The Last Week

I left the orphanage over a week ago and I've had some time to reflect and relax.  This will probably be a long blog because I'm summing up the last week, so bear with me.

I'm currently sitting in the Puerto Vallarta airport waiting for my flight that has already been delayed twice.  Hopefully no further delays.

I feel a bit weird.  I miss those kids!  They brought a light to my life that I hadn't felt in a really long time.  I felt my heart melt when they smiled and just wanted to be held and wanted hugs and wanted to tell me about their day. I miss little Gema running up to me, "Amiga!"  She was actually starting to be able to say my name.  "Heather" is a hard name for a Spanish-speaking person, let alone a small child.  She would usually run up to me with her arms outstretched, waiting for a hug.  Her small high-pitched little girl's voice quietly saying "Hea-thder."  When she says it, the "H" sounds more like the "G" in her name and the "th" has a faint "d" sound in it.  I didn't get to say goodbye to her when I left and I'm saddened by it.

I tried to find as many of the kids as a I could to say goodbye the morning I left.  Rosa came by my dorm to see what I was up to that day and I had to break the news to her that I was leaving.  She cried.  I promised Rosa that I would be back some day.  I WILL make good on that promise.  And maybe when I go back, my Spanish will be good enough to sit and have a really awesome conversation with her.  Little Hector didn't want to say goodbye at all, until Rosa explained to him that I was leaving.  He came and gave me a hug, and then, as I turned around, he decided to leave me with a lasting memory of him...he bit me on the butt.  No lie.  Funniest thing ever!  I can truthfully say that I will not forget that goodbye.  Giovanni gave me a huge hug.  That kid is quite remarkable.  He was pretty shy at first, despite the fact that he speaks really good English.  He warmed up and we became friends just a few days before I left.

I miss the comfort of family that the orphanage gave me.  They aren't my family, but they sure know how to make a person feel like family.  I got teary eyed a few times during my goodbyes, and then I was off.

Looking back, it was the best segue into my new life that God could've given me.  I thanked The Lord for that every day I was there and I've done it every day since.   It's difficult to describe my experience; it's something a person would have to experience on their own to believe the power of the place and the blessings doled out there.

I just spent a week in Puerto Vallarta with a great friend.  We relaxed, got some sun, and met some new friends.  We stayed at a resort, which was a nice change.  I sprawled out in the huge bed like I hadn't seen a real bed in years.  At the orphanage, I was sleeping on a twin-sized bunk bed.  It was fine for me, but my head certainly doesn't miss all the times I smacked it on the upper bunk!  I realize there will likely be more bunk beds in my future, but I'm not gonna lie, it was nice to be in a real bed.

My friend and I volunteered at a ministry in Puerto Vallarta for a day.  It's called New Beginnings.  If you are ever in the PV area or are looking for a great place to dole out some of God's love and share it with like-minded people, check them out at http://www.newbeginningsmexico.org.  The organization was started by a Canadian couple who live in PV most of the year and in Canada a few months of the year.  A retired couple from Texas picked us up at our resort for our day of service.  They volunteer at New Beginnings every year, for several months of the year.  First we went to the store first to buy supplies.  That's where we met Herb.  He is from Ireland and lives in PV and volunteers his time for New Beginnings.  Literally...he volunteers.  The volunteers at New Beginnings are self-sufficient and 100% of the money they receive in donations goes back to the people of PV.  They don't use any of it for administrative costs, which is remarkable and practically unheard of.  After we bought some food, we headed to one of PV's garbage dumps.  The food was for two things: dispenses and a lunch for the people in the dump.

Side Note: **In case you don't know, dispenses are bags of food that are donated to the area's poor.  DoFo handed out dispenses too.  It's a small bag of essential items, usually including some pasta, beans, rice, lentils, sauce, flour and the like.  I'm gathering that it's kind of standard to include five items in each bag, because both DoFo and New Beginnings put five things in each bag.**

As we traveled down the bumpy, winding dirt roads to the dump, the stench began to permeate the air.  The couple from Texas warned us, but it was little preparation for the noxious odor that invaded our senses.  Now THIS was a dump.  You may recall that I volunteered at a dump in Tijuana.  This place was not like the one in Tijuana.  The Tijuana dump is no longer an active dump, whereas the one in PV is active.  Well, sort of.  It's more of a transfer station.  The people who live there have built their homes around the active dump, and most work in the dump, collecting recyclable material for money.  But this is not like a recycling center in the States.  Not even by a long shot.  The people are COVERED in dirt, grime and every foul scent known to man.  There were young adults to elderly people working in the dump, surrounded by vultures that circled and landed amongst the rubbish.

About 50-75 yards from the hill where the trash sorting takes place is a newish building used as a sort of community center.  One of the inhabitants, Rico, helps at the center.  It turns out that Rico is a pretty good painter and he painted the mural above the entrance.  He also paints and sells his wares.  Herb told us that Rico is a reformed drug addict who found God and now helps improve his own little village by helping at the community center.  He works in the dump at night.

At the community center out of which New Beginnings "operates," we assembled the dispenses.  Three of us, plus Rico, drove around to the other side of the dump and handed out about half of the dispenses (the other half were dispersed at the community center).  Wow.  These people have so little!  So little.  Their homes are shanties and nothing more.  Some of their walls are sheets and blankets.  Worse, they live with the stench of the dump every day of their lives.

Back at the community center, the ladies of the community that volunteer there were making soup for us to take to the workers of the dump.  When it was ready, we drove it into the dump (it was such a large pot that there was no way we could carry it).  The day was sweltering hot...probably about 100 degrees...and here we were handing out hot soup!  Those working in the dump saw us coming and began to line up.  Most didn't have anything to clean their hands before they ate, many were missing numerous teeth, some were so old that I wondered how they could possibly still be working...and ALL of them were grateful.  They gobbled down that hot soup and the piece of bread we brought with it like they hadn't had a meal in at least a full day.  It was eye-opening, heart-breaking and inspiring.  My words and pictures can't begin to adequately describe the place or the people there.  I'm thankful for the ability to serve there.

The rest of the week my friend and I relaxed.  We hung out with our new friends from Canada, which I'm sure will be life-long friends.  They took us to Sayulita, a surfing town about 20 minutes north.  I could totally live there for a while.  Honestly, I thought about staying for a couple extra days.  Our friends also took us along for a night out in PV.  That was a kick in the pants!  Good times.  My friend and I went swimming with dolphins one of the days.  That was crazy fun!  We had two dolphins in a group of just six people for about 30 minutes.  The dolphins' names were Mila and Ava.  We learned a lot about dolphins that day and had a lot of fun.  Are you aware that they feel like an inter tube?  They gave us dolphin kisses and a great belly ride.  It was so much fun!

I said goodbye to my friend a little bit ago and now I need to go board my plane.  I'm off to Guatemala next, with a brief visit in Dallas with some friends I met on a vacation a couple years ago.  So excited to be able to catch up!  I'll have to add pictures later!