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Published: September 11th 2008
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A Little taste
What the surrounding property around the house is like Hey You Crazy Kids,
Like I mentioned in my last blog, for the past two weeks the directors were gone. Since then, only the female director has returned and the male still has another month. I wasn't sure what it was going to be like without them, because they really have a good system going here, so I didn't know what to think once they were removed from it. It was a bit tough at first, because the directors are really the only people i talk to in english, but after a while i enjoyed really only being able to speak spanish 24 hours a day.
But in doing this, my conversational spanish really picked up. I started chatting during all my meals with the co-workers (all spanish speaking locals) and developed a better relationship with all of them. It went from just working together to being friends. I even started teaching them some english, but it is tough because most of them don't know how to read or write, which makes it tough when i am trying to explain a word to them. Two days ago was my 21st birthday, which i have been obviously thinking about for some
Sheyla
The new nina Sheyla i was talking about time now, and never in my wildest fantasies did i ever dream i would be spending it with a bunch of 30 or so year old women in Guatemala. But it was actually very enjoyable and i will never forget it. After breakfast me and my buddy here walked down to a little local tienda for a cerveza (just to say i did it). Once we got home each kid gave me a hug (they said it was their gift to me) and later on i had a cake with the co-workers. They have very formal traditions here for things like birthdays and after eating each one separately came up to me for a hug and said some kind words. Even though it was never what i thought i would be doing on my 21st birthday, i really wouldn't have it any other day.
While the directors were gone, i had to become guardian to their kids (14 year old boy and 5 year old girl). So i did the whole nine yards like driving them to school, making sure they did their homework, etc. One of the days however i got to talking with on of the P.E. coaches
Stupid american
Of course they had to trick me.....and of course i fell for it at the school, and we discussed the possibility of me coaching the basketball team at the high school. As of late i have been attending their practices, and it too is a different experience, because all of the kids are children of missionaries. From doing things like helping coach this team, and teaching english both in the school at the home and to the co-workers, I have really developed a greater respect for teachers and coaches i have had in the past. It is not easy to say the least, and i could never imagine dedicating my life to it, but for those who will, i tip my hat to you.
In late march here there was a big corruption scandal that involved a women having her infant child stolen from her, but unlike many other cases in which this happens, she ended up finding her child at a public office for adoptions and was able to prove the corruption in the adoption business that has been going on for so long. Once they did incover this scandal, all adoptions were put on hold, so that they could thoroughly research each and every child to make ensure that they weren't
Co-Workers
Singing happy birthday and getting pumped up to eat some cake too abducted or part of some scandal. It has been about 6 months since then, and finally those kids are finally getting processed again to be sent to their adoptive families. As part of the process we had to go to a little local adoption office for what i think is a check-up on the child (not 100% positive what it exactly is, because everyone i went with only spoke spanish so i couldn't completely understand the exact reason). It took about 4 hours of waiting for a 15 minute meeting (kind of the way how everything goes around here) and once we were leaving we recieved another child from the office. She is a 3 year old named Sheyla, and she was the first child in which i had witnessed us recieving in person. Usually i will walk out from my room in the morning and another kid will be there, and i don't know how or where we got her from. But Sheyla was really having a hard time the entire car ride home (30-45 minutes) and for good reason. I don't know what my reaction would be at 3 years old when if i were taken from
Walter
My only co-worker who is a male. My main man everything and everyone i know and put somewhere else. So i tried calming her down and it worked. Almost too well, because now she balls her eyes out everytime i am not around (something that the other workers aren't too happy about).
Things are really going well and everything is feeling a lot more natural than before. I no longer feel like i am in a foreign place, it is becoming a home.
Until next time,
Brennan
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Wes Hall
non-member comment
Hi Brennan; I am a close friend of Jon and Nancy P in Little Rock and used to work with Steve and Shyrel when they were at Casa Aleluya. Your blog is great, I love the experiences your are having and the view of God's nature that it is surely giving you. Through this time you will gain unique insight into who God is and how much he loves us. May He have much glory and may you have much joy through this process. Please tell Steve and Shyrel I said hello when you see them. I love them mucho. thanks. wes