My day as a mother of 2

6:15 AM
I roll out of bed for the start of my day. Everyone else was still sound asleep as I changed out of my pajamas and left my room. Ate a quick bowl of Captain Crunch with Berries and made sure Tony was awake.

6:40 AM
Tony and I walk to the car, and drive to the end of the gravel road.

7:05 AM
For the second time in as many days, I get into a car of a complete stranger (Monday’s experience was with the owner of the restaurant we were staying at for the day…just to the bank) except this time I was alone.   Alexis, the Honduran Compassion representative, took off for the start of our day.

7:30 AM
Stuck in traffic in Tegucigalpa.

8:30 AM
Stuck in traffic just outside Tegucigalpa

9:30 AM
Some space warp occurs, because I could have easily been driving through the mountains in Colorado instead of the mountains outside Tegucigalpa. It was so beautiful, and aside from all of the shacks on the side of the road, I felt like I was back in the states.

10:20 AM
We pull up to a shopping center in Sigatepeque, Honduras where Keny and her mom and Compassion representative were waiting. Not gonna lie, it was a bit awkward, not knowing Spanish and all. Keny is just as shy as I am around new people, so it took a bit to get any sort of conversation out of her.  Gerson arrived shortly thereafter, with his mother and Compassion representative. THEY ARE BOTH SO STINKIN CUTE!!!! It made my heart so happy to actually be there with them.

11:30 AM
We arrive at the waterpark. It’s closed. After calling the owner, we find out he is currently at breakfast, so the park will not be opened. Good thing I’m used to plans falling through! I don’t think the kids were too bummed, atleast they didn’t show it to me…

12:00 PM
We go to eat at the Wendy’s in Sigatepeque. Now, every, and I mean every, fast food restaurant in Central America has a playplace…and this Wendy’s was no exception, hence why we chose it. The kids both order the kid’s meals, and I get the adult size meal of the same thing. (I know, shocker…I DIDN’T get a Kid’s Meal…mostly because the Cokes are larger with adult meals). Lunch was still slightly uncomfortable, the kids ate, we ate.

12:16 PM
We’re done eating, so I get out some cards that I’d made for them (it was kinda a last minute trip) and have Alexis translate them for me, while I show them pictures. I let them each take one picture of me from my album, and then had them write me short notes in my journal. I gave them each a bracelet, that I had a matching one of, so that when they see it they remember to pray for me, and when I see them on my wrist, I will pray for them. Gerson got a hackysack, and Keny got some earrings. Awkwardness over…

12:30 PM
I have finally figured out why God made me so small. All my life I’ve been made fun of for it, and it’s fine since it’s not like I can change it, but now I have a reason….and it’s summed up in two words: PLAY PLACE! Finally the kids came out of their shells, and we ran around that play center for a good hour. I was exhausted, but I wouldn’t have been able to do that if I was any bigger! It was such a fun time, we took a ton of pictures. Keny took my camera and just went to town. It was great to be able to just play with them, at their level. Naturally, you have to follow playtime with a snack, so we all got Frosty’s.

1:30 PM
We walked over to a small shopping center, where I bought them each a small gift, and we drove into Sigatepeque to spend some time at a park. We blew the bubbles for a bit, and played with the bounce ball I got Gerson. I got the idea to find a photo shop so that the kids could have hard copies of pictures from the day, so they both went home with 2 pictures they picked out.

2:13 PM
I say goodbye to Keny, in my broken Spanish.

3:31 PM
I decide that I am going to go home, learn Spanish, and come back sometime in the next several years.

5:00 PM
I get dropped off at Burger King with another teammate and wait.

9:00 PM
We drive to Sumaya’s house where Tony meets us for a brief meeting…and I get a hot shower, praise God.

11:00 PM
We leave Sumaya’s house for the 40 minute drive back to La Finca. I drop into bed as soon as we get back.

I wouldn’t say that it was an eventful day.   And there were a lot of things that probably could have made it better, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world.   I realized that the kids I sponsor are more than just pictures and letters and money coming out of my bank account. As silly as it sounds, they’re real. And now I have faces and personalities to go along with the names. 

Yup. Loved it.    

FromKeny:

Querida Jessica. Quiero que ore por mi y tambien por mi familia y maestros del CDI promesas de otoro y tambien quiero agradecerte por habe traido al restaurant y tambien estoy muy alegrarme Jessica muchas gracias.

From Gerson:

Gracias por su patrocineo que el señor le bendiga yo orare por su familia y por usted quiero que ore por mi y mi familia. Yo la quiero mucho.   Y todo lo que a gais; acedlo de corazón como para el Señor y no para los hombres. Colosenses 3:23