Nomad Memoirs: orphanages

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.

When I arrived in Guadalajara, Mexico I was expecting a whole lot more danger than what I ran into. The stories that people had scared me with before I left America had rooted in my mind. I got off the tiny plane and walked into immigration.

"You," said a man, looking at me and pointing to a desk a few feet away. I walked to it quickly as though I would be wasting their time if I walked slowly. The lady at the desk said something in Spanish, and I quickly regretted not spending every minute before I left Tennessee immersed in learning Espanol.

"Hablas Espanol?" she asked. I knew what that meant.

"No, sorry," I said, guilty.

"No problem," she said and stamped a piece of paper. I thanked her and continued through customs where a man in a green uniform, with a machine gun hanging loosed over his arm, searched my guitar and bag.

"Beautiful guitar," he said in English. He chatted with me for a few minutes while he searched for drugs or what-not and then let me pass. When I walked through the door I saw my new friend, Abby immediately and we walked to a rusty red van and rode to the orphanage.

The children greeted me sweetly when I arrived and Abby and I began working on lunch. Tuna with everything on a tostada. The kids lined up and got their food and ate quickly. They started asking questions in spanish and no matter how hard I listened, I just couldn't understand.

"We're going swimming at a friend's house," said Abby. I suddenly wished that I had packed a swimsuit.

"You can ride with me," said a woman, with a personality just like mine. I knew we would be fast friends.

"Great," I said, following her to the car with some of the older Mexican girls. It took no time at all to get to the house because Barbara and I talked the entire way.

"I fit here. I really fit here, and I just arrived," I thought quietly, as I got out of the small car and walked inside the gate. An entire table of wonderful looking people greeted me and beckoned me to sit and talk with them. Some told jokes and other told stories about the military and service experience. They told me about the kids and how loving the Mexican people were towards them. We talked for hours, and I listened to their stories about how they came to be in Mexico and before I knew it, it was time to leave.

The next day after church, one of the girls, Nayeli came up to me as I finished lunch. "You go swimming with me?" She had snagged me. I was a goner. I would most definitely be coming back to stay.

"Yes," I told her, thinking it had been a good idea to bring my thin, brown shorts. I changed and she grabbed my hand, leading me to the rusty red van. We looked like a can of packed tuna as we rode to the park pool. And I looked like one of those sharks that has those little sucker fish all over him when I got in the pool, because six girls clung to me as we swam in the green water. It was amazing how much Spanish I learned in those few hours.

That night before bed, Esme, a seven year old bundle of responsibility asked me if I would sing and play them a song on the guitar. "Canter, Canter," she said, pleading. I pulled out my sunburst guitar and strummed lightly as the girls climbed in bed. Esme looked over the top of her bunk (my bunk was below hers) and watched as I picked out "Wonderful Tonight," by Eric Clapton. I climbed into my small bunk when I finished playing and all I could hear was soft crying coming from the bed above me.

A few days later a four year old girl, Jessie, fell asleep on my lap on the porch. She started shivering, even though it was 70 plus degrees outside, and I grabbed a small blanket to cover her. While she slept, I helped fix dinner and get plates out for the kids when they got home from school. I saw Jessie stir, get up and head to her room. I gave some plates to the children who had just walked through the door and went to check on Jessie. She said something in Spanish but I only caught a few words. Ropa=Clothes Pee pee=Pee pee. I helped her clean up and put her in the shower. I washed her hair and went to get a towel while she finished. When she was dressed, she asked if she could eat and I lead her to the kitchen to get her a plate of food.

"Gracias, Mommie," she said taking her plate. I stood in shock as she ran happily outside to eat, tears filling my eyes. "This is what it's all about," I thought. "Letting these children feel safe and loved. And I want to spend my life doing it."

***
Sadly, I don't have time to write every single story on here today. I'll probably write more later though. But I had the most wonderful time. Thanks for keeping me in your prayers! :)

Now roll the pictures!