Okay- so my biggest complaint about Mexico... WHERE ARE THE TRASH CANS? So you're walking down the street with an empty soda bottle and you have to put it in your purse because you will not find a trash can ANYWHERE. However it is a little more difficult when you have things that will spill or get messy. Annoying. Today in the bus (As I've said, I spend a lot of time in the buses so I'm full of bus stories) a little old lady just chucked her water bottle out with window. I laughed. So that's how they do it in Mexico. :)
Other than that I've just been doing a lot of the same stuff. Working at the drop in center at La Raza. My Spanish keeps getting better and better so that is really exciting for me. I'm able to have real life conversations with people and give input on what I think could be happening at the center. Hopefully I can help a little bit! They have a big idea meeting of what they want the place to look like in the next year and I get to be there. I'm the only one coming from a social service point of view and not a Biblical point of view so I feel like I have legitimate things to recommend thanks to the classes I've taken so that is exciting!
Hope you're all doing wonderfully!!!
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Monday, June 28, 2010
Tortilla Chef Extraordinaire
So the other 2 foreigners (Sarah & Sadie) and I were invited to learn how to cook some Mexican food. We had a whole lesson. Some of the girls at one of the churches had to do a service project for someone, so they picked us and decided to teach us how to make tortillas. It was so much fun. We were laughing the entire night. The whole saying- Mi casa es tu casa- is completely true here. The people I have met are so giving of their time and possessions.
Here are us as we are getting ready to start- very attentively I might add.
And then we had to press the balls of dough in the tortilla press. They told me to press harder, and when I did, the handle popped off. I thought for sure I'd broken it. Lala had just finished saying that you can buy ones that are smaller and more convenient to use, but her grandfather made this for her parents at their wedding so it has a lot of sentimental value. Luckily that was supposed to happen- not broken for real. Just a little scare.
Here is the first batch. Guess which one they demo-ed. Yep. The one that is still completely intact and not wrinkled over.
and here was our meal. Everyone got one Mexican and one American/ Irish tortilla. They all tasted good though haha. This is what legit Mexican looks like: hand made corn tortillas, some steak meat, some kind of lettuce- not sure what kind, cilantro- the herb choice, also not shown-- rice, homemade salsa, homemade guacamole, and don't forget the lime to squirt on everything. So GOOD!
And here are all of us. This is how they salute their flag. This was right after the Mexico game on Sunday so they had the flag up (now both my teams are out of the World Cup).
Here are us as we are getting ready to start- very attentively I might add.
And then we had to press the balls of dough in the tortilla press. They told me to press harder, and when I did, the handle popped off. I thought for sure I'd broken it. Lala had just finished saying that you can buy ones that are smaller and more convenient to use, but her grandfather made this for her parents at their wedding so it has a lot of sentimental value. Luckily that was supposed to happen- not broken for real. Just a little scare.
Here is the first batch. Guess which one they demo-ed. Yep. The one that is still completely intact and not wrinkled over.
and here was our meal. Everyone got one Mexican and one American/ Irish tortilla. They all tasted good though haha. This is what legit Mexican looks like: hand made corn tortillas, some steak meat, some kind of lettuce- not sure what kind, cilantro- the herb choice, also not shown-- rice, homemade salsa, homemade guacamole, and don't forget the lime to squirt on everything. So GOOD!
And here are all of us. This is how they salute their flag. This was right after the Mexico game on Sunday so they had the flag up (now both my teams are out of the World Cup).
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Memorizing My Lines
To start us off, I had a butterfly the size of my hand in my bedroom last night. If someone would have videotaped me from the moment I saw it until I gave up and went inside to sleep on the couch, I would have won America's Funniest Home Videos' Mexico addition. That darn thing wouldn't move no matter what I did and since it was night, the longer I left my door open, the more bugs kept coming in. There are so many bugs here that don't bother me because I just kill them and I'm fine, but this darn butterfly- it gave me problems. This morning Robin- one of the ladies I'm living with came in and took it out on her finger calling me a city slicker haha.
I was volunteered to participate in a sketch this Saturday. I found out on Monday so I've been trying to memorize my lines for it. It's called something to the effect of the auction of a soul. They've used it here in a few neighborhoods already where they have house churches as an outreach tool. Basically what happens in the play is they open an auction to see who has the best to offer for this man's soul. I go first- I'm the world. I offer him all the money he wants, fame, a good reputation, etc. Then the next person who comes up is something to do with addiction/ vices. She offers drugs and gambling and stuff like that saying that money and reputation come from that. So she beats me out. Then Satan comes but you don't know he's Satan til the very end. He offers everything to the guy that we have saying he owns those things as well as sex and being your own boss. The soul accepts his offer and all the sudden Satan puts chains on his hands and throws him to the ground. They ask if anyone else is there with a better offer. Jesus comes and says he wants to give his own life. He talks for a while about all the hope and redemption and forgiveness for those who believe in him. This isn't a great illustration of what the play is but it's a little bit of an idea. I'm excited about it but kind of nervous at the same time. I still don't have my lines all the way memorized and its on Saturday. And the problem is if I lose my place, it's not as easy to fill in and make stuff up since it's in Spanish. baah!
Other than that it hasn't been a super exciting week. There's been a little bit of drama at the shelter because one of the couples who is closest to getting off the street- Leo and Rocio- got into a fight Monday and got kicked out. Wednesday we had to go and track them down because no one had heard from them. We found them and I think they're alright again but it just shows how quickly one thing can set one of these guys back. The line between following the rules to the T and giving them second chances through understanding that they've made huge improvements since the beginning and mess ups are bound to happen. The whole law and grace thing.
I've been working on my testimony in Spanish because they want me to give it during the devotions. I'm scheduled to do it on Monday so I'm just hoping and praying that something that I have to say will be relevant to these guys.
One final thing- Today I was in a Suburban with 10 people (fully grown people)... sardine style. We were on our way to the place where we're doing the play on Saturday to hand out fliers and announce it with a megaphone. The way there was one of the funniest things I've experienced so far in Mexico. Just listening to the conversation in between the people was hilarious. We ended up going the same way I go on the bus every day. And where I mentioned before where the buses go the wrong way on the off ramp to take a short cut onto the high way... well a bus was doing the same thing and the guy who was driving (the pastor of one of the churches I might say) said, "Que inteligente!" and swerved over (3 lanes) to follow the bus right onto the high way. I lost it and was cracking up in the back. Anything goes on these roads. The more creative the better.
Hope you are all doing well!!!
I was volunteered to participate in a sketch this Saturday. I found out on Monday so I've been trying to memorize my lines for it. It's called something to the effect of the auction of a soul. They've used it here in a few neighborhoods already where they have house churches as an outreach tool. Basically what happens in the play is they open an auction to see who has the best to offer for this man's soul. I go first- I'm the world. I offer him all the money he wants, fame, a good reputation, etc. Then the next person who comes up is something to do with addiction/ vices. She offers drugs and gambling and stuff like that saying that money and reputation come from that. So she beats me out. Then Satan comes but you don't know he's Satan til the very end. He offers everything to the guy that we have saying he owns those things as well as sex and being your own boss. The soul accepts his offer and all the sudden Satan puts chains on his hands and throws him to the ground. They ask if anyone else is there with a better offer. Jesus comes and says he wants to give his own life. He talks for a while about all the hope and redemption and forgiveness for those who believe in him. This isn't a great illustration of what the play is but it's a little bit of an idea. I'm excited about it but kind of nervous at the same time. I still don't have my lines all the way memorized and its on Saturday. And the problem is if I lose my place, it's not as easy to fill in and make stuff up since it's in Spanish. baah!
Other than that it hasn't been a super exciting week. There's been a little bit of drama at the shelter because one of the couples who is closest to getting off the street- Leo and Rocio- got into a fight Monday and got kicked out. Wednesday we had to go and track them down because no one had heard from them. We found them and I think they're alright again but it just shows how quickly one thing can set one of these guys back. The line between following the rules to the T and giving them second chances through understanding that they've made huge improvements since the beginning and mess ups are bound to happen. The whole law and grace thing.
I've been working on my testimony in Spanish because they want me to give it during the devotions. I'm scheduled to do it on Monday so I'm just hoping and praying that something that I have to say will be relevant to these guys.
One final thing- Today I was in a Suburban with 10 people (fully grown people)... sardine style. We were on our way to the place where we're doing the play on Saturday to hand out fliers and announce it with a megaphone. The way there was one of the funniest things I've experienced so far in Mexico. Just listening to the conversation in between the people was hilarious. We ended up going the same way I go on the bus every day. And where I mentioned before where the buses go the wrong way on the off ramp to take a short cut onto the high way... well a bus was doing the same thing and the guy who was driving (the pastor of one of the churches I might say) said, "Que inteligente!" and swerved over (3 lanes) to follow the bus right onto the high way. I lost it and was cracking up in the back. Anything goes on these roads. The more creative the better.
Hope you are all doing well!!!
Sunday, June 20, 2010
So Many Stories and Not Enough Time to Write
Here are a few things that happened this past week.
One of the guys this week came in. He is the one that can barely walk or talk. He's a complete mess. I think I've mentioned him in another post, but if not, you're about to find out about him. He has been on the streets since he was 7 or 8 because his mother was gone (I'm not exactly sure what happened to her) and his father was extremely abusive. The dad ended up in jail for abuse, but the kid was so afraid of people by that point that he somehow got out of his foster family. Since that time he's been on the street using every drug imaginable and he has nothing left physically or mentally. He is skin and bones. He looks like he is in his 20s but I've proven myself to be awful at guessing people's ages down here, so that may be off haha. Tuesday I walked in and he was sitting outside the shelter on the sidewalk. I noticed an awful smell, but didn't think much of it since there have been all kinds of bad smells in the past few weeks. I'll remind you that these people live in the streets without showers and bathrooms. However, I went in and talked with Paty about him (They call him the Toro or something like that. I'm never quite sure). She said they refused to let him in. When I asked her why she was like, "Didn't you smell him?!?" Apparently he had some kind of stomach virus or something and had gone to the bathroom all over himself. They couldn't let him in because they have to shower and be clean, however they couldn't let him into the shower because of the mess he would make. If that isn't a sight to see I don't know what is. He can't walk by himself, so someone had brought him and dropped him off at the door earlier in the morning. They weren't going to be back until later. In the meantime the smell was wafting into the shelter because he was right outside. They gave him some medicine and some food so he'd eat something, but they wouldn't let him come in. He has nobody, is addicted to every drug imaginable, and has nothing and nowhere to go. I'm not sure what happened to him after that, but I'm guessing someone came to pick him up and hopefully helped him clean up himself. I still don't understand how there is no place else for him to go in this city. I don't know how the social service system works, but Paty and Alex are doing their best to find some kind of rehab place for him.
Leonardo is another guy that is one of the most frequent comers. He comes every day of the week even when there is no food in order to help set up for their Thursday night service and clean stuff up. Paty and Alex are like his family. He's 20 and has been on the street since he was 12. I was washing dishes with him last Thursday and was trying to make conversation so I asked him what he would do if he could do anything he wanted. Without hesitation he answered me that he would make a time machine and go back to when his family was still together and before he knew drugs. We kept talking he explained how he ended up in the streets. I couldn't understand him really well because he was talking really quietly but I didn't feel I could ask him to repeat himself just because I didn't understand since you could tell he was kind of struggling to say it all. My Spanish was getting better, but when I can't hear every word, I don't really have a shot. However, something happened to his mom so that she was unable to take care of them. His older brother went to Chiapas (another state) to live with extended family, and somehow he ended up here alone. He got into drugs and this is where he lives.
This is a section that is a barrier between the two sides of the freeway. There is a dug out part and that is where he has made a tent. However, it rains every day here (it's rainy season) so I have no idea how they do it. The good news though is that Monday we are taking him to look at a 3 month rehabilitation center that is Christian run. He said if he likes it he's checking himself in Tuesday. Pray that he likes it!
Last story of the night. Rocio- the girl who had the lice- came in on Thursday and had an awful stomach ache. They thought she might have an ulcer so they tried to get it to calm down and let her sleep on a couch the whole time we were there. Friday it had gotten worse so that she couldn't even stand. We took her to a Medical consultant. They have them at all the pharmacies and for 20 pesos/ less than $2 you can see a doctor. He said that we needed to get an ambulance and get her to the hospital because he thought it was her appendix. So we walked back to the shelter, called an ambulance, and 2 hours later they got there. By that time she was crying in pain when she walked over to the door. They took her to the hospital. Her boyfriend went with her, and we stayed back because Friday afternoon we were having a Father's Day dinner thing for the neighborhood. A few hours later they got back and told us that they got to the hospital and they refused to do anything because they were homeless. When they were filling out the paperwork they said they didn't have an address. Well this is not legal in Mexico either, however everyone is looking for a bribe and since they have absolutely nothing they were sent home. Well this didn't exactly go over very well when they returned. Luckily she was feeling better so they don't think it's her appendix anymore. However she was still feeling awful and had no concrete answers. We got them some food for the weekend, a few bottles of water, and some change to use a payphone if anything happened so that they could call Paty. As of today Paty hadn't heard anything about it so hopefully Rocio is feeling better. However, how awful.
Lots of things to think about. All I know is I am learning so much from Paty and Alex as they're working with all of these people. They have so much patience and love for them while you know it is breaking their hearts along the way. However, there are so many success stories from this place. It's a place where these people get loved and hear about God. That's all you can do. I'm definitely realizing that God is the one that does the changing. You can give them food and clothes and a shower, but God is the one that has the power.
One of the guys this week came in. He is the one that can barely walk or talk. He's a complete mess. I think I've mentioned him in another post, but if not, you're about to find out about him. He has been on the streets since he was 7 or 8 because his mother was gone (I'm not exactly sure what happened to her) and his father was extremely abusive. The dad ended up in jail for abuse, but the kid was so afraid of people by that point that he somehow got out of his foster family. Since that time he's been on the street using every drug imaginable and he has nothing left physically or mentally. He is skin and bones. He looks like he is in his 20s but I've proven myself to be awful at guessing people's ages down here, so that may be off haha. Tuesday I walked in and he was sitting outside the shelter on the sidewalk. I noticed an awful smell, but didn't think much of it since there have been all kinds of bad smells in the past few weeks. I'll remind you that these people live in the streets without showers and bathrooms. However, I went in and talked with Paty about him (They call him the Toro or something like that. I'm never quite sure). She said they refused to let him in. When I asked her why she was like, "Didn't you smell him?!?" Apparently he had some kind of stomach virus or something and had gone to the bathroom all over himself. They couldn't let him in because they have to shower and be clean, however they couldn't let him into the shower because of the mess he would make. If that isn't a sight to see I don't know what is. He can't walk by himself, so someone had brought him and dropped him off at the door earlier in the morning. They weren't going to be back until later. In the meantime the smell was wafting into the shelter because he was right outside. They gave him some medicine and some food so he'd eat something, but they wouldn't let him come in. He has nobody, is addicted to every drug imaginable, and has nothing and nowhere to go. I'm not sure what happened to him after that, but I'm guessing someone came to pick him up and hopefully helped him clean up himself. I still don't understand how there is no place else for him to go in this city. I don't know how the social service system works, but Paty and Alex are doing their best to find some kind of rehab place for him.
Leonardo is another guy that is one of the most frequent comers. He comes every day of the week even when there is no food in order to help set up for their Thursday night service and clean stuff up. Paty and Alex are like his family. He's 20 and has been on the street since he was 12. I was washing dishes with him last Thursday and was trying to make conversation so I asked him what he would do if he could do anything he wanted. Without hesitation he answered me that he would make a time machine and go back to when his family was still together and before he knew drugs. We kept talking he explained how he ended up in the streets. I couldn't understand him really well because he was talking really quietly but I didn't feel I could ask him to repeat himself just because I didn't understand since you could tell he was kind of struggling to say it all. My Spanish was getting better, but when I can't hear every word, I don't really have a shot. However, something happened to his mom so that she was unable to take care of them. His older brother went to Chiapas (another state) to live with extended family, and somehow he ended up here alone. He got into drugs and this is where he lives.
This is a section that is a barrier between the two sides of the freeway. There is a dug out part and that is where he has made a tent. However, it rains every day here (it's rainy season) so I have no idea how they do it. The good news though is that Monday we are taking him to look at a 3 month rehabilitation center that is Christian run. He said if he likes it he's checking himself in Tuesday. Pray that he likes it!
Last story of the night. Rocio- the girl who had the lice- came in on Thursday and had an awful stomach ache. They thought she might have an ulcer so they tried to get it to calm down and let her sleep on a couch the whole time we were there. Friday it had gotten worse so that she couldn't even stand. We took her to a Medical consultant. They have them at all the pharmacies and for 20 pesos/ less than $2 you can see a doctor. He said that we needed to get an ambulance and get her to the hospital because he thought it was her appendix. So we walked back to the shelter, called an ambulance, and 2 hours later they got there. By that time she was crying in pain when she walked over to the door. They took her to the hospital. Her boyfriend went with her, and we stayed back because Friday afternoon we were having a Father's Day dinner thing for the neighborhood. A few hours later they got back and told us that they got to the hospital and they refused to do anything because they were homeless. When they were filling out the paperwork they said they didn't have an address. Well this is not legal in Mexico either, however everyone is looking for a bribe and since they have absolutely nothing they were sent home. Well this didn't exactly go over very well when they returned. Luckily she was feeling better so they don't think it's her appendix anymore. However she was still feeling awful and had no concrete answers. We got them some food for the weekend, a few bottles of water, and some change to use a payphone if anything happened so that they could call Paty. As of today Paty hadn't heard anything about it so hopefully Rocio is feeling better. However, how awful.
Lots of things to think about. All I know is I am learning so much from Paty and Alex as they're working with all of these people. They have so much patience and love for them while you know it is breaking their hearts along the way. However, there are so many success stories from this place. It's a place where these people get loved and hear about God. That's all you can do. I'm definitely realizing that God is the one that does the changing. You can give them food and clothes and a shower, but God is the one that has the power.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Piojos= Lice
So today I spent almost 2 hours helping a girl delice her head. This girl is 26 and lives in a gutter between the highway. Last Friday I noticed that she had lice crawling- I mean I saw multiple crawling- in her hair. I think I mentioned this in my last post. So over the weekend, I looked up some remedies, asked around to figure out how to say lice in Spanish, and went in on a mission with a jar of mayonnaise. I talked to her this morning and talked to Patty (the lady I work with). Patty said she wanted her to shave her head and she freaked out. So we talked her into letting us put the mayonnaise in her hair and figured we'd talk her into the rest of it later. We doused her with the mayonnaise, wrapped her head in a bag, and let it sit for 2 hours. This may sound excessive, but if only I'd taken pictures, you would understand. Not only was her head full of lice (without exaggerating there were hundreds), but she told me (as we were out behind the center trying to brush out her hair) that she hadn't brushed it since she moved to the streets and that had been 12 years ago. She always kept it up in a pony tail so I always knew it wasn't the cleanest hair, but this was to a whole other level. Most of her hair had at least an inch covered in the eggs too. The poor thing said they keep her from sleeping and wake her up. At that I looked at her and asked her why in heaven's name she hadn't done something already?!? We ran out of time tonight but we cut her hair to her chin, and didn't have time to get all of the eggs and everything out. Tomorrow will be round two but at least from what we could tell they were all dead. I'm just hoping she does let us shave her head or at least cut it really short. I still keep feeling things crawling on me lol.
Unfortunately she isn't all there in the head. Everyday I go into this place the more I realize how much all of them are a little off. For example, the girl with the lice is 26 and today had a baby doll under her shirt all day. It was just this random awkward lump. I asked her what it was and she said it was her baby. She has an 8 yr old daughter that lives in some kind of children's home because they took her away. She was calling the doll by her daughter's name. Another girl came into day with a black eye and was just really beat up. I asked her what had happened and she said something to the effect of the guy she was staying with kicked her out because she wouldn't have sex with him. Another girl has all kinds of random stuff with her all the time and she's kind of obsessive about it. She always makes sure that we keep her back in the back room and guard it for her. It if full of random things like headbands and empty containers and notebooks. She always talks about going to the library and just rambles and rambles. I don't even know how to explain it. It makes me wish I had more of a background in that. The couples that work down at La Raza have the biggest hearts for these kids. They have one of the most radically changing testimonies of their lives of any I've ever heard before. They have more patience for these people than anyone. They've taken classes at the seminary and have life experience, but none of them have gone to college and none of them have any kind of background to help these people change unless it's a 180 degree miracle. I'm not saying that can't happen, because it can and has in their ministry, but so much more could be done. The other fact of the matter is that I don't know what other help there is in Mexico for homeless people. I'm still trying to learn and figure it out.
Well that's all I can think about for now. It's been a long long day. 6+ hours on the bus. This morning there was dead stopped traffic on the way to La Raza and then a car hit us. Now this turned some heads haha. Apparently not as normal as the other things I've mentioned. Luckily we weren't really going fast, it was just really loud.
Unfortunately she isn't all there in the head. Everyday I go into this place the more I realize how much all of them are a little off. For example, the girl with the lice is 26 and today had a baby doll under her shirt all day. It was just this random awkward lump. I asked her what it was and she said it was her baby. She has an 8 yr old daughter that lives in some kind of children's home because they took her away. She was calling the doll by her daughter's name. Another girl came into day with a black eye and was just really beat up. I asked her what had happened and she said something to the effect of the guy she was staying with kicked her out because she wouldn't have sex with him. Another girl has all kinds of random stuff with her all the time and she's kind of obsessive about it. She always makes sure that we keep her back in the back room and guard it for her. It if full of random things like headbands and empty containers and notebooks. She always talks about going to the library and just rambles and rambles. I don't even know how to explain it. It makes me wish I had more of a background in that. The couples that work down at La Raza have the biggest hearts for these kids. They have one of the most radically changing testimonies of their lives of any I've ever heard before. They have more patience for these people than anyone. They've taken classes at the seminary and have life experience, but none of them have gone to college and none of them have any kind of background to help these people change unless it's a 180 degree miracle. I'm not saying that can't happen, because it can and has in their ministry, but so much more could be done. The other fact of the matter is that I don't know what other help there is in Mexico for homeless people. I'm still trying to learn and figure it out.
Well that's all I can think about for now. It's been a long long day. 6+ hours on the bus. This morning there was dead stopped traffic on the way to La Raza and then a car hit us. Now this turned some heads haha. Apparently not as normal as the other things I've mentioned. Luckily we weren't really going fast, it was just really loud.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
The Pyramids of Teotihuacan
One quick addition to the bus post- I forgot to include the bus driver who pulled over the bus not to pick someone up but to get up out of his seat and spit out the door. Again, no one even batted an eye.
Anyways... haha... today Margaret (one of the women I'm staying with) took me to the pyramids. I really didn't know what to expect except... that they were pyramids. They are the tallest step pyramids in the world. The people disappeared and they have no idea what happened to them. They were thought to be mountains because they were covered with grass and everything until a little ways back when they discovered what they actually are. I climbed both of them. One of them is to the sun and the smaller one is to the moon. On cloudy days they would give people opiates and drag them on the Avenue of the Dead passing the sun temple and sacrifice the people in front of the moon temple. It was apparently a struggle between the moon and the sun to see who was brightest. So there is your history lesson for the day. Here are some pictures.
These are all the larger pyramid... the one to the sun.
And that is a lot of steps... that I climbed I might add. At almost 8000 ft. Let's just say I felt like I had never ever climbed steps before in my life lol. And they are big ones... and narrow :)
I'm on top of the sun but you can see the moon behind me.
And this is the moon.
and the moon again. You can see where they used to make the sacrifices.
And this path is the Avenue of the Dead.
And a look at the sun from the top of the moon.
Anyways... haha... today Margaret (one of the women I'm staying with) took me to the pyramids. I really didn't know what to expect except... that they were pyramids. They are the tallest step pyramids in the world. The people disappeared and they have no idea what happened to them. They were thought to be mountains because they were covered with grass and everything until a little ways back when they discovered what they actually are. I climbed both of them. One of them is to the sun and the smaller one is to the moon. On cloudy days they would give people opiates and drag them on the Avenue of the Dead passing the sun temple and sacrifice the people in front of the moon temple. It was apparently a struggle between the moon and the sun to see who was brightest. So there is your history lesson for the day. Here are some pictures.
These are all the larger pyramid... the one to the sun.
And that is a lot of steps... that I climbed I might add. At almost 8000 ft. Let's just say I felt like I had never ever climbed steps before in my life lol. And they are big ones... and narrow :)
I'm on top of the sun but you can see the moon behind me.
And this is the moon.
and the moon again. You can see where they used to make the sacrifices.
And this path is the Avenue of the Dead.
And a look at the sun from the top of the moon.
Friday, June 11, 2010
The Chavos
So I haven't had much time to talk about the people I'm working with yet. I mentioned that they aren't kids like I had originally thought but getting to know some of them has been interesting.
The guy I have gotten to know the best knows English because he grew up in the states (All of the social work classes on confidentiality are keeping me from listing his name haha). His aunt and uncle went illegally and took him with them when he was 2 years old. His parent's weren't around anymore. He never really fit with their family though and was always kind of an outsider. I'm trying to remember the age he told me but when he was 12 or 14 he ran away and started living on his own. He got into some trouble and had a juvenile record that had to do with drugs and grand theft auto. He ended up back with his aunt and uncle. Just after he turned 18, he was using his aunt's car with her permission but illegally because his license had been revoked. He got pulled over and the cops were going to take him home and his aunt was going to be reprimanded for letting him drive the car (keep in mind she is there illegally). However, the aunt said that she hadn't let him borrow the car which therefore meant he had another grand theft auto charge on his hands and this time as an adult. When they strip searched him they found his fake green card. He spent 2 years in federal prison while his trial was in process because they couldn't afford bail and then they deported him back to Mexico. Basically he was set loose here having no family whatsoever, barely knowing any Spanish, and with absolutely nothing in regards of finances or a knowledge of how life works in Mexico. He was almost 21. That was almost 10 years ago. He seems to have the most potential of all of these guys. He's really intelligent and has lots of leadership skills (they come from basically a gang type situation, but if you talk to him, you'd understand). He is completely fluent in Spanish and English and asks really good questions and participates in the devotions they have for the chavos who come Monday through Wednesday. They have services on Thursday nights and he came for the first time last night. To me, the fact that he came shows that he is actually thinking about the whole God thing. I think you could fake the answers and fake paying attention just to get a shower and 2 meals. But to come an extra few hours sober and drug free says something. I was talking to him about what all of them do and how they make their money and basically it's a gang type mentality. With the public transportation they have it split up in sections and certain "vendors" can be in certain places because they have paid their dues to the security guards. If they cause problems or people complain, they aren't allowed to come back and are "grounded" for a week. What most of the guys that come into La Raza do is a show on the metro. They lay out broken glass on the ground and do flips and summer saults and stuff like that over it. Their backs are completely covered with scars and cuts. But they were explaining to me that is the best way to make money and they have nothing else to do. I've seen people on buses come in dressed like clowns and do a little sketch and then ask for money and then at the next stop they get off and then get on the next bus. Others sell candy or ice cream. One guy today was selling sewing kits. People here are so desperate and there just aren't any jobs.
Most of the chavos who are coming have been obviously affected by so much drug use. I wonder how much of it was some kind of mental problem initially that led them to being on the street and to drugs. There are two guys who come that can barely walk. They shake and shake and shake. We have to feed them and someone helps them shower and everything because they simply don't have control over their bodies. They are so thin. It's really just a sad sight to see. One thing I'm learning while I'm here is not to be afraid of people. The first day the guy that has the least control scared me. I'm not going to lie to you. Mostly because I can't understand a word he says and he's just a sad sight. But now I'll just go up behind him and grab his elbow and give him a little extra support to get to where he is going. Most of the time I don't even think he knows. There is another guy who I've "met" probably 50 times in the past couple weeks. Finally yesterday he remembered I was from the United States and didn't ask me after I told him my name. He remembered. It's just such a sad sight.
One of the girls was always touching her hair and I noticed it but didn't really think anything of it. Then yesterday I was sitting by her and realized she was scratching her head because it was infested with lice. I mean awful. I got some lice shampoo today to take down to the center for here. I can't even imagine. However, I have seen where she lives. I have to walk over a bridge from the metro to La Raza and there is a gully there that like 4 of the people who come live in. They have a tarp set up kind of like a tent and have an old mattress and all of their stuff down there. Again, I can't even imagine.
The thing that they are missing most here is an actual professional. Their main goal is to lure these people in with food and a shower and somehow reach them for Christ. There are quite a few people that they've gotten off the streets and have helped out over the past few years that they've had this program. In my mind I keep thinking of all of the ways we could help them, but at this place, they don't have the resources. They are just there to kind of provide a family for them. And that they have. You can sense the respect that they have for the 2 couples that run the center. Some of them even call them Mama or Papa. Patience is a big thing. Most of these people know nothing else. They've been in the streets since they were little kids and now, why would life be any other way. But they really are doing a good thing for them. I'm just trying to figure out what else could happen with in their abilities.
On another note, the people here are absolutely amazing and I feel guilty most of the time. I have so so much and come here and the Mexicans keep giving me dinner and buying me ice cream and things like that. They have absolutely nothing and give everything away. It is definitely a much more communal way of life. They just want to share everything. The people I've met are so generous with their money and time especially in their churches and they don't really know where their next meal is coming from. Here I am living free for the summer because of the grant I got and they keep giving me things. One of the Chavos even brought me a rose for my birthday haha (He very well could have stolen it). But in the end, I just keep sitting there thinking please stop giving me things. You are all the most hospitable people ever, but how can I repay you? I've been thinking of some ways, but still, it's been hard for me to figure out what to do.
Here are a few pictures of the city. You can kind of see what I meant by everything being concrete, but I'll try and get some better ones tomorrow.
Tomorrow I'm off to see the Pyramids :)
The guy I have gotten to know the best knows English because he grew up in the states (All of the social work classes on confidentiality are keeping me from listing his name haha). His aunt and uncle went illegally and took him with them when he was 2 years old. His parent's weren't around anymore. He never really fit with their family though and was always kind of an outsider. I'm trying to remember the age he told me but when he was 12 or 14 he ran away and started living on his own. He got into some trouble and had a juvenile record that had to do with drugs and grand theft auto. He ended up back with his aunt and uncle. Just after he turned 18, he was using his aunt's car with her permission but illegally because his license had been revoked. He got pulled over and the cops were going to take him home and his aunt was going to be reprimanded for letting him drive the car (keep in mind she is there illegally). However, the aunt said that she hadn't let him borrow the car which therefore meant he had another grand theft auto charge on his hands and this time as an adult. When they strip searched him they found his fake green card. He spent 2 years in federal prison while his trial was in process because they couldn't afford bail and then they deported him back to Mexico. Basically he was set loose here having no family whatsoever, barely knowing any Spanish, and with absolutely nothing in regards of finances or a knowledge of how life works in Mexico. He was almost 21. That was almost 10 years ago. He seems to have the most potential of all of these guys. He's really intelligent and has lots of leadership skills (they come from basically a gang type situation, but if you talk to him, you'd understand). He is completely fluent in Spanish and English and asks really good questions and participates in the devotions they have for the chavos who come Monday through Wednesday. They have services on Thursday nights and he came for the first time last night. To me, the fact that he came shows that he is actually thinking about the whole God thing. I think you could fake the answers and fake paying attention just to get a shower and 2 meals. But to come an extra few hours sober and drug free says something. I was talking to him about what all of them do and how they make their money and basically it's a gang type mentality. With the public transportation they have it split up in sections and certain "vendors" can be in certain places because they have paid their dues to the security guards. If they cause problems or people complain, they aren't allowed to come back and are "grounded" for a week. What most of the guys that come into La Raza do is a show on the metro. They lay out broken glass on the ground and do flips and summer saults and stuff like that over it. Their backs are completely covered with scars and cuts. But they were explaining to me that is the best way to make money and they have nothing else to do. I've seen people on buses come in dressed like clowns and do a little sketch and then ask for money and then at the next stop they get off and then get on the next bus. Others sell candy or ice cream. One guy today was selling sewing kits. People here are so desperate and there just aren't any jobs.
Most of the chavos who are coming have been obviously affected by so much drug use. I wonder how much of it was some kind of mental problem initially that led them to being on the street and to drugs. There are two guys who come that can barely walk. They shake and shake and shake. We have to feed them and someone helps them shower and everything because they simply don't have control over their bodies. They are so thin. It's really just a sad sight to see. One thing I'm learning while I'm here is not to be afraid of people. The first day the guy that has the least control scared me. I'm not going to lie to you. Mostly because I can't understand a word he says and he's just a sad sight. But now I'll just go up behind him and grab his elbow and give him a little extra support to get to where he is going. Most of the time I don't even think he knows. There is another guy who I've "met" probably 50 times in the past couple weeks. Finally yesterday he remembered I was from the United States and didn't ask me after I told him my name. He remembered. It's just such a sad sight.
One of the girls was always touching her hair and I noticed it but didn't really think anything of it. Then yesterday I was sitting by her and realized she was scratching her head because it was infested with lice. I mean awful. I got some lice shampoo today to take down to the center for here. I can't even imagine. However, I have seen where she lives. I have to walk over a bridge from the metro to La Raza and there is a gully there that like 4 of the people who come live in. They have a tarp set up kind of like a tent and have an old mattress and all of their stuff down there. Again, I can't even imagine.
The thing that they are missing most here is an actual professional. Their main goal is to lure these people in with food and a shower and somehow reach them for Christ. There are quite a few people that they've gotten off the streets and have helped out over the past few years that they've had this program. In my mind I keep thinking of all of the ways we could help them, but at this place, they don't have the resources. They are just there to kind of provide a family for them. And that they have. You can sense the respect that they have for the 2 couples that run the center. Some of them even call them Mama or Papa. Patience is a big thing. Most of these people know nothing else. They've been in the streets since they were little kids and now, why would life be any other way. But they really are doing a good thing for them. I'm just trying to figure out what else could happen with in their abilities.
On another note, the people here are absolutely amazing and I feel guilty most of the time. I have so so much and come here and the Mexicans keep giving me dinner and buying me ice cream and things like that. They have absolutely nothing and give everything away. It is definitely a much more communal way of life. They just want to share everything. The people I've met are so generous with their money and time especially in their churches and they don't really know where their next meal is coming from. Here I am living free for the summer because of the grant I got and they keep giving me things. One of the Chavos even brought me a rose for my birthday haha (He very well could have stolen it). But in the end, I just keep sitting there thinking please stop giving me things. You are all the most hospitable people ever, but how can I repay you? I've been thinking of some ways, but still, it's been hard for me to figure out what to do.
Here are a few pictures of the city. You can kind of see what I meant by everything being concrete, but I'll try and get some better ones tomorrow.
Tomorrow I'm off to see the Pyramids :)
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