Lucero

This week I learned how to take care of Lucero, our horse here.  He's about 12 years old and super gentle and sweet.  I have always wanted to learn how to take care of a horse!  I don't know if it was the "My Little Pony" episodes I watched when I was younger or the plastic, toy horses that were made in China that I played with, but I have always been interested in horses.  I learned how to get him out of his pin and into the field, brush him off with 3 different brushes, saddle him, put his bit in and ride him.  The last time I rode a horse, I was probably in the 7-13 range.  When the little kids get on him, Lucero goes really slow, but when the older girls or I get on him he tends to automatically speed up.  He loves to follow us around.  We don't even have to have a tether on him and he will nudge us and follow us around the field.  We try to get him out at least once everyday so that he can get some exercise.  (I'll make sure to get some pictures of the kids riding him in the next couple of days.)

Lucero was a riding horse at one time and possibly a race horse, but in his later years he became neglected.  He is a rescued horse and we are taking really good care of him.  He is now in a really good home. 

The kids really love riding the horse, swimming and singing.  Which brings me to my next topic:

I have started giving guitar lessons to the older girls (13-17 years)  I will be teaching 5 girls how to play guitar and/or ukulele.  I made out my lesson plans for the girls earlier this morning.  All of the older girls LOVE to sing!  It's amazing how I can pull out my guitar and they will all congregate around me and start singing.  And one of my favorite things to do is sing them to sleep.  I hope that when I sing them to sleep that they have beautiful dreams and not ones about the things that have unfortunately happened to them in the past.

On Monday, I did a lot of the driving.  I drove the kids to school (Kinder, Primary, & Secondary schools)  All of these schools start and end at different times, so I really got to learn my way around the city better that day.    

Wednesdays and Thursdays are my days off, so today I'm just hanging out and resting up for the next week.  I'll probably work on learning more Spanish later today.  It can be a little frustrating sometimes not understanding what everyone is saying, but I will say, I am learning so much more everyday!

Thank you so much for your prayers and financial support!

I love you all! <3

Erin.

Life in Mexico

When I first arrived at La Ola, I felt like I was dreaming.  I had seen so many pictures of the new place that I felt as though I were having an out-of-body experience.  Things here are excellent!  On the property we have many fruit trees (pomegranates, mangos, bananas, coconuts, grapevines, and other Mexican fruit that I can't pronounce yet.)  We also have a small horse named Lucherro (and that may not be the correct spelling)  He's 12 years old and really sweet.  I walked over to the small field yesterday, and he started walking toward me when he saw me.  It was so sweet!  The kids love to ride him and a few can ride really well.  One of the girls, Ana, takes lessons for therapy, and she can get up to a good canter on him.  Mili, the youngest girl likes to piggy back on me instead.

My Spanish is improving, I hope.  Sometimes one of the house mothers talks really loud to me, but I don't think she's angry or anything.  I think she's just trying to make me understand what she's saying by talking louder.  I just laugh sometimes and she tries again or just gives up! haha!

Can I just say that Skype is one of the greatest inventions ever?!

I will start giving music and guitar lessons today at 2:00 p.m.   I'm pretty excited because the older girls are really excited about learning.  They really like singing songs in Spanish and English.  And they LOVE, My Heart Will Go On, by Celine Dion.

At night I sing them to sleep, and they ask me to sing mas mas mas!  haha.

Well the kids just got back from school.  I'm gonna go down and talk with them for a bit and get some lunch.  I'll update more soon and with pictures!

Love you guys!

Erin.