My Funny Boys

So I have been thinking how incredible funny the boys are here. The things that come out of their months just cracks me up. The month or I do not remember when Josué refused to do his work. He kept telling me he was too tired, and I kept asking him how he was tired if he did none of his work in school or in study hall. So after 30 minutes or more of him refusing to do work because he was, "too tired" I told him he could go to sleep. It was 8:00, well he quickly changed his mind and told me that he was not tired, but his finger was tired. Again how a finger can be tired if beyond me, but the boy did no work all day so entirely impossible.

Or when we are just walking and a kid will burst out with some horrible bodily functions, and all the boys are just laughing at the boys who "did it." I just think it is funny to be around boys all the time. I mean their bad habits like spitting are really rubbing off on me. Or when they are running in an area where they are not supposed to be and then they fall, but they never get hurt they just laugh it off and we all laugh with him. Or when the boys are supposed to be showering and instead they are dancing in their towels. Or when they are in the shower or in the bathroom and they do not know that I am in the dorm and they start singing, I just love it. They just say and do the funniest things. I wish everyone who read this blog spoke Spanish, because the things that they say in Spanish just are not funny in English, you have to understand it to appreciate. Or when the boys are in line and one is not paying attention and all the others get on to him again for some reason is funny. I do not know why, maybe my quality of humor has gone down since I have been living with boys this whole time. I do not know all I know is when I was explaining to Gladys (ex-volunteer from last year) about the Josué thing we were just cracking up. Anyway if you are reading this and have children try and remember all the things they do funny, because later on it will really make you smile, like my kids do here.

Oh the water in Casa Hogar

Yesterday the water that we drink was tasting and smelling rather horrible. So Majo, Cesy and I decided to clean out the water dispenser. Well it smelled as if an animal crawled in the thing and died. So I suggested to use a bit of bleach to kill the smell and clean out the filtration system. Well Majo told me to use the way more bleach than I should have so we spent an hour pouring and draining water to clean out the system. And then I covered up the bleach smell with lemons, but then we had pure lemon water, and so I spent more time pouring and draining the water. Just another one of our bright ideas here in Casa Hogar.



Then I went to take a shower this morning and I have no water. So we have 5 girls now sharing a shower. Cesy and Angie have no hot water and will not have hot water because Felipe (the man who does and can fix everything) is having to break open all the cement with a sledgehammer and change all the pipes which look like they have been in the ground since 1900. So we are all sharing a shower which has no shower head the water just streams out like a hose. And in the same bathroom the handle is broken on the toilet so you have to lift the cover and pull the chain for the water to go down. So the water problems are huge right now, but at least we have clean water to drink that does not taste funny and I got to shower.

On other news, the boys have that end of the year itch and not wanting to do much in school or here. The weather is so nice all they want to do is play and have a good time. Which I cannot blame them, but I am tired tired tired. Especially when I have to fight with 11 boys to make sure they are where they are supposed to be and doing what they are supposed to be doing. So there is only 2 full months and a week left to go, and I am sure that each week will get harder, because I remember those last few weeks of school, and not wanting to do much then but God this is difficult. All I need is some patience to get me through these next 2 months, and a vacation to look forward to.

Changes in Casa Hogar

So I came back from my wonderful vacation with my sister and brother-in-law. And I mostly slept, relaxed, and enjoyed some amazing home cooked food. Well I came back on Wed. and all the volunteers were still on their vacation, so I just enjoyed my time here alone and relaxed some more, I never thought that I was so tired. I knew that I was ready to come back, and that was a good sign, and I was ready to see the boys and the volunteers. Well I was so happy to see the kids and the volunteers I was in tears just overjoyed and so emotional to be back home with my kids. I know this work was going to be tough, but I am really starting to think about the day when I actually have to leave my boys, and how sad and hard that is going to be for me. So I just have to continue to enjoy and take in as many positive things that I can. Well I have been thinking a lot about my next step in life, and I have gone back and forth with a lot of things but I think I have finally come up with something that will work out for me. And I know God will not lead me astray. So we shall see what is to come of that.

On another note, Elizabeth the other volunteer who came with me decided to leave and go home this past weekend. And so she said her goodbyes this morning to me at 4:00 a.m. and said her goodbyes to all the kids yesterday. It just all happened so fast I do not think that it has really hit me that I am the only one now representing Mi Casa and the U.S. here. But I have such a great support system here with the bothers, volunteers and my friends. And then at home I have so many people on my side and praying for me I think I will be just o.k. Actually I know that I will be fine, because God has never given me a challenge that I cannot handle, and this is yet another challenge and I know that I can get through it. I am actually excited to see all the changes around here, I will know be working with a different volunteer and I am the one in charge. And it is like I really have to step up to the plate these next 3 months. And I know that I can stick it out and just give as much love to the kids that they need, because that is really what it is all about, the boys and nothing more.

Reflection

SO I am sitting in my sister's house in Texas and just thinking how amazing my life has turned out. I have really been trying to figure out my next move in life, but I have decided to stop tyring to make all kinds of plans, and just live. I need to stop focusing on what is going on happen and really enjoy these days with my boys. I will go back to Casa Hogar and only have three months left with my boys and my community. Although I have had some ups and downs with them, they have been my family and my support system here. They are the ones who I have gone to when I needed to have a good cry or when I was down they knew how to make me laugh. They have been wonderful to work with. And my boys have just been so amazing to me, everyday I thank God that I have 11 boys at night to tuck in, and tell I love you. This experience has changed my life in so many aspects. I really do not care where I am going to end up in three months, because I was given the best gift anyone could ever receive and that is my boys. I have really been thinking about them since I am here in the States and enjoying my vacation. I hope that they are doing the same with their families and friends. And hopefully staying out of trouble. So I can still say that these boys are just little angels who have been placed in my life, and they are so amazing.