Day 4 - Thursday

Hoy es jueves!  (Today is Thursday.  See, I'm learning!)  Once again, I woke up with a renewed sense of purpose and self.  The misty shroud of yesterday was gone and the sun was shining!  For the first time since being here, I felt the need to wear bright colors to match the sun filling the sky.  Unfortunately, I didn't pack many bright colors because my clothes have to last for a year or more (or until they are replaced) and I went with grays, blacks, purples and blues.  Fortunately, however, I'd already bought a DoFo t-shirt in lime green!  Perfecto!

I went to morning coffee and was a little more able to contribute today.  It was a good conversation, mostly about upcoming groups that are coming to visit.  I talked with the administrator, DJ, about a friend of mine who would like to hold some sort of fundraiser for this place (how friggin' cool is that?!...great friend!).  DJ will be putting together a list of items needed and cost so as to help facilitate such a fundraiser!  I also mentioned a former client of mine that would like to donate some clothes from her inventory and we're going to try to get that coordinated too.  YAY!!!  If any of you are interested in donating to this amazing place, you can either send money on the donations section of my blog, which I will give to DoFo if I get it before I leave in early October, or you can donate directly at http://www.dofo.org/store.php#donations.

SIDE NOTE: several of you have had trouble adding comments to my blog.  You will need to sign up with Google (it's free) and then you can comment.  Also, please either pick a username that I will be sure to know it's you, or leave your name with your comment.  There are few people who have left comments that I've had to do some investigation to figure out who it is.

After the meeting, a small group of us went to the upper campground.  The upper campground is a collection of buildings that serve as dorm-like accommodations (similar to what I'm living in), plus a bathhouse and a covered kitchen/dining building.  Each building is a different color...and the bathhouse is painted like a black and white cow.  LOL.

This is the campground.  Sorry there is a trailer sort of blocking the pic, but you get the idea.

This "campground" sits on the hilltop above the orphanage and is part of the orphanage's property.  Groups who are coming to help at the orphanage are allowed to use the "campground" at a minimal cost (I think it's $5/person/day).  Likewise, groups who are serving the La Mision, Rosarita or Ensenada communities can also use the campground.  DoFo is so committed to the community and other ministries that they allow people to use their facilities to help the community at large.  Didn't I tell you this is an awesome place?!  I should mention that DoFo currently has two such campgrounds (the lower and upper campgrounds) and is hoping to build another campground.  There is such demand for accommodations for groups that want to come help that DoFo wants to ensure that those that want to help, can.

Anyway, today we went to greet a group that arrived after midnight last night from Colorado.  One of our jobs as volunteers is to help various volunteer groups get what they need and get where they're going, which is the reason we went to check on the new group.  There are about 15 volunteers in this new group, ranging from teenagers to adults.  This group plans to help out at a different orphanage that's about 45 minutes from here.  That orphanage, I'm told, is quite different that DoFo.  There are only about 20-30 children and they live in one giant house...or something like that.

We also checked on the current group (the one from New Orleans), who is using the lower campground.  I think I failed to mention what this group is doing.  This group is almost entirely adults.  They have divided themselves into two groups: one group is helping to build a house in the village, the other group is helping to finish painting and construction of the new teenage boys' dorm here at DoFo.  I don't know how the group in the village is doing, but the painters here are covered from head to foot in paint!  Clearly it's not their chosen profession!  They are taking it all in stride though and having a ball.  It's so nice to see other people giving back!  It's almost like we're all part of some really big family.  This is a family that I chose and it feels good to have chosen so wisely.  :)

After dealing with the groups, I helped to restock the soap bodega (that's what the orphanage calls it, but I think the correct translation is jabón tienda).  OK, that's kind of an exaggeration.  I helped carry supplies from the car to the bodega.  Even so, it felt good to help.  The bodega is used to store soap, laundry detergent, shampoo, diapers and things of that nature.  The bodega is more like a large storage shed with shelves. I'd estimate it to be about 8'x7'.  They have to restock every week.  That's a lot of soap!  Only the volunteers have keys to the bodega and every week each dorm gets their ration of supplies.  This is the only way to keep everything fair and keep the costs down.  Occasionally there will be surplus supplies, and those can be given out, but that's rare unless a large donation comes in.

Michael, Kylie and I went into town this morning for some "essentials."  Not really.  We just wanted to hit the local fruit stand (and Michael really wanted to go to the bakery).

Get this, I bought a huge mango (Jordan and Andi, are you reading this?!?! LOL), a cantaloupe, some avocados, a roll of paper towels, two things of noodles, a package of tortillas and a large bottle of Diet Coke.  Guess how much I spent.  Guess!  Give up?  $7!!!  Seriously.  I could never do that in the States.

I wandered around the orphanage a bit today to take in the color.  DJ tends to like a lot of color in the buildings and other areas.  It makes sense.  This is a place for kids and kids need the color for stimulation and tend to enjoy the color.  There are murals on many of the outer walls, like the "sea" scene on the outside of the laundry house:

The dorms also have lots of color, with the trim painted one color, the doors another, the eaves yet another color, etc.  This is the middle school boys' dorm:

After lunch, I played with a small group of children who found some snails (los caracoles).  They kept wanting their pictures taken with the snails.  Funny how simple it is to entertain some of these children.

Guess who came to visit me again!  Yep, Emma!  I find myself looking for her and hoping she'll find me.  She is such a sweet soul.  She's a bit bossy at times and definitely wants what she wants, but what 4-year-old doesn't.  She once again wanted to braid my hair...and then Christine wanted to join.  Christine is another one of those adorable ones who just wants to be loved.  She gave me a HUGE hug when she had to go to brush her teeth (her house mom's orders) and told me she'd see me later. Julie came up again while Emma and Christine were playing with my hair.  She wanted in on the action.  Unfortunately, all she did was pull my hair!  Yikes!  Her house mom (also Christine and Emma's house mom) had to come get her.

After a while, Emma led me away, "Come on, amiga!"  She wanted to go play on the patio.  We twirled and twirled, and hopped and skipped and jumped and danced!  Oh what fun!  I remember doing all that as a kid.  I'm not gonna lie...it felt amazing to be so free!  I didn't give a crap what anyone else thought.  Emma and I were in our own little world.  Valentine (a little, sweet boy) wanted to play too, but apparently Emma doesn't like Valentine.  I can't figure out why, but I'm guessing it's just because he's a boy.  Even so, Valentine hung around nearby and stole a few hugs from me when Emma wasn't paying attention.  :)

Eventually, I become frustrated with my inability to communicate effectively with the children.  It's happened each day.  I have to remind myself to be patient and continue working at my Spanish...nobody can become fluent overnight.  However, I do feel the frustration, which usually sends me back to my room to study Spanish.  I've started carrying a little notepad with my personal notes in it to help me when I'm out on the playground with the kids.  I just wish someone would shadow me for a couple days and help me.  I'm sure I'd make great improvement, but who would want to do that?  Anyway, I'll keep at it, and try to hold the frustrations to a minimum.

***

I was just about finished writing tonight's update when I decided to check FB and my email.  I just came across some amazing words of love and compassion and I broke down in tears.  I miss my family and friends so much.  I know how happy everyone is for me that I get to do this, but it breaks my heart to be apart.  I know it will become easier with time, but there isn't anything I wouldn't give for a hug right now.  Too bad all the kids are in bed.  It's times like this when I can feel the loneliness settle in.  I have to pick myself up and dust myself off and take solace in the fact that tomorrow is a new day and I will finally get that hug.

Buenes noches, mi amigos.