Our final night with our awesome team leaders in the front.
Reflections from our last day…
“Some of the kids had never had an Easter egg hunt or dyed Easter eggs until last year when a team from our church arrived at VOH. We did the American Easter traditions (dyeing hard-boiled eggs, hunting stuffed plastic ones), and the kids were thrilled. This year we repeated the activities, and many of the kids told us they remembered dyeing and hunting for the Easter eggs last year. Our morning was spent dyeing eggs, painting plastic eggs, and other crafts. Then it was on to game time. The little kids’ group played several games, such as duck duck goose, and the Hokey-Pokey. After lunch in San Lucas, we did some shopping for about half an hour, and headed back to VOH. We then began hiding stuffed plastic eggs for the little kids. As the hunt progressed, each child was smiling as they discovered a surprise in each egg. The older kids’ egg hunt was a little bigger. We spent a long time hiding eggs all over the upper part of the campus. As the countdown ended, the kids sprinted off in all directions in anticipation of the hunt. Once the egg hunt was finished, we had craft time. It took a little while for us all to learn how to make macramé bracelets (hemp and beads), but soon we were all working away, talking together through translators, broken Spanish, or hand signs. One special event for me was when one of the teenage moms brought out her baby’s photo book, and showed me her pictures. It was really sweet to look through it with her. Tonight we are having a movie night with the kids, and will say our goodbyes afterward. It will be a hard evening, especially after all the time we have spent with them, and the relationships that have grown over this trip. Tomorrow morning we will be leaving VOH at 4 AM. -Alle”
“Friday has come.
And altogether too quickly, I find myself mentally and emotionally preparing for our nearing departure. In a matter of hours, the lives we all put on pause will resume. How can it be time to leave already? I walk into a silent, unlit room surrounded by leftover miscellaneous pieces of evidence from the activities of the last 6 days. Luggage bags lay open. The sound of a dozen barking dogs across the street and the musty night air set the mood perfectly. I take in a deep breath after our full week allowing myself to feel the mingled sense of longing to stay and longing to return home. A feeling of suspension between remarkably different worlds. Unzipping my bags, I reorganize their contents while my mind begins to do the same. The moments I’m reflecting on the most are those that happened perfectly only because each of us decided to say “yes” to this trip. I’m talking about the moments born unpredictably amid our planning, our lists, and our packing. Moments when it felt like God showed us “THIS is why you are here”. Those moments when love was expressed spontaneously and leave you changed: a word of kindness spoken to you in a language you don’t understand, a child gifting you a photograph so you will remember their smile, a hearty laugh from a girl thrilled to be playing a game with new friends, the cheeky dimple-grin of a boy who know’s he’s loved, and hearing the song of a beaming little girl being pushed in the swings. Must we go? These kids’ lives have been touched by God’s love and it’s incredible to see it. So, when we do go, I know there is a part of our hearts that will stay behind. And these are the iconic moments we will hold onto until we get to see their faces again.”
And altogether too quickly, I find myself mentally and emotionally preparing for our nearing departure. In a matter of hours, the lives we all put on pause will resume. How can it be time to leave already? I walk into a silent, unlit room surrounded by leftover miscellaneous pieces of evidence from the activities of the last 6 days. Luggage bags lay open. The sound of a dozen barking dogs across the street and the musty night air set the mood perfectly. I take in a deep breath after our full week allowing myself to feel the mingled sense of longing to stay and longing to return home. A feeling of suspension between remarkably different worlds. Unzipping my bags, I reorganize their contents while my mind begins to do the same. The moments I’m reflecting on the most are those that happened perfectly only because each of us decided to say “yes” to this trip. I’m talking about the moments born unpredictably amid our planning, our lists, and our packing. Moments when it felt like God showed us “THIS is why you are here”. Those moments when love was expressed spontaneously and leave you changed: a word of kindness spoken to you in a language you don’t understand, a child gifting you a photograph so you will remember their smile, a hearty laugh from a girl thrilled to be playing a game with new friends, the cheeky dimple-grin of a boy who know’s he’s loved, and hearing the song of a beaming little girl being pushed in the swings. Must we go? These kids’ lives have been touched by God’s love and it’s incredible to see it. So, when we do go, I know there is a part of our hearts that will stay behind. And these are the iconic moments we will hold onto until we get to see their faces again.”
We will have more pictures as well as more reflections to share in the upcoming days.
He has risen, just as He said! Hope you have a blessed Easter.
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