Goodbye

   I hate goodbyes, especially long goodbyes. The day before we left we went to Ayapan to say goodbye to all our little kids who we have grown so close to in the last three months.

   As we pulled up to the soccer fields in Ayapan I noticed that there where barely any kids. But as we got out of the van and unloaded the food we brought, kids started coming by threes and fours. People started playing with the kids, I waited for the little girl I always play with names Anna, but she never showed up. After waiting about 15 minutes I found two little boys who where standing off to the side by themselves. I walked over to them and tried talking to them, but they wouldn’t say a word. The food was set out and ready to give to the kids, so we went and sate down close to the table with the food. Both the little boys wanted to sit in my lap, so instead of them fighting each one just sat on one leg.  The two boys ate all their beans and bread, but they didn’t like the spaghetti, every time I would try to get them to take a bite they would look at me and shake their hands. Before we left we handed out little Christmas bags with some toys in them. The little boys jumped up and ran to show their friends what they had gotten, I thought I wouldn’t get to say goodbye to them, but as I looked around I saw an older boy (maybe their brother) tell them something. Then they both ran over to me and gave me a big hug. It made me so sad knowing that I wouldn’t be able to get to know these two sweet little boys. As we where loading up it actually hit me that I wouldn’t see any of these kids again. I had been letting myself think that I would be coming back, that this wasn’t actually goodbye.  

   That night Germans family made us pizza and we had a party celebrating the three wonderful moths we got to spend with them. Fireworks are a big thing here, so of course everyone had a ball setting them off. Then German had everyone come into the dinning room, he told us how much he loved all of us and how we where his favorite group who has been to his house even though we break things, and how much he is going to miss us when we leave in the morning. It was hard to hold back the tears as he was talking, I didn’t want to think about leaving and possibly never seeing them again. Then his family handed out little doilie things that Suzie (our host mother) had made. Telling that family goodbye that night was possible the hardest thing I have done. Everyone was crying, and since I hate crying it was all I could do to hold back the tears. The next morning, we loaded our packs on the van, and once again told the family goodbye, this time for the last time.

   This family has done so much for us, they have gone above and beyond just giving is a place to live. We all have grown to love this family like they where our own. I will miss sitting in the kitchen and talk while they prepare dinner, or going into town with the girls.

   “The hardest part about saying goodbye is knowing that I may never see you again.” -Unknown