Emily
with Alexander at the center during lunch
We had another beautiful day here in
Veracruz. I started out the day seeing several “patients” at the
community center. The young men are working so hard to build the
new Community Center that it is taking its toll on their bodies.
I can tell how good it makes them feel to contribute that they don’t
like to complain, but it is hard heavy labor in the heat. It is
amazing to watch how they all pitch in to do whatever needs to be done,
regardless of the conditions. It made me feel good to be able to
ease some of their aches and pains before their day began. I also
had the pleasure to “treat” a couple of the grandmothers. These
ladies, well into their seventies, are an absolute delight. They
too work hard to take care of their extended families as they toil with
their hands more than you could possibly imagine.
The children arrived full of excitement and
energy. We started the day with songs of joy. We then
continued with our Harry Potter week by making coin purses. The
children loved getting a few “gallions” to put in their new purses as a
reward for saying “thank you”. Even the little ones were focused
and intent upon their craft. They are truly natural little
crafters and took to the activity with little direction (which was a
godsend as my Spanish is beyond rusty) After that they were in need of
some activity so we took them outside to play with the parachute.
Their laughter was contagious and the smiles were endless as they
burned off some excess energy. Then came the ever popular “snack”
with Harry Potter acid (lolly) pops sprinkled with magic “dust” from
sugary pixi stix. The kids really enjoy the opportunity to make
even the simplest crafts as the magic continued with more magic sticks
to decorate their crosses. Smiles were all around as they showed
off their beautiful handiwork.
Lunch soon followed. This was definitely a
highlight today as they feasted on tortillas, cheese and a pureed
tomato sauce from fresh grown tomatoes. An absolute delight which
quickly disappeared, unlike the plantains from yesterday. Not a
single one had to hold their nose to get it down. It is so
comforting to know that each child gets a healthy lunch each day along
with juice and a vitamin.
The afternoon group loves to start with
puzzles. They can’t get enough of them. We will definitely
have to come up with some more as they devour them faster than you can
possibly imagine.
Continuing with our Harry Potter week, we moved into
making potions. We watched a bit of the movie and then I got to
star as the witch. The children huddled around to watch me make
Dragon’s Drool and the Foaming Potion. It is amazing what a
little bit of baking soda and vinegar along with some food coloring
will do. We used our magic wand and our “spells” to make the
potions. The children loved putting their fingers in the potions
and “decorating” each other. It was all great fun!
The bulk of the afternoon was spent making colorful
Anglican prayer beads. Again the level of engagement of these
kids is truly astounding. They were so patient and excited as we
helped them create what is most likely the first set of prayer beads
any of them have ever owned. Marlene translated into Spanish what
each section represented and they had the opportunity to learn about a
third way to communicate with God through prayer. Not to be left
out, the afternoon group ended with Harry Potter acid sticks which were
definitely a highlight of the day.
Content and weary we headed over to the construction
site and were amazed at the progress since yesterday. They have
completed the area for the septic tank and had started and almost
completed another wall. God’s hand is truly at work in this
amazing project.
Dinner was a fabulous authentic Mexican feast with
tacos made with the most delectably seasoned pork and special corn
tortillas. Alex made some amazing guacamole and we all tasted
Saul’s famous habanero sauce. Mmmmm…..
The day ended with my most special patient of
all. I had the pleasure of helping Goldi with her overworked hand
and painful knee. Shy and private, I was thrilled that she
allowed me to examine and treat her in the hopes of easing some of her
pain. It was incredibly rewarding for me to be able to use the
skills that God gave me to make a difference for someone who truly
gives every bit of herself to make the lives of everyone else so much
better. I only hope in some small way that I can give a little
back to her for all that she has given to others.
-Cindy J.
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