Last Team of 2011!!

Wow, our 2011 work team season is over!!  Didn’t it just start?!  Anyways, this past week we had a team here from Salem Heller’s church in PA, it was a fun group!  We were once again out working on the wall, but also helping with a lot of childcare.  The staff at the orphanage had a retreat, so those from our team and a team that came directly through the orphanage provided the childcare!

Lunch with the babies!

The wall… what can I say?  It’s still a lot of work, even more now that we have to go DOWN from the side of the road!  Along the road (right after the guardrail) there is a slanted (45-50 degree slant) section that is covered with cement.  SO, we had to tie someone onto the guardrail and lower buckets of cement and blocks down by a rope.  I got to be the person hanging on the rope at times, it was a fun challenge!!  The group got quite a bit of work done, which is excellent!!

Lowering block...

Doesn't look like much, but it works!

Cement

The whole setup!

In addition to work and childcare, Saturday was a chicken BBQ for all the kids at the home.  We had something like 300lbs of chicken, and everyone had plenty to eat!  There were also different activities going on with the kids, so everyone had something to do.  On Sunday then, we had church in the morning and then went to yet another home in the afternoon to hang out and play with the kids. 

Buddy BBQing

She kept yelling "Hola pollo!"

Gotta love making visors!!

Sunday activities!

= )

So yes, thus ends our 2011 work team season.  It has been a lot of fun getting to know people from all over North America (Canada included!) and to reconnect with returning members!  It’s a little sad to think that we will not have another complete season of work teams with ORI, but it’s also exciting to see what opportunities God is providing for us in this coming year!  

Risa and her Pina!!

We lost electric...  

Rainy season= Hummer season!

What?!  Last team?!

Risa missed the memo...  =)

There we go!

2 services at Casa de Libertad, starting September!!

Just goofing off...

Cookies!!

Visitation day… a day at pretty much any given orphanage that some children are THRILLED to be able to see their families, other children are scared to see their families, and yet even other children are heartbroken because they have no families.  It is heartbreaking to be at an orphanage during visitation day, to see some kids so happy to see their families and then crying as they leave.  To see some children just hanging back, wondering if their families will even bother to come this time, or those getting all dressed up and ready only to be disappointed with nobody visiting.  To see other children not doing a thing different because they know they have no family to look forward to. 

SO, these past few months, our family has been trying to take a few children from a nearby home and do something special with them on visitation day.  We try to take the kids that don’t have anybody coming to visit, that way they can feel like they have a family, even if it’s only for a day!  Yesterday we picked up five kids (that the orphanage directors had chosen), ranging from 6-9 years old, brought them to our house and decorated cookies with them.  It was quite a hit and I think all the kids had a great time!!  But, come to find out, 5 kids decorating two batches of sugar cookies doesn’t even take an hour…  hmm!!  So we improvised!

Such concentration...

Oso's not sure what to think about all this!!

The whole clan

Our darling icer  =)

After the decorating was done, we walked the kids down to a small park in our neighborhood.  They played for a while and then mama came down with a plate of cookies.  Since each person had already eaten a cookie, they seemed to know that the cookies weren’t for them, but who?  Mama did a little bible story with them about how God gave us the gift of Jesus and how we are to give gifts to others.  Once the lesson was done, our whole crew walked up to the guard house and the kids presented the guards with this plate of cookies!  I’m not sure who was smiling bigger; us, the kids, or the guards!!  =) 

Lots of playing!!

Strike a pose!  ;)

The trek to the guard house

So excited to carry the cookies!!

The face says it all!

We spent the rest of our time eating lunch, playing with Oso, and getting ice cream.  At lunch, one of the girls thanked God for this “marvelous day” that He had given them, and then proceeded to attack her mac and cheese!  While out with Oso, another girl was talking about her dogs that she had at home and how they wouldn’t bite her because they knew her.  It was interesting (and saddening) listening to them talk about their lives, both now and from before. 

Oso went a little nuts...  but he did well with the kids!!

See?

Nobody was quite sure what to think!

Mmm, ice cream!

Eventually we got everyone back to the orphanage, along with a HUGE box of cookies to share with everyone!  Many of the kids came and said thank you and then ran off to tell others about their adventures.  Others in the home that had gone with us before were asking when they could go again… I guess we’ll have to see!!  =) 

Looking back at the day, it’s easy to find myself thinking, “we only have them for a few hours this one time, what impact could that possibly make?!  Not to mention they ‘re starting to drive me crazy!!”  But then again, who knows what a little loving and a few cookies could do?  Maybe it will make more of an impact than I might think!  And, hey, these smiles and sticky handed hugs make it 100% worth it!!  =)  

Texas!!!

I know a lot of people have been asking about my trip to Texas, and, instead of writing it out a bunch of different times, I figured I’d just explain it once and for all!!  But, the one problem is that describing the whole trip would take too long, so I’ll just give the highlights!  =)  These are in no specific order!

-John and Alisha’s wedding--- This was the main reason I went to Texas, to surprise Alisha at her wedding.  I am glad to say that I did succeed!!  At the reception, J and A were going around greeting people and, at the time, she still didn’t know I was there.  There was kind of a lull in the greeting, so I went over and (as nonchalantly as possible) said hi to Alisha.  She turned around and started the “Hi, I’m so glad you came!” routine and then she realized who she was talking to… she stopped, screamed and started jumping around, it was awesome!!!  The entire place went dead silent when she screamed; I think it caught everyone (myself included!) off guard!!! 

With the Forbi!!  

-Traveling alone--- Being that this was my first time really traveling alone; it made things a little bit of an adventure.  Overall travel went well though, met some interesting people and really got to know the areas of the airports I was in!!  ;)  Having a window seat every time didn’t hurt it at all! 

My plane from Guate-FL

Sunrise coming back to Guate

What?!?!

-Hanging out with Scott and Carrie--- We met Scott and Carrie here in Guate, they were staying at a nearby orphanage and we got to know them there!!  It was fun to just be with them and see the different places they talk about. 

-The Lake House--- We went to S and C’s lake house for a few days… it was tons of fun!!  We went out on the boat some, swam, went tubing and jet skiing.  I fell in love with the jet ski and was often out there first thing in the morning!!  =)

We didn't take him for a ride...

Tubing!!  

Jet ski wave jumping...  so fun!!

View from the house

Addicted!!  =)

-Six Flags--- We went to Six Flags one day and, even though it was REALLY hot, it was (once again) lots of fun!!  Since it was a week day and it was so hot, there were barely any lines and we were able ride pretty much all the roller coasters!  It had been a while since I was on a good roller coaster, so I got my fill for a while!!

Yup, we rode all those roller coasters!!

= )

-Reuniting, even if only for a few hours--- At Alisha’s wedding I also got to meet up with a few other friends/”family”.  It has only been a month since I’ve seen Susan and Hannah, but it was SO good to see them again!!  I also got to see a few other friends that I had met here in Guate, funny who you see at weddings!  ;)

With Alisha (bride and "sister") and Lydia (friend)

Got to catch up with Susan ("sister") a little, love her!!

Love my "sisters"!!  =)

-Jack, the devil dog--- Scott and Carrie have a Lab puppy, Jack.  He’s a mess and a brat, but he was a good substitute while I wasn’t around Oso!! 

How could you not love that face?

On the way to the lake

Diving after ice cubes...  :)

-Seeing Texas--- I’ve gotten to meet quite a few people from Texas since moving to Guate, so it was fun to see the state that I’ve heard so much about!!! 

Beautiful sunset!

So flat and dry!!!

Those are all beer cans...  can't say I've seen that before!!  

Ok, I think that about sums up my trip…  I really had a great time with lots of fun new experiences, but at the end, it was also good to get home!  =)

My greeting at one home...  baby in hand and kids hanging on!!