i found out how to change to language on this blog.... so that means i can use spell check! lucky for all of you... half way into my stay i figure it out. oh, it makes me laugh.
since i have been coming to acapulco for so many years i have some great and memorable taxi stories. seriously, great taxi stories. anyhow, we were riding in a taxi the other day and it made me laugh because we were riding in a new taxi. i knew this because not only was the interior was new, clean, and completely intact, but the taxi got up my hill (mountain) without sounding like it would implode. most importantly though is that the speedometer worked... funny, but true. anyway, i thought it was funny.
i had construction duty this week and some of the older boys have been helping out. which is funny because this was an opportunity i got to know them in a different setting without all the little kids around. well, jonathan was one of them helping and on friday he and i had cement wars. needless to say, i have a nice new layer of cement on top of my left shoe.
patti... i will answer your question and explain the great wonders of doing construcion. we were scrubs because we are required to wear pants and goodness knows that i would keel over and die if i was wearing normal pants out in this heat. well, i only have one pair of scrubs... so that means one pair of scrubs for four days of constructions from 8am-12.30pm. which equals lots of smelling and overall grossness. good thing i really dont care. :) i do take a shower afterwards though... for my sake and everyone elses. :)
during the morning part of the day on friday, the team was asked to de-weed/clean up/remove debris/ remove dirt/ etc from a patch of buried side walk out side of casa hogar. and let me tell you that some of these kids needed dawn bradley for a mother when they were younger because for the life of them they did not know how to pull a weed out a the ground. they need to come to my house for a summer and spend it with my mother... they will know exactly how to pull all kinds of weeds. that story was for you michelle. :)
well, i don't have any more stories that i can think of. i guess it has been a quite week. i dropped off my laundry at the place across the street... i am taking a chance that it will be washed this time. it was this place or lug it down the hill and quite frankly i will take the chance of it not being washed again before i lug it down and back up the hill.
i cant believe i have been here for a month. it has flown by. i am happy to be here the kids and i are both excited for orangewood to come. they ask me every couple of days when orangewood is coming and who is going to be in the group coming.
bradley family, have fun in nice cool michigan with the holzhauers. eat lots of cherries for me. :)

I am on Emily's computer so it has normal buttons! You know what this means?! I can capitalize things! So exciting. :)

Yesterday Osvaldo and Eder came into our kitchen because Osvaldo hurt his foot in the courtyard. Eder was not hurt but came wanting to dress the wounds. It was interesting, as Osvaldo sat down in a chair I knew he didn't want Eder to fix his foot. So, I sat down in the chair opposite and propt Osvaldo's foot onto my lap. I smiled as the little spot on his foot was still a little bloody but it was something that could have been ingnored. But I could tell Osvaldo wanted to be taken care of and it was a moment that I could say with my actions, Osvaldo, you are important to me and I am going to love on you by fixing this little cut on your foot. So I took great care in washing off the dirt on this foot that had not been wearing shoes all day and carefully cleaning it with peroxide and all that good stuff. When I was done and put a bandaide on it just smiled and said thank you. It was important to him and so it was important to me that a moment was taken to show him that he is special and cared for.
Today is my day off and so Emily, Julia, Rachel, and I decided to go to Starbucks and sit in the A/C and get a fracppuccino. I just smiled as we were leaving Casa Hogar there was a flurry of, Raquel, Raquelita, Raquelito, and a few other nicknames I have aquired. I am very content being here with the kids and loving on them and having them love on me in return. It is a blessing and a joy.

Jen- So far the teams have not have any craft things for the kids. I am thinking of string, beads, hemp,ect. Things that can be pulled out during the day so bracelets and such can be made. Def. bring some of that kind of stuff down. The girls love it but so do the boys. Right now that is all I can think of. But I am keeping my eyes and ears open for you.
Debbie- I have been asking about messages the kids need. I am still gathering info. but I am so glad you asked. I will let you know when I have a more complete list.

lizzards... or iguanas. same thing.

so, as some of you know, i am terrified to the core of my being of lizzards. yes, it is true. mrs. landrum knows first hand... there was an incident in ap english with a very LARGE lizzard and an open window. well, there are two variations of lizzards here. one is iguanas and the other is geccos. there is a gecco that has taken up residence in my room and i am waiting for it to fall onto me at night. although, i have not seen it in a while and i am hoping that means it is dead or gone. either would be great. well, last friday the kids found three baby iguanas. now the problem here was that i could react to these iguanas becuase if i did i would be terrorized by them for the rest of the night. it took every fiber of my being not to run for my life. :)
it is interesting to see which kids the teams interact with. it is usually the younger ones that are outgoing and friendly. it seems like once the boys get to a certain age they fall through the cracks. but they long for a hug, someone to talk to, and attention. some of the older girls are like that too.
two of those older boys helped with construction today. jonathan (14ish) and josue (15ish) we joked around and had fun but it was amazing to me how they just lit up and were so happy to be helping. they were smiling and laughing and having a good time with me. they just wanted to be noticed and enjoyed, just like everyone else. i know i have written something already like this but it has been weighing on my heart. it frustrates me that some of the teams do not see the older boys. so, orangewood, you now know... i am asking that when you come dont attach yourself only to one cute little kid. reach out and get to know some of the older ones, especially the older guys. they are just as much fun and need you just as much.
pray for the newest boy that was dropped off last friday. his name is alejandro and my guess is that he is 12ish. he is having a hard time adjusting. and bless his heart, i dont think he realizes that i have no idea what his is saying when he talks to me. he speaks 300 miles an hour and just talks his little heart out. but i just dont have a clue what he is saying. thats ok... if he wants to talk to me then i will look like i am understanding and give him my full attention. :)
i am still struggling through the language! aaaahhhhh.

how many americans can you fit in a bus

today is sunday it is means a new team is here. it also means going to church which is always a bit awkward.
this morning we loaded all 17 groups members plus lauren, myself, hermano david, and his wife, laura, into one of the casa hogar buses. let me just tell you that it was not a comfortable fit, but we were all in. it was like when we, as americans, see 300 mexicans pile out of a car in the states... except we were americans in a van in mexico. it was great fun.
church is always interesting for a few reasons. i dont speak spanish and so i can have no real conversations with memebers of the church. and the only thing that is translated during the service is the sermon. so when we are praying i have no idea. it doesnt help though that the man up front praying is looking around while doing so and so are half of the members of the church. then i feel stupid when i figure out what is going on (if i figure it out)becuase i have no idea. at least there is ac in the church. and there is a woman that comes when church is out and sells the best little frozen ice/ice cream things. so good.
i have no new stories that i can tell. there was a new boy dropped off here on friday and he was having a very hard time adjusting.
there is one boy who just had surgery on his leg (jesus) and he is on bed rest. but every day we have an understanding. when i walk by in the mornings he always yells, raquel! how are you?! and that is my cue to come over and talk to him. i ask him how he is doing and what he did today. then he will ask me the same questions. i look forward to our daily little chat. :)
i have construction duty this coming week. so pray that i will have rest and strength!
as i am sitting here on the computer mexico is play the us in soccer. there are many screams coming from one of the rooms... are they bad or good screams? i am about to go and find out!