Last Tuesday a fellow missionary in Pana, named Bill, came to me and asked me if I could go with him to go build a table for this local poor family he knew in town. He had caught word from my teammates that I knew how to build things. So I went with him this one afternoon to go meet the family and to go see what wood they had for me to work with to build them a table, because they had no table of their own.
When I arrived at the families home, five kids came flying around the corner to see their new guests. They instantly grabbed hold of me wanting me to play with them, and my heart instantly fell for them as they fought for my attention and love. For some weird reason, I guess I apparently look like a human jungle gym, because every kid I meet wants me to throw them, to swing them, or to jump on my like I was tree. Anyways, I end up spending several hours at their house playing with the kids and discovering their story.
This family was a family of 9, which consisted of a grandmother that had a son and a daughter, and the daughter then had 6 children. The son and the daughter were both young. The daughter was only 25 and the son was still in high school. So there was no man of the house.
So as we departed for the evening, Bill and I decided to return the next day to build the table. So the following day, I returned to start designing this sweet new table. Thanks to Lone Tree Mexico Missions where I worked and learned my mad carpentry skills building homes… that is Lone Tree located in Southern New Mexico, which is the best camp for any junior high or high school aged youth group or individual. Okay, I’m not promoting or anything, right :)!!!! Anyways, I spent the afternoon building with Bill and the kids. Bill and I taught the kids how to hammer and to saw. It was a hoot!
After we finished the table, the kids and the family were so delighted. The kids began playing, jumping and dancing on it… all I know is that thank goodness it was a sturdy table! So that was fun.
Here’s a photo of the finished product and the kids!
The following week, Bri, Kari and I went with Bill to go play in the water with the kids and to drink milk smoothies. Check out Bri’s blog for some photos.
Then on this past Wednesday, I went by the family’s house to say goodbye because I was leaving the next day to get begin debrief and to bring the family a delicious lemon meringuie pie that Eric and Jon so nicely backed for them. Okay, so know this… I know very little spanish and they know no english at all other than “ear” and “hair”! So I didn’t expect to stay long, but that didn’t happen. Well, I got their and the kids just ran to me with open arms and with excited spirits. They were so excited to see the delicous treat I had for them. So they eageraly ran to the newly built table awaiting to devour the delightful gooing pie.
I ended up staying with them to partake in the devouring of the pie. Again, I thought it was going to be awkward because of the lanuage barrier, but not communicating verbally didn’t matter. We sat around the table learning each others languages. They did their best to teach me their native toungue, which is not Spanish, and I did my best not to look like a complete fool not being able to make their clinking noises or their rolling of the “r” in their words, but I did… oh well!!!! Afterwards, it was back to being the human jungle gym. All the kids just wanted to play. So I spent the next half hour or more just playing, too. What was hard was that the eldest girl, which was probably 12 and was close to my size, wanted me to be able to swing her and to throw her around like her other sibblings…. um yeah, that was interesting, but somehow it happened! I think I almost dropped her on her head like two times, oops! Anyways, they wore me out pretty good, and then it was time to say goodbye.
I began saying my goodbyes and they began shouting hasta manana, thinking that I will be returning the next day, which I knew I wouldn’t be, but I didn’t know how to explain to them that I won’t be returning possibly forever. So that was also interesting and very hard. My eyes began to water as they escourted me back to the main street hopping, smiling, and laughing. I said my last goodbye and began walking home, and that was the last time I saw them.
