Day 32 (25): It's Hard to Find @'s and :'s

Have you ever used a keyboard that's set to Spanish mode, but not a Spanish-language keyboard? It's really hard. 

I logged into Google today on a computer. It really wasn't a big deal, but it took so long to find the colon. By "find," I actually mean, "ask Lagos to show me." Maybe I shouldn't have shared that.

My skin is falling off and it's gross. I shoulda used better sunscreen.

Maybe this post should have been called, "Information About Sam That You Neither Want Nor Qualifies as Vulnerable."

Ok, that's enough of that.

Today was pretty solid. Matthew and I were cooking team, so he made these delicious fried plantain things and I made eggs. We're at 183. Worship was good; I peeled off some peeling paint from the table, then felt bad for being destructive. I wonder if the table feels like me when it's peely paint gets peeled off (we said "enough..."). We got ready and almost left on time and hopped on the bus and went to the CDI.

We stopped on the way to buy some extra cookies. We would have enough for the little kids today, but we needed juice, so might as well grab cookies while we're there.

We got to the CDI, got set up, waited around. A newlywed couple from Indiana (remember when Lagos left for a little while to preach at a wedding? It was theirs) came to help, so we had 6 gringos! Then Lagos and Ana came with the team from MN, so we had 11 adults (whoop). Then, Georgen came and Reychel (her daughter) came too, so we had 13 adults.

Reminder, last time we had just the two little kids. 

But this time, nobody came.

So, Lagos, Ken (MN team), and myself walked over to Barrio Mexico to check it out. 

We arrived right as the crew of kids was arriving at the entrance. They lit up with smiles SO BIG to see us at their home. I was kinda concerned it'd feel some kind of bad to them, but they loved it. We all walked to the CDI together and there was something super bonding about it. I'm not sure why, maybe it's because it made me real - like I existed outside the little 50m^2 building now. 

Anyway, Georgen, in her wisdom, seeing the number of helpers, texted the parents to let them know all the kids could come today, so they did! We had the big kids and little kids together, which was awesome. Some of the lessons were repetitive for the big kids, but they didn't seem to mind. We played and read the Bible and talked and practiced music and math and it was fantastic. The kids really got into the Bible story, even the ones who had heard it the day before. 

Justin and I practiced reading in English and Spanish, helping each other with pronunciation. Then, we just sat and talked. We talked about his dreams of being a professional futbolista, or an architect. His love (and skill) for futbol is connected to his dad, which is really sweet. He's right on the cusp on being a young man, and I think he feels the ability for a nearly peer-type connection with other men. We just get so stuck on language. A big part of how I enjoy ministering to the young men in my life is letting them see the places and ways that I view them as my peers; as young men instead of boys. I think it's part of taking that step into identifying and choosing to live as a man of God. But I just. can't. communicate. freely with him. I feel very hindered and mildly frustrated by my inability to do so. But, I'm also leaving in 5 days. I'm afraid that if the connection was stronger, it'd feel like abandonment. So, maybe Lagos will have the opportunity to be one of those men in Justin's life; a man who treats a young man like a young man instead of a boy. That's the point, it's not about us doing the ministry here.

So, yea. The time at the CDI wrapped up and we cleaned up and talked a little with the team from MN and the newlyweds. Then we closed up and hopped on our bus to head home. 

We ordered dinner (I'll have to look back later and see if there's an imbalanced number of times that we order when I'm on cooking crew) and got ready for H@ngout. A lot of people logged in for H@ngout tonight, which was really cool. We had some fantastic, if not startling, conversations and played some games and talked about life. Grace & Isaac (the newlyweds) logged in and there was some cool conversation about marriage and some good advice given (which was probably cool for the students to hear). It was a good H@ngout. I really wish I could meet these students in person.

@@@:::@@@:::@@@:::

Take that, weird keyboard.

PRAYERS:
- for this last weekend not to be wasted
- for a good bye to the kids when the time comes
- for us to transition into our "normal lives" well next week

Pictures: You really gotta stop asking. Though, my camera may work! I dunno, I soaked it in water to see if the leak is a real leak. It kinda worked when I put the battery back in, so we'll see.