and found out he was taking the money because he didn't have money for food and he was an orphan. Father Wasson decided to adopt the boy and care for him as he would a son. What started out with one little child quickly multiplied into 8, then 12, then hundreds. Although Father Wasson passed away in 2006, NPH continues to provide love and support for thousands of orphans and abandoned children in nine different countries.

Long story short, this guy was legit and started a very special family. It was fun to visit the church with the kids.

Here's a picture of our group from Sunday on the steps of the chapel where NPH started

As for this week, it has been busy! Monday we took alllll the kids to a "natural water park" called Las Estacas. It was very chill and relaxing. I learned that NPH excursions are all day affairs- left at 7:30 am and got back at 6:30 at night! Whew! I went swimming a bit and hung out with the kids all day. We played lots of Monopoly Deal, a card game I found in Spanish at Wal Mart.

On Tuesday I finally started my morning job in the scholarship office. I will work there 8:30-1:30 every morning. I was really looking forward to it, however, due to some unforeseen computer-sabotaging mishaps, it was rather stressful! This week has been spent trying to recover important documents and trying to work through the mounds of work that had stacked up in the transition time. In all honesty, besides for the computer problems, I really enjoy it. I was working on scholarship substitutions and letter translating all week. It is good to finally get started so I can establish my routine.

After work, I grab lunch in the comedor and by two the kids come down and we serve them. I'm still enjoying the food for the most part. I have a break between 3 and 6 so this week I went to Wal Mart several times to run errands and print photos during that time. 6-8 pm is activity time. This week I played soccer (lots of girls vs. not many guys, funny times) and cards with the kids on the days that it was rainy (3/4 days). 

I'm starting to get into the groove of things and really enjoy life here. I think it should only get better the better I get to know my fellow volunteers, the employees, and most of all, the kids. I am brainstorming special activities to do with the girls...I've been having lots of inspiration, so I hope I'm able to carry some of my ideas out! Let me know if you think of any really special things I could do for our group of high school girls. 

Side bar: I'm getting a kick of hanging out with high schoolers. They are really funny and make me roll my eyes a lot. The girls are in love with Justin Beiber and even I get Enrique's "Cuando Me Enamoro" song stuck in my head way more frequently than I should. ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DO8GsIYfhQ ...enjoy)

Okay, I gotta run! Tonight is NPH-Mexico's national director's daughter's quincenera party...only the social event of the century. Despite being on descanso I will have to go down and make an appearance for this...and hopefully enjoy good food.

I send my love up your way!!

Hot hot heat and fresh piglets!

This morning we drove down to Miacatlan where all the magic happens. Aka, this is the more ginormous NPH-Mexico home where all of 600 sweet munchkins eat, sleep, play, and learn. It is a mini-universe. Actually, it is a former sugar cane plantation which was converted in the 1950s. Today we had our volunteer orientation and were taken on a tour of the entire place. This was really fun and helpful since I didn't really know where anything was when I came last week for a Padrinos (godparent/sponsorship office) project and for graduation.

Some highlights of the tour were the comedor, where former military cooks make thousands of tortillas every day, among other foods, the fish ponds where the tilapia grow, all the sheep/goats (a hybrid mix because they want lean meat and don't need goat milk or sheep fur), lotssssss of pigs (including the 'death row' of pigs who are about to be turned into dinner and moms with their little piggies who were so fresh they were born today!), the multichanchas aka the basketball/soccer court, the swimming pool, the medical clinic, the 2 chapels and lots of other places I know I'm forgetting.

Since I will be living and working in Cuernavaca, it is fun but a little bittersweet to come to Miacatlan and know I will only get to see life here only once in a while. I will try to make excuses to come down for my job as much as I can. I'm pumped because I was already given a project in which I'll need to come down and make cards with the kinders with their little handprints on it to send to their godparents. Also, it is a bummer to have to separate from my new volunteer buddies that I've been spending all my time with the past 2.5 weeks...3 of them will be staying to work in Miacatlan where as Edith and I will head back to Cuernavaca tomorrow afternoon after playing with the chicos section! This weekend I officially start work as a caregiver- can't wait to learn about what all that entails and spend more time with my co-volunteers, the encargados, employees, and especially the kids!

The random freakouts I felt the first couple days after getting here have subsided and I've decided this will be a great (although probably a pretty difficult) year. Woohoo!

P.S.- I forgot to explain the 'Hot hot heat' part. Miacatlan, although just about an hour south of Cuernavaca, is at a much lower elevation and has an entirely different climate that can only be described as hot as Hades. That is a little exaggeration but it sure is hot and humid here, there's really no escape from the heat! One good reason to go back to Cuernavaca tomorrow!

Alive and kickin'

Sorry I haven't posted in a while! I've been pretty busy and also a bit incapacitated computer-wise because my laptop charger broke...eek. I may be able to buy a new one tomorrow but I've been macless for almost a week. The end of last week and this past weekend was a very special time at NPH-Mexico, we had graduations! Even though I have only known these kids for around two weeks (and barely know the youngest ones at all), I couldn't help feeling so proud for all that the graduates have accomplished! I don't have time for more than a short post right now, but hopefully soon I will have time to dedicate entire posts to detailing Mexican hair do's and don'ts, on how I am determined to become a pool shark, and how hard it is to fathom the concept of abandoning a child.

What has maybe struck me the most in the past several days is human resilience. I see it in these kids, they have been dealt hands in life I wouldn't wish on anyone, but in general they are some of the sweetest, funniest, most giving people I've met. I am amazed by their resilience. Even if they have lots of problems common to any teenagers, it is awesome to me the problems most of them don't have, if that makes any sense. Mostly, I have been grateful they are now in a safe place and that they have so many opportunities if they continue working hard.

On a different note, if you were wondering about the food here, today's lunch was a winner- albondigas (meatballs)! Tomorrow we're going to celebrate the last day of Spanish school by eating at KFC- a big treat...I'm kinda dreading how expensive it will be, haha!

That's all I got for now, gabacha out!

Happy 4th of July desde Mexico :)

Hey everyone! Happy Fourth of July! I hope everybody has enjoyed the festivities of the day, Mexico could care less about their northern neighbor's day of independence. We (8 other American volunteers and I, plus a volunteer from Argentina) decided we would make a Wal Mart run this morning after mass with the kids to pick up all the necessities for our 4th of July cookout. We borrowed a tiny little grill and cooked cheeseburgers and hot dogs and listened to some Rihanna, Taylor Swift, and Kei$ha in the house. It was a nice little fiesta before what I am sure will be another busy week!

Well, this first week was like three weeks (anyone else like The Jerk?). It was pretty long, filled with meeting a million people, going to ehh 20 hours of Spanish classes, and training for my new job. The first couple days were exciting but also kind of like a slap in the face when I realized that I am actually here, and will be here for an entire year. Feelings of "ahh what have I gotten myself into?" have been fairly balanced out by realizations how amazing this coming year has the potential of being. 

I have resolved to remember that I am here to love the kids, and I want to spend as much time with them as possible. Several sweet and welcoming gestures from many of the high schoolers have really touched me this week- many have invited me to eat with them, asked me to go ahead of them in line for lunch/dinner, offered to help me carry the huge water jug for our house, invited me to play sports with them, and one boy even worked for a solid 10 minutes to machete open a coconut just so I could try a cup of fresh coconut milk. As intimidating and unapproachable teenagers can seem at times, I have been grateful to have met many that are going out of their way to be kind to me. I'm finding my go-to topics of discussion with them are food, school, music, sports, tv and movies, the World Cup, and el amor with the girls haha. I am hoping to learn all their names asap, but it's hard when there are ~75 girls and ~75 boys. 

For the sake of keeping this puppy relatively short (I'd like to write a little more often in shorter posts, but our internet was extremely unreliable this past week with the rain from the hurricane) I'll just outline my average day so far so A. you can know what I've been up to and B. you know when you can (hopefully) find me online to skype or fb chat. It'd be one-sided if I only told you about my life and didn't get a clue as to what's going on with you...not to mention not fair!! 

Here's my average weekday for last week and this coming week...it will change soon:

~7 am or 7:30 am-> wake up and get ready

8 am-> leave to catch the bus to language school

9 am-11 am-> grammar class with my teacher Martha (a little on the crazy side but nice) with 2 other students, a teacher from the US and a really nice woman from Holland who works with the deaf for Wycliffe Bible translators

11 am-1 pm-> conversation class with Luis(?) with a group of 3 teachers from the US, my Dutch friend Bernadet, a Catholic priest, and I...we read stories/books out loud and talk about them...yep. I do better when I get coffee in between the sections. I am probably the least 'eager beaver' of all of them, but it is not a bad time. Everyone in the class but Bernadet and I go off on excursions every afternoon and keep asking me why I can't come...I have work, derrr. haha.

1 pm-2 pm-> take the bus back to NPH

2 pm-2:30-> grab lunch at the dining hall. I really like the food so far!

2:30 or 3:30-5:30-> training for working in the sponsorship office. This involves translating letters the kids write to their godparents (sponsors) and mailing the letters to the correct Friends of the Orphan region offices in the US and Canada.

5:30-6:30-> CHILLAX

6:30-8 pm-> activity time! All the kids have to get out of their dorms and participate in an activity. Last week I went to running club once, played card games, and watched the boys play in a soccer tournament on the cancha de futbol. I hope to go to running club again this week, play volleyball, and play guitar with the musically oriented kids. I think it would be cool to try to get to know different groups of kids by doing a different activity every day.

8-9 pm-> dinner in the cafeteria with the kids.

9 pm onward -> do any language school hw when I have it (I thought I was done with hw!?), CHILLAX, read, go to bed early as possible!

Other highlights of the week:

-Lifeteen, or the kids' youth group on Wednesday night was a really fun time. Two boys played guitar and we sang worship songs, all songs I know and love, just their Spanish versions. We (the new volunteers) introduced ourselves and the kids went around in a circle and introduced themselves to us.

-I bought a cheapo cell phone at the mall Plaza Cuernavaca on Friday. This was the first time I went somewhere besides NPH or language school.

-We went out Friday night for one of the volunteer's despedida (goodbye) so I experienced Cuernavaca nightlife...we were given a free pizza, went to a tiny bar with a live band that played the type of Mexican music some people might find annoying, but not me of course, and ended up at a hilarious dance club that had overweight guys dancing on poles...they played reggaeton there so it was my favorite.

-I bought Season 1 of Glee and and a movie at la fayuca, aka Cuernavaca's version of Polvos Azules (in Lima) aka the black market, oops.

I keep trying to upload some pictures but it's rejecting my attempts! I'll try again later.

I'll finish up by sharing the verse that has popped up multiple times when I've been reading the past couple of days: But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show us that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. -2 Corinthians 4:7  I've decided God uses the most interesting packaging to deliver His love to those who need it. Sure, I've felt far away from the people I'm used to "getting my love from" but God has shown me that He can work through just about anyone to remind me I'm never alone! It's also cool that He would also consider living in this self-proclaimed 'sometimes spastic' jar if it means that when something great happens, it's obviously His doing and not mine. Sweet. 

Love you!! and Happy Birthday, USA!

Feeling like Hansel in Mexico

Hey everyone! I'm finally forcing myself to post because I know the longer I wait the guiltier I'll feel about not posting. Soooo...I'm in Mexico! Yep, I got here around 11:30 am yesterday morning. I feel like that was a long time ago by now. 

I was doing pretty good this weekend and although I was dreading leaving everyone, I managed to stay mostly in denial until Saturday evening.  I was on-and-off teary from the time I said goodbye to some friends after watching the USA game (aka the US loss....every country I go to loses when I'm there btdubs..that's just based on the past 48 hrs but still...I'm bad luck!) to when I got on the plane. By the way, that was a hardcore night/morning! We finished packing around 11 pm (sooo grateful for help from Mom and Kati!) and then after showering I got to bed around midnight, only to get up at 3:15 am to head to the airport for my 6 am flight. Needless to say I was pretty annoyed my dad and I thought 6 am would be the perfect time to travel. Oh well, it worked out just fine. On the plane whenever I started to feel sad about leaving (and anytime since then), I just forced myself to close my eyes and think about how awesome this coming year will be, how I'm starting something new, and how I should replay Zoolander in my head to cheer up. It may be weird, but my diversion/denial technique is foolproof. 

I can already feel this getting too long and potentially boring. When contemplating what I should write about today, I was somewhat disappointed in that probably the things I found most hilarious or interesting or awkward from my first 2 days here are things I shouldn't post about. Nothing scandalous, just probably not the best things to share in mass. So there's a good reason to talk to me on fb chat or gchat if you still needed a better one. 

Bueno, so when I got to the airport, two current volunteers who are volunteering at the NPH house in Miacatlan (about 1 hr south of Cuernavaca) were there to greet me. Good sign already. NPH actually exists and the people (so far) are nice. Score. Two guys from NPH had a van there to drive us to Cuernavaca. But not so fast! We got pulled over by the policia before even leaving the airport. Apparently, it doesn't look so great for 2 Mexican men to drive 3 gringa-looking girls in a van away from airport. The cop gave them the third degree, it was pretty ridiculous. After he finally let us go and we went on our way, our driver said we were lost. I just assumed he was joking but turns out he wasn't. The ride from Mexico City to Cuernavaca is supposed to be 45 min but it took us muuuch longer, but we finally made it. We listened to the first half of the Mexico/Argentina game on the radio in the van and when we arrived to NPH, they had a screen set up on the patio which is in between the dorms and dining room and lots of folks were watching it there. I met all the current volunteers and the new ones as well. Most of that day is kinda a haze to me because I was so exhausted physically and emotionally (despite my successful denial). I do remember I had my first meal from a buffet they had out on the patio, I think it was beans and an interesting pork/pea/carrot mixture that wasn't half bad. Everyone keeps saying how great the food is here compared to in Miacatlan, so I'm glad for what we get. 

I took my stuff to the temporary apartment that I'll be staying for the next 2 weeks while all the new volunteers go to language school and get adjusted. When I say "all the new volunteers," I really just mean the 2 new volunteers for Miacatlan and another girl and myself for Cuernavaca. The place we're in now is okay, I sleep on a bunk bed in the main room which coincidentally is also the living room and kitchen. The other two new girls are in a bedroom that's attached to the bathroom. k. After a nap that afternoon, we went to dinner with the volunteers and the volunteer coordinator. We went to a little restaurant down the street where I was misinformed about serving sizes and ordered way too much food! Oops. I at a yum quesadilla and a chicken taco. I have a huge order of tortillas with pork with cheese in the fridge, but I can't figure out how to light our stove and we don't have a microwave so who knows how I'll eat it before it rots.

After that, we went to the dining room to be introduced to the kids. They showed us the process of picking up your bowl and spoon (who needs plates and forks anyways? not necessary), getting food, and washing your dishes. Meanwhile, I was feeling kinda guilty for not putting myself out there and going up to meet all the kids immediately. Like I mentioned before, I was a little brain-fried/dysfunctional yesterday. 

Yesterday when I tried to plug my laptop charger into the only 3 prong plug in the apartment, it shocked me like whoa. I am so glad they repaired that today so I can get on the computer. 

So today I got up at 7 am to get ready to leave for our required language school classes at 7:45. One of the current volunteers showed us how to walk down to take the bus to the school, eesh I hope I remember the way tomorrow morning. It was a 45 min bus ride to the school. So my feelings are pretty ambivalent toward language school. I was feeling a little annoyed by it this morning because I didn't think I needed it but a couple times in the 2 hours of grammar class, I was handed a bit of humble pie to munch on. There were 2 other people in that class, a woman from Holland who's in Mexico with her husband working for Wycliffe Bible translators (cool, huh?) and a over-eager and self-chastising teacher from the states who explained several times that she won a scholarship to come study Spanish. I know my cynicism is rude, language school kinda made me feel a little cynical. For the second 2 hrs, we were placed in conversation groups. I followed the two ladies from grammar class to their conversation table which, after enjoying a few minutes of somewhat pleasant discussion, I was told I went to the wrong group and was moved to a group of slower people. C'est la vie, haha.

After we finished Spanish classes, the two new Miacatlan volunteers and I (it's so impractical not to use their names but I think they told us not to use volunteer names on blogs w/o permission) hit up a Mexican dollar store before catching the bus back to our hood. I bought a flashlight and batteries so I can read in bed at night. 

By then it was 2 pm and we grabbed some lunch in the comedor. I ate some mixture of tuna/carrots/peas and pasta/chicken soup and tortillas and beans. Delish. I kinda like the whole "throw it all together in a bowl" aspect of things, it's good I'm over my days of needing to separate all foods. 

After lunch, I went to the scholarship office to meet my new boss and train with the volunteer who's post I'll be taking. She gave me a few general instructions, but most of the time until 5:30, I was translating letters the kids wrote to their godparents. It was surprisingly draining/challenging. I'm glad for the challenge because based on the volume Sophie mentioned I'll be translating, it may become boring before too long. 

At 6:30, I decided I should jumpstart my whole "healthy new life" deal and go to running club, a pet project of my future roomie and fitness junkie. I'm so excited to piggy back off of her enthusiasm and benefit from being guilted into exercising more. Two pequenas came and 3 other volunteers, we went to a track that was a short walk away. I was impressed by how many people from the community were out there exercising. Way to go, Cuernavaca! Side bar: A bummer is that obesity really is a problem in Mexico. On the up side, as opposed to when I was in Peru, I'm usually not the heaviest person in sight, which used to be a little depressing. One goal for this year for me is fitness! I only ran a little over a mile tonight but it's a start. Also, the town is at a very high elevation so they kept telling me that takes some getting used to. I just thought I was out of shape. Ha! 

Okay this is beyond too long, see if you ever ask me to post again!!! Bless your heart, though, if you are still reading (love you, Mom!!). Going to the track was a great chance to finally talk to some of the pequenos for the first time and got to really talk to two of the girls. When we got back, I joked around outside with some more of the kids until dinner. They kept trying to get me to say "Sexy beach" and it took me wayyyyy too long to figure out why that was just so hilarious to them. To be honest, it actually is pretty funny when they say it. I don't know how many people I've told today and yesterday that my name is Whitney, like Whitney Houston. Whew, what would I do without her? At dinner several kids yelled at me to come sit with them and I had a really fun time asking them about their favorite actors and movies and telenovelas. They were so excited when I told them I've seen El Manantial and Esmeralda (gracias, Sra. Blythe!). One boy told me he was Brad Pitt when I asked him his name.

All in all, it has been an exciting welcome to Cuernavaca. I've been just trying to find my bearings and establish some sort of normalcy or routine. I know that will take time but I'm sure it will come before too long. I can't wait to get to know the pequenos and the other people I'll be around better!

Okay, so it would be really messed up to not explain the title to this entry. Hansel....so hot right now. For one, it is pretty hot here. Not unbearable, it's actually close to the same temperature as NC right now, just we don't have AC so that makes it warmer. Also, and this is the biggest reason I feel like Hansel, I really relate to him in his awesome quote: 

"I wasn't like every other kid, you know, who dreams about being an astronaut, I was always more interested in what bark was made out of on a tree. Richard Gere's a real hero of mine. Sting. Sting would be another person who's a hero. The music he's created over the years, I don't really listen to it, but the fact that he's making it, I respect that. I care desperately about what I do. Do I know what product I'm selling? No. Do I know what I'm doing today? No. But I'm here, and I'm gonna give it my best shot." –Hansel

I care desperately about what I do. Do I know what the kids need from me? No. Do I know exactly what I'm going to do this year? No. But I'm here, and I'm gonna give it my best shot. -Whitney

I love you so much and miss you a ton! Please keep in touch and let me know about your life, because I hate to miss it. Pero, como la maestra les explico a los demas en mi clase hoy, aunque a veces me sentire que estoy perdiendo un año de mi vida normal, no es un año perdido! I don't want to forget that.

Wanting to live a good story

Around New Years I read Donald Miller's newest book, "A Million Miles in a Thousand Years." Well, by that time I had already been thinking and praying about what I should do the coming year after graduation. The premise of the book is that our lives are like stories and we have control over the kind of story our life becomes.

I think it's okay that I don't know what will be on every page of my story. More importantly, I want the themes woven through my life to be about love and adventure, hope and joy, struggle and perseverance. Ultimately I want my story to somehow reflect the grace and faithfulness God's shown me and will continue to show me the whole way.

So what the crap am I writing about? Well, this coming year, the chapter in my life story will take place in Cuernavaca, Mexico! I decided it would be pretty lame of me to say I care about serving others, helping those in need, and living sacrificially with Christ as my template and never actually act outside of my comfort zone and selfish bubble. Don't get me wrong, by no means do I consider volunteering abroad this AHHMAZING sacrifice, that I'll be a suffering saint, and that people who don't move away to volunteer aren't fully living life. Anyone anywhere can love and give, derr. This is a given. I'm just saying that I'm excited that the next place I'm called to go is to NPH in Mexico!

A little bit about NPH....NPH stands for Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos, which is an organization that has a network of orphanages throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. It's sister organization within the U.S. is Friends of the Orphans. I found them searching www.idealist.org and I love their philosophy and mission. I realized today that my flight down is less than two months away, eek! I have a lot of prep work to do (going to the doc to get shots tomorrow, boo) but I'm starting to really get pumped to go!

I know I'm going to miss everyone back at home a ton (or will I??? haha) and I'll appreciate your prayers...please keep in touch with me! I'll have the internet and may not want to bug you to death (we'll see if I get desperate) but please please stay in contact so I know everyone hasn't forgotten about me. K, that's it for pitiful pleas, haha.

This post has been oh so pesado (heavy, for all you gringos)...I don't plan on being so crazy serious on here in the future, so definitely check back later for a more amusing read. If you're beyond bored and want a sample of the kind of spastic rambling to come, you can check out my blog from the end of high school. Interestingly enough, my maturity level may have peaked in middle school and flat-lined since then (or is it just my personality?).

Okay, definitely feeling the need to wrap this puppy up. I guess I'll just end by saying how blessed and excited I am, how awesome James 1:27 is, and how much better the food I'll be eating this coming year will be to any food you've ever tasted (this is not verified information).

This is the list of broad resolutions I came up with in January after reading the Don Miller book, some of which I may been failing miserably, all of which I'm not giving up on. It chills nicely on a post-it on my laptop screen:

*2010*

-exercise

-eat healthy

-responsible with $

-great friendships

-adventure

-sacrifice

-hard work

-love

AN AWESOME STORY!

much love,

whit