***If you are just now joining my Guatemalan experience, scroll down and begin with Day 1.
Day 3 - Marked the first full day at the orphanage.
We ate a good breakfast (that included black beans) and grabbed the bags that would go with us for the day. The van drove the bags everyday, and we chose to walk. It was only about a mile to the Home, and it was fun taking in the sites everyday on the walk.
Each day began with story-time. Guili, our talented storyteller from Peru, has such an amazing gift of communication. The story each day was a continuation from the previous day. Joseph was our hero, and Guili acted out with energetic gusto how he was hated by his brothers, abandoned and sold into slavery, accused of terrible things, rose to the top of command, and finally forgave his family. It was a message of hope for these sweet children.
(Special note: At the end of the week, one of the girls approached Guili and told her that she needed to forgive her mom, just like Joseph forgave his family. Guili had the pleasure of talking to her about that! If only one child was touched from our message of hope, my Montezuma's Revenge was definitely worth it!)
Below is a picture of my cousin Melissa during story-time.
During the story time, we would all pile onto the floor with the kids. They would snuggle in, fighting for our laps. Sylvia, Lupe and Kejla were always vying for Rick's lap.
Here, Rick and Carrie and Penny enjoy storytime
Me and two of the older boys during storytime.
This Monday morning, after the Joseph story-time, we divided the kids into groups for the week. They were given colored bracelets to wear for the week designating their group. 30 minute rotations began between Recreation, Music, Art, Bingo and Crafts. The groups were: older Boys, older girls, younger boys & girls, special needs, and toddlers. Actually, the toddlers didn't rotate with the other groups, as they stayed pretty contained upstairs in their area.
Rick and I teamed up with our new friend Jason for recreation. We had brought from the States LOTS of balls: soccer, football, kickball, basketball, etc. The big kids enjoyed organized kickball and soccer, while the little ones liked the parachute game. I didn't do very well conserving my energy during my time on the Rec team. After the first group of older boys, I was exhausted. But it was so much fun. We used our interpreters to go over the rules of the game, and then we played hard.
Lunchtime came at noon, and we would line the children up to wash hands before leaving for our own lunch. We loaded on the vans and went to grab a bite at a quaint Guatemalan bistro called Pizza Hut.
Upon returning to the Home, story time with Guili calmed the kids down. The theme of our week was "Tu Eres Especial" (You Are Special) and each afternoon Guili would tell a story related to being special. The Max Lucado Book "You Are Special" played a big role in the week. If you have never read the book, I highly recommend it. It's short, and has a great message.
For the rest of the afternoon, we had free time with the kids. So while the construction team continued on their work, Rick and I got to watch a movie with the kids. It was in Spanish, so The Incredibles didn't really make sense to me. But the kids loved it. I sat on the floor with a pre-teen boy in my lap (he was one of our special needs kids.) Rick had his 3 girls next to him.
Some of the girls got manicures during this time. We had packed hand lotion and fun colors of nail polish... the girls loved it! I wanted to help out with that, but someone sitting in my lap didn't want me to leave the room.
Meanwhile, the construction team finished putting down the grass for the new play area.
Upon finishing the movie (5 minutes before the end because the electricity went out), I learned that two of our teammates were leaving to go back home. Connie and her daughter-in-law Hollie were on the trip with us, and Connie's mother passed away... dear sweet Elizabeth Ryon. We were all greatly saddened. By the time I returned to the hotel, they were packed up & waiting on the 5 hour van ride back to Guatemala City. After hugs and tears, we sent them on their way home.
A quick shower (cold) and dinner out (unbelievably, a Texas Style Mexican restaurant) was next on the agenda. By this time, my tummy was feeling a little, um, different. Club Soda seemed to help. Following dinner we had our team meeting / devotion. These were special times, as the construction team would update us on the progress, and the inside team would share experiences from the day as well. We redistributed tasks for the next day, as we were going to be short Connie & Hollie.
High of the day: Wearing myself out with the kids at Recreation time
Low of the day: Finding out about Connie's mom passing away, and saying goodbye to Connie and Hollie
Each day began with story-time. Guili, our talented storyteller from Peru, has such an amazing gift of communication. The story each day was a continuation from the previous day. Joseph was our hero, and Guili acted out with energetic gusto how he was hated by his brothers, abandoned and sold into slavery, accused of terrible things, rose to the top of command, and finally forgave his family. It was a message of hope for these sweet children.
(Special note: At the end of the week, one of the girls approached Guili and told her that she needed to forgive her mom, just like Joseph forgave his family. Guili had the pleasure of talking to her about that! If only one child was touched from our message of hope, my Montezuma's Revenge was definitely worth it!)
Below is a picture of my cousin Melissa during story-time.
During the story time, we would all pile onto the floor with the kids. They would snuggle in, fighting for our laps. Sylvia, Lupe and Kejla were always vying for Rick's lap.
Here, Rick and Carrie and Penny enjoy storytime
Me and two of the older boys during storytime.
This Monday morning, after the Joseph story-time, we divided the kids into groups for the week. They were given colored bracelets to wear for the week designating their group. 30 minute rotations began between Recreation, Music, Art, Bingo and Crafts. The groups were: older Boys, older girls, younger boys & girls, special needs, and toddlers. Actually, the toddlers didn't rotate with the other groups, as they stayed pretty contained upstairs in their area.
Rick and I teamed up with our new friend Jason for recreation. We had brought from the States LOTS of balls: soccer, football, kickball, basketball, etc. The big kids enjoyed organized kickball and soccer, while the little ones liked the parachute game. I didn't do very well conserving my energy during my time on the Rec team. After the first group of older boys, I was exhausted. But it was so much fun. We used our interpreters to go over the rules of the game, and then we played hard. 
Lunchtime came at noon, and we would line the children up to wash hands before leaving for our own lunch. We loaded on the vans and went to grab a bite at a quaint Guatemalan bistro called Pizza Hut.
Upon returning to the Home, story time with Guili calmed the kids down. The theme of our week was "Tu Eres Especial" (You Are Special) and each afternoon Guili would tell a story related to being special. The Max Lucado Book "You Are Special" played a big role in the week. If you have never read the book, I highly recommend it. It's short, and has a great message.
For the rest of the afternoon, we had free time with the kids. So while the construction team continued on their work, Rick and I got to watch a movie with the kids. It was in Spanish, so The Incredibles didn't really make sense to me. But the kids loved it. I sat on the floor with a pre-teen boy in my lap (he was one of our special needs kids.) Rick had his 3 girls next to him.
Some of the girls got manicures during this time. We had packed hand lotion and fun colors of nail polish... the girls loved it! I wanted to help out with that, but someone sitting in my lap didn't want me to leave the room.
Meanwhile, the construction team finished putting down the grass for the new play area.
Upon finishing the movie (5 minutes before the end because the electricity went out), I learned that two of our teammates were leaving to go back home. Connie and her daughter-in-law Hollie were on the trip with us, and Connie's mother passed away... dear sweet Elizabeth Ryon. We were all greatly saddened. By the time I returned to the hotel, they were packed up & waiting on the 5 hour van ride back to Guatemala City. After hugs and tears, we sent them on their way home.
A quick shower (cold) and dinner out (unbelievably, a Texas Style Mexican restaurant) was next on the agenda. By this time, my tummy was feeling a little, um, different. Club Soda seemed to help. Following dinner we had our team meeting / devotion. These were special times, as the construction team would update us on the progress, and the inside team would share experiences from the day as well. We redistributed tasks for the next day, as we were going to be short Connie & Hollie.
High of the day: Wearing myself out with the kids at Recreation time
Low of the day: Finding out about Connie's mom passing away, and saying goodbye to Connie and Hollie
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