(Unfortunately, due to technologic difficulties, this post has no photos. But, due to my lack of access to the outside world, here is my update in words...photos will come in a few weeks. :))
This month is FLYING by. I have only one more week working with the kids camp on the farm.
It has been an action packed experience, keeping me beyond busy and my heart over flowing.
Every day I wake up at 5:45, and with Julia go to the stadium to run...(remember how amazing Guatemalan food is....?) At least, we go when it's not raining. So far, running days have been less days than soaking (sleeping in) days...
I pull on dirty jeans and my muddy boots and grab my raincoat to welcome the kids. We are now one week into our second group, this group is much less diverse than the last.
In the first group, we had everywhere from 4-12 year olds. It kept it interesting working with both terrified four year olds riding for the first time as well as 12 year old girls who thought they knew everything. This group is mainly 6 to 8 year olds with a few younger and a few older. They don't like riding horses as much, and it's so much harder to keep them entertained on rainy days because they're not into jumping rope...
But, we work with what we have, and to improvise one day we ditched the plan and I spent nearly the whole day explaining how barrel racing worked, and demonstrating for them.
After the barrels, I was asked if Poise could jump. Neither I nor Poise have much experience in the jumping area, but the kids begged and begged so we gave it a shot.
Our helper Jose brought over a bamboo pole, and after trotting over it a few times, we were having fun, and the kids were loving it. They kept begging for more, so we raised the bar up on the barrels and tried a little higher. It was definitely a hit but we finally distracted the kids by offering to bathe Poise... they absolutely loved that, too.
Apart from the horse, we finally got a jungle gym set up with sand. It's so nice, and the sand keeps the kids busy in between activities. One day while playing with a precious 8 year old, Jose Enrique, I asked him how many siblings he has. He paused his playing to count for a few minutes on his fingers before nonchalantly saying "only ten" before bounding away to continue his games.
In the afternoons I have started teaching English. I teach Julia and Rodolfo basic English for an hour every day, and twice a week I have classes with an advanced group of parents of kids in the camps. I got paid for the first time in my travels, and it's such an incredible feeling! Getting paid for doing what you love in another country? Whaaaattt?? :)
It is keeping me crazy busy though, besides the kids and lesson planning...and trying to tame a killer mule. Miss Sheba the mule hates people, and is the smartest creature I've ever met. Her favorite activities include biting and kicking, but we are working on it....
Last weekend I had the privilege of joining my family on a three hour journey to their beef farm. I got to visit poorest towns I've ever seen, and reazlized that families of six really do live in houses smaller than my garage.
But the crazy thing is, these kids that have nothing to do but play with lassos and climb trees, they are so ridiculously happy. Ive experienced so much laughter in this month that im not sure I ever want to go back to the world of WiFi and TV.
Besides that, Julia and I have been having way too mucb fun shopping in "Pacas" which are stores with used clothes and shoes (and anything else you might want) from the US sent here for resale...and there is some really really nice clothes and shoes, all for 1-5$... I might have a new wardrobe when i come back...
I absolutely adore my family here. It feels like home with the horses and Jerseys and two little brothers. Today the four of them were in the yard lassoing each other and laughing like every family should. Take time to laugh, friends.
The other cool experience included a party in a cemetery. November first is a day to honor your family that has passed away. Everyone takes flowers and spends the day in the cemetery, eating food, playing music, and seeing who has the biggest kite! The kids make kites and everyone flies them above the grave stones. It was pretty neat to see hundreds of people dresses their best and flying hundreds of kites as bands played to honor the dead.
The bad is that I ruined my iPod, meaning that I dont have a lot of cool photos that I took over the last few weeks. The good is I bought a phone, so you can all call me now. It also has an amazing camera, so I promise the next blog will have more photos. :)
Until then. Xoxo
