We all ate at the hotel and then loaded up in the vans for the hour drive from the city to Mogote. That is where the mission is. We were all given assignments or the day. I was to help walk the streets with a team of eight, giving food to just the children. The food consisted of one tortilla per child, filled with an ice cream scoop of spaghetti and a chewable vitamin. We had our mission kids give the vitamins. Two of the local area men that live in the area and work for the mission, (Mario and Jacob) carried the big pot of spaghetti and we helped pass out the tortillas. We would walk the broken up dirt roads and stop and different corners. Mario would yell out in Spanish that we were there with the food. From up and down each road little children would come out of shacks with plastic bowel or tin bowls. A scoop of spaghetti and one tortilla was put in their dish and they were told to open their mouth so our children could put a vitamin in their mouth. Some of the children would bring two dishes to get food for other children in the family. Street after street, shack after shack, we walked all over the colonial. That is what each area is called. There are 30 colonials in the area of the mission. Some of the people have electricity. Many have a Pela ( a cement or metal water station. Water gets delivered there from a truck three times a week. Some of the children were so little they were just walking and were brought to us for food by an older sister or brother. Dirty, many shoeless with mommies standing in door ways waiting their return. I fell in love with them all.
We went back to the mission and the secured area and helped in the kitchen. I helped to slice plantains (bananas) and put them in oil to fry. All t00he food is made fresh every meal. The women that work in the kitchen had all of us helping to chop, clean, cook and set tables. The food was wonderful.
We helped with the little children in school (about 50 four and five year- olds) and then went down stairs to see the 60 to 80 children that are tutored after school hours. We spent much of the afternoon fillind 5 lb bags full of corn, rice and spaghetti and tying them off. We will finish tomorrow and then deliver them through out the homes on Thursday. There will be about 350-400 bags to deliver.
Most of our men folk left to build a home to a man and his family. The homes for a family of 6-10 people is about the size of a bedroom. They all live there and if they are fortunate, they can save enough money to have a concrete floor instead of dirt.
After we were done with all the work, the mission gates were open by the two men that stand guard, (with guns) and we brought out jump ropes and soccer balls to the streets. The children all slowly started coming to join us. I connected with a little girl named Kimberly and she taught me a number of patty-cake songs and how to do the clapping to the song. We swirled around, played "who can push who off a cement block" and she smiled and let me take pictures of her. I think she is about 8 or 9. When we had to load up the into the vans to go back to the hotel at the end of the day, she stood by my window and we continued to play the patty-cake game through the window. She and I both said monyada (SP) meaning we would see each other tomorrow and play again. As we drove away, she ran after the van waving. I would love to bring her home with me.
We were all filthy when we got back and sweaty and went to rooms to take a shower. Met for dinner and talked about all our experiences. What an amazing day!
The poverty is unbelievable. The spirits are beautiful!
Love to all! Who coming with me next years???
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