Meet the Lopez family

   When I first met them, I was greeted with smiles from ear to ear. I didn’t know much about the family of five other then they needed some work on the new home they were living in at the time. 

 

                                                                      
                            

   At first I was very overwhelmed with all of the garbage and debris. I kept trying to think how I could be beneficial to the family. I have no background in carpentry, I’m not strong enough to lift the majority of things that needed to be moved and I didn’t want to give them mediocre results. For the first few days of work, I felt as though I was in the way and was causing more harm than good. I was given tasks that I had no idea how to trouble shoot. When I attempted to execute them, I wasn’t making any beneficial progress. At this point of frustration, I took a step back and asked God why I was here. 
                                             

   That same day Marium, the mother of three boys, had just offered to teach us how to make tortillas. All of the girls were more than excited to stop attempting to play “Bob the Builder” and really wanted to absorb anything Marium wanted to offer us. I never once ever thought that making a corn tortilla would be as difficult as it was. None of mine turned out in to nice circles or an even consistency. Marium told me I did a good job on all of them though. She always had encouraging words for us and would continuously go out of our way to make us feel like we were appreciated even when we messed up.

                                              

   The next day I sat down with the oldest boy, Carlos Jr., who was very proud to show me his homework notebook and how well he has been doing in school. He has a very inquiring mind and is always aware of his surroundings. Carlos is an amazing big brother who is continuously expressing acts of selflessness and leadership for his brothers.
                                                                  

   Another day Abraham wanted to play soccer and playing against me was probably a huge self-esteem boost. He has the most genuine smile on his face and truly cares about people and carries himself with such a gentle nature. When saying my last good bye to Abraham, a huge alligator tear fell from his face. He was so authentic in all of his actions, and when he loves someone, you can tell. I had packed a hat that I had yet to wear because it was a boy’s hat, so I gave it to Abraham the night before I left since he and his brother were sharing one hat at the time. It was so hard looking at his face knowing I wouldn’t be seeing it in person again for a very long time. I found a permanent marker in my backpack and wrote him something in the inside of the hat so he would have something physical to remind him how much I loved him.  
                                    

   The youngest boy, Isea, was a lively firecracker. He always had an abundance of energy and could not wait to scream your name and give you a hug. It was impossible to be in a bad mood when you were around him. Isea loves animals, so one day I turned him in to a cat. He spent hours meowing around the house and licking his hands. He looks up to both of his brothers and wants to be just like his dad. When they are both in the same room Isea tries to mirror what his dad is doing.
                        

   Carlos Sr. broke every Latin American stereo type. He was so prevalent in his family’s life and worked extremely hard to provide. He was so patient with us when we would mess up on a project; it was very difficult to ruffle his feathers. Carlos Sr. works as a tuk tuk driving and let Paul drive it on a back road just because he knew the boys had been eyeing it up all month.