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Published: September 27th 2008
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From the hike
The only photo i could manage on that hike i did. Just a little peek of the terrain i had to go thorugh Hey everyone,
Not a whole lot has happened since my last entry. One of the babies has gone back to his mom, but that's about it. There are some hearing this week that will hopefully result in some of the kids going back to their families or relatives. The other night we received a 5 day old at night time, and with just our luck, we had no power that night. When he came in he had no name, so I of course volunteered my own, but apparently Brennan isn't a popular guatemalan name. Who would have thought. They instead named him Samuel.
I think my style for dealing with the boys is slowly but surely working. Every morning when i walk out to see the kids, a handful of the boys run up to me and start rattling off the names of who wet the bed. For those who don't get their beloved high-5 and privileges later on in the day. The number of names is getting smaller day by day, and hopefully it can continue to do so.
I really am enjoying my walks with the boys. For obvious reasons, we are limited in the trails we can walk on, but we still are just exploring the land surrounding and the little villages near by. I am really starting to get into a routine with them, but in the beginning it was tough to figure out how i would handle them, because of their unique lives up until this point. Like i said in past post, the boys are living in a female's world, and at times it is very noticeable. They will cry about little harmless things, but i am teaching them that how boys act and how girls act are different. Sure there are plenty of times when crying is necessary for a child, but those circumstances are heavily outweighed by the times they cry when it is not needed. It's funny because now when one of the boys in my group erupt into tears or throw a tantrum for no reason, the other boys say to him to stop crying because only girls are supposed to do that. In no way am i trying to make the boys emotionless, but instead i am simply trying to teach them to act like boys. In a way, i am just trying to give these kids as normal of a childhood as possible. I think that too many times that kids end up in homes, people place a bubble around them because they are too afraid for them to get hurt or something else like that. There is also fear of the system and what the courts might think. I don't feel like simply giving a bed and feeding a child is all they need. I agree they need these obvious things, but there is also so much more. There are times that a kid harmlessly falls down and instead of sprinting over to them to baby them, i tell them to basically pick themself up and dust themself off. I don't want you think that i am being heartless in these actions, i am just simply trying to treat them like i would if he/ she were my own. I have worked with and been around people my own age who have been through the orphanage system all their life, and you can really tell. They aren't really prepared for life afterwards, because nobody took the time to treat them like a normal kid.
In trying to figure out what i should do at times, i think back to how i was raised. I feel like i had a pretty fortunate childhood with good parents and good mentors along the way. Even little memories that seem so meaningless to adults, i instead remember to be the coolest things that ever happened to me. For example, if the boys behave properly or if i am just feeling like a sucker to them, on our walks we will go down to a little corner tienda (store) and i will get them all candy or lollipops. They get so excited when we start walking in the direction because they know what is in store for them. People are very friendly in Guatemala. Very rarely do i walk by somebody without hearing a nice "good afternoon" or something along those lines. Our walks have obviously rubbed off on the boys, because they used to be shy around everyone, but now they are chanting "hola" to everyone they see. I find it humorous. But last Sunday while on our walk to the tienda i randomly heard running water (like a creek or a river) in the distance and was determined to figure out what it was. So once we returned to the house, i packed up a little backpack with a few bananas and a water bottle and headed out. I ended up finding the source, which was a creek that ran in between the mountains we live on, but decided to not stop there. I then continued to head for the top of the highest mountain i could see, which i estimate was about a 3 mile hike. Once i got to the top i found a rock to sit on and i just observed a full 180+ degree view of all of Guatemala City and more. I probably sat there for a half hour just soaking in the scenery.
With as good as everything seems to be going around here, there are those moments that seem to put everything on hold. A few days ago i was eating my lunch alone in a room right next to a sliding glass door that leads to the backyard where the kids play. When i sat down i had noticed that there were a few kids near the door just hanging out, which is nothing out of the ordinary. One of the kids happened to be a little girl named Monica. She has a mental disability which challenges her in doing many things like the ability to speak, but still has one of the best attitudes out of any of the kids. Sheryl calls her "Miss Congeniality". Anyways, while i was eating that day i had noticed in the corner of my eye a kid start to stumble inside the house, which didn't make me think much, because of all the kids who are learning to walk. But then i noticed the kid fall pretty hard to the floor which made me take real notice to what was happening. I looked down and it was Monica, and she was seizuring on the floor. I did what any normal person would, and started to have a mini panic attack on the inside, because i was the only adult in sight, and hadn't ever dealt with a situation like this. A few seconds later my sense kicked in and i ran to the nurse. Apparently this is said to be a common thing for Monica, but since i have been here i had heard about them but never witnessed it. Luckily, Monica was wearing her helmet as a safety precaution, because they are expected with her. She ended up being fine, and the nurse picked her up and made sure she was ok. Two minutes later Monica was walking around the backyard again like she always does. As normal as this is for the rest of the workers, it shook me up pretty good. At the time i didn't know what was happening. I didn't know if i had to do anything while she was on the floor. So many bad things were running through my mind, and i feel incredibly fortunate that nothing bad did happen. I feel horrible that it takes a instance like this to remind me how much I care for these kids.
Since Steve left in late August to fundraise in the states, i have been working every day. Once he returns in mid october (or possibly later) i will get some time off to go somewhere of my choice for a mini vacation. I have narrowed it down to two places. One being a place here in Guatemala called Tikal. Apparently it has a bunch of old Mayan ruins and stuff like that to check out. The other place is a beach town in El Salvador. This seems to fit my personality more, but i have had second thoughts, because i don't know how many chances in my life i will have to see stuff like old Mayan ruins, while i know there are plenty of times in the future i will be in beach towns. But then again it is a chance to visit El Salvador. I am open to any opinions from whoever has anything to say.
Until next time,
Brennan (El gringo original)
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David Russell
non-member comment
Belize
I bet you are ready to take some time off, Brennan. Sounds like you have been one busy guy with Steve out fundraising in the USA. Have you considered going to Belize? Glenyce and I have been looking into going there for a vacation next year and it is right next to where you are in Guatamala. How long will you be working on this Mission? Maybe you and your dad and I can get together for a visit when you are back in San Diego. Hope all continues to go well for you. God bless, David