Señor, te damos gracias...

I want to tell you about Semillas de Mostaza, the after-school program I am working at this year in Arbolito.  But first, I need to start with a quote.  It's from (go figure) Sports Illustrated, October 2012 (thanks for sending it Mom and Dad!!).  Davey Johnson, manager of the NL East Champion Washington Nationals, said regarding the loss of two of his children, ''I try to look on it that I was blessed for as long as I had them.  They were joys.  But it's also the way I've lived my life.  I'm going to enjoy the right now.  My energy is about enjoying the moment the best way I can.  Losing two kids only reaffirms how precious each moment of your life is.  You're given a gift with every opportunity''

I can't think of a better way to describe Semillas de Mostaza to you.  My hat doesn't stay on my head for more than five minutes at a time (case and point, picture).  I double as a human punching bag and a jungle gym.  My shoulders no longer carry a backpack; rather, they carry kids pretending to be monkeys like Daniel (again, see picture).  I am no longer solely responsible for myself; I'm now responsible for 60 others, many of whom are rough-housing or screaming (or both!) at any given time.  I get juked out on the concha by 10-year olds who have more soccer skill than I could ever aspire to.  And you know what's awesome about all this?  I'm thoroughly enjoying it.

Now I also want to tell you about one kid in particular I've gotten to know these last few months.  Erick is one of the sweetest kids at our program.  He's a gentle kid with a great smile and a calm demeanor.  He wants to be a doctor when he grows up.  A few weeks back, Erick came to Semillas without his trademark smile, looking rather sluggish.  I casually asked him what was up.  He replied that no one was home at his house, so he hadn't eaten all day.  My heart sank.  Unfortunately, this is a reality for some of the kids at Semillas.  The program provides the kids with bread, banana, and a vitamin each day, but it does not necessarily change the situation at home or on the streets.  However, I do believe that the program has a positive impact for these kids, no matter how small of an impact it may be.  At the least, it is a safe space to study, learn, and play.  And I am certainly reminded everyday about enjoying ''the right now'', as Johnson writes.  I have, on any given weekday, 50-60 reminders that I am truly ''given a gift with every opportunity''.

We say this prayer at the end of program each day..I thought I'd include it at the end.  Happy Thanksgiving to everyone, thank you for all your love and support! 

''Señor, te damos gracias por un día más de Semillas y por compartir con nuestros amigos.  Te pedimos que nos cuides, que cuides a nuestros padres, maestros, voluntarios, chicos de la calle, y a todos los que nos rodean.  Ayudanos a ser mas respetuosos y bondadosos.  Te pedimos que bendiga el pan de cada día y gracias por tu amor''.

''Lord, we give thanks for another day of Semillas and for the opportunity to share it with our friends. We ask you to care for us, to care for our parents, teachers, volunteers, children, and all those around us. Help us to be more respectful and kind. We ask you to bless our daily bread, and we thank you for your love''. 

 

Long Overdue...

The last few months at Damien House have been pretty exciting!  A medical group from the U.S. recently visited Guayaquil to perform hip and foot procedures for kids from across the country in need of reconstructive surgery.  It was a very incredible week!  The group performed about 6 to 7 surgeries each day.  I got to help a bit with pre-op translating between the doctors and Spanish-speaking patients, and I was able to observe several of the procedures as well.  Being in the operating room and being able to observe the procedures was exciting, and I continue to feel a lot confirmation in pursuing my studies in medicine next year.  I am very thankful to the surgical team for all their insight and patience in answering all my questions!  

Perhaps the most rewarding part of the week, however, was the time I had to spend with the young patients and their families both before and after surgery.  I had the privilege of meeting some extraordinary young children, many of whom have endured the long hours of waiting in pre-op several times before.  Many of the kids were excited to have visitors and were eager to hear about where we lived and what we did in the U.S.  I was excited to learn more about the kids and hear their stories.  After 2 months of struggling through Spanish, it was encouraging to be able to carry on a conversation with these kids.  The families were very welcoming and looked forward to us coming back each day.  Once again, this week showed me the importance of a ministry of presence.  The next week, I got to help translate and sit in on consultations for patients in need of the nerve decompression surgeries due to Hansen's Disease.  The small medical group that traveled to Damien House from the U.S. saw upwards of 40 patients each day, many of whom had traveled several hours from the countryside to be tested.  One elderly woman had traveled on a bus from eastern Ecuador for over 24 hours.  I learned how to test manually for nerve damage in both the arms and legs.  Our sensory perception tests from the past 2 months were helpful, and I hope that continuing to test the patients will be beneficial for the group when they return next year to perform the surgeries.  

On an unrelated note, thank you to everybody for the birthday wishes!  I got to spend the first part of the day at Damien with the med group, and the afternoon was spent in the community with neighbors.  My community mates even made me an ice cream cake—awesome!  Thankful for the challenges and simple joys I find each day at Damien!  In the last month, I have had the chance to reflect and write a bit more about my experiences here (which means more blog posts to come as soon as I can get the ''writing'' transferred to the computer!).  Thank you all for your support through this journey..talk soon!