This week was a week of birthdays. One of the kids and two of the student missionaries, along with our director, turned a year older! Birthdays are a big deal here, and the number of cakes baked over the last 7 days could open up a small bakery, and a very delicious one at that! Our director, Melissa, had her birthday last Thursday. Our student missionary family bought her a small gift and baked her brownies. She bit into a brownie and said, "Oh! Now this is how brownies are supposed to taste!" She was very pleased. Every house baked her delicious desserts and wrote cards.
The kid, also named Melissa, had her birthday on Sabbath. Because the student missionaries always cook for the biggest house (which she is a part of), we cooked for her birthday party. Lisiane and I were picking the menu and thought that quesadillas would be a fun choice. The other student missionaries quickly chipped in as we made around 50 tortillas. What we did not realize is that the rest of the house parents assumed that us making this meant quesadillas were the party food from America. The rest of the week has involved us teaching house parents to make tortillas and assisting in quesadilla and taco making for the rest of the birthdays!
One birthday tradition at Familia Feliz is that the children fill their pockets with eggs and flour and throw them at the birthday person. While this was expected for those who have lived here, it was a new experience for Elizabeth and Lisiane!
The house parents are so good at making birthdays a special time, but it is with a very tight budget. We weren't able to purchase groceries because of some issues with the bank last week. It's a struggle that I didn't stop to think about in America. We're out of butter? Just run to the store. Need more laundry detergent? Pick some up at Walmart. But not here. When something runs out and groceries can't be purchased, you have to be as creative as you can with the supplies you have.
Sunday was a busy one for Carlo and me at the Liones' house. The kids were full of energy and didn't want to listen. However, we made it through the day with a few chores and lots of tree climbing to get their energy out! As we tucked them in bed Sunday night, we realized that the campus was completely out of non-infant-sized diapers. As we struggled to figure out a solution, we found a few adult diapers stashed away in the supply inventory. We determinedly handed it to the sleepy 5-year-old and asked him to put it on. He burst into tears. "But it's too big!" We tried to convince him to try it, but he wouldn't budge. Finally his 7-year-old brother leaned down from the top bunk and said he would demonstrate putting on the diaper to encourage Jean. He quickly pulled it on and Carlo's and my stress from the day snapped. We burst out laughing as we realized that the little tiny boy was absolutely swimming in the diaper. There was no way we could fit it onto Jean! With a few prayers for the kids not to wet their beds, we turned out the light and they drifted off to sleep.
Medically, this week was challenging. It is highly difficult to provide treatments for illnesses because traditions of medical treatment are so strong here. While this specific issue has not been a problem at Familia Feliz, it is common practice to bathe a baby in urine if it has a fever. Others believe bandaging a wound causes it to get worse, among a variety of other things. Gaining trust in order to teach new ways is a challenge and had me in tears in the clinic through Sabbath school last week. I was very grateful for the encouragement of Emilianne and Lisiane who stayed with me and reminded me how God is working through our struggles.
This is not to say that the traditional treatments are all bad. There are some natural remedies that have proven so useful and I enjoy learning about them. The people here are incredibly resourceful.
Every evening, I eat at the Lila’s ‘ house for supper. A few days ago I finished my food and was sitting there talking with the other volunteers. A little girl ran up to me and reached up, putting her hand on my stomach. “Teacher! A baby!” I burst out laughing and said “No, that’s food!” I suppose the Líones’ house’s comments about me being too skinny and the little girls at the Lilas’ house’s comments about my stomach balance each other out!
On one day this week I was walking to the guys house and one of the Guerreros (the house of pre-teen/teenage boys) saw me. He yelled, “Teacher! We’re going fishing! Come see!” So I walked over to him and followed him to the pond. When I got there, they very proudly showed me the bucket of fish they had caught. As I congratulated them, Ricardo caught another one! He said, “Teacher! It’s a gift for you!! You can eat it!” “But I’m vegetarian!” I replied. “That’s ok, you can still have it.” He flung his line from the tree in which he was sitting over toward me where another boy, Marco, caught it. Marco quickly unhooked the fish and dropped it in my hands. I thanked the boys and walked back to the house. As soon as I was around the corner, I quickly dropped the fish on the ground with a shiver. It was so slimy and still flip-flopping! It was a cute gift, but not one I was quite ready to handle!
I decided to try and make another fall recipe this week—oatmeal with sautéed apples, yogurt, and walnut butter. It was quite the process! I made soy milk, and then made yogurt from that. The walnut butter was also made from scratch, and then I sautéed the apples and made the oatmeal. Emilianne decided to make breakfast patties out of the leftover soy bean pulp, and we had a very enjoyable afternoon cooking together! The results were delicious!
Yesterday I had my last rabies shot! Such a relief. My student missionary family had a surprise party for me when I returned, complete with a paper bat hunt and cake pops. It was very sweet of them and a lot of fun!
The rest of the week was spent with the kids, eating, doing laundry, and just hanging out. This week had its ups and downs, but it was filled with a lot of fun memories. I’m so grateful for the love of the people around me and the gifts that God blesses us with each day. I’m looking forward to another week of progress and trying new things!
Lots of celebrations!!!