This is a picture of Blake, Frank (translator) and myself leading the kids in a VBS
It takes 45 minutes to walk to Barracones, the slum we are
working at. We use the morning walk for all of us to have quiet times. I have
been listening to podcasts on my ipod, which is awesome because the podcasts
are about 40-45 minutes long each. On the walk yesterday I was my typical
self…and fell. I put a nice gauge in my knee, and the other leg I managed to
scratch it up pretty made. Sammi and Stacey from Green light, and Tommy from my
team where awesome with helping me out. Stacey is straight up Mom status…kind
of harsh with her determination to scrap out EVERY rock from my injuries, but
so worth it if I don’t get a disease. What was incredibly interesting was that
when I got to the slum a little bit later, the kids were so confused by my
Band-Aids. Apparently they had never seen them before. Man, the things we take
for granted. Hmm….what else have I taken for granted back in the States:
working at. We use the morning walk for all of us to have quiet times. I have
been listening to podcasts on my ipod, which is awesome because the podcasts
are about 40-45 minutes long each. On the walk yesterday I was my typical
self…and fell. I put a nice gauge in my knee, and the other leg I managed to
scratch it up pretty made. Sammi and Stacey from Green light, and Tommy from my
team where awesome with helping me out. Stacey is straight up Mom status…kind
of harsh with her determination to scrap out EVERY rock from my injuries, but
so worth it if I don’t get a disease. What was incredibly interesting was that
when I got to the slum a little bit later, the kids were so confused by my
Band-Aids. Apparently they had never seen them before. Man, the things we take
for granted. Hmm….what else have I taken for granted back in the States:
-
A bus system/car so not having to walk the 45
minutes to the slum -
Toilets that actually flush -
Being able to throw the toilet paper IN the
toilet, I’ve had to do this before, but a bunch of people putting TP in the
trash next to the toilet..things get stinky fast! -
Electricity staying on and not going off at
random times in the day -
Wi-fi close by…not having to walk 20 minutes to
a fast food chicken place or sit outside a hotel like a bum to get it -
Washer and drier -
A bed…hammock is a good escape, but missing my
comfy bed I can spread out on -
Dry weather. Oregonians…we have it REALLY GOOD!
This humidity is redonkulous..let me tell you. It’s raining right now actually
(it does every day for about 30 minutes anywhere from 2-4:30 in the evening)
and I am loving every drop. Every day I look like a little kid when it rains
because it reminds me of home…and it’s less humid J -
Kids listening to you. The kids at the
Barracones slum are mean! Some of them are sweat and bring you flowers to put
in your hair, or the plastic from the ring pop to put on your finger, but then
there are the vicious ones. The ones who will kick, punch, and throw rocks at
the other kids. The ones who you say “No Palin (not fighting)” to, and they
just laugh and proceed to punch and kick. I had a break-through with one of
them though. This girl Carla has rage issues and fights A LOT. So I sat with
her in my makeshift time out and repeatedly told her that if she keeps fighting
she will not get to play. Once time out was over, I told her, “Have fun, I love
you Carla”. She stopped dead in her tracks and looked at my bewildered. I said
it again, “I love you Carla, have fun, play nice”. After that moment, she would
not leave my side. She smiled more than I ever have seen, she now runs up to me
and gives me big hugs. It’s amazing the difference. I really believe she has
never been told I love you by someone. Maybe I am a softy but that chokes me up a little. (Sorry, that bullet point turned out to
be a paragraph) -
ICE! It’s boiling hot but you can’t use their
ice or you will get the runs -
Quiet at night. Dogs next door bark every night,
and roosters crow every morning. THANK YOU EAR PLUGS. I need to remember to buy
more. -
Air conditioning -
Fly catchers….flies come in droves here, but we
don’t really have anything to trap them with -
Walk somewhere alone….the men are REALLY
aggressive here so absolutely not walking alone -
Taking a shower every day -
Water pressure -
Privacy…my own room -
Feeling clean…you take a shower, and then
immediately after you are covered in sweat again. Even during the shower you
are using their dirty water, so you really never feel clean. My cleanest
showers are when I stand in the rain -
Being able to read labels at the grocery store -
Being able to find things you really want at the
store -
Being able to drink water from the faucet -
Being able to brush your teeth with the water
from the faucet instead of pouring your water bottle over your tooth brush
every time -
Not having to worry about getting parasites,
worms, or amebas. -
Did I mention privacy? -
Having more than 10 shirts to rotate between…who
am I kidding, I hate picking out what I wear…this is a World race plus side 🙂 -
Microwaves -
Walking on a side walk. The ones here are either
too small, badly cracked, or the trees haven’t been groomed so you have to
basically crawl under them if you want to walk on the side walk. Hence…the
sidewalk was what I was walking on when I tripped and messed up my legs. Ha
I am sure if I thought about it longer there would be a lot
more, but that is just a taste of some of the things that being here as
realized I take for granted back in the states. Even after having lived without
most of those things while I studied abroad in Bulgaria, I went right back to
taking them for granted when I went back home. Therefore, I challenge any of
you reading this right now to maybe pick one or two of these things that are on
this list, and really think about them in your daily life. Think, what if I
didn’t have this? For those of you who are really bold, maybe go a week or two
without using the microwave, or air conditioning, or taking a shower every day.
Something that would actually inconvenience you….like if you already don’t
use ice in your drink, that doesn’t really count. This way you can get a small
glimpse of what it is like every day for a Dominican. We are in the richest
part of San Juan…and this is our lives…most other places have it far worse. Can
you do it? 🙂
more, but that is just a taste of some of the things that being here as
realized I take for granted back in the states. Even after having lived without
most of those things while I studied abroad in Bulgaria, I went right back to
taking them for granted when I went back home. Therefore, I challenge any of
you reading this right now to maybe pick one or two of these things that are on
this list, and really think about them in your daily life. Think, what if I
didn’t have this? For those of you who are really bold, maybe go a week or two
without using the microwave, or air conditioning, or taking a shower every day.
Something that would actually inconvenience you….like if you already don’t
use ice in your drink, that doesn’t really count. This way you can get a small
glimpse of what it is like every day for a Dominican. We are in the richest
part of San Juan…and this is our lives…most other places have it far worse. Can
you do it? 🙂
If you have accepted this challenge, please please please
post what you plan to do on here, and then talk about the experience because I
would love to hear about it. Again, no pressure…not too much at least 😉
post what you plan to do on here, and then talk about the experience because I
would love to hear about it. Again, no pressure…not too much at least 😉
Here’s the church we work with/at:
