The day started when we enjoyed a delicious breakfast here in our hotel. As always, the Nicaraguan coffee and Gallo Pinto were excellent. We spent the rest of the morning getting stuff ready for the day's festivities and talking about the vision of VISEDAL.
I get overwhelmed sometimes by the complications of this whole endeavor, and it's such a privilege to have such talented and caring people here to talk issues through with. My mom, Brad, and Emily have so many awesome and creative ideas. I´ve heard that the best way to run an organization is to surround yourself with people smarter than yourself, and I must say that this strategy seems to be working out quite well.
We then went back to my old stomping grounds, Pollo Campero, for lunch with the kids and their families. My mom and Brad went ahead and set up these wonderful make-your-own photo albums that Crystal and Scott from the Big Top donated. We gave each kid 8-12 pictures of themselves from my previous time here, and they each made their own scrapbook to take home. The albums were a big hit. The kids loved them. I'm not sure if I've seen them sit still for that long before. I'm positive that the kids will treasure them forever. More on the power of photos later...
What followed, of course, was the fried chicken. We ordered 60 pieces, since some kids we'd never met before showed up, swelling our total to almost 30 with the moms. Our old friend, Claudia, was there to serve us, just like she did every day during my time here last fall and winter.
Claudia treats the kids with dignity, and I appreciate her for that. So many people treat these kids poorly throughout the day, and Claudia, even though I'm sure she knows who the kids are, does not. She serves us like she was working at a five-star restaurant, pouring drinks, picking up trash from the floor, and bringing the kids their to-go boxes. Today she even brought out a paper crown for each kid.
We, by taking the kids out for a fun meal, try to make the kids feel special. But, without the treatment we receive from Claudia, lunches could easily be yet another occasion for the kids to feel like second-class citizens.
So, we spent a few hours in Pollo Campero eating chicken, making photo albums, and having a good time. I really felt like no time had passed since I left in January. The kids even acted up for old times sake when they decided to pelt two girls not from our group with the play area balls.
After lunch we went to visit the house of one of the families. I´d been to the house before but Brad, Emily, and my mom had not. On the way there we made countless turns in this neighborhood and, having been off the main road for quite some time, were discussing how we would never be able to return on our own.
This house is made of cinder block and technically consists of four rooms, although calling it one big room divided into four smaller ones paints a more accurate picture. Five kids and two parents live there, and everyone besides the baby shares a bed. There was no food in the kitchen, and the bathroom was a small area with a hole sectioned off by a sheet. It also doubled as the shower area. We all gained a much greater appreciation for the efforts the kids and their parents make to get so clean before we spend time together. Their process is much harder than my 5 minute shower.
I was most impacted by the clear and powerful presence of photographs of the kids, my family, and my good friend Nefret in their house. They have one large poster in their main room but I can´t tell you what the poster of. Taped to the front were around 20 pictures that we had taken and given to the kids from our time together. On top of the tv was a framed picture of one of the girls, Ninoska, and Nefret that Nefret has sent previously sent down. Ninoska proudly showed me the picture while repeating Nefret´s name in a tone formed by her huge smile.
We spent about two more hours at their house, shooting some video interviews of the kids and talking. At one point Emily had to leave in an effort to stop the kids from going through their house looking for thing to give her. She ended up with several small but clearly very valuable presents. In addition, the families gave my mother some Mother´s Day presents, which elicited many tears of humbled joy. I can´t help but think of the Bible story of the poor widow´s offering. Like her, these people gave us out of what they don´t have, which makes the gifts immeasurably more valuable.
We visited one more home before taking a family back downtown. Thankfully they got us out of the neighborhood. I think we´d still be driving around lost.
Tonight we had a late dinner with Abdhie, Keren, Esmir, and some of their friends. I enjoyed reconnecting with my best friends from my time living here.
Ok, it´s late and I need to sleep. More tomorrow.
Be prepared. We´re throwing a birthday party for all 13 kids (plus 7 more who have been showing up) tomorrow at the Fun House (the Nicaraguan Chuck-E-Cheese). It will be intense.
-dw
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